Support our Day Centres in Reading and

We the undersigned wish to register our deep concerns about the changes proposed in the Transforming Adult Social Care Services consultation paper issued by Reading Borough Council, in particular about their impact on the elderly and vulnerable clients who attend Day Centres.

Under these proposals elderly people face a possible increase in charges from £5.90 to as much as £50 a day, those with “moderate needs” may no longer be eligible to attend at all, and those who currently attend every day may only be able to attend once a week.
We ask Reading Borough Council:

1.to make any increase in the cost of Day Care reasonable and commensurate with present charges so that elderly people will continue to be able to afford to use and benefit from them

2.to allow elderly people with moderate needs to continue to attend Day Centres in the interests of preventing decline to substantial and critical status and so that their carers get respite

3. to allow elderly people to attend a Day Centre for up to three days a week in order to provide them with the physical and mental stimulation they need to stay healthy and remain in their own homes and provide carers with the vital respite they need to support their loved ones