This was an unannounced inspection on 2 and 3 May 2018.St Denis Lodge Residential Home is a care home for up to 21 older people. At the time of inspection there were 17 people using the service. Some of these people have various stages of dementia so had limited verbal communication. There are two floors and there are bedrooms on both. The home has a number of communal spaces including a dining room, lounge and garden.
At our last inspection we rated the service good.
At this inspection we found the service remained good.
Why the service is rated good.
Since the last inspection the registered manager and provider had worked hard to ensure there were continual improvements at the home. These had been recognised by the home retaining its beacon status for end of life care.
People received exceptionally good care from staff who treated them like part of their extended family and knew them incredibly well. People were involved in decisions about their care and the staff continuously were finding ways to share the information with people. Feedback from people, relatives and visitors to the home informed us about how well cared for they felt.
Care and support was incredibly personalised to each person, which ensured they were able to make choices about their day to day lives in line with their needs, hobbies and interests. Information about people's preferences were gathered in detail by members of staff through life stories.
People were supported to have a dignified death and there was extremely good communication with other professionals to facilitate this. People’s privacy and dignity was respected by staff and their cultural or religious needs were valued. People, or their representatives, were involved in decisions about the care and support they received.
The service provided to people was responsive to people’s individual needs. There were activities coordinators who ran the activities in the home with incredible passion. Staffing levels reflected the ethos that all staff were encouraged to support people with activities and in all aspects of their care. There was a range of opportunities for people and their families to participate in. Activities always considered people’s hobbies and interests and were personalised as much as possible.
The management were constantly looking at current research and trying to find innovative ways to support people in the home. There was a strong emphasis on community participation These provided opportunities for people to reminisce and promoted their well-being by being valued.
Complaints were fully investigated and responded to in a timely manner. The registered manager had a strong ethos of valuing any concern a person or their relative raised because they knew how important it was for them. There were opportunities for people to drive improvements within the home.
The home had an owner and management who strove to provide people with excellent care. People, relatives and staff told us the registered manager was excellent and had ensured the best care and support was provided. The registered manager and provider continually monitored the quality of the service and made improvements in accordance with people’s changing needs.
The provider wanted to drive innovation and strive for excellence at all times. The management had created opportunities to recognise the quality care staff were delivering. Staff at all levels felt supported and were proud their work to improve the lives for people was recognised. They often went above and beyond to enrich people’s experience and value them as people.
There were suitable numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and to spend time socialising with them. Interactions were on a personal level and not just task based. Risk assessments were carried out to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. People received their medicines safely. People were protected from abuse because staff understood how to keep them safe and were sure action would be taken if any concerns were raised.
The home continued to ensure people received effective care. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People who required special diets had their needs met and meal times were treated as a social opportunity. Staff had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support people. People told us their healthcare needs were met and staff supported them to attend appointments. One health care visitor was very complementary about how the home supported the people they saw.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.