Elderly couple to keep home care despite new law

An elderly couple (88 and 89 years old) from Dantumadiel will for the time being still be entitled to home assistance from January 1st, 2015, the court in Groningen determined today. Due to the home assistance the couple can continue to live independently. But after the new Social Support Act (WMO) takes effect on January 1st, the municipality will no longer reimburse the cost of the home assistance. For this reason the couple and their daughter filed a lawsuit, with the help of Ieder(in) - the umbrella organization for the chronically ill and people with disabilities. According to Ieder(in), this is not an isolated case. A quarter of all municipalities violate the law by cancelling home assistance for the elderly and people with disabilities, says the organization. Ieder(in) is pleased with the ruling. The judge indicated explicitly that municipalities have to look at the specific situation of people with home assistance and "that you can't throw it out categorically", said a spokesperson. According to the couple's lawyer, the ruling means that anyone who has their home assistance cancelled without their situation being looked at, can now object and will be helped. ANBO, interest group for the elderly, also reacts elated. "Municipalities are now hopefully warned that they can not simply remove the home assistance without thorough research", says director Liane den Haan. According to her, ANBO receives daily reports of home assistance being removed or reduced.