manchester news
Friday, 23rd December 2005
Care home Christmas sorrow
Jeni Harvey PENSIONERS who live in one Middleton residential home have been told they have to leave their home and friends within weeks.
The owner of the Acres care home on Wentworth Close, Archer Park, has issued a 28-day notice to both staff and residents, telling them they have to get out as he can no longer afford to keep the business running.
Many elderly people, some in their nineties, now face a festive season of uncertainty while they try and find new homes. Staff members are also desperately trying to find new jobs.
One relative of an Acres resident told the Middleton Guardian: "The staff want to keep the home open over Christmas so the old people can enjoy one last Christmas together.
"For some it will probably be their last Christmas, as one of the old ladies is 99 on 25 December. We're all disgusted. A lot of the old people are not going to stand the news. It's a big thing in an old person's life to have to uproot.
"My aunt's upset. She's 82 and she doesn't know what to expect, nor do any of the others. It's a very sombre atmosphere when you go in, the staff are left in mid air.
'Unbelievable'
"Those girls look after each and every old age person in there as if it's their grandma or grandad. It's unbelievable, the things that they do.
"It's been a loving, wonderful place for these old people to live. I know the proprietor is not a charity and I understand these things have to be run at a profit, but this is people's lives that are hanging on threads and it's not fair."
The owner, John Denham, explained to the Guardian that he was very unhappy about the home's closure but the financial situation had left him with no choice.
The sale of the building is soon to be completed and he will now concentrate on his other businesses, which include a care home in Newton Heath.
Mr Denham said: "Basically, the home is closing on financial grounds. The home has not been able to maintain a level of occupancy which makes the business viable.
"Quite clearly, with the time of year, there's going to be no movement within the festive period. The reality is that there's never a good time to do this.
"There has been a level of criticism due to the time of year but nobody has to leave here until after Christmas. It's such a shame.
"This is one of these situations where the staff lose their jobs, the residents lose their homes and I lose my business. Everybody is upset about it, including myself, but unfortunately we have to deal with the reality of the situation rather than our emotions.
"This is no reflection on the staff of the home because the staff have a very good reputation for caring for elderly people and always have done.
"The human suffering is absolutely enormous - it's devastating."
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