COUNCILS across Wales and the UK are currently having to make difficult decisions about the future of the services they run for various reasons.
In Rhondda Cynon Taf the council has been consulting on several proposals which could see some key services closed including two care homes.
The main issues that the authority highlights in relation to these are low occupancy rates and unsustainable levels of subsidy at the care homes.
There are consultations happening on proposals to close care homes for the elderly in Hawthorn (Cae Glas) and Ferndale (Ferndale House) with a new specialist dementia facility planned in Fendale.
Here’s the rationale that the council has given for considering these closures.
Ferndale House in Ferndale
The closure of Ferndale House would mean the loss of 26 residential care beds comprising 16 general residential and 10 residential dementia beds.
In September the council’s cabinet also agreed to develop a new 32-bed residential dementia care home on the former Chubb Factory site in Ferndale.
Those affected in the short term would be accommodated within the council’s current homes or in other independent homes on a temporary basis until the new care home development at the former Chubb Factory site is available.
All current residents of Ferndale House will be offered the option to move back to the new care home when it opens and the council said it will consider any extended travel that families of current residents of Ferndale House may incur as a result of the decision to close the home.
The reason for considering closing the home given by the council is that Ferndale House has a “poor physical environment” with a “problematic layout” and does not provide residents with the high level and quality of accommodation which it would wish.
It says this has contributed to the low resident numbers and levels of occupancy and that the current council net budget (level of subsidy) for Ferndale House is £1.16m year, which it says adds significant additional cost pressures to the council adding that this is not sustainable, particularly at a time when there is an over supply of residential care beds across Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Cae Glas care home in Hawthorn
The proposed closure of Cae Glas in Ferndale, if agreed, would mean the loss of 39 residential dementia care beds.
The council said the surplus capacity in the market is acknowledged but there are some risks associated with the potential closure of this larger care home.
It says the independent sector is currently operating at 95% capacity.
Rhondda Cynon Taf has experienced three independent sector care home closures over the past three years and no new providers have moved into the area since.
The council said that regulatory changes to the specification of a care home now create a barrier for the transfer of registration to a new owner and substantial capital is required for any new entrant into the local market to replace any further home closures that could arise.
Due to the complexity of meeting the needs of people with dementia the risk of further closures are greater for the local authority than those in general residential care.
But the council said the closure of Cae Glas can be mitigated, in part, by increasing the residential dementia capacity in the newly-refurbished area of Parc Newydd care home in Talbot Green by 10 beds to provide permanent and respite capacity in the short term while waiting for the start of the proposed Ferndale and Mountain Ash care accommodation developments.
Tegfan care home in Aberdare is in the process of transitioning to a dementia residential only home to provide 46 beds.
The current council net budget (level of subsidy) for Cae Glas is £1.61m per year, which the council said overspends annually adding significant additional cost pressures which it said is not sustainable, particularly at a time when there is an oversupply of residential care beds across Rhondda Cynon Taf.
