Shropshire Star

Letter: Harrowing tale of life for the elderly in today's welfare state

Reading a letter from William Powell and Jane Dodds in the Shropshire Star, July 9 – "Concern over care of the vulnerable", you may be interested in the following.

Published

Recently, a 72- year-old lady becomes a bit forgetful about taking her Parkinson's medication and then has a couple of minor falls at home. Social services were not interested. Her GP contacted and motivates social services who then provide grab rails and other equipment to help with mobility in her own home.

The lady deteriorates and is in danger so her daughters decide respite in a good care home is required. The lady has money and house so she has to finance herself.

Admitted to care home, she rapidly loses weight. This is brought to the attention of the owners who promise to provide an extra meal (supper) as breakfast was being given around 10am and the final meal at 4pm. Despite this, the extra meals never materialised. Her daughters decide to move their mother to a better care home.

Meanwhile the lady trips and breaks her hip, she is admitted to hospital.

After an operation she is transferred to a community hospital 30 miles away for rehab. No physiotherapy is offered.

Due to the trauma of the fall dementia is now much more advanced. She is now completely bedridden and dependent on others for all aspects of her care.

The new care home is much better, but fees have increased by eight per cent so an extra £2,500 a year has to be found. The cost of care to date is in excess of £68,000. With her savings exhausted and the house due to be put on the market the woman's quality of life is nil, she is forced to spend rest of life in a care home bed.

Meanwhile a 46-year-old man with terminal cancer who was receiving morphine, but no treatment dies in agony with his wife at his bedside, because his GP won't come out as it is her day off.

These two occurrences happened more than 20 years apart, but nothing has changed. Provide for your own old age. There is no help out there.

The lady and man were married to each other. They are my parents.

Jackie Bishop, Newport

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