A closed-door meeting for relatives of residents at an under-threat Angus care home was held in an “atmosphere of anger and frustration”, a family member has said.
The press and general public were excluded from the meeting on the basis of client confidentiality but one source has claimed repeated attempts to get the three members of the health and social care Integration Joint Board (IJB) to rule out closure of Seaton Grove care home in Arbroath were dismissed.
One person who attended the meeting said: “Organisers had put fewer than 10 chairs out for the meeting but had to run around getting more when between 50 and 60 people turned up, which surely shows the strength of feeling about the situation.
“Most of the family members were very concerned over the impact the changes, or indeed the closure of Seaton Grove, would have on their loved ones and worried that the current level of care provided would be diminished.”
One family member, Joyce Cook, asked the panel: “Instead of being the ones who close Seaton Grove wouldn’t you prefer to be remembered as the ones who saved Seaton Grove?”
A review will look at options for the unit including closure, privatisation and an improvement and development plan to undertake the work required but campaigners say the residents themselves have not been consulted about the proposals.
An additional factor is rooms in Seaton Grove do not have en-suite shower facilities and, while this is not currently a requisite, the Care Inspectorate may expect this level of accommodation within the next two years.
After the meeting, a spokesperson for Friends of Seaton Grove, who are campaigning to save the facility, argued the money to spend on upgrading the home is already available.
He said: “Even if we ignore the £1 million Angus Council withheld from the IJB last year, there is still £1m of social work funds the IJB didn’t expect to have left at this time of year.
“That’s on top of the healthy reserve fund they have built up for unforeseen expenditure.
“Exactly the kind of money that could be used to upgrade Seaton Grove – what better use could it be put to than caring for our elderly and vulnerable residents who have paid their dues and deserve something from the public purse.”
“I don’t know how they can sleep at night knowing that money is there while Seaton grove residents worry about possible eviction.”
A decision is expected to be taken on the future of the facility in June.
