Town promised £3.7m elderly care scheme

By DAVID COULTER

Published at 09:48, Friday, 25 September 2009

HALTWHISTLE has been promised a purpose-built housing scheme for the elderly in the wake of the controversial closure of its Greenholme residential care home.

There has been much anger in the town about the sudden closure, which has seen 27 people thrown out of work.

However, Northumberland County Council has now pledged to find the £3.7 million needed to build 35 one and two-bedroomed “extra care” flats in the town.

The complex, along the lines of the recently opened Manors development in Prudhoe, will allow elderly people to lead independent lives, but with the safeguard of having care services and personnel on hand.

Last week, the county council’s executive agreed to the closure of Greenholme, where there has been a mass exodus of residents.

Over recent weeks, following a series of individual assessments, residents have been transferred to other homes and facilities.

As a result, there are no residents left at the home and the facility is deemed to be no longer viable.

Of its 28 members of staff, 27 have agreed to take voluntary redundancy.

The other is seeking an alternative post with the county council.

Members of the county executive gave a commitment to transform and modernise services for elderly and vulnerable people in the town through the creation of the extra care scheme at the Greenholme site.

The facilities will be available to those aged 55 and over, with a wide range of care needs, to either purchase, rent or take up share options.

The executive insists there is strong support for such a facility as an alternative to residential care and it has started negotiations to find a partner to ensure the scheme goes ahead.

Council leader Jeff Reid said: “The issue of how we provide care for our growing elderly population is one of the most important for us to address as a local authority and this has been particularly highlighted by the Greenholme situation in Haltwhistle.

“Therefore, I am delighted that we have been able to agree to develop proposals for these extra care facilities.”

He added: “There is a clear demand for such a project.”

There has been widespread criticism in Haltwhistle of the county council’s lack of commitment to Greenholme care home in recent years.

And there is unease at the speed at which the closure has been implemented, with the provision of alternative facilities still not in place.

However, the country council has said it will apply for central Government grants as soon as it finds a partner prepared to press ahead with the extra care scheme.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk

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Tagged with: Care of residents • Haltwhistle • Health • Home Care • Local government • Nursing home • Old age • Prudhoe

Filed under: Elderly Care

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