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"Take half my FIVE home help
hours"
05.10.12
AN 87 year old
pensioner has told Deputy Joe McHugh she would give
up half her FIVE weekly home help hours and could do
without in summer.
The Fine Gael TD., made the revelation as he urged
newly-appointed Minister of State at the Department
of Health, Alex White TD., to give home help
recipients a say on changes to the scheme.
The HSE has confirmed that about €8 million in
spending on home help hours will be axed by the end
of the year. |
"An 87 year old woman
whom I met last Monday told me that she has the
assistance of a home help for one hour daily for
five days per week," said Deputy McHugh.
"She would be agreeable to have assistance for half
an hour a day and she also proposed that she does
not need assistance in the summer time.
"This 87-year old woman has come up with solutions.
She is identifying where savings can be made in her
specific case," he added.
The Donegal North East TD., was speaking this week
during a Dáil debate on the Health and Social Care
Professionals Bill. He said many elderly people were
fearful about cuts to the service particularly as
winter draws in. |
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Deputy Joe McHugh. |
"Any changes in respect
of these services must be treated delicately and
sensitively.
"Any sort of review of decisions in respect of the
home help service must be taken on merit. It is
vitally important to listen to the voices of the
people who receive the home help service,” added the
deputy.
The Donegal pensioner's stance is in stark contrast
to the thousands of recipients and home helps who
intend resisting the planned cuts.
The Home Help-Home Care Action group announced
yesterday that they would stage a protest march to
Dáil Eireann on Wednesday, October 17.
The group says there is "widespread shock and anger"
in communities at the decision to cut hundreds of
thousands of hours from the home help scheme. |
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