Sight Scotland may close specialist sight loss care homes

Braeside House in Edinburgh looks after 31 people

Two specialist care homes for older people with sight loss could be closed because of financial difficulties.

Jenny's Well in Paisley has 21 residents while Braeside House in Edinburgh looks after 31 people.

The charity Sight Scotland, which runs the homes, said both had incurred unsustainable losses and there was little prospect of turning them around.

It has begun a consultation with staff and is working with residents and their families to find alternative care.

Mark O'Donnell, chief executive of Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans, said: "It is with great sadness that we have announced that we are proposing to potentially close our two care homes for older people, Jenny's Well in Paisley and Braeside House in Edinburgh.

"An increasingly difficult financial environment for care homes has meant we have had to subsidise heavily our older people's care homes from our charitable reserves, to a level that is no longer sustainable.

"Braeside House and Jenny's Well reported a financial deficit of over £1.5m for the year ending 2019-20."

'Sad conclusion'

Mr O'Donnell said the deficit for both homes was expected to increase to about £2m in the current financial year.

He added: "The pandemic has thrown these issues into sharp relief.

"We have sought independent expert advice from different sources, all of which has sadly concluded that there is little realistic prospect of turning this around.

"We will continue to provide care to residents until alternative provision has been identified for them, and we will be working closely with health and social care partnerships during this process."