Fears voiced over closure of care centres

Posted by The Journal on Jun 27, 09 12:29 PM in News

Fears were voiced last night over the potential impact on the health of elderly and vulnerable people if care chiefs press ahead with controversial plans to close seven day centres in Northumberland.

Relatives of elderly dementia suffers who use the council-run Lyndon Walk day centre in Blyth said they are worried that their conditions will get even worse if they have to uproot themselves and move elsewhere.

Two women told a public meeting in the town that their mothers don't cope well with change, and questioned whether adequate alternative provision will be available if the centre closes.

Last night's meeting - in Blyth's Isabella Centre - was the last of seven held as part of formal consultations on proposals by the county council and Care Trust which could result in the closure of council-run day centres in Amble, Bedlington, Blyth, Ponteland, Prudhoe, Hexham and Haltwhistle.

Care chiefs are planning to introduce a new system that involves giving older people 'personal budgets' which they can spend on getting out of the house and taking part in social activities of their choice.

Last night's meeting heard claims that elderly users of the seven centres are being put through turmoil because of the threat to their future - and there was an accusation that the county council has already made a decision to get out of directly providing day care.

One woman whose elderly mother uses the Lyndon Walk centre said: "She has dementia and I am worried that it could damage her health even further if she has to move somewhere else. I really worry about that because she doesn't cope well with change."

Kath Miles of the GMB union, who was part of a protest campaign against the closure of county council-run residential homes for the elderly five years ago, said: "You are putting these people through a lot of turmoil and it's not fair, especially when county councillors have given themselves a 40% pay increase."

Local Labour councillor Deirdre Campbell challenged Liberal Democrat executive member for adult care, Simon Reed, to admit that the county council was no longer going to be providing day care, and someone else would have to do it.

Coun Reed said if the users of the centres wanted to continue receiving traditional day care then they could do so - but it might not be the county council providing it. He said the council was facing ÃÂ£55m in budget cuts over two years and had to use its limited resources as effectively as possible.

"We are using the Government's transformation agenda in social care as an opportunity to offer elderly people more choice," he said.

"If we did nothing these day centres would become financially unviable in the near future and we would be talking about closing them."

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