Norfolk home residents in need of nursing and dementia care addressed by number

Walsham Grange needs improvement in every part of its operation to provide nursing and dementia care

A nursing home in Norfolk where staff addressed residents by number rather than names has been told all areas of its operation require improvement.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Walsham Grange in April.

Its report said some areas of the home in North Walsham were not safe and hygienic. Razors were found left in communal bathrooms posing a risk.

Home owner Maps Properties Limited said matters raised by CQC "had been or were being dealt with".

The CQC concluded safety, effectiveness, care of residents, responsiveness and leadership all required improvement.

Inspectors found dirty kitchen areas in the home, where 75 people who need nursing and dementia care live, with spillages not cleaned up and cups heavily stained.

Waiting for assistance

"People and their relatives were not always involved in the assessment, planning and review of residents' care," the inspectors' report said.

Fewer than expected staff were available first thing in the morning at the home and people at that time had to wait up to 20 minutes for assistance.

Staffing was adequate at other times of the day and activity co-ordinators had been employed recently to assess what residents would enjoy.

Requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and an individual approach to care were not being complied with, according to the report.

But it said residents were provided with a varied diet and choices, special diets and preferences were catered for.

People were not always referred to by staff in a dignified way, with staff referring to some by their room number rather than by their name.

But overall, staff were kind and polite when speaking to people, the CQC inspectors concluded.