- Conference
- 2008 Retired Members' Conference
- Date
- 3 June 2008
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
This Retired Members’ Conference deplores the inequality in Social Care in the Community.
Having closed Old People’s Homes and promising that this was so that the money could be used to assist people in their own homes, it appears to be another postcode lottery as to what assistance is given and to what is free or what is charged for.
Some pensioners are waiting up to 6 months after being discharged from hospital before assessments can be carried out to determine their needs. Also costs vary from one Local Authority to another and are continually increased without notification to the user.
Conference requests that UNISON, at all levels, including through the Labour Link, to get involved with the Government’s consultation on Social Care to standardise throughout the country a set of conditions of standards as follows:
i.Assessment made of needs to be completed prior to discharge/release from hospital;
ii.A higher income allowance before having to pay for services;
iii.Where increases are made, notification is given to the user well in advance;
iv.Requests by the user should be taken into consideration i.e. shower/bath assistance given by male/female as requested.