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Care scare in plans for old folks' future
THE leaders of Derbyshire County Council have been accused by Labour members of launching a comprehensive attack on vital services for the elderly and disabled.
They say the ruling Conservatives propose to: introduce charges for the home help service; restrict the numbers eligible; cut top-up grants for disabled people to adapt their homes and stop paying maintenance charges for stair lifts and hoists.
Labour Group Leader, Councillor Anne Western, said the previous Labour administration had left the Council's finances in a healthy position which could be used to safeguard Social Care.
"Rather than use the money we had saved they are proposing cuts," she said.
The group have also taken issue with comments made by Councillor Charles Jones, Cabinet Member of Adult Care about the closure of up to two thirds of DCC residential care homes.
However Cllr Jones in a letter to the Advertiser (page 8) sought to clarify the proposals and stated that although the care provided is top quality, some of the buildings used are not fit for purpose.
He highlighted new developments of state-of-the-art residential and community care centres: "With these developments will come change, and we have to look closely at all our current homes for older people to assess whether they are fit for purpose and whether it is viable to keep them open with new state-of-the-art homes opening in the same areas."
The Labour Group are set to raise the issues at a meeting of the Council, on September 8 at 2pm at County Hall, Matlock.
The meeting is open to the public and the Labour Group are urging people to attend.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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