IT was with utter disgust I read (LET, April 4) that disabled war hero Thomas Bywater, of Blackburn, has had to cancel his twice-weekly home help visits due to the dramatic increase in costs.
What is this world coming to? This man along with thousands of others fought for his country to make it a better place to live and this is the result.
And what a contradiction. One minute, they are closing care homes and encouraging people to remain in their own homes as long as possible where they are comfortable, amid familiar surroundings and maintaining their independence. The next, they are making it impossible to do this, as in Mr Bywater's case.
He has no relatives to assist him, so what option is open to him? If he does not continue with his home help visits his health will suffer. At present, he is bathed regularly and his home is kept clean and tidy, but, most of all, he still retains his all-important independence.
So, come on, our senior citizens who have fought and worked for their country deserve better than to be left to fend for themselves.
L M JACKSON (Mrs), Haslingden Road, Blackburn.
Footnote: A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Social Services Department said: "Up to half of the people currently receiving services to remain independent in their own homes will be paying less.
"People living on less than the level of Income Support or Job Seeker's Allowance (income based) plus 25 per cent -- for example, somebody living on the state pension, will pay nothing at all. A person's home is not taken into
account, nor is the first £12,000 of their savings.
"Services are prioritised in line with the Social Services Department'seligibility criteria, on people's social and personal care needs. The Department endeavours to ensure that policies do not create any hardship and is actively encouraging people to find out about the wide range of support services and benefits available that might be available to them.
"They can do this by contacting Rights, Advice and Entitlements, Age Concern, the Council's Fairer Charging Team or the Social Services Department Care
Management Service."
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