Media release from Labour health spokesperson Ruth Dyson

Elderly to lose home support in Government cost cutting exercise       

Elderly across the country are bearing the brunt of health spending cuts with DHBs doing away with comprehensive home support help, Labour Health spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.

"I have been told of cases such as an elderly resident from Southland who has congestive heart failure, is hearing impaired and sight impaired, who has just lost their one hour a week of home support," Ruth Dyson said.

"I have also been told of an elderly resident from Southland who has Parkinsons Disease, osteoarthritis and uses walking sticks to get around their home, who have had their one hour a week of home support taken from them.

"I understand the Otago and Southland DHB plans to write to people like this and nearly 3000 others telling them they will no longer be receiving assistance, but will instead provide them with advice on how they can pay for these services.

"I believe these cases are just the tip of the iceberg. There are currently five DHBs around the country who are in the process of reviewing home help for elderly with a view to saving money.

"It is disgraceful that services for elderly are being seen by the Government as an opportunity to save money in the short term. In the long term because of these cutbacks more elderly will end up in hospitals or resthomes because they won't be able to cope on their own.

"I completely support calls by Grey Power for people not to participate with telephone assessments, about whether they need continued home support without having a support person with them or instead demanding that any review of their needs be carried out in person.

"It will be frightening for many elderly to receive phone calls from complete strangers demanding to know their medical history in order to decide whether they will continue to receive support.

"Tony Ryall promised to reduce backroom services to fund increased frontline health care. Clearly the Minister has broken his promise and elderly will suffer as a result," Ruth Dyson said.