Caladh Sona care home to close as efforts to overcome staffing crisis unsuccessful
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A small north coast care home hit by staffing difficulties is set to close down permanently, NHS Highland has announced.
The health service said that it is to begin a “planned closure” of the six-bed Calah Sona care home in Talmine because the situation regarding staffing is not “sustainable”.
Four elderly residents are currently being looked after in the home and will be transferred to other similar facilities in the area.
The announcement does not come as a surprise with local people warned at the end of January that Caladh Sona was teetering on the edge of closure.
NHS Highland area manager Kate Kenmure then attended a meeting of Tongue Community Council and gave a grim picture of the staffing situation at the unit.
She said that nearly half of the posts were vacant and “exhausted” staff were struggling to cope. At full strength the home should have a 19-strong team of care workers.
“I am going from day to day trying to cover the shifts and make it safe,” she said. “I am doing everything I can to maintain a safe staffing level and support the residents, but I am just unable to fill vacancies.”
NHS Highland have been advertising posts at the home on NHS Scotland’s recruitment website.
NHS Highland area manager Michelle Johnston said, in announcing the closure yesterday, that it had been an “extremely difficult decision” but was the safest outcome for the residents of Caladh Sona.
She said: “Without a planned closure there is a significant risk that the residents will have to be moved at extremely short notice due to the ongoing staffing shortages that we face in the sector.
“This process will allow a managed approach to the transfer of residents in partnership with their families.
“We recognised this decision will cause anxiety among residents, relatives and staff but we believe this is the safest approach.
“The staff working in the home have worked tirelessly to maintain the current level of service provision, often covering absences during annual leave. This situation is not sustainable and I want to thank them for their dedication to the residents.”
The planned closure of Caladh Sona will take place over a 12-week period. The residents will move into the nearest available care homes and all permanent staff will be offered redeployment to other community services within the Sutherland district.
Caladh Sona, along with another small home Sinclair Court, was set to close once a planned new £10.5 million North Coast Health and Social Care Hub, construction on which has yet to start, comes on stream.
Ms Johnston continued: : “I want to reassure the local community that this decision will not have impact on the redesign work which we have undertaken over the last few years.
“We are committed to strengthening health and social care services in Sutherland and across Highland and the new hub facility is planned to open in 2026, in line with the Northcoast redesign principles to help people stay in their communities by providing services as close to home as possible.”
