Some home truths

But they have in fact dropped by 212 in less than two years.

That is because four of the town's care homes have closed in that time, cutting places by a third and leaving just 556 places today.

The reason? Declining funding and the cost of meeting tough new Government standards.

And the crisis is reflected nationally, with more than 13,000 residential care places for elderly people lost in the UK last year.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn is under growing pressure to resolve the problem and this week declared that existing care homes would be exempt from some of the new regulations.

But Swindon care home proprietor, Chris Kenrick, who owned two of the homes that closed, says the situation is going to get worse before it gets better.

He said: "I've seen two of my homes close because I couldn't afford to run them any more County House Residential Home and County House Nursing Home and I'm not the only one to be forced to close.

"Private care and nursing homes have been closing steadily for the last three years in Swindon, the latest was The Grange which closed in May, and I estimate that that accounts for 140 places lost."

Care homes, some of which are council run and others privately owned, are split into two categories nursing homes that have a registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day for people in need of constant care and residential homes which provide minimum care.

Swindon Borough Council states that since 2000, a total of 122 nursing care places have been lost as a result of closures and 90 residential places.

However, the situation has been alleviated by the recent opening of Kings Court Care Centre which has provided an extra 60 places.

But Mr Kenrick, 59, who is chairman of the Swindon Care Homes Association and still owns Springfield House care home in Purton, says the situation is far from being resolved.

"The problems really began for private care home owners back in 1993 when the local authority started to fund people coming into our homes," he said.

"Since then the fees the council pays us have become so pathetic that this job's became a labour of love rather than a business.

"By the end of running the County Homes, I was working hand over fist just to keep them going, and the bank eventually said 'close them or we will close them for you'."

The Government's new Care Standards Act, which comes into force in 2007, has been blamed for much of the current problems.

It lays down new rules on the number of people allowed to share rooms in care homes and also requires that staff have new NVQ qualifications.

Mr Kenrick said: "Many of the homes in Swindon are converted Victorian houses and we can't just go knocking down walls to put in more bathrooms.

"Also, the majority of care home staff are mature ladies in their 50s. This new law saying they must have NVQs is ridiculous.

"These people do the job for low wages but they do it because they like it and they're good at it they don't want to be forced to go back to college."

Swindon Borough Council stresses that although several private care homes have closed recently, no council care home places have been lost in the last year and there is no expectation of any losses to come.

Spokeswoman, Sarah Deacon, said: "Those who can't get into council-run homes have to look for places in privately-run ones.

As privately-run homes close, there is more competition for places from people not just in Swindon but also in the rest of Wiltshire and in West Berkshire.

"However, money has been made available to try and secure the places that do exist.

"In November, government money enabled us to add five per cent to what we pay private homes to look after over-65s and that five per cent was maintained in April.

"Also in April, the council added another four per cent. The question of funding care places for the elderly will be discussed by the council's housing, social services and health commission on August 8."