Enter and View: Oak Trees Care Home, York

Findings:

• Oak Trees runs in converted farm buildings. Corridors are rather narrow, floors uneven in parts and no two bedrooms are the same. Despite its quirky layout, which makes cleaning and maintenance a challenge, we found it to be clean, tidy and light, providing a very pleasant environment for residents and staff.
• The Manager and her Deputy demonstrated the highest quality of care for residents and their families and model the very best caring, professional behaviour. Staff are warm and responsive to the needs of residents, treating them with compassion, dignity and respect.
• A good deal of emphasis is placed on Oak Trees being the residents’ home. Residents are encouraged to make their rooms their own. Family and friends are welcomed by name with those that we spoke to saying that they were well supported by staff. 
• Food is cooked on site using local produce where possible. There are always two choices and alternatives can always be found and specific dietary needs met. Weight is monitored closely and input from a Nutritionist is sought where necessary.
• We observed staff carefully assisting residents with eating without seeming rushed - this was despite the fact that more than half of the residents need feeding in their rooms. Lunch time was a lengthy process and may have implications for personal care, e.g. toileting of other residents.
• Staff Training is thorough and comprehensive. Much is available via distance learning. End of Life Care is delivered to all staff by a local company and staff spoke very positively about the training delivered on site being fun and informative.
• Residents’ medication is stored in security lockers in their room. Controlled drugs are stored in the treatment room.
• Relationships with the 3 GP surgeries used by residents are exceptional. The Manager and Deputy meet with each every six weeks and review individual resident’s health situation.
• Hospital admissions are exceptionally low. Only one resident had been admitted in 2014 and staff could only recall five in the past three years.
• Residents and their families are the centre Oak Trees’ operations.