A Lanarkshire care home have slapped families with extra charges over £100 - or else their relatives won't be allowed to take part in activities there.
Rutherglen Care Home has informed relatives who already pay nearly £700 a month that a further £140 will be required every month to enable locals at the home, some of whom suffer from Alzheimer's disease, to participate in the likes of arts and crafts.
Family members of residents there have slammed the extra payments as "disgusting".
Jackie McRobbie's mother Margaret Barclay has Alzheimer's disease and has stayed at Rutherglen since last year.
Jackie told Lanarkshire Live: "We have been contacted and told that anything classed as activities" now have to be paid for as they are now not seen as an essential part of the care package for elderly residents suffering with dementia.
"This is based at a basic rate of £5 per day and I have been advised some activities will cost more and I will be informed of this two weeks in advance.
"They have also stated that residents have the option to opt out of this now extra added cost by giving six weeks notice - and if you refuse to pay £140 each month your loved one won't be allowed to join in the activities within the care home."
Among the activities being charged for are things such as bingo, painting and listening to music.
Jackie, who shells out £671 per month for Margaret's care, says taking part in arts and crafts has a positive impact on her mum.
She added: "Many of the residents in the care home are very ill people. Shame on Advinia for actually putting an extra cost on resident's families if they wish to make their loved one's decline slightly more palatable."
"It has come from Advinia at the top - the people actually working at the care home couldn't be better.
"I'm disgusted at families' being held to emotional ransom to pay up otherwise your loved one can sit and rot."
The care home is run by Advinia Health Care, and it is understood the payments are being introduced at many of their facilities.
Last year Lanarkshire Live told how a number of the care home's units were not being used.
The care home operator say the extra fees are needed to help bring in more "personalised" care.
An Advinia spokeswoman told us: "The safety and wellbeing of residents is always our priority and we have made these changes to upgrade the personalised nature of the care we provide.
"Going forwards residents will now be able to enjoy much more personalised activities so we can increasingly meet their aspirations.
"To make this possible it is necessary to levy a small, optional, additional charge, of which all families have been kept fully informed."
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