PEOPLE living in a York elderly peoples' home are being asked how hundreds of thousands of pounds should be spent on improving their surroundings.

Residents of Morrell House and their families are being consulted by City of York Council on proposals to spend £400,000 of council cash on a major upgrade.

Proposals include creating new lounges to make the existing space more personalised and less "institutional," eight en-suite rooms, a mini caf area and improved reception area and staff facilities.

The work is aimed at bringing Morrell House to a standard that could see people with mental health needs cared for there.

Plans of the refurbishment are currently on display at the home.

Residents and families have been sent letters explaining the proposals, and have been invited to meet members of the council's community service team to discuss the proposals in more depth.

The refurbishment plans followed the results of a best value review of 24-hour care for older people, which highlighted the lack of facilities in the city for older people with mental health care needs.

The project, which is being run in partnership with Selby and York Primary Care Trust (SYPCT), will see specialist care introduced in phases, as the building work and staffing expertise needed to deliver the care are put in place. The work is expected to be completed by autumn next year.

Sue Galloway, the council's executive member for social services, welcomed the consultation.

She said: "This is the first phase of the Liberal Democrat commitment to improve care services across the city. The adaptations we intend to carry out at Morrell House will be filling an important gap in the council's care service provision. The Nuffield Report commissioned by the Council three years ago identified a lack of provision for elderly residents with mental health problems and these proposed improvements will go a long way towards redressing this."

Updated: 09:41 Saturday, August 16, 2003