05.12.2013
Bosses at the facility must now make a number of operational changes in order to give patients the care that is required by law and then report on these actions to the CQC, who will inspect again within the coming months in order to see if improvements have been made.
In one case it was found that a patient's care plan dictated they should be encouraged to drink more in order to help them regain strength. But because the person in question had advanced dementia, they did not remember they had water next to them and this meant staff had to help them.
However, it emerged that personnel at Lakenheath did not effectively monitor whether this took place and this meant it was unclear how much fluid the at-risk patient was taking on.
Fire hazards were also reported as a problem in the care home, as many members of staff were not properly trained in how to address a fire or evacuate patients and no risk assessment had taken place to look at issues posed by visitors smoking on the premises.
Residents at the home also complained about the service and one specific problem was that they could not have a bath when they wanted.
Inspectors found Lakenheath had a designated "Bath Day" every week, but this was not flexible enough and meant many patients were unhappy or stressed because they could not bathe as often as they would like.
There were dozens of other problems found by investigators, including a lack of skilled staff and poor monitoring and auditing.
Bosses will now have to address complaints by patients, the CQC and family members in order to reach basic care levels and if this is not shown to have happened in the coming weeks or months, sanctions could be placed on the facility.
CQC: Care Home Fails In Every Category
Lakenheath Village Home, which provides accommodation for 21 older people, some of whom have dementia, has been blasted by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).Bosses at the facility must now make a number of operational changes in order to give patients the care that is required by law and then report on these actions to the CQC, who will inspect again within the coming months in order to see if improvements have been made.
In one case it was found that a patient's care plan dictated they should be encouraged to drink more in order to help them regain strength. But because the person in question had advanced dementia, they did not remember they had water next to them and this meant staff had to help them.
However, it emerged that personnel at Lakenheath did not effectively monitor whether this took place and this meant it was unclear how much fluid the at-risk patient was taking on.
Fire hazards were also reported as a problem in the care home, as many members of staff were not properly trained in how to address a fire or evacuate patients and no risk assessment had taken place to look at issues posed by visitors smoking on the premises.
Residents at the home also complained about the service and one specific problem was that they could not have a bath when they wanted.
Inspectors found Lakenheath had a designated "Bath Day" every week, but this was not flexible enough and meant many patients were unhappy or stressed because they could not bathe as often as they would like.
There were dozens of other problems found by investigators, including a lack of skilled staff and poor monitoring and auditing.
Bosses will now have to address complaints by patients, the CQC and family members in order to reach basic care levels and if this is not shown to have happened in the coming weeks or months, sanctions could be placed on the facility.
Expert Opinion
Yet again, these are shocking reports by the CQC of poor care within a nursing home and it is simply not acceptable. <br/> <br/>“It appears even basic levels of care, such as regular washing and being provided with plenty of fluids, are not being met due to lack of resource and staff training. <br/> <br/>“We continue to be contacted by devastated family members who have witnessed a loved one’s poor care within a home and action must be taken to improve standards across the country. <br/> <br/>“The elderly and vulnerable who rely on care home services deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and there is no excuse for this not being met. We hope bosses at Lakenheath now address the complaints as quickly as possible to ensure its residents receive the best standards of care possible.” <br/> Julie Lewis - Partner
Key Contact
Press Contact
