Notes taken at Open Meeting held on 26 February 2015 at Corwen, Sports Pavilion
Llyr Gruffydd (LG) – Chairman
Mabon Ap Gwynfor (MapG)
Huw Jones (HJ)
Chris Jones (CJ)
Maggie Brown (MB)
LG – Chair welcomed everyone to the Open Meeting and outlined the purpose of the meeting, to gather evidence to support the campaign to keep C-Y-G open. Notes will be taken and quotes used as evidence.
HJ – Outlined that DCC like all County Councils need to find savings. DCC have looked at every service including Social Care, to fin £700k worth of savings. As far as Care Homes are concerned Corwen is very different as they only have C-Y-G, with no option for Private Provision.
Explained that the consultation would be completed in 2 parts:
- Residents & families
- Wider Public, including Town, Local Groups and its members
There should also be a clear empathy towards the Welsh Language element within the consultation.
CJ – Representing Corwen Town Council. Town Council had met in January 2015 and are totally opposed to the closing, development or selling of C-Y-G. DCC are asset rich and is sure that they can find money to keep this place going. It’s our home, and in anyone else’s hands the quality of care will fall.
Thanked the Staff, Matron and the public for their support.
MapG –
Contribution from Mabon ap Gwynfor.
MB – Mabon ap Gwynfor has outlined the value of C-Y-G, and I agree with all his points. On the 21st of January we were told my mother would be evicted in 4 weeks. She’s a Wels speaker; where else could she get care through her first language?
Huw Jones has been a marvellous councillor during the campaign; while DCC are effectively shutting down C-Y-G. My mother has raised money for the care home over a number of years, and it is important to note that C-Y-G offers much more than a basic care home service. It also offers Meals on Wheels, Bathing Service, Social interaction through visitors, and through a high standard service is gives many elderly people the feeling of dignity.
It’s such a valuable institution – How can they close it?
DCC cannot have a one-size-fits-all policy with social care at home – it simply will not work.
The closing of care homes such as C-Y-G needs to be remembered by everyone during the General Election 2015, the Assembly Elections 2016 and Council Elections in 2017.
It would be great to get banners and Posters made with a clear slogan emphasizing the need to save our care home; these could be plastered all over the A5.
Olwen Brown – I have driven over 300miles to be here tonight not only because of my family connections, but because I visit care homes all over Kent, and they do not offer the care available here in Corwen. At the end of my life, I won’t get the care on offer at C-Y-G. It’s a centre of excellence of which I’m envious.
£700k savings is needed, so has DCC effectively placed C-Y-G into the private sector yet, or is it still fully part of DCC services? Why is every resident costing £800 per week, but private care will only cost £450?
MapG: REPLY
We don’t know why it’s cheaper, but corners shouldn’t be cut and if the best care costs £X amount, any other figures quoted must be questioned.
Rhys Webb – I am proud of getting C-Y-G open in the first place, and agree with every word the panel has said and give you my full support.
A part of the home is already being used as a respite home – who took that decision? Also, why didn’t we know? All we know is that they aren’t taking new residents on.
Please DCC don’t do thing behind our backs – there are ways and means – especially to look after the elderly.
Steve Cardwell – I am an ex town councillor. Please speak to DCC for us, DCC seem to only want to be Enablers and not Providers. We feel vulnerable in a Rural Area- it will become a service that will fall apart. You need start putting Labour to shame.
LG: REPLY
Plaid Cymru opposed to Labour’s Health Budget. Never let it be said otherwise.
Dei Jones (Manweb) – I have 2 questions
- We all pay community charge – why can’t we ring-fence a % like they do for the police? Why can’t DCC do this?
- With C-Y-G, if you needed to go there next week, could you do so? Or is it closed already?
Also all this bed blocking must be effecting the NHS.
Terry Mallon – I have a question for Huw Jones, What’s the overall plan for the home and its surrounding area. DCC said they had plans for the area, and that’s the reason they used to refuse allotments. Would the playing fields go as well?
HJ: REPLY
At the time they had plans to expand C-Y-G
Jo Mallon – Every time they promise to develop the park – the money disappears.
Heather – There used to be Meals on Wheels service there – they closed it down by discouraging people to apply for Meals on Wheels.
Eira Lewis, Llandrillo – Cartref i bobl lleol ydy hwn, a felly os ydy rhywun yn ymweld â C-Y-G, tydi nhw ddim ond yn mynd I weld un person, ma nhw’n mynd I weld pawb. Pob ymwelydd yn wyneb Newydd sydd yn siarad efo pawb.
DCC a DRVS oedd ar fai yn cael gwared o Meals on Wheels.
Yn y cartref mae pawb yn mwynhau eu hunain, ma angen ichi edrych ar Bron y Graig, Bala. Wnaeth prin neb fyw yn hir ar ôl cael eu symud. Ar hyn o bryd mae pobl yn gallu cerdded I ymweld a C-Y-G; os ydy pobl am gael eu symud yn bell I ffwrdd, mae DCC yn torri cysylltiad rhwng teuluoedd.
Mae’n glir nad ydy DCC yn hidio dim am Corwen fel tref, na’r pobl sydd yn byw yn ardal Corwen.
LG: REPLY
Fe wnawn ni edrych ar enghreifftiau eraill i gefnogi’r ymgyrch.
Nigel Roberts – I am a Milkman and Ex Fire Fighter.
When we consider care in the home – we need to go to North Wales Fire Service and ask for incident of over 70’s who are burnt at home, due to being within the cared for at home. I have no doubt that care in the home will cause deaths.
I am sure that people live longer in C-Y-G than at home. I am sure that many of the people who have been cared for in C-Y-G wouldn’t have lived as lone if they depended on the care at home system, people like Mrs Price and Laura.
Euryn Jones – Mi wnes I weithio yn C-Y-G am 25mlynedd, ac mae o’n gartref bendigedig, lle mae’r haul yn gwenu drwy’r dydd. Biti mawr bod nifer y pobl sydd yno wedi mynd i lawr, be am fobl sydd yn byd wrth ymyl neu tu allan I’r Sir yn gallu dod I fewn yno?
LG: REPLY
Wedi rhoi cais I fewn am y wybodaeth yma.
Cefyn Williams – Cynghorydd Sir. Oes ganddom ni dystiolaeth o rhywun sydd wedi cael ei troi i ffwrdd? Tydi DCC ddim isho helpu sir arall, ddim isho helpu Sir Conwy.
Morag Webb – DCC need to hear our arguments; no matter how compelling are arguments are we need to be hard-nosed. There have already been offers of early retirements and redundancy – so for me the process of closure has started pre Consultation.
Fiona Collins, Carrog – Ask politicians to think long term; they are only thinking short term due to elections. We are all getting older and we need that care. People have long memories when up for election.
LG: REPLY
This would be short-termism at its worst.
Dr Alistair Moulden – I am a Dr at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, and live in Denbigh. I agree with so many people and it has been well worth coming and I have so much to say. But what is important here is Community, putting aside policies, what you have here is Gold Dust – this feeling of community doesn’t exist in Ruthin or Denbigh.
In Knighton, Powys, we hear from GP’s, 70’s+ need somewhere to go, they go to Newtown or Llandrindod, but this is not local to them. If you take the elderly from their own area, they don’t live for long. This is a medical fact.
Support from friends and family is so important. It’s insulting, immoral and wrong for DCC to move people from their own communities, but they are ready to spend thousands on Leisure Centres in Prestatyn.
The DCC administration is not fit for purpose.
When they want to keep a leisure centre in Prestatyn they can find £4.2m even though the place loses money.
When a 90year old is seen in A&E they will speak Welsh, they need mother tongue care.
It’s imperative to keep the home open – this is people in action.
Susan Roberts, Corwen – I look after my two brothers, and I get 2weeks holiday a year, and they go to C-Y-G. Because they go there I know they are safe, and for those weeks I can relax, and not worry like all carers worry all the time. If they went to hospital that would be no good – we hear all sorts about people going into hospital and catching illnesses. Social Services are no help at all – we need C-Y-G.
Karen Roden – My husband is 67 with early onset Alzheimers. We would be lost without volunteers – they have suggested Day Care or Respite. Community is key, to see the same faces and having a routine is everything when it comes to Alzheimers. Without routine my husband is lost.
Rural communities miss out on so much – closing our care home is taking things too far.
Councillor Jones, supported the £4.2m borrowed money for the Nova Centre Prestatyn.
Lina Patel – I have no family in C-Y-G, but how does this impact from the point of view of the European Convention for Human Rights? We need to go down that route.
LG: REPLY
Such as the right to speak the Welsh Language.
David Jones – I was a nurse from 1958, so I have a knowledge of Standards of Care. The 5 community councils within Edeirnion should be the focus for this campaign. Phil Gillroy needs to become aware of the feelings expressed within this meeting – he needs to understand what’s happening. How can they even consider stopping 24hour care when is so needed.
We need to look at what happened in Bala, they closed and rebuilt due to costs. I wonder is tenants now have to claim Housing Benefits?
Baines – 10 years ago I couldn’t find a home in Gwynedd, C-Y-G took her on, and gave her a real home. A Real Home – you won’t find this anywhere else.
Maesafallen Resident – I live in Maesafallen and was part of the Residents Association, we had money for C-Y-G. I had a phone call from a DCC officer last May saying *“don’t give the money to C-Y-G as it won’t be there for long”.
*Following questions from the audience – Resident confirmed this was during a personal phone call, he couldn’t provide the officers name, or provide any form of evidence including written evidence to confirm this information.
Rev Heather Fenton – This needs to be wider than just the community councils, we need legal advice.
Mabon ap Gwynfor 