A CARE home which two years ago saw admissions suspended amid concern for the welfare of its elderly residents has again come under fire for falling standards.

Tranent Care Home hit the headlines after inspectors reported finding residents unkempt and wandering aimlessly during a visit in the summer of 2016.

The HC-One home carried out a series of measures to improve conditions and saw its grades improve dramatically the following year.

But an unannounced visit by inspectors last October found some issues had returned and blamed staffing levels for problems with basic care of its residents.

The Care Inspectorate report, made public last week, said: “It was disappointing that standards had fallen and there were many areas which were malodorous and needed cleaning.”

It added: “Whilst the direct care we saw was respectful and dignified, there were issues showing where dignity and respect fell short.

“This was in areas of bed-making and changing, the cleanliness of the environment and equipment, and the numbers of staff to attend the residents’ needs.”

HC-One  said it took all the feedback from the inspection seriously and had worked hard to address the issues raised since the visit.

And they highlighted the praise which staff at the home had received for their “genuine warmth and kindness” from the inspectors.

A spokesperson for the home said: “The health and wellbeing of our residents is always our number one priority.

“In the three months since the review, we have worked hard to address the Care Inspectorate’s wider feedback. This includes reducing our use of agency staff.

“Feedback from families and the local authority has shown this work has yielded positive results and that the home delivers kind, quality care. We are continuing to work with local partners to make further improvements and we are confident the home is today providing a service we can be proud of.”

In 2016, Care Inspectorate officers witnessed residents forced to eat with their fingers due to a lack of cutlery and pleas for help with eating being ignored.

Their shocking report led to East Lothian Council, which paid for 51 of the home’s 60 beds, to suspend new admissions and send a team in to support staff. At the time, one of the issues raised was low staffing levels.

The return visit in October again found the number of staff working at the home was too few to meet the needs of residents.

And it said that some staff employed to oversee activities were spending time organising fundraising events for the home rather than with the residents, adding that one residents had complained of being “bored”.

The report rated all aspects of the service it looked at as a grade 3 – adequate.

And it said that while the number of staff employed was an issue, the relationship between those working in the home and its residents was “really positive”.

The report said: “Many residents and relatives highly praised the staff; however, the clear message was that there were not enough staff working in the service.”

East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, which oversees care home placements for the council, said it had been working with the home since October’s inspection and was happy to report that “the home has made significant improvement”.

A spokesperson added: “Unfortunately, recruitment and retention of care staff is an issue across the care sector in Scotland and not a unique scenario to Tranent Care Home.”