Seven Northumberland day care centres under threat

Jun 9 2009 by David Black, The Journal

ANGER erupted last night over moves to close seven council-run day care centres in Northumberland, which are described as providing a lifeline service for hundreds of elderly people.

Fears were voiced that axing the centres – in Amble, Bedlington, Blyth, Ponteland, Prudhoe, Hexham and Haltwhistle – will rob elderly users of regular get-togethers with friends of their own age and leave some stuck in their homes.

Care chiefs are launching formal consultations on introducing a new system that involves giving older people ‘personal budgets’ which they can spend on getting out of the house and taking part in social activities of their choice.

The plan involves closing the seven traditional day centres, where people of pensionable age are taken by minibus to spend time with people of their own age, have lunch and take part in group activities.

Yesterday, Northumberland County Council said the move is in response both to the “declining popularity” of its day care centres and a national policy of encouraging self-directed support and personal budgets for older people. It plans to keep open two specialist day care centres for elderly people with dementia – in Bedlington and Blyth – but shut the other seven, which are used by more than 350 people a week.

The proposals came under fire last night from councillors, relatives of service users and Age Concern Northumberland.

Valerie Davison, 68, of Stakeford, whose 88-year-old mother Nancy Stewart attends Bedlington’s Foundry House day centre twice a week, described the moves as “absolutely ludicrous”. She said: “My mother was in tears when she told me about this and quite a few of the other old people were too.