Thirlestaine Park Care Home

Each unit provides people with a single occupancy bedroom with attached toilet and bathing facilities. Each unit has its own lounge, dining room and additional adapted bathing facilities and toilets. There is a designated activities room with cooking facilities. People have access to a large garden and spacious communal balconies leading off the upper floor lounges.

Risk management strategies were also in place to manage other risks which can accompany old age and living with dementia, such as loss of appetite, weight, swallowing difficulties and pressure ulcer development. People who lived with dementia were provided with support when they became anxious and confused. This helped reduce potential changes in their behaviour which may affect their wellbeing.

Some people told us they sometimes had to wait longer than they would prefer for staff to respond to their call bell. Some recorded call bell response times were not within the provider's preferred time frame although many were. Managers and senior staff appreciated the need for call bells to be responded to quickly to help maintain people's safety. Action was being taken to improve the staffs' response times to call bells. People told us staff were attentive to their needs when they were with them.

People's dependency levels were assessed and monitored, and managers staffed the home accordingly. The provider had contingency plans in place to be able to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on staffing.

People and their relatives told us they would feel able to raise concerns and, they felt reassured that these would be addressed. There were systems in place to protect people from potential abuse.

People received their medicines as prescribed. People were supported to manage their own medicines where it was safe for them to do this. Potential risks, associated with certain types of medicines, were identified and managed. Staff were aware of the potential increased risk of internal bleeding when people who were prescribed an anticoagulant and who were also prone to falling.

Action was taken to reduce and mitigate environmental risks. Fire detection systems were maintained, and staff had been trained in how to support people in the event of a fire. Regular servicing and maintenance arrangements were in place to keep the building and the equipment in it safe.

Effective infection, prevention and control arrangements reduced the risk to people from infections which can potentially spread. The service was adhering to current COVID-19 related guidance for care homes.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. This judgement is limited to the areas focused on during this inspection such as maintaining people's safety, the management of risk and medicines support.