Perthshire Care home makes bid for expansion

A PERTHSHIRE residential home has revealed ambitious expansion plans in a bid to ensure it meets national care standards.

The B-listed Balhousie Luncarty Care Home opened in 1980 and currently has space for 32 residents.

In each of its last two inspections by the Care Commission, carried out in May 2008 and January 2009, the quality of care and support on offer – as well as the quality of the environment at the Scarth Road site – were classed as “weak”.

According to the watchdog’s website, such a rating indicates: “concern about the performance of the service and that there are things that the service must improve”.

Quality of staffing, management and leadership were either deemed “good” or “adequate” during the same inspections.

A spokesperson for Broughty Ferry-based James Paul Associates, who drew up the expansion plans, set to go before Perth and Kinross Council’s planning department shortly, said: “The care home has been in existence for some time and, therefore, does not meet current standards.

“The proposals are to refurbish and modernise the existing building and also to create a new extension wing at the rear of the site.

“The work will improve the standards of the existing building which will make it more cost effective and, thus, ensure the long term viability of the care home,” he said.

If the development is given the green light, the proposed two-storey extension would provide an extra 18 en-suite bedrooms, and be joined to the main building by a single-storey link corridor.

When finished, it would result in a 39-bedroom facility, as eight of the current bedrooms in the original Victorian-style building would be scrapped if the project – which could cost in excess of £1million – is given the green light.

The plans also detail the existing kitchen, kitchen stores, offices and other support facilities are to be brought up to scratch, while the three public rooms – currently situated on the ground floor – would be retained.