Inadequate care home had 'persistent smell of urine'
PA MediaA care home where inspectors said they noticed a "persistent smell of urine" and residents "were not always kept safe" has been placed into special measures.
Leiston Old Abbey Residential Home, in Suffolk, was downgraded from a good rating to inadequate by the Care Quality Commission following a visit in April.
The watchdog found the residential complex had "deteriorated considerably" and residents "weren't receiving the standard of care they deserved".
Inspectors did, however, observe "warm and respectful interactions" between service users and staff, who relatives also described as being kind, caring and compassionate. The home did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.
Hazel Roberts, CQC deputy director of adult social care in the East of England, said: "We found that people weren't receiving the standard of care they deserved.
"The service had deteriorated considerably since our last inspection and the systems in place weren't robust enough for leaders to identify and address these shortfalls."
'Days without social interaction'
The residential care home can provide care and accommodation for up to 40 elderly people, young adults, and those living with dementia.
It also supports people with learning disabilities but inspectors found it fell short in helping them live "full and meaningful lives" based on their own interests and goals.
They also found not all staff were properly trained and residents were at risk of boredom and isolation, with some spending several days without social interaction.
Records relating to falls, pressure ulcers and swallowing difficulties contained gaps and inconsistencies, placing people at risk of harm, according to the CQC.
"For example, one person's records stated conflicting information about whether they could walk, and people weren't always kept safe," Roberts added,
The CQC said that people also were not always supported with their personal care, with one person only receiving support with their oral care only twice in 17 days.
Others also said they were not always able to have a bath or shower when they wanted and inspectors found stains on residents' bed linen.
"People's dignity wasn't always respected. There was a persistent smell of urine in the entrance hall on both of our visits," said Roberts.
"Relatives told us their family members' clothing regularly went missing in the laundry.
"One person told us they had waited up to 45 minutes at night for their call bell to be answered, and the home had no systems in place to monitor response times."
Inspectors told the home to make significant improvements, serving it two warning notices and requesting an action plan.
"Some concerns continued after our inspection, showing the service hadn't taken effective action to address them," added Roberts.
"We've shared our findings with the home and will be monitoring it very closely to ensure changes are made and people are kept safe while this happens."
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