Glen Heathers care home to close after second inadequate rating

Glen Heathers will close on 16 June, its operator said

A resident from a failing care home was found in their wheelchair, stuck in mud, "some distance" away, after their carer left them alone, a report found.

Regulators rated Glen Heathers, in Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, inadequate for the second time since November in a report published on Wednesday.

Its workers said staffing was "hit and miss" and they were not always able to meet residents' needs.

Care home operator Saffronland Homes said it would close in June.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the home had "failed to make enough improvements" since its previous inspection.

There were "some areas of strong malodour and some areas were not clean" in the home, inspectors said.

The care home can provide care for up to 53 people but only 24 people were using it in March when it was inspected.

In one incident, a carer left a resident unable to state their name and address in their wheelchair stuck in mud for "at least 30 minutes" until they were found by a member of the public.

'Acute staff shortage'

The CQC said: "An incident report stated a staff member had accompanied [the resident] outside to have a cigarette and then left them, contrary to their care plan, and neglected to physically check the person was OK."

In a statement, Saffronland Homes said it was closing the home "with regret" from 16 June.

It said it had made the "carefully considered and difficult decision" after it "became increasingly apparent" the home was no longer viable because of factors including an "acute shortage of registered nurses and support staff".

"We have notified all service users, relatives, staff authorities and other third parties involved in the running of the home and we are committed to working closely with the local authority team to ensure minimum disruption to the service users and to facilitate as smooth a transition as possible," it said.