THIS afternoon, (March 12) I attended a Devon County Council consultation on the closure of Harewood House Day Centre. The Council staff ran the event very professionally but despite their sympathy and understanding it was a profoundly depressing event.

 In a recent letter to the Tavistock Times Jan Simpson highlighted the lack of credible alternative provision to Harewood House for the frail and elderly with high levels of need — particularly those with dementia. A revised list of alternative provision was presented to the meeting but it rapidly became clear that the new alternatives are simply not credible because they are either inappropriate to the day-care needs of dementia sufferers or, in the case of day care in private homes, they are likely to be unaffordable.

 It also became clear that things are moving quickly and that there is a clear presumption that the Harewood House Day Centre will close. This means that there is no time to explore alternative and imaginative arrangements for the day care of those needing high levels of assistance. 

To take one example, Harewood House is on a sizeable plot of land in an attractive location. Why not offer it for re-development with the new development including a new fit-for-purpose day centre alongside flats or housing?

This could probably be done at zero cost to the council and it would result in a considerable benefit to the community — but it would need time to evaluate properly and implement as would other possibilities that might come to light given a bit of time.

Osborne and Cameron's Government have massively reduced funding for Devon County Council and this is at the heart of the crisis. These cuts bring a 'double whammy' — the speed of implementation will kill off carefully planned and imaginative alternatives to current provision and at the same time they will have an immediate hit on the quality of life of some of the most vulnerable in our community.

 That leaves us with a couple of big questions. Will Devon CC keep Harewood House open for the sake of vulnerable folk who depend on it while credible alternatives are explored?

Will our MP — who votes with Osborne and Cameron — act to secure funding for Devon that adequately reflects local needs?

 

Dr David Benzie

St Maryhaye

Tavistock

MY mother (Betty Earling) was born in Tavistock and has lived here all her life.

For the past two and a half years she has lived at Harewood House. She suffers with Macular Degeneration which results in vivid hallucinations; she is also profoundly deaf.

The staff at Harewood are outstanding, they understand her and treat her with love and respect.

In April my mum will be 101. How do I explain to her that the the house she calls home and the people she trusts are all to be taken away from her and the reason is the modern answer to everything 'cutbacks'!

Closing Harewood would affect so many lives, surely there is another, less cruel way, to find the money needed.

My mum has always been outspoken and if she could fully understand what is happening she would say 'Harewood House is part of Tavistock and must remain so'.

Beryl Watters

Whitchurch Road

Tavistock