Poo found in care home, under seat and on a window sill

A Wakefield care home where faeces was found in inappropriate places is among nine places rated as inadequate by inspectors.

Image: Orchard Care Homes.

Inspectors found faeces along with stained and dirty walls and furniture at Lofthouse Grange and Lodge in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Many areas of the home were unhygienic and inspectors rated the service as “not safe”.

In particular, inspectors found faeces under a seat on a settee, and faeces were also found on the window ledge in a small lounge.

Inspectors were told that someone using the service did it “quite regularly” but the CQC did not find a plan in place of how to monitor it and protect others who used the service.

The CQC said interactions between staff and residents were good when it visited the home last year.

Food stains on dining room walls

The report said: “We identified several areas of the home that were dirty and required more effective cleaning. Furniture was stained and dining chairs were damaged. Walls in the dining rooms had food stains on them and food debris was found down the side of kitchen cabinets.”

It also said: “People who lived at Lofthouse Grange and Lodge told us they felt safe living there. However, we found there were not always enough staff to keep people safe. We observed people waiting for assistance and in some cases becoming distressed when they had to wait for help.”

A spokeswoman for Orchard Care Homes, which runs the site, told the BBC a “robust” plan was in place to address the issues highlighted in the report.

CQC released details of visits to 41 sites across the north of England.

Of the nine care homes listed as inadequate, four were in Yorkshire.

These were the Lofthouse Grange and Lodge in Wakefield, the Spinney Residential Home in Leeds, the Royd Hill Nursing Home in Keighley, and the Laureate Court in Rotherham.