Staff are no longer allowed to sleep on the job at Summerhaven residential home for the physically challenged following a critical review by an independent consultant.

Summerhaven Trust chairman John Powell yesterday said that for more than 20 years night shifters had been allowed to sleep on duty at the facility in Smith's.

"It's been corrected," Mr. Powell told a press conference called to announce ten recommendations from former Oregon deputy ombudsman Glenn Wachter, who concluded Summerhaven is not providing effective care for its 18 residents.

The Royal Gazette yesterday received a copy of a petition calling for Mr. Powell and the rest of the Summerhaven Trust to resign, signed by ten residents and six staff members. Mr. Powell says he has not seen the petition and is not concerned about it.

In his review, Mr. Wachter also pointed to the urgent need to buy basic health care diagnostic equipment, including a scale, thermometer, blood pressure cuff and blood glucose monitor.

Other recommendations, all of which the Summerhaven Trust says have already been implemented or will be soon, are:

• register as a residential care facility;

• develop a fire safety and evacuation plan;

• CPR and first aid training for all staff and management;

• ensure all shifts have caregivers on duty;

• develop a 'face sheet' summarising details such as medication taken, basic diagnosis and resuscitation status of residents;

• recruit a nurse consultant to evaluate the health care and service needs of each resident on an ongoing basis, and providing training to caregiving staff;

• document the precise care needs of each resident, and review the care needs on an ongoing basis, at a minimum quarterly;

• recruit a permanent facility administrator.

The petition signed by residents and staff states: "The board has failed in their fiduciary responsibility and in making decisions in the best interest of Summerhaven's residents and staff. We have no trust or faith in the present administration and board."

Mr. Powell replied yesterday: "I think I know what's happening. We have a few here that are very persuasive. They can talk these guys into anything. Mr. Wachter spent extended time here interviewing everybody. We put this together and now they don't like that."

Regarding the fact staff signed the petition, he said: "It's not any concern. I'm not worrying about it. In this day and age, in this economy, they will be lucky to get jobs anywhere else."

Mr. Powell, who said the current administration took over 14 months ago, added Summerhaven must provide a good service to justify the near $500,000 it receives annually from Government.

Mr. Wachter's review was commissioned following complaints from staff and residents and cost $10,000. He stated: "Summerhaven is a long-term care facility that is in transition, and presently is not effective at caring for its ageing and largely dependent resident population.

"The Ministry's review has revealed areas of concern which will be addressed by the implementation of the recommended tasks set out above."

Trustee Darren Lowe told the media: "The trustees have taken on board Mr Wachter's conclusions and are grateful to the Ministries of Health and Social Rehabilitation for the assistance that they have provided in this process. I can say that the trustees are committed to one thing and that is the care and well being of the residents.

"Over the 28 years that the charity has been in operation, its resident population has aged and this has placed a different set of demands on the type of care that must be administered to residents. "Mr Wachter's recommendations have highlighted this and the trustees have taken them to heart."

* Have you got a relative at Summerhaven what do you think about this report. Email news@royalgazette.bm