A DIDCOT care home must improve after a report revealed residents were not always able to get to the toilet quickly enough due to staff shortages.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said The Meadows, in Britwell Road, “requires improvement”

following an unannounced December inspection.

It followed public concerns given to the watchdog about management of bed sores, staffing levels and cleanliness at the home, which houses up to 68 people.

The inspectorate said The Meadows required improvement over its safety, caring, responsiveness and leadership and rated it inadequate for effectiveness.

The report said “some people told us there were not enough staff to meet their needs” and inspectors were told “dignity was not upheld as [residents] could not get to the toilet in a timely way”.

The Meadows “experienced a high turnover of staff in the last year” and while it was making efforts to recruit, agency workers were filling in rotas.

Its latest inspection found: “People were not always protected against the risk of developing a pressure ulcer because some people’s pressure-relieving mattresses were not on the correct settings.”

It added: “Repositioning charts were not consistently completed and processes were not in place to ensure people had creams applied as prescribed”.

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The CQC also warned of “gaps in training”, some staff lacking knowledge of dietary needs and some care plans without “sufficient instructions” on support.

But it said residents felt safe, liked the food, were helped to make decisions and staff felt supported.

The manager had a “clear understanding”

of changes required.

The home is run by The Orders of St John Care Trust and assistant operations director Patsy Just said: “We are sorry for any concern the report may cause and would like to reassure residents and their loved ones that they are very safe.”

The home, for nursing and personal care, met all standards at its previous inspection last May over consent, care and welfare, medicines management, staffing and quality monitoring.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Marcus Mabberley said it would continue to fund 47 people at the home.

He said: “The home’s management has addressed the majority of matters and assures the council other areas are being worked on.”

It is the latest county care home to face CQC criticisms. Manor House Nursing Home in Merton, near Bicester, was rated inadequate this month with concerns including staffing.

The Close Care Home, Abingdon, was given “inadequate” and “requires improvement” ratings this month with a report that one person was not moved for 12 hours.