Council to consider axing 154 care home beds for elderly

Councillors are considering the options for long-term support for older people amid the challenges of an ageing population and reduced funding.

A report to be considered by the council's Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee next week recommends providing five new 40-bed homes over 10-years. These would eventually replace the existing 11 homes which have a total of 354 beds.

The homes would specialise in short-term, flexible support for older people and their carers to help them keep their independence, as well as retaining some provision for people with severe dementia and younger people with dementia. Additional extra care housing across the district would also be developed.

The other options are to do nothing, close all 11 homes and buy all future residential and day care services from the private sector, or refurbish the existing homes.

The council is also considering providing four new 40–bed homes focused entirely on providing short-term, flexible provision of residential, day care and outreach services and withdrawing from long-term care completely.

Another option is to provide six new 40-bed homes which would include intermediate and crisis care, long-term specialist dementia care and some long-term provision for older people with primarily physical care needs.

Councillor Simon Cooke, chair of the committee, said "We need to look at the balance of providing the best possible services for older people with the resources available.

"This is a huge challenge which will affect not only the current residents in our homes, but also tomorrow's generation of service users."

The council's 11 care homes represent 10 per cent of the local residential care home places, and 50 per cent of the specialist mental health residential care home beds.

With council care home provision costing more than that provided by the private sector, the council says it must consider how it makes best use of its resources.

It says the 11 homes do not meet new build standards, are not fit for the future, and will need "considerable investment" over the next five years.