Care residents have poor quality of life, says CQC

The care home "wasn't always supporting people to be as independent as possible", the report concluded

A care home where inspectors said some people's quality of life was "very poor" will remain in special measures, the health watchdog has said.

Elmcroft Care Home near Maldon was once again rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in November and December.

The CQC said new management had made improvements to safety at the Essex home, but that more time was needed to embed these.

A senior director of the care home said she was "disappointed" with the report and said its team had raised a formal complaint with the CQC.

The CQC deputy director of operations in the East of England, Hazel Roberts, said inspectors were "concerned" to find people's care still was not "always personalised to their needs and risks".

"Some people's quality of life was very poor," said Ms Roberts.

"While we saw staff were kind, they still supported people in a task-focused way and didn't always seek to proactively improve people's quality of life or wellbeing in a meaningful way."

'Informed decisions'

The care home in Tolleshunt Major was visited by the watchdog in April 2024 and was downgraded from requires improvement to inadequate - and therefore placed in special measures.

Essex County Council stopped placing residents, whose care it funded, into the home.

The facility can provide care for up to 54 adults, including those with dementia and physical disabilities. There were 25 people living there at the time of the latest visits.

In their latest report, inspectors said people were not always supported to make "informed decisions" about care at the "end of their life".

"People suffering from low mood because of dementia or other health conditions were less likely to have the same opportunities as other people," the CQC report added.

The report said staff had received safeguarding training but could not always explain how to recognise potential abuse, neglect or restrictive practice.

However, the CQC noted that significant work had been undertaken to improve safety and decoration in the home and said staff were kind and responded to "immediate care needs".

The CQC said it would continue to monitor the home.

Under special measures, the watchdog can resort to suspending or cancelling a provider's registration - which means the care home would have to stop operating - although this measure is rare.

Thankful to residents

In response, Sarah Willitts, associate director of operations at Elmcroft Care Home, said huge investment had been made in the home since May 2024.

"We do not believe this report is reflective of the home and the service it provides, a view which we are confident is supported by the people we care for and their families," she told the BBC.

"Whilst understandably disappointed we are committed to continuous improvement, and we will continue on this journey.

"We are thankful to our residents, their families and our staff team for their ongoing support."