THREE out of the five care homes for the elderly under review in Kirklees look set to stay.

But two homes - in Lindley and in Mirfield - will no longer be residential.

Instead they will be converted into day resource units.

Plans to invest more than £4m in the five homes have been unveiled today.

They will go before Kirklees Council's Cabinet meeting next Wednesday.

And the councillor overseeing the controversial review believes the ideas will improve the quality of life for older people in Kirklees as the next phase of a multi-million pound programme to modernise care services.

The officer recommendations will be introduced for discussion by Clr Sylvia Smithson, Cabinet member for Social Services.

They will be put to the full council for its comments later the same day with a decision being made by Cabinet on July 23.

Clr Smithson said: "The council's strategy aims to provide services to enable people to live in their own homes as long as possible, with appropriate high quality residential care as required.

"That is what they have told us they want and that is what we will ensure this package of improvements will provide.

"I know from my own experience as a carer that older people want to live in their own homes as long as they can, with high quality residential care as a last option," said Clr Smithson.

"In that respect the proposals will see 114 bedrooms with en-suite facilities - the first we have ever had in our homes in Kirklees.

"At the moment residents share facilities, which is something they have said they do not like to do.

"The proposals will provide residents in the homes to be refurbished with the dignity and privacy they want."

The key proposals in the report to Cabinet are:

* Invest £1.3m in re-vamping and refurbishing Claremont House at Heckondwike to provide specialist residential care for people with mental health problems - with an extra 13 beds

* Spend £1.3m on upgrading Ings Grove House at Mirfield which will specialise in providing short term residential care

* Invest £1.5m on upgrading and developing Moorlands Grange at Netherton to focus on residential care for older people recuperating from hospital care - providing specialist assessment facilities, as well as retaining beds for long stay residential care

* Developing Oakes Villa at Lindley, and Knowl Park House at Mirfield, as resource centres to provide day care services for older people.

The homes will have to close while the work is undertaken but council officials stressed that residents would be asked where they wanted to go and to stay.

Clr Smithson said: "People will see that this is about meeting the increasing demands for specialist residential care, and providing a choice and range of modern services for our older people.

"It will see a huge investment in providing specialist residential care in the priority areas of need, as well expanding community-based services for older people, helping them live independently in their own homes for as long as possible and improving their quality of life."

Clr Smithson said the individual needs of residents in all the homes had been carefully assessed and discussed with them and their relatives to ensure that they get the care that best meets their individual needs.

She added: "None of the five buildings reviewed are up to the modern standards that older people have a right to expect, and which we are determined to provide.

"There are no en-suite facilities at any of these homes, and none have bedrooms that meet the required standards for disabled access.

"In the last three years there has been significant reinvestment in the service.

"This has seen the number of older people helped to live at home increased by 92% between 1999 and 2002," said Clr Smithson.

"The number of households receiving intensive home care has gone up by 95% over the same period and there has been a 42% decrease in the number of older people needing residential or nursing care."

The council has also loaned out almost 16,500 items of equipment to older people and invested £1.5m to improve sheltered housing.

NEW ROLE: Oakes Villa (To be day care centre for older people)

NEW ROLE: Knowl Park (To be day care centre for older people)

SAVED: Claremont House (To invest £1.3m to provide specialist care)

SAVED: Ings Grove House (£1.3m upgrading for specialist care)

SAVED: Moorlands Grange (£1.5m investment and upgrading)