A RELATIVE of a care home resident has spoken of the “torture knowing I’ve failed them” after the home was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Chestnut View Care Home in Lion Green was visited by inspectors on June 11, with a report published a month later rating the service inadequate.

The report highlighted both positives and flaws of the service, but one relative – remaining anonymous – has told of the challenges first hand.

They said: “Making the decision to put your parent into a home is one of the hardest decisions you’ll ever have to make. I chose Chestnut View because it’s on my doorstep so knew my children and I could visit several times a week.”

They explained that their relative had entered Chestnut View “two weeks before the first lockdown” and while they could speak on the phone, they had to rely on staff to get the phone to their relative.

“We would regularly speak to the carers and nurses who frequently told us that they were in bed, often all day ‘because they were tired’,” the relative told the Herald.

They added: “They were on puréed food although quite capable of eating normal meals. They more often than not had someone else’s clothes on.

“My relative is not mobile anymore as they haven’t been encouraged to walk so has lost that ability. They are hoisted all of the time even though when we take them out they can stand and transfer with the help of just one of us. There has been a blatant neglect of personal care.

“Their dementia has progressed but they should still be able to have a good quality of life and is capable of a lot more than they allow or encourage them to do. If I had known Covid would strike I would have never put my loved one in a home.

“It’s been torture for them wondering why they’ve been abandoned and torture for me knowing that I’ve failed them.”

Chestnut View Care Home was rated inadequate in the safe and well-led categories, and requires improvement in the effective, caring and responsive categories.

The home provides nursing and personal care to 36 people, including some with dementia.

The inspection was carried out on June 11 by three inspectors, who noted “risks associated with people’s care were not always being managed in a safe way, including people’s nutrition and hydration and cleanliness of service”.

The report read: “People we spoke with told us there were not enough staff to support them. Comments included: ‘You can bang about and hope someone will come’, ‘Some days I can get help, but some days you can’t get anyone’ and, ‘I use the call bell when I am in bed and want somebody, they are not quick with help, though’.”

A member of staff also admitted there “are not enough staff”, but residents and relatives gave praise to the deputy manager, who had been temporarily managing the home after the registered manager left in January 2021.

The report noted people said “staff were caring”, with praise from relatives who called them “excellent”, but the inspection found staff were “very busy” which “left little time for meaningful interactions”.

Diana O’Hare, regional manager, said: “This is the first inspection report Chestnut View has ever received with such a rating. It has come as a huge disappointment to us as well as the residents we care for and their families.

“While the residents and families have generally been very supportive since hearing this news, it is very important for all to know we are totally committed to reversing the outcome of this report.

“We are going to great lengths – based on the recommendations made by the CQC – to make the necessary improvements in the areas specified and working with them to rectify the issues found.

“With regards to comments made about the Covid pandemic, the home has operated in line with government instructions, and we have done our utmost to enable ongoing communications between our residents and their relatives under very demanding circumstances.

“Our priority is always the health and well-being of our residents.”