Amber Lodge Care Centre

Our dad has lived at Amber lodge for over a year. The staff are lovely and friendly but I feel that there is only a few that are actually trained in how to care for people with dementia. I feel that some staff are not trained enough in dementia care, how to deal with situations, communicate with residents and confidentiality. Dads care and needs were not always be met, not be shaved or clothing changed. We did speak with manager several times about this and in November the manager informed us that the staff were unable to meet dads needs as he required two carers to assist with toileting/personal care and is not always compliant with this. This is the only area of issue as my dad mobilises well and eats independent. I can understand they don't have enough staff as often the right amount of staff have not been on shift. I have felt this when I have visited and have not wanted to leave as no staff is in the lounge. This is something I have mentioned before to the manager. It a bit worry if anyone was to fall etc. It had improved a bit lately. I felt so strong about writing this after visiting my dad after not been able to visit for a week due to outbreak of illness in the home to find my dad limping and had a swollen leg. The staff were unaware of the swelling to his leg and no one had wrote anything down this was a major concern to me, had I not visited that day when would it have been noticed? This area of swelling had not just appeared. The manager was quick on to it after I showed her a photo of Dads leg after already mentioning it to staff half hour earlier, no one had actually come up to look at it. Real worry for me. We found another home for our dad. On arriving to pick our dad up as I had said on the days before that we would arrive and pack Dads things up. We went into Dads room to find the housekeeper in there, all dads things cleared out, they were cleaning the room, dads bed and furniture had been moved and a pot of paint was on the side. That really got to me where is the dignity/ respect for residents there and make me more upset, dad was sat in the lounge not even left the building. Apparently staff had packed dads belongings up the previous night, did they not think what was going through our Dads head when he will have got to bed with his belongings not in his room. I have since returned to the home with a black bin liner of clothes that were not dad clothes especially not the ladies jumper and vest!! i did send some chocolates in for residents there as will miss them and staff but I know that dads needs are now been met elsewhere.
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