Shock as another care home closes
ACARE home has become the second in the town to close due to underfunding during the pandemic, leaving residents with an uncertain future.
Addison Court, a purpose-built residential and nursing home in Accrington, provides personal and nursing care for up to 48 residents.
At the last Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in January there were 34 people living in the home over three floors.
It is the second care home in the area to close recently, with the closure of Greycroft Residential care home confirmed last month.
A spokesperson for Priory Adult Care, which runs Addison Court, said: “Our residents are our foremost priority and we are extremely saddened about the closure of the service, and the impact on residents and their families.
“We have kept the home open for as long as we possibly could, against a background of structural underfunding which has persisted nationally for many years, and affects the care home sector as a whole.
“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we have concluded that closure is the only option going forward.
“We have been working extremely hard with residents, their families and partner agencies to ensure a smooth transition to alternative homes and will continue to do all we can to help them.
As it is a care and nursing home, Addison Court is supported by both Lancashire County Council and the NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
In a joint statement, Lancashire County Council and NHS East Lancs CCG, said: “We’ve worked with the care provider to ensure families are kept up-to-date with the situation at Addison Court following its decision to close the home.
“Everyone has been allocated a social care worker or nurse assessor.
“We’re working to ensure people are relocated in suitable, alternative accommodation as quickly as possible.”
The county council also said they could not comment on the structural underfunding claims, as the home is privately funded.
The inspection carried out by the CQC in January was a follow up to an inspection in August 2019 which placed the home into special measures.
Addison Court was given a rating of inadequate at the August inspection as the CQC found multiple breaches of regulation. However, at the follow-up inspection improvements were found to have been made and that they were no longer in breach of regulations.
The CQC confirmed they had no involvement in the decision to close the home.
County councillor for Accrington South, Bernard Dawson is disappointed by the closure.
“It’s sad, I’m surprised by it, he said.
“I remember it first opening 20-odd years ago. It was a nursing home that was well-thought of and has had a good name over the years. The residents were happy there, so it’s disappointing in that sense.
Coun Dawson said the coronavirus pandemic has put added strain on care homes around the country, but was unsure if this had contributed to the closure.
He said: “Nursing homes and care homes are struggling because of staff shortages, with staff going off ill and having to isolate which puts a lot of pressure on other staff - whether this is the case I don’t know.
He also said that restrictions on visitors had added to the burden faced by care homes during lockdown.
Coun Dawson added that he had visited Addison Court several times in his role as local councillor.
“I’ve been in a few times over the years, he said.
“When it first opened one of my aunties was a resident there. It’s very sad because it’s a fine building as well.
The last residents left Greycroft residential care home, which had remained free of cases of coronavirus, in September.
The Haywood Road home had been rated Good’ at its most recent inspection and was caring for 14 service users, some living with dementia.
Last month, Helen Barrow, director of Barley Healthcare which ran Greycroft, told the Observer it was a “devastating” decision, adding: “The financial pressures of the coronavirus crisis were sadly too great for us to overcome.”
Has your family been affected by a care home closure? Email accringtonobserver@ menmedia.co.uk .