Relative of Knapdale Ward dementia patient hits out at Shetland comparison
Belinda Braithwaite’s husband was looked after with what she described as ‘skill, compassion and dignity’ on Knapdale ward for nearly four years at the end of his life.
She is highly critical of plans by Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership to close the dementia ward and move to a community care model.
To back up the case for closure, the HSCP has used dementia care in the Shetland Islands as a comparison.
Belinda, however, believes there is no comparison between the situation in Mid Argyll and the 2014-17 Shetland dementia strategy.
She told us: ‘Population densities and numbers are similar to here, but what it fails to add is that Shetland benefited from oil reserves money for community resources.’
She continued: ‘Shetland has at least seven purpose-built care homes with day care provision and nine respite facilities.
‘Even an island with 500 people has a care home. They have hospital at home whereby someone goes to the patient’s home overnight, and they have extensive telecare provision.
‘With all this in place they operate a ‘step down, step up’ model, where a patient or carers might need extra help or admission to a care centre for a period and then home with appropriate support.’
Any patient needing inpatient dementia care would be sent to the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area under the plans.
‘This really is a human rights issue,’ said Belinda. ‘Imagine trying to visit your loved one in Glasgow every day.
‘These patients don’t have a voice to advocate for better care. They are a silent and a slightly hidden minority.’
‘This really is a human rights issue. These patients don’t have a voice to advocate for better care.’