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Hilda Porter at home. ‘This has taken the guts out of me’ |
Stuck at home, the fate of 92-year-old still full of life
Minibus cut forces pensioner to miss out on day centre trips
SHE’S been an accountant to the stars, a master butcher, chef and bus conductor but now 92-year-old Hilda Porter’s active life has been curtailed. A decision to axe a day centre minibus means she must stay at home two days a week.
Ms Porter, who is registered blind, is missing out on two of her weekly visits to Drovers day centre in North Road, Holloway. Previously, Drovers and Sotheby Mews day centre in Highbury had a minibus each, but after a purse-tightening council decision they now have to share one.
“This has taken the guts out of me,” she added. “They’ve decided I can’t go Mondays and Thursdays. On those days, what do you do? I’m fortunate I can cook a meal. I can look after myself but there are a lot that can’t.”
With only one minibus to be shared by the day centres, pensioners now have to be picked up later in the day or taken home earlier. For some, like Ms Porter, it means being left at home all day.
“We’re all very upset,” she said. “They’ve taken our dignity away. It makes so many of us sad. Drovers was essential but now I’m looking for somewhere else with transport. Why do they want to save pennies from older people. Islington is one of the richest places in London.”
Members of Sotheby Mews centre fear it will be forced to close and pensioners at both centres have organised a protest petition.
Lib Dem adult social services chief Councillor John Gilbert this week pledged to look into the complaints and make the issue a priority.
He said: “If you’re running a bus with only two or three people in it that’s a waste of taxpayers’ money. However, there’s a balance that needs to be struck and I’m not sure we’re striking it in the right place.
“We’re asking centre managers to look critically at the way places are allocated to see if we’re making the best use of resources.”
Ms Porter, who lives in Holloway, was an apprentice master butcher and chef before becoming a bus conductor during the war. When her husband died 40 years ago, she became a caterer, then later a chartered accountant for some of Britain’s most famous singers, although she is too discreet to name them.
She retired at 74 but went blind overnight when the blood vessels in her eyes burst six years ago.
When five laser operations to restore her sight proved unsuccessful, she began attending Drovers centre.
“The Drovers is so good for me,” she said.
Now, on the days she is stuck at home, she must wait for a neighbour to walk past her door then ask to be escorted to a bench in the garden, where she sits for hours until someone can take her home again.
She said: “Some people don’t get washed or dressed all day because no one’s going to see them. The council does not understand elderly people.”
Islington North Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn is demanding the minibus is reinstated immediately. He said: “It’s a mean and parsimonious cutback by the council, which is preventing a number of people attending the day centres. We’re providing good-quality day centres, which they then deny access to because of transport.”
Drovers deputy manager Pushpo Deb said: “We’ve had to cut down the number of people we pick up from about 16 to around 10. Having the bus do two centres is very disruptive.” |
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