A care home has faced regulatory action after documentation revealed that several residents were exposed to the risk of malnutrition.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found that Yarborough House in Grimsby failed to provide for basic daily necessities, including essential assistance with eating and oral hygiene.
During the assessment, one resident shared that they felt lonely, while other individuals reported experiencing long delays when seeking help from staff members.
The facility provides support for adults affected by mental health conditions, physical disabilities, or dementia, and was housing 20 residents at the time of the visit.
The watchdog has subsequently downgraded the site from a rating of requires improvement to inadequate, ordering the service into special measures.
Alison Chilton, CQC deputy director of operations, adult social care in the North East area, said Yarborough House had “deteriorated even further” since the last inspection.
She said: “When we inspected Yarborough House, it was very concerning that leaders had failed to address the concerns which we identified at the previous inspection, and the quality of care had deteriorated even further, showing a lack of compassion for people living there and putting them at risk of harm.
“Leaders failed to ensure people’s basic health needs were recognised and supported.”
This move comes after earlier enforcement steps taken by the CQC following a December inspection.
That assessment identified three distinct regulatory breaches regarding staffing, overall facility management, and safe care and treatment.
The CQC stated it was "very concerning" that leaders had "failed to address" these ongoing shortcomings, adding that the latest inspection in July uncovered a "significant number" of residents who had lost weight.
One person’s weight loss had not been identified and no action was taken, while several others were not referred to dieticians despite being at risk of malnutrition.
Inspectors also found that people’s basic care needs were not always met, including help with eating and drinking, oral hygiene and repositioning.
Patients who required textured and modified diets were at risk of choking, while others with mobility issues were at risk of skin damage as they were not given regular positional changes by staff.
Records showed “significant” intervals between repositioning, which workers said were down to pressure on staffing levels.
The regulator said staff and managers at Yarborough House “had not recognised these concerns as potential neglect or taken appropriate safeguarding action”.
Patients told inspectors there were delays in their care and they sometimes had to wait a long time for staff to help.
Another told the CQC they felt lonely, and one person did not have a TV in their room for a long time as it would not work.
However, patients and their relatives were positive about the workers, describing them as “nice” and telling inspectors they “work hard” and are “extremely caring”.
Elsewhere, the inspection found safety checks were not always completed appropriately, with a service for a hoist six months out of date.
Ms Chilton also said Yarborough House “needs to ensure more activities and meaningful engagement is available to people”.
She added: “One person told us they were lonely and another said they’d not had a TV in their room for a long time as theirs hadn’t been fixed.
“Staff were very busy and this limited opportunities for them to spend time with people.
“We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid and continued improvements, and will continue to monitor the service closely to keep people safe during this time.
“We have begun the process of taking regulatory action in order to protect people further.”
Read MoreRuthie Henshall: ‘I couldn’t see my mum for a year in Covid. She died of loneliness’
The eye condition that may signal dementia years before memory begins to fail
Nurse conned 99-year-old out of £750k then 'spent it on plastic surgery'
Royals join families and survivors to mark 60th anniversary of Aberfan disaster
Campaigners hit out at ‘cynical’ front-of-shirt sponsors ban as gambling ads soar
Millions of UK households heading into winter in energy debt, new figures show
