Fury as council to shut 100-year-old's care home

Derbyshire County Council has decided to shut and sell off 100-year-old Dennis Freeman's care home

A 100-year-old man faces being moved out of his care home after Derbyshire County Council announced it would be closing eight centres, leaving his family "furious".

Thomas Colledge House Care Home in Bolsover will be closed and sold following the decision by the authority's cabinet on Thursday.

Resident Dennis Freeman now faces an "uncertain future" and his daughter-in-law, Angela Morgan, said: "At that age, he doesn't want the upset and upheaval of moving... it's very traumatic."

The council said it needed to repurpose the care service to provide more dementia care, along with a need to save money.

Mr Freeman, who has lived in Bolsover for more than 70 years, was moved into Thomas Colledge in December 2023.

His daughter-in-law said he wanted to stay in his home but carers told the family he needed to move into a care home.

Mr Freeman, who worked on the railways during World War Two and was later a transport manager for the National Coal Board, sold his house to pay for his care at the home.

Care home staff have spoken to him about the closure and Ms Morgan said her father-in-law was "very worried" about the future.

Angela Morgan said she was furious at the decision but vowed to keep fighting

She added Mr Freeman did not have dementia and believed the council was "ignoring" those in residential care without the condition.

"The council are saying people should be looked after in their own home - well Dennis never had that choice, he wanted to stay," Ms Morgan said.

"But no, he had to sell it in order to pay for the costs for living in Thomas Colledge - where he'd thought he'd live for the rest of his life.

"I'm furious, I'm very saddened. It's so unsettling for a 100-year-old man who does not know where his future lies.

"It's very traumatic for anybody but to be 100 years old and to be told you've got to go somewhere else and leave friends behind that he's made is unimaginable.

"I'll continue campaigning [to keep] the home open until the very last member of staff has gone and the building has been declared closed."

Natalie Hoy said the projected increase in dementia diagnosis across the region meant the authority had to change the way it provided services

Natalie Hoy, cabinet member for adult care at the council, said it had to redesign the service due to a lack of demand for residential care and added people would be supported through the process.

She told the BBC the council has had "significant interest" from the private sector to take on the running of the homes - many under a dual registration providing nursing and residential care.

"By refocusing our services, to create wrap-around care for those with dementia and their carers, we can help even more Derbyshire residents live the life they want, in their communities, in familiar places among family and friends," she said.

Which care homes and day centres are closing?

The following care homes are due to be closed and sold off:

• Briar Close, Borrowash

• Castle Court, Swadlincote

• The Grange, Eckington

• Lacemaker Court, Long Eaton

• The Leys, Ashbourne

• New Bassett House, Shirebrook

• Rowthorne, Swanwick

• Thomas Colledge, Bolsover

Bennerley Fields in Cotmanhay would be repurposed to be used exclusively for community support beds.

The following dementia day centres are also due to close:

• Blackwell Day Centre, Bolsover

• Fabrick Day Services, Clay Cross

• Jubilee Centre, New Mills

• Queen's Court, Buxton

• Valley View Day Centre, Bolsover

These would stay open:

• Eccles Fold Resource Centre, Chapel-en-le-Frith

• Hasland Resource Centre, Chesterfield

• Shirevale Resource Centre, Shirebrook

While they would stay open, a further consultation will be held on the future role of:

• Florence Shipley, Heanor

• Whitestones, Chapel-en-le-Frith

• Meadow View, Matlock

• Oaklands, Swadlincote

• Ada Belfield, Belper

• Staveley Centre, Chesterfield

• Thomas Fields, Buxton