A building in the heart of South Lanarkshire is to be illuminated this evening – in tribute to home carers in the area.
Hamilton Town House will be bathed in yellow light to recognise the incredible and ongoing contribution home carers make to people’s lives.
The Town House, built in the early 1900s, is one of many significant buildings across Scotland to be illuminated, to mark national Homecare day. The inaugural event will celebrate the difference made by the frontline staff.
Soumen Sengupta, Director of Health and Social Care for South Lanarkshire, said: “We are proud to participate in this national day of awareness by lighting up this local landmark.
“Both our own staff and our commissioned partners continue to make a magnificent contribution to the lives of the individuals they care for on a daily basis.
“On behalf of everyone in South Lanarkshire, I’d like to offer a note of heartfelt thanks for their dedication, compassion and professionalism.”
South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s (HSCP) Scott McNeill, who is the Service Manager for Registered Care at Home Services, said the illumination was fitting.
“The term ‘pillars of our community’ springs to mind, in the way our home carers have a been a solid, unstinting support for so many people in dark times,” said Scott.
“To light up one of the area’s most prominent buildings, especially as the nights draw in, seems an appropriate way of recognising that overall contribution.
“Despite the many complexities of the pandemic – which exacted a significant toll on our own capacity – our staff and our commissioned partners have remained absolutely unflinching in meeting the needs of service users.”
The care at home service provides essential support to enable people to live as independently as possible in their own homes. This often involves helping a person to wash, dress or get ready for bed. Some staff are also trained to give more personal assistance such as help with medication.
South Lanarkshire HSCP has its own workforce of 1000 care at home staff who, along with over a 1000 care at home staff from independent providers, collectively deliver services 365 days each year, with over 60,000 visits each week to support over 3,500 service users.
Well-publicised Covid rates have combined with existing pressures of non-Covid 19 activity and the partnership is currently experiencing unprecedented challenges across the health and social care system, with demand for service increasingly significantly. To help meet the continuing high demand South Lanarkshire HSCP are currently recruiting a number of new home carers.