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| Martin Brandon-Bravo |
They talk the talk, but when it comes to sound, practical, common sense solutions, they invariably choose a party political option that fits their ideology, which is often not in the best interests of our elderly.
They have a long history of such philosophical mismanagement, from the adaptation of residential homes in the early 1980s, to the current plan to close six homes rather than face the prospect of the private sector taking them over.
In the 1980s a desk top 'guesstimate' of what it would cost to adapt accommodation was carried out, without on-site visits to some of the homes. As a result, the costs were deemed too high, private solutions rejected, and closures followed. Labour claim that private homes cannot be run to the standards in the public sector.
Yet under their stewardship, homes have been run down, resulting in their current mess. They retain the legal duty to see that the private sector meets the legal standards laid down, so there is no excuse for rejecting private sector management.
In 2008, the then Labour group locally consulted on the closure of residential homes like Bishops Court in Boughton, and only a public row saved some of them. It is true that when the Cons, after 28 years in opposition, were briefly in control between 2009 and 2013, three had to be closed given the homes were by then beyond repair.
Nevertheless, six others which were at risk were transferred to the private sector and are up and running. That is a far more sensible solution than closure, which leads to the uprooting of so many elderly who rely on that 24 hour care. Many would prefer to remain in their own homes, and extra care housing does meet many of their needs.
There are also many splendid projects, such as Lark Hill in Clifton, but there is not a single fits-all solution, for there remains a need for a sound and well maintained residential and nursing home sector. In the end, it comes down to what you can afford.
But, if you had a choice between good care in the community, and spending a fortune on a new teeny-weeny wheelie bin scheme – which most have dubbed the daftest idea yet to come out of County Hall – which would you choose?