Oriel Lodge

We found the following examples of good practice.

Visitors were greeted on arrival at the front or side entrance to the home, where guidance was displayed. Visitors were required to have their temperature checked, complete a health declaration, clean their hands and then supported to put on the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided. This included, aprons, masks, gloves and for some visitors, face visors too.

A visiting pod had been purchased and was located in the garden. The pod was named 'The Olive Room.' It was not currently being used because of the recent outbreak of COVID-19 in the care home. When it was in use, visits were planned and booked in advance with 30 minute intervals between visits for staff to clean the pod. The registered manager told us the visits had been successful, and they had received a lot of positive feedback from delighted relatives.

People were supported to keep in touch with relatives in ways that were meaningful to them, by phone, video calls and closed window visits. In addition to activities facilitated by the activity staff in the care home, further support was provided. For example, local schoolchildren took part in virtual shows and an entertainer played music and sang to people from the garden.

People were being supported to isolate in their rooms, due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19. However, people in the care home were living with dementia, and for some, it was not possible to achieve social distancing. For people who spent time in communal areas, chairs were arranged to promote social distancing. The registered manager told us they also tried to mitigate the risks of the spread of infection, by encouraging regular handwashing, and enhanced cleaning of frequently used surfaces.

Staff had received Infection Prevention and Control training. Staff compliance with required cleaning practices and use of PPE was monitored on each shift by the shift leader who was the designated 'COVID coordinator'.

The registered manager spoke positively about the support and guidance they received from the Local Authority, Clinical Commissioning Group and the GP practice.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found