TWENTY years ago the large long stay, geriatric institutions across Britain started to close as part of a 10-year plan to care for people in more homely environ-ments.

The private sector of care quickly grew with thousands of people buying up large houses to take in the elderly.

Now there is a crisis in private care and residential nursing homes.

Swindon Care Homes Association chairman, Richard Harris, says he is reconsidering taking residents referred from social services, but private patients pay more and enable him to give a better standard of care.

This announcement follows the recent closure of several homes in the area with more surely to follow.

The tragic consequence of this is when frail or confused elderly people are turfed out of their care homes because of a lack of funds causing closures, and are forced to leave their security and friendships behind.

Perhaps another consequence will be that as small caring homes go out of business, they will be replaced by care conglomerates with large homes just similar to the geriatric institutions that were eradicated as archaic methods of care two decades ago.