Shropshire care home is branded 'inadequate'

Residcnts at Gadlas Hall Nursing Home in Dudleston Heath, near Ellesmere, have not been receiving safe, appropriate care and treatment, according to a report by inspectors.

An inspection was carried out after Shropshire Council shared concerns about people's care and treatment at the home.

The Care Quality Commission visited the home with police officers in October last year and later carried out two further unannounced inspections in November.

After the inspections Shropshire Council stopped further placements at the home until improvements were made to ensure people receive the appropriate care, support and treatment.

Gadlas Hall provides accommodation, nursing and personal care for up to 29 older people and people living with dementia.

The report states that on the day of the inspections the home was "cold" and no action had been taken to monitor the heating.

Inspectors also identified that people living in the home were not provided with support to eat and drink, adding: "We saw one person having difficulty eating their meal and the majority of their meal had dropped on the floor. This person was not provided with assistance to eat and drink enough.

"However, people were complimentary about the food and choices available to them."

It was identified in the report that staff were not always available to support people with their care needs, adding: "For example, people were not always supported each morning to get out of bed.

"This did not help people living with dementia to know the difference between night and day and increased the risk of people developing skin damage.

"Staff were not responsive to people's needs and we observed that this caused one person to become distressed.

"There was very little staff presence in the lounge. We saw staff walk through the lounge without interacting with people.

"We found that some staff spoke to people in an unfriendly manner. However, we also saw some good practices, for example, one person sat at the table with a care staff."

The report also stated that the environment was unsuitable for people living with dementia, with misleading signs that could confuse residents.

It added: "We found that paving stones leading to the home were slippery due to the growth of moss and placed people at risk of falls."

Under the CQC's new programme of inspections, all adult social care services are being given a rating to help people choose care. Overall Gadlas Hall Nursing Home has been rated as inadequate.

Nobody from Gadlas Hall Nursing Home was available to comment.