The Care Inspectorate is moving residents out of an Aberdeenshire home which was found to be operating under poor conditions
A charity has praised swift action by regulators to remove elderly residents from appalling conditions at a privately-run care home.
Operations at Muirhead Care Home, near Alford in Aberdeenshire, will cease at the end of the month after residents were found tied to chairs with belts.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court made an interim suspension order, pending a full hearing to consider formal closure, last week at the request of the Care Inspectorate.
The regulator opted for urgent action after an inspection found that 35 residents at the privately run home were living in poor conditions at not receiving enough food.
Chief executive of Age Scotland, Brian Sloan, praised the inspectorate’s actions. He said: “The unacceptable conditions residents at this care home have been subjected to are appalling. I can imagine just how angry the residents and their families must feel.
“We urge Aberdeenshire's Health and Social Care Partnership to move quickly and effectively, to ensure that all residents of Muirhead Care Home do not suffer any further stress, and are treated with the dignity, care and respect they deserve.”
Sloan stressed the importance of ensuring that older people continue to receive high levels of care despite issues within the care sector.
He added: “We know that social care in Scotland is under considerable stress, with major workforce recruitment and retention problems causing considerable problems, and while there is a lot of excellent care available it is vital that no older person in Scotland is ever put at risk due to poor care standards such as in this instance.”
Staff from Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership will help to relocate residents and were present at the home over the weekend to ensure that people at the home were treated properly.
Care Inspectorate chief executive Karen Reid said: "Our last inspection found highly distressing conditions. We saw evidence of vulnerable people being tied to chairs with belts, which is extremely dangerous and unacceptable.
"Residents were not getting enough food. There were not enough staff on hand to help people who really needed support. Some people were not given essential medicines. We found a lack of appreciation as to why these things are so unacceptable."
The directors of the home said they were disappointed by the courts decision and strenuous and successful efforts had been made to address concerns over patient care, health and safety, medication, training and management.
A statement added: "Over the next three weeks, after consultation with their families, the residents will be moved to other establishments in an orderly and sensitive manner, to minimise any distress.
"These arrangements will be made by the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership, with the full cooperation of the directors.
"The directors are naturally disappointed by the court's decision, which comes after 30 years of providing successful care to hundreds of elderly people and enabling the majority of them to remain within their own community of Alford and the surrounding area when no longer able to live independently.”
