Blind pensioner Bill Alderson has nine different carers in two weeks

Oct 13 2009 by Barry Gibson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

BLIND pensioner Bill Alderson has had a string of new carers following controversial rota changes – and says the system is not as good as the one it replaced.

The Skelmanthorpe 89-year-old needs help preparing food.

Bill has been used to having two carers – Jean and Julie – who have helped him for the past three years.

But in the last two weeks the retired Yorkshire Water Board inspector has had seven new carers knock at his door.

Bill said: “This new system is a dead loss. I don’t know why Kirklees Council changed the system, no-one’s better off.”

Bill, who lives alone, pays £85 a month for a daily visit from a carer.

He said: “They come at dinner time, take a frozen meal out of my freezer, microwave it and then put it on a plate for me. They also make a teacake and a pudding for me and leave it on the worktop for my tea.”

Bill has got to know his carers, Jean and Julie, who live in Denby Dale.

He said: “One of the main things for me is that we have a chat because I live alone. We talk about their families, their husbands and their children.”

Kirklees altered its carers’ work rotas at the start of this month to deal with growing demand.