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‘I’m stressed to the hilt’: Residents stranded as Huntly care home The Meadows closes

Families have been left scrambling for new accommodation for relatives after being told the care home will close on September 6.

Phyllis Law, 92, is a resident at The Meadows Care Home in Huntly, which is set to close. Image: Caroline Logie/Google Images
Phyllis Law, 92, is a resident at The Meadows Care Home in Huntly, which is set to close. Image: Caroline Logie/Google Images

Huntly care home The Meadows has left elderly residents in limbo after unexpectedly announcing it will close in just two weeks.

Families of residents have scrambled to find new accommodation in the wake of the announcement on Wednesday, August 23.

It follows a highly-critical report from care home inspectors last month that highlighted problems at The Meadows including poor leadership and resident support.

The home, on Burnside Road, had earlier been told to make improvements or risk its licence being revoked.

Families were informed about three weeks ago that changes would be implemented.

However, The Meadows now says it will close on September 6.

The daughter of one resident, who pays more than £5,000 a month for room and board, said she was “devastated” at the shock closure.

Caroline Logie is now trying to get her 92-year-old mother Phyllis Law, who has been diagnosed with dementia, into a facility in Inverurie.

“I’m absolutely stressed to the hilt with worry,” Mrs Logie, 61, said. “My mother had settled in there, and when your parent settles the last thing you want to do is uproot them.”

Why families were surprised The Meadows in Huntly is closing

Mrs Logie said the scathing report on The Meadows, issued by Scottish watchdog the Care Inspectorate, came as a surprise because she was very happy with the quality of its care.

Her mother went into The Meadows in July last year after dementia caused her to lose weight and have difficulty looking after herself.

“We can fault nothing,” Mrs Logie said. “Since she went in, she’s put on weight, she’s got company and she enjoys everything.”

Phyllis Law on a recent visit with her daughter, Caroline Logie. Image: Caroline Logie

Even the food came up to the standards of Mrs Logie, who lives two hours from Huntly in Dingwall.

“It was as good as in any hotel,” she said, adding that the staff she dealt with at the home were “exceptional”.

Mrs Logie said no one at the care home has given a reason why it is closing.

She said 34 residents, including her mother, have to be rehoused because of the upcoming closure.

A meeting has been scheduled for next week for residents and families to speak to The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

What the Care Inspectorate report said about The Meadows

Care home inspectors detailed a number of problems at The Meadows in Huntly.

Inspectors visited the 43-bed care home on July 7 and reported problems in the staff’s ability to respond to patients’ needs, especially those with dementia.

The report read: “At times people were given medication for stress and distress rather than following good practice and trying other strategies first.”

Some patients who suffer from dementia were not properly supported and at times were put at risk due to lack of oversight.

Leadership was heavily criticised, with the report noting management “did not make checking on the quality of people’s care experiences an essential part of their day-to-day work”.

‘We understand this will be upsetting news for our community’

Asked to comment on the impending closure a spokesperson for The Meadows Care Home in Huntly confirmed it will close on September 6.

The spokesperson added: “The health and wellbeing of everyone who makes their home with us at The Meadows has always been our absolute priority.

“Despite our best efforts, and the investment of significant time and resource to address areas identified by the Care Inspectorate and Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership as requiring improvements, we have had to make the difficult decision to voluntarily withdraw our registration and close the home.

“We understand this will be upsetting news for our community and we would like to sincerely apologise for any distress they are feeling as a result of this decision.

“We are committed to supporting residents, their loved ones and our colleagues through the transition period and in the interim our hard-working staff will continue to work tirelessly to provide care and support to our residents.”