Care at special measures home 'institutionalised'

A care home in Maidstone has been placed into special measures, after an inspection found people living there were unsafe and "institutionalised".

Mont Calm Residential Home, which is run by MGL Healthcare Limited, provides personal and nursing care to 25 residents, including some with dementia, was rated inadequate.

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited in September and issued three warnings to managers "for not providing safe care, safe staffing and not managing the service effectively".

The care home has been contacted for a response.

Serena Coleman, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said she was "deeply concerned" by the findings.

"We found a service where safety risks weren’t managed well and people weren’t being supported to live an independent life or have access to meaningful and person-centred activities," she said.

"Staff told inspectors that care wasn’t based on the support needs or choices of people."

She said some residents were aware that they were following a regimented routine, such as one bath a week or being dressed and in the lounge by 08:00 each day.

"The service didn’t always investigate incidents which placed people at risk."

Inspectors also found that many care plans were generic and did not always include people’s preferences or protect people's rights.

With a lack of person-centred activities in the home, residents complained of being bored.

People living at the home were also sometimes given "as and when" medicines when it may not have been necessary, said the CQC.

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