Ministers face call to regulate 'buy-to-let' care home rooms

Private investors are being enticed to purchase rooms in UK care homes on a buy-to-let basis with the promise of large profits and rental income, a Bureau investigation reveals today.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found hundreds of rooms being offered for sale for as much as £85,000 each. They offer “guaranteed” rental income of around 10% annually and a total return on investment of up to 188% over 10 years.The largest player in the market is a company whose managers include a struck-off solicitor, a disqualified director and a chief executive who was once the sole director of a company that held a strip club licence – and who says his involvement in the sector will allow him to buy fast cars and diamonds for his wife.

Such buy-to-let room schemes are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, while the Care Quality Commission, which oversees standards in care homes, says it does not have responsibility for providers’ financial sustainability. Read more ...

UK's biggest care home provider shuts loss-making homes

#carehomes #GeorgeOsbourne #localauthorities - In a letter to George Osborne, Four Seasons joined Bupa UK, HC-One, Care UK and Barchester in warning that extra costs would mean “thousands of older people could be left without a home”.

Justin Bowden, national organiser for the GMB trade union, said the closures would have “devastating consequences” for residents and staff. He said the sector was in “slow motion” collapse because of the shortage in funding and predicted the crisis would put yet more pressure on the NHS because older patients who could not be cared for at home would seek beds through A&E departments.

There are approximately 400,000 people in residential care homes across the UK and the ResPublica thinktank has predicted a shortfall of 37,000 beds by 2020 if a funding gap of £1.1bn is not met by the chancellor. Care homes are being squeezed by a fall in the fees that local authorities contribute to residents’ care and a rise in staff costs. The latter will increase further when the “national living wage” comes into force next April. 

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Famous retired actors care home failing to keep records of abuse, report finds

#carehomes #abuse #cqc - Denville Hall, the care home for retired actors, is failing to keep a record of abuse allegations made by staff, residents or their families, according to another damning report that highlights further failings at the famous institution.

An unannounced two-day inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found the care home breached the Health and Social Care Act in relation to supporting staff, recording and reporting allegations of abuse, assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision and keeping accurate records. 

Denville Hall, whose ambassadors include Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Patrick Stewart, was assessed as ‘requiring improvement’ in ‘safe’, ‘effective’ and ‘well-led’ categories while rated ‘good’ under ‘caring’ and ‘responsive’. Read more...

Is CQC stigmatizing care providers by refusing to change rating despite obvious improvements?

#CQC #NursingHome #ChurchView - Church View Nursing Home in Rainer Street was picked apart by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after three visits in May, which resulted in the enforcement of special measures.
Inspectors returned to make a progress check on October 6 and found action was being taken, but more changes were needed to change its official rating across five areas: safety, effectiveness, care, responsiveness and leadership.

The report, released last Wednesday (NOV 18), said: “At this inspection we found that the provider had taken action to address the issues highlighted in the warning notices. However, some areas required further focus.

“Work had been undertaken to raise the awareness of pressure damage. Care plans, risk assessments and care charts had been reviewed.

“Records showed a more structured approach to the management of wounds, although there was some inconsistency in the description and progress of wounds.
“Staff had not documented the support people received in terms of managing resistance or effective continence care.

“Focus had been given to people’s risk of malnutrition and dehydration. Improvements had been made to records showing people’s daily fluid intake.

“A new initiative of baking bread had been introduced to increase people’s appetite and interest in food. People enjoyed this activity and had gained weight as a result.
“People’s risk of malnutrition had been assessed and their plan of care updated.
“People received fortified foods and supplements but these were not always fully documented.
“Records did not show people had consistently been given snacks between meals or an alternative, if they had declined food.

“Improvements had been made to records showing people’s daily fluid intake. Whilst a review of the staffing arrangements had taken place, the numbers of staff on duty had not been increased. This was because the home was not operating at full occupancy and a review conducted by the registered manager, of people’s dependency, had showed staffing levels to be satisfactory.

“More staff were being recruited to respond to new admissions and to enable greater flexibility with covering staff sickness.

“During the inspection the home was calm and people did not have to wait for assistance.
“Attention had been given to ensure staff had the required knowledge and skills to support people effectively."

“Staff had completed a variety of training courses and were discussing their work within newly introduced supervision sessions.“New staff had positively added to the skill mix of the team.”
Chris Smith, managing director of Coate Water Care, which owns Church View, said: “Although CQC have reinspected the home following the improvements that have been made to bring it back to the high standards expected of a Coate Water Care home, Unfortunately the rating cannot be improved until a further full reinspection in six months time.

“Swindon Borough Council are continuing to monitor the home weekly and are satisfied with the continued improvements, and are now placing residents in the home again.
“There are now 30 very happy residents at Church View.

"We look forward to the next inspection by the CQC, so the home can get the rating that it now truly warrants.”

To ensure your care home is not caught out with an unannounced inspection, purchase CQC compliance services that meets specific requirements of your service provision, click image link below:

Are bed rails a restraint in care home settings?

#carehomes #cqc #britishstandard #oxforduniversitypress - In care home settings today there is a live and ongoing debate about the use of bed rails and its effectiveness in preventing falls. Bed rails are marketed as safety devices to reduce patients' risk of falling from bed but are they simply restraints? - Some would argue that they restrict a person’s liberty however, for people with dementia living in  in care homes, the freedom of movement debate is unlikely to be uppermost in their minds or those of their relatives.

In an article on bed rails published by Oxford University Press for the British Geriatrics Society, it concludes "Careful evaluation of the empirical evidence on the use and non-use of bed rails does not lend adequate support to the widely held and powerful views that bed rails are inherently harmful".

The use of bed rails is not harmful but it is how carers position the rails in relation to the mattress that may be an issue. If the gap between the bed rail and the mattress platform is too wide, it could lead to a person's entrapment under the rail which could result to asphyxiation.

The British Standard BS EN 60601-2-52:2010 states that the gap from any accessible opening between the bottom of the side rail and the mattress platform should be no more than 60 mm. When assessing this gap, it should be taken into consideration whether mattresses are thin, easily compressible at the edge and whether the individual’s dimensions increase the risk of slipping underneath the rails. Mattresses should always fit snugly, with no significant gap, between both bed rails.

For more information on how to purchase the complete policy 'Safe use of bed rails' and over 100 up-to-date care policies designed to meet the demands of the new Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection regime. Lets go to cqc-ratings.org.uk

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Contact us on 0203 633 3605 or drop us an email at info@cqc-ratings.org.uk

Blog written by Ken Uwotu, Email - ken.uwotu@cqc-ratings.org.uk

Why care homes fail the CQC inspection medication test?

#carehomes #cqc #cqcmedicationaudit - Medication management is one of the most important areas assessed by inspectors in a CQC inspection and rightly so as errors in medication management could lead to unexpected deaths of vulnerable person residing in a care home.

Medication management is assessed under a standard set of key lines of enquiry (KLOEs) that directly relate to the five key question. - Is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

It is the responsibility of all care providers, irrespective of the type of service being run, to handle medications in the safest manner possible. Irrespective of the type of service being run, it is the responsibility of all care providers to apply the highest standards of safety to medication management. Care providers are required to demonstrate that the standards of care as proscribed by the Care Quality Commission (Outcome 9, Regulation 13) are met.

Medication management process covers the following - Medication management policy, Homely remedies, Ordering, Receipt of medication, Storage of medication, Medication room, Record Keeping, Administering medication, training of staff, disposal of medication, Supplying Pharmacy but first place to start in correctly managing medication in a care home setting is to have a medication management policy that is reviewed regularly to make sure it is up to date, and is based on current legislation and the best available evidence. 

The policy should include written processes for sharing information about a resident's medicines, including when they transfer between care settings, ensuring that records are accurate and up to date, identifying, reporting and reviewing medicines‑related problems, keeping residents safe (safeguarding), accurately listing a resident's medicines (medicines reconciliation), reviewing medicines (medication review), ordering medicines, receiving, storing and disposing of medicines, helping residents to look after and take their medicines themselves (self‑administration), care home staff administering medicines to residents, including staff training and competence requirements, care home staff giving medicines to residents without their knowledge (covert administration), care home staff giving non-prescription and over‑the‑counter products to residents (homely remedies), if appropriate.

Poor operations documents and medication training of staff are other factors that could affect the quality of medication management. It is also important for care home managers to keep abreast with developments in the industry by signing up to receive the latest news relating to alerts and recalls for drugs and medical devices.  For an effective medication management process in the home, a medication audit to required. 

Care Quality Consultants offers a comprehensive medication audit, additional benefits and an 'after care' service to ensure your service is medication 'compliance ready'.

Book a MEDICATION AUDIT today and get a 5% discount.

Contact us on 0203 633 3605 or drop us an email at info@cqc-ratings.org.uk

Blog written by Ken Uwotu, Email - ken.uwotu@cqc-ratings.org.uk