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UK:
Borders Facing Crisis in Care for the Elderly
By
WILLIAM
CHISHOLM, The
Scotsman
July 2, 2003
UK - A review of care homes for the elderly in the
Scottish Borders has warned of bed shortages and outlined difficulties in
recruiting adequate numbers of skilled staff.
The
report, from a scrutiny panel set up by Scottish Borders Council,
recommends an appraisal with a view to privatising six residential homes
run by the local authority.
Scottish
Borders has a higher proportion of older people in its population than any
other region in Scotland and the demand for home care and residential
services is expected to increase considerably over the next decade.
A
total of 21,887 Borders residents (25 per cent of the adult population)
are retired.
The
full report has not been made public, but details of 19 separate
recommendations from the panel have been released after the document was
discussed in private.
Estimated
bed shortages over the coming years will be most acute in Berwickshire and
Peeblesshire, according to the review.
There
are currently 29 registered care homes in the Borders providing 825 beds.
By 2005 all homes must be capable of providing nursing as well as
residential care, but at present 16 homes are residential only.
However,
it will be virtually impossible to make more beds available in the eastern
Borders because local waste water treatment works cannot cope with even
small-scale building projects.
It
is expected a working group will report on this potentially serious
situation by September after exploring alternatives to residential care
such as adapting existing sheltered housing schemes to make them
"very" sheltered.
John
Elliot, who chaired the scrutiny panel, said: "
Our
report also makes it clear that in some parts of the Borders there will be
an over- provision of residential and nursing home places.
"There
will have to be much greater flexibility when it comes to future provision
of beds."
Andrew
Tulley, a panel member and former council leader, said:
"There
should be closer co-operation between public and private sectors in
delivering the range of services and standards of care older people
deserve."
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