Shrophire care home boss fears for residents over closure

Pauline Powell says the stress is making some of the elderly residents at Gadlas Hall Nursing Home in north Shropshire ill and says their families are worried about the future.

Mrs Powell took over the management of Gadlas, in Dudleston Heath near Ellesmere, in January after a Care Quality Commission report in October said it was inadequate.

Shropshire Council announced on Monday it had cancelled its contract. It said the home has experienced serious financial problems and the CQC has issued notice to cancel the registration of the home – making it illegal for it to operate.

But Mrs Powell said that the news had been a dreadful blow to the residents, their families and the staff.

"The 30 staff here have worked incredibly hard to ensure that Gadlas met the CQC requirements, which I believe it now does," she said. "Yet they are now having to look for new jobs.

"I have asked both the CQC and Shropshire Council to come and inspect Gadlas, but they have refused. Gadlas Hall may not be a five-star hotel, but it is clean, it is comfortable and it is like one big family.

"More of the 'service users' are from a five mile radius and their families have no problem visiting. We have one lady who is visited by her brother every day. He says if she is moved to Oswestry or Shrewsbury he simply won't be able to visit as he would not feel comfortable driving that far and the public transport is dreadful."

She said families are "in uproar" and the stress is having an effect on their service users' health.

"One lady had a small stroke because of the stress and we had to have the doctor out," she said. "Another is so worried she just does not want to eat or drink.

"We have a 96-year old lady who has been here for 15 years who is adamant that she is not moving.

"I fear that some of them will not survive the move.

"We know the idiosyncrasies of each person – the fact that one lady likes to have her hair brushed at 3pm every day and likes to hold the mirror while it is brushed. It is a great comfort to her and she feels safe and happy.

"I am absolutely heartbroken that Gadlas is having to close and worried for my service users, their families and the staff."

Councillor Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for adult services, said the council is currently working with residents of Gadlas Hall Nursing Home in Dudleston Heath and their families to ensure their needs are met.

"We are confident that we can safely and appropriately relocate people to alternative placements that will provide a much more secure, sustained and higher quality service than they have had in recent months," he added.