"Derbyshire Council want to close mum's care home - the anxiety is making the residents sick"
The Grange is included in both closure proposals being considered by the council.
Up to 11 care homes across Derbyshire could be closed in cost-cutting measures by Derbyshire Country Council, despite objections from residents and families.
One of the homes at risk in The Grange in Eckington, just outside of Sheffield, where Dianne Franks’ 89-year-old mother, Mary, lives along with a number of other residents.
“This is their home. It’s the home they have chosen,” Dianne told The Star. “They gave up their properties to pay for this care and now they are taking that away from them.”
The proposals are currently in a public consultation phase, which was approved by Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet at the end of April.
Two proposals are being discussed; one will close nine care homes across Derbyshire and the other will close 11. Both proposals involve the closure of The Grange.
“It says that if the decision is made to close them, the properties will be sold to private owners and they ‘will support residents to find an alternative,” continued Dianne, a retired nursing manager.
Alongside a number of other Eckington residents, Dianne has launched a petition to prevent the closure of the care home. It has already amassed more than 700 signatures online and Dianne added there was a written petition as well - which was being signed by some of the area’s elderly residents.
Staff ‘aren’t allowed’ to talk about it
Dianne said: “Letters about it have only gone to the care home residents and main relatives... It’s supposed to be a public consultation, but how can the public give their opinions if they’re not aware of it.
“The anxiety it is causing to the residents is making them ill.
“My mum will ask [the staff] what is going on and they aren’t allowed to talk about it. It is stressful for mum. They are like a family.”
Dianne also told The Star that two residents in The Grange were moved to the care home roughly two years ago, following the closure of another care home in the region.
“The council said they wouldn’t move them again, but now they are,” she said.
Following the approval of the public consulation in April, Councillor Natalie Hoy, cabinet member for adult care, said: “I’d like to reassure everyone that no decisions will be made about these proposals until we hear everyone’s views and I’d urge everyone to have their say.
“People tell us they want to remain independent, choosing to stay in their own homes for as long as possible as they get older, which has led to a decline in demand for traditional residential care. This means that those who go into residential care later are frailer and have more complex needs, such as dementia.
“With a growing number of people in Derbyshire living with dementia, we need to focus our resources on having the right options to support them and their carers, which would give us the resources needed to meet demand while ensuring we are sustainable so we can continue to support people who need us most.”
The country council will be holding a number of public sessions where people can ask questions and share their concerns - including in libraries in Eckington and Chesterfield.
Following the concerns raised by family of The Grange’s residents, Coun Natalie Hoy said: “I’d like to reassure everyone that no decisions will be made until we hear everyone’s views during the public consultation and I’d urge everyone to have their say.
“The consultation is open for 12 weeks and there are lots of ways to take part, including drop-in sessions at libraries and online meetings.
“Any decision about the future of our care homes would be made only after the consultation has concluded and nothing will be decided until we hear from everyone.”