Sir - Re the Gazette report of January 21, Patients Need Transport Help, as paragraph eight erroneously implies that Crossroads are not providing any support to carers in Cam and Dursley and have large numbers of carers in these areas on our waiting lists, I would like to set the record straight.
Our scheme is currently supporting four carers in Cam and four in Dursley - as well as one in North Nibley, one in Berkeley and two in Slimbridge. At present our waiting list only includes one carer in Cam who has asked not to be contacted until the end of January, none in Dursley and one in Uley (male carer specified which we are unable to provide at present).
Consequently, I am at a loss to know where all these people are in Cam and Dursley who are, supposedly, waiting to hear from us! We do have a total of 12 carers on our Stroud waiting list but these are located in Leonard Stanley, Whitminster, Stroud, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth and Epney.
Whilst we would like to support more carers, our hard working and committed carer support workers are currently working flat-out to support our carers and have recently been providing seven waking nights per week to enable a lady to remain at home whilst her carer was in hospital. So, as you will appreciate, our care provision extends well beyond a couple of hours! We are recruiting more staff in an effort to reduce our waiting lists but, particularly given the necessary, but increasingly stringent, checks in the recruiting processes this does take time.
I would also like to point out that the main area of support for carers of people with Alzheimer's is the Alzheimer's Society which specialises in this field and that, under terms of our funding, we cannot duplicate their support.
Finally, I am pleased to announce that our charity is now able to offer free physiotherapy sessions in addition to the alternative therapies that we are providing for carer. Any carers wishing to access these free therapy sessions should contact us on 01453 755999.
Myrtle Moreton-Cox, Manager, Stroud and Gloucester Crossroads - Caring for Carers
The Hill, Merrywalks, Stroud
Editor's note: The report last week was quoting comments made at the Gloucestershire Hospitals People and Public in Health Forum meeting.
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