A RESIDENT is calling for a review into the provision of elderly care in his district, as he campaigns over the closure of a care home.

Andy Brook, from Middleham, North Yorkshire, says the closure of Brentwood Lodge care home, near Leyburn, and its replacement with an extra care scheme won’t provide people suffering dementia with the round-the-clock support they need.

The purpose-built, 32 room care home, run by North Yorkshire County Council, was registered in 2003 and is due to close in 2014.

It is expected its residents will move an extra care and affordable rented housing development in Harmby Road, Leyburn, which includes seven two-bedroomed bungalows, 26 two-bedroomed flats for independent living and 20 one-bedroomed flats designed for dementia sufferers. Work will start on building the new facility next year (2014).

The development will be built in partnership with Broadacres Housing Association and Richmondshire District Council.

Plans for the new scheme were approved unanimously by Richmondshire District Council this year, which said it would allow its residents to live independent lives in homes of their own, but with 24-hour support.

At the time, Councillor John Blackie said the extra care home would retain the specialist unit dealing with dementia and age-related frailty and offer a 25 per cent improvement in capacity to meet demand.

But Mr Brook says there is no replacement for the kind of 24-hour support provided by a care home.

His 92-year-old mother-in-law attends Brentwood three days a week for day care, as she has dementia.

“We have an elderly lady on our hands. She can’t do the day-to-day things. She can’t remember things from five minutes to the next. It needs specialist care to care for people with dementia.

“She enjoys the experience of going to Brentwood three days a week for day care. There’s no mention of what’s happening to the day care.”

Mr Brook said he wanted a more rigorous review of the decision to close Brentwood Lodge.

“In ten year’s time we will be having a crisis of care for the elderly in the dales,” he said.

“Once this care home closes, the next nearest is Sycamore Hill in Bainbridge or Richmond. It’s far too far to travel. This is an appalling treatment of the elderly.

“I would like to see a full, in-depth review into elderly care for Leyburn, mid and lower Wensleydale carried out.”