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| Belfast: 550 pensioners will not lose out on home help | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The Belfast Health Trust has decided not to go ahead with its decision to withdraw home help services from up to 550 people across the city. | |
| It had sent letters to them saying that they would temporarily stop next month. | |
| However, in a statement on Monday evening the Trust said that, as a result of representations from individuals and families, it would not proceed with the changes at this time. | |
| It said it regretted any distress or anxiety it may have caused. | |
| "We will contact all those who have been advised of the reduction to their care packages, and assure them these changes will not come into effect from January 2015 as indicated," the trust said. | |
| Speaking on Radio Ulster's Nolan Show earlier on Monday, Adeline Keenan, 89, said: "I got a letter on Saturday saying that from 5 January, my help would be cut. | |
| "I get my shopping done on Tuesday and Thursday for half an hour and my laundry on Wednesday for half an hour," she said. | "I get my shopping done on Tuesday and Thursday for half an hour and my laundry on Wednesday for half an hour," she said. |
| "I will miss the shopping. It is heavy coming up and down the hill and I am 90 on my next birthday." | "I will miss the shopping. It is heavy coming up and down the hill and I am 90 on my next birthday." |
| Her granddaughter, Julie, said that the trust had suggested Mrs Keenan shop online or pay privately for help. | Her granddaughter, Julie, said that the trust had suggested Mrs Keenan shop online or pay privately for help. |
| "I was quite disgusted," she said. | "I was quite disgusted," she said. |
| "As a family, we will make provision for my granny. But what happens to all those people who don't have families? A lot of people don't have someone to fight for them." | "As a family, we will make provision for my granny. But what happens to all those people who don't have families? A lot of people don't have someone to fight for them." |
| Marie Heaney from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, apologised. | Marie Heaney from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, apologised. |
| She said the trust had to deliver within budget. The cuts were a "contingency measure", she said. | She said the trust had to deliver within budget. The cuts were a "contingency measure", she said. |
| Targeting home help shopping and laundry enabled the trust to continue to deliver clinical needs like washing and dressing, she said. | Targeting home help shopping and laundry enabled the trust to continue to deliver clinical needs like washing and dressing, she said. |
| "We had to prioritise those in greatest need," she said. | "We had to prioritise those in greatest need," she said. |
| "We had to examine what would be the least damaging and create the least impact." | "We had to examine what would be the least damaging and create the least impact." |
| The commissioner for older people, Claire Keatinge, said the cuts would have had "a devastating impact". | |
| "Homecare packages are critical in enabling older people to maintain their independence and stay in their homes longer," she said. | |