Care and Repair helps the elderly live in their own homes – Brian Sloan

As Scotland’s population ages and more ­older ­people live alone, it is vital to ensure that they can be ­supported to live safely, and well, in their own homes for as long as ­possible.

Care and Repair Edinburgh and Age Scotland Brian Sloan of Age Scotland on right

One cost-effective way of helping to achieve this is with a well supported network of lifeline care and repair services across the country. The work they do to help older people live ­independently, and the services they provide which make the ­necessary adaptations to a person’s home when they leave hospital, is vital. The preventative spend value of care and repair is almost immeasurable.

But this lifeline is not available for many older people in South Ayrshire, Inverclyde, West Lothian and North Ayrshire. Why should older people in one part of Scotland have access to this vital service while ­others go without? That’s unacceptable and must change.

Care & Repair Edinburgh is a prime example of the services that can be offered for all older people throughout the country. It supports people returning from hospital or needing housing updates such as home improvements, small repairs and joinery work, and curate a list of vetted tradespeople. Small repairs completed by ­volunteers are free. Bigger or more complex jobs are chargeable, but very reasonable in cost.

Older people have shared with us that a big worry for them is being stuck in ­hospital after they are cleared for ­discharge. This isn’t unfounded when you read reports of delayed discharge levels. We know the longer an older ­person spends in hospital, the less ­independent they’ll become and sometimes, sadly, will never return home. ­Meanwhile, the number of people delayed from hospital ­discharge in Scotland rose last year at an average cost of £234 per day. You’re cheaper staying at the ­Balmoral Hotel!

Sometimes people are stuck in ­hospital when simple adaptations could send them home sooner. Care & Repair Edinburgh’s most popular service is fitting a police-approved key safe to homes, ­allowing carers and family to support older people during their recovery.

I met a woman who had phoned the fire service to put new batteries in her smoke alarm because she couldn’t reach it. She lives alone and she was worried about falling. When small repairs are needed, many older people don’t know where to turn.

Care & Repair Edinburgh volunteers help with small repairs like fitting and replacing alarms, hanging curtains, changing lightbulbs, setting up IKEA furniture, and even offering to set up an email address or tune the TV – only asking for a donation to the cost of any ­materials.

When I speak with the Care & Repair Edinburgh team, they say one of the ­biggest challenges they see when ­visiting older people is ­loneliness. Volunteers tell us that a 15 minute small repair with 10 minutes on either side for a cup of tea and a blether makes a real difference, as they could be the only person their older client sees that day or week.

Loneliness is a significant public health crisis in Scotland and is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Throughout ­Scotland, it affects 270,000 older ­people who only have their pet or TV for company.

Last year, Care and Repair Edinburgh helped more than 3,500 ­people, but many more can be supported across Scotland if funding is made available. That’s why Age Scotland, along with Care and Repair Scotland, is calling on the Scottish Government to ­commit to review the funding that supports these services so that they are ­available to all older people across Scotland.

It is important that these services are sustainable for the long term and accessible no matter where a ­person lives if Scotland is going to better ­support older people in their own homes. If you want to see if care and repair is available in your community, phone Age Scotland’s free and confidential helpline on 0800 12 44 222.

Brian Sloan, chief executive, Age Scotland.