Dewdown House Closure Consultation Raises Alarm Over Dementia Care Disruption
Families of residents at Dewdown House in Weston-super-Mare say they are most distressed by news that the care home could close later this year.
The Salvation Army, which operates the service, is consulting on the potential closure as part of a wider organisational decision affecting several of its homes across the UK. At Dewdown House, most residents are over 70 and many live with varying levels of dementia. Relatives describe staff as devoted, well trained and compassionate, and question how 30 local placements could be found in the short time available if the closure proceeds. The Salvation Army has said no final decision has been made and that it will work to ensure alternative provision if closure goes ahead.
In a statement last month, the organisation cited "“The biggest challenge is an aging society. Residents are joining us later in life which means they often have more complex needs. It would take many millions to change our staffing, governance and expertise to be able to offer the specialised nursing required and to adapt our buildings."
For people with dementia, a care home is far more than a building. It is the map of their world, shaped by familiar layouts, daily routines, and trusted faces that anchor their reality. Moving to a new environment can trigger relocation stress syndrome, also known as transfer trauma, with profound emotional and cognitive consequences. A sudden move can heighten anxiety, confusion, and agitation, and research suggests it may accelerate cognitive decline. In the most severe cases, relocation stress has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality. The loss of continuity in care staff also breaks the bonds of trust and understanding that underpin person-centred care, making residents feel insecure and resistant to support.
Well-managed closures, though rare, can soften the impact through early and honest communication, phased moves over weeks or months, and active involvement of residents and families in selecting a new home. Comprehensive handovers of care records and a named key worker for each resident are good practice, but many families report receiving minimal guidance and being left to navigate the process under pressure.
The situation at Dewdown House reflects challenges seen across England
The care sector is facing a perfect storm of financial and operational strain. Local authority fees for state-funded placements often fall short of covering the real cost of care. Energy prices, food inflation, and the rising National Living Wage have driven operating costs higher. Recruitment remains in crisis, with Skills for Care estimating around 152,000 vacancies in 2023/24. Many homes rely heavily on agency staff to stay open, which keeps services running but erodes budgets. Smaller, independent providers are particularly vulnerable, lacking the economies of scale, negotiating power, and financial reserves of larger corporate groups.
Between July 2022 and June 2023, England saw a net loss of more than 380 care homes. Closures are not evenly distributed and tend to hit hardest in less affluent areas, where providers rely more heavily on lower state-funded fees and have fewer self-funding residents to cross-subsidise the shortfall.
The Care Act 2014 places a duty on local authorities to ensure continuity of care for all residents, whether council-funded or self-funded, when a home closes. In practice, the statutory minimum notice period of 28 days can leave families scrambling to secure suitable alternatives. For residents with dementia, this timeframe can mean being placed in unfamiliar surroundings without adequate preparation, creating additional distress and potentially harming their health.
The case of Dewdown House serves as a reminder that behind every closure are individuals whose wellbeing depends on stability, familiarity, and trusted relationships.
Whether the decision to close proceeds or not, the wider conversation must focus on how to safeguard the most vulnerable when change becomes unavoidable, and how to address the funding and workforce pressures that make such decisions more likely.
The Caregraph View
The vulnerable need not only care but also a place they can truly call home. Without sufficient funding, that stability becomes fragile, and lives are disrupted when consistency is most vital. Financial pressures on councils are real, and there are frequent claims that the current fees meet the cost of care, yet evidence from providers, sector data, and the voices of families suggest otherwise.
The public perception that care homes are highly profitable is often at odds with the reality of operators struggling with rising costs, staff shortages, and regulatory demands. The result is a sector under constant strain, where those who most need continuity and compassion are too often caught in the crossfire between financial survival and human need.
