A LOCAL family are singing the praises of Redditch care home Saltways for the care and devotion their son James receives there.
Michael and Sylvia Hopper cared for James, who has cerebral palsy, for 34 years before it simply got too much for them.
With heavy hearts they moved him into a care home only for problems to crop up when James caught pneumonia.
“He was in hospital for a very long time, a bed blocker really, and then they arranged for him to be moved back into the care home, but because he needed care 24/7 they said they could not get the funding for him,” said Michael, aged 72 and from Blackwell.
“We were at our wits end and did not know which way to turn, we spent most of last Easter looking at different care homes trying to see what was available and Saltways was by far the best.”
He was speaking out after the home was criticised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which rated its leadership and effectiveness as ‘requires improvement’.
But Michael says that since arriving there James, now 39, has not looked back.
“It’s very caring, very resident-centred – okay the paint is a bit battered but it’s a home and each person’s room is a home and the feel of the place is so good we find it very comforting to know our son is being cared for there,” he said.
Saltways, situated in Church Road, Webheath, is a Leonard Cheshire home and cares for 24 residents through a fully-trained team of staff in a purpose-built environment, ideal for the needs of adults with a physical disability.
It currently has just six volunteers and is always keen to recruit more.
A spokesperson said: “Leonard Cheshire Disability always aims to provide the best possible support to the people who live at Saltways. Their safety and well-being is our absolute priority.
“The issues highlighted by the CQC had been identified by our team and a comprehensive action plan had already been prepared. We are now putting this into practice.”
