Council-run respite care homes serving Nantwich residents have been given a 12-month reprieve.
The future of Lincoln House in Crewe looked in doubt as Cheshire East Council threatened to axe it and look to the independent sector to provide future care.
But scores of campaigners voiced their concerns at a Cabinet meeting yesterday (December 9), demanding a stop to plans to wind down operations at Lincoln House and Hollins View in Macclesfield.
The homes offer residential respite facilities for people with dementia, older people and people with other long terms conditions.
The 12-month reprieve means Lincoln House and Hollins View will now continue to operate until December 2015.
It follows a detailed review of respite provision in Cheshire East and a six-week consultation period.
This concluded that residential respite care should be provided in the independent sector giving people a far wider choice of respite provision.
Cheshire East Council Leader Cllr Michael Jones said he was not in favour of closing the two centres and announced he was going to “temporarily suspend the discussion”.
“Further to this, the Cabinet has concluded they wish to find funds to ensure both Lincoln House and Hollins View can continue to provide residential carer respite,” he added.
“Going forward we will explore working with partners’ potential options to enhance the services both centres provide to our residents.
“But I must emphasise that no residents would have been left without respite care in Cheshire East.”
The Borough has an estimated 40,000 carers, with hundreds in Nantwich, with that set to increase in line with expected demographic changes.
Cllr Janet Clowes, Cabinet member for care and health in the community, said: “The consultation exercise has highlighted the views of those people that use the two respite homes.
“It has also highlighted that other people wish to learn about other options we intend to make available.
“We have to address the changing needs of our older population and while many of our residents have expressed a wish to continue to use Hollins View and Lincoln House we are also aware many are asking for wider and alternative choices.
“We must respect their views as well as those who have expressed their support for Hollins View and Lincoln House. Today’s decision enables us to do both.”
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