Care home staff '˜too busy' and not enough activities for residents

Inspectors have criticised a care home after they found residents sitting about with nothing to do.
Mount Hermon provides residential care for up to 30 people, many of whom are living with dementia. Picture: Kate ShemiltMount Hermon provides residential care for up to 30 people, many of whom are living with dementia. Picture: Kate Shemilt
Mount Hermon provides residential care for up to 30 people, many of whom are living with dementia. Picture: Kate Shemilt

Mount Hermon Dementia Care Home in Brighton Road in Lancing was told to improve by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following a surprise inspection.

In a report published earlier this month the health watchdog gave Mount Hermon a rating of ‘requires improvement’, third highest of four scores it can award.

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Mount Hermon provides residential care for up to 30 people, many of whom are living with dementia.

According to the report, inspectors found that: “people were not always provided with meaningful occupation or activities that were suitable for their needs.”

“Many people living with dementia had little to occupy themselves and we saw people sitting for long periods in the lounge area with nothing to do”, the report said.

“I would love to go out more, but I can’t because staff are too busy to take me,” one person is quoted as saying.

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The report noted there was a new activities co-ordinator developing a programme of activities, but this was not fully up and running at the time of the inspection.

The home received ‘good’ ratings, the second highest, for three of the five criteria the CQC examines: ‘is the service safe?’, ‘is the service effective?’ and ‘is the service caring?’.

It received ‘requires improvement’ scores for: ‘is the service responsive?’ and ‘is the service well-led?’.

Staff were praised for their ‘firm understanding of how to keep people safe’, risk management and for having the ‘knowledge and skills to meet [resident’s] needs’.

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A spokesperson for Mount Hermon said: “We appreciate the evaluation from CQC and it is pleasing that they felt, although there are areas requiring improvement, Mount Hermon remains a safe & caring home for the residents who live there.

We are taking steps to address the issues raised and we encourage any interested parties to read the report in full.

We welcome any feedback from our local community and we will always endeavour to improve the service we provide.”

The report can be read in full on the CQC website.

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