Elderly are poorly served by social services system

She is 83 years old, local, and worked all her life in Guernsey and paid all her taxes and social insurance.

Now she is elderly, with a chronic lung disease, and has suffered from cataracts and now a detached retina. She has been admitted to hospital twice in the past three months, as an emergency case, via A&E. She has a barrage of medication, inhalers and nebulisers to take daily.

Upon discharge from hospital she asked about long-term and respite care – and has been refused both as she ‘doesn’t meet the criteria’ – seemingly because she can (with difficulty) wash and dress herself. Social Services expect her to either struggle up and down the stairs to go to the bathroom, or buy a commode for use on the ground floor. They then expect her relatives to slop out, presumably several times a day – even though we work full time and just cannot be there all the time.

Furthermore, she has to go to Southampton hospital for eye care, and once again social services have been no help whatsoever – they will not pay for an escort to accompany her.

Just how uncaring and unfair can the system get? For several years we have all had to pay an increased social insurance to fund the long-term and respite care benefit. So why is it now being refused to decent people who have always worked and paid their way? It seems you have to be at death’s door before you can get help.

The elderly have paid the most into the system and they consistently get the least out of it, whilst other (usually younger) people have hardly made any contribution yet they seem to get the most benefit.

And politicians seem obsessed with constant debate over schools and have no interest in the elderly. We are disgusted with the way the authorities in this island treat the older generation.

Shame on you.

Name and address withheld.

Editor’s footnote: A spokesman for HSC replies: Whilst HSC cannot comment on individual cases, we will always endeavour to provide choice in the care and support services that someone needs.

Your reader’s letter infers a recent change in policy. This is not the case. However, as a result of the resolutions of the Partnership of Purpose Policy letter, we will be working with ESS to review the processes used to access long-term care in the community or in residential and nursing homes and to produce a single assessment process in accordance with the resolutions of the Supported Living and Ageing Well Strategy.

The level of care and support services required will change over time and, where the person or members of their family think a further assessment may be required, we would ask that they contact the department to request this.

It is important that we work in partnership with people and their families to keep the needs of the person in our care central.