Anger as Salvation Army confirm Edinburgh care home closure
A Salvation Army-run care home in Edinburgh will close in the coming months, leaving families concerned for their elderly relatives.
Davidson House in the Colinton area of Edinburgh was one of two Edinburgh care homes earmarked for closure by the Salvation Army after the charity announced it would ‘transition from providing residential care for older people to grow its community-based support model’ in July.
Eagle Lodge on Ferry Road, also run by the Salvation Army, is due to remain open but a buyer has not yet been confirmed. But Davidson House could close as early as mid-November, affecting around 17 residents.
Ian McGlade, whose 92-year-old mother-in-law is a resident at Davidson House, said families were told the news via an online meeting at 4pm on Monday, September 29.
He told the Evening News: “They said the homes will remain open until everybody has found alternative accommodation, but they’re still giving us a 28 day-notice and they hope to have the home closed by November 14.
“I think it lacks compassion and they are acting with indecent haste over this and it’s interesting that the proposed closure date wasn’t mentioned in their official statement.
“We've had to explain to my mother-in-law that the home will close and we’re trying to get her into Eagle Lodge, but even that involves a risk because if the undisclosed buyer pulls out we could be back in the same situation.
“But we really have no alternative at the moment because we can’t afford these expensive care homes in Edinburgh so we’ve very limited in where we can actually go.
The Salvation Army, which runs 11 care homes in the UK, has now confirmed two of its care homes will close; Davidson House in Edinburgh and The Hawthorns in England. Providing an update on Tuesday, September 30, the charity said they are in talks with alternative providers to manage nine of its care homes, but added ‘until contracts are exchanged, we cannot say for certain that the remaining nine homes will transfer to another provider.’
Glenda Roberts, director of old people’s services at the Salvation Army, said: “Our focus now is to settle every single resident of Davidson House and The Hawthorns into new accommodation and these homes will not close until alternative placements have been found.
“Although we have been reassuring residents and their families that we will help everyone secure a new home, we understand that this is still distressing news. We are doing everything we can to support all those affected by this process and have set up a dedicated team to help ensure a smooth transition.
“Closing a home is a last resort and it is not a decision we have taken lightly. We very carefully considered all the feedback we received during the consultation period and explored the possibility of selling to alternative providers but we were unable to resolve the significant financial and clinical challenges faced by these two homes.”
Ms Roberts said ‘it would take many millions to change our staffing, governance and expertise to be able to offer the specialised nursing required and to adapt our buildings’ adding ‘the fact that we could not find a potential buyer for these homes reflects the challenges faced by the care sector as a whole as well as the local market.’
Dr Scott Arthur, Edinburgh South West MP, said: “My first concern is for the residents of Davidson House and theirfamilies. The proposed 28-day notice period is far too short, leaving little time to prepare for such a major change and risking real distress for some of our most vulnerable citizens. Since the initial announcement, I have been urging the Salvation Army to extend this notice period and ensure residents’ wellbeing is the top priority.
“While they have always maintained that the 28-day notice is their legal right, they have, in writing, committed to not closing the care home until alternative accommodation is found for every resident. I will continue to hold them to this commitment and advocate for those affected.”