Night Support Service now available across the Borders
Thursday, September 14 2006
Scottish Borders Council’s Social Work Department, in partnership with NHS Borders, is pleased to announce that the Night Support Service is now available across the whole of the Scottish Borders. The Service, which operates from 10pm to 7:30am, offers assistance during the night to people who would otherwise be admitted to hospital, residential or nursing home care.
The Service is for people whose condition is not serious enough to require round-the-clock care and who could be safely supported at home by some additional care at night time. The Service provides assistance with continence management, turning in bed and personal care, safety checks and response to agreed community alarm alerts, as well as reassurance and reorientation visits.
A team of specially trained Home Care Assistants provide the Service, in partnership with the Council’s Emergency Duty Team, NHS Borders ‘Out of Hours’ Nursing Service and Bordercare Community Alarm Service. Two Home Care Assistant Night Support Workers are on duty in each of the five areas every night, working from Duns, Kelso, Galashiels, Hawick and Peebles. They travel to the homes of individuals from their bases in the local community hospital or the BGH.
Councillor Carolyn Riddell-Carre, Executive Spokesperson for Social Work Services, said, “The Night Support Service is part of the Joint Future agenda, which sees different agencies coming together to offer integrated services, providing a more co-ordinated and higher standard of care to the people of the Scottish Borders. Following a pilot in the Duns and Kelso areas, clients were impressed by the standard of care which allowed them to remain at home. This also had a positive impact on reducing pressure in hospitals and residential care homes. Our joint team of health and social care experts will continue to carry out careful assessments before anyone receives the service to ensure that we are offering the right care to those who need it.”
Residents across the Borders who believe they would benefit from the Night Support Service should contact their local Social Work Office and ask to speak to the Duty Worker. Leaflets containing more information on the service are available from Social Work Offices and Health Centres across the Borders.
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