Back to the future for elderly care

When the Ruth Cowell care home for elderly Christians closed down, it was not a story that would interest the national press.

There were no protests from residents or staff, only an acceptance of the need to close and an assurance that God would take care of them.

Increasing maintenance costs, financial pressure and fewer residents had been topics of prayer for some time, and when the announcement was made that the home would close, home manager Lynne Yule said: 'Everything fell into place quickly and naturally. There was a feeling that the timing was right, and God was in charge of it all.' Within days of the announcement in July, seven of the 13 residents at the Home had accepted places in other Pilgrim Homes, while some chose to relocate to be near their families. One went to a care home recently opened by former manager Sue Watson. Bristol is a place of high employment and staff were confident about finding other jobs. Pilgrim Homes' Chief Executive, Peter Tervet, said the Trustees were very sad to have to close such a well run home. It was an ageing building with increasing maintenance costs, and the number of residents had been halved in recent months by the government's policy of diverting funding to care-in-the-community programmes. This was on top of already inadequate local authority funding that had to be topped up from charitable giving.

Deep crisis

Most people do not realise quite how deep and dangerous the crisis in care for the elderly is nowadays. The WRVS recently published figures of a survey showing that 32 people die alone and unnoticed in their own homes each day, equivalent to 12,000 per year. Yet the government has switched funding from residential care for frail, elderly people to care-in-the-community programmes, aimed at keeping them in their own homes. A person I know, a qualified nurse, had to fight social services for months to have her mother, suffering from dementia, funded for residential care. Her mother received four visits a day from carers, but was found wandering the streets at night.

There were mixed feelings for the Homes' supporters, the Bristol Auxiliary.
45 years ago, before they had the Ruth Cowell Home, they were fund-raising for the West of England Building Fund, and now Secretary David Dart said that is what they plan to do again. His wife Janet, a life-long Pilgrim Homes' supporter, said supporters had a sense of the Lord's timing in the life and closure of the home. Janet had been the first to see the building before it was purchased by the Society in 1968.

Nothing wasted

Former Ruth Cowell Home staff went back to join staff and residents and supporters at a Thanksgiving Service at the home in July. The rooms were packed as Derek Cleave, of Philip Street Chapel, spoke on Luke 14, about Mary's breaking an alabaster flask and pouring 'very costly oil of spikenard' over Jesus. 'There were some who were indignant among themselves and said, "Why was this fragrant oil wasted?" To those who criticised Mary Jesus said, "She has done a beautiful thing to me." The oil that Mary poured out had not been wasted.' In his talk reflecting on the life and closing of the home, Peter Tervet said: 'Nothing has been wasted: seed has been sown and had to die in order that something wonderful might grow in its place.'

New scheme

Pilgrim Homes plans to build a new extra care housing (ECH) scheme in the region and has been looking for a suitable site for some time. One of the challenges is that the cost of land has rocketed to around £2 million an acre, almost the level of London prices. The new scheme is part of the Society's 'Forward Together' programme which sees three new ECH schemes in the next few years - one in the St. Albans/Dunstable area, one in the West of England, and one in West Yorkshire. A site in West Yorkshire is being prepared for development with tenders going out at the end of September. ECH is the government's favoured way of caring for frail elderly people and is popular with the elderly themselves as it enables them to live in their own home within a scheme, but with the level of care they would receive in a residential care home. There has been brisk interest from prospective occupants of the Society's scheme in West Yorkshire, where 61 flats will be available when it is completed in 2006. Pilgrim Homes cares for elderly, evangelical Christians, whatever their denomination, and ECH is one of the ways of meeting their needs, according to Peter Tervet. He said: 'Our mission is to care for our precious older brothers and sisters in Christ. A pension for an elderly, hungry, cold Christian in London during the Napoleonic wars met an immediate need. A well built almshouse provided better shelter and protection in Victorian England. Before and after the Great War, nursing wings and residential care homes were the best settings to care for frail Christians. Then, sheltered housing with wardens and very sheltered housing with meals and domestic services helped them remain independent.'

Pilgrim Homes was founded in 1807 to care for needy, elderly Christians. It is non-denominational and cares for elderly Christians from the whole range of evangelical churches. It has seven residential care homes, two with nursing wings, and sheltered and very sheltered housing.

Christian distinctiveness

It is a progressive organisation, an Investor in People, with very high standards of professional practice and care. Its homes are renowned for their Christian distinctiveness and loving care. It has 19 groups of supporters (Auxiliaries) throughout the UK.

There is more information about Pilgrim Homes on its website, including contact details of the Bristol Auxiliary: www.pilgrimhomes.org.uk. Or telephone 020 7407 5466, or email info@pilgrimhomes.org.uk

Pilgrim Homes closes Bristol home

Deep crisis

Nothing wasted

New scheme

Christian distinctiveness

Louise Morse

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