Faeces-soiled sheets found at inadequate care home

The Limes Care Home was rated inadequate following an inspection in July 2021

A care home has been rated inadequate after used injection needles were left on a filing cabinet and sheets soiled with faeces were discovered.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors first rated The Limes Care Home inadequate after a visit in 2021.

They returned sooner than anticipated in February after "significant concerns" were raised.

The family of the registered owner said serious illness had limited his involvement with running the home.

A previous inspection, carried out in July, found Covid-19 guidelines "were not being effectively followed" at the home in Park Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire.

Inspectors visited the site again in February and March this year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

They found "people were not protected from the risk of abuse", "government guidance was not followed or adhered to" relating to Covid and "there were not enough adequately trained staff to support people safely".

They added "used injection needles were found to be left on the top of a filing cabinet and not disposed of safely" and "bed sheets in two people's rooms [were found] to be stained with bodily fluid and sheets soiled with faeces to be left to soak in a bucket".

Some employees at the home - responsible for 17 people aged 65 and over, some of whom are living with dementia - were also recruited without DBS checks, induction, supervision, shadowing or training, the CQC said.

After the March visit, the CQC added it had "urgently suspended" the home's registration and all residents had been moved.

In a statement, the family of service provider Mr AA. Toorabally said he "sadly passed away in February 2022 following a long and debilitating illness which left him unable to participate in any day-to-day running of the care home".

"This responsibility was given to a manager put in post to ensure the home continued to run and meet standards. Unfortunately, the home was unable to continue running and has since closed," they added.