Oban care home still taking new residents
Eader Glinn care home in Oban is still taking referrals for new residents despite it being part of a potential cost-cutting package needed to help save Argyll and Bute Council millions of pounds.
Health and social care bosses heard a time-scale was not yet known for any possible changes at the residential home but it was being made clear to any families or individuals who want to make a referral that there was an option appraisal going on about Eader Glinn’s future.
When Argyll and Bute’s IJB (Integrated Joint Board) met on March 31, members heard money-saving suggestions included transferring residents out of council-run Eader Glinn and also Struan Lodge in Dunoon and placing them into private sector homes.
Calls were made at the meeting to make sure that the communities were involved in discussions on what will be ‘a difficult and challenging’ process, engaging them over options available, and that it would be carried out efficiently and effectively without too much ‘drift and dither’, with a decision being reached in a reasonable time, said Councillor Gary Mulvaney.
However, IJB chairman Councillor Kieron Green said he was ‘slightly unsure’ of the
IJB delegating the outcome of the option appraisal to the council’s finance and policy committee, he felt it would not get the ‘same scrutiny’ as it would from the IJB.
Councillor Sandy Taylor also said: ‘If it involves the prospect of closure it has to come back to the board.’
The meeting heard that if it got to that point, the finance and policy committee would wisely probably refer it back to the IJB anyway.
Eadar Glinn is the first care home to explore alternative accommodation for their residents in 2021- 22 because the building is in the worst state of all the care homes and is least suitable for purpose, said a report before the IJB.
The options in the appraisal are to keep up with ongoing building maintenance but with no significant investment, carry out a major refurbishment in phases and put a temporarily halt on new admissions, or a third option could be to transfer residents to an alternative provision and develop longer term plans.
Early engagement sessions have already been completed with families and staff at Eadar Glinn and Struan Lodge, Dunoon.