A 77-year-old care home in Wanstead is proposed to be knocked down and replaced, leaving elderly residents “angry and upset”.

Homesdale Care Home was bought by the Pilgrims’ Friend Society in January 2024.

The company has recently announced plans to close the home by the end of March 2025.

A staff member who has worked at Homesdale for more than 20 years has said that “the residents themselves are angry and upset as they don’t want to leave".

They told this paper: “Homesdale is like a second home and the residents are like family. It’s so sad to see them this way.

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“Sometimes it’s not about money, especially as Homesdale was set up 77 years ago as a charity funded home to look after older people.

“A list was given to our residents to find other homes but to be perfectly honest, they don’t come close to ours."

The Pilgrims’ Friend Society admitted that "there are significant challenges on the site".

A spokesperson said: "The care home buildings have known deficiencies that mean we cannot care for people living with dementia and those who are very frail.

“It was announced earlier in the year that a new building would be needed to replace the existing provision."

The spokesperson said the society hopes to see a new home built on the same site for more than 40 older people.

Stephen Hammersley, the society's chief executive, said: “The wellbeing of people living and working with us is our primary concern and we are aware that this situation is creating uncertainty that isn’t helpful to them.

“We will invest in providing the maximum support we can to help those living with us find new accommodation that meets their needs.”

The care home was rated 'good' overall and across the five main inspection criteria by the Care Quality Commission at its last visit in January 2020.