HOME CARE USERS HIT OUT OVER SERVICE IN LOCKDOWN

One at-risk couple receiving care from ‘12 people per week’

AN at-risk couple have been left sanitising their home after care visits, with claims that Glasgow’s Home Care Service are sending 12 different members of staff into their home per week.

Jimmy Sweeney, 76, from Craigton, has multiple sclerosis and says he is worried about the amount of people that the service – formerly known as Cordia – is sending out on a weekly basis.

He said: “Last week, we had 12 carers come into the house, as opposed to the normal two or three.

“Although they’re wearing masks and protection, it’s scary that we have 12 different people come into the house when we’re trying our best to stay safe at the moment.”

Jimmy and his wife Patricia are also worried over the whether the carers are being tested or not.

“My wife Patricia, who has

Parkinson’s, then has to go around the house cleaning and wiping everything once someone leaves to make sure that the house is safe.

“Our concern is that we don’t know if the carers coming in are getting tested.”

In response to these claims, a spokeswoman for Glasgow’s Health & Social Care Partnership said: “While it is perfectly understandable that people are nervous, at the moment, about different people going into their homes to provide support and assistance, we can assure everyone that all our Home Care staff are equipped with PPE and infection control practices will be used every time they visit.”

Jimmy also claims that he and Patricia have to leave their front door unlocked, as they are not told who will be coming to help them that day.

He said: “We have a wee keybox with a code on it that our normal carers know the code to, but when we have 12 different people in during a week, we don’t want to be giving out that code to everyone.

“Our normal carers are able to see a difference in us too. The last time I was sent into hospital, it was because my carers noticed a difference in me. If we’re getting 12 different people every week, how are they supposed to recognise those changes?”

“The carers themselves do a fantastic job, I really can’t fault the level of care that we’re getting and I really appreciate all the help that they are giving us.

“It’s the management that’s the problem, there’s little communication. The way it’s organised is ridiculous.”

The home help service has been scaled back during lockdown, with Home Care reducing outreach to 1600 people in Glasgow during the past four months.

In March, the Glasgow Times reported that the home care service reduced to a “critical care” service in response to the coronavirus lockdown, in which the most vulnerable users were offered a reduced service, with others asked to rely on family members and loved ones for immediate care.

Valerie Livingstone, who has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, had her care plan voluntarily paused as she originally relied on her daughter in Largs for care, moving in with her as lockdown was announced.

She returned home to Craigton on June 8, after circumstances