A frail 79-year-old woman became confused about a letter she
received this month from Dunedin South MP Clare Curran,
believing it meant her personal care would be cut, Otago Age
Concern social worker Marie Bennett says.
Clare Curran.
The letter had caused the woman unnecessary stress and
anxiety and Mrs Bennett said she had to spend "quite a bit of
time" reassuring her that her support was not being affected.
The letter, dated March 5, was sent out by Ms Curran, under
the Labour Party logo with a photo of the MP on it, and drew
attention to the Otago and Southland District Health Boards'
proposed cuts to funding to home-based support.
In it, Ms Curran invited anyone who had been contacted by the
board about the issue and feared they would lose home support
to contact her office.
Their details would be kept confidential.
She said she was planning to talk to the district health
board as soon as possible about the changes and advocate on
behalf of any constituents affected.
The letter also referred to the proposed GST increase.
Mrs Bennett said she did not believe that the sending out of
such letters was the best way to address the issue.
Ms Curran told the Otago Daily Times she had sent out
2000 letters in the electorate in response to queries coming
in to her office about the issue.
She was sorry the letter had caused confusion and she would
be following up the matter with Mrs Bennett now it had been
brought to her attention.
Sending out such letters was a valid way for a local MP to
establish what opinion was around an issue and she had
already had several responses from concerned constituents,
she said.
Ms Curran said it was good that the boards had decided to
slow down the process, but she was still concerned the cuts
could mean the difference between someone being able to stay
in their home or be forced into residential care.
(The boards' advice is that those who are near the level of
needing residential care are not those who would be affected
by the cuts to housework help.)
- elspeth.mclean@odt.co.nz
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