Report slams care home managers

An inspection of Alders Residential Home found that residents were at increased risk of malnutrition and dehydration and there were not enough staff on duty to properly provide care.

Thornton Care Lodge Ltd was appointed to take over running of the home on Arnside Crescent after a second inspection.

A report published on June 25 said inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited the home in December 2014 and said it must make improvements to protect the safety and welfare of people living there.

At the time Alders was run by Calderdean Limited.

During their inspection, the CQC found that the home was failing to provide care which was safe, effective, caring, responsive or well led.

Inspectors found that people’s safety, health and welfare were put at risk because there were not enough suitable staff on duty at all times and people were not protected from abuse and avoidable harm because the arrangements to keep people safe were not effective.

People did not always receive their medicines as prescribed and appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene were not consistently maintained.

Rod Taylor, the new Alders Care Home manager, who also runs Thornton Lodge Care Home and is a director of Morecambe Football Club, said: “At the request of Lancashire County Council Social Services Dept the home has been under the management of Thornton Lodge Care Ltd since February 16. This action ensured the wellbeing of all the service users in residence.

“All the service users are being looked after in a caring environment by a team of committed, professional carers led by an experienced management team.”

Debbie Westhead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in the North, said: “It is clear that Calderdean Limited did not have a system to monitor the quality of the service and take the required action.”

Alders is the third Morecambe care home to be told it must improve by the CQC in recent months. Evaglades on Marine Road East and the Craigneil on Seaborn Road were both told they “require improvement”.

Management at the Craigneil are appealing against findings in the report.