Springdale

My relative spent over three years at Springdale. There are some very good things about Springdale but there are also a number of things that fall short of satisfactory. I will do my best to give a fair assessment. When my relative first came to live at Springdale most of the staff had been there for over twelve years and there was a real homely feel to the place. Residents felt they were treated as family and some of the carers genuinely treated the residents like family members. Over the last couple of years there has been a huge turnover of staff. Some carers have been excellent and very caring but some do not seem to engage with the residents. For elderly people, especially those suffering from Dementia the lack of continuity is confusing. The food has remained consistently good throughout and the kitchen staff are always friendly and cheerful. There is a definite lack of stimulation for residents, there are sometimes organised activities but these are few and far in between. Most of the time residents are just sitting in the lounges or in their rooms. In the early days I tried taking in games and activities but these seemed to vanish. My relative was always clean but very often dressed in clothes that did not belong to her, for example clothes that were clearly several sizes too big. I did not feel that she was dressed in the neat and dignified way that she would wish. The biggest problem, we as a family found, was the lack of communication with us about what was going on with our relative. We would enquire and be told all was well and then another member of staff would mention a doctor's visit or medication that had been prescribed. This did become a major problem as we never felt we really knew what the situation was. However, I do have to stress that some of the carers were excellent but there are major issues that need to be addressed. Our relative spent her final weeks in another place and there were huge differences in the standard of care. One further point that needs to be addressed is the lack of security. There are no keypads on the main entrance and it is possible for anybody to walk in at anytime and go to the room of a resident without being challenged. I feel that if some of the areas of concern I have highlighted could be improved upon Springdale could once again be a real home from home for residents.
Original Comment Report...