Carolyn
Joined: 11 Mar 2006
Posts: 2202
Location: Abertillery
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 Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 2:17 pm Post subject: £40,000 blow to carers' lifeline |
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| Quote: | CARERS and patients across Blaenau Gwent are losing precious respite services after the council slashed a charity's funding by more than a quarter.
A £40,000 cut in money provided by Blaenau Gwent council to Crossroads Caring for Carers has forced the charity to close or scale down several projects which provide the only break many people get from the demands of 24-hour caring responsibilities.
One such is 56-year-old Wendy Angell, from Peacehaven, Tredegar, who cares for her mother Edith May Lewis, 89, who has Alzheimer's Disease.
Mrs Lewis attended Ysbyty'r Tri Chwm, Ebbw Vale, for several hours every Sunday, through Crossroads' time-out service, allowing Mrs Angell a much-needed break.
But last Sunday's was the final session, and Mrs Angell and other Crossroads users in Blaenau Gwent have received letters from the charity detailing this and other cutbacks it says it must make.
"It's a tremendous service, a lifeline for carers like me, so we can have some respite. I don't know how I'll cope without it," said Mrs Angell.
"It does my mother good, it's a change of scene for her, and it gives me some time out of the caring role.
"Today's society is a carers' society. Many people look after a relative with dementia or other severe illness.
"Why aren't we being helped? I decided to look after my mother myself, and all I and others want is a little support."
Crossroads declined to comment, but a Blaenau Gwent council spokesman said the council was unaware service users had received letters.
"The council has been undertaking a review and is in negotiations with Crossroads locally," she said.
"We have agreed to develop a new model of service that helps people who need care support and is cost effective.
Of course, any changes which impact on people receiving support will be agreed jointly between our social services division and Crossroads in advance."
THE letter received by Mrs Angell states that the Sunday time-out service will cease, a similar Saturday project will run fortnightly instead of weekly, and a popular carers' contact centre in Abertillery, providing advice and information on carers' issues, will close.
The letter also warns of reductions in hours of care that Crossroads can provide.
Hundreds of people benefit from these and other Crossroads projects across Blaenau Gwent, through direct respite care or invaluable advice and support.
Crossroads last year received £148,000 from Blaenau Gwent council. This year, it has £108,000.
The Argus understands that Crossroads projects in other parts of Gwent have not been similarly affected.
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http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/..._40_000_blow_to_carers__lifeline/
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My life is no rehearsal There'll be no curtain call encore, so I've thrown my screwed up script away to ad lib my life once more! |
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