This facility has gone downhill since Opal took over. We wanted to give the new management a fair chance, but nearly a year later the decline has been impossible to ignore. Everything feels like it has been stripped back. There are fewer care staff, fewer cleaners, fewer catering staff and fewer lifestyle staff. Residents are the ones paying the price. The home that was once full of laughter, music and meaningful activities now feels empty and lifeless. Residents spend far too much of the day sitting around bored because there simply aren’t enough staff to provide the engagement they deserve. My family member used to attend activities regularly. Now there is often nobody available to run them properly or even take residents to them. Care staff and nurses appear completely overwhelmed. They spend their shifts rushing from one resident to the next. In our experience, basic care has suffered because there simply aren’t enough staff to meet residents’ needs. Communication is another major concern. Around 80% of the staff speak English as a second language. My family member doesn’t understand the Indian accent so they don’t speak to many staff anymore. Vulnerable elderly people deserve to be able to communicate comfortably with the people caring for them. Management appears completely disconnected from what is happening on the floor. Feedback goes nowhere, concerns are dismissed and nothing changes. They continue to talk about “The Opal Way”, but our experience has been the exact opposite of person-centred care. It feels like cost-cutting comes before care. To make matters worse, the reception desk is consistently one of the least welcoming parts of the home. The receptionist is abrupt, unfriendly and unhelpful, setting the tone from the moment visitors walk through the door. The weekends are by far the worst, phones ring off the hook, there’s always people waiting at the doors trying to get in. Why is no one there? Our loved ones deserve dignity, compassion, companionship and proper care. Instead, this feels like a business focused on doing more with less while residents miss out. If you have other options, I strongly encourage you to look elsewhere. Based on our experience, I would not trust this facility with someone I love.
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