A pensioner who went without a bed bath or shower for five weeks because of a shortage of care workers in Oban is backing a call for desperately needed new recruits.
Catriona Campbell, just out of hospital after a suspected heart attack, says she had to make-do with only half her daily support-at-home package when her previous care company handed her case back to Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) due to a lack of staff.
The 65-year-old said replacement carers only visited once a day and that she was unable to be given a bed bath or shower because they did not have the time.
Catriona said that after contacting Argyll and Bute Council’s Care Services lead Councillor Amanda Hampsey and its provost Councillor Maurice Corry for urgent help, she now has carers in twice a day via the HSCP, who are giving her all the personal care she needs.
However, Catriona says that her mental health has "gone down the tubes".
"I’m having to ring Silverline (an older people’s helpline) every night because I get the collywobbles worrying what will happen to me if they run out of carers again.
"I’m not blaming the HSCP, I know they try their best but they need more care workers and that’s not easy right now," said Catriona, who wanted to share her experience in the hope it might encourage more people to take up care work.
"I was five weeks without a bed bath or a shower because they did not have the time. I was deprived of a basic human right. I felt awful. I was sat in my flat stinking. I couldn’t even go and see my friends downstairs because they would’ve run a mile."
"My mental health has gone down the tubes. This is what can happen when people can’t get the care they need. I wanted people to know that. Please don’t leave us this way," she said.
A spokesperson for the HSCP said: "We were informed recently by current Care at Home provider Joan’s Carers that for various reasons, including recruitment and retention of staff, they have had to reduce the levels of support they provide to a number of people who receive care within the Oban area.
"We have been working closely with Joan’s Carers to ensure a smooth transition of care and support, and from March 22 all those individuals affected have been receiving the same level of service via agency staff managed by the HSCP.
"We have also contacted all those individuals and their families to make them aware of the new arrangements and to answer any questions that they may have.
Age Scotland this week warned that the escalating crisis in social care is becoming a ‘national scandal’ after figures showed more than 10,000 people are stuck on waiting lists.
Figures from Public Health Scotland found that 6,811 people are waiting to be assessed for social care at home, with a further 3,393 waiting for a care package to be delivered.
The overwhelming majority of those affected are older people in need of personal care, meal preparation and cleaning to allow them to live safely at home.
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