Jobs go as Selby home care service cut (From York Press)

Jobs go as Selby home care service cut

9:07am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Jobs News By Dan Bean, dan.bean@thepress.co.uk

HOME care for people living with Alzheimer’s in Selby is to be cut with the loss of five jobs, it has been announced.

The Alzheimer’s Society currently offers a range of services to support people with dementia and also their carers, including support workers visiting sufferers’ homes to provide care.

A review by the Alzheimer’s Society with North Yorkshire County Council and the North Yorkshire & York PCT has decided to end its home care service at the end of March, affecting 19 clients and five staff.

The charity said resources would be redirected to other areas of support, which include a dementia café, dementia support workers and peer support groups.

Sarah Moody, Alzheimer’s Society’s locality manager, said: “Unfortunately, the home care service that we operated has been running at a loss for some time. This has been a difficult decision to make, but Alzheimer’s Society is very aware of the growing numbers of people with dementia in North Yorkshire and we need to use our limited resources to support the maximum number of people with dementia and their carers across the county.”

The changes will mean five part-time staff posts are lost, and 19 people who are currently receiving the home care service will have their care reviewed by the society.

Mrs Moody said: “We are working with North Yorkshire County Council to help ensure that people affected by this change are assessed to ensure that they receive the services that they are entitled to and experience a smooth transition to any new operator that social services may choose to provide a similar service in the future. It is vital that support is available for people living with dementia and their carers.”

Coun Sue Ryder, of Selby District Council, said: “I’m very sympathetic. My mother lived with Alzheimer’s for 14 years before she died. When people are still aware, being at home helps them, I think. I can’t see it working as well where they take dementia patients out of their homes to use other services.”