Third care home for the elderly is to close

Graceland Care Home, in Guisborough, will be the third home to close in east Cleveland with the loss of 120 beds.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council described the situation as a crisis and many relatives of the old people involved are very upset.

The announcement that Graceland will shut in six months follows news that Nessfield Care Home, in Nunthorpe, is to close soon.

St David's Care Home, in Redcar, was shut after being damaged by fire.

Moyra McWilliams' parents, Hugh and May Clelland, aged 91 and 90, are residents at Graceland. Once childhood sweethearts, the Clellands have been married for 70 years.

Mrs McWilliams, from Coulby Newham, said: "This has come totally out of the blue. Everyone is so upset because it is such a good home." She said all the family could do was to try to keep her parents together.

Barry Parvin, proprietor of the Graceland home, which has been open for 17 years, blamed staffing problems.

He said that the council and the Langbaurgh NHS Primary Care Trust were not paying enough money for him to pay staff above the minimum wage.

He added that he would support any attempts by relatives to persuade the council and PCT to provide more funding to enable him to keep the home open.

He said that the council provided £489-a-week for council-run homes but only £320-a-week for private homes.

Mr Parvin, 56, said: "We do not want to close at all but, with the council and the PCT not paying the proper amount of money, we have no choice.

"We are Guisborough people and see the families of our residents often so, believe me, we do not want to close the home."

Councillor Valerie Halton, cabinet member for social services, said: "This is a very serious situation and as far as I'm concerned, Mr Parvin must not close the home until places are found for all the residents."

Fifty one elderly people, some who suffer from dementia, live at the Graceland home.