Inverness OAP home slammed over care standards

A PRIVATE Inverness care home used by the council to place elderly residents has been ordered to make urgent improvements following a damning report by the Care Commission.

The watchdog found Elmgrove House Nursing Home to be performing at an unsatisfactory level – the lowest grade it can award – in three out of four key areas, including the quality of care and support it provides to elderly people.

Problems include staff having to carry basins of water from bathrooms to bedrooms so elderly people can wash.

The situation is now being closely monitored by the commission which described it as very concerning. None of Inverness’s 12 other care homes has received such a poor rating in the past year.

Last night there was mounting pressure on Highland Council to remove elderly residents, who are charged between £500 and £575 a week for a room, from Elmgrove until standards are improved.

It comes ahead of a crunch meeting on 13th May when elected members are expected to be updated on a business case for the council’s own plans to build five new care homes, including one in Inverness.

Former deputy Inverness provost Sheila MacKay, of the Highland Senior Citizens Network, is shocked by the report on Elmgrove. “Whoever is in charge has not been fulfilling their obligation and this should have been picked up long before now,” she said.

“I know of at least one person who took her partner out of Elmgrove because the conditions were so poor.”

She is extremely concerned the local authority, which is understood to take up to 20 beds, is continuing to place people in the home and urged it to stop until standards improve.

“They should withdraw and place people elsewhere until the place is closed down or brought up to proper standards,” she said.

“This is entirely unacceptable that these people are not getting a high standard of care. It really is quite disgraceful.”

Mrs MacKay believes the report reinforces the need for the council to press ahead with the stalled plans to build its own homes.

Elmgrove is owned by Eleanor MacKay, who brought the detached Victorian property on Balifeary Road two years ago after setting up a new company, Marchmont Homes, with her son Alasdair.

Both the council and the Health and Safety Executive have raised concerns about Elmgrove with the Care Commission.

The most recent inspection took place in December when officers from the watchdog body turned up at the home unannounced.

The quality of the environment and the quality of management and leadership also received the lowest rating from the commission alongside the quality of care and support.

The home has been ordered to make urgent improvements, including providinghot water to all areas of the home and ensuring staff are appropriately trained.

Chris Stadames, the commission’s North of Scotland regional manager, explained a grade of unsatisfactory was the lowest it could award.

“It means those who use the service are not getting what they have a right to expect,” he said. “It signifies great improvement is needed in a particular area.

“The situation at Elmgrove care home, which received three unsatisfactory grades in its most recent inspection report, is very concerning.

“We are monitoring the service closely to ensure that all of our concerns are addressed.”

He said in extreme cases where services persistently fail the commission could take enforcement action and cancel registration.

“However, this is always a last resort.”

In her report, Care Commission inspector Christine Tweddle describes the inadequate supply of constant hot water as “unacceptable” and orders the owners to address the matter immediately.

She also raises concern about the quality of food provided at the home and the way it handles the admission of elderly residents.

Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service served an enforcement notice on the home requiring the owners to address 17 different issues. This was withdrawn on 15th April when the work was carried out.

It is understood an action plan has been submitted to the commission but home owner Mrs MacKay declined to comment when contacted by The Inverness Courier.

Despite repeated requests the council said it could not comment on the details of its contractual relationships with individual providers.

However Bill Alexander, chief operating officer for the council’s social work department, said: “Where there are concerns in any home about the quality of care, we would only fund placements where the individual and his or her relatives wished us to.”

Meanwhile, the public have just eight weeks to comment on the council’s proposed changes to community care services.

The deadline for comments is Tuesday, 15th June.

How the Care Commission rates Inverness’s care homes

Ach an Eas Care Home
Care and support – weak.
Environment – adequate.
Staffing – adequate.
Management – weak.

Aden House
Care and support – good.
Environment – good.
Staffing – adequate.
Management – good.

Balifeary House
Care and support – good.
Environment – very good.
Staffing – good.
Management – good.

Cameron House Eventide House
Care and support – very good.
Environment – very good.
Staffing – good.
Management – very good.

Clachnaharry Care Home
Care and support – good.
Environment – adequate.
Staffing – adequate.
Management – adequate.

Culloden Court Nursing Home
Care and support – very good.
Environment – not applicable.
Staffing – very good.
Management – not applicable.

Elmgrove House Nursing Home
Care and support – unsatisfactory.
Environment – unsatisfactory.
Staffing – adequate.
Management – unsatisfactory.

Fairfield Care Home
Care and support – adequate.
Environment – good.
Staffing – good.
Management – not applicable.

Highview House Nursing Home
Care and support – adequate.
Environment – not applicable.
Staffing – good.
Management – adequate.

Isobel Fraser Residential Home
Care and support – good.
Environment – not applicable.
Staffing – not applicable.
Management – good.

Kingsmills Nursing Home
Care and support – adequate.
Environment – good.
Staffing – good.
Management – good.

Meallmore Lodge Nursing Home
Care and support – weak.
Environment – adequate.
Staffing – not applicable.
Management – not applicable.

Southside Nursing Home
Care and support – adequate.
Environment – adequate.
Staffing – adequate.
Management – adequate.