• Care Home
  • Care home

Pine Lodge Care Home

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

26-32, Key Street, Sittingbourne, ME10 1YU

Provided and run by:
Eleanor Nursing and Social Care Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See old profile

Report from 27 February 2024 assessment

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Caring

Requires improvement

Updated 14 June 2024

We assessed 2 quality statements from the caring key question, and we found areas of good practice. The scores for these areas have been combined, with scores based on the key question rating from the last inspection. People’s experience of care had improved. People were now treated with dignity and their privacy was respected. People’s individual needs were now recognised, and staff treated them as individuals. Staff supported people to be as independent as possible.

This service scored 55 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Kindness, compassion and dignity

Score: 3

Action had been taken to ensure people’s dignity was always promoted. Staff had worked with people to find clothing which was comfortable and provided this with dignity. No one was wearing open backed hospital gowns. Continence products were no longer being used to protect chair seats.

Staff spoke about the importance of spending time with people, getting to know them and their families and offering reassurance where needed. Staff told us that settling in to the home could take time and one carer could take charge of a resident’s care until they were more settled. As a result, one family member had told staff “we did the right thing”. Staff were able to describe the steps they would take to ensure people were treated with kindness and with dignity. “When providing people with personal care we would always make sure we close their curtains and shut their doors. Some people like their body covered with towels for example and we have one person who likes to keep their dressing gown on.” Staff spoke about the importance of spending time with people, getting to know them and their families and offering reassurance where needed. Staff told us that settling in to the home could take time and one carer could take charge of a resident’s care until they were more settled. Staff we spoke with described their colleagues as very “Caring, Approachable and friendly.”

We requested feedback from the local authority but received no response.

We observed staff treated people with kindness and compassion. When speaking to people, staff addressed them by their first name and made sure they had people’s attention when they spoke with them. We observed a person ask a staff member how long ago their coffee had been made. The staff member asked if person wanted a new one. The person replied they did not want to bother them but the staff member fetched them a fresh hot drink which the person was pleased about. Staff supported people to maintain their dignity, for example, we observed staff supporting a person to straighten their clothes when they stood up to walk. Staff also held the door closed at the person's request when they were anxious about getting locked in the bathroom by mistake. This helped the person remain calm and maintain their privacy and dignity.

Treating people as individuals

Score: 2

We did not look at Treating people as individuals during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

Independence, choice and control

Score: 3

Relatives told us, staff supported people to be as independent as possible and visited whenever they wanted to. One relative stated, "I can visit anytime. The family have stuck to the days they used to follow when (Name) was at home and in hospital." Another told us, "(Name) is supported to stay independent. They will want to go home, and staff will distract them by asking if they fancy a sit down and a cup of tea." One relative felt the extra support their loved one received helped them to continue to do what they wanted, "The extra support they receive helps them to continue the walking which they enjoy without being at risk of trips and falls." We were told, "(Name) is very independent; they need to be persuaded to have care rather than not to have it." Other relatives confirmed staff support, "Yes, they try their best to get them to do as much as possible. They also get them to feed themselves." Another relative told us, "Yes, I can visit them anytime, and on several occasions, I have visited without telling them I was coming just to make sure the standard of care is still as good as when I tell them I will visit, and it is. Staff talk to them a lot and encourage them to try and drink from a cup themselves."

Staff told us they ensured they gave people choice and enabled them to do what they would like to do. One resident was seen clearing away empty cups to help out the staff. Staff told us the resident “likes to help out”. Staff told us they encouraged people to have visitors from their families or friends and said “Since the pandemic it’s been really nice to see everyone coming in to see people. They just turn up and it makes a real difference to them. They have big smiles on their faces.” Staff gave people choices and let them decide where they would like to sit at dinner time in the dining room, let them choose what they would like to eat and also staff told us they offer a choice of what to wear for the day or would they like to have a wash or a shower/bath etc. We were told, “It’s always the person’s choice. Not whatever will help us help them the quickest.”

We observed people being offered a choice of drink at lunch time. They had already chosen their lunchtime meal and staff reminded them of what they had chosen. We observed one person did not like the meal they had chosen when they began to eat it. The person chose from a list of alternatives offered to them by staff and enjoyed their meal. At lunch time staff asked some people if they would like their meal cut up for them. Where people accepted the offer staff cut food into bite size pieces so people could eat without support. Staff asked people if they would like a clothes protector to protect their clothes from occasional and supported them to put it on if they asked for one. People were supported to take part in day to day household tasks to maintain their independence. We observed a person clearing a table and straightening the table cloths after lunch.

Staff had assessed people's skills and developed their care plan. People's care plans contained information about what they could do and how staff should support people to maintain these skills. Staff had found out people's likes and dislikes to make sure they were offered choices which reflected their preferences.

Responding to people’s immediate needs

Score: 2

We did not look at Responding to people’s immediate needs during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Score: 1

We did not look at Workforce wellbeing and enablement during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.