NHS Highland boss aware of challenges faced in care home sector in wake of shock Ross-shire closure announcement
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NHS Highland's chief officer Louise Bussell is well aware of the challenges of care home provision across the region.
In the wake of Parklands announcement that it would be closing Mo Dhachaidh in Ullapool – only a matter of months after taking it over – she said: "I know that there are challenges. We meet regularly with independent care home providers and have had conversations since they took over. We know it was a difficult situation. They have been very open about it."
She noted that the majority of smaller care homes in the Highlands are run by NHS Highland, which meets a need in particular in remote areas.
She said: "One of our staff was there when residents and staff were told. Our social work colleagues will go in and look at what's best. There are different people with different circumstances. Some people have families outwith the area and may choose to move to be closer to them. We will use any and all provision that we have at Lochbroom House to support people if they want it."
She noted too that Parklands have a number of other care homes in the Highlands and have offered to have conversations with residents and relatives affected about the possibilities there.
In terms of staff, she said NHS Highland is keen to retain skilled workers in the area wherever possible. That could include the expansion of the care at home service where elderly people are supported to stay in their own homes if they wish and it is practicable.
She said the vast majority of people do desire to stay in their own homes as long as they are able.
She said there's never a shortage of work in the sector.
She said that while Lochbroom is one of the smaller ones, there are no plans to put it on the market. She described small care homes as a "bread and butter" function of NHS Highland.
She said: "Parklands have been very considerate in having to make these decisions. I'm confident they will work closely with us and staff and residents.It is of course a really upsetting and sad situation."
See more on the situation in Ullapool in this week's Ross-shire Journal.
