Meadows House Care Home

Summary of findings

Building

Meadows House is located in the new Kidbrooke regenerated area. The home was clean and tidy, and well-lit with clear sign-posting to emergency exits and key areas. It may be difficult by get to by bus as it is an 8-10 min walk from the nearest bus stop. A train station is close by. There is ample parking space with disabled bays. The gardens are well cared for. There are limited local amenities in walking distance.

There was good wheelchair access to the home, and the reception desk is situated in front of the main entrance. Staff throughout were friendly and approachable.

Although there is a signing in book and an entry system, on the day of the visit our Authorised Representative was able to gain access to the Home without being checked in, questioned, or greeted. This is a potentially significant cause for concern. In addition, the reception area did not offer much privacy as the desk is situated directly next to the waiting area, and the glass screen prevents speaking quietly.

Communal areas

The home was clean and tidy and cleaning schedules were properly displayed and up to date. There was no noticeable bad smell in building. The home did have some general maintenance issues and the decor in parts of the building needed a refresh. Although operated by Sanctuary, the home is owned by the Royal Borough of Greenwich who retain responsibility for maintenance and redecoration. The home manager stated that the problems had been brought it to the attention of the Royal Borough of Greenwich on several occasions. Smoking is allowed outside in the gardens for staff and visitors but there is no smoking allowed in the building. All lounges had a TV.

Resident's rooms

The resident’s rooms were spacious and able to be personalised. It is good practice for residents with dementia to have their doors personalised, ideally displaying useful information. The dementia floor had door wraps of different colours, which can help residents remember their room or ‘home’. However, managers expressed a concern about the use of ‘one-page profiles’ displayed on the doors or in the resident’s room, as they felt this may be a breach of the data protection act and raises issues of confidentiality. TVs are available in resident’s room, usually donated by the home after a patient has left, or the patient provides their own

Meals

We were pleased with the effort that was made by the kitchen manager and staff in providing a balance meal to all residents and ensuing that the residents gets provided a meal of their choice. Information is provided by the administrative office that appears to be working well.

Summary

The staff were friendly, caring and attentive. The building was clean and and tidy and there was ample evidence of positive activities regularly available to the residents. Decor and maintenance is an issue; however, staff are taking all possible steps to try to resolve the situation.