A care home for elderly people and dementia sufferers has been warned to make urgent improvements after inspectors saw residents left waiting to use the toilet and abandoned in lounges.

The Maidstone Care Centre, in Boxley Road, has been asked to demonstrate changes made by tomorrow (Saturday) after the Care Quality Commission (CQC) conducted an unannounced visit in June.

Its report, published this month, found the home was failing to meet five of the eight national standards of quality and safety, and that a lot of the problems were caused by being short-staffed.

Inspectors saw people waiting to use the toilet for long periods of time and left in lounges with no way to call for help.

Training records revealed employees had not received appropriate professional development and the home did not did not have an effective system in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service.

The conclusion reached was that residents were not always treated with respect and dignity.

But the visit did find that the service was meeting appropriate standards in correct nutrition, managing medicines and handling complaints. Owner Ranc Care Homes was warned if it did not make improvements it could be issued with a financial penalty, have its service suspended or be prosecuted.

Adrian Hughes, regional director of operations for the CQC in the South, said: “It is unacceptable for inadequate staffing levels to result in staff being too busy to respond to the people living at the Maidstone Care Centre.

“People are entitled to be cared for in services which are safe, effective and responsive to their needs, and where a service is failing on any of these grounds, action is needed. We will return unannounced in due course to check the changes made.”

A Ranc Care Homes spokesman said: “We are addressing the concerns identified and are committed to delivering the highest quality of care to its residents.

“A new manager has been appointed to provide strong leadership and direction to achieve positive outcomes for residents.”