AN ELDERLY woman is being forced to leave her home of three years just three days before her 97th birthday, because another of Swindon's care homes is closing.

Elizabeth Brackenbury, along with 19 other elderly residents, was given a month's notice to move out of Hurst House in Pinehurst, which will close on 28 May.

It means that the residents' families must now find somewhere else for them to live, despite a chronic shortage of accommodation for elderly people in the town.

Christine and William Moore, who run Hurst House, have been trying to sell the business as a going concern for two years to no avail. They blame red tape for the lack of response.

Mrs Moore said: "We have been in the business for 20 years and it was an extremely hard decision to make. But it is time for us to retire. The mountains of paperwork, regulations for facilities and fee structure is putting people off coming into the care industry."

Hurst House, which has a contract with Swindon Council, has been sold to a charity and will be turned into a residential home for people with learning difficulties.

Mrs Brackenbury's daughter, Eileen Huck, 58, from Toothill, is angry at the announcement.

She said: "We were sent a letter basically giving my mother a month to pack her bags. That is absolutely no time to find a new home, especially not when accommodation for the elderly is so scarce."

Mrs Brackenbury has yet to be told about the impending move, as her daughter fears the effect on her health.

Mrs Huck said: "The shock could kill her. My mother is so frail now, she can barely walk and her sight and hearing are fading fast. We are going to break the news gently. She is like a child and the disruption will be very distressing for her."

Mrs Huck has found alternative accommodation for her mother, but is concerned that this home could also close.

She said: "The same situation could happen again. Homes are closing left, right and centre. Soon there will be nowhere for the elderly to go."

There has been a spate of nursing home closures following the introduction of Government guidelines in April 2002, which mean that care homes must conform to strict rules. The Evening Advertiser has reported on several care homes in Swindon which have closed.

In some cases there is a knock-on effect on hospital bed spaces in the town, with beds occupied by elderly people who might otherwise be in care homes.

Chris Smith, secretary of the Swindon Care Homes Association, claims that the amount of paperwork has at least trebled since the legislation was implemented.

He said: "Care home managers are now under too much pressure. They are so tied up with administration, there is less time to do the job of caring.

"I know many cases of managers retiring because they have needed to retrain and cannot obtain funding. Residents will ultimately suffer because more homes are closing."

Besides Hurst House, four residential homes have closed in Swindon over the past two years, including The Grange in Blunsdon St Andrew, The County House Nursing Home in Old Town, Westlecot Nursing and Residential Home in Old Town and Kingsdown Lodge in South Marston.

By law care homes must register with the National Care Standards Commission and give three months' notice before deregistration.

Jerry Oliver, acting director of Social Services for Swindon Council, said: "Social Services is disappointed with the home providers' one month notice and we are in discussion with the Care Standards Commission about this point."

Nationally there is a falling number of registered care beds. To an extent, this is occurring in the Swindon and Wiltshire area."