Care home is investigated 10 times in just five years
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A nursing home barred from taking in new clients after health officials launched a high-level inquiry into standards of care has been at the centre of nine other investigations in the past five years, new figures have revealed.
Statistics obtained by the Inverness Courier using Freedom of Information show complaints were upheld in eight of the nine investigations at Fairfield Care Home in Inverness.
The previously unseen data also reveal the watchdog investigated 19 care homes in the Inverness area a total of 100 times in the same five-year period.
Dr Ian McNamara of the Highland Senior Citizens’ Network said the time had come for “really effective action”.
Admissions have been suspended at Fairfield Care Home since February.
NHS Highland closed the facility to new clients and launched a large-scale investigation, with assistance from the Care Inspectorate, after the health authority “was made aware of potential issues around the standard of care”.
Five residents in their 80s and 90s died at the Fairfield Road home within six days at the end of January.
However, information detailing the focus of the probe is not being made available.
The elderly residents are understood to have died of flu and flu-related illnesses.
Police Scotland said its officers were not conducting any formal investigations.
But Dr McNamara said Fairfield has been on his radar too long.
“We have been aware of ongoing problems and of the chequered history in the past few years of that particular care home,” he said.
“And like a lot of members of the public we wonder just what really effective action the Care Inspectorate can take at fairfield Care Home given that the complaints seem to be continuing.”
The care home owner Taj Manda, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years and also owns the 62-bed Mandaville Care Home at Culduthel, has not given any comment to the Inverness Courier.
NHS Highland said it would comment at a later stage in the investigation.
It is not known when the probe will conclude but details will be published. The new figures seen by the Inverness Courier reveal nine other investigations were carried out at Fairfield Care Home since 2012 after residents and relatives raised concerns.
A complaint about staffing levels and recruitment procedures was upheld in 2012.
In 2013, a complaint about communication between staff and service users, continence care and general health and welfare was partially upheld.
In 2014, five complaints encompassing 18 different elements of the care service, including health and welfare, continence care, nutrition, missing property, staff training and qualifications, were fully or partially upheld by the Care Inspectorate.
One of two complaints raised in 2016 was upheld. And concerns raised in January are still being investigated.
The figures obtained also reveal the watchdog investigated 19 care homes in the area 100 times in the past five years.
Complaints were fully or partially upheld in 72 of the 100 investigations at all but one of the 19 facilities.
Concerns centred around nutrition, care and welfare, dignity and privacy, protection of children, poor communication, missing property, infection control, continence care and staff training.
The Care Inspectorate upheld complaints at the following facilities, located in Inverness unless stated.
* Mealmore Lodge (five upheld, two partially upheld).
* Kingsmills Nursing Home (three upheld, one partially upheld).
* Cameron House (one partially).
* Whinnieknowe, Nairn (one partially).
* Tom’s Croft Care Home for Children, & Young People (two upheld).
* The Manor Centre, Nairn (two upheld, one partially).
* St Olaf, Nairn (one partially).
* Telford Centre, Fort Augustus (one upheld).
* Southside (one partially).
* Mandaville (one partially).
* Highview (11 upheld, 10 partially upheld).
* Fairfield Care Home (four upheld, four partially upheld).
* Elmgrove (two upheld, five partially)
* Cradlehall Care Home (two upheld).
* Clachnaharry (four upheld).
* Birchwood Highland Recovery (one partially).
* Aden House (two upheld, four partially).
* Ach-an-Eas (one partially).
