Alderwood House: Cut price Dumbarton home reported to Care Commission
By Bill Heaney
All those complaints – three relating to communication between staff and service users, relatives or carers, two for inadequate healthcare or healthcare treatment, and one relating to nutrition, were upheld, according to the Care Inspectorate’s website.
The complaints were lodged in August and a series of requirements and ‘areas for improvement’ were ordered in October after the complaints were upheld.
Inspectors carried out a follow-up inspection on December 12-15 – and a report published recently reveals that a key requirement made in October still hasn’t been met.
The former council-owned Langcraigs which was sold off under the SNP administration for a knockdown price of under £1 million with purchasers receiving a £250,000 discount.
Five areas for improvement were also put in place in October – and the new report says that “there continued to be improvement required in all five areas”.
The owners, Meallmore, purchased the property, the former council-owned Langcraigs Care Home in Gooseholm Road, Dumbarton, after receiving a £250,000 discount from West Dunbartonshire Council.
A resident who was badly injured in a Meallmore care home and ex-councillor Iain MacLaren.
The sale, recommended in committee by Cllr Iain MacLaren, went ahead despite warnings in The Democrat about Meallmore’s track record involving serious injuries to people in their care and at least one death.
According to the new report, less than one in five care plans for the home’s 32 residents had been audited and reviewed since October.
The latest report also highlighted incomplete training for staff, which meant that some employees were unable to properly record changes to people’s presentation.
The report stated: “Only one staff member out of 22 has completed training in preventing and managing pressure ulcers. Some training has been provided on mental health.
“However, uptake has been insufficient; there was a mandatory course on acquired brain injury however 30 per cent of staff have still to complete this.
It was revealed previously told how the facility had received an ‘adequate’ gradings in its first inspection report after inspectors assessed the home’s support for people’s wellbeing and its level of care and support during the pandemic.
Despite all the warnings about secrecy and lack of transparency in public and government bodies in Scotland, basket case West Dunbartonshire Council refused to comment to The Democrat on this important local issue. The Care Commission also refused to make any statement.