Survey Says: Shetland Best For Care At Home

Shetland is the best place in Scotland for old people who want to keep living in their own home, a survey has revealed. The London-based Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) found Shetland Islands Council helped more people stay at home than any other Scottish authority.

The news comes just weeks after island pensioners battled with the council to stave of a hike in charges for meals on wheels, home helps and other care services.

The CSP found that 142 out of every 1,000 people aged over 65 were receiving help from the council to remain at home, beating Orkney into second place with 117, West Dumbartonshire (114) and the Western Isles (106).

Bottom of the league was Perth and Kinross with 41, and Argyll and Bute just better at 46.

CSP chairwoman Sarah Bazin said old people wanted to stay at home and enjoy their later years, and the lack of home care provision was causing “great concern” in some parts of the country.

“The CSP wants to see local councils making independent living a possibility for more older people by providing joined up care services to a greater number of people who need support in the communities they serve,” Ms Bazin said.

The SIC has always invested heavily in its older people, using its revenue from the oil industry to provide care centres and services which are the envy of the rest of the country. Pensioners and disabled people also get a Christmas bonus of almost £300 each year from the Shetland Charitable Trust.

SIC community care manager Christine Ferguson said the council had always provided a high level of services for old folk and next year expected to spend more than £3 million on care at home services.

“We spend more per capita than any other local authority, so it does not come as a surprise that we are supporting more older people at home than anyone else. There’s a much bigger commitment and much higher investment here,” Ms Ferguson said.

“We also provide services closer to home and are now moving towards a locality managed service so that everything is based in its own patch. And we’re working closer with community nurses which all helps people live at home.

“We are absolutely committed to keeping old people in their homes for as long as possible.”

Just two weeks ago the council overturned attempts to reduce its social care budget, under pressure from a campaign by old folk, as part of a grand attempt to reign in spending council-wide.

Former councillor Bill Smith, who organised the petition to fight the increases in care charges last December, praised the level of service in the isles, but said it had to be protected.

“It can’t be denied the council has a high quality of service for elderly people. I think it’s something to be proud of and should be guarded as much as possible,” Mr Smith said.

But Wilma Halcrow, of Age Concern, said that though the service was good it had declined over the years. “I see folk nearly every day that are not happy and their hours are being cut for home helps,” Mrs Halcrow said.

“Also it takes weeks and weeks and weeks to be assessed. There are people in the hospital that could be home, but they (the council) turn around and say they don’t have the staff.”