Enter and View: Orchard House Nursing Home

This was an unannounced Enter and View visit which was conducted in response to complaints Healthwatch Wolverhampton had received about the home - principally around communication between the Home and relatives of residents, and the overall care being given by some staff members to residents. In addition, the most recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection identified that a number of areas required improvement.

Orchard House is a large nursing home with 72 beds. Of these beds 62 are allocated to individuals who have mental health needs or have been diagnosed with dementia.

Summary of Findings

This is a very large home, which cares for some very challenging residents, but it is well run and the senior staff the team spoke to were very experienced and knowledgeable in caring for and meeting the particular needs of the residents. Recommendations included:

• Consider the colour scheme and decor of the large communal areas to be made more dementia friendly.
• Consider having a comments/suggestion box in a more prominent position within the entrance lobby.
• Review the process for communicating with relatives, e.g. necessary changes to visiting times.
• Remind staff of the need to be respectful and treat residents with dignity at all times.
• Ensure that staff receive visitors warmly especially when they present themselves at the reception area.

This report was produced by the previous Healthwatch Wolverhampton service provider, Engaging Communities Solutions CIC.