Matter of life and death (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Matter of life and death

10:40am Wednesday 12th November 2008 in Your Say

Caring for my increasingly frail mother over a number of years I know the wonderful and beneficial 'added value' that the daily meals on wheels service has for the frail, handicapped, poor sighted, arthritic elderly.

It is a daily contact for those who sadly have outlived their families, but manage to struggle through.

This daily contact can mean the difference between life and death, as – if the meals on wheels driver can’t obtain an answer to their call – they call the emergency services who obtain entry and often find the client on the floor having fallen, and are able then to help them.

How can the council truly believe that the recipients of this invaluable service will be able to operate a deep freeze or microwave over a period of 14 days?

Short-term memory, poor eye sight, arthritic hands – how will they manage reading the cooking instructions, programming the microwave, unwrapping the scalding hot packaging?

Where will the freezer and microwave be stored to achieve easy access in what is probably a small kitchen?

What will be the cost of supplying the existing customer base with freezers, microwaves?

Let alone the forecast increase in the elderly?

Tragically those directly affected are those least able to write their protests.

Why don’t those of us who have already expressed alarm at this new policy liaise to let the council know that we represent a significant voting body whose voice needs to be heard and who expect a change in this short-sighted initiative.

RIK WILLIAMS
Flood Lane
Twickenham