Closure of care homes: your experience and/or good practice

DeborahBlythe

Registered User
Dec 1, 2006
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I'm interested to know if anyone has experience of a care home closing down and what , if any, good practices were used to help ease the worries of residents and relatives. Does anyone know if there are any statutory requirements around consultation in regard to home closures, or are homes a law unto themselves, as I suspect?
( I'm told by CSCI that homes do not have any legal obligation to help find alternative accommodation for residents when homes close but someone on TP may know more about the specifics.)

I'm asking this because I am due to visit a home tomorrow which is going to close at the end of March. The residents have been informed and a meeting is taking place with Social Services later this month for residents who are funded by SS. I'm a little dubious about what help the self-funders will get. Any thoughts, knowledge or experiences welcome.
Regards from Deborah
 
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jenniferpa

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Jun 27, 2006
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I very much wish you luck with this Deborah. I don't have anything personal to contribute, I'm afraid. Something to possibly look at - a copy of the contract that the home offered to residents. There's a ton of stuff online about best practices which I'm sure you have seen, but I suspect that you are correct - no legal framework and the self-funders left to get on with it.
 

CraigC

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Mar 21, 2003
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London
Hi Deborah,

Sorry to answer a question with a question :eek:

Is the home state funded or charity based rather than private? If so, then my guess is that they need to follow procedures and will have a responsibility to work with the social services and relatives and find a suitable alternative. This is also the case if the person in the home is registered with social services (self funded or not).

If they are private, then it is more of a moral obligation.

If you need help finding a new home, then I'm happy to post a few pointers or refer you to some exceedingly good threads on finding a new care home.

Kind Regards
Craig
 
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elaineo2

Registered User
Jul 6, 2007
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leigh lancashire
Hi deborah blythe,i agree with craig.I work for a charitable organisation and they gave a home of ours a months notice recently that they were closing.The management did offer help in finding other homes but i am afraid they lied on assessments.A good few from the home came to the home i work in which is within the group.My word did they tell lies about their residents.Unfair at the end of the day on residents,families and staff.These poor unwell people are moved into environments that cannot accomodate them and they are moved on after a 6 week trial period.It shouldn't happen,but when homes close S/W,managers are so needy to place residents that they are often mispalced.if it comes to it deborah make sure you have a say and check that the home are equipped to accommodate.a trial of life i am afraid.love elainex
 

christine_batch

Registered User
Jul 31, 2007
3,387
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Buckinghamshire
Closures of Care Homes

Over the last four and a half years, I have taken on board for when the time comes for my husband - where to send him and in no way would I have sent him to certain C.H.ms' One which was built only 20 years ago (one of my choices) was being closed by the *b***y Local Authorities. The main reason - no en-suite.
So getting to-gether it was decided to contact the press. Previous people who had used that Home came on board. Writing their letters to the local paper. The upset it gave to the families was wicked.
When you have loved ones in the latter stage, they are unaware of en-suites.
Anyway we all won and the Carer Home was left open.
There are really old building about that really are so unsuitable for our loved ones, that we would not let an animal leave in such conditions.
The complete uselessness of those in power, should look at these places and think would I put a loved one who had A.D./Dementia of mine here ?
No they would not. I am a very placid, quite person but I get so angry because our loved ones cannot speak for themselves. When I take on the powers that be I am trying to do it for the mass. I will not falter on this.
Best wishes. Christine.
 

Margaret W

Registered User
Apr 28, 2007
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North Derbyshire
Christine, good for you. I too am placid, but over the last 6 months, seeing some of the things my mother has had to endure (and they haven't been bad compared to some), I am really going to be sticking up for the elderly in future.

Does the government know what we are doing?

Is there a minister charged with looking after the elderly?

Everything seems to be about kids, and keeping them on at school till they are 18 (so yet less money to support central services), what about the elderly?

Love

Margaret
 

christine_batch

Registered User
Jul 31, 2007
3,387
0
Buckinghamshire
If I could change things !!!!!!

Dear Margaret,
When Peter was first diagnoised at 58 he went 3 days a week to a day centre.
The useless S.W. who was in charge just sat there, in fact there were 6 under 65 and they all sat there. No stimulation, nothing. When I heard that they had been left by themselves in a locked room, I went ballistic. Took on the local Authorities, compiled a list of activities etc, presented it to them and in all fairness they asked for my help. I handed over all paperwork to the Authorities, I did not want credit, I was doing it for for people with A.D. What really made my blood boil was the abled bodies Carers did not want to help. When they sent up a different Day Centre, the people who could not be bothered, at a AS. Carers morning thanked me for changing things.
The Goverment are completely useless. If they took into account the number of Carers' in this Country and they had done something for our loved ones, they would get a lot more votes.
When my eldest son who is 44 was seriously ill in Hospital, they put him in with Dementia patients. Boy was I livid. He has stated he wanted to remember his step-dad as he was. This I can understand. They give kids who play truant rewards for going to School, what does that say for those who attend School as they should do? As my children say -If you were healthy Mummy you should stand as a M.P.
I did send a letter to our local M.P. stressing the importance of the drug. The reply was 2 pages and she said, I have more important things to deal with.
Perhaps, one day Ministers, Doctors, S.W. and the like read messages on T.P.
they MIGHT learn something.
We will continue fighting for our loved ones.
Take Care. Love from Christine
 

DeborahBlythe

Registered User
Dec 1, 2006
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CraigC said:
Hi Deborah,

Sorry to answer a question with a question :eek:

Is the home state funded or charity based rather than private? ....
If they are private, then it is more of a moral obligation.

If you need help finding a new home, then I'm happy to post a few pointers or refer you to some exceedingly good threads on finding a new care home.

Kind Regards
Craig

Craig, it's a privately owned home but the majority of residents are funded by Social Services to some extent. I understand that there is some query as to whether the home actually owns the premises or whether they are owned separately by another company. I am not seeking another home on this visit. I am visiting in an official capacity as a lay inspector. I'm trying to suss out what residents can reasonably expect to happen during this traumatic process, in terms of support, advice and choice of home.

Dear Christine, thanks for your replies. You made an especially good point about the fabric of the buildings being very unsuitable for elderly people in some cases. I think there is an issue about the cost of some repair s for this home but it is a very beautiful old house unfortunately located in a very desirable residential area. I think the temptation to cash in and sell off for housing is what may be behind this closure.

Hello Elaine, I think you've hit a nail very firmly on the head when you say that the managers and SWs are desperate to find alternative accommodation, sometimes at the expense of the residents. I'm also wondering how easy it is going to be for this home to retain its staff until the end of March when they must all be thinking that they need to find other jobs quickly. It will be very hard for all concerned, residents and staff to know that they are going to be separated. I do appreciate that staff get very attached to their residents.

Thanks Jennifer and Margaret for your replies. Margaret, I'm still trying to find out the answer about a Minister for Older People. I know there's a Shadow Minister for Older People in one of the opposing parties! And I think I've tracked down a Deputy Minister for Older People so by default, there must be one, but I can't find a name yet, in my (brief) search.