Drumclay Care Home: Last resident moved to hospital after closure

82-year-old Eamon McGullion, who is blind and needs a dementia bed, was the last remaining resident at Drumclay care home

The final resident in an Enniskillen home has been moved to hospital after it shut its doors.

Elderly residents of Drumclay Care Home were told it would close in September.

Eamon McGullion, 82, was taken to South West Acute Hospital because there were no beds for dementia patients available in County Fermanagh care homes.

His family hoped he would move to The Graan Abbey care home in Enniskillen, but it can no longer admit new patients after a watchdog raised concerns.

On Tuesday, Mr McGullion's family were told he would no longer be able to move to The Graan and that the only options were hospital or Greenmount in Londonderry.

As only one of his sons drives his family decided to take him to hospital.

Drumclay Care Home which can house up to 60 residents, announced its closure on 12 September

The Graan was issued with a non-compliance notice by the Regulatory and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) on 27 November after the body identified concerns in relation to medicines management at the home.

On 6 December RQIA informed The Graan it needed to address the concerns as a matter of priority.

An RQIA spokesperson said: "During enforcement, the trust or provider may stop further admissions to ensure the stability of the service while it addresses the concerns identified by RQIA.

"The safety and wellbeing of everyone living at this home is of paramount importance to RQIA, and we continue to monitor The Graan Abbey through our ongoing regulatory and inspection activities."

The Graan said the restriction on admissions related to its dementia unit only. A spokesperson said: "Carewell Homes has taken the voluntary decision to suspend admissions to the dementia unit at the Graan Abbey at this time."

Drumclay Care Home cared for 34 residents, but officially closed on Wednesday after it was unable recruit enough skilled nursing staff.

It left two other care homes in County Fermanagh which provided dementia nursing care - The Graan and The County.

With no beds available in either, Mr McGullion had to move to hospital.

Neil McGullion said his family have been issued with "devastating news"

Mr McGullion's son, Neil, told BBC News NI that Greenmount in Derry was "far too far away at this time of year for the family to visit".

Before Mr McGullion's departure from Drumclay on Wednesday Neil McGullion said he had not told his father that he was being taken to hospital.

He said: "Dad still thinks that he is going to The Graan. I haven't had the heart to tell him as he has had so many set backs and this is another blow".

Neil and Eamon McGullion arriving at SW Acute Hospital

He said he fears his father's well-being will be compromised as a result of his transfer to hospital.

He said: "Dad may have a fall, he may pick up a a bug. My father is not sick, he just needs care".

Although the McGullion family were happy with the care at Drumclay, Neil said they have never been told the truth about why the care home closed.

'Severe shortage'

He said there was a "severe shortage" of dementia beds in County Fermanagh and that cases like his father's will not become an "uncommon story" in the future.

Neil said the Western Trust needs to address the issue and to have a plan in place to combat the shortage.

He said: "The trust has been relying on the private care nursing home community to take on these people. It has now come to the point where my father has nowhere to live".

'No dementia beds'

A Western Trust spokesperson said: "There are currently no dementia nursing beds available in the Omagh locality.

"There are currently seven patients waiting in hospital for a dementia nursing place and five patients waiting for a dementia residential place.

"The Trust will engage with these communities to determine the best future provision of residential care across Fermanagh and west Tyrone areas.