AN INSPECTION of a care home in Callands has found that assistance buzzers were not working or were not responded to while residents were given insufficient fluids on a hot summer’s day.

Callands Care Home in Lydbury Close was found to have breached two regulations by Care Quality Commission inspectors when they visited in July.

A reinspection of the home, which is registered to provide personal and nursing care for up to 120 people, was carried out by the CQC after a previous inspection in March highlighted concerns over the range of activities available to residents.

Following the original inspection, the provider HC One employed three activity coordinators, increased the amount of activities by 10 hours a week and also developed a sensory garden.

But the range of activities was still described as ‘limited’, while one resident described being unable to take part in things she enjoyed as she required a hoist.

The CQC’s report said: “Despite this action people spoke with were still of the view that the range of activities on offer was limited and that this issue remained in need of review.

“Although there was a range of activities that were listed as on offer it wasn’t clear how people were encouraged and enabled to participate.

“We looked at the activity records for several people and found that there were very few or no entries for some people about any social events they had engaged in.”

Inspectors also found that care was not ‘person-centred’ while several residents had dirty fingernails and one had not had their teeth cleaned on the day of their visit.

Care plans viewed by inspectors were brief and some were described as ‘difficult to decipher’ while some call bells were either not working or not responded to – one man was observed waiting for 15 minutes for help to go to the toilet.

A low level of fluid intake was also noted, with one resident being given 800ml of liquids on a day that temperatures hit 28c.

Callands Care Home’s overall rating remains good but inspectors rated the responsiveness of the home, the only element of five that was evaluated on that occasion, as requiring improvement.

The CQC’s report added: “We found that people had not always received care that was person-centred and responsive to their individual needs and that some call bells were not operating or being responded to effectively.

“Care records showed people using the service had not always had their needs adequately assessed and planned for.

“We could see that important details regarding people’s care needs were not recorded – for example there were no instructions for staff what time people liked to get up or how people’s oral hygiene and nail care was to be provided.”