Lack of carers prolonging OAP’s hospital stay

AN OBAN pensioner who has been ‘stuck’ in hospital for four weeks is calling on more people to consider a career in caring,

Kate Winton, 75, went into Lorn and Islands Hospital in Oban on September 12 with a sickness bug on advice from her GP. But four weeks later she is unable to go home as her care providers are unable to provide her with a package of home support.

Mrs Winton, a community councillor and a disability rights advocate, has no complaints about her care – or indeed the excellent support being provided at every level of the hospital.

In fact, Mrs Winton, who has MS, even goes as far as to say that every single stop has been pulled out to help her find a way to go home.

Mrs Winton explains: ‘There is no prospect of going home until I find carers. At present it is looking like I am going to have to become an employer of carers myself.

‘I have been told that the people who work for carers’ companies only get a small proportion of the money paid by the local authority to them.

‘And of course many carers move onto other jobs.’

In the last year, Mrs Winton has lost 11 carers – five in one week when her last package of carers was pulled.

Mrs Winton said: ‘I cannot be at home without carers and in the meantime I am taking up a much-needed hospital bed.

‘It seems that people are not considering a career in caring because the salary is too low. Companies pay carers £7.20 an hour, while some supermarkets pay upwards of £9.50 per hour.’