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SINGAPORE \u2013 Windsor Convalescent Home in Pasir Panjang will have its licence to provide nursing home services revoked on Oct 30 after a series of serious lapses in areas like resident safety and infection practice were found.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Health (MOH), in a statement on June 18, said it was giving the home a four-month period to transfer residents to other nursing homes.<\/p>\n
An interim care team has been deployed to Windsor Convalescent Home starting on June 18 to ensure that residents continue to receive proper care throughout this process.<\/p>\n
The home has a licence to operate a 45-bed nursing home service. MOH said an audit in April found serious and systematic lapses in resident safety, clinical and nursing care, and infection control practices. These lapses were compounded by a lack of control, governance and oversight by the home\u2019s key office-holders, it added.<\/p>\n
For instance, one case of inadequate clinical and nursing care was the home\u2019s failure to conduct appropriate reviews for residents in aspects such as falls, pressure injuries and weight loss.<\/p>\n
The home also failed to follow up on or stick to resident care plans and managed medication poorly, including the omission of medication, use of expired medication and discrepancies in medication quantity.<\/p>\n
MOH said the home failed to provide adequate basic care to residents because it neglected the residents\u2019 fundamental care needs, like basic grooming.<\/p>\n
It also failed to provide appropriate nutrition to residents based on their individual needs.<\/p>\n
The home also failed to store food ingredients used to prepare meals for residents appropriately, with some ingredients found to be expired, said MOH.<\/p>\n
MOH said the home failed to implement infection prevention and control measures, as well as ensure hygiene and sanitation in housekeeping processes.<\/p>\n
Windsor Convalescent Home\u2019s key office-holders also failed to exercise clinical governance over the care delivered to residents and failed to provide oversight of the operation and maintenance of the premises, MOH added.<\/p>\n
MOH said it issued a notice to the nursing home on May 5 about the intended revocation of its licence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWindsor Convalescent Home was given the opportunity to submit representations within 14 days in respect of the intended revocation for MOH\u2019s consideration,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n
MOH granted the home an extension to submit representations, which it got on June 3.<\/p>\n
It said: \u201cAfter careful consideration of Windsor Convalescent Home\u2019s representations and the findings of MOH\u2019s audit in April, MOH assessed that Windsor Convalescent Home is unable to continue providing nursing home services safely.\u201d<\/p>\n
The interim care team from Vanguard Healthcare will inform the affected residents and their next of kin of the revocation of the home\u2019s licence.<\/p>\n
The team will work with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to arrange for the residents to be transferred to other nursing homes of their choice and eligibility.<\/p>\n
MOH said it will work closely with Vanguard Healthcare to ensure that no new residents are admitted before the home\u2019s licence is revoked on Oct 30.<\/p>\n
The audit in April was part of MOH\u2019s ongoing audit of selected nursing homes with identified areas for improvement. The audits aim to gauge compliance with infection and prevention control practices, as well as basic custodial and nursing care.<\/p>\n
MOH said it will not hesitate to take action if \u201clicencees and\/or key appointment holders are found to have fallen short of regulatory requirements to deliver adequate and appropriate care\u201d.<\/p>\n
It added that there are plans to share the findings with the care sector on a suitable platform.<\/p>\n
MOH will also work with AIC to enhance support available for the sector, including training to equip staff with the necessary skills to adhere to the required standards of care.<\/p>\n
When The Straits Times visited the home on June 18, screens had been put up at the second floor balcony to block the view of the home from the road. The home is on the second floor of the building, while a temple occupies the ground floor.<\/p>\n
ST understands that many residents at Windsor Convalescent Home have been there for a long time. There are currently between 20 to 30 residents staying at the home.<\/p>\n
Family members visit during the weekend, even taking the more ambulant elderly out.<\/p>\n
Representatives from Vanguard Healthcare, the interim care team, were already on site.<\/p>\n
Calls to Windsor Convalescent Home management went unanswered.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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