Archived: Cedar Falls Care Home with Nursing

Cedar Falls Care Home with Nursing is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 91 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 93 people who need nursing care, residential care due to old age or who may be living with dementia. The home has ten bungalows in the ground for people who wish to retain some independence, the rest of the people living at the home are in a purpose-built facility.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and they had received all the training and support necessary to ensure that the care they provided was safe and met best practice. People told us staff were kind and caring and supported them to maintain their dignity and encouraged their independence.

Care plans were up to date and recorded the care people needed and how risks to people should be managed. Medicines were ordered, stored, administered and disposed of in line with good practice guidelines. People were happy with the food provided and were able to make choices. In addition, Sandwiches, snacks and fruit were on display all day for people, which encouraged people living with dementia to eat.

The registered manager monitored the quality of care provided to ensure that staff worked to the best practice guidelines and used the used the skills provided through training. Accidents and incidents were investigated, and the registered manager and staff took action to try and prevent similar incidences occurring in the future.

The registered manager and provider had gathered the views of people living at the home about any changes made to the environment and the care they received. In addition, the registered manager worked collaboratively with research organisation to drive forwards knowledge and best practice in supporting people living with dementia.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 17 December 2016). At this inspection we found the service had maintained a rating of good.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

The home provides residential and nursing care for up to 91 people. Some of the people at the home were living with a dementia. The home was purpose built and is set over two floors with the upstairs being a secure dementia area. There is a main lounge and dining area on each floor as well as smaller areas with comfortable seating. In addition there are a number of bungalows in the grounds for people who wish to remain more independent.

There was a registered manager for the home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staff were kind and caring and supported people to be happy and contented. They knew people’s likes and dislikes and were able to offer suggestions for food or activities that would please the person. People’s privacy and dignity were supported and they were able to personalise their rooms to make them feel more like home. People were supported to make choices about how they received their care and could specify if they preferred male or female staff to assist them with their personal care.

People told us they felt safe living at the home and staff had received training in how to keep people safe from harm. Staff were protected against the risks associated with medicines, as staff ensured that medicines were stored, administered and destroyed safely and were available to people when needed.

There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs and the provider completed appropriate checks to ensure that they were safe to work with people living at the home. Staff had access to training which supported them to have the skills needed to provide safe appropriate care for people. They were also supported to gain nationally recognised qualifications in care. Staff received support and guidance from their line manager in regular supervisions and annual appraisals.

People’s rights were protected under the Mental Capacity Act 2005(MCA) and people has been appropriately referred to the local Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards authority when they were unable to make decisions about where they lived and were under constant supervision. Where people were able to make decisions for themselves their choices were respected.

People received care which met their needs and had been assessed so that risks to them had been identified and appropriate care and equipment was in place to keep them safe and healthy. However, review periods for risks were not always clearly identified and records did not always reflect people’s current needs. People were supported to maintain a healthy weight and to access plenty of fluids. People’s ability to eat safely was assessed and advice from healthcare professionals was followed. People were offered a choice of meals and were always offered an alternative if they did not like the meal they had chosen.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of care people received and to gather the views of people using the service. The registered manager worked with a research organisation to ensure that the care provided reflected the latest guidance and used the guidance to make changes to the environment to support people’s wellbeing. They also worked with the local community to promote the needs of people living with a dementia and to help relatives understand people’s needs better.

People were all complimentary about staff and the service that they received. One person said "I like living here. I love my breakfast. I order a cooked breakfast every day. Staff are kind and helpful". A relative who had discussed aspects of care with staff said "I am 100% happy with the care. The staff are very good".

People were encouraged to make everyday decisions. Where they were unable to make more complex decisions the provider acted in accordance with legal requirements.

Care records contained detailed information about people's needs. Staff knew how they wished to be supported. Health care needs had been met. Relatives told us they were involved and kept informed of any changes in people's health or personal care needs.

There was a safe system of medication in place. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.

Effective staff recruitment procedures ensured that people were protected from harm against inappropriate staff.

The complaints procedure was available and copies given to people who used the service and their relatives.