SHORTAGE of cash is forcing the closure of three day centres in Herefordshire which offer day care to victims of Alzheimers.

The Herefordshire Branch of the Alzheimers Society said it was both sad and angry at having to make the decision.

Day care now provided at Ross-on-Wye, Bromyard and one day at Hereford will cease at the end of March.

It will continue one day in Hereford and one day in Ledbury and the number of people who get help will be cut back by half from 37 to 18.

The Herefordshire Society wants £77,000 a year from Herefordshire Primary Care Trust and Herefordshire Council's social services to keep the service going.

The two authorities give £30,000 and have turned down the request saying an extra £45,000 in one leap for the same service cannot be justified.

Alison Smith, treasurer of the branch said £30,000 had never been enough and the branch had expanded its services with money from other sources such as the Eveson Trust, and topping up from donations to their own funds.

But the Society was a registered charity and Charity Commission rules only allowed them to use this money to pay for care for a short time.

There had been long consultations with the health authority and social services, but the door had now been closed on discussions and the branch had no choice but to withdraw much of its care.

She said it was a very sad day for victims of Alzheimers and more specially for their carers who desperately needed a break.

Alternatives

Mrs Smith said the cost of care was forever rising to meet more statutory health and safety standards.

Herefordshire Primary Care Trust chief Paul Bates confirmed the request for an extra £45,000 had been turned down.

"They are asking for a huge increase for providing the same service and we cannot justify that,'' he said.

He agreed the authority had a responsibility to look after people with dementia and his authority was now looking at ways of providing alternative help for patients and carers affected by the Alzheimers branch decision to cut back.

It could mean the authority still having to pay out extra money to do so.

Mr Bates described the work done by the Alzheimers Society as 'absolutely terrific' and highly valued.

"It is one of the finest society's around and we would bend over backwards to accommodate them,'' he said.

Mr Bates described the Society as one of the victims finding social care more expensive every year.

But they were held in such regard he hoped they would continue to work closely together in the future.

Mr Bates said many carers, and others had written to the health authority with their concern over the cut back in services and they were explaining the situation to individual families.

Mrs Smith said the Alzheimers Society was not giving up and was considering other ways to offer help to other parts of the county, and to provide for younger people with dementia and hoped to announce some plans later in the spring.