A watchdog found a string of failures at Gorton Parks Care home in east Manchester
A Manchester care home has been rated ‘inadequate’ by a watchdog for the second time in nine months.
The latest devastating report criticised the care provided to 57 residents at Gorton Parks Care home in east Manchester, with officials noting six breaches of regulations including the quality of care provided, treatment of residents, nutrition hydration and ‘poor’ management.
The report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which follows an inspection in January, criticised the work around oral hygiene and reveals one resident told officials he had lost eight teeth. He said: “They just fell out because I find it hard to swallow my tablets, so I have started to chew the tablets. The dentist says my teeth have fallen out due to chewing my medication as it is strong.”
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Some relatives told the inspectors about concerns around personal hygiene and reported residents were only able to have a shower or a bath once each week. On the first day of the visit inspectors found emergency alarms were broken, according to the CQC report.
Inspectors found ‘some improvements’ to hygiene but on the first day they also discovered faeces in the middle of a bathroom floor. Parts of the home remained ‘unclean and unhygienic’, according to the report.
Another resident told the inspectors: “I am very bored, I don’t do anything. I have not had my haircut for over a year. I eat my meals in my rooms. I go to the dining room every blue moon.”
Another resident reported they were not allowed outside. Residents were also given out of date medication, according to the report.
The CQC carried out the inspection to follow up on concerns found at the previous inspection which revealed one relative said their loved one ‘often smelled of urine’. It was placed in ‘special measures’, the report published in June last year revealed.
Following the latest inspection, ratings for the category ‘caring and responsive’ went down from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘inadequate’. The category ‘well-led, effective and safe’ has been rated ‘inadequate’ a second time.
The care home remains in special measures which means it will be kept under close review by CQC which has started the process of taking regulatory action against the care home, which is operated by Advinia Care Homes Limited.
After the CQC report was published, its director of operations for north central, Victoria Marsden, said: “When we inspected Gorton Parks, it was deeply concerning to see very little improvement had been made since we last visited. Leaders weren’t managing the service well and we continued to see people being placed at risk of neglect and poor care.
“Leaders failed to investigate several incidents of aggression between people living at the home and towards staff, to prevent them from happening again and to keep people safe.
“Staff offered little or no support to people when they became distressed or agitated. We saw people shouting and one person pacing the floor upset, but nobody intervened to support them or offer some comfort.
“Our inspectors saw that people’s basic care needs weren’t always met, and staff didn’t complete people’s care plans to include details about their preferences and wishes. People’s oral hygiene, weight management and nutritional intake wasn’t monitored effectively, and we received several concerns from relatives about this.
“There was a notable lack of meaningful engagement with people. Many individuals spent long periods isolated in their bedrooms, and staff didn’t consistently ensure their basic comfort needs were met, including regular access to food and drink.
“We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid, and continued improvements and will continue to monitor the home closely to keep people safe during this time. We have begun the process of taking regulatory action in order to protect people further.”
The inspectors found:
- Broken and unplugged safety equipment and sensors
- Leaders didn’t listen to concerns about safety and didn’t investigate and report issues
- Residents were still unable to access the garden area
- Staff didn’t assess people’s needs and risks properly
- Staff didn’t ensure people received their medications safely
- Leaders didn’t ensure staff received support, supervision and development
- Staff didn’t always protect people from infection.