The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Frank’s Law receives backing from care professionals and social workers
Frontline staff throw their weight behind bid for free care
Frontline staff helping those suffering from dementia have thrown their weight behind Frank’s Law.
The campaign, which is backed by The Courier and fought in memory of the late Dundee United star Frank Kopel, demands that care charges for under-65s with debilitating conditions are abolished.
As it stands, only those over that age are entitled to free personal care.
Scottish Conservative mental health spokesman and MSP Miles Briggs has brought forward a members’ bill to introduce what has become known as Frank’s Law, with a public consultation due to end in October.
Carers and social workers have come forward to back the change.
Cheryl Casey, who works in the care profession, said she has worked with many people with dementia.
Responding to the consultation, she said: “There is no age limit on when a person is diagnosed with this sad illness, so why should there be an age limit to free healthcare for it?”
Care worker Judy Brogan said she has seen first-hand the impact of the disease.
She said: “It is devastating to the person and those who love them and for the loved ones to have to worry about the high costs of basic care is absolutely ridiculous.”
Frank’s wife Amanda is leading the charge to abolish the care fees for under65s, which now has majority support in Holyrood.
Her husband passed away in 2014 just before his 65th birthday.
The family forked out thousands of pounds a year so that he could be properly looked after.
Amanda said talks with Scottish Government officials yesterday were “constructive”.
She said: “We all put our views across and we are trying to meet in the middle.
“There is no definite date but it is looking good, thank God.
“It is discriminatory and I’m not prepared to wait three or four years for it to be changed.
“I said to them that you can’t put a price on people’s lives because that’s what we are doing right now. It will be better for the people of Scotland once it happens.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said they are examining the plans “while protecting existing provision”.
“We are currently running a feasibility study to consider the costs, benefits, challenges and consequences of extending free personal care, including analysis of the additional demand for care likely to be created and the relationship with social security provision,” he said. “This will be completed over the summer.”
The campaign to ensure free personal care for under 65s with debilitating conditions is gathering pace. Amanda Kopel has been unrelenting in her demand for “Frank’s Law” – named after her late husband – and at last it appears the message is getting through.
Frontline staff are among those adding to the clamour for change. It is a campaign this newspaper is proud to support. The calls for new legislation are surely now irresistible.