Care Home To Close After Pensioner Dies From Wheelchair Fall

A CARE home where a pensioner died after falling from her wheelchair is to close just weeks after being criticised by a sheriff.

Greenbank Nursing Home, in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, is sacking 40 staff and forcing more than 17 elderly residents to find new accommodation before it shuts down in October.

Standards at the home were called into question following a fatal accident inquiry into the death of an elderly resident.

Mary Devine, 89, broke her neck after falling from her wheelchair as she was pushed through a corridor at the home.

The pensioner died of bronchial pneumonia in hospital nine days later.

An inquiry at Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that better safety standards and procedures could have prevented the grandmother’s death.

Sheriff Joyce Powrie later said she believed the “accident resulting in the death might have been avoided” had footrests been used on the wheelchair.The sheriff also criticised Greenbank, saying there was a lack of training of staff as to the safe transporting of residents.

But last night the home owner, Ian Wilson, insisted that the death of Mrs Devine and Ms Powrie’s criticisms were not the reasons for the closure.

He said: “We are closing because of the credit crunch. We had plans to build an extension to the home, creating en suite rooms for our residents, which is the way the market is going for nursing homes.

“The plans were all in place, but the funding is no longer there. Our short-term problem could have been solved with a long-term solution, but that isn’t open to us.

“Our residents were told about the closure and they were all offered a meeting with South Lanarkshire Council regarding alternative accommodation.”

The earlier fatal accident inquiry at Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that the incident in May 2005 led to a review and then changes in the care and training at the home.

Yesterday, Mrs Devine’s son, Tom, said he still hoped similar accidents could be prevented from happening.

Mr Devine, 70, said: “I don’t know the full reason behind the home being closed, but I did agree with the findings in the inquiry. “I thought what the sheriff said was right and we have always said we hoped lessons would be learned from this.”

Last night, a South Lanarkshire Council spokesman said: “Staff from social work resources attended a meeting with relatives at Greenbank Nursing Home to support them in finding suitable alternative accommodation.”

A Care Commission spokesman added: “The owners of the home have notified us of their decision to close.

“We will be working with them on the required phased closure of the home over the coming weeks.”