Care home cuts cost those who pay their way (From Warrington Guardian)

Care home cuts cost those who pay their way

12:33pm Tuesday 14th August 2012 in Letters

I UNDERSTAND that Warrington Borough Council is considering a large payment reduction for people in residential homes for the elderly who are paid for by the Council. The impact of this will be that care homes will be forced to recover the lost income by increasing charges for residents who do not qualify for council support, so have to pay for their own care.

Some people in Warrington may remember my parents, Warrington Borough and Appleton Parish Councillor Bill Sephton and Marjorie Sephton. Both dedicated much of their adult lives to voluntary organisations that helped the people of Warrington.

My mother, now 94, was the borough organiser for the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service for many years and established Evergreen and Derby and Joan clubs as well as Meals on Wheels for the housebound.

The hospital shops and cafeterias were originally set up by the WRVS under her leadership, as well as holidays for underprivileged children and clothes banks for the needy.

Both she and my father were involved with the Hospital League of Friends, raising thousands for much needed hospital equipment and services. All of this work was voluntary and benefitted many people at no cost to the council. My father died in 1998 but my mother is now in care at Gainsborough House, being well looked after and still paying her own way, having carefully budgeted all those years to ensure she could be cared for in her old age.

It is grossly unfair that now local authorities are looking to save money, they are proposing a big cut in funding to those they support in residential care homes. It means that people paying privately like my mother, who have probably saved the council hundreds of thousands by organising voluntary social care provision over the years, will now see their charges increase to compensate for this income reduction at the residential homes.

How ironic and how unfair!

My mother is in good health apart from memory loss and could go on for many years, funding her own care over that time.

Placing a substantial cost increase on the old and vulnerable who pay for their own care is a cruel and uncaring solution, which the local authority should not be considering. PETER J SEPHTON

Sheffield