Leighton Buzzard care home needs to improve says care watchdog

A Leighton Buzzard care home has been told it needs to provide more opportunities for its residents after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

But the care home says the report “does not reflect” the current situation – and improvements have already been made.

Inspectors said of Elm Lodge Nursing and Residential Home: “People told us they were often bored with little to do. While there were some planned events, people were not always engaged in meaningful activities or given opportunities for regular, informal chats with staff."

The home, on Stoke Road, which provides residential personal and nursing care for up to 64 people, was judged to require improvement following the inspection.

The report states: People were still positive about the care they received and told us they did really like the staff who treated them well despite being very busy. People were supported by a kind and compassionate staff team who had got to know people as individuals.

“People did not always receive personalised care in practice, but staff were aware of people's likes, dislikes, and preferences. People were involved in reviews of their care and able to make choices about how they were supported. People's independence, privacy and dignity was, in the main, promoted by staff.”

Inspectors found people were supported in an environment which was clean and odour free. And the report said while the environment did not currently support people living with dementia, the new provider was making improvements to the premises to further improve people's care and support.

“People were supported with dignity and respect at the end of their lives”, said inspectors. “People and the staff team were positive about the management of the service and the management style of the new provider. They were also very positive about the changes the new provider had made and the plans for further improvement.”

Inspectors asked for an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety and will monitor progress.

A spokesperson for Elm Lodge said: “We focus on providing the highest quality care for all of our residents and we are clearly disappointed that the CQC has highlighted three elements of the service that require improvement.

“The report does not reflect the current situation within the home as it has focused on specific issues raised in an earlier report with the previous provider.

“We took over the home in 2022 and extensive investment has been made to benefit our residents and our care team who work in the home. Investment has included new flooring, lighting, beds, hoists, new digital care planning system, electronic medication system, medical equipment, nurse call system.

“Since the latest inspection took place, we have made additional improvements and a further range of people-centred initiatives have already been put in place to ensure our residents are properly stimulated at all times. Additional support has also been provided from group level to assist the management team in the home as this process takes place.

“As the CQC acknowledges in its report, staff at the home are well-trained and kind, and residents feel safe in the home.

“The home remains rated ‘good’ in all other areas and we look forward to CQC’s next visit when hopefully the highlighted areas return to that rating.”