Care home closures: the county council response
Friday, 10.30am - LAST week the Journal reported on the contents of a leaked confidential report which said there was a danger of frail, elderly people dying when being moved from old to new care facilities. Lincolnshire County Council denies the claims and issued a response to the Journal's story. The response is published here in full.
Friday, 10.30am - LAST week the Journal reported on the contents of a leaked confidential report which said there was a danger of frail, elderly people dying when being moved from old to new care facilities. Lincolnshire County Council denies the claims and issued a response to the Journal's story.
The response is published here in full."I am writing as the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care to object to your front page story "Care Home Closures: PEOPLE MAY DIE".
I am astonished that you would think this helpful to the vulnerable people of Lincolnshire and the staff who support them.
We have been very clear from the onset that our intentions are to develop new quality services for the older people of Lincolnshire who we firmly believe deserve the right to live in better quality accommodation.
The quotes you are using from the so called "confidential briefing" are not part of the documents which describe our vision for the future.
They are in fact comments from a draft communications plan which highlights potential media risks of newspapers such as your own running stories which are misinterpreted.
I hasten to add this is normal practice within any organisation and the necessity to do this was clearly demonstrated by your own misleading headlines.
With regard to the older persons' home you speak of in Grantham, environmentally this home is in a poor condition, with residents having to share facilities.
One would hope that improving this type of environment to offer people more choice, to have their own apartment within a supported environment, offering many onsite facilities, is what we would all wish for both our own parents and ultimately ourselves.
As has been clarified in our news release we are going through a period of consultation to ascertain what people require in the future and our overall plans to provide better, more modern homes, suited to peoples' needs, have been supported in the media by Age Concern.
To infer that "People are in danger of dying" is unacceptable and shows your lack of understanding in what the Council is seeking to achieve.
Your headline raises unfounded fears to the people within the home and the well qualified and professional staff who are continuing to provide an excellent service in a poor environment.
Cllr Graham Marsh
Executive Councillor for Adult Social Care and Supporting People
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Tuesday 16 March 2010
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