Enter and View: The Firs Nursing Home, Taunton

The home was notified about the Enter & View visit two weeks prior to the visit.

Recommendations

1. That the home consult with ‘Action on Hearing Loss’ and take advice on the installation of hearing loop systems.
2. In the interests of sharing good practice examples from other homes we would invite the home to consider other opportunities for involving the local community.
3. We invite the home to consider other good practices related to resident and family meetings.
4. We have included a list of activities and good practice shared by other homes which we recommend The Firs share with their activities staff and perhaps at resident and family meetings to inspire ideas.
5. In the interests of providing joined up medical care for the residents, it is essential that this information be shared. It is recommended that the home speaks to the Patient Engagement Manager and request that the concern is passed to the Director of Nursing.
6. Medication destroyed when residents go into hospital by hospital staff according to procedures there. Consequently these then need to be re-ordered which causes problems as records show that a double order has been requested by the home or pharmacy. It is recommended this issue be raised with the Patient
   Engagement Manager.
7. The home looks into talking to other organisations about the sharing of minibuses such as rethink, local schools and scout groups.

This report was produced by the previous Healthwatch Somerset service provider, The Care Forum.