A Rochdale care home has been slammed by inspectors for failing to protect elderly residents from the risk of infection.
Highfield Manor Care Home failed to meet four standards of quality and safety set out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in an inspection published last month.
By law providers must meet all standards, and Eagle Care Homes Ltd, which runs the care home on Manchester Road, Heywood, has been ordered to take immediate action.
Four categories were labelled as Action Needed – ‘consent to care and treatment’, ‘cleanliness and infection control’, ‘staffing’ and ‘records’.
CQC visited in response to concerns over poor hygiene standards and worries people were ‘being deprived of their liberty’.
The report, carried out in August and September, claimed: “People were not protected from the risk of infection or provided with a fresh and hygienic environment to live in because adequate systems were not in place.”
The inspectors found there were no effective management systems in place to ensure good practice in infection control.
The report read: “Where people were being ‘deprived of their liberty’; the provider had not acted in
accordance with legal requirements to ensure people’s rights were protected.”
Another safety concern stated: “Systems to protect people who were not able to independently leave their bedrooms were not in place. Clear procedures need to be implemented around any restrictions so that people are kept safe from risk of harm or injury.”
Rochdale MBC Infection Control team assessed the home and found it to be only 50% compliant with improvements needed to the environment, communal bathrooms and toilets and soiled waste management.
Also, some bedroom doors were fitted with a Yale lock, requiring a key to open them, though they could not be locked from the inside as the catch had been removed.
The registered manager and area manager confirmed this was usual practice and prevented people from being disturbed by others who were unsettled during the night.
This did highlight fears about fire safety but after a fire officer was called, they were satisfied that the correct procedures were in place.
Investigators concluded that it was unclear whether residents had been consulted about the locks though some family members had been contacted.
Another point raised stated staff had not received all the training they needed to support people effectively and develop their knowledge and skills.
Care records were seen not to contain accurate, up to date or detailed information to enable staff to support people in the way they wished to be cared for to meet their current and changing needs.
However, staff were praised on the way they interacted with residents.
“We saw that care staff were polite and helpful to people,” it read. “Those people able to communicate their needs and wishes were seen to enjoy a good rapport and humour with staff.”
The nursing home declined to comment.
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