Council To Axe Sheltered Accommodation Wardens.

[ironsky2]

I have a Grandmother who lives in sheltered accommodation and has done since becoming a widow she is now 82 years old and her eyesight is poor due to been partially blind. The warden at her sheltered accommodation is a big help to keeping my Gran independent in her daily life. If the council get there way the only help available to residents will be though an intercom system based at Barrow Hill instead of a on site warden. The problem with this idea while the intercom system is ok for non emergency situations it is no substitute for an on site warden. The council have already cut down the hours wardens work as it is yes I understand that government has cut down councils money but this service must be kept. The warden  where my Gran lives checks every morning to see if the residents are all right if not calls for help. I have already got visions  of headlines sceaming out 'OAP found dead weeks after death ' all because there was no one there to keep an eye on things what are the residents supposes to do ring though to Barrow Hill and say in going to peg out now better send someone round? Will the council reduce the rent due to the loss of this service like hell they will?

[Fly]

Hi ironsky2, welcome to chesterfieldonline   
Are you the person with the same member name from CF, hope so  )

Sadly, the content of your post isn't a laughing matter. Surely if you are paying for a service, to take this away is wrong ?

[ironsky2]

There has been a lot of changes made to shelter accommodation over the years. When my Gran first decided to go into shelter accommodation it was in the now demolished Parkside on Stand Road on Whittington Moor at that time it had a live on site warden who arranged many social events for the residents to go to this appealed to my Gran so she moved in. A few years in the warden retired but the council didn't replace with another live in one but a non residential one. Then about two years ago the council decided that Parkside was to close to make way for a new type of sheltered accommodation which later I will go into. My Gran was found new sheltered accommodation all seemed ok. Where she lives now has very little social events and seems to have a down beat feel to it the warden works only in the day not at night and doses not work at weekends but now this is set to go too. Sheltered accommodation rents are not cheap because of the extra services needed by residents to axe this is totally unfair like Iv said before can see some real problems coming about due to this desion. 

[Old Cruser]

Welcome ironsky2 

I have read about the situation what you are speaking of but to be honest I wasn't to familiar with some of the terminology used so didn't fully understand just what they were thinking of cutting back on.

My daughter uses  the Telecare System and that was also mentioned so I am keeping an eye on that however I think it said in some instances they were leaving it in.

I really can't imagine what on earth they are thinking of taking this vital support from our elderly, most will have worked and paid their NI - for what??
To be left neglected and at risk.

It is a disgrace!!!

[Gerty Gumdrop]

Hello Ironsky, welcome to the forum.

I think we are all of the opinion that this situation is an utter disgrace, and its sad that it seems to be a sign of the times.  I fear for the future 

[ironsky2]

Going back to the new type of shelter accommodation I mentioned in the above post. At Dronfield there is a newish sheltered complex called 'Stonelow Court' the residents can either rent a flat or buy they go at market rates and prices plus they pay a service charge there is a restaurant within the complex they do meals once a day the residents have to pay for this as well. As far as I know there is no warden on the site. When a resident pass on the brought flats can only be sold back to company who runs it and cant be placed on the open market as far I know. This sort of complex is planned for the former Parkside site. Sorry for spitting my post in two halves but seemed to have reach a typing limit. Thanks Fly for the welcome. Yes I'm a member of the must not be named forum .

[Old Cruser]

Hello Ironsky, welcome to the forum. :

I think we are all of the opinion that this situation is an utter disgrace, and its sad that it seems to be a sign of the times.  I fear for the future 

Me too Gerty I'm getting old just like you ====== best do a runner now ============  )

[Old Cruser]

I have heard of Stonelow Court ironsky2 it had a lot of publicity when they were building it.
Who actually 'owns' the properties then which are rented.

In theory it sounds good and I certainly wouldn't have any problem with the paying for meals as we all have to buy our food, but what happens to people who can't get the the restaurant and live alone with no family support?
Also vulnerable people need checking on as you say there will come a time when one day some poor soul will be found in a serious condition.

Social Care have a 'duty of care' and I hope in all these cut backs this is being remembered!

[Gerty Gumdrop]

Good point Pam.  It's not so bad if the vulnerable have relatives who look out for them, but there are always people in the system who have no-one at all and are solely reliant on the care system.  Life's bleak enough for them without these cuts.

[Fly]

Thanks Fly for the welcome. Yes I'm a member of the must not be named forum

We don't mind the other forum being mentioned on here ironsky, it's them that don't like us being mentioned on there 

[ironsky2]

I think don't hold me to this, Stonelow Court is part private and part council ownership. Lived at Dronfield for a while on the same street as Stonelow Court spoke to few residents who lived there seemed to get mixed reviews of the place.

[Fly]

Stonelow Court sounds a bit like the Life Style Village at Old Whittington.
I believe residents can only re-sell to the owners of the village.

[Old Cruser]

If it's a specially built place for elderly adults it makes sense that the properties can only be sold back to whoever it was bought from.
If these places are going to be built for a purpose, the people in charge should never lose sight of it's original purpose, which is to support the vulnerable in their day to day living.

Surely wardens are a big and important part of this.

My daughter is having a visit from the Warden, this is a routine visit when the warden checks her Telecare alarm system is working correctly and to see if she is 'getting the support she needs to live independently'

That in it'self is farcical as they won't do anything if she wasn't!!

[Old Cruser]

ironsky2 have you seen this :

I'm wondering if they will look into the wardens?


We've welcomed a national Pensioners' Manifesto covering the top five concerns of older people.

The Manifesto was the subject of a presentation given at our Full Council meeting in Matlock last week (1 October) and coincided with United Nations Older Persons Day.

The Pensioners' Manifesto has been drawn up by the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), which is Britain's biggest independent organisation of older people and represents around 1,000 local, regional and national pensioners groups and has around 1.5 million members.

The NPC spent months consulting with thousands of older people and their organisations across the country before drawing up their Manifesto for the 2015 General Election.

The Pensioners' Manifesto highlights the following five issues:

A basic state pension for all set above the poverty level of £175 per week
Increases in pensions to be linked to the best of RPI(Retail Price Index), CPI (Consumer Price Index), earnings or 2.5%
Maintaining universal pensioner benefits without means-testing
A National Health and Care Service which is free at the point of use and funded through taxation

A legally binding Dignity Code to improve the quality of care for older people.

The Manifesto was explained in more detail to our councillors at the Full Council meeting by Secretary of the NPC East Midlands branch Brian Herbertson as part of a wider presentation on issues facing older people and the campaigning work of the NPC.

We are now planning to officially endorse the Manifesto later this year.

In April this year we signed up to the NPC's Dignity Code, which was drawn up to uphold the rights and maintain the personal dignity of older people.

The nine point code aims to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of those who are increasingly less able to care for themselves or properly conduct their affairs.

Our Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Councillor Clare Neill, who signed the NPC's Dignity Code on our behalf, also agreed to become the authority's Older Persons' Champion.

Councillor Neill said:

"I happily signed the NPC's Dignity Code and I am very supportive of the work that they do. That's why the authority is looking to officially endorse their Pensioners' Manifesto.
"They have highlighted some very important issues that I know cause concern for older people in Derbyshire and across the country.

"It is very fitting that the Manifesto was presented to the council on the same day as the UN Older Persons Day."

[ironsky2]

No I haven't seen the above Old Cruiser thanks for drawing my attention to it. While its nice to see a councillor sign the manifesto got a feeling its all ' smoke and mirrors' situation while government cuts the council's money down each year it will be impossible to implement any changes for care of senior citizens and we will see more cuts to care in the future the wardens will be many to come.