Sue Kedgley

The mean-spirited slashing of home help for 500 elderly or disabled people in Wellington will likely end up costing the District Health Board more money, Green Party Aged Care spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

Capital and Coast District Health Board are cutting entitlements to elderly people receiving household help unless they have a community services card.

"This attempt to save money by targeting the vulnerable elderly will backfire on Capital and Coast," said Ms Kedgley.

"Those who have had their home help slashed are more likely to fall as they try to clean their houses and thus end up in hospital or aged care.

"This will end up costing the DHB far more than the relatively small cost of providing home help on a monthly basis.

"People in rest homes cost the Government around $42,000 dollars a year while it can cost as little as $80 a week to provide home help.

"Giving some assistance to enable older New Zealanders to remain in their own homes is an integral part of the Ageing in Place strategy," said Ms Kedgley

"The DHB's decision flies in the face of that strategy.

"The 500 people who will have their home help slashed have all been assessed as needing it," Ms Kedgley pointed out.

Ms Kedgley wanted to know who the DHB thought would do the cleaning and the shopping for people who had their home help slashed, but are unable to afford to pay for household assistance.

"It is likely that many elderly who have their home care cut will end up living in dirty and unhygienic homes."

Ms Kedgley said many older New Zealanders were lonely and isolated, and having someone come into their homes on a regular basis provided them with some desperately needed contact.

"On the Aged Care investigation tour I heard tragic stories of people who had their home help cut and ended up living on their own in squalor, with no visitors.

"This is what happens when decisions are made on an arbitrary basis, simply to save money."