The leader of Fife Council is demanding assurances problems which saw a stroke victim forced to sit up all night are resolved
David Ross is to meet with the director of health and social care and the chairperson of the integrated joint board, which now has responsibility for both council and NHS services for older people, “to seek assurances that these problems are going to be eliminated”.
The news comes as The Courier revealed 88-year-old widower Jimmy Smith had to sit in his chair overnight twice in one week as home carers failed to turn up to help him to bed.
His distraught family, who said they had no confidence in the new system of scheduling carers, were not told of his plight.
It came hot on the heels of news a Kirkcaldy dementia sufferer was getting herself up and trying to make her own breakfast as carers weren’t turning up till late morning in many instances.
Mary Johnston’s worried nephew John Morris raised the alarm, fearful his 94-year-old aunt wasn’t getting the supervision she desperately needed to take her vital medication.
Now Mr Ross has voiced his concern over the rash of complaints about home care services linked to the introduction of a new electronic scheduling system.
“Home care is one of the most important services the council provides with more and more elderly people relying on it.
“I am concerned that there have been a number of instances where the service has let people down over recent weeks.”
Having seen the new mobile scheduling system and talked to home carers and schedulers who are using it, he added: “They tell me the system will be an improvement on the old manual system.
“Using a mobile phone to log in and out of their visits, home carers will be in much closer contact with the staff managing their schedules.
“It will be easier to arrange routes to make the best use of carers’ time and fit better with the needs of service users.
“Schedulers should also be able to tell more easily if a carer has been delayed on route and arrange back up to see that appointments aren’t missed.
“But the introduction of this system is clearly throwing up problems,” he admitted.
“Whatever the challenges, our first and foremost commitment must be to continue delivering the services that people rely on.
“I know our home care staff are dedicated and caring.
“We need to ensure they receive all the support they need to do their jobs properly, but we can’t let things slide while the new system is being introduced.
“That’s why I am seeking these assurances from those responsible for managing the service.”
