Category Archives: Older care

The poor, disabled and elderly are hit by fuel poverty

November 21, 2011   Carers, disability, Older care

 

Focus on rising fuel costs hitting North East

SHOCK figures have revealed more than half of households in some areas of Newcastle are trapped in fuel poverty.

 

And the number is set to rise as temperatures plummet and fuel prices rocket, forcing some to chose between heating or eating.

In Elswick, 52% of households struggle to pay bills according to information released today by campaign group Consumer Focus and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

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Minister asks why councils are not helping the frail and disabled

November 21, 2011   Carers, disability, Older care, ukcuts

Elderly care cut as councils divert £2bn cash to plug gaps

Elderly people are suffering because councils are cutting hundreds of millions of pounds from their nursing and care home budgets, the Coalition admits today.

 

Elderly people are suffering because councils are cutting hundreds of millions of pounds from their nursing and care home budgets

By , Political Correspondent

 

Paul Burstow, the care services minister and a Liberal Democrat MP, is demanding to know why councils are failing to pass on £2 billion of extra money that the Government allocated to support for frail and disabled adults.

In an interview with The Telegraph, he accused dozens of authorities of “clearly” failing to act “in the best interests” of their residents.

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Who will speak for the old and disabled, trapped in their homes?

November 21, 2011   Carers, Older care, ukcuts

We hear a lot about how cuts affect women and the young – but the crisis in social care is perhaps the greatest of them all

The most vocally excluded of all in our society are the old and poor.

You lie in your own mess. You are cold. You are hungry and confused. You can’t remember whether you have taken your pills. You feel ashamed. You feel angry. It is still five hours before someone will knock on the door, let herself in, and wash you. You hope for a few minutes’ talk but you know that it won’t happen. She only has a quarter of an hour for your appointment …

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