CARE homes in the South Lakes could be getting an upgrade while others close down, if residents and their families agree to a number of proposed changes

As part of ongoing plans to improve care services for the elderly, Cumbria County Council have launched a major county-wide consultation on council run residential care homes.

The consultation will started on October 5 and proposals include potential changes in Carlisle, Copeland, Barrow and South Lakeland. The consultation is available to view on the council website.

The council has already invested in a full refurbishment of Elmhurst care home in Ulverston which will be complete in February 2017. Residents would have the option of accommodation at the refurbished Elmhurst or at the new Park View Gardens care home in Barrow, depending on their own needs and personal choice.

If agreed then Marsh House care home, also in Ulverston, will no longer be needed and will close.

Cllr Beth Furneaux, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “This consultation is about the modernisation of Cumbria Care to ensure that it meets the expectations of an ageing population who want to live independently for as long as possible. "Unusually here in Cumbria, unlike many other authorities, we have chosen to continue to invest, and indeed invest heavily, in improving our care services including a programme to replace our older care homes.

“But to make these improvements and provide state of the art care homes and care support will mean that some of our older buildings are no longer needed. This consultation is an opportunity to hear what our residents and their families want and a chance for the people of Cumbria to tell us about what care services they would want in the future.

“I’m very keen for people to read the proposals in full and respond to the consultation. I want to ensure that myself and my colleagues on the council’s Cabinet have all the information in front of us when it comes to making the decision on the proposals in February next year.”

The consultation will close on 23 December. The council’s Cabinet will receive a report on the consultation at their February 2017 meeting where they will make the final decision.

Full details of the consultation can be found at www.cumbria.gov.uk and in local libraries.