Reality of community care

Press, 22 September 1987, Page 6

Reality of community care

The reality of community care was often quite different from the theory, the Templeton Hospital Parents* Association was told last evening. The words “community care” had a warm, fuzzy feeling, but in practice the concept involved a lot Off stress and loss of freedom for female relatives of disadvantaged people, said Mr Michael Mills. Mr Mills is employed by the social monitoring group of the New Zealand Planning Council. He was one of five panel members speaking to parents and relatives of Templeton Hospital residents about the proposal to move the intellectually handicapped out of institutions and-into the com-

munity. All members of the panel agreed that the quality of care was the most important issue and that a wide range of alternative types of care was desirable. The chairman of the Canterbury Hospital Board, Mr Tom Grigg, said he would like to see new purpose-built villas constructed at Templeton as one aspect of the care of the intellectually handicapped. Mrs Pamela May, a parent of a Templeton resident, said it would be wrong to close the hospital.

“We should use it as a base from which other services could move out into the community,” she said.

The hospital could be used for assessing and training, and for provision of short-term relief for parents and other carers. She warned against leaving only the profoundly handicapped in the hospital. “Templeton would lose its atmosphere of caring,” she said. The interaction between staff and residents and between the more able and the less able residents would change immensely. The move of intellectually handicapped people into the community would need staff and resources to be provided at present or improved levels, said Mr Mills. "Community care is not a cheaper alternative. We

need adequate support for ; the carers,” he said. J The work done by 1 carers, mainly women, was vastly undervalued in ’ money terms. 1 I The meeting’s chairman, the member of Parliament for Sydenham, Mr Jim Anderton, asked if community care meant - transferring the cost of ? care from the Govern- ' ment to the parent He suggested that the .» 150 people at the meeting -■ lobby their members of Parliament about the issue of care for the intellectually handicapped. Although there was still time for parents to make input into decision-mak-ing, in the end the matter would be decided by politicians, he said.