A Huntly care home has been heavily criticised after care inspectors found staff giving out medication rather than deal with patient problems.
The Meadows Care Home received low grades in several areas, including “unsatisfactory” leadership.
It also was graded weak on supporting people’s well-being, the staff, the setting and planning.
Inspectors visited the 43-bed care home on July 7 and reported problems in the staff’s ability to respond to patients’ needs, especially those with dementia.
The report read: “At times people were given medication for stress and distress rather than following good practice and trying other strategies first.”
Some patients who suffer from dementia were not properly supported and at times were put at risk due to lack of oversight.
Leadership was heavily criticised, with the report noting management “did not make checking on the quality of people’s care experiences an essential part of their day-to-day work”.
Staff gave out medication instead of solving the patient’s issues.
There was inconsistency in the personal grooming of patients with some receiving no assistance until after midday.
Inspectors also noted some patients did not receive help to make the most of their day with very little to do, such as watch TV or listen to the radio as these items remained switched off in rooms.
Staff were also found to lack “understanding in their role of providing dignified and respectful care”.
They failed to address patients who had lost weight by increasing their calorie intake, while inspectors had to step in to alert staff that patients needed food.
Inspectors also found management to be insufficient at recognising, preventing and documenting patients who fall.
Unexplained bruising was rarely investigated or documented by staff, therefore, other agencies were unaware of the risks patients faced.
The report follows previous warnings from the Care Inspectorate to make improvements or risk their licence being revoked.
‘We are sorry that the home has fallen short’
A spokesperson for The Meadows Care Home said: “We take our responsibilities as a provider of care extremely seriously and we are sorry that the home has fallen short of the standards we want and that residents and their loved ones rightly expect.
“We are working closely with the Care Inspectorate, The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership and the team at The Meadows to address areas of concern.
“We are confident that the issues raised by the Care Inspectorate will be quickly resolved within the timescales in our action plan.
“The health, well-being and safety of our residents is our absolute priority, and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders to ensure we are providing the highest quality care for every resident.”
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