Care home ordered to improve by watchdog

AN Edinburgh care home has been ordered to improve hygiene, infection control and attitudes towards the privacy and dignity of residents following an Evening News investigation.

The Care Commission upheld a number of complaints about Ashley Court, in Morningside, after our undercover reporter took a job at the care home in April.

The Evening News did not discover any abuse of elderly residents which might put them in immediate danger, but did find a series of apparent failings relating to staffing, hygiene and recruitment. The Care Commission upheld our reporter's complaint that one carer regularly changed incontinence pads without gloves.

It also upheld a second complaint about unacceptable invasions of privacy and dignity in relation to the use of a resident's room as a training area.

The commission also partially upheld three further complaints, including the fact that our reporter was not subjected to a full Disclosure Scotland check before she was allowed to deal with vulnerable members of the public.

The other partially upheld complaints relate to residents being washed while sitting on the toilet, and the lack of adequate induction training in relation to fire safety, the patient call system and mentoring.

In total, the Evening News highlighted 31 individual complaints of varying degrees of severity, 26 of which were not upheld.

However, six of these complaints were not upheld because carers denied our reporter's allegations, and there was insufficient evidence to support her observations.

These related to the alleged rough handling of a patient, three further allegations of poor hygiene practice, and two allegations that the reporter was asked to administer medicine and manual handling practices without the proper training.

The 21 other complaints that were not upheld related to bedtimes, bathing and dining facilities, food monitoring, a bruised patient, underwear provision, sleepwear, social interaction, moving and handling of users, provision of continence equipment and gloves, changing an MRSA infected resident's clothes without gloves, alleged nepotism, and staffing levels.

In conclusion, the Care Commission recommended that Ashley Court should "review infection control practice with regard to staff glove usage".

It also said the home should "ensure that informed consent is sought" if residents' facilities are to be used by staff. An action plan to resolve outstanding issues has also been recommended.

An Ashley Court spokesman said: "We are satisfied with the Care Commission's overall report which reflects the high quality of care we provide and the professionalism of our staff.

"Following a lengthy and very thorough investigation, the commission has dismissed 26 of the 31 complaints.

"Five other issues mentioned in the report have now been addressed."

A spokesman for Help the Aged welcomed the report: "Anything that improves the quality of life of elderly people in care homes is to be welcomed.

"We would also urge people who are residents, or relatives, not to hesitate to raise complaints whenever they see anything of this nature."