Cedar Tree Care Home provides accommodation for nursing and personal care for up to 40 people. At the time of the inspection there were 29 people living at the service. The service was over three floors with spacious communal areas and a large garden.We found the following examples of good practice.
¿ The home was closed to visitors and there was clean signage to inform visitors. While the home was closed the service kept people in touch with their families using video calls or phone calls.
¿ When the home was open to visitors, the registered manager ensured relatives were booked in, and policies were followed to minimize the risk of infection.
¿ People living at the service who were COVID-19 positive were in isolation, one person who was not able to isolate in their room was isolated in a communal area alone to minimize risk.
¿ Chairs and couches in communal areas could be easily cleaned and had been spaced to prevent cross infection when in use.
¿ All rooms were ensuite and had televisions and Internet so people were easily isolated.
¿ The building was designed so rooms were in bubbles of four and staff were allocated to these bubbles to reduce the risk of cross infection.
¿ People living at the service and staff had all been risk assessed to identify if shielding was required.
¿ People had their temperatures and oxygen saturation checked twice a day to identify any change in their condition quickly.
¿ The service was spacious and staff had rooms on each floor to take socially distanced breaks. Rooms had been allocated with showers for staff to change uniforms to prevent cross infection.
¿ The registered manager had set up a COVID-19 testing room with bathroom facilities and staff were tested three times a week.
¿ Signage to remind staff of the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) and handwashing procedures were visible throughout the home to promote current guidelines.
¿ The main kitchen distributed meals which were served out by staff in dining areas. This meant kitchen staff minimized contact with staff and people to prevent cross infection, there were signs on the kitchen door reminding staff not to enter.
¿ Laundry facilities were spacious, tidy and well organized to prevent cross infection.
¿ The registered manager had ensured staff had been given additional training in infection control procedures, PPE, handwashing and how to perform COVID-19 tests.
¿ Extra domestic staff had been employed to ensure cleaning was enhanced and extra cleaning of frequent touch points was in place. The service had a sanitizer that was used at night to clean communal areas.
¿ People had their own equipment and wheelchairs. Any equipment that needed to be shared like hoists were cleaned immediately after use.
¿ When staff were self-isolating, staff on duty had pulled together and worked extra shifts to cover to avoid using agency staff.
¿ The registered manager performed regular walks round the service to ensure safety and compliance with current guidance and PPE.
¿ The registered manager told us that directors were very supportive and had been in the home to help and increased staffing when required to support people.