Care and Repair South Lanarkshire

Care and Repair South Lanarkshire assists clients with medical adaptions, telecare, key safes, repairs and maintenance and Safe as Houses assistance! 

At the beginning of lockdown they were able to secure a grant for a temporary urgent small repairs service. The success of this service was tremendous and they were able to assist many who were shielding/self-isolating throughout South Lanarkshire. 

Unfortunately, the service has come to an end, you can find out how the service helped support one woman: 

Mrs A called the general Care and Repair number (01555 666200) to ask for assistance with her wheelchair. 

Mrs A is an elderly lady who lives alone and has been provided with a wheelchair to use in her home and has been finding it difficult to use. She did not receive any instruction regarding the use of the chair when it was delivered. Mrs A is currently managing to get around using her zimmer frame. 

A Care & Repair Officer called Mrs A to see who had provided the chair to see if they could be of assistance. During the telephone call, the Officer discovered that Mrs A had 5 light bulbs in her home that were not working and that she could not manage to change them by herself. The Officer also discovered that Mrs A was having trouble accessing facilities in her bathroom. The Officer then assisted Mrs A with a self referral to Social Work Occupational Therapy - which will lead to a home visit where Mrs A's needs will be assessed and appropriate medical adaptions recommended. The Officer agreed with Mrs A that they would call to make an appointment to help with the lightbulbs. 

The Small Repairs Officer called to make an appointment and explained the need and processes involved with home visits with regards to social distancing to keep everyone safe. 

When the Small Repairs Officer visited he discovered that the wheelchair just needed oiled and demonstrated how the brakes worked; he replaced five defective lights and heard from Mrs A that the cooker kept tripping out. He discovered that the grill element was defective. He arranged a suitable time for a white goods technician to come and fit the correct component. 

From one simple phone call, they made contact with Mrs A and:

• Fixed the wheelchair, allowing it to be used, Mrs A is able to move about the house in a much safer manner now reducing the risk of fall
• Five light bulbs were replaced, leading to a much better living environment and again, reducing the risk of falls.  
• Identifying the problem with the cooker and arranging for it to be fixed by a reputable trade's person. This will a potentially dangerous electrical fault and allow Mrs A to cook independently again.
• Assist with a self referral to Social Work for a home assessment to establish what assistance is required to enable Mrs A to continue to live independently at home