A CARE home, where staff were often too busy to spend time with residents, has been found to require improvement by inspectors.

However, residents of Cornelia Heights, on George Street, Ryde, told inspectors they were protective of staff, and clearly concerned about giving them additional work.

There was not always sufficient staff on shift, which meant they were ‘busy and rushed’, and did not have time to spend with people in a relaxed way.

Topical creams were also not labelled with opening and expiry dates, and two were found being used past the ‘safe to use by’ date.

Fluids and records charts were not completed to an appropriate standard to demonstrate what care had been delivered. There was also no information about any personal care the residents had received.

Suitable checks were not always in place, and one staff member who had worked at the home for many years had no information to show a DBS check had been completed.

Three staff members rated the supervision they received as poor, and six staff members rated it ‘satisfactory’.

Risks posed by the environment included uneven flooring and some parts of the home were less suitable for people due to slopes and steps.

The home, which is owned by Mr Sanjay Parakashsingh Ramdany and Mrs Sandhya Kumari Ramdany, was found to require improvement in all categories — safety, effectiveness, responsiveness and well led — but found to be good for caring.

However, residents at the home said staff made them feel like they mattered — in one incident, one of the providers noticed a resident had a lot of elephant ornaments in their room. When they went on holiday to Africa they brought back a picture painted by a three-year-old elephant.

People were treated with dignity and respect, and staff understood the importance of respecting people’s choices.

Cornelia Heights were contacted for comment.