María Branyas is a name that may become synonymous with resilience. 113-years-old, she has survived the Spanish Flu of 1918-19, the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 and the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Branyas was in isolation for weeks after contracting Covid-19 in the care home she has lived in for two decades in the city […]
care services
“Today we have one simple call: for politicians across Britain to act now to end carers’ poverty. Carers must be given the same level of support and respect they give to others; both now and for good.” – Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland
Clap for Carers or Value Them in the Economy?
When the inevitable inquiry takes place into what’s happened in care homes in Scotland during this crisis, there will undoubtedly be myriad reasons identified for why the necessary protections were not in place when they were needed. But as one Source Direct subscriber who has had experience of a family member in a care home […]
Nourishing the care economy
Covid-19 patients discharged from hospital to care homes will be tested as a matter of routine after all. Health Secretary Jeanne Freeman made the announcement yesterday, just 24 hours after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had said that testing everyone discharged from hospital could create a “false positive” if the person is asymptomatic. Why it took […]
Care Homes: A Privatisation Story
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in intensive care with Covid-19 should be a wake-up call to anyone who still needed one about just how dangerous this virus really is. Johnson is not of pensioner age – he’s just 55 years old. We must do everything we can to suppress this virus; no life is worth […]
Take care of the carers
“Hundreds of thousands of people throughout Scotland rely on home care, for various needs and conditions, not just dementia. My mum is just one. If carers aren’t being fully looked after by the government at a time like this, who is?”