Care services for older people

The Highland Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee has agreed to fully refurbish Ach an Eas Home at Inverness and Grant House, Grantown, and consider options for redeveloping the site of the former Burnside Home, Inverness.

A full refurbishment at Ach an Eas – at a cost of £1.064 million over the next five years – will allow the Council to retain places for 24 residents.  The Council has already committed to necessary immediate refurbishment at a cost of £220,000 on improvements to roofs, doors and heating.

At the 20-bed Grant House, the Committee has committed to necessary immediate refurbishments costing £210,000 and has agreed a full refurbishment over the next five years at a cost of £780,000.

At Burnside, the Committee is seeking more time to identify the best use of the former home for the social care of older people in Inverness. 

It is reckoned the site could accommodate 12 three-person bungalows, suitable for older people.

Five options are on the table. These range from the use of the current site for sheltered housing, with support to the sale of the site with the proceeds being used to buy a larger site in Inverness for housing and or to convert less popular sheltered housing properties.