Nephew takes on fight over home help cuts

The nephew of an 86-year-old stroke victim has battled to regain her home help after the service was slashed over the phone.

Greypower NZ has been inundated with complaints from elderly people whose home help has been clawed back during telephone reassessment used by at least five district health boards.

Murial Mouet, of Lower Hutt, received a phone call late last year from a Hutt Valley District Health Board representative who asked how she was before announcing that her home help hours would be cut from five to two hours a fortnight.

Relying on a walker, Miss Mouet cannot change sheets, hang out washing, clean the bathroom, toilet or floors, or vacuum. She was told her housework could be done in one hour a fortnight and her other allocated hour could be for shopping.

"You are expected to live in filth. I can still cook my own meals, I would rather be here than have to go into a rest home. Some people will be forced to," she said.

Her nephew Brian Langham took up her case with the board and health and disability commissioner, stressing that his aunt was less able than when she was allocated six hours a fortnight six years ago.

"My auntie was left feeling bullied and vulnerable, that maintaining her independence in her own home was threatened. It is disappointing and unfair treatment of elderly people," Mr Langham said. After the complaints Miss Mouet's hours were increased to three hours a fortnight.

Greypower Zone 4 director Roger Booth said so many Wainuiomata caregivers had had their hours cut they were questioning the viability of their jobs. After receiving 35 complaints from elderly people who had their hours reduced, Kapiti Greypower made a presentation to Capital and Coast District Health Board last week expressing its concern about the phone interview process.

The board has refused to provide figures on how many clients' hours have been reduced.

Canterbury has reduced or axed more than 1200 elderly clients' help since it introduced telephone assessments five months ago, which are also being used in Hutt Valley, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

Kapiti Greypower health spokesman Peter Sander told the board most elderly people did not want to be a nuisance. "Regrettably, too many respondents answer positively to retain their self-respect –"yes, I can walk around my house", leaving the questioner unaware they were reliant on a walker.

Board member Donald UrquhartHay said he had been besieged by Greypower members wanting to know why their home help was being cut.