Relatives of residents at Budhmor Care Home in Skye say they have now been left in limbo after a planned move has been postponed.
Residents, who were meant to be moved to another care home before July 31, have now been told they can not go to their new residence because of a Covid outbreak in Home Farm in Portree.
Residents were told that the home was due to close at the end of July, due to Church of Scotland-owned Budhmor being condemned.
The decision to move residents was unpopular.
However, in a cruel twist of fate – residents are now unable to move to the NHS-run facility across town, as it has been hit with a Covid outbreak.
Budhmor an ‘extension’ of Home Farm
Budhmor has now been given permission to continue by the Care Inspectorate – as an “extension” of Home Farm.
The relative of one resident told us they had been “left in limbo”.
She said: “There are now 10 residents left in the home. There were 14 when this started, one man has very sadly died.
“We have been told that the home will stay open until the last resident leaves, that was meant to be on August 3.
“The registration of the home was until July 31, and the contracts of the staff for the same date.
“The only upside of all of this is that a wonderful care home that provides excellent and outstanding care remains open – as it should be.
“Sadly, because of the uncertainty some staff will have to leave to take up other jobs. But for now no one can go anywhere, how desperate a situation can you get?”
A spokeswoman for CrossReach said: “We were very sorry to hear that Home Farm has confirmed cases of Covid and we hope this will be short lived.
“Inevitably, that has interrupted plans for the transfer of residents to Home Farm and we know that it will cause further uncertainty for residents and their relatives.
“We have been working closely with NHS Highland to give them support in what is a difficult situation for all and have agreed that the closure date for Budhmor be extended under NHS management until the situation is resolved.
Staff to be seconded
She continued: “A number of CrossReach staff will be seconded over to NHS Highland to give additional support and to ensure that the service can continue to operate effectively for as long as is needed.
“We continue to be grateful to the staff for their commitment and willingness to do what it takes to achieve the best outcome for residents.”
A spokesman for NHS Highland said: “We are working to manage the Covid-19 cases within Home Farm and have stepped-up testing of residents and staff as a precautionary measure.
“Home Farm will remain closed to new residents until mid-August due to the positive Covid-19 cases.
“The Care Inspectorate has granted our request to provide support to residents in Budhmor as an extension of Home Farm care home.
“This means that the residents in Budhmor will remain in the home for a short period of time until there are no further positive cases of Covid-19 in Home Farm.”
He added: “The Care Inspectorate has been clear that this extension is only for a short period and that residents in Budhmor will be transferred to Home Farm as scheduled in due course.
Wellbeing is our priority
“The staffing within Budhmor will be supported by NHS Highland’s care response team, who are a highly skilled, experienced, and dedicated team.
“We recognise that this a further delay in what is a stressful experience for families, and we apologise for this.
“However, the wellbeing of all residents is our priority, and we are doing everything we can to manage this developing situation while avoiding potential risk to residents.”
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