A DISTRAUGHT wife says she does not know what to do after being told her seriously ill husband of more than half a century will have to leave the care home where he lives in less than a month.

Margaret Fordham, 70, of Manor Road, Dovercourt received a letter on Saturday saying husband John, 73, who suffers from dementia, will have to move out of Ramsay Manor by September 18 because they can no longer provide the care he needs.

The couple have been married for 51 years and Mrs Fordham said she is extremely worried as to what the future holds and has been consulting with a social worker to decide what steps to take.

Mr Fordham, who spent more than a decade serving in the Royal Air Force, has been living at the home, in Ramsey Road, Ramsey, since February after his health deteriorated so badly that he needed specialist care.

Mrs Fordham said: “It is very worrying – where do we go from here?

“Many homes just don’t have enough room or are too expensive.”

Mrs Fordham attended a meeting last week to discuss improvements which were to be made at the home following a damning inspection by the Care Quality Commission, but there was no indication her husband would be made to leave.

She said: “I went to a meeting last Wednesday and they said what steps they were going to take following the inspection. It was all quite positive.

“On Saturday, without any warning, we got the letter saying he needs to leave in September.

“On the website they say they can cope with dementia. I paid £700amonth for their care – some people are paying even more.

“He got on with the staff and they got on with him.

“Of course it can be difficult to care for someone with dementia sometimes, but they are supposed to specialise in that area.”

A statement from the home confirmed there were five residents they can no longer care for.

It said: “We have reviewed and reassessed certain individuals’ needs within the home in accordance to our statement of purpose and have felt the home is unable to provide the one-toone care needed.

“This will be subject to full involvement and communication with the family.

“Full reassessment has been and will be undertaken jointly by specific agencies such as the mental health team, district nurses, social workers and other appropriate professionals.”