Save Our Homecare: New Scandal Over Increased Charges And Restrictions. UK

Main Category: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 07 Jul 2007 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The UK's largest homecare workers union, UNISON, welcomed a new report that exposed the huge increase in the amount of councils that have restricted eligibility for pensioner home care and hiked up charges during the past year.

The charity Counsel and Care's report showed that there was a 15% increase in the number of local authorities that have restricted the eligibility for elderly home care.

UNISON National Officer for Social Care Helga Pile said:

"Treating our elderly and most frail in such an indecent manner is a scandal. Good homecare allows our elderly to live at home in dignity as well as providing a vital early warning system that often stops health problems and suffering getting worse.

"We know that reliable visits from homecare staff save lives - every year thousands of older people die because of falls, and three-quarters of these deaths take place in the home. There is clear evidence that we are storing up long-term trouble for the future by not offering them the support they need today."

Homecare worker for fifteen years, Christine Wade, from Leeds said:

"It is heartless and short-sighted to ration these services to our elderly. Many of our clients would not be able to stay in their own homes without our help. Elderly and disabled people usually do not want to go into residential homes.

"We are viewed as friends by many clients; literally the only people they see. In many cases their whole life experience is dealt with by their Homecare, from getting up, personal care, making meals, collecting pensions, paying bills, medication and shopping, to going to bed. Clients often tell us what a huge difference we make to their lives. We also deal with the emotional side of their lives; their worries and joys. We are often with them at the end of life and if they have family we support them also."

Figures show that the number of people receiving vital home care services in England has fallen by more than a third in the past 15 years, despite a growing elderly population.

The gap between need and delivery is set to grow. There are 11 million pensioners in the UK - more than 18% of the population - and refusing those people who need help now is also a false economy because the NHS will end up picking up a potentially larger bill.

The UNISON 'Save Our Homecare Services' campaign is calling on councils to stop rationing home care services to only people with critical needs. The union is also fighting against the rising cost of home care services, which have gone up on average by 23% this year - meaning many people in need simply cannot afford to pay.

UNISON is the largest UK home care workers union representing more than 200,000 homecare staff.

http://www.unison.org.uk

• Additional
• References
• Citations