This week our campaign to keep Hollins View care home open continues as we assess the human cost vulnerable people will pay if its services are stopped.
The council wants to transfer all respite care for dementia sufferers to the independent sector – meaning the future of services that Hollins View provides is under threat. Under the plans the care home itself could also close.
Now The Express has spoken to people that use the respite care service at the home, on Clarke Terrace in Macclesfield – to find out how they
will be affected by the council’s proposals.
Two petitions against the council’s possible closure – with almost 2,000 signatures between them – were sent to the council offices last week.
One of the petitions was started by Senior Voice, a community group which represents elderly people in Macclesfield.
Eileen Talbot, a member of the group, said: “The Senior Voice group are very concerned about the possible closure of Hollins View Care Home.
“The amount of signatures gathered shows how much people want the services at Hollins View to remain there.
“The whole group is concerned that a vital public service is being taken away and the alternative is simply not as good.
“I’m very concerned too, in my opinion the council knows there’s going to be less services provided, and that means its likely people will be travelling out of the town to receive care.
“Families simply won’t be able to visit them easily and it will have a real adverse affect on our vulnerable people.”
Eileen is also a scrutiny volunteer with Healthwatch Cheshire East – which represents residents to help shape health and social care services.
As part of her work with it she goes to inspect care homes around Macclesfield and sends the subsequent report to the Care Quality Commission.
She added: “I visited Hollins View and was extremely impressed with the facilities there.
“All of the people who were staying there were very happy.
“The staff make them feel important.
“I feel very angry that the council wasted masses on the Lyme Green fiasco, but can’t find the funds to keep our most vulnerable and elderly people safe.”
Mary Wood, 94, lives in the Wykeham Chase sheltered housing scheme in Macclesfield and receive services from Hollins View.
She has lived in a flat at Wykeham Chase for 29 years.
She has bowel and ovarian cancer, is partially sighted, has poor hearing and arthritis in her knees, but mainly looks after herself and does many of the jobs around the flat.
The former nurse, who grew up in Prestbury, has a cleaner visit once a fortnight and her sister-in-law Joyce Hope helps with Mary’s shopping.
She first went to Hollins View three years ago after falling and suffering an injury to her arm and now pays to stay there for two weeks around three times a year to give herself a break.
Mary, who has no children and is not married, wants to go to Hollins View for Christmas. She said: “I hope to go there for Christmas. There’s no-one around here at Wykeham Chase at Christmas and I may fall so I want to be able to go to Hollins View where there will be people to look after me.
“I go to Hollins View when I feel I want a bit of looking after.
“I look after myself in lots of ways and don’t want to live at Hollins View, but I need a break every now and again.
“Here I change my own bed, I do my own washing, I wash my own hair, but at Hollins View they do a lot more for me and give me a nice meal. I like the place and the people there, the staff are absolutely first class. Lots of people like going there, it’s a nice atmosphere, everyone is friendly.
“There are people worse than me who need it too. I don’t want the council to close it down.”
Clifford Ogden, 95, attends Hollins View for respite care.
He has dementia and lives alone at Wykeham Chase. His daughter Jean Bennett, from Broken Cross, visits every day and he has carers visit twice a day.
The former joiner, who has a great-great-grandchild, 15 great-grandchildren and 14 grandchildren, stays at Hollins View when his daughter goes away.
Clifford said: “I like to play the piano and am able to do that at Hollins View, the ladies there listen and I enjoy playing for them, they can sing-along if they want.
“The people there can play cards or games like dominoes and enjoy some music.
“It’s a very good place to go, it’s comfortable and the meals there are good.
“It gets me out and about and that’s so important for people like me. I can still get about on my feet and want to keep doing that for as long as I can. I can talk to the people there so it’s good for them too to keep their minds going.
“I feel sorry for people who can’t get out.
“If I didn’t have Hollins View I would have to find somewhere else to go, but I like Hollins View and don’t want it to shut.”
His daughter Jean said: “Dad went to Hollins View for five days in August and two weeks last month. He goes there when I go away so I don’t have to worry about him. I come back and his belongings are washed and he’s been well cared for.
“It’s a break for me, it’s so important to be able to recharge your batteries, but also it’s a break for dad. It’s good for him to go somewhere else and see other people. It’s not just for people with dementia, it’s for people with long-term health conditions and frail elderly.”
