Hoy and Walls Daily Living Aids Resource Centre Opens

By theorkneynews on September 21, 2019

Supporting people to continue to live independently and in their own home is what a new resource centre for Hoy and Walls is all about.

The Hoy and Walls Daily Living Aids Resource Centre is located at Longhope in the Health Centre. It also contains a Dementia Loan Library.

On Thursday 19th of September it was officially opened and The Orkney News was very pleased to have been invited to the event.

At the Resource Centre people can have a browse amongst a huge selection of helpful aids: to help you get in or out of the car; to help with dressing; to remind you about taking your medication; to assist you with eating or drinking and bathing and showering aids. All of these items Denize Lace, the Well-Being Coordinator for Hoy and Walls can get at a VAT free price or access ones from the large resource centre at Selbro, Hatston, Kirkwall.

Some of the items which can be borrowed from the Dementia Loan Library

The Dementia Loan library works just like any other library – you can borrow items – and there is a wide range available.

The telecare system was also on view at the event so that people could have a good look at that too. At the moment only about 20 islanders have telecare although for a few that may be due to issues with BT lines.

Dr Iain Cromarty has allocated a room at the Health Centre for the resources which for a time will be open for anyone to pop in and view who perhaps were unable to get to the opening event. After that, drop- in sessions will be held on a regular basis and advertised locally so that people will know when they are on. Denize also plans to go mobile and take some of the resources out and about to parts of the community for people who cannot get down to Longhope.

The aids are available to anyone with certain medical or age-related issues. The wide range of those at the resource centre is because what might suit one person wouldn’t suit another – it is very much about individual needs.

The resource centre will also be able to provide residents with general information – a place to discuss what may be of help.

There was a very good turnout for the opening of the resource centre and the atmosphere was extremely positive – also exceedingly good cakes.

Having a Well-Being Coordinator was a role which was identified during the extensive community consultations which took place as part of The ‘Enhancing well-being within our island communities’ Scottish Government/EU funded project.

It has been running in the Isles since March 2019 (funded by the Aspiring Communities Fund), providing a Well-being Co-ordinator for each participating Island, through the Islands’ Development Trusts (Island of Hoy, Shapinsay, Sanday, Stronsay and Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre).The project aims to facilitate access to activities and services designed to enhance health and wellbeing.