Lower Farm Care Home with Nursing

Lower Farm Care Home with Nursing provides nursing and personal care to 34 people out of its 49-bed capacity. Inspectors found that people did not always have access to medicines as prescribed, and medicines were not being managed in line with best practice. There were also concerns about risks related to tube feeding practices and significant weight loss among residents that were not adequately protected against.

While previously identified environmental risks had been addressed, systems and governance arrangements failed to highlight these medicine management and safety issues.

Staff levels during the inspection appeared sufficient, though residents and relatives gave mixed feedback about whether staffing was consistently adequate. The home was recommended to closely monitor staffing to ensure consistent levels meet people's needs. Despite these concerns, the service had been implementing improved practices, with positive feedback from various sources.

Inspectors noted this progress needs to be sustained and fully embedded into the service's culture.