THE PLANNED takeover of a well used centre for the elderly in Tavistock has sparked a campaign to save vital day care provision in the town. Families and carers of the many people who attend the day centre at the Devon County Council run 28-bedded residential home Harewood House say it would be a tragedy for the town if the facility was lost. The council is proposing to transfer its 26 residential homes to Shaw Healthcare which aims to raze the Tavistock building to the ground and replace it with a 56-bedded home — yet no day care provision has been guaranteed in the new plan. A protest group is being formed to put pressure on both the healthcare company and Devon County Council to ensure the day centre continues in the same capacity, either on the existing site or at another venue. Gill Gorbutt, whose husband uses the day centre two days a week, said she did not know what she would do without it: 'It is completely essential and over 100 different people are catered for there every week. 'My husband has dementia and has been going there for two years — I am absolutely delighted with the place. It's vibrant and provides activities, crafts and music. It is not just a holding bay where people wander about with nothing to do.' She said more bed spaces would be provided but she felt that would inevitably impact on the day centre as the footprint of the building could not be increased. 'Day centres enable people to carry on being cared for at home because it gives carers a break,' she added. 'Without them many more people will need residential care.' Chairperson of the Tavistock Memory Café June Wildman, who works with people with dementia, said: 'We currently have no guarantee that the day centre will continue after the rebuild in 2011/12. For people living with dementia, it is especially important that they have good day care because it gives them something to do and gives carers a well earned rest. 'Tavistock has a shortage of day care and I understand that Harewood House is unique in that it is the only home within this contract that has day care.' Mrs Wildman said not only would users of the centre and their carers suffer if day centre provision deteriorated, it was against the objectives that were written down in the county council's framework document for health and social care, 'The Way Ahead'. 'It flies in the face of these objectives which are about providing more support for people living with dementia and less reliance on institutionalisation,' she said. A spokesman for the county council said negotiations with Shaw Heathcare were ongoing so nothing had been decided yet: 'However, central to our negotiations is investment by Shaw of £100- million to improve care services and facilities for older people,' he said. There would be no change to the current service until the start of the redevelopment, which would be June 2011 at the earliest: 'At that time we would reassess the local need for day services and negotiate day service arrangements as part of the new development or nearby if that is what is required. 'Although the proposals potentially mean a change in the way that the site is used, they do not mean that people's services will stop. Anyone eligible for a service from us, be it residential or day services, will continue to receive appropriate services.' Shaw's Devon transfer project director Nigel Bridge said he understood people's anxiety but the need for day care would be agreed with the county council. Meetings would continue to be held on site and residents, day centre users and relatives would be kept informed of progress. Shaw is holding a presentation, including a question and answer session, for day care users, relatives and carers on May 16 at 10.30am or 2pm at the Harewood House day care centre.
