Inspectors have published a damning report into a care home after the acting manager told them it was “in dire straits” due to staff shortages and resignations.

Three inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) made the unannounced visit to Elliott House in Reculver Road, Herne Bay in April this year and found it in a state of crisis.

They rated the home as inadequate in all five categories, including whether the home was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The inspectors’ report stated: “There were not enough staff with the right skills and experience to meet people’s needs and provide their care safely. There was no leadership and staff were demotivated.”

The report describes how one housekeeper said: “I’m not 100% sure what I’m doing. We’re all in a bit of a muddle as we’re all new.”

Meanwhile, another staff member said they did not have time to spend with residents, and told inspectors: “We are not carers anymore, I feel like a robot.”

The report highlighted a catalogue of problems at the home.

One resident told inspectors: “If we need to see a doctor for something, it is days before he appears.”

Another resident had to wait for over a month to see a dentist after losing their dentures.

The inspectors noticed how this resident had been losing weight, and described how an agency worker failed to help this resident eat, instead throwing away a meal without saying anything.

Complaints were received about the standard of food, which was described to inspectors as “bland”.

The report noted: “Everyone we spoke with complained the food was served cold.”

One resident told the inspectors: “Someone said the cook left last week. But if today is anything to go by, this one doesn’t seem any better. Something ought to be done about it.”

"Everyone we spoke with complained the food was served cold” - one of the report's findings

Inspectors highlighted how some residents had waited up to 27 days for medicines.

They also found problems with how the home reviewed care, with no changes for one resident despite falling three times in 10 days.

The inspectors’ findings emerge less than a year we reported how management at Elliot House was supposed to be turning a corner following poor reports in 2013 and early 2014.

Elliott House acting manager Liz Armstrong made a brief comment about the CQC findings, saying: “We are working hard to ensure that residents receive the optimum level of care at this moment.”