Henley care home given warning over welfare of residents

A FORMAL warning has been issued to a care home in Sonning Common after health watchdogs found residents were not being fed properly and staff were not qualified to look after them.

Orchard Lodge in Baskerville Road failed to meet nine out of 17 “essential” standards of quality and safety.

Owner Nageeb Aubdool and his wife Naz have until next week to make improvements or face possible action, including prosecution.

Inspectors from the Care and Quality Commission visited the home in June to see how the 11 residents, many of whom suffer from dementia, were being cared for.

Their report said residents and their families were not involved in decisions about their treatment.

The commission said: “The home failed to ensure people received adequate nutrition and hydration, was not protecting people with limited mobility or who were prone to falls, or providing appropriate care for people with specific needs such as diabetes and pressure ulcers.Inspectors found that the provider did not have systems in place for monitoring the quality and safety of care given to people, which may put people at risk of harm.”

The commission found that there wasn’t a system to show that enough qualified and experienced staff were on duty at all times and that staff took on jobs they did not always feel competent to do. The inspectors’ surprise visit followed a routine inspection in February when they found that the home had failed to meet 12 of the standards.

The Aubdools, who have owned Orchard Lodge since 2009, claim they were not given enough time to implement changes since the first inspection.

Mr Aubdool, a registered nurse, insisted that all the residents and their families were happy with the standard of care.

He said: “I am not perfect but before I get time to get things in place, they are harassing me.”

He said the residents were properly fed and well looked after by trained staff.

“I am going to keep a book and after every meal I am going to get the residents to tell me whether they liked it,” said Mr Aubdool. Orchard Lodge was given 21 days to improve or face possible sanctions. The commission has power to restrict the service that a provider offers and, in the most serious cases, suspend or cancel a service.

It can also issue a fine or caution and prosecute a provider for failing to meet essential standards.

The commission regulates all adult social care services in the public, private and voluntary sectors in England and its aim is to protect the lives of vulnerable people.

Roxy Boyce, the commission’s South-East regional director, said: “This warning notice sends a clear and public message that Mr Aubdool needs to address these issues as a matter of urgency or face serious consequences.

“Our inspectors will return to Orchard Lodge in the near future and if we find that the provider is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers on behalf of the people who live there.”