Families devastated as dementia day centre closes

The manager of a daycare centre for people with dementia says families are "devastated" it has been forced to close.

Endike Community Care, a registered charity based in Ashton Close in Hull, struggled to pay a large electricity bill as funding dried up.

Eileen Wright said: "I never expected it to spiral like this. It's so difficult because I'm still dealing with families talking to me about how they feel and what they're going to do."

Hull City Council said it responded quickly to review how it could arrange alternative support for people.

Endike Community Care received a time-limited grant from Hull City Council, which ended in September 2023.

Since then, Wright said the charity had looked to other grant providers for financial help.

She said her staff cared for around 42 people, with some having used the service for several years.

Wright admitted it was "the hardest job" telling families the centre would close.

"They've been in tears not knowing which way to turn," she said.

She described the closure as "heartbreaking", adding: "This has been my life for the past 30 years. It's not just the people, my staff have also been with me for more than 20 years."

Caroline Hickman, 50, is a carer for her 82-year-old mother who has vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

For the past year, she used Endike Community Centre five days a week.

Hickman, who works as a registered nurse, said: "She hasn't got the capacity to recognise I'm her daughter anymore. She smiles at me when she sees me, but she doesn't know I'm her daughter."

She said the service was vital for both her and her mother.

"For me personally, it means that I know she's well cared for and I can get on and do the other stuff that I need to do in my life," said Hickman.

"There's nowhere for her to go, it's going to be really, really hard."

A Hull City Council spokesperson said: "We have only very recently been made aware of an issue that has led to Endike Community Care Association's energy supplier taking steps that would prevent them from offering their normal provision.

"Whilst Hull City Council has no involvement with the decisions around the period of closure, for people for whom we commission day care from ECCA, we have responded quickly to review how we can arrange alternative support."

Anyone who self funds their care and uses Endike Community Care independently is advised to contact the council to discuss options.

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