Home care change promotes independence

Published on Saturday 11 October 2008 11:21

HOME care for some elderly and vulnerable people in the Capital is to be changed.

Beginning on Monday, people receiving such support will have the emphasis shifted from having things done for them to being helped to do various everyday tasks such as washing and dressing.

Tagged "re-ablement", the purpose of the change is to give people incentives to help themselves and gradually become more independent. It will be carried out at the patients' pace and over a six-week period, initially piloted in the south-east of the city.

Cllr Paul Edie, health and social care leader, said: "Our home care staff deliver an essential service to some of the city's most vulnerable people, enabling them to lead the most independent life possible.

"Although re-ablement is an innovative idea in Scotland, it has been widely used in England and with much success. It has proven to maximise people's long-term independence, choice and quality of life, while responding to the growth in demand for home care services."