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DON’T DO IT! Borough council urge county not to close Deeside home BASINGSTOKE and Deane Borough Council has written to its counterparts at Hampshire County Council to stop the closure of Deeside Care Home in South Ham. Councillor Cathy Osselton, BDBC’s cabinet member for Partnerships, urged the coun-
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ty’s governing body to rethink their decision to close the home in Alliston Way, home to 25 residents. BDBC’s Housing and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee met last Thursday, and heard from friends and family of residents, as well as campaigners. The committee voted to support Deeside being kept open. A 12-week public consultation period fi nished on Monday, and over 5,000 people have signed
By James Booker news@basingstokeobserver.co.uk
a petition to keep the home open. Cllr Osselton said: “This issue is of importance not only to the residents of Deeside and their families but to the wider population, with over 5,000 people signing a petition to save Deeside. “It was evident from the discussions that the standard of care at
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available for all those residents suffering from dementia. “While an emphasis on extra care is a positive step the fact is it is not appropriate for those with dementia who need round the clock support.” Cllr Osselton suggests that, as the average amount of time residents stay in residential care in Hampshire is about four years, the county council keeps the building open while the current residents need it. She said: “I accept that the
fewer people there are to be cared for, the less cost effective the service becomes, however we are talking about people’s lives and I do believe that their care must take precedence over short term budget issues.” HCC want to close the home due to the expense of bringing it up to acceptable modern standards. Events have taken another twist with the resignation of the councillor who was • Continued on page 2
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Deeside is highly regarded and that the residents, the majority of whom have dementia, are safe and enjoy a good quality of life. “It is regrettable, therefore, that the proposal to close Deeside means that these residents and their families will be directly and adversely affected by the county council’s well-meaning intention to plan for the longer term. “Our councillors are not convinced that adequate alternative accommodation is being made
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