Archived: Rathgar Care Home

Updated 18 June 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This unannounced inspection was carried out by an inspector and took place on the 24 and 29 April 2015.

Before our inspection, we reviewed information we held about the provider including, for example, statutory notifications that they had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We contacted the health and social care commissioners who help place and monitor the care of people living in the home that have information about the quality of the service.

We took into account people’s experience of receiving care by listening to what they had to say. We also used the ‘Short Observational Framework Inspection (SOFI); SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We undertook general observations in the communal areas of the home, including interactions between staff and people. We viewed four people’s bedrooms by agreement.

During this inspection we spoke with six people who used the service, as well as three visitors to the home. We looked at the care records of six people. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager and four care staff. We looked at four records in relation to staff recruitment and training, as well as records related to quality monitoring of the service by the provider and registered manager.

Updated 18 June 2015

This unannounced inspection took place on the 24 and 29 April 2015.

Rathgar Care Home accommodates and provides care for up to 23 older people, most of whom have dementia care needs. There were 22 people in residence during this inspection.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

People were assured that there were sufficient numbers of staff that had acquired the skills they needed through training and experience to meet their needs. Recruitment procedures were robust and protected people from the poor practice of unsuitable staff compromising their safety.

People’s care plans reflected their individuality and their needs were regularly reviewed. People’s benefited from receiving care from staff that listened to and acted upon what they said, including the views of their relatives, friends, or significant others. Staff understood their duties and carried them out diligently. Their manner was friendly and they encouraged people to retain as much independence as their capabilities allowed. There were spontaneous as well as regularly organised activities to stimulate people’s interest.

People’s healthcare needs were met. They had routine and ‘as needed’ access to a wide range of community based health professionals. Community based healthcare professionals were appropriately consulted, and their advice and prescribed treatments acted upon, to help sustain people’s health and wellbeing.

People said they enjoyed their food and had plenty to eat and drink. They enjoyed a varied and balanced diet to meet their nutritional needs. Meal portions suited people’s appetites and choices of food suited people’s individual preferences and tastes. Snacks were readily available. People who needed support with eating or drinking received the help they required.

People’s medicines were securely stored and there were suitable arrangements for the disposal of discontinued medicines. Medicines were competently administered by staff in a timely way.

People’s quality of care was effectively monitored by the audits regularly conducted by the registered manager and the provider.

People and their representatives knew how and who to complain to. They were assured that they would be listened to and that appropriate remedial action would be taken to try to resolve matters to their satisfaction.