Eviction: 106-Year-Old Loses Care Home Fight

A 106-year-old woman - one of Britain's oldest - has lost her battle against eviction from a Wolverhampton care home.



Louisa Watts had been fighting to stop the closure of her council-run care home at the Court of Appeal.



Campaigning solicitor Yvonne Hossack, representing 106-year-old Louisa Watts, was told by two judges that there were no grounds to allow an appeal.

Lord Justice Sedley said: "If there were any firm findings that moving Mrs Watts would shorten her life, the decision would be quite different.

"Mrs Watts is entitled to the full benefit of every day that still remains to her."


But he said reports showed there was no risk to Mrs Watts being moved out of Underhill House in Bushbury, Wolverhampton, to a new care home.

"Provided it is properly managed it should not do her any appreciable harm," he said.

Sky's Lisa Dowd, reporting from the care home, said: "The council is saying it's not fit for purpose, this care home is 40 years old, the rooms are too small... it would cost £2m to put right and they're not prepared to invest that money.

"But the people who live here do not care about the size of the rooms, they just want to stay here."

Lord Justice Sedley and Mr Justice Owen refused permission to appeal and lifted an injunction blocking Wolverhampton City Council from carrying out the closure.

Miss Hossack, who has been involved in court cases preventing the closure of more than 80 care homes, was trying to stop the removal of the last nine residents at Underhill House.

The council gave an undertaking to the court that an impact assessment would be made on every resident to determine the affect a move will have on their life and health.

Widow Mrs Watts, a former hospital cleaner who moved to the home five years ago, at first went out with friends to bingo and fish and chip suppers, said Lord Justice Sedley.

But she was now becoming more and more infirm and deaf.




Source: Sky News


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