Abbey House Nursing Home

This report details an inspection of Abbey House Nursing Home, assessing its overall quality and compliance with care standards. The inspection looked at how the home functions across five key areas: safety, effectiveness of care, how caring the staff are, responsiveness to resident needs, and leadership. The findings cover the home's practices in medication management, risk assessments, staff training, resident well-being, and the overall management of the service.

On safety, while staff are trained in safeguarding and understand abuse signs, improvements are needed in medicine management, including ensuring all opened medicines are dated and that expired medications are removed promptly. Some infection control concerns were noted, such as soiled bed rail bumpers and damaged equipment, and recommendations were made regarding the frequency of checks for residents in their rooms. However, appropriate checks are made for new staff, and accidents are investigated.

Regarding how effective the care is, staff receive training and are skilled in meeting residents' needs, with healthcare professionals frequently involved in care planning. Residents are supported to eat and drink well, and they are encouraged to make decisions about their care. Some areas of the premises and equipment require attention, with recommendations made for upgrades.

In terms of how caring the service is, residents are looked after by kind and compassionate staff who are motivated to provide person-centred care. Residents are treated with dignity and respect, and staff demonstrate enthusiasm for their roles.

Concerning responsiveness, care plans have been improved to include more detailed personal needs, ensuring staff have a good understanding of those they support. Staff provide compassionate end-of-life care, and residents' complaints and comments are appropriately addressed.

Finally, on how well-led the service is, staff feel supported by the leadership team, and morale is good. The registered manager and provider are proactive in improving governance and safety. Feedback from residents, relatives, and staff is actively sought and used for continuous improvement, with the registered manager showing strong dedication to their role.