More public drop-in sessions to explain care home cuts threat

Council chiefs in the city are seeking people’s views on proposals that could see Leeds City Council reduce the number of residential care homes and day care centres that it runs for elderly people as well as considering whether to increase charges for some services.

The future of all of the council’s 19 residential care homes for older people and 16 day centres will be considered in the review.

The authority is considering whether homes should be redeveloped to offer specialist care for people with dementia and frail or disabled people, if intermediate care would help people regain independence following a hospital stay, or if respite care is needed to give families and carers a break.

Day centres for pensioners are also to be reviewed after a council report last year warned they may not be sustainable in the future because of falling attendances.

Three public drop-in consultation events have already taken place in Otley, Pudsey and Leeds city centre.

An additional full-day public drop-in event has been organised to take place at Stall 91, Kirkgate Market, Leeds, 9am-4pm tomorrow. Another will be held on Thursday, 9am to 4pm, at Wetherby market.

The city council’s executive board member for adult health and social care, Lucinda Yeadon, said: “We are facing huge financial challenges together with an ever increasing demand for our services, which means that we have to make changes to what we do and how we do it.

“However, we are committed to doing this in full consultation with as many people as we can.

“We have already got the views of many people through the consultation events that have already taken place, but are keen to engage with even more, which is why two additional dates have been arranged.”

The 19 old people’s homes account for 628 of the 2,214 residential care beds across the city and cost £20.2m a year to run. Many are over 30 years old and need essential maintenance and improvement work totalling £7.5m, a council estimate has said, while the cost of bringing them up to the standard of new independent care homes is put at £28.7m.

The authority says demand at its 16 day centres for older people is also falling as more people choose to access support and services directly from their local communities.

It says current attendance at the centres range between 39 per cent and 62 per cent – which means that keeping them all open is no longer financially viable.

Proposals will also look at how some centres could be redeveloped to offer daytime support to older people with dementia, and at ways to help other service users find alternative activities in their local communities.

The council has also said they are considering removing subsidies on charges for non-residential adult social care services.

This could mean that fewer people qualify for subsidised services such as meals on wheels, transport, and services at day centres.

The authority says it is keen to hear from as many people as possible as it draws up its proposals.

If people cannot make the drop-in events, a questionnaire and a fact sheet on the proposals can also be found on the consultation section of the council’s website, www.leeds.gov.uk, which is open for anyone to complete. It is also available at all one-stop centres. Anyone who would like a paper copy, please contact Diane Lillevik on Leeds 247 8595.

There is a freepost address for returns.

In February the council agreed a budget for next year which slashed its spending by £90m and will see 1,500 jobs go.

The council also faces having to make even more cuts in the coming years.

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