Countdown to Caring Callers going live

Aug 14 2013 by Lynda Nicol, East Kilbride News

Whether you’re an older person living alone in South Lanarkshire or you know of a friend or family member who is, help is now at hand.

Good Morning South Lanarkshire, a new telephone contact scheme to offer vital support, is just days from going live.

An enthusiastic group of young telephonists are making final preparations before hitting the phone lines across the region.

The caring callers’ aim is to check that older people throughout the area, especially those at risk of isolation, are safe and well in the mornings.

The pilot scheme, set up by Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire (VASLan), will also support key agencies, carers and families by acting as an early warning system if there are any issues.

The official launch of the project is August 26, and Fiona Dryburgh, one of VASLan’s locality officers, says there is still time for those who feel they’d benefit from the service to sign up.

“We’d like to hear from older people living alone – but you need not be in the situation yourself to make contact with us. Even if you are concerned for an older relative, friend or neighbour, Good Morning South Lanarkshire is there to offer free reassurance, security and peace of mind.

“We’d urge anyone interested to contact us so we can pass the details onto our team of callers.”

VASLan have set up Good Morning South Lanarkshire as part of their vital work in the multi-agency Reshaping Care for Older People (RCOP) agenda.

RCOP is looking at ways to support the growing numbers of people aged 65 and over, focusing on providing more help and support to enable older people to remain at home and stay connected to their community.

Fiona added that the work of the newly-formed team will prove to be invaluable.

“One of the main reasons we’re doing this is to reduce feelings of isolation When our team calls every morning, the older person knows that there’s someone out there who is looking out for them. That can be a huge boost if they don’t have a lot of contact with others.”

The team of eight, who have volunteered from VASLan’s Employability Project, will hit the phones every morning from Monday to Friday.

VASLan’s Teeda Boyd, who is also a locality officer, added: “In a scenario where a volunteer finds out something is wrong, contact will be made with the person’s named contact in the first instance or with statutory agencies.”

If you or anyone you know could benefit from this scheme, please call Fiona Dryburgh or Teeda Boyd on 01698 300 390 or email stayconnected@vaslan.org.uk.

http://www.eastkilbridenews.co.uk/lanarkshire-news/local-news-lanarkshire