Blaenau Gwent care homes wind down

THE CLOSURE of two Blaenau Gwent care homes is well under way as residents are being re-homed, according to a council report.

Tredegar’s Cartref Aneurin Bevan and Crawshay House in Brynmawr are being gradually closed as part of a 15-year plan for elderly people drawn up by Blaenau Gwent council in 2006 called “Living Independently in the 21st Century.”

Now, resident numbers in both homes has fallen as they are moved to a new Extra Care scheme in Ebbw Vale, nursing homes or a specialist elderly mentally infirm home.

Following July’s decision to close the homes, the numbers in Cartref Aneurin Bevan have fallen from 27 to 13 and people living in Crawshay House has dropped from 27 to 19, according to a social care and inclusion scrutiny committee report.

As reported in the Argus in July, proposals by Tredegar Central and West councillor Steve Thomas at a special care and inclusion scrutiny committee meeting to recommend postponing the closure of Cartref Aneurin Bevan and improve it as much as possible until Assembly funding is secured for a replacement were ignored by the executive committee.

Speaking at the time, Cllr Thomas said he wanted a facility for citizens in Tredegar.

Hafod Dawel in Nantyglo closed in 2007 followed by Ebbw Vale’s Plas y Coed.