David's story

David Gower, 76, lives in sheltered accommodation. He has severe mobility problems and relies on carers four times a day.

David says, 'My condition means that I have great difficulty moving around. I can only manage a few steps with a walking frame. And it is hard for me to do even the simplest of tasks like picking things up or opening an envelope.'

'I rely on carers four times a day to help me with my personal care – morning, noon, afternoon and night-time. My local authority has already had to pare down my home care service as much as it can. For instance, the carers are already hard pushed to get me out of bed, washed, toileted, dressed and breakfasted, with the bed made, in the allotted 45 minutes time. It’s a tough job for the carers because my mobility is so restricted.'

'It’s a double whammy – a reduction in time with the carers and a big increase to the charges I pay for the care. I share my home care costs with the local authority and my contribution has recently gone up from around £260 to £324 a month. I struggle with my payments – on top of my rent and bills – from my pension and dwindling savings.'

'I’m worried that the local authority is pushing for the ‘Big Society’ option where the emphasis is to push my care more and more onto friends and family. This is not an option for me. My relatives don’t live nearby. What I want is a proper "carers" service.'