Media Release: MSP to visit outstanding Glasgow care home

A CONSISTENTLY outstanding care service has sparked a clamour for entry – from the local MSP.

Glasgow MSP, Humza Yousaf, was so impressed by the latest inspection results at Carntyne Care Home he wrote to staff and service users requesting a special visit.

Now the delighted workers and service users will play host to Mr Yousaf this week, when he will get the chance to meet those who made such a positive impact with the independent regulators.

SNP MSP Mr Yousaf said: “I had heard from several people about the quality of care provided by Carntyne Gardens, and, on reading the Care Inspectorate report, I was hugely impressed.

“As a member of the Scottish Parliament I feel it is my duty to acknowledge outstanding services and put them forward as an example to others. It is often the case that news about such services, especially those catering for the elderly, is negative. This is the perfect opportunity to counteract this.

“This service is a prime model of best practice, right on our doorstep, and I strongly feel this needed to be highlighted.”

Operated by Bield, a respected Scottish provider of housing, care and community services for older people, Carntyne Gardens has eight full-time service users.

It specialises in care for those affected by Alzheimer’s, dementia and other age-related illnesses and has consistently been awarded the highest possible grade by the Care Inspectorate for its Quality of Care and Support.

Brian Logan, chief executive at Bield, said: “We were delighted to receive personal congratulations from the local MSP. We are always keen to celebrate our success and are thrilled that Humza Yousaf is too.

“Carntyne Gardens is a great example of the quality of service and staff commitment that we strive to achieve at Bield and we are positive this care home will continue to meet the high standards set by the Care Inspectorate.”

The Care Inspectorate grades every care service in Scotland. This year,Carntyne Gardens was awarded grades of excellent and very good for all Inspection Focus Areas (IFAs) which are: Quality of Care and Support, Quality of Environment, Quality of Staffing and Quality of Management and Leadership.

As well as focusing on the concept of attentive care, the home strives to promote independent living, encouraging service users to visit nearby shops and use public transport.

Myla Gapay, acting care home manager at Carntyne Gardens, said: “When a service user comes to stay with us, Carntyne Gardens becomes their home and we make every effort to ensure they feel this way.

“No matter the difficulties their illness may bring, they are independent individuals living under one roof – they are not patients. We look past the illnesses and see them as individuals, each with different requirements, different hobbies and different likes and dislikes.

“For example we discovered one of our service users had always enjoyed swimming before he came to join us, so we made sure he was able to go the local pool regularly.

“We see the relationship between the staff, the service users and their carers as a triangle – we all work together to ensure the resident feels as at home as possible and to make sure they continue to enjoy life to the full.”

Maureen Atkinson, the daughter of a service user who has been at Carntyne Gardens for nearly ten years, said: “We have been delighted with the services provided at Carntyne Gardens. Our whole family is happier knowing my mother is getting the best possible care.

“My mother suffers from the later stages of dementia and she is scared of things like water. Despite this the staff manage to get her showered every morning, and they know exactly how to calm her down when she gets upset.

“When we visit my mother it feels like visiting her at her own home, everyone, staff and service users alike, feel like an extended family. I cannot praise the staff or the facilities enough.”

To help service users feel at home they have the option to furnish their own rooms, to keep their pets and to make provision to see their own GP. There are also quarterly service user meetings and carers meetings and a range of events for residents.

Bield – a registered charity – has more than 40 years experience in providing quality housing and services for older people. Since starting out with one housing development in Bo’ness it now provides a wide range of housing and services for around 15,000 people across 22 local authority areas.

Issued by www.holyroodpr.co.uk on behalf of Bield. For more information contact info@holyroodpr.co.uk or call 0131 561 2242.

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Contact: Sarah Drummond
Phone: 0131 561 2241
Email: sarah@holyroodpr.co.uk
Website: http://www.holyroodpr.co.uk