South Lodge Care Home: Standards have slipped say Care Inspectorate

The Care Inspectorate made an unannounced visit to South Lodge Care Home, in Racecourse Road, Ayr, in June to assess the well-being of residents and determine whether actions ordered after a 2019 inspection had been carried out.

Having been rated as ‘good’ in its support for people’s well-being two years ago, the service was downgraded to ‘adequate’.

In a report due to go to South Ayrshire Council’s Leadership Panel, South Lodge is similarly deemed ‘adequate’ in its handling of Covid.

While the inspection found that people were treated ‘respectfully’ and there was a ‘pleasant and welcoming atmosphere’  there were issues that had been flagged up in 2019 which had not been addressed properly.

This included the assessment of the deteriorating health of residents and the development of plans to ensure residents’ privacy when using bathroom facilities.

The report stated: “Deterioration of health was not monitored well and methods for doing this and escalating to the right people need to be implemented.”

A sizeable portion of the report is dedicated to a mixed assessment of South Lodge’s approach to Covid.

The report stated: “Infection control practices support a safe environment for both people experiencing care and staff.

“We observed some positive practice. Staff were wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

“Access to PPE and the way it was used and disposed of was in line with good practice guidance.

“Staff took opportunities to carry out good hand hygiene at the right time.”

Where there were issues, they generally related to the physical environment.

“The staff kitchen, laundry sinks, and shelving all had non-intact surfaces which could not be cleaned effectively,” the report continued.

There were also problems with staffing across the different floors in the building, with staff on one floor described as ‘stretched’.

Staff themselves have largely been praised: “The staff team were consistent and caring.

“Positive and trusting relationships were evident. People were usually responded to promptly by staff and there was a calm atmosphere.”

South Lodge management must make improvements in eight areas – including those they failed to meet from the 2019 inspection.

The additional areas for improvement cover the physical elements of the home, such as taps and sinks and the replacement of surfaces and furniture that cannot be properly cleaned.

Inspectors have also asked staff to look at improving the recording of medical history in relation to Covid.

They said: “The medical history could include dates of Covid-19 infection so that any effects of long Covid-19 can be determined.

“Long term medical conditions needed to be recorded more clearly and information provided to ensure staff knows what these conditions are.”