Cost-cutting takes away home help from elderly

Two-thirds of Canterbury elderly have had their home help axed or reduced in what critics call a "cost-cutting exercise".

But the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) says that although it has been taking people off short-term help, it has increased the number of elderly getting long-term or complex care and is spending more on home support.

Between October last year and May this year, a board-funded agency reassessed 2400 people receiving home help.

Of those, 101 lost their help and 1400 had their hours reduced.

Sixty-six people had an increase in their service and 344 were transferred to a complex-case management service likely to lead to them getting more services at home. Others had no change in service or were dis-charged.

Tighter entry controls have seen the number of elderly going into board-funded rest-home care drop 13 per cent over the past year and entry into hospital and psychogeriatric care fall 7 per cent.

Health board member Andrew Dickerson said the figures showed most people had been disadvantaged by changes to home-help services.

"It's a worrying time for older people. I know of many who are just hanging on in their own home, and to ensure that they can continue to live in their own home they need a little bit of assistance," he said.

He said the CDHB strategy would save money in the short term but cost more in the long term when elderly people not getting help at home ended up in hospital or residential care.

CDHB planning and funding general manager Carolyn Gullery said the board was not cutting costs and had spent $1.3 million more than budgeted on home-based support over the past year.

In June 2009, 8800 elderly people got long-term support, compared with 8500 in June this year, plus another 400 on a new home-based support scheme.

Gullery said fewer people were going into rest homes because the board was keeping them healthy and safe in their homes.

The board was monitoring what happened to people who lost their home help to see if they started using other health services, such as Christchurch Hospital. Figures would be available in a few months.

The Auditor-General will conduct a performance audit this financial year on the provision of home-based support for the elderly.

- © Fairfax NZ News