Families to fight home closure

Joyce BroughtonRelatives of broken-hearted residents living in four Black Country care homes earmarked for closure have vowed to fight the plans.

Distraught relatives have contacted the Express & Star to highlight the plight of the frail and elderly, branding Sandwell Council’s decision to close the homes as “wicked”. Paul Woodfields, of Oldbury, said his 94-year-old aunt, Joyce Broughton, pictured, who lives at Birchfield Resource Centre in Oldbury has been devastated by last week’s announcement.

He said: “Everyone is up in arms about it. But the way we were spoken to at the meeting last week made me think it was a done deal. The council has made its mind up already. My aunt, who is 94 gave up her flat in West Bromwich on the understanding she was moving for the last time, into Birchfield, where she would spend the rest of her days. This news has broken her heart.”

Council-run homes facing the axe include Bromford Resource Centre, West Bromwich; Kingsbury Resource Centre, Wednesbury; Knowle Resource Centre, Rowley Regis and Birchfield Resource Centre, Oldbury. If plans are given the go-ahead 100 frail and elderly residents will be moved out into the community or privately run facilities.

Alan Walker, from Trelawnyd, North Wales, said his wife’s mother Ivy Gorton is a resident of Kingsbury Resource Centre in Wednesbury and his family were horrified by the proposals. He added: “We drove down from North Wales to the meeting where we were told that if everything goes ahead they want to move the residents out by January or February. Is this really giving a reasonable amount of time for a consultation on this? The council said it would ‘assess’ each of the residents, but surely they were assessed before they went into the homes originally and this was the care we were told they needed. These residents are 90-odd years old. They don’t want to move,” he added.

Mary Nichols, 73, also from Kingsbury Resource Centre. Her cousin Joan Hill said the closure of the home would leave her totally isolated. She said: “I am 69 and my husband is 70, but if I want to go to see Mary, I hop on the bus as it isn’t far. Goodness knows where she could be moved to.” 

Sandwell council said that the suggested closures of four of its nine homes were part of a modernisation review to move away from institutionalised care.

This article posted on September 18, 2007 at 11:42 am.
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One Comment

  1. Mrs. A. Spray said: Sep 20th, 2007 at 11:07 am

    My Mother is 88 years old, partially sighted, frail, and can’t even find the toilet on her own - let alone be expected to live without professional care in sheltered accommodation. She is a resident of Kingsbury resource centre where she has lived for 5 years and along with many there is devastated and confused as to why they are to be thrown aside without a second thought.

    I personally think the council is discriminating against these elderly and frail people who are not in a position to do anything about it. These residents are the generation that fought in the war so bravely and sandwell council should be totally ashamed of themselves for even thinking what they have proposed which is nothing short of a death sentence for many of them.

    We owe this wonderful generation a place where they can be safe and cared for properly and not become another sad statistic of elderly people dieing alone and frightened.

    If anybody feel the same as me please show your support by getting in touch with your local mp.