Families prepare to fight plans to sell off Kirklees dementia care homes
Campaigners have launched a petition after saying "no" to Kirklees Council's plans to sell off its dementia care homes to the private sector.
Earlier this year, Kirklees’ dementia care homes at Castle Grange in Newsome and Claremont House in Heckmondwike were under threat of closure as a result of the council’s financial predicament. This saw a campaign group form who fought to save the homes of their loved ones.
Their continued efforts were not wasted as the council made a U-turn on the plans, with the care homes continuing to operate and run by the local authority. However, this arrangement wasn’t expected to continue indefinitely, as Cabinet agreed to explore possible transfer of ownership of the two homes to independent sector care providers.
Now, this new plan is building traction, prompting the campaign group to reform, as the council says some operators have expressed an interest in the homes. Setting out the reasons for launching the petition, Sara Blagborough, explained that privatisation could result in lower standards of care for residents, increased fees, eviction of residents leading to their deterioration, and in the worst case, death.
She continued: “Our loved ones deserve the right to the best quality of life. These are people who lived full lives and contributed to their communities. They deserve to be seen as people and not numbers on a page. Private sector providers are motivated by profit rather than care. WE SAY NO."
If the petition reaches 3,000 signatures, it will trigger a council debate, as is the hope of campaigners.
This latest development had already been brought to the attention of Kirklees Council when some group members spoke at the recent meeting. One of whom, Helen Plaskitt, urged members to collaborate with campaigners to find a different solution. A link to the petition is here.
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