Care facility for dementia victims shuts

A day centre offering specialist dementia care has closed. The Hillings day care centre, part of The Hillings Care Home in Grenville Way, Eaton Socon, St Neots, shut its doors yesterday after HealthCare Homes, which runs the centre, decided not to renew its contract with Cambridgeshire County Council.

It was the only provider of specialist dementia care for adults in the town.
The closure comes after other HealthCare Homes centres, Home Meadow in Toft and Home Close in Fulbourn, shut on August 31 and October 31 respectively.

Up to 80 places for dementia sufferers have been lost, and councillors who campaigned for the centre to remain open are very concerned.

Cllr Kevin Wilkins, county council Lib Dem spokesman for adult social care, said the situation was worrying.

He said: “We are sorry to hear about the loss of this day care centre, which has served the St Neots community so well.

“The closure falls in line with our concern about centres like these closing across the country and we understand the worry for everyone concerned.”

HealthCare Homes said in a statement: “The situation is out of our hands and this is now a matter for the county council, as it indicated it no longer required our services.”

However, a council spokesman said it was prepared to carry on working with the centres but the contract had been turned down by HealthCare Homes.