I ONLY wish that I had been the unnamed author of the letter of August 15 (“No wonder homes are poor value”) to which Cllr Sufrana Bashir-Ismail refers in her letter to The Bolton News.

Although I did not write it, I agree with every word written.

Cllr Bashir-Ismail states in her letter, “Homes subject to extensive review” (August 22), that the ban on admitting new residents is only fair to people considering future placements in Wilfred Geere and Laburnum Lodge.

What about the residents, relatives and staff already in these two care homes? Is this uncertainty fair to them?

I wonder why Cllr Bashir-Ismail is saying that the review is necessary to ensure “value for money” when, surely, Bolton Council already has a breakdown of costs for these homes year in and year out.

What are they comparing these costs to? They already set the charges at these two care homes at the same level which the council pays towards dementia residents in private care homes.

Wilfred Geere, Laburnum Lodge and the private care homes already struggle to maintain good quality care on these costs.

The council already knows the projected “capacity and supply”

as they have not only national figures, but local figures and projections issued each year which tell what the future demography and demand will be for social care in Bolton.

Even I know there is a future crisis looming for the care sector as “baby boomers” reach old age.

The future forecasts for dementia sufferers also show that there will be a great need for such good quality, specialist dementia care homes as Wilfred Geere and Laburnum Lodge.

So why have this review? What purpose will it serve? A review which has prevented beds from being used by Bolton people in need, staff vacancies being frozen, voluntary redundancy offered to staff and residents and relatives left in fear and confusion?

Christina Taylor Wife of a resident at Wilfred Geere Home