Anguish as frail elderly are kicked out of care home ‘without warning’
There were 29 residents and I feel just like I’ve lost 29 members of my family.”
Brian Miller, 65, who lives opposite Warneford, said: “There were loads of ambulances out – both private and NHS ones.
“Taxis too and the council. There were lots of social workers milling about.”
Warneford House was owned for the past seven months by a company called UK Medi-Care Associates Ltd, based in Dartford, Kent. The home has been in operation since at least 2011.
The company declined to comment yesterday. Doncaster Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group said they had been monitoring the standards and quality of care at the home.
Due to concerns raised around the lack of management and inadequate standards of care, the council and the CCG made the decision to transfer residents to alternative accommodation. It was done with the knowledge of the owners of Warneford House.
Karen Johnson, assistant director of adult social care and safeguarding, said: “This was an unprecedented situation and while we appreciate it has been a difficult time, the safety of our residents is of upmost concern. We have been working closely with residents and their families to find alternative suitable accommodation in Doncaster.”
The Daily Express is asking readers to sign our petition calling for the appointment of a Minister for Older People.
Our Respect for the Elderly campaign has consistently called for a voice at the highest Government levels.
Almost 3,000 people have so far added their names.
At 10,000 signatures, the Government has to respond to the petition.
EXTRAORDINARY scenes at the Warneford House Care Centre in Doncaster where residents and their families were given just half an hour’s notice of the home’s closure. Apparently the local authority had “concerns” though one man whose mother was a resident said that “the building was in good condition and the staff were fantastic”.
Yet all these elderly people, many suffering from dementia, had to be packed off to new accommodation. Some were unable to gather up their belongings as clothes were still in the laundry. Staff in the old home were in tears and staff in the new homes were not made aware of the medical needs of these sudden arrivals. The stress and bewilderment can only be imagined. How in a civilised society can such a shambles occur?
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in 50 years from now there will be an extra 8.6 million people aged over 65. Meanwhile the provision of social care remains an intractable problem. And hardly a week goes by without a story of negligent and sometimes downright sadistic conditions in care homes.
The story emerging from Warneford House seems to be one of incompetence and thoughtlessness. Isn’t it about time that we as a society began to think seriously about how we are going to care for our old people?