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Relatives of elderly residents of Swanage care home angry at closure news (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Relatives of elderly residents of Swanage care home angry at closure news
10:17am Saturday 6th February 2010
RELATIVES of the elderly residents of a Swanage care home have been left “devastated and angry” by the shock news it is to close.
The announcement that the James Day home will shut in just two months – uprooting all 22 residents – left families reeling.
The jobs of 46 full and part time staff are also under threat.
More than 30 people attended a hastily-organised protest at the Ulwell Road home on Thursday afternoon, just prior to a meeting with home managers and representative from Dorset County Council.
Dave Norman, from Swanage, whose 89-year-old father-in-law is a resident, said he and others were deeply concerned about the impact on their loved ones.
“Moving him is going to be the end of him,” he said. “He’s that frail he won’t take it.”
He praised the care home staff, adding: “All the families that we’ve spoken to are absolutely devastated and angry that this can happen to a care home that is wonderful. It’s terrible.”
Care South, which runs James Day, said the home was no longer viable following a 30 per cent rent increase by landlords Dorset County Council. The increase was set by an independent review panel.
Chief executive of Care South, Susan Willoughby, said James Day was an “older home” and its “limitations” meant it had “had difficulty over a number of years attracting residents.”
It is currently just half full.
She added: “A higher rent makes it impossible.
She said: “We will, of course, do everything we can to make all moves as easy as we can for residents.”
Steve Clements, acting director for adult and community services at Dorset County Council, said they would provide “intensive support” to re-home people.
He added: “Every effort will be made to place residents in homes in Swanage or the surrounding area or an alternative location of their choice.”
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Your Say YourEcho
rainbowkisses, Bournemouth says...
5:39pm Sat 6 Feb 10
computergirl, bournemouth says...
7:10pm Sat 6 Feb 10
Money should be put into running these lovely small homes properly then the home would sell its self.
Seems all they want to build is these big state of the arch places that are lock up prisons.
So bad that two good home James day and Draper home have to close.
johnhe, bournemouth says...
12:07pm Sun 7 Feb 10
and James Day homes are
now suffering the same plight.
Will it end there when then are other
Care South homes that presumably
don't meet the modern day
standards to cater for the elderly.
There must be relatives of residents
in those homes currently running,
wondering which one will be next to go!
With the Draper House closure, there
apparantly seems other homes
within Poole and Bournemouth where
residents and staff may be able
to relocate with not to greater a
distance to travel. However, James
Day has no near alternative with
options now open to either go
to Weymouth or to come into
Poole or Bournemouth?
DEEP CONCERN: Protestors gather outside James Day Home to demonstrate against its closure. Picture: Sally Adams. ID: 9865285
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Syd Poumen, Poole says...
12:23pm Sat 6 Feb 10
Security word is 'room-stay' but for Cameron's Conservatives 'second-home stay' would have been more apt.