A CARE home in Penketh has been placed into special measures after inspectors found that residents were at risk of malnutrition.

Green Park Care Home on Southwold Crescent has been rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission and place into special measures following an unannounced inspection in May.

The CQC found that the home, which can accommodate up to 105 people but had 81 residents at the time of the inspection, did not always protect service users from the risk of malnutrition and dehydration.

One resident lost 5.3kg in weight over a six-day period with no action taken by the home, while another person had a recorded fluid intake of 30ml for a whole day.

Some food and fluid charts showed that none had been given to residents during periods of up to seven hours, with eight service users losing between 3kg and 7kg in weight in short times periods with no response.

Inspectors found that people’s privacy, dignity and confidentiality was not always respected.

Staff shouted to each other down corridors while residents were sleeping, while the language used by staff in care records showed ‘a lack of understanding for people living with dementia’.

Meanwhile, two residents were seen from corridors lying on their beds in undressed states with their bedroom doors wide open.

The CQC found a high use of locum staff, with more than half of carers on some shifts being agency workers.

Residents told inspectors of their concerns over response times to alarm bells, with some waiting up to an hour for assistance.

Records showed that two residents had sustained a combined total of 10 falls within the space of a month with no action taken, while medication was not administered to service users safely.

In total, the CQC found four of breaches of Health and Social Care Act 2008 at Green Park Care Home.

A spokesman for Orchard Care Homes, which runs Green Park, said: “We are disappointed by the findings of the report, which do not meet the high standards we aim for.

“Immediate and robust action has already been taken.

“We are continuing to invest in the fabric of the home and now have a new and very experienced manager in place, who is working with the staff team to implement processes and drive improvements.

“The training of staff is of paramount importance and a recruitment plan is in place in addition to the home receiving support from senior management and working closely with NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group, Warrington Borough Council and external partners.”