WATCHDOGS have uncovered a catalogue of failings at a care home that has been at the centre of a series of scandals.
Residents were drugged needlessly and left living in filthy conditions at the premises run by Inver-ness-based company Meallmore.
Staff even ripped off vulnerable people by making a profit on selling them basic toiletries.
The damning report on the St Modans home was released just two years after a string of blunders was exposed there – including an incident in which a woman was told wrongly that her mother was dead.
The Care Inspectorate has now ordered management to act immediately to make a series of improvements.
A spokeswoman for Meallmore said staff had already taken steps to address all the concerns raised.
Last night, the family of one former resident said that they had pleaded with staff to look after their mother properly when they became so “disgusted” with the way the home at Fraserburgh was being run.
“We had to visit mum every single day without fail to make sure she was being cared for properly,” her son said.
“We shouldn’t have to be worried about leaving our loved ones in a care home. People pay what they do for peace of mind that they are in safe place.
“When mum died, we asked them that no other resident ever be put through the same again. But obviously nothing has changed.”
The home was given a £1million facelift in 2012 and its name changed from Glencairn Lodge to St Modans.
Meallmore – which took over its running in 2009 – said the major revamp would give residents more independence and minimise the risk of falls and trips.
The firm has homes across the Highlands and Aberdeenshire.
But inspectors uncovered numerous cases of serious injuries and broken bones in the last year – with no precautions in place to ensure residents’ safety.
They made three unannounced visits to St Modans in February, and ruled that a “considerable amount” of work was needed to get it up to scratch.
Among the failings, it emerged that management were making a profit from charging residents more for their toiletries than they were paying themselves.
“When we spoke with the management, they were unaware that this was profit-making,” the inspectors’ report said.
“We have asked the manager to provide clear information to residents and their representatives about the charges.”
Inspectors were also concerned about how dirty the facility was after finding used pads in clothes drawers, dirty bath seats and shower chairs, a used urine bottle left on a chair and dirty bed sheets and staff uniforms.
“This has particular significance as there were known infections in the home,” the inspectors said.
“We were made aware that the GP had diagnosed an outbreak during our first day of inspection.
“Training records showed that there was no training for staff in infection control,” added the inspectors.
The inspectors were also concerned about the way staff calmed down residents who were stressed or agitated.
“Records showed there was a reliance on medication as a first line approach,” the report said.
“This should be used as a last resort.”
One resident told the inspectors that carers had “too much to do”.
And staff said in a recent survey that they were struggling to meet the needs of their residents in some areas.
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