It has rcently been revealed that, although the Worcestershire Social Services Department has received £53.1m as part of the Government funds intended to be spent on care of the elderly, it only intends to spend £31.7m for this purpose.
This is a startling revelation to those of us who are or have been paying top-ups on fees paid by Social Services for residential and nursing care for our relatives.
I feel everyone should be aware of this situation. We all pay our council tax but those residents who are entirely self-funded, out of taxed income and savings, are subsidising those who are inadequately funded by Social Services and who have no relatives to top up their fees.
Care homes are now closing at an unprecedented rate. What are we, or our children, going to do?
Will we end our days in geriatric wards because the local authority does not spend the money allocated on the increasing numbers of dependent elderly?
We should be challenging our county councillors to justify this underspending policy.
HILARY WALLACE,
Kempsey.
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