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Tony Simcox is a resident of Jubilee Court retirement home in Stafford, which at the moment benefits from a round-the-clock care service. However, Staffordshire County Council has announced it will be ending the 24-hour, on-site care service in January, replacing it with visiting carers. Mr Simcox, who has lived in Jubilee Court for seven years, said he was afraid of what might happen if he fell during the night when the on-site care team leaves. "Last time I fell down I had a stroke, " said Mr Simcox, who at the moment is confined to a wheelchair after breaking two hips. "If I have a fall when they take the carers away, I will be spending the night on the floor. But you want to try it on that floor at night. "They say we can use the pendant, but the ambulance service are going to get fed up of coming out to bandage us up." Mr Simcox said he would be prepared to contribute towards the cost of keeping the carers on site, but had not been given that option. Stafford MP Leigh Ingham has written to the council's cabinet member for Councillor Martin Rogerson, cabinet member for health and care, demanding a rethink on plans to remove the 24-hour care team Jubilee Court. The home is privately run, but 19 of its residents receive a care package funded by the council. Others pay for the care, but they too now find themselves in limbo about whether the service will continue. Brian Dufton, 76, said he moved into the complex last month with his wife Christine, a 79-year-old retired nurse, who is suffering from dementia. But he says within two weeks of taking up the tenancy, they were informed about the changes. "My wife's not at all well, we moved here for the care, when it is required," he said. "We were perfectly up front about why we were moving here when we attended the interview and nothing at all was mentioned about this. "She can't look after herself. If it needs doing, I do it. Now at the moment, yes I could do it, but I'm not going to go on forever." Christina Basford, 77, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, moved into Jubilee Court seven months ago with her husband Kenneth, 82. Daughter Teresa Wheatley, 52, said they chose the complex specifically because it could provide the round-the-clock care. "At the same time my mum was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer, so they both had care provided by Nexus," she said. "My dad passed away two weeks ago, he was the primary carer for my mum, until he got too sick, without the carers, he wouldn't have made it as far as he did. "He was still able to do whatever he could, he tried right to the end to care for my mum. It's basically a lifeline, it's the first time she's ever lived alone in her life. "At the moment she's considered low risk because she's not wandering, but the only reason she's not wandering is because this is her community. Once that changes and she doesn't feel safe in here, we don't know if she will start wandering. "She's still struggling with the fact that my dad's not here, she will still go looking for him, she will think he's in the lounge, at least if she comes out she sees a familiar face, and they understand the backstory, I'm just really concerned if that changes what will happen to her." Sharon Clarke's grandmother Sheila Treharne, 85, and her great aunt Phylis Elliott, both suffer from dementia. She criticised the way residents were informed about the decision, saying the residents who paid for their care received the letters some time after those who were funded by the council. She said the changes would force her grandmother into a full-time residential care home earlier than she needed to, because she would not be able to care for herself. The council said all residents received letters about the changes, and drop-in sessions had been organised. Councillor Rogerson said the 40-room complex was privately run by Extra Care retirement living, and on-site support was the responsibility of the landlord. “The council funds care services for some residents and they will continue to receive care calls at the usual times," he said. “None of these residents require permanent access to on-site care staff overnight and they will continue to be able to use their pendant alarms as they do already. "Unfortunately, we are not able to continue to fund an additional service which is not actually required.” Miss Ingham said in the current financial year Staffordshire Council had received a social care grant of £87.3 million, an 18 per cent increase on the previous year. On top of that, it received £40.4 million from the Government's Better Care Fund, a 20 per cent increase compared to last year.
