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Elderly encouraged to 'help themselves'



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Published Date: 15 October 2008
ELDERLY people will be encouraged to "help themselves" rather than rely heavily on home helps under a new scheme being launched by the city council.
Edinburgh Council's hopes the "re-ablement" scheme can reduce the amount of care old people need in their homes.

OAPs leaving hospital will be given six weeks of intensive support to get them as close to self-sufficiency as they can be. The council will then decide what home care they need and who is best placed to provide it.

The move is expected to save the council £26 million at the expense of 750 jobs.

The service, which will provide help with washing, dressing and preparing food, is being introduced across the Capital after a successful pilot scheme in the south-east of the city.

Councillor Paul Edie, convener for health, social care and housing said: "Our home care staff deliver an essential service to some of the city's most vulnerable people, enabling them to lead the most independent life possible.

"Although re-ablement is an innovative idea in Scotland it has been widely used in England and with much success. It has proven to maximise people's long term independence, choice and quality of life."





The full article contains 206 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 15 October 2008 11:30 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Thomas the Tank,

Edinburgh 15/10/2008 13:39:54
What Councillor Paul Edie, convener for health, social care and housing did NOT say is that any Home Help arrangement the "city's most vulnerable people" might have had in place before going into Hospital will cease automatically. And that 'what home care they need' will be assessed from scratch in a process akin to drawing teeth. Personal experience with an elderly relative. Still, what are pensioners to the progress of the Tramcar Project.
2

Boy Wonder,

15/10/2008 16:15:40
What home-helps?? That service was decimated years ago. They're all social care workers now and don't do cleaning or shopping unless the pensioner is on their deathbeds!!!
3

Jingsitsme,

EDINBURGH 15/10/2008 16:44:18
They're having to do that themselves without encouragement as the care is just not there when needed.

Who is doing the asessing for the care fromt he council? Some trumped up social worker who has no experience of the care of the elderly.

As for home helps they do little. Prepare food it has to be a ready meal ready to pop in micro wave.

The council don't care, and there home visitors are not trained. I was told if he wanted help with care it would be £89 from his pension!! He is only on state pension!

What a home help is doing is what he can do himself - ie. making a cup of tea, pulling bed clothes up (a downie!) and wiping sink!!! A real help!

They don't do this that and the other.

Personal experience over a number of years so have experienced their so called services. This is just to save money that has been wasted on illegal immigrants and wasters.
4

Old Town,

Edinburgh 15/10/2008 18:26:58
#2 & #3 all I can say is "Tripe" my girlfriend has a home help due to her disability and she is great so try and look up the subject before engaging brain and mouth.
5

sazm,

edinburgh 15/10/2008 19:33:47
My gran was given a home help who was fab and did alot more than the council "allowed" her to do. The social are terrible in some ways but i also must say that not all elderly people are skint and some can afford to pay for home helps although in this day & age there should be enough money to give each person(not just pensioners)some help at home.
6

Mr Fuzzy,

Edinburgh 15/10/2008 20:45:16
Secretary: "Minister, the elderly need help with their heating bills".

PM: "Tell them, they will have to help themselves".

Secretary: "Minister, the banks need money to help with their inter-bank lending".

PM: "Tell them they can help themselves".
7

Ian down under,

Musselburgh 15/10/2008 23:22:44
Let's be fairt and extend this to everyone. How about MSPs and First Ministers. Let Mr Salmond-Trump keep the limo for 6 weeks during which time he can be helped into use of public transport or "legs" [sorry, 4 letter word]. Then we can let him manage himself. Good for the environment too.
8

The real dracula,

16/10/2008 00:29:23
Maybe some help pensioners receive is fab as some of you have said.
I tend to find a lot of pensioners have a great deal of dignity and intelligence but despite this their physical health is failing. Many hate asking for help and many get help from their families as it should be.
But their are many elderly folk out there who are badly failed by the system.
And for many why should they pay , if they cant afford it they will just muddle on till they have an accident.

We treat our elderly appallingly. Surely in your later years if you experiencing difficulties you should e entitled to a litle help. Illegal and legal immigrants dont get treated like this. Out of work problem families dont get treated like this. Why the elderly?

We get elderly with obvious mobility problems in hosp when things become too much. They have an (un)care package provided by soc services and the poor loves seem neglected beyond belief.

Care in the community ,,,,,, I think NOT.

 

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