Evidence Submission (Personal Narrative): Vital lifelines cut to elderly in Haringey

Last month Haringey Council decided to withdraw funding to its lunch club centres for its elderly. Much concern was expressed and its scrutiny committee was called to take another look.

Despite a near unanimous decision of this committee to instruct the Council to reconsider, Haringey Council remained resolute and from August will close these centres, which for years have served over 700 vulnerable elderly people. Sue Hessel was one of many voices whom raised alarm.  Sue’s  report to councillors is below. 

REPORT TO SCRUTINY COMMITEEE ON 27.6.11

CALL-IN – RECOMMENDED BUDGET SAVINGS DECISION – ADULT
SERVICES PROPOSALS IN  2011 – OLDER PERSONS’ DROP-IN CENTRES,
JACKSONS LANE LUNCHEON CLUB AND CYPRIOT ELDERLY AND DISABILITY PROJECT

Introduction

A total of 716 elderly and disabled residents will become more vulnerable and isolated from next month when Haringey Council closes its lunch club centres [see figure 1 below) (1). Although known as “drop in centres” they are in reality a lifeline. Many are brought by special transport for disabled people. These people are frail. Often users live alone and are heartbroken that they won’t see their friends again in this familiar setting. Many users have been coming to these centres for years where they provide friendly activities and their only hot meal of the day. They provide a self -help group to which they feel they belong.

The decision made today needs to be viewed in the context of financial recklessness both because there are further cuts proposed which will make it less likely that service users will be able to receive care from alternative sources, and last months’ national Equality and Human Rights Commission interim Report which raises concern about the care of the elderly received when long periods are spent alone at home.

Figure 1: Numbers of elderly and disabled who will lose their day facility:(1)

• Woodside House Drop in centre: 274 users
• Abyssinia Court  Drop in centre: 115 users
• Willoughby Drop in centre: 101 users
• Irish Centre  Drop in centre: 63 users
• Jacksons Lane Luncheon Club: 33 users
• Cypriot Elderly and Disability project: 60 users

Financial recklessness

Given that these proposals are made in the context of cost cutting I wish to address their financial recklessness. My case study here is Abyssinia Court Drop in Centre because I am most familiar with this centre but parallels no doubt can be drawn with the other centres being considered today. Abyssinia Court costs Haringey Council £53,000 pa. It serves 115 frail lonely elderly and disabled residents of Haringey. There can be no doubt that many of the people coming here will end up requiring a plethora of services if they have no day centre to attend. They will be placed at risk of depression and isolation, they will feel uncared for, and be unable to look after themselves. This increases the risk of falls and illness – as a result they will end up in hospital beds or residential homes, at a far greater cost to the taxpayer than £53,000! This point was made over and again at the consultation meetings by a vast proportion of attendees.

Abyssinia Court is value for money. Its accommodation comprises a large sunny sitting room, dining room, kitchen, adapted toilets, and a spacious garden and patio, all conveniently situated within sheltered accommodation next to Stationers Park.

It is also very cheap for what it does. The council has the benefit of this accommodation rent free (a saving to the council of hundreds of pounds every week) as this is provided by the Hornsey Housing Trust – which had the historical benefit of building sheltered accommodation on land which the council sold when it was Stationers school. The elderly users themselves raise considerable funds through raffles and bingo to pay to their activities. They pay for their lunch and any cups of tea or cakes.  The only items Haringey Council has to pay for are two low salary packages for the wonderful dedicated ladies who run all of this!

Other proposals for cuts in Haringey

On 19 July Haringey Council’s Labour Cabinet also voted to close 4 residential homes (below), which will hurt about 150 of the most vulnerable people in Haringey :                                                                

• Cranwood Residential Home for physically and mentally frail elderly (34 beds)
• Red House Residential Home for elderly with profound needs (35 beds)                                                
• Broadwater Lodge Residential Home for elderly with dementia / mental health needs (45 beds)
• Whitehall Street Residential Home for profound learning disabilities (15 long term beds and four respite beds for 35 families)

On 4 Oct – other day centre closures to be voted on include:      

• Alexandra Road Crisis Unit for mental health (8 beds)
• Grange/ Haynes Day Centre for dementia sufferers
• 684 centre (mental health)
• Woodside Day Centre for elderly

Without the drop in centres Haringey Council could potentially end up offering nowhere suitable for our elderly and disabled to go during the day, and increasingly overnight if a crisis occurs. The council cannot rely on charities, churches and other faith organisations taking over the welfare of at least 716 frail older people (with more and more coming through each year). Many volunteers are already working hard and doing what they can, often very quietly. There is no evidence that this sector has the capacity to organise and sustain the work of these centres without local authority funding.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (interim) Report published on Monday 20.6.11

The recent EHRC national (interim) report (2, 3) revealed that the elderly are at risk if they are left alone at home subject only to “home care” for long periods, with the basic human rights of some older people receiving care at home being abused, with “worrying” instances of the elderly being left in soiled beds or clothing for long periods.  It identified a number of significant problems, such as old people not being washed properly, not being given proper help with   eating or drinking, and being left in bed for 17 hours in some cases. Staff turnover in the sector was “huge” with one woman said to have had 32 different carers over a two-week period. Some home care visits were just 15 minutes, forcing people to choose between having a cooked meal or a wash. Others were put to bed at 5pm and not helped to get up again until 10am the following morning. Other problems cited were lack of privacy and a reluctance to complain because many did not know how to, or were fearful of repercussions.

By closing these day and drop in centres the service users will be forced to stay at home for long periods. Councillors cannot presume that problems of loneliness and poor care might not occur.

Conclusion

The only way the council can guarantee that the work of these “drop in” centres will be carried out and sustained is by continuing to fund them. It cannot presume that voluntary organisations can or would do this work otherwise. Volunteers can offer the odd hour each week but organisations have to be run by experienced people who are paid to be responsible, especially when people are vulnerable.
 
These drop in centres are essential lifelines and it is financially reckless and inhumane to cease funding them.

Evidence submission by: Sue Hessel, Haringey Federation of Residents’ Associations (Vulnerable Groups)

References:

1. Haringey Cabinet Paper. Equality Impact Assessment. 2011.

2. Equality and Human Rights Commission. Inquiry reveals failure to protect the rights of older people receiving care at home. 2001 (cited 27 June 2011). Available from:  http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/news/2011/june/inquiry-reveals-failure-to-protect-the-rights-of-older-people-receiving-care-at-home/

3. Equality and Human Rights Commission. Inquiry into home care for older people (cited 27 June 2011). Available from: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/legal-and-policy/inquiries-and-assessments/inquiry-into-home-care-of-older-people/

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