Care home 'reborn' after being saved from closure

A care home has been "reborn" after it was saved from closure by a private buyer, its manager has said.

Sunnymeade Care Home in Chard and Critchill Court in Frome were left hanging in the balance after Somerset Care said they were no longer financially viable or environmentally sustainable.

Agincare officially took over the tenancy of the homes in June, but had been running them for several weeks before that.

Families of residents at Sunnymeade said they were "relieved" when the home was saved, adding they had been concerned about where their loved ones could be sent.

Amanda Whyte, Sunnymeade's manager, said staff and families were filled with "heartbreak, worry and anxiety" following the announcement by the council-backed Somerset Care, but felt it had been presented with a "new era" by new tenants Agincare.

"It's as if Sunnymeade has been reborn. It's really exciting," she said.

"Morale in the home is the best it's been for a long, long time. Things are different, things are changing, but for the positive.

"We've got a waiting list... we feel so fortunate, that we've been given that opportunity and we're so excited for what's coming up."

Somerset Care said part of the reason it pulled out of running the home was due to financial viability and environmental sustainability.

Back in March a spokesperson said: "The local authority care fees we receive do not meet the real cost of delivering the care which we are being asked to provide."

Ms Whyte said the new company's business model is "different" to that of its predecessor.

"They are focussed on maintaining homes that have futures... they've already started to refurbish the home and invest in the home."

Pat Gollop, whose husband has been at Sunnymeade for the last year, said it was a "shock" when she first heard the home could close.

She told BBC Radio Somerset: "It was so nice to find someone who was interested in running it to take it on.

"It was a great relief really. There's other places but they are distant and relatives can't get to visit if they are a long way away.

"A lot of people were so upset, and the staff were in tears and the residents didn't know what they were doing at all.

"A lot of them are already confused and this was more confusing... they've only just settled, like my husband, because it took him a long while to get used to it... it was a really big shock."

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