CARE homes are a reality for many and with  nearly 50 to choose from across the town, find out how they compare. MARY NAYLOR reports.

ONE in five care homes in Bolton is failing, according to inspectors.

Nine of the town’s care homes have been told to improve after being rated poorly by the sector’s watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Not one of the town’s almost 50 care homes is rated outstanding ­— the highest ranking.

Eight of the nine that need to improve fall into the “requires improvement” category.

However, one home marks itself out as the worst in the town — it is the only one rated “inadequate”, the CQC’s lowest ranking.

Lever Edge Care Home in Great Lever dropped from “good” to “inadequate” when it was inspected towards the end of last year.

CQC inspectors found an overpowering stench of urine and unwashed sheets soiled with faeces.

The care home also came under fire in 2016 when staff were found to have covered up the death of a resident Ronald Dean, aged 86.

He was placed back in his bed by staff who were found guilty of obstructing the coroner at Bolton Crown Court.

When the latest report was published in November, 2018, Lever Edge was placed into special measures by the CQC and ordered to improve.

A spokesman for Lever Edge Care Home said: “We have taken great strides to address the issues raised in the CQC report published last year and are confident a follow-up inspection will recognise these improvements.

“As always, our highest priority is providing a safe, comfortable and caring environment for our residents.

“We work closely with them and their families to ensure a complete, personalised level of service to meet their individual needs.”

However, the picture is not poor across the town as a whole.

Of the 52 nursing and care homes with a Bolton postcode the majority, 38, are rated good by inspectors.

Hyde Lea is one of the highest-rated care homes in Bolton. It is rated good in all areas of inspection and its care is classed as outstanding.

Hyde Lea in Sharples Park, Astley Bridge, specialises in caring for adults with dementia and received high praise from the CQC inspectors.

In their report, inspectors said: “[Staff] focused on the uniqueness of each person rather than labelling them with a condition.

“One member of staff told us: ‘I care for these people how I would want my grandma cared for’.”

The inspectors noted the personal approach the staff took and highlighted excellent examples.

The report said: “We heard one member of staff encouraging a gentleman to have a shave. They explained the way to the bathroom, about filling the hand basin with warm water and how they would feel better after having a shave.

“Another staff member commented to one lady that she had not got her lipstick on that morning and immediately went to get it for her.

“For another lady who said her hair didn’t feel right, a member of staff put rollers in for her when breakfast had finished.”

Rosalind Turner, the home manager at Hyde Lea, attributes its success to her team. She said: “The staff here are just excellent. They treat the residents really well. They reassure them. The staff are second to none.”

Hyde Lea signed up to the Care Home Excellence scheme two years ago. Run by Bolton Council and Bolton NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, the programme aims to improve the health and experience of those living in care.

Ms Turner, who has been the manager for four years, said: “We are finding that the council has a lot of input with the homes — better than ever before — and it seems to be working.”

A spokesman for Bolton Council said:“We work closely with our NHS partners and the Care Quality Commission to monitor the quality of the care that we commission.

“Where there are concerns or areas that need to improve we work closely with our providers to support them to do so.

“Bolton has one of the highest percentages of care homes rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ in the North West and leads the way with our collaborative approach to care home excellence.”

Like much of the health and social care sector, care homes are finding they are having to do more with less.

In January, Care England, a charity which represents care providers in the UK launched a scathing attack on council funding, arguing that while costs have risen funding has stagnated.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive, said: “These councils pay care homes just £350 a week for 24-hour care, seven days a week. By failing to properly fund their care, they are abandoning old people. To give no real increase in fees when costs have risen by over four per cent is an insult.

“Our society is institutionally ageist. Older people are treated like a problem to be tolerated rather than something to be cherished. You just cannot run a care home and give the optimum amount of care on a pittance. No wonder care homes are closing and there is a growing crisis in the number of places for the elderly.”

A report by the National Audit Office from 2016/17 revealed around half of care workers were paid £7.50 an hour, equivalent to £14,625 annually.

The Local Government Association estimates adult social care in England faces a funding gap of £3.5 billion by 2025.

The number of people over 85 needing 24-hour care in England is projected to almost double to 446,000 between 2015 and 2035.

Cllr Ann Cunliffe, executive cabinet member for adult social care on Bolton Council said: “The government’s failure to fund social care is an unjust pressure on our communities and it has brought these services to breaking point.

“These services care for our mothers and our fathers who don’t deserve to be treated like this.

“People have a right to live the life they want to lead and high quality adult social care and support plays an essential role in this.

“It strengthens communities, reduces pressures on the NHS and supports around tens of thousands of jobs and carers.

“It has created a deeply uncertain and worrying future outlook for people who use adult social care services now and the growing number of people who will need them in the future.”

Age UK in its report Behind the Headlines reported that from 2009/10 to 2016/17, the average spend per adult on social care fell 14%, from £439 to £379.

Full list of Bolton CQC care home ratings

GOOD

Astley Grange

Bakewells Care Home

Beechville

Farnworth Care Home

Four Seasons

Glenbank Care Home

Glenhomes Care Home

Grange Lea Residential Home Limited

Hartington House

Hazelbrook Christian Nursing Home

Hollands Nursing Home

Hyde Lea

Laburnum Lodge

Lyngate Care Home

Max Potential

Max Potential UK Ltd

Meadow Bank House

Mere Hall View

Morden Grange

Next Steps The Elms

Queens Park View

Respite House

Somerset house

Southlands Residential Home Limited

Spennymoor Care Home Limited

Starmount Villa Residential Care Home

Strathmore Nursing Home

The Old Vicarage

Thicketford Place

Wilfred Geere House

Wingates Residential Home

Woodlands Westhoughton Dementia Care Home Services

Withins (Breightmet) Limited

REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT

Abafields Residential Homes

Ainsworth Nursing Home

Greenlands Residential Home

Parkview Residential Home

Shannon Court Care Centre

Sunnyside Residential Home

Take A Break With Choices

The Clough Care Home

INADEQUATE

Lever Edge Care Home

UNRATED

44 Glen Avenue

Chorley House

Mill View Care Home

Sonning Drive

The Bungalow