Don't penalise elderly people for accidental falls

Tendring District Council is planning to charge elderly people a £26 'falling fee' for help getting back to their feet after a fall at home. Please sign this petition to tell the council that the public expect better for our vulnerable elderly people.

An elderly rights campaign group has called this fee a 'falling fine'. The proposed charge will take money from some of the most vulnerable in our society, at a time in their lives when they most need our support. Council-run Careline already charges users £21.60 a month, and the additional annual 'falling fee' creates a further divide between those who can afford basic care and those who cannot.

The inclusion of help after a fall as part of elderly care in the community is a great move. Help without the involvement of the emergency services can provide more timely and less stressful care for minor accidents. But it should not be another cost for vulnerable elderly care users. It is the council's responsibility to fund care provision fairly and compassionately.

Let Tendring District Council know that elderly people deserve access to basic care and that being picked up after a fall should be integral to any basic care package, not a costed extra.