Health chiefs have moved to reassure "anxious and concerned" Uttoxeter patients - after announcing the replacement of the home carers they have grown to love.
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) sufferer Brian Rowe was one of many town residents sent letters explaining their care providers were to be changed.
The pensioner cannot get out of bed, shower or get dressed without help from carers at Uttoxeter-based TLC, who visit him at 6.45am every day.
They will be replaced by workers at Walsall-based Harmony Care, the firm which has been contracted by Staffordshire County Council to provide home care across the county.
Mr Rowe, of The Hornbeams, says he is not the only one who does not want his carers to change and is worried his service will suffer.
But county council bosses have moved to reassure the 76-year-old that his care "will not change".
Mr Rowe said: "You imagine someone coming from further afield in the winter. I get up at 7am and I’m worried they won’t be able to get to me until later, so I could be in bed all day as I can’t get up by myself.
"I’m reliant on them to get me up, shower me and dress me and I just feel terrible about this as I’m used to the girls who come here regularly.
"They’re very good at their jobs and know exactly what my needs are because they’ve been coming to help me for so long.
"This situation’s made me feel very anxious and concerned and I understand others feel the same.
"I think the real motivation is to save money and not to improve our care, as the letter says.
"By using one company for the contract, I’d imagine they’re making savings compared to using lots of other local companies.
"TLC do everything for me and promote my independence, treating me like any other human being, despite my illness.
"As someone who requires care, you get used to your carers and don’t want them to be changed."
Other companies that provide care for townsfolk with a range of conditions, including dementia and multiple sclerosis, including Uttoxeter firms Mediline and Bluebird.
They will also be replaced by Harmony as part of the new deal.
Alan White, Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for health, care and wellbeing, said: "We recently agreed new home care contracts to help ensure people from across the whole county who are entitled to support receive this when they need it.
"While we understand that the thought of any change can be unsettling, I would like to reassure Mr Rowe that the care package he currently receives will not change and will continue as normal as part of the transfer to the new home care provider over the coming weeks.
"While nobody can guarantee people will always have the same carer, it is very common for carers to transfer to a new provider under employment laws when new contracts are awarded.
"All providers will be working together to ensure a smooth transition for both residents and for carers moving to a different provider."
Mr Rowe is one of two MND sufferers in Uttoxeter, along with Lark Rise resident Nick Brittlebank.
He has defied the odds to survive eight years - despite most sufferers dying within a year of diagnosis - and credits his success with a strong Christian faith.
