Highlands and MSP, Edward Mountain has launched an online petition as part of his Time to Talk campaign.
The Time to Talk campaign has the three following aims:
· Combat loneliness of those receiving personal care-at-home
· Change how NHS Highland commissions care-at-home packages
· Extend care beyond purely physical needs to include wellbeing
The petition, which will be sent to NHS Highland, reads: “We believe that it is time to improve care-at-home provision to combat feelings of loneliness felt by those receiving personal care.”
“We call on NHS Highland to enhance how it commissions care-at-home packages and to expand care beyond purely physical needs, so that it also includes wellbeing too.”
A link to the petition can be found by following this link: https://www.edwardmountainmsp.scot/time-to-talk
The Time to Talk campaign has already won the support of two of the region’s largest care providers, Highland Home Carers Ltd and Home Care Scotland.
Edward Mountain MSP commented:
“I would encourage everyone to sign my online petition, which can be found on my website and calls on NHS Highland to enhance care-at-home.
“Loneliness and isolation have been huge problems during the pandemic for those receiving care-at-home.”
“This problem has not been made any easier by NHS Highland’s current commissioning practice, which is known as ‘time and task’.”
“The ‘time and task’ models means care is delivered in very short time slots – sometimes only twenty minutes – which gives carers time to meet they physical health needs of their clients, but little time to talk.”
“We need to see a move towards a more personable approach, where carers have more time to talk and, therefore, can help to reduce the isolation of those they look after.”
