Health Minister Tony Ryall says he will personally step in if a change in the home help policy of some South Island district health boards leads to older people being forced from their homes.
The Otago and Southland DHBs expect to save up to $4 million annually by reducing household help for thousands of older people.
The DHBs, which received Government approval to merge this week, say they are reassessing home help and will no longer pay for house cleaning for those who require only that service.
Labour Party health spokesperson Ruth Dyson says the cutbacks will lead to more older people ending up in hospitals or rest homes because they won't be able to cope on their own.
Health Minister Tony Ryall says if that happens he will investigate the individual cases.
Lobby group Grey Power says at least five health boards are now phoning older people to reassess their support requirements.
Doubts over assessment process
Rural General Practice Network chair Kirsty Murell-McMillan patients should be face-to-face instead of over the telephone, because it's more obvious whether they are struggling to care for themselves.
She says there may be some disasters if assessments are done without consulting the carers involved with them.
Age Concern chief executive Ann Martin also says interviews to assess whether home cleaning help is needed should not be carried out by telephone.
She says the Government and DHBs need to consider that services such as home cleaning can improve the quality of life for people living on their own.
Redundancies signalled for care workers
David Chrisp of the Southland DHB says some care workers in the seven agencies which provide home help in the region are likely to have a reduction in hours, and there may be redundancies.
Rural Women New Zealand expects there will be redundancies for its charitable subsidiary, Access Home Health, which provides home help care for the elderly.
