Camden New Journal - Letters: Misery

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Camden New Journal - Letters to the Editor
Published: 22 November 2007

Misery of means-testing and cost-cutting

• THE frail and vulnerable adults living in Camden with help of domiciliary support never dreamed that they would be deprived of their essential home help, a lifeline they depend on to live in their home and in communities.
The poorly researched means-testing of homecare charges introduced by the Liberal Democrat/Tory coalition as their cost-cutting exercise hit the hopes of many
Camden residents of getting appropriate support necessary to their needs.
People worked hard throughout their lives and saved a few pennies for the rainy days but the means-testing of the homecare charges will rob their savings.
Some of the frail and vulnerable would not seek help from the local authority due to increased cost of homecare charges and they will resort to seeking help privately from an individual without the essential check by the Criminal Records Bureau. On the other hand, some of the elderly would be supported by their relatives or next of kin under duress.
In both of these instances the frail and vulnerable would be at risk of abuse.
The 20 per cent increase in meals on wheels has already discouraged a lot of elderly simply because they cannot afford it and the proposal for privatisation of meals on wheels means that the private company will generate income by pushing the price up and the quality of the food would be low.
The Lib Dem/Tory coalition’s plan to sell four old people’s home and to build two homes at the north of the borough is without sensitivity to the needs of the older people at the south of the borough. Executive councillor Martin Davies is not precise about what option there would be in the new homes to accommodate people with mental health problems.
The relatives and the next of kin of the elderly would have to travel from a far end of Camden to visit their loved ones at the north of the borough and it would discourage people from visiting as often as they could, on the ground of distance as well as cost. Consequently it will trigger emotional problems to both the elderly and the relatives or next of kin.
The increased cost of meals on wheels, means-testing of homecare charges and building of two homes at the north of the borough are bound to cause immense suffering to older people.
It appears that the coalition has aimed to make savings at the misery of the frail and elderly in Camden.
CLLR SYED HOQUE
Labour, Haverstock Ward

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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