Red cross respite

[Eun]

The Red Cross place in Irvine is closing down with the loss of 77 jobs because Red Cross have decided they will no longer be involved in residential care. This was one of the places that Rob was going to look at for respite and one of his friends was living there. The young disabled adults are now being put into old folk's homes alongside people with alzheimers/dementia. So much for the Transition Worker airily telling us oh no that can't and won't happen. She must think we are a cross between niave/stupid. One less place for respite

Eun

[charles47]

That's utterly ridiculous, Eun! What do those numpties think they're doing?

[Elaine]

Only just over half of the 190 Care Homes in our district have got as far as 'good' in the latest rounds of CQC inspections and none achieved excellent. One home for 19 people with learning difficulties was classed as inadequate. Soiled mattresses were mentioned. Our local paper has been headlining that tonight. The provision of Care seems to be going downhill everywhere which means more and more is resting on the shoulders of family, often a sole carer, with intermittent 'help' from family members and friends, often unreliable Social Carers or private Care providers.
It seems obvious to me that this will inevitably lead to the family carers collapsing under the strain which will lead to two people, the carer and the caree, landing suddenly at the door of the NHS, not to mention any ripple effect on children, partners and so on.
The days when the extended family lived very close to each other and 'auntie' next door would pop in to sit with granddad for a while or second cousin would happily play with a child for an hour or so seem to be long gone. Many people are trying to care at a distance or unsupported.
It's a rapidly building crisis. It's frightening.
Elaine

[Eun]

My husband and I are already at crisis point with our health Elaine.....

Eun

[Elaine]

Oh Eun,
So sorry you are struggling so much, wish I had a magic wand. Sending hugs, inadequate but well meant as they are.
Elaine

[Eun]

Rob's friend Danielle is being offered the choice of moving back in with her 70 year old ill father or being put into an old folk's home now that the Red Cross place is closing but because she has been in the papers highlighting this the Council are saying that she is "unreasonabley declining" the choices offered. She has a Phd and is running her own business, her dad lives out in the country in a place that is not wheelchair friendly. What the hell is happening in this country to people with physical disabilities - its going back to the way it was in the past - out of sight out of mind and all the gains disabled people fought for are being lost!

Eun

[Scally]

I remember that place opening shortly after I arrived to work at Ayrshire and Arran Health Board in 1991. We put a lot of NHS capital into it, and I am pretty sure the NHS won't get a penny back.
It was always a poorly designed model, and in the wrong place too: such a large facility to serve a huge area - most of Scotland - for intensive, medium stay rehabilitation after e.g. traumatic traffic or industrial accidents. Why not have smaller units locally in each area?: one 4 to 8 apartment sheltered unit for each of the major cities, close by a major hospital with all the physio facilities and so on would have been far better. People need to be closer to their families and communities whilst undergoing rehab.
So, it suffered from mission-drift due to changing times and needs, and the closure was inevitable.
What I would hope is that it can be taken over and refurbished by a charitable agency purely for respite and holidays on the lovely Ayrshire Coast, that would be ideal.
As for supported housing with dedicated and skilled 24 hr care for people with life-long disabilities or illnesses, that is a different matter, and it must be provided in every community, in partnership with Housing Associations, the NHS and Social Care. Hopefully the newly merged budgets and partnership s will make the fast tracking of such facilities a high priority, because in the past both agencies have tried to shift the costs onto the other, with disastrous consequences.

[Eun]

The councils claim they cannot offer services for individuals as there are not enough numbers in thier areas to make it worth their while. That is why a national Scotland wide solution such as the Red Cross place is needed (funded by the government and not having to rely on charity). Why not listen to the people who actually use these services - units for 4 to 8 people isn't going to exactly help a lot is it when you consider the numbers of people who need services? You do realise that disabled people are not allowed physio don't you? We have a fantastic physio dept in our local surgery but it is only for those who have broken a limb etc - they do not offer ongoing physio for those with severe physical disabilities even though they need it the most! This is not rehab we are talking about here. This is somewhere the people we are talking about regard as their home! Danielle had even set up her own business. She was on the BBC tonight highlighting the fact she is being kicked out of her HOME. It won't be refurbished - no charities are interested in providing respite facilities for those like my son - what do you think we have been fighting for for the last two years. You can say supported accomodation MUST be provided in each community but it simply not happening Scally! Have you not seen Sue Ryder's figures on the numbers of people with physical disabilities forced into elderly care homes? Why can't people with physical disabilities get as much provision as those with learning difficulties seem to get. I know of many mentally handicapped people living independently with support - why can't the same happen for those with life long physical disabilities? They still are trying to shift the responsibility for budgets - look at what happened when there was talk of Rob having a tracheotomy and the arguments that it was a social need and not a health need!

Eun

[Scally]

It was set up for 'up to three months short to mid-term ' rehabilitation. Not a permanent home. The units are too small for that, about the size of a holiday let, with minimal storage for possessions. And it's in a lousy location for most carers and families to visit.
By the way, disabled people have as much right to Physio as anyone else, last I heard.

Anyway, it is now election time: I have already raised this with Jamie Hepburn, my local MSP and the Minister for Health, I suggest you do too: jamie.hepburn.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

[Eun]

Well you heard wrong then didn't you. Why do you think the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign have a campaign going on this very subject? I had to write a letter to the Head of the NHS in our area to inform him that children with DMD living in Newcastle on average live 7 years longer than those in Scotland because they get ongoing physio and our children didn't. I managed to get him extra physio for a few years but it is all stopped now and the maximum period of physio you can get is 6 weeks but none for ongoing conditions. His dad has to provide his physio or he wouldn't get any!

As regards to your comment that the rooms are too small - Danielle has lived there quite happily for the last 7 years (she was dumped into an Old Folk's Home previously). Even if the rooms were small its got to be better for a young person than being dumped in with old people with dementia/alzheimers isn't it?

Waste of time complaining to politicians what do you think we have been doing for the last two years and they have now closed son's petition because of the upcoming election.

Eun