Home Number 7

…We started in the front reception area where behind a desk sat a male member of staff reading, lunch was taking place in the dining room and I saw one member of care staff sitting at a table and two residents were being fed by their relatives. Many of those in the dining room needed a degree of assistance which was not available. I noticed many residents were seated in wheelchairs. We went up to the first floor, the majority of the bedrooms were on this floor, the corridors on this floor were so narrow only one person could pass at a time, the walls and paintwork were scratched and shabby. It would have taken a great deal of physical effort to push resident in a wheelchair out into this narrow corridor and along to the lift. As so many of the residents were in wheelchairs it must take a considerable time to get everyone downstairs every morning. In the event of a fire most of the residents would not be able to get out as any attempt to evacuate would result in the corridors being blocked by wheelchairs. The manager said the home had been expanded over the years and was originally a residential home and then registered as a nursing home. I am amazed that this building could be used for this purpose as it could only be described as a death trap should there be a fire…..