System works against care for old
What a mess the welfare services, both nationally and locally, are in, in their dealings with the older citizens of this country.
What a mess the welfare services, both nationally and locally, are in, in their dealings with the older citizens of this country.
The left hand does not seem to know what the right hand is doing, as we see one section of the service subjecting old people to the misery of means testing while another section throws money around as if it is going out of fashion!
The way older people and their families are treated by the long-term care system is a disgrace. Despite the belief in many quarters, older people do not expect the government to pay for all their needs. All they ask for is the state to make a fairer contribution in providing good quality support when and where it is needed.
Of course we want to stay in our homes for as long as possible. At the present time, many elderly people are forced to sell their homes to meet care home bills. Do we realise that official statistics state that by 2026 - less than 20 years away - the number of elderly people requiring care is set to rise by 50 per cent! If the present rules still apply, then this is a burden that will fall mainly on care users and their families.
I believe older people and their families need a reformed care system providing a higher level of support than that provided today. Let me illustrate with a simple example.
A few weeks ago I was visited by two neighbours who, because I was an "elderly person", gave me some weird shaped eco-friendly light bulbs because, they said, the bulbs I have used for years are being phased out. I thanked them, accepted their gift and watched them dutifully tick my name on the list they were carrying.
Being a careful person I discovered that these energy bulbs contained mercury and are so toxic that if I break one I will have to evacuate my room for 15 minutes. I cannot vacuum the broken bits up as this could spread the mercury around the house. As well as this, I have to make certain that I don't breathe any of the toxic fumes emanating from the broken bits!
It seems to me that a better suggestion would be not to give away eco-bulbs containing mercury but, instead, use the money to provide low-level, practical support such as "handyman" services, help around the house and help with our shopping.
Wolverhampton used to have two such services in Care-Link and Link-Line, but the spectre of a lack of funding support has curtailed some of these services, so adding to the concerns of many, both providers and users.
It is tragic that in this, the fourth richest country in the world, many older people and their carers feel unsupported by a system that all to often seems to be working against them. Surely it is not beyond our capabilities to provide a long-term care strategy that is fit for this 21st Century?
Roy C Girdler, Clarence Road, Bilston.
