Care home slammed as unsafe in report

The CQC said it has taken regulatory action to ensure the safety of residents

A care home for the elderly was "poorly managed" with residents "at risk of harm", the healthcare watchdog has found.

A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report rated Blackwater Mill Residential Home near Newport on the Isle of Wight as inadequate and placed it in special mesures.

It found trip and burn hazards in the home, highlighted poor management of medicines and said residents "appeared unkempt".

The commission said it has taken regulatory action to ensure the safety of residents, some of whom suffer from dementia.

The inspection in March and April was sparked after concerns were raised by Isle of Wight Council and the island's Dementia Outreach Team.

It said issues raised at previous inspections had not been addressed.

Among the problems highlighted by inspectors, equipment to detect falls and how people moved around the home was found not being used properly and call bells were fitted out of people’s reach.

Safety stair gates were found to have been left open or unlocked and made from weak materials which people could fall through.

Inspectors described "unprofessional and hurtful behaviour" from staff and said residents "appeared unkempt".

Staff were not fully trained on dealing with people with medical conditions such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, while people who had difficulty swallowing were given food which put them "at risk of choking".

“Staff didn’t support people to engage in meaningful activities and their care wasn’t person-centred," said the report.

One person was found to have had little or no social interaction in almost three weeks.

Inspectors also found smoke alarms missing, cleaning chemicals left unattended and a boiler rooms with hot pipes was left unlocked.

Medicines were not being managed safely, with poor record-keeping, and staff training. Some people had not received their prescribed medicines, the report said.

The CQC said it would continue to monitor the home to check that improvements are made.

The home's owners have been approached for comment.