Ballyhornan woman mystified by decision

Ballyhornan woman mystified by decision

28 January 2015

A BALLYHORNAN pensioner has questioned the logic of a decision by health officials to abandon its daily meals on wheels service.

From May, the South Eastern Trust will stop delivering daily meals to older people living at home, with the organisation planning to deliver 14 frozen meals every two weeks because of cutbacks.

Under the new plan, people will have to defrost their meals on a daily basis before cooking the food themselves. But the move has been criticised by pensioner Angela Hamilton.

She has used the meals on wheels service on several occasions over recent years and after a break, started using it again on Monday of last week, just hours before news of the plan to abandon the daily service was made public.

While health chiefs insist people will continue to receive a nutritious meal and benefit from a wider choice of options, the Ballyhornan pensioner said if the current system is not broke, why fix it?

“I am fortunate that I do have a freezer which could accommodate such a huge volume of frozen meals being delivered every fortnight. But what about pensioners who are not so fortunate? What are they to do with frozen meals they have no space for?

“In addition, what happens if an elderly person forgets to defrost their meal before they eat it?. Will they end up going without a meal? Are health officials assuming every pensioner can use a microwave or an oven? To me, the implications of this proposal do not seem to have been fully examined.” 

The Ballyhornan pensioner said she is one of a band of people whose only contact during the day is with her carer or meals on wheels delivery driver.

“While the person delivering the meals is doing a job, they are calling at the homes of elderly and vulnerable people and are welcome visitors. They could also raise the alarm if someone was ill or in any kind of trouble or distress,” she continued.

Confined to a wheelchair, Angela’s mobility problems restrict her movements in the kitchen and she believes many other elderly people find themselves in a similar situation.

“I am at a complete loss to understand the rationale behind the decision to bin the daily meals on wheels service. One question I would like answered is will the number of meals on wheels delivery drivers be reduced as part of this proposal and will these people find themselves out of work?

“I do not believe health chiefs are thinking about the needs and well-being of the people they provide the service for.” 

“Whenever it comes to cuts, it always appears that it’s the elderly and vulnerable who suffer the consequences and why was the decision to change the meals on wheels service made without community consultation?”

The Ballyhornan pensioner added: “The delivery of a daily meal for many people provided an opportunity to see a friendly face and have a quick chat. This is one aspect of the meals on wheels service many people do not understand or appreciate.”