The future of homes for older people in Camden borough

CAMDEN is looking at the options they have in dealing with the problems of demographic changes in the next 20 years because of the estimated national short-fall of £60 billion in the available funding for the provision of services for the elderly during t

CAMDEN is looking at the options they have in dealing with the problems of demographic changes in the next 20 years because of the estimated national short-fall of £60 billion in the available funding for the provision of services for the elderly during this period.

As part of the planning for the next 10 years, Camden has issued a consultation document 'Who should own and run out future care homes?' with the sub-title 'What are the options?' dealing with the ownership and management of homes for the older people of Camden.

Camden is considering four options:

1. Camden to own and manage the new care homes;

2. Camden to retain ownership, but a specialist provider to manage the new care homes;

3. Camden to retain ownership but identify a partner for them to build the new facilities and for the service to be managed by either that partner or for it to be put out to competitive tender;

4. Camden to sell the care home sites to private care home providers for them to build the homes and manage the service.

My own preference, and I suspect that of most of the residents of Camden, is the first option. The Camden preference is a version of option 3. Options 2, 3, 4 are in my view all versions of the same solution to the problem in that Camden would reduce its responsibility for dealing with these problems and pass it to you and me.

I would urge all who are interested in the area to read this document and consider which option should be adopted, as this problem will be with us for the next 20 years at least.

JOHN H SHAW

Secretary, Robert Morton House Tenants and Residents' Association

Director/Trustee, Age Concern Camden

Trustee, SPH Friends.