Future of two Highland care homes assured

ELDERLY residents living in Grant House and the Wade Centre have finally been given assurances by Highland Council they can remain in their present homes for a long time to come.

The announcement comes after more than five years of uncertainty over the future of the two local authority residential care homes in the strath.

First the two facilities were to be privatised by the previous council administration; a proposal which attracted huge opposition.

Then Grant House in Grantown was to be rebuilt by the SNP led council that succeeded them whilst there was a long silence over the Wade Centre in Kingussie.

Following a meeting last week with the council’s new social work director, Bill Alexander, local councillors said there was now a clear way forward.

Speaking at the council’s ward forum in Kingussie, Mr David Fallows (SNP) said: “It is clear that we are now looking at a refurbishment of Grant House over the next five years to keep it going at least in the medium term.

“Clearly this will be beyond five years because this is the period during which the work will take place.

“This will involve a number of issues and may mean that one or two of the rooms at Grant House are lost to meet conditions for size set out by the Care Commission.

“What is not on the agenda for Grant House is a sell-off or privatisation, so I am very pleased with that.

“In the current climate, it is progress. I would have preferred a complete rebuild working with NHS Highland but the health authority never had the budget to do this.”

As a result of this decision, he said that a decision had now be taken on the future of the Wade Centre in Kingussie.

The previous council plan had been to eventually remove the beds from the Kingussie care home and increase the number to 30 at the new Grant House.

Mr Fallows said: “The residential beds currently provided at the Wade Centre will continue because there is a need for those beds.

“The Wade Centre will continue; it will be maintained, painted and refurbished as necessary.

“Again, it is not on the agenda to close the Wade Centre.”

The announcement was greeted by applause from those gathered at the forum meeting at Talla nan Ros in the town.

Mr Fallows told them: “It is nice to be able to bring good news once in a while. There will be more issues and more questions I’m sure.”

Mr Gregor Rimell, local Lib Dem councillor, said after the meeting: “Obviously all the members have been working very hard to secure the future of both the Wade Centre and Grant House.

“At least now the residents can be assured of their future and we must apologise for all the uncertainty that has occurred in the past.

“The improvements are planned over the next five years and the budget is in place to provide the necessary expenditure.”

He added: “There are plans elsewhere in the Kingussie area to look at the provision of very sheltered housing which is also an acknowledged need.”

Ex-Kingussie Provost Tommy Wade – after whom the Wade Centre is named – welcomed the end to the uncertainty. He said: “It is very encouraging and I’m pleased to hear this news.”

Fellow POST (Protect Our Services Today) health group campaigner, Jean Filshie, said: “I am pleased to hear this if they carry it out.

“There are a lot of things which are not broken, the Wade Centre just needs some love and care.”