DISTRESSED and agitated care home residents were “repeatedly told to sit down”, while one had to wait 10 minutes to be taken to the toilet, according to an inspection report. 

Airedale Residential & Dementia Home, in Church Lane, Pudsey was rated 'requires improvement' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after its latest inspection.

The care home was visited across four separate days – on August 16, 24, 30 and September 5.

It was rated 'inadequate' for safety and then 'requires improvement' for the inspection markers relating to effectiveness, responsiveness, leadership and how caring it is.

Airedale provides support to people who may be living with dementia, have mental health needs, and/or a physical disability.

Residents sleep across three floors in an adapted building with lift access between each level, while communal areas are located on the ground floor.

Inspectors found that people at the care home were not always treated in a caring and considerate way and privacy, dignity, and confidentiality were also compromised.

The report said: “Two people who were distressed and wanted to get up and leave the dining room.

“They were repeatedly told to sit down by staff and other people which made them more agitated and upset.”

One “distressed” resident had to wait 10 minutes before being taken to the toilet after repeatedly asking.

Inspectors witnessed a staff handover taking place in a communal area where people were sitting, with personal details and care needs discussed, while there was no privacy screening in use for residents with bedroom windows that were level with the car park.

Residents’ cultural needs were also not always met.

The report said: “One person required a halal diet however the cook told us they had not bought any halal meat as there was none at the supermarket.”

But generally, staff were “kind, caring, and patient” in their interactions and “clearly knew people well”.

The report said: “One person blew a kiss to a staff member and said, ‘he's lovely’.

“We saw another staff member gently supporting a person into the lounge, encouraging and reassuring them and making them smile.”

But inspectors ahighlighted other areas of concern including medicines not always being managed safely, some staff not having master keys – meaning they would be unable to access people’s rooms in an emergency – and poor cleanliness.

Unsafe moving and handling practices were witnessed on the first day, but residents were transferred and supported safely on the second day after the provider had conducted refresher training for staff.

The registered manager told inspectors only two people had bed rails fitted but they saw them up on five other beds and protective bumper pads were not in place, while one person’s mattress was too big for the base.

There were “strong malodours” in several areas and despite improvements on the second day there were still odours in parts of the home and “a deep clean was required”.

One relative told inspectors: “7 out of 10 for cleanliness; it’s the smell, it’s here all the time, sometimes worse than others”.

The report said: “Hygiene practices relating to one person's catheter care also needed to improve to reduce the risk of infection.”

A spokesperson for the care home said: "Senior management and all staff have been working closely with the local authorities to ensure we provide a good service for all of our residents.

"We remain fully focussed on providing a good care home in Pudsey that is accessible to people across the community.

"The team in place is new and many of the issues mentioned in the report were rectified immediately, as stated in the published report.

"We continue to promote kindness and care from all of our staff towards our residents and do our best to make them smile - something that was also highlighted by the inspectors.

"We will continue to liaise with all of our stakeholders to ensure that improvements are made and we will all work together to achieve a more positive rating in the near future."