A SECOND World War veteran who fell in his flat and spent two-and-a-half days on the floor should have been wearing his emergency alarm pendant, Derby City Council's leader has said.
Councillor Paul Bayliss spoke after 99-year-old Harold Lee fell in his sheltered flat in Boyer Street, weeks after his free daily intercom welfare checks were withdrawn.
Mr Lee, a veteran of the North Africa campaign, had been receiving the check until April 1.
But this was stopped after he refused to start paying a 42p daily charge, claiming it was never part of the agreement when he moved in and he did not like the way it had been "thrust upon him".
Mr Lee, who was found on the floor by his grandson, had been carrying his alarm pendant but it was flung across the room as he fell.
Derwent Living, which runs the sheltered housing complex, has said the removal of the intercom checks was prompted by cuts in the cash it got from the council.
Mr Bayliss said people needed to have their council-funded alarm pendant, which provides a 24/7 alarm system, either worn around their neck or as wristband.
He said: "If the call system had been in place and we'd made the call and he'd fallen 30 seconds later he would still have been in trouble.
"The solution is to make sure the pendant is worn.
"At what point do we say 'well, what responsibility do individuals have for themselves?'."
Harold's son, Jules, previously said: "At the age of 99, how can you expect someone to always remember to wear a pendant? The intercom is the only way they could guarantee his safety."
The council's housing-related support budget was cut from £6,462,000 in 2012-13 to £3,739,000 in this financial year.
The council has expressed its "deep regret" for what happened to Mr Lee and said it was forced by the "financial climate" to focus its spending on areas which, unlike housing support, it must provide by law.
Council finance bosses say it must save £82.2 million between 2014-15 and 2016-17, after cuts to its grants from central Government.
Asked if the council could find the money to pay Derwent Living to restore the intercom checks, Mr Bayliss said: "We can't unpick any cuts we've made unless you can show me where the [replacement] cost savings will come from."
The council has vowed to "reassess" Mr Lee's needs.
Meanwhile, neighbours of Mr Lee have spoken out.
Joy Kerkhoff, 72, said: "He should still be getting a free intercom check.
"I don't think the council realise what damage cuts are doing to vulnerable people."
And Fred Tomlin, 60, said the cost of staying in the sheltered homes was "already ridiculous" with-out extra charges.
