Blackheath care home gets plaudits for specialist dementia treatment

Staff from The Beeches, Waterfall Lane, were praised by CQC inspectors after an inspection which included residents being quizzed about their care.

The CQC report said: "People are treated with respect and dignity by the staff.

"We saw that people were given choice in their care and all the relatives we spoke with told us they were very happy with the service."

The report added: "Safeguarding vulnerable adults procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported."

Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris, who visited the home to see the dementia treatment in action, also praised staff.

Mr Morris, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health, said: "Visiting the Beeches was a real eye-opener, with people being cared for in a lovely environment that was nothing like how most people imagine residential homes.

“I know from my own experience what a terrible disease dementia is and how horrible it is for families and carers to see their loved one’s condition deteriorate."

Mr Morris met with residents, staff and the home’s owner, Janet Wyatt, to discuss services on offer and the Government's new £100 million research package to find a cure for the condition, which affects 800,000 people in Britain.

Mrs Wyatt, who worked in the NHS as a mental health nurse for 25 years, also spoke of the challenge of working with local authorities to ensure that people with dementia receive the right care at an early stage.

Mr Morris said: "It is absolutely vital that people get the help they need as early as possible but it is equally important that people with advanced dementia receive the highest standard of care and support, as they clearly do at the Beeches.

“Dementia is a condition that affects a rapidly growing number of people and I was delighted to hear the Prime Minister announce this new £100million research project to help deliver a cure for this awful condition."