THE 12 elderly residents of the Woolnough House care home in Tang Hall are said to be “as positive as they could be” following the announcement their home could close.

That sounds like council-speak for saying they’re pretty upset to us. And they have every right to be.

The city council embarked five years ago on a project to close all but one of its nine care homes. If closure of Woolnough House is approved, it would be the sixth to go.

The authority’s justification is that its care homes are no longer “fit for purpose”. Its plan instead is for most elderly residents either to move into private care homes, or into “extra care” accommodation where they can live independently with support.

But while closure of Woolnough would fit neatly into the council’s plans, it would be deeply distressing to the elderly people who live there.

The rooms may not have private bathrooms. But the quality of care at Woolnough has never been in question. And that is important, surely?

We have nothing against either private care homes or sheltered accommodation with “extra care”, provided these are of good quality and enable elderly people to live in comfort and dignity.

But worrying about the future is the very last thing a frail older person needs.

Some Woolnough residents may move into new homes being built at Glen Lodge. Others may go into private nursing or dementia care homes, or into the council’s own Haxby Hall. Michael Melvin, the council’s assistant director for adult social care, says residents and families will be fully consulted before any decisions are made. We should hope so. But these will be very anxious times nonetheless for the residents of Woolnough House.