Second care home ordered to improve

Inspectors said Heatherfield was providing a less than adequate level of care. Picture: Jon Savage

The Heatherfield home in Armadale was providing a “less than adequate” level of care, which had got worse since the previous inspection, their report said.

The verdict came just a day after Meadowvale care home in Bathgate was also awarded the bottom grade by the Care Inspectorate.

The Heatherfield report said inspectors had observed:

• “Numerous occasions” when residents were left unattended or had to wait for attention;

• That many residents complained there were not enough staff;

• An inspection of accident records had found “a high number of unobserved falls”;

• That a medication trolley was left open and unattended.

Inspectors carried out a high intensity inspection and rated the home “unsatisfactory” – the lowest possible grade – for the quality of care and support, the quality of the environment, and the quality of management and leadership.

The inspection took place in August and the report has just been published. A previous inspection in February had graded these areas as “weak”, the second lowest grade.

Inspectors found previous requirements unmet, with continued “deficits in care-planning”, where “care plans were not reflective of current needs and staff freely admitted that care plans were not up to date”.

There were further concerns identified about medication, the garden area being unkempt and unsafe, poor handling of soiled linen, and unclean kitchen areas.

A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: “We continue to have serious concerns about this service and are monitoring them closely to ensure they take action to meet the standards we expect.

“We will be inspecting again soon and if we are not satisfied that improvements are being made quickly on the areas we have highlighted, we will not hesitate to take further  action.

“The level of care provided is unacceptable and must improve.

“Everyone in Scotland has the right to safe, compassionate care which meets their needs and respects their rights.”