Relief at delay to Holme Wood, Wibsey and Shipley care homes closure (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Relief at delay to Holme Wood, Wibsey and Shipley care homes closure

7:00am Saturday 12th January 2013 in News By Dolores Cowburn, Bradford Chief Reporter

Holme View care home

The daughter of a pensioner living in one of three care homes threatened with closure has spoken of her relief after the decision was postponed until suitable alternatives are found.

Jackie Barrett, whose father Fred Sharp, 87, is a resident at Holme View, Holme Wood, said that the decision, due to be announced by Bradford Council’s executive on Tuesday, said she was “not overjoyed” but added that it was “the best we are going to get”.

Bradford Council announced this week that it is drawing up plans to address accommodation and support needs of older people and those with dementia under their Great Places to Grow Old Plan, a project between health services, adult services and housing.

Under that plan, Harbourne in Wibsey, Holme View in Holme Wood and Neville Grange in Shipley will be safe until alternatives are in place. That will not mean like-for-like care homes but extra care capacity in existing residential homes and places within the private care homes sector.

Mrs Barrett, who helped create a 4,500-name petition to save Holme View last summer and was instrumental in setting up the Holme View Carers’ Action Group, raised fears that under Council plans, independent care homes could charge different tariffs depending on the severity of a resident’s dementia rather than a set fee.

“We are not overjoyed as all the Council has done is give people a bit more time,” she said.

“Originally we wanted a new build and move everyone into that because the standard of care within Council care homes is excellent as they have more staff.

“There are no plans to close these three care homes until the Council can be sure there are enough places and can place everybody in the independent sector.

“They have switched the focus from new care homes to keeping people in their own home with extra care. But at the end of that day 90 per cent of people with dementia will end up needing residential care.

“I think we have the mindset that no-one will move until we have got the correct places in the independent sector, but there is no other alternative at the moment.

“For my dad, I don’t think he will move because he is coming towards the end of his dementia.”

Four schemes have been listed in the first phase of the programme which will increase extra care housing capacity across the district and provide a range of intermediate care services. These include Saltaire Extra Care/ Intermediate Care, Airedale Extra Care/Intermediate Care, Goitside Extra Care and Thackley/Ellar Carr extra care.

Councillor Amir Hussain (Lab, Toller), the executive member responsible for Adult Services, said: “If people are presuming that there will be people moving out of one home all together and into another home that will not be the situation.

“Our long-term intention is to build dementia care homes for those with severe needs.

“The main concern when we started the consultation was that people thought we were closing three homes and had no alternatives. What we are trying to do is create more capacity for people who need it.”