Closure of Invergordon care home Castle Gardens 'concluded'
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THE closure of a Highland care home has been concluded with new homes found for all of the residents who had stayed there.
Operator HC-One had back in March cited difficulty in building and retaining "the full, permanent care team needed to consistently deliver our high standards of care that our residents rightly deserve" at Castle Gardens in Invergordon.
That prompted planning for a "managed closure" as NHS Highland stepped in to help the operator find new homes for those affected.
There were 35 residents and 48 members of staff at the Invergordon home when the bombshell was dropped.
HC-One said its attempts to find a suitable new local care operator "who can provide the targeted and intensive support the home needs to move forward positively" had failed.
It said it would work with other partners in health and social care to support its 48 staff to find alternative employment opportunities.
In a statement issued today, NHS Highland, Highland Council and HC-One confirmed that the planned closure of Castle Gardens care home has now concluded.
A statement said: "We have found new homes for all of the residents who had been living in Castle Gardens care home and they have moved to their new homes.
"We wish to thank everyone involved in this closure process for their hard work in ensuring continuity of care for the residents, and supporting them to find alternative accommodation."
Local MSP Maree Todd, who previously visited the care home, spoke of the "devastating" loss to the community.
And she said then that it "demonstrates the need for reform in the social care sector. Right now, our rural communities are losing social care facilities, which can be devastating and disruptive to both residents and their families and friends.
“I will continue to engage closely with NHS Highland and the Highland Council on this matter. I will also be writing to the minister with responsibility for social care when a new government is formed next week, where I will request that upcoming policy decisions relating to social care are considerate of the distinct challenges faced in rural areas.”
Mo Dhachaidh care home in Ullapool also closed earlier this year after its operator, Parklands Care Homes – which only concluded a deal to buy the facility last August – cited "the most challenging we have ever faced".
