On Thursday the 08/11/2018 Claudia spoke in a Members Business Debate brought by her colleague Monica Lennon MSP with motion S5M-14123 on South Lanarkshire Care Homes Under Threat. This was following news of proposals that would fundamentally change the method of care in South Lanarkshire. Which would lead to the closure of many of the Council’s Care Homes, put the future of McClymont House in doubt, at least in its current form, and dramatically reduce the number of beds available.
Care in Scotland is at a crossroads, proper investment and consultation in any new ways of working must be an absolute priority.
Following the Debate Claudia Commented:
“We urgently need investment in our social care system: People are living longer and the population is aging. Because of that, and in the face of a decade of SNP cuts to council budgets, local authorities are struggling to manage care packages in the community. Scotland’s social care system is bulging at the seams.
“I question the notion that many people who are currently in a care facility would be better cared for at home. It seems to me that most of those people go into a care facility or care home because they were no longer able to cope at home, with carers making shorter visits or unpaid carers no longer able to look after them.
“We need investment now to improve care in the community, and we need longer visits with more structured care at home to facilitate people living at home longer.
“McClymont house in Lanark is such a precious facility. The hub-and-spoke method that is proposed for South Lanarkshire must not be an excuse to cut beds and reduce resources now, before there is a clear and broader future care plan.
“I saw a BBC documentary about a Dutch system that has students living in a nursing home and offering support in return for reduced rent. There are positive intergenerational effects, including tackling loneliness and isolation and helping to tackle depression in both the older and younger people. Social cohesion can be significantly supported by such sharing of experiences and life perspectives.”