A NURSING home that closed last month had been placed in special measures weeks earlier, after inspectors uncovered a catalogue of “serious failings.”

Merstone Hall care home in Boscombe, Bournemouth, was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after an inspection in February.

The home, at Florence Road, had been providing care to 35 elderly people - some with dementia and mental health conditions.

Initially CQC staff carried out an unannounced three-day inspection after safeguarding concerns had been raised.

After identifying 12 breaches of regulations - and rating the home as inadequate across the board - inspectors placed the home in special measures, then attended three weeks later to see what improvements had been made.

Despite support, the home provider and registered manager had not taken the action required to improve care, the CQC said.

CQC deputy chief inspector of adult social care Debbie Ivanova explained: “Our inspectors met with the provider and registered manager of the service on March 13 to express our serious concerns and explain what enforcement action we were considering. The provider subsequently submitted an application to cancel the location of the service and the home closed on March 28.”

The closure comes amid growing national concerns of a looming care home crisis, and just months after Bournemouth’s Shalden Grange care home also shut after being rated inadequate by the CQC.

Analysis of data indicates the majority of local authorities will not have enough places to care for an ageing population in five years.

The CQC report on Merstone Hall revealed a climate where there were not enough staff on duty; most of the care team did not have English as a first language; records were completed inaccurately; residents were not taken to the toilet, and those at risk of developing pressure sores were not repositioned.

Inspectors also found one resident’s continence wear was not changed for six hours; people’s medicines were “not consistently safely managed” and residents had “poor mealtime experiences in a “chaotic and noisy environment.”

Some residents were not even able to chew their food because they didn’t have dentures.

The provider has been unavailable for comment.

Meanwhile, all residents affected have been rehomed.

Bournemouth Borough Council commissioning manager Brian Langridge said: “Following the operators decision to close the care home in March, our staff worked with Merstone Hall to review residents’ needs and wishes, and ensured that people moved safely to an alternative service.”

Mrs Ivanova said: Our first priority is always the welfare of the people who are living at the service.”