South Wales Evening Post - 9 February 2009
A care facility for the elderly is to close, council chiefs have confirmed.
The Rehabilitation Residential Unit at Earlsmoor, in Brynmill, Swansea, is shutting down after a three-year funding grant of £700,000 came to an end.
Staff at the facility say they are deeply concerned about the closure. But Civic Centre officials claim the closure is for the best.
A Swansea Council spokesman said: "At present, there are three clients at the unit who will be ready for discharge over the next couple of weeks, and therefore none will be affected by the closure.
"The decision to close it reflects discussions about the long-term direction for future provision of services for those people being discharged from hospital."
Earlsmoor's Rehabilitation Residential Unit (RRU) has 11 beds, and is used by people recently released from hospital.
Described as a "step down" facility, it prepares mostly elderly patients for returning to their own home or into care.
Staff say the intermediate care unit is no longer accepting any more referrals, and will be closed within the next couple of weeks.
"All those people will be stuck in hospital beds with no place to go because they cant look after themselves," said a worker, who did not wish to be named.
"I am not worried about losing my job because all the staff from within the unit are being sent to other homes for redeployment.
"It will be missed greatly because it is such a valued service for the elderly."
A Swansea Council spokeswoman confirmed funding had come to an end.
"The three-year Assembly grant for Earlsmoor is due to end on March 31," she said.
"At this stage, the council has not been guaranteed further funding.
"Staff are being redeployed, and there will be no redundancies as a result of this decision.
"Other services based at Earlsmoor are unaffected."
