A CARE home that claims to provide 'a little piece of heaven' has been slated for failing to protect residents' safety and dignity.

Residents were said to be at risk of drowning in the bath, falling out of bed or choking on 'appalling' food at Stowford House care home near Abingdon.

A damning report exposed a catalogue of failures and slapped the private care home in Shippon with an overall rating of inadequate, forcing it into special measures.

The Care Quality Commission's (CQC) report said poor supervision meant one resident was 'at risk of drowning' in a bathroom, while there was no evidence of safety management for another woman prone to choking on food and tablets.

It said too-low bed rails meant 'people were at risk from falling out of bed' while mattresses 'increased the risk of pressure ulcers'.

One resident had skin tear that 'had not been inspected or redressed for more than two weeks' and medicines 'were not always administered as prescribed'.

Stowford House opened in Faringdon Road in 2011 and cares for about 50 residents, many of whom are elderly and have dementia.

St Cloud Care, which runs the home, boasts on its website that Stowford House is 'truly a little piece of heaven'.

The CQC's report was released in January and revealed relatives' comments about 'filthy' tables and food-encrusted crockery, also noting a care worker who risked cross-contamination by clutching dirty linen against her clothes.

The independent regulator also found during the December inspection that 'dignity was not always promoted', with relatives commenting that incontinence pads were neglected 'for a long time' and left to leak.

The report said confidentiality 'was not always respected', referring to a serviette left in public that was scrawled with names of residents yet to be washed or dressed.

It said a 'whistleblower' alleged that staff had woken people at 4.30am to get them dressed, and abandoned one woman in a lounge all night.

Staff reportedly said they did not bother putting her to bed because she would only 'get out of bed and urinate on the floor'.

Food was also slated by relatives who told the inspector choice was poor and nutritional balance 'appalling', claiming unwanted food was 'foisted upon people'.

The inspector did note 'many kind and caring interactions' from the understaffed workforce.

St Cloud Care's chief operating officer John Cunningham described the report as 'a huge disappointment'.

He said: "While the residents and families have been very supportive, it is very important for all to know that we are totally committed to reversing the outcome of this report.

"We are going to great lengths to make significant improvements in the areas specified and rectify the issues. Our priority is always residents' health and wellbeing."

He refused to reveal how much residents pay for the home, which was rated 'requires improvement' this time last year.

The CQC will reinspect Stowford House within six months.

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