Weekend dementia care cut at centre

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Coventry council cited a lack of use



Coventry City Council has agreed to cease weekend services at a dementia day centre.

A cabinet meeting voted through the changes at Maymorn Day Centre, in Everdon Road, Holbrooks, this week, citing a lack of use.

The service had offered 25 places Monday to Friday – a total of 125 during the week – and 10 places on Saturday and Sunday.

It was the only seven-day service for people with dementia in Coventry.

But on Saturday there had been on average only three places occupied, the meeting was told, whereas on Sunday the service has not opened for approximately three years due to no attendees.

Jon Reading, head of commissioning and provision, said the proposals had been through consultation and were “generally accepted” by service users and families, with one family expressing opposition.

Coventry Alzheimer’s Society also said that there is very little demand for weekend provision and that the weekend closure would have “minimal impact on service users”, Mr Reading said.

In a report presented to cabinet on Tuesday, July 9, he added: “There are various reasons for this low weekend occupancy including that at weekends there is generally more family support available.”

Weekend provision will cease by the end of October 2019.

The council has said an assessment will take place to ascertain alternative ways to meet the needs of those affected at weekends.

Alternative support would be available via one to one support for those affected, with specific arrangements “managed on an individual basis”.

Changes come after a previous proposal to stop weekend provision at the site was made in 2014, but abandoned after a consultation.

The move to cut weekend provision at the site will save approximately £55,000 from the centre’s annual £348,000 budget.