Council listens to Wokingham carers and is set to reverse respite care cost change
Wokingham Borough Council has recognised the valuable role carers provide and at
its meeting on Thursday March 29 the council's decision-making executive is set
to reverse its decision made last October to increase respite care charges in
residential and nursing homes.
The Wokingham borough council offers a range of support services for carers, who are usually family members looking after a frail or disabled person. One of the services on offer is the chance for the looked after person to have temporary respite care in a registered care home (residential and nursing homes) to give their carers a well-earned break. As a way of helping service users and their carers, Wokingham Borough Council's policy has been to cap charges for respite care in its registered care homes for the first four weeks in any year, before implementing the full mean-tested nationally recommended charge. This has meant the borough council has subsidised the service for four weeks a year.
In October last year Wokingham council's executive proposed removing this four-week cap, with effect from April 1 2007. But during the recent consultation regarding changes to social care eligibility, service users raised significant concerns over this particular change, with many stressing the importance of respite care for carers as something that helps them continue in their caring role. Wokingham Borough Council has listened to these comments and, in recognition of the vital role respite care plays in the lives of vulnerable people, is set to reject the proposed changes and so spare the service users the increased cost.
Wokingham Borough Council's corporate head of community care services Pat Brecknock said: 'I am glad the executive is looking again at this decision as this is an important service that provides vital support for carers and those they look after.'
Wokingham Borough Council
The Wokingham borough council offers a range of support services for carers, who are usually family members looking after a frail or disabled person. One of the services on offer is the chance for the looked after person to have temporary respite care in a registered care home (residential and nursing homes) to give their carers a well-earned break. As a way of helping service users and their carers, Wokingham Borough Council's policy has been to cap charges for respite care in its registered care homes for the first four weeks in any year, before implementing the full mean-tested nationally recommended charge. This has meant the borough council has subsidised the service for four weeks a year.
In October last year Wokingham council's executive proposed removing this four-week cap, with effect from April 1 2007. But during the recent consultation regarding changes to social care eligibility, service users raised significant concerns over this particular change, with many stressing the importance of respite care for carers as something that helps them continue in their caring role. Wokingham Borough Council has listened to these comments and, in recognition of the vital role respite care plays in the lives of vulnerable people, is set to reject the proposed changes and so spare the service users the increased cost.
Wokingham Borough Council's corporate head of community care services Pat Brecknock said: 'I am glad the executive is looking again at this decision as this is an important service that provides vital support for carers and those they look after.'
Wokingham Borough Council
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