A care home has been criticised by a healthcare watchdog after it discovered residents were “distressed” and “lonely”.

Joseph House Nursing Home, in Elm Road, Shoebury, was placed into special measures after it was visited by the Care and Quality Commission (CQC).

In a report, released earlier this month, it rated the nursing home as inadequate - the lowest grade possible - after inspectors deemed the home to be unsafe and poorly led.

Inspectors particularly highlighted the level of loneliness experienced by residents - with one person saying they were “waiting to die.”

Inspectors wrote in the report: “One person told us, ‘I just sit up here. No one comes in and talks to me, I want to die.’

“The person became visibly distressed and we alerted the registered manager to the person’s distress.

“Another person told us when asked if staff came in and spent time with them, ‘I am left on my own mostly. The staff just walk in and then out again. They [staff] have little proper time for you’.”

Additionally, inspectors investigated an incident of a person injuring themselves and found that no bedrail had been in place for them.

The report concluded that staff had neglected this person.

It said: “The local authority safeguarding team investigated the matter and concluded that staff had neglected to ensure the person’s safety and wellbeing.”

The care home looks after 19 residents.

It was inspected by CQC on October 9 and 10 last year.

Following this inspection, the home is now being told to shape up or face closure.

A warning in the report states: “Services placed in special measures will be inspected again within six months.

“If insufficient improvements have been made such that there remains a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service.”

Joseph House Nursing Home was approached for comment but it was unable to provide one.