A care home where vulnerable residents were seen being manhandled has been put into special measures by the health watchdog.
Care Quality Commission (CGC) bosses have raised serious concerns about Edge Hill Rest Home in Oldham, branding it ‘inadequate’ in a damning report.
The home, in Royton, has been ordered to make drastic changes in the next six months - or risk being stripped of its licence.
The CQC report reveals that Oldham council chiefs have suspended new admissions to the home following a number of concerns raised by health and social care bosses.
MP Jim McMahon has also criticised the home.
The facility, run by Edge Hill Limited, cares for up to 36 people 65 and over with dementia, mental health conditions, sensory impairments or nursing or personal care requirements.
It was graded ‘inadequate’ overall - and in the ‘safe’ and ‘well-led’ categories.
The home was deemed to ‘require improvement’ in the ‘effective’, ‘caring’ and ‘responsive’ categories.
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Inspectors, who visited in November, said five breaches of the Health and Social Care Act were found.
The report concluded that staff were kind and caring but ‘often poorly trained’.
Particular criticism was levelled at the home after staff were seen moving and handling residents in an ‘unsafe’ way.
Two carers were seen repositioning a resident in bed using a ‘drag lift’, where they are taken under the armpits and moved. Inspectors say it can cause injury.
They say carers should use a slide sheet to move residents.
Another resident was helped up from a chair in the same way.
A member of staff was also found to have fed a person who was lying down in bed, without sitting them up first, which the inspectors said put them at risk of choking.
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The trainee carer told the team she had not been properly trained and had not been supervised helping the resident eat.
On one occasion, a resident had to wait 40 minutes before a member of staff was available to help them change position.
Serious concerns were also raised about poor infection control and food hygiene practices, inadequate staffing levels, poor record keeping and a failure to handle complaints properly.
Care plans were out of date, as were risk assessments. Inspectors blasted management for being ineffective.
Residents, some of whom were under stimulated, were not given the chance to get involved in a decent range of activities and opportunities to socialise.
Medicine management was up to scratch, as were safeguarding arrangements to protect residents from harm and abuse and recruitment processes.
Oldham council’s cabinet member for social care and safeguarding, Jenny Harrison, said: “We take reports of substandard care very seriously.
“The care of vulnerable residents is our main priority so, as soon as the findings were brought to our attention, we suspended new admissions to the home.
“We have been working with the home and a range of partners including CQC, Pennine Care Community Nurses and the Public Health Infection Control service to specifically identify the areas of concern.
“An action plan has been developed to address each of the concerns and improve practice. We are actively monitoring the situation and working with partners to ensure that residents are cared for safely and to the required standard.
“We are visiting the home weekly, reviewing residents’ individual support plans and ensuring that progress is made in all areas. If the improvements are not sustained we will take the appropriate action.”
Jim McMahon, MP for Oldham West and Royton, said he had ‘serious concerns’ about the home, adding: “This is deeply upsetting for the families of residents, who have trusted Edge Hill to care for their mums, dads or relatives.
“The CQC recognising the friendly nature of staff at Edge Hill, and the majority of good comments from residents about staff, is positive.
“However, above all there is clearly a failure of leadership and safety at Edge Hill that is completely inexcusable.
“A significant amount of work needs to be done by Edge Hill’s management, immediately and over the next six months, to lift this care home up to the right standard.”
The M.E.N. has repeatedly tried to contact management at the home for comment.