Nearly 2,000 signatures support Willows Edge care home
Support for the Willows Edge care home is growing.
A second petition has been launched to save it, with around 130 people signing it – adding to the 1,750 who have already signed the first one.
“My mother, a 93-year-old resident at Willows Edge Care Home, suffers from dementia and vascular dementia,” explained Jean O’Reilly, who has set up the second one.
“She has found comfort and trust in her carers at this facility.
“The proposed closure of this home would not only disrupt her life but also those of many other vulnerable residents who have made Willows Edge their home.
“These individuals are well cared for and content here; they don’t respond well to change.”
West Berkshire Council wants to close the care home in Hutton Close, Shaw, to trim costs off its budget overspend.
Comments are piling in about the proposed closure, which is now subject to a public consultation along with a raft of other cost-cutting measures announced by the council in November.
“We continue to gather more support for our proposal to save Willows Edge for the coming financial year while a broad consultation can take place on the future of adult social care provision in West Berkshire,” said campaigner Richard Garvie.
“This is not a party political issue and the leader of the council told us he had found close to £2m to pay to withdraw from the Local Plan Review and compile a new Local Plan.
“I am asking that he uses £240,000 of that money that he said he had found for his political stunt to save Willows Edge for the coming year.”
Residents have been writing comments on the petition site.
“There are so few state-run care homes, private homes are too expensive,” said Christine Roots.
Paula Saunderson from Newbury said: “It is a local community facility, that means a tremendous amount to our local Clayhill and Shaw communities and is a centre where people with dementia which is a regressive incurable disease can reside in peace in their final spell on Earth.
“There is no hard data in the consultation on affordable dementia bed availability in our location and if WBC ASC [adult social care] are withdrawing from market provision then the true ongoing financial impact of this is not described in the consultation.
“Especially the knock on effects to the wider market for those that have to self-fund dementia care, which is at least £75,000 per annum.
“Please try to put this into the bigger picture for the provision of proper authorised dementia care in our area, and make sure you have full wider market place implications and modelling before you make the wrong decision to close this care home.”
Jo Walker from Hungerford said: “As a new resident to Hungerford and West Berkshire I am appalled at a decision that would be catastrophic for so many local families.
“West Berkshire Council must review this decision as a matter of urgency to ensure this does not hang over the heads of these people for one moment longer.
“A cruel, unthinking and frankly despicable move from those that should be supporting the community.”
Pauline Holbon from Newbury said: “The country needs more adult social care not less.
“It needs to be funded by government (local and national) and affordable for families. Not run for a profit.
“Willows Edge looked after my father amazingly well in a very safe and caring environment.
“The staff went above and beyond and the visitors were also welcomed.
“The care of the residents was always of the utmost importance.”
Debi Richens from Thatcham said: “Having used care facilities in Newbury for my mum in law when she was alive, and volunteered at the same, I know how much of a community lifeline it is for the users.
“She had a happier last six months of life, than in the last six years of poor care and support at home.
“Care homes bring companionship and a warm, loving community that allows our elderly to embrace life in a dignified and healthy way.
“The residents of Willows Edge deserve all of this and more, they deserve respect and compassion.”
The council announced a raft of cuts as it deals with a £10m hole in its finances, which it blamed on inflation and a lack of central government funding.
It said the Willows Edge Care Home was likely to either close, or have another provider, in order to save £240,000 and not be faced with costs of upgrading the facility.
Leader Lee Dillon insisted the council was protecting vulnerable people.
“We would look to place these people in other care homes in the district,” he said announcing the move.
He added that would be “£400 per person per week” less then Willows Edge currently costs.
Other areas set for cutbacks include household waste centres and community transport schemes.
