Daughter Discovers Mother’s Dementia Respite Center Closure Through Facebook

Victoria Bailey, whose mother Pat has dementia, expressed that her initial tears “very quickly turned to anger” upon discovering through Facebook that her mother’s respite facility was slated for closure. Pat Bailey utilizes the Jubilee Centre in New Mills, Derbyshire, three times weekly, enabling her father David to receive a respite from his full-time caregiving duties. Derbyshire County Council has announced intentions to close and sell eight care homes and five day centers as part of a strategy to achieve financial savings and restructure its services. Victoria conveyed to the BBC, “This is devastating… I don’t know how we can tell mum, she’ll be so upset.” Pat received her dementia diagnosis in 2016, shortly following her retirement. She attends the center located in her hometown to engage in various activities such as arts and crafts, bingo, and gardening, which her family described as a “lifeline.” Victoria recounted asking her sister to review Facebook, where a campaign group was sharing updates and offering support. Her sister subsequently discovered a post within the group containing council documents indicating the planned closure of the center. The council’s cabinet is scheduled to deliberate these plans at a meeting on Thursday 14 November. She stated, “When I first saw this… I did have a little cry but that very quickly turned to anger.” She added, “I felt like everything we put forward and that we’ve tried to fight for hasn’t been considered properly… the council haven’t given any indication about what these savings will be from the closures.” “They really haven’t thought about the impact on the people and their families,” she asserted. She further characterized the closures as “short-sighted” and potentially “costing the council more money in the long-run.” Victoria commented, “They’ve said they’re putting people at the heart of everything they do and they’ve just taken away all of my mum’s support – it did not feel very personal.” “That little bit of happiness Mum had from going to the centre and doing things that made her smile is going to go, it impacts on how she is at home,” she explained. “Being at the centre has allowed her to have fun and enjoy things again whereas now it will be mum and dad, 24/7 on their own.” Regarding the challenge of informing her mother, Victoria stated, “We’re in such a difficult situation, we don’t want to lie to her but she’s in a place now where whatever you say to her, she doesn’t remember – so we’d tell her and the upset would start over again and again – it’s hard.” She questioned, “How do you explain this to someone who will ask you again 10 minutes later?” Derbyshire County Council indicated a decrease in demand for conventional residential care centers, attributing this to a growing preference among individuals to remain in their homes. The council also faces budget overruns in its social care departments and plans to implement £30m in cuts to achieve financial balance. A consultation regarding these proposed changes has encountered opposition from Members of Parliament and families, who are concerned about the potential impact on the care provided to the most vulnerable individuals. The authority stated its intention to prioritize the provision of community support beds, designed to offer individuals a brief period of rehabilitation, frequently following hospitalizations, before they return to their homes. Natalie Hoy, Cabinet member for adult care, commented: “All the research shows that people want to remain in their own homes for as long as possible which has led to a decline in demand for traditional residential care.” She added, “There’s also a growing number of people living with dementia, often supported by family carers or friends who work hard to look after them.” Hoy continued, “Carers have told us they need consistent and regular support so we need to focus our resources on having the right options to support them.” She concluded, “This includes long-term specialist dementia care coupled with respite day and night breaks.” Joan Dixon, who leads the Labour group on Derbyshire County Council, characterized the announcement as a “bonfire to services.” She stated, “This a very grim day for some of our most vulnerable residents.” Dixon further remarked, “After months of uncertainty, residents in our care homes face an uncertain future with the news that the county council no longer wants to run these homes.” She noted, “Some residents have already seen their previous homes cut by the county council.” The following care homes are scheduled for closure and sale: Bennerley Fields in Cotmanhay is to be repurposed for exclusive use as community support beds. The following dementia day centers are also slated for closure: The council intends to keep open: An additional consultation will be conducted concerning the future role of: