A SOCIAL insurance scheme which will pay out when people reach an elderly age should be introduced, according to a public meeting last night.
At the meeting as part of Health, Social Security and Housing Scrutiny panel’s investigation into the long-term care of the elderly, members of the public were in favour of adopting a Guernsey-style contribution system.
The chairman of the panel, Deputy Roy Le Hérissier, said: ‘People felt that the current systems of caring for the elderly were letting them down.’ He added that there was a lot of frustration at the meeting because the States were taking so long to make a decision about the future care of the elderly.
The reason the scheme has been so popular in Guernsey is because it removes the requirement of elderly people to sell their homes in order to receive long-term care, Deputy Le Hérissier added. ‘People don’t want to sell their houses -– that is a real issue. People need to feel cared for and respected.’
• Picture: Mike Pollard, Health chief executive, presents some facts and figures at last night’s meeting
