Severe Cutbacks to Cause Crisis in Elderly Care

Large numbers of elderly and infirm people rely on vital services such as meals on wheels and home care, so it is a shock to learn that extra charges are due to be imposed on these by councils, owing to recent cutbacks in all services.

A Labour survey has found that local authorities have been forced to close care homes and day centres run by councils, while the criteria for elderly people accessing free care have been made more stringent. As these are the very services that allow elderly people to remain in their own homes the logical outcome is a severe crisis affecting the well-being of large numbers of old and infirm people. 90 per cent of councils reported that they have been forced to increase charges and this will affect large numbers of elderly people who require help with personal care. The survey showed that those elderly service users who own their homes will be forced to sell their properties in order to pay for costly residential care. 88 per cent of councils will be increasing prices on services for the elderly.

Some councils are simply raising charges in line with inflation but others are also raising the eligibility criteria for older people accessing vital services. Some are also introducing new charges and around 16 per cent are raising the eligibility criteria for accessing free care.

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