A PROPOSAL to close Wardhayes Care Home in Okehampton has been described as 'devastating' for its residents and staff, as Devon County Council looks to close the home as part of its mass cost cutting exercise.

The council has launched a consultation on the future of its 20 residential care homes for older people.

The council is proposing to close the home, and formally cease the provision of residential care in Wardhayes and its 19 other homes, instead arranging and commissioning alternative services for residents in the private sector.

The proposal is part of a drive by the council to save £110 million by 2017 due to cuts in Government funding. The council has already had to save £100 million over the last four years.

Vic Webb's mother-in-law Phyllis Bolton is a resident at Wardhayes.

Aged 97, Phyllis suffers with dementia and anxiety issues.

When searching for a care home suitable to her needs, Mr Webb and his family found few options open to them due to the severity of Phyllis' condition, but Wardhayes welcomed her with open arms.

He described the announcement as 'devastating'.

'Wardhayes do a brilliant job, and have done an absolutely fantastic job caring for my mother-in-law,' said Mr Webb.

'She requires specialist treatment due to her dementia, and it took us 14 months to find a home suitable. Few in the private sector were even willing to consider looking after her, due to her specialist needs. The only private ones who were willing were homes at the low end of the care quality spectrum.

'The county council doesn't care, and are willing to chuck old people out on the street, and they are only giving us a short time to protest and sort out alternatives.

'We haven't yet told her. She has severe anxiety issues, and we feel news like this could have disastrous consequences. It could kill her. It has taken the centre's wonderful staff a year to get her into a calm, stable and happy state. Upheaving her this way will undo all that in an instant.'

Vicky Wells' mother Jean Wye is aged 89, and a resident at the home.

Mrs Wells said she was 'shocked and angered' by the proposals.

'The care at Wardhayes is exceptional. Maybe the accommodation could use updating, but the residents don't care about that – they care about the level of care, the food, and the general ambience,' said Mrs Wells.

'My mum is extremely upset. Three members of staff broke the news to her as nicely as possible, but it is very unsettling for a woman in her 80s and a mighty upheaval.

'She is very attached to the carers, who go above and beyond the call of duty.

'I cannot believe the council is doing this.'

Wardhayes currently employs 42 staff, with working hours the equivalent of 24.7 full time employees.

It currently operates 21 beds as nine long stay beds, two short stay and eleven reablement beds. The home has nine long stay residents, and four short stay residents.

Registered with the CQC for Frail Elderly services with dementia care and residential rehabilitation services, Wardhayes also offers respite care.

The residential rehabilitation serves residents following traumas or a hospital stay.

County councillor for the Okehampton Rural, Kevin Ball, said: 'No decisions have yet been made, this is a consultation period. At the moment these are suggestions to act as a starting point for the conversation. If there is a better solution out there, then of course we will consider it.

'I appreciate this is a sensitive and emotive subject for people, and I totally understand that people feel strongly about the provision of care in their area. No decision has yet been made, and I encourage people to engage with the consultation and let their feelings be known.'

Cllr Stuart Barker, the county council's cabinet member responsible for adult social care, said: 'We continue to be fully committed to funding residential care for those assessed as needing our support.  We're not changing eligibility, so those who are entitled to residential care will continue to receive it.  This is about where people receive that service in future.

'People's comments will help us decide how we take this forward. If we decide to cease providing residential care ourselves and instead to use the private sector, any change would have to be made over a period of time, on a case by case basis that is sensitive to people's needs.

'It's clear, from talking to charities, carers and private care home owners, that although there are a small number of areas where the care home market needs development, overall there is plenty of capacity in the private sector, and that they can provide it at less cost to the council.'

There is no proposal regarding the future of the Wardhayes building at this time.

Should the proposal to cease services be accepted following consultation, a separate process would be adopted to form proposals for the site. To take part in the consultation, log onto the the website http://new.devon.gov.uk/">http://new.devon.gov.uk/ residentialreview