Bathgate care home told to improve to avoid "unnecessary distress" of elderly residents

Meadowvale Care Home on Bridgend Court, Bathgate was served with a formal improvement notice on Thursday 25 July and was told it was not providing acceptable levels of care to its residents.

The improvement notice gives the care home until the end of September to improve or face closure.

The care home has been told it must improve management, staffing levels, and treatment of skin damage urgently in order to continue operating.

In the improvement notice, care inspectorate writes: “By September 30, Residents must experience positive outcomes and received care and support that meets the needs and is right for them.”

The watchdog lists the need for “good quality and effective management” to improve the quality of care being delivered.

The new management structure must also minimise risk to residents and make sure incidents are recorded and complaints and allegations of abuse are fully investigated.

The care inspectorate added: “They must receive high quality care and support which means their health, well-being and safety needs.

“In particular, you must ensure that at all times there are sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and competent staff working in and deployed across the service.”

The notice also states improvements must be made at the care home to avoid skin damage and “unnecessary distress” for residents due to related injuries and wounds.

It states: “Residents must consistently receive sufficient care and support to prevent skin damage and to minimise the risk of development of pressure ulcers.

“In particular, where there is skin damage, appropriate care must be delivered to assist in wound healing to prevent residents suffering unnecessary distress.”

The care inspectorate also warns that all three areas listed in their notice must see improvement or the care home may be shut down.

It states: “Where more than one improvement is specified, failure to demonstrate compliance with any one of the improvements within the required timescale may result in us proceeding to make a proposal to cancel registration.”

Meadowvale is operated and owned by Four Seasons Health Care which entered administration in April this year, with 20,000 jobs potentially at risk.

A spokesman for Four Seasons Health Care said: “We deeply regret that Meadowvale has fallen below the high standard that we expect and the Care Inspectorate requires.

"We would like to reassure the residents and their families that we take the situation extremely seriously and our priority is to continue to work closely with the Inspectorate and local authorities to appropriately address the issues raised.

"Our focus remains on the care and safety of our residents and we apologise to those affected."