Home care is essential

Dear Sir,

Cheshire East Council in their desire to save money want to move day care into the cared for individual's home.

This has certain advantages for the client, namely remaining in familiar surroundings and reducing the need for their transport with the time, safety and financial implications.

However, the down side is that elderly people lose the important social contact that outside day care provides.

It is really the difference between performing the statutory minimum to provide carers with some time off and at the same time enriching the cared for person's quality of life.

A mixture is the most desirable, depending on the precise individual's circumstances that might vary from time to time.

Retaining some provision of out of their home day local care is essential if we are to give our elderly residents and their carers the quality of life they deserve.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Peter Hirst

Middlewich