THE folly and sheer financial waste of delayed discharge, or bed blocking, was highlighted at the recent AGM of Highland Senior Citizens Network (HSCN).
Giving the annual report in the absence of convener Dr Mary Macleod, Sheila Mackay told the meeting that throughout the Highlands there were a total of 114 beds - 42 of them in Raigmore - blocked because social services could not afford the support to let patients go home.
“Last year funding was made available to free up beds - now we hear it’s happening again. It costs a thousand a week to keep someone in hospital whereas at home it costs only a few hundred!"
Mrs Mackay said the situation would be made worse by the problem of nursing homes which was looming on the horizon. "There has been a huge growth in the private sector - very nice, but very costly. All of them complain they are not getting enough money from the local authorities. It is a serious problem, because social services simply do not have finance to support them.”

Last year home care services were withdrawn in June because the money ran out and they were only restored after the legality of the move was questioned, she reminded the meeting. “So here we have a care in the community crisis on our hands again. It's a disgrace that the elderly who helped build this society are not getting the rewards due to them.”

Guest speaker Olivia Begbie of Help the Aged also contributed to the bed-blocking debate. She pointed out that last year over 100 private residential/nursing homes had closed in Scotland, which was leading to bed blocking.
“On average it costs £17,500 a year to keep someone in a residential home, whereas in hospital the average is £83,000. If you have bed blocking, imagine the amount of funding that is being used needlessly,” she said.

Mrs Begbie, one of Scotland's three regional development officers for Help the Aged, announced that HSCN were to receive a grant of £2,500 to further their work. She also described one of her projects, the Iris Murdoch Dementia Resource Centre at the University of Stirling. This Centre would provide facilities for training, demonstrations, conferences, a library and resources for professionals, carers, volunteers and Alzheimer sufferers in the early stages themselves.

Elsewhere in the annual report Mrs Mackay stressed that the problems of older people had been brought to the fore during the election, but now that it was over they must not be allowed to recede on to a back burner.

With regard to central heating issues, no firm time had been given for the provision of affordable central heating.
She also pointed to the dearth of therapists for assessment and the need for a better level of funding for bath aids, stair rails and so forth.