Birch Avenue and Woodland View care homes provide professional and high-quality care for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and related conditions, whose families cannot care for them.
Many residents have lived in other care and nursing homes around Sheffield, but found that the care was simply not tailored to Alzheimer’s patients.
For some families, these are the tenth care homes that they have tried. Elsewhere, they experienced physical and psychological harm. At Birch Avenue and Woodland view, they feel safe and cared for.
A MATTER OF PRIORITIES
On the 6th of January, families and guardians of residents were informed that Sheffield NHS Primary Care Trust were planning to withdraw funding from the homes. At a meeting on the 7th of January – a “consultation” meeting – it became clear that the decision to evict the residents had already been made.
At the meeting, the board admitted that they had not consulted the Alzheimer’s society regarding the inevitable psychological and physical harm to residents that would result from their eviction.
THE HUMAN COST
The cost of the homes for the Sheffield NHS PCT is £2.8 million annually; this is 0.028% of a billion pound budget!
To shave small percentiles from their budgets, they are willing to evict 100 residents and to force them into other accommodation that is clearly less suitable, and relocate or (much more likely) make redundant a wonderful, skilled workforce.
This decision is not a result of economic hardship. The homes receive funding from many public bodies, as well as substantial contributions from the residents and their families. Sheffield NHS PCT has been looking for cuts since 2006 - whilst reassuring families that no closure was being planned!
WHY FIGHT?
Because we can win! Our campaign has already succeeded in putting the Sheffield NHS PCT on the back foot - we have won a four month "consultation period" to fight these closures.
We believe that the dignity and happiness of those suffering from Alzheimer’s and related conditions is worth more than an “efficiency saving.”
We believe that the closure is unnecessary, and will result in a great deal of human suffering.
We believe that together we can keep these homes open, and defend our loved ones who live in them.
HELP US TO FIGHT AGAINST THE CLOSURE OF THESE HOMES!
- Visit and subscribe to our website: http://savemyhome2011.wordpress.com
- Sign our petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petition/42232.html
- Get in touch: savemyhome2011 [at] gmail [dot] com
Our fortnightly meetings are open to all supporters, friends and family and are advertised on the website.
Our website has resources for you to contact your MPs and councillors.
If you are a Sheffield resident involved in other anti-cuts resistance, please get in touch. We wish to build links with other groups.
Together, we can win!
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