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Letter to
Editor:- "Is the 'Care Act' failing
disabled people and carers?"
"IMAGINE having a disability and relying
on a carer to eat, get dressed or leave the house. Imagine having to give up
work to care for a loved 1 with a disability.
Just over a year ago, the
'Care
Act' was introduced to safeguard the well being of carers and those they care
for.
I work for the disability charity Revitalise; we run the Sandpipers Respite
Break Centre in Southport. We did some research and found that the 'Care
Act' has
done little to improve lives, and in many cases people are now worse off.
We found that more than ˝ of local Councils are spending less on disability
services than before, and they're also cutting their spending on respite
services. Meanwhile 1 of the core principles of the 'Care
Act', to ensure all
carers and disabled people get assessments, isn't being met.
Sadly, this is having an impact on the well being of people with disabilities
and those who look after them. 4 out of 10 are now struggling to make ends meet,
while ⅔ have had to cut back their respite and social time, leaving
them more isolated.
We believe there should be more support for disabled people and carers. Our fear
is that until local authorities get squarely behind the principles of the 'Care
Act' and they get the funding to do so; disabled people and carers will
continue to struggle to achieve even the most basic quality of life.
Revitalise provides respite breaks for disabled people and carers at Sandpipers
and 2 other accessible centres around the UK, so we know just how vital regular
respite can be. If your readers would like more information about Revitalise or
would like to support our vital work, please call us on:- 0303 303 0145 or go
online."
Sarah Wiley, Revitalise. |
