Protests Over West Midlands Care Home Closures

A protest is to take place over plans to close four care homes in the West Midlands. Under a shake-up of services for the elderly, Sandwell Council plans to close homes at Bromford, Kingsbury, Birchfield and Knowle.

Residents and their families will be among demonstrators outside the Council House in Oldbury on Wednesday ahead of a meeting to discuss the plans.

The council said the modernisation plans had been successful elsewhere.

Mary Fletcher, 81, who has been a resident at Bromford in West Bromwich for nine years, is among residents who do not want to move.

“I’m very upset about it because I have got used to the people here and they have all been very nice and the staff are all very nice,” she said.

“We have always been happy enough and would really rather prefer to stay here than go elsewhere.”

Ian Bainbridge, the council’s head of adult services, said that residents would be helped if the closures go ahead.

“If the proposals go through then what we would plan to do is to make sure that everybody has an individual social worker who gives them time and consults with them and helps them to come to a decision as to what they want to do.”

Coun Darren Cooper, the council’s cabinet member for adult services and health, said the modernisation and the option of Extra care housing meant redirecting resources “in what older people have told us they want”.

“Residential care homes in Sandwell are doing a very good job but there is substantial evidence across the profession that many older people do prefer an environment where they can be more independent and have their own front door,” he added.