CARE quality inspectors have put a Rainhill care home into special measures, following an unannounced visit.

The recently published Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on Prospect House Care Home, Blundells Lane, deemed the facility as ‘inadequate’ in four of the five key areas namely - safety, effectiveness, responsiveness and being well led.

In the only other area of caring, it was judged as ‘needing improvement’.

The inspection was carried out at the behest of the local authority after concerns about the home, which supports people with dementia.

During the inspection it found multiple breaches of the Health and Social Care Act, including issues relating to the safe storage and administration of medicines, which had been identified in April 2016, but limited action had been taken by July to address the breaches.

The temperature on a fridge was up to two and a half degrees centigrade above the recommended limit which potentially ruined the medicines, but no action had been taken to rectify it.

In two instances, courses of antibiotics had been given for longer than had been prescribed and there were three instances where people had not been given their medicine, including strong painkillers, as none were available. This placed people at unnecessary risk of pain and discomfort.

One person was being given medication hidden in food or drinks without their knowledge or consent.

An accurate record of accidents and incidents at the home had not been maintained, which meant it was impossible for any analysis to be carried out to help remedy future occurrences.

It also stated that measures were not in place to prevent the risk of infection with part of the home being ‘dirty and unclean’ in communal areas, with stains on chairs and carpets, with, in one instance, lino peeling away. In the dining

room there was a patch of mould on the ceiling with flaking plaster.

Inspectors also found there was no registered manager in place, and that the previous person had left in January. Following the CQC inspection in July, it was informed that a deputy manager and business manager were in post to support with

the running of the home, pending the appointment of a new manager.

Prospect House’s Care Home provider, Anita Malkhandi, told the Star: “We are obviously very disappointed with the findings of the recent report and have already made significant improvements to regain compliance.

“We are committed to working closely with all relevant agencies and families to provide a high quality home for our residents.”