Inquiry told care home staff felt ‘second best’
A RESIDENTIAL rehab centre in Erskine has been praised by Scotland’s minister for drugs and alcohol policy.
Christina McKelvie paid a visit to Abbeycare to hear about its drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation services.
She toured the hub and met with frontline staff, as well as people who are recovering from addiction.
Her visit featured discussions about addiction experiences and the journey to recovery with current Abbeycare residents and aftercare group members.
Ms McKelvie said: “I was pleased to get the chance to hear first-hand about people’s recovery journeys and Abbeycare’s work with those with problematic substance and alcohol use.
“This is supported by increased Scottish Government funding for residential rehabilitation placements via alcohol and drug partnerships.
“As part of our £250million national mission on drugs, we’re taking a wide range of measures – and improving access to residential rehab is a key part of our mission to save and improve lives.”
Staff at Abbeycare, based within Erskine Mains House, provide comprehensive care for those battling addiction.
Services include harm reduction interventions, counselling, recovery care planning, family support and aftercare to help people address the issues behind their reliance on alcohol and drugs.
Abbeycare welcomes admissions from across Scotland, including private patients and local authority referrals.
Paul Bowley, chief executive of Abbeycare, said: “We were incredibly pleased to welcome the minister to our centre in Erskine to discuss the work we do to support people in recovery from drug and alcohol addictions.”
Mr McDonald also told the inquiry about the challenges his team faced during the pandemic.
This included staff being unable to leave the care home during 12-and-a-half-hour shifts, as well as having to support vulnerable patients, all of whom were suffering from dementia, while complying with guidelines around PPE and social distancing.
He also told the inquiry that his director took the decision to mandate PPE for visitors to the home in February 2020, ahead of the first official lockdown, in order to protect residents from the virus.
Mr McDonald said: “Our director of care quickly realised that – you could see on the news – it was coming, so it was just a matter of keeping the residents safe and the relatives safe, as much as possible.”
The inquiry continues.