'Overpowering smell of urine' found in care home

A Kent care home has been placed in special measures after an inspection found residents were "living in unacceptable conditions".

Dover House, managed by Dover House (GC) Limited, provides accommodation with nursing and personal care for older people, and those living with dementia.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it found seven breaches relating to care, consent, safe care and treatment, safeguarding, premises and equipment, staffing and management.

A spokesperson for the care home in Dover said they "acknowledged" the findings and took the outcome "extremely seriously".

They added: "We recognise aspects of our service fell below the standards that people using our service, their families, and regulators rightly expect."

Following the inspection in November and December, the CQC downgraded the service from good to inadequate.

Catriona Eglinton, CQC deputy director of operations in Kent, said leaders "didn't have a grip on serious and widespread problems at the home".

She said systems to monitor quality and safety "weren't working, and even when audits identified issues, no action was taken".

As a result, she said people were "living in unacceptable conditions" and on two floors there was an "overpowering smell of urine, with dirty carpets and sticky floors".

She added: "We saw residents wearing urine-soaked clothing who hadn't been supported to use the bathroom.

"Relatives told us they'd raised concerns about the smell and cleanliness for months, yet nothing had changed."

Inspectors also reported incidents of people "displaying anxious, distressed and aggressive behaviour" which resulted in harm to others living at the service.

Eglington said: "We also found a person with a catheter who had passed very little urine over a 24-hour period, which had gone unnoticed.

"Records showed they weren't receiving enough fluids to remain healthy."

She said the risk of infection and safeguarding concerns were not always raised when they should have been.

Dover House said it was committed to learning from the inspection and it "welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate sustained progress".

A spokesperson said they had been working with the CQC on an improvement plan.

This included improving leadership, staff training and understanding of safeguarding and ensuring staffing levels were appropriate to deliver safe care.

"All bedrooms and communal areas are being reviewed to ensure they are clean, well-maintained, and reflect a homely and personalised environment for residents," they added.

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