Relatives of residents in a care home in Oban say they are “furious” that there was no contingency plan during a power cut caused by Storm Eowyn.
Loved ones at Eadar Glinn were without heating, lighting, and access to the lift to bedrooms during the storm from Friday afternoon into Saturday morning.
There was no power in the Oban care home on Drummore Road from 4.45 pm until 7.45 am.
One family member told us her relative was “frozen” and, despite the best efforts of staff, was confused about what was going on.
She claimed there was only “backup” power for lighting for four hours and no plan in place to keep residents warm.
No plans in place for Eadar Glinn care home in Oban
Asking not to be named, she said: “We all knew the storm was on its way, and we were all told to make plans.
“But in Eadar Glinn, staff were left without any generator power, dealing with patients who were confused about what was going on.
“I know that at least one resident with dementia was forced to move rooms as the lift to the first floor was not able to operate.
“It was a complete disaster, and without staff members doing everything they could, it would have been much worse. Staff were fantastic in such terrible conditions.”
She continued: “We pay £1,600 a week for our family members to be in Eadar Glinn, so there should be a plan in place for power cuts.
No generator during Storm Eowyn
“There should be a generator just for the home.
“It is shocking, even for working conditions for staff. Residents were given torches, but it was still very difficult to get them to the toilet and into bed at night.
“It was terrible for the residents, just terrible.”
She added: “Argyll and Bute Council need to be held accountable.”
Another relative said: “We were worried sick.
“Mum is a handful at the best of times, so this has just made her very worried and confused.
“Her health has worsened because there was no backup power. We pay a substantial amount of money to make sure she is well cared for. She has not been.”
Oban care home issues ‘should be addressed’
The matter was discussed at Oban Community Council, Neil MacIntyre told the council: “There are some serious issues at Eadar Glinn that need to be urgently addressed.
“There should be a backup generator at the care home. These are the people who need to be cared for.”
A spokesman for Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We are aware that there were issues at Eadar Glinn Residential Home in Oban where the power was out for a period of time.
“We would to thank the staff at the home for putting plans in place very quickly to ensure that the residents were cared for and kept as comfortable as possible.
“The care home was fully operational again early on Saturday morning.
“We would also like to apologise to the residents and their families.
“We will be working on reviewing our resilience plans to reduce the likelihood of the situation recurring and the impact of future power interruptions.”
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