FIVE Cheltenham care homes have been failing to meet essential quality and safety standards, according to a health watchdog.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) identified key failings after holding routine unannounced inspections at the homes between March and May this year.
Inspectors found one was not always treating its elderly residents with respect and dignity and that staffing levels could put people at risk.
Age UK Gloucestershire described the findings as "alarming".
After a three-day inspection in April at Chargrove Lawn care home in Shurdington Road, the commission said it was failing to meet requirements in four out of five main categories.
Improvements were required, it said, in showing people respect and involving them in their care, providing care that met their needs, caring for them safely and in standards of staffing.
Only management standards, it said, were up to scratch.
The CQC report said: "We found that people were not always treated with respect and dignity. Staffing levels, particularly overnight, could potentially put people at risk.
"Suitable arrangements were not in place to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the premises and to promote safe infection control systems. The environment of the home was not being adequately maintained."
Chargrove Lawn's group care manager, Alison Andrews, said: "It's not a failing home, definitely not. We're working with the commission, as we always do."
She said new managers had been appointed at the home after the inspection and residents' families surveyed so an action plan could be formed to address the issues raised.
She added that changes were being made quickly and she was sure there would be no problems the next time the inspectors visited.
Charlton Kings Care Home, in Moorend Road, was found to be lacking in four of the CQC's five main categories.
And inspectors even issued an 'enforcement action' notice, warning that it had to improve record keeping by June 6.
Their report, after a two-day inspection in April, said: "There were no systems in place to assess and monitor whether the current arrangements were effective and protected people against infection.
"Staff lacked appropriate training to meet some people's needs. There were shortfalls in how people's care records had been maintained and their security."
Aidan Ball, operations manager for the home's owner, Charlton Care Ltd, admitted there had been issues that needed to be addressed, but said that was being done by a new management team.
"We've taken fairly drastic steps to make sure that we are completely up to the correct standards," he said.
He insisted it was a good home, said the June 6 notice had been complied with and added: "It's clean and residents are treated with respect and dignity. But there are requirements for other things. Record keeping has been found to be substandard and we've worked hard to correct that."
Three other Cheltenham homes were told to improve.
Ravenswood House in Lansdown Road was picked up on its standards of caring for people safely and its standards of management.
Spokesman Neil Cowley said one of the issues was because a bathroom had been converted into a wet room. Regarding inadequate record keeping, he said a newly appointed manager was updating records.
Inspectors were not happy with three of the five categories at Ambleside in Hatherley Road.
A spokeswoman, who refused to give her name, said: "Everything they wanted to be put into place has been."
Nobody was available for comment at Amber Wood Care Home in Whittington Road, which was found lacking in three of the five categories.
Christina Snell, of Age UK Gloucestershire, said: "It's alarming to hear that there are homes that are falling significantly short of required standards in some cases."
She feared there may be more undiscovered cases because she said the CQC, which aims to visit each care home once a year, had limited resources.
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