WARDHAYES is an Okehampton Devon County Council residential care home and it runs four services in its home; which private homes can provide this?

What will happen to people that need to be re-abled before going home? Support is needed in a safe environment with regular exercise. What about clients' choice?

It is sad to say that family support is not always available; some families live away, or they have work commitments or transport issues. We work very closely here at Wardhayes with occupational therapists and local hospitals to provide clients with the confidence to go back to their own homes and encouraging them to look after themselves by overseeing kitchen skills, managing their medication, supporting families etc.

We have been told that re-ablement provision will be available elsewhere. There has been no consideration as to how this would be done.

Wardhayes also has a dementia unit; where is the future support for these clients? Sadly, dementia is on the increase and we need to think about how we will ensure there are enough beds in the future.

Families need to know their loved  ones are in a safe, secure and loving place. Carers in Wardhayes have great skills in recognising challenging behaviour and are able to alleviate possible disastrous situations.

Residential care is also of vital importance.  Loneliness in their own homes is the biggest killer of the elderly. Clients need companionship, not to have to worry and stress about day to day living.

There is talk about clients going into supportive living. This works for a while, and then clients can become frail, prone to infections, falls and confusion; what happens to them then? Another move? Devon County Council has a legal obligation to support elderly people with assessed needs, but how will this be done?

If the homes go wouldn't this lead to bed blocking in hospitals? We already hear of patients being left in corridors; is this accepable? I certainly wouldn't want this for any one.

Around Okehampton there are not enough care homes in the private sector to cater for the growing elderly and frail population.

There is also talk of direct payments for clients to buy core activities etc, but how would the very elderly understand this? Who is going to monitor them to see if carers provide good, honest care? How do we know families wouldn't just take the money? I'm sorry to say some will.  Then they become victims and fall through the net yet again. There is already too much neglect going on, let's not add to it.

At Wardhayes, we are proud to have a five star rating, we are proud and privileged to look after those who come to us.

Then there is the day centre. Clients are collected along with a carer, they come into a warm, welcoming atmosphere to have a bath and a good home cooked meal.

If needed, a district nurse or a doctor can be called for, many a time we have had to sort out medication for clients who have come in with chest infections or weeping legs etc.

If these clients have a taxi to take them home, will the driver go indoors with them, take off their coats, make sure they have everything to hand, heating on and food and drink nearby? Perhaps we could look into opening the day centre more often, having a memory cafe and a drop in centre for several sections of the community.

We will all grow old, it is not something that will stop, so look at yourselves and think about what care and support you would like? What if you got dementia and relied on full-time care? Let's make Okehampton proud and make a stand to save our Home, let's open the door at Wardhayes and welcome the elderly and frail that need our special care that we can and will provide.

Remember the saying Personal centre care: let's deliver!

Alison Dennis

Okehampton