WORRIED residents at Killelea House and Claremont old folks' homes have just two months to save their homes as they know them.

The council-run institutions could be forced to close because social services bosses do not have the cash to bring them up to modern standards.

Five options for change have been given to residents, staff and relatives, but they have been firmly told that doing nothing is not an option.

All comments and suggestions must be received by the middle of January, and then a final report will be presented to councillors in March which will spell out the homes' futures.

The options include transferring the homes to another owner, outright closure, converting them to very sheltered housing, or turning them into resource centres, which would offer respite and day care.

Town hall chiefs say there are too many residential home places in the borough and not enough home care. Mr Jim Wilson, chief social services officer, said it was "a complex balancing act". He promised everyone that the matter would be handled sensitively and that all views would be taken into account.

But doubts about closing the homes were raised by Coun Wilf Davison, Liberal Democrat leader, who said that the number of old people was rising.

"We are not entirely convinced that reducing the council's provision is necessarily the right one," he told members at Wednesday's (Nov 24) executive committee.

"We are particularly concerned that alternative provision in the private sector does not necessarily meet the same standards as in our own homes.

"We welcome the option of retaining the homes in their present form. We recognise that there are implications for spending, but the alternatives will also require considerable capital investment."

But Labour's deputy leader, Coun John Byrne, said: "The majority of people want to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. We must put more resources into home care rather than institutions."

And Coun Kevin Scarlett, social services chairman, added: "Killelea and Claremont are not being considered in isolation from our services for older people generally."

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