Cost of meals for elderly soars

Senior reporter

Friday 8 March 2013

SCOTLAND'S largest local authority is under fire after more than tripling the cost of meals for the elderly while cutting what it serves by one-third.

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GERRY BRAIDEN

Hundreds of pensioners and carers of those who use Glasgow's day centres each week are to receive letters telling them the subsidy for the meals is being removed and they will rise in price from 81p to £2.97.

Despite the steep hike, the courses on offer will be cut from three to two, with the council's arms-length social care and catering claiming it is all it can provide for the price paid.Day centre users have also been told they will not be allowed to bring their own lunches to the facilities due to concerns over cross-contamination.There are 18 day centres in the city, each serving between 125 and 185 meals a week. The rise has sparked fears many who receive the lunches, often their only hot meal of the day, will be forced to do without and could stop attending the day centres.Scotland's leading charity for the elderly said this would "increase loneliness", with isolation driving people into care.The Scottish Pensioners' Forum also hit out at the subsidised lunches enjoyed by city councillors and senior officials for the best part of a century.The council hopes to save £306,000 from the rise.However, it has come under fire for its leadership spending well in excess of £100,000 on its competition to redesign George Square and many thousands more on six months of officers' time on the ill-fated scheme.Council officials said the move should be no surprise as it was included in last month's budget, adding that opposition councillors supported the Labour administration's proposal.However, the only reference in the budget reads: "Align charge for meals to match unit cost of £2.97, changing all meal provision to two courses."SNP members also said that while all other cuts options were discussed by officers with them before the budget, this was not.An Age Scotland spokesman said: "Sadly, the likely effect is to deter low-income older people from using the service, which for some will be the only human contact and decent meal they are able to enjoy."Not only will this increase loneliness but also, as becoming isolated is often the 'tipping point' leading to an older person entering residential or long term hospital care, is likely to cost the public purse far more in the long term."A Scottish Pensioners' Forum spokeswoman said: "It's another typical example of how the most vulnerable suffer."Sam McCartney, Unison's day care convener, said: "Not only is this council prepared to close essential services, they are now placing charges and costs on the people least afford to pay."Projects it is spending money on must be re-assessed. Never mind George Square – protect services for the vulnerable."The SNP's Susan Aitken said: "While providing free golf for everyone over 60 and additional support for heating the homes of those over 80 are good, these shouldn't come at the expense of services relied on by the most vulnerable older people."A council spokesman said: "The meal charge has remained unchanged as far back as the 1980s and this will simply mean the council is now able to cover the cost of producing the meals."The meals provided, which include a full, main course, are nutritionally balanced in line with Care Inspectorate guidance and at £2.97 still represent very good value."

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Cost of meals for elderly soars

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