Over 600 Pensioners Kept Waiting For Personal Care

More than 600 elderly people were kept waiting at least six weeks for free personal care during the winter, a new report revealed yesterday. The flagship policy was brought in by the Scottish Executive five years ago to help people over the age of 65 with washing, dressing and feeding at home or in residential care homes.

An Executive-commissioned study now has found that only five of the country’s 32 local authorities did not report anyone waiting for either free personal care services or payments to fund them.

A snapshot survey in December found that there were 665 people waiting six weeks or more for free personal care payments or services to begin.

Lewis Macdonald, the deputy health minister, said waiting times are being improved. Pat Watters, president of local authority umbrella group COSLA, accepted the report did not give free personal care “an absolute clean bill of health”.

More than 42,000 people over the age of 65 receive free personal care services in their home, while about 9,000 senior citizens receive £145 a week as a contribution towards their care home costs under the scheme.