ODHB to provide housework support update

Otago District Health Board managers will meet home support providers today to update them on plans to review housework support for some elderly.

Board general manager of planning and funding David Chrisp said the board had undertaken to set up regular meetings "to keep them up to date with our actions".

There had also been an agreement to discuss the long-term strategy for disability support services, but this was likely to be covered in later meetings.

Earlier this month, the Otago and Southland boards advised that the controversial plans to reduce house cleaning services for some elderly would continue, but more slowly than originally planned.

Instead of 2000 letters going out all at once to those receiving up to one and a-half hours of domestic help a week, the letters would be staggered over a month.

They began going out last week.

Anyone who receives a letter about having their housework support withdrawn has two weeks to appeal the decision and ask board staff to review their case.

The letters will give three weeks' notice of any changes, but after the lodging of an appeal it could be up to six weeks before the service is stopped or continued.

Some people with more than one and a-half hours of housework assistance may have their situation discussed by telephone interview or in person, depending on the person's circumstances and the ability to provide the required information, the board has advised.

The changes to the original programme mean that instead of taking two or three months, the reductions will be phased in over about six months.