Future of Auchinlee Care Home in doubt
THE FUTURE of Auchinlee Care Home in Campbeltown is in doubt because the charity that runs the home, which has been at the heart of the community for more than half-a-century, cannot keep doing so at a loss.
Talks about Auchinlee’s future have been taking place for weeks and on Monday evening a meeting took place between senior officials from CrossReach and Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (ABHSP), and relatives, staff and other stakeholders.
‘The purpose of the meeting was twofold,’ said Rob Flett from CrossReach.
The meeting heard that, as a national voluntary sector care pro-
vider and registered charity, CrossReach could no longer continue to operate the service in the care home if it continues to incur the levels of financial loss which it has experienced over the last few years. Cannot continue
Mr Flett added: ‘These losses have been met from the charity’s own resources but the situation cannot continue any longer in the current challenging financial environment.’
CrossReach has expressed its commitment to finding a satisfactory solution to the problem affecting the local community.
Secondly, it was announced that both CrossReach and ABHSP have been in discussion for a number of weeks regarding the possibility of establishing a partnership agreement between them to see if it is possible to sustain this service locally.
These discussions are ongoing and further information will be available in the next few weeks.
Auchinlee Care Home can provide care for up to 24 older people suffering from dementia but it is currently running significantly under capacity due to a number of challenges, including the lack of suitably qualified care staff available in the area.
Officials from both organisations confirmed to The Courier their commitment to keeping staff, residents and stakeholders informed of developments.
Auchinlee Care Home was opened in 1952 and has been providing residential care to older people throughout Argyll for more than 60 years.
In June of 2012 it became a designated dementia unit. The rear garden is used by Campbeltown Organic Community Garden Project.