Health Probe At Cheshire Care Home

ENVIRONMENTAL health officers have been called in to investigate a Lostock care home after concerned relatives raised the alarm.

Avandale Lodge on Manchester Road has been criticised by family members of residents for being dirty and lacking in basic amenities.

Tom Bunby, of Shipbrook Road, Rudheath, said that his wife was very upset after being told by her mother that there had been no running hot water at the home for three weeks.

Tom, who is also a Rudheath parish councillor, said: “We feel that this is an absolute disgrace, washing their clients in cold water.

“It should not happen in this day and age. We understand mistakes happen but all that time without hot water is just not acceptable. Do basic human rights stop when you are ill or old?

“We know that environmental health visited last week sometime and the staff were rushing around making sure the place was clean.”

A spokesman for Vale Royal Borough Council confirmed that officers had visited the home.

She said: “One of our environmental health officers visited Avandale Care home in Lostock last week after receiving an enquiry via the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

We have had contact from the public regarding the home and we are liaising with them.
Andy Keast-Marriott, from the Commission for Social Care Inspection
 
“We have ensured that the matters reported to us have been dealt with.”

A Cheshire County Council spokesperson said: “The Commission for Social Care Inspection has passed on a complaint made to them and we are investigating that complaint.”

Andy Keast-Marriott, from the Commission for Social Care Inspection, said they were aware that the home had had problems with the water but he believed they had been resolved.

He said: “The home has kept us informed of their situation in the past week.

“We have had contact from the public regarding the home and we are liaising with them.”

A spokesperson for the home, which caters for people with dementia and other mental problems, said: “We have had issues with one of the water pumps, however all our residents had access to hot water to enable them to wash every day.

“As soon as this matter was communicated to senior management the problem was resolved.

“We do not wish to address individual and anonymous complaints through the media but we are always available to personally discuss concerns with relatives and residents.”