A petition has been created to challenge the temporary closure of a Highland care home.
The Mackintosh Centre in Mallaig has had its services suspended since July 26.
NHS Highland cited “recruitment challenges” as the cause of the temporary closure.
However, six months later the Mackintosh Centre is yet to re-open and locals are growing concerned.
Now a petition calling for the Mallaig care home to re-open has been launched.
The fight against isolating the elderly
Mallaig resident Anne Titley started the campaign on January 11. The campaign has already attracted hundreds of backers.
The petition states that the community wish to see the care home re-opened “as a matter of urgency”.
Anne hopes that re-opening the centre would combat loneliness in the elderly community.
She says: “This is a much needed resource for the older people.
“It is right by the local high school so often the children would pop in and bring some light into their day.
“What we are now seeing is the elderly being left isolated in their own home – but we don’t want that. So we are fighting that.”
The campaign also stresses the importance of care home residents being surrounded by family members.
“It is really unsettling for the residents to move. Not everyone can stay at home alone, or be looked after by their families.
“The Mackintosh Centre was built to provide day care – that was its purpose. We cannot let it die.”
No opening date in sight for the Mackintosh Centre
Once services were suspended, permanent staff members were offered a temporary relocation to another part of the NHS Highland care service.
Many were transferred to Invernevis House in Fort William – about an hour away.
NHS Highland have now confirmed they have not yet been able to recruit sufficient staff in order to re-open the Mackintosh Centre.
Karen-Anne Wilson, NHS Highland’s district manager for Lochaber described the temporary closure as a ‘difficult decision’.
She says: “Since July we have spent time trying to recruit to the vacant posts but we still haven’t been able to recruit sufficient staff to enable us to reopen.
“In partnership with the Highland Council we are currently engaging at district and locality planning level to explore alternative and sustainable models of care for different client groups.
“This is to enable our communities to be more sustainable and our workforce aligned to support people to live independently at home including how friends, family and local groups can help, with in-reach support from staff teams.”
The petition ‘Re-open the Mackintosh Centre in Mallaig’ can be signed by following this link here: www.change.org
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