Checks for a deadly disease were not always completed, inspectors found
Rowan Garth Nursing Home,Lower Breck Road, Anfield
People were left wet from incontinence in a “chaotic” care home where checks for a deadly disease were not always completed. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has plunged Rowan Garth Care Home on Lower Breck Road in Anfield back into special measures following a damning assessment of conditions.
The home, run by Wellington Healthcare (Arden) Ltd provides accommodation for older people requiring nursing or personal care across five units. At the time of inspection only three were in operation with 82 people living there.
It is the second time in three years healthcare officials have had cause to condemn the site, having placed it in special measures in November 2022. A report issued by the CQC said despite a plan being made to improve conditions last year, “no effective action had been taken.”
The CQC has downgraded the home’s overall rating from requires improvement to inadequate. The “safe, effective and well-led” category was rated as inadequate, and “responsive and caring” was rated as requires improvement.
When they visited the location in June, inspectors found the management of medicines was unsafe, with residents not receiving them at the right time. In one case, a person was given their medicine three and a half hours after the required time.
The report said: “This exposed people to the unwanted and often painful or uncomfortable symptoms these medicines were prescribed to treat.” It was said staff did not have sufficient clinical guidance on people’s clinical risks and medicines for complex health conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy.
Medicines were also not always stored at the right temperatures which increased the risk of them being ineffective. Elsewhere, some people’s continence records showed they were wet through and in need of a change of clothes on multiple occasions, indicating people’s continence care was insufficient.
Some residents did not have access to a working bath or an accessible call bell to ring for staff support when needed. Infection control standards were also described as poor.
Used personal and protective equipment (PPE) and other debris were found in the car park and other areas of the home while furnishing, fittings and equipment was not always clean or in a good state or repair. The report also highlighted how checks in place to monitor for the risk of Legionella bacteria in the home’s water system were not always completed.
An agency nurse told inspectors how from their point of view, there were not enough staff and it was “too much.” The home was described as “very chaotic” with staff described as “knackered.”
Andrew Peck, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: “When we inspected Rowan Garth, we found serious failings in leadership that placed people at unnecessary risk of harm. Leaders weren’t managing the service well, meaning people weren’t receiving the safe and person-centred care they deserved.
“Our inspectors saw that staff didn’t manage medicines safely, with some people receiving time-critical medications hours late. This is especially serious for people with conditions like Parkinson’s disease, where timing is vital.
“Leaders didn’t ensure the environment was safe and we saw broken equipment and inadequate facilities. The call bell system wasn’t fit for purpose and although the provider had been aware of this for over six months, no effective action had been taken to ensure people were able to call for staff help when needed.
“While we found staff were kind and caring, they weren’t supported by leaders to deliver safe care. Leaders also didn’t ensure staffing levels were sufficient, meaning people often experienced delays in receiving support.
“We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid, and continued improvements and will continue to monitor the home closely to keep people safe during this time. We have begun the process of taking regulatory action in order to protect people further.”
A spokesperson for Rowan Garth said: “We are disappointed to have received an Inadequate rating from the CQC. When we fall short of our standards, our priority is to learn from this and take immediate corrective action.
“We acknowledge there were areas where we did not meet the high standards our residents and their families rightfully expect and deserve. We took immediate action following the inspection and have implemented a comprehensive improvement plan to address all concerns raised.
“The safety and wellbeing of our residents is paramount. We have appointed a highly experienced turnaround manager to lead the improvements at Rowan Garth and ensure sustainable change.
“We are working closely with all relevant partners. We remain committed to delivering the quality of care our residents deserve and look forward to demonstrating significant progress at the CQC’s next inspection.”