BOSSES at the scandal-hit Old Deanery Care Home have announced plans to move 23 residents following a major review of its services.
The care home in Bocking, near Braintree, wants to move the patients with higher dependency needs to facilities with specialist staff nearby in the next two months.
The Old Deanery was placed into special measures by Essex County Council in February after BBC's Panorama show secretly filmed a dementia patient being slapped and mishandled.
Seven carers were suspended and one was sacked at the end of February when the Old Deanery management were made aware of the undercover investigation, which was aired in April.
Another six employees were sacked in May and detectives arrested four people in July.
Three women were charged with assaulting and harassing elderly residents, while the fourth was released without charge.
Now, following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission and the home's own audit and monitoring process, the new management team has decided that residents with greater needs can be better cared for in more specialist settings.
Anglian Retirement Homes Ltd, owner of the Old Deanery, said residents had been admitted to the home with more complex requirements than it was equipped to manage.
An Old Deanery spokesman said: "Whilst the home was established to cater for low to moderately dependent frail elderly residential care, over recent years under the previous owners it has evolved to include residents who have significant levels of dementia and/or more complex physical needs.
"The new management team recognised this issue and the admissions policy was changed in November 2013.
"Since that time no residents have been admitted outside of the home's capabilities.
"With those residents we inherited with complex needs, the new management team has tried really hard to maintain these people in the home because they are settled and want to stay.
"However, we now accept that there are long-standing cultural issues which, combined with the underlying staff capabilities, the absence of 24 hour nursing care, and the layout of the building, makes this unachievable within an acceptable timescale.
"Now we have decided that residents living with high levels of dementia and/or more complex physical care needs will be moving into care homes properly suited to meeting all of their needs."
The Old Deanery say that over the next two months the home will be working closely with Essex County Council, and residents and their families, to find the best options for them.
The spokesman added: "With reduced occupancy and dependency levels, concentrated management and staff time and attention will ensure that the required improvements are made and embedded at The Old Deanery and that full CQC compliance is achieved more quickly.
"Furthermore, as a result of staff dismissals earlier in the year and the need for increased staffing levels, high levels of agency staff have been required, which has slowed improvements.
"A benefit of the significant reduction in occupancy and overall dependency levels is that agency use will be eliminated."
Twelve residents can be accommodated at the neighbouring facility at St Mary's Court in Braintree, which has specialist staff to help people living with dementia and those who need 24 hour nursing care.
Others will be transferred to dementia nursing and other general nursing care providers as appropriate.
