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Free personal elderly care urged BBC news online
The problem remains "acute and a matter of major
public concern", the nine commissioners claimed in a highly critical
statement on Monday. Four years ago the commissioners reviewed elderly
care provision on the orders of the newly elected government. Labour should have followed the report
recommendations and introduced free personal care, they said. Ministers promised to pay for nursing care, but only
the Scottish Executive has extended this to personal care, such as
washing, cooking and eating. As a result, thousands of elderly people have been
forced to sell their homes, the commissioners said on Monday. They urged ministers to intervene to end the
"anomalies and injustices" of the present system. "Many of the current generation of older people
and their families continue to feel betrayed by the failure of what they
had been led to believe was a 'cradle to grave' welfare state to fund
their care properly," the statement said. "Some are struggling inappropriately with care
at home because they cannot afford the residential care they need.
"Others are bitter at the enforced loss of their home, and of the
dignity that goes with it, to pay for their care." The commissioners, chaired by Lord Sutherland of
Houndwood, said free personal care would cost a "modest" £1.1bn.
They said that the government's had failed to respond
to the problem of "bed blocking" by elderly patients unable to
leave hospital after routine operations because they could not look after
themselves at home. They highlighted the contrast between cancer
patients, who usually had all their care costs met by the state, and those
with degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, who did not. 'Cheapskate' The director general of Age Concern Liberal Democrat spokesman for the elderly, Paul
Burstow, said his research suggested 420,000 people in the He said: "Ministers are treating the elderly in "Labour's cheapskate 'free-nursing care' scheme
is a cruel hoax, which leaves frail elderly people picking up much of the
bill for the most basic and intimate care they need." Geoffrey Dennis, chief executive of Friends of the
Elderly, urged ministers to take action. "The government's failure is not just affecting older people now. It is going to affect tomorrow's generation of senior citizens."
Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
