ELDERLY people and their families are due to be asked their views on closing all eight of South Gloucestershire’s council-run care homes.

The authority agreed on Monday to launch a 12-week consultation about restructuring services for the elderly in a bid to treat more pensioners at home and save money.

At a meeting of the council’s ruling cabinet, Peter Murphy, director of community care and housing, said there were four options available to the council including doing nothing, decommissioning all the council’s stock or modernising care homes throughout the district.

But he said his department favoured decommissioning the existing stock and providing fewer new facilities.

He said: "We have a rapidly ageing population, particularly in the over 85 age group.

"We expect that over time there will be a reduction in the demand for residential care and more people are able to live at home for longer.

"Doing nothing is not an option. We need a comprehensive improvement package with enhanced dignity, choice and independence that improves the quality of life for older people across South Gloucestershire."

He said although £10million of taxpayers’ money had been spent on improving services in the past decade, all the council’s care homes were cramped and outdated.

"Last year 40 people had to move out of their care home because we could no longer cater for them," he said.

"Often these residents think this will be their last home and obviously moving has quite devastating consequences for them."

Existing care homes cater for a total of 269 people and there are 200 extra care housing units. The council is proposing to close all eight homes and build two new care homes for 110 people.

Cllr Pat Hockey (Lib Dem, Frampton Cotterell) said: "I have concerns about what actually goes out for consultation.

"This report is very impersonalised and very clinical and is quite likely to get an adverse reaction.

"People in homes would want to know if they can move with their friends. We need to give them reassurance they are not going to be miles from friends and previous neighbours."

Cllr Ruth Davis (Lib Dem, Yate Central) said: "This is not just about people in homes at the moment.

"We need to make sure we get this out not to just elderly people but to middle aged people as well."