Boss of Grantown care home firm pays tribute to Covid-19 frontline staff

The boss of a leading care home provider in the north of Scotland has paid tribute to his staff during the coronavirus emergency.

Parklands Care Homes managing director Ron Taylor thanked his team for giving "their absolute all" during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a personal blog to mark Care Home Day in Scotland today, Mr Taylor said: "The past four months have been traumatic for all of us, but especially for care staff and health workers. We owe them all a debt of gratitude."

Parklands recently relocated their headquarters to The Square in Grantown and opened Lynemore Care Home in the town in 2018.

Mr Taylor said the early days of the pandemic had been particularly challenging for care teams.

He said: "Little was known about this new disease and the situation was extremely fluid with guidelines routinely redrawn and PPE difficult to source.

"But throughout the crisis, our care staff have given their absolute all, working day and night to ensure our residents remain safe and secure.

"Along with our NHS doctors and nurses, they are the heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"From tennis matches to music festivals, summer garden parties to virtual bingo, Highland games events and even our own in-house pub in Tain, our staff have pulled out all the stops to keep residents active and happy during the Covid-19 lockdown.

"I am immensely proud of the sacrifice our staff have made. It is deeply humbling to see our caring staff hard at work, doing everything they can to ensure our residents stay healthy and happy.

"Everyone – from the cooks to the cleaners and the carers – can and should be proud of themselves. There is no doubt that the stress of the pandemic has taken its toll on their physical and mental health.

"It has been an exhausting and worrying time as we battle this invisible foe. But we are here to support each other and we will prevail."

Mr Taylor cautioned as Scotland begins to ease out of lockdown, it is easy to believe that the virus has gone away.

But he said: "It certainly hasn’t and we will live with the consequences of the Covid pandemic for months to come. Visitors have been returning to our care homes for the first time since March but restrictions remain in place and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.

"I want to thank relatives for the patience they have shown over these difficult months. I know it has not been easy. We will do everything we can to ensure you can see your loved ones, either in person – where it is safe to do so - or through video."

He said he was also incredibly grateful to the many local businesses and community groups that have donated so generously to the company's homes and to those who have entertained residents over the past few months.

Mr Taylor said: "The sense of community spirit throughout this crisis has been overwhelming. It has been a huge boost to our morale and, frankly, it has helped us to know that we are in your thoughts. We will be forever grateful to you.

"In almost 30 years working in the care sector, I cannot think of a more challenging time for the sector. The pandemic has shone a light on the important role that care staff perform and I hope it will encourage and inspire many more people to consider a career in care."

Parklands currently has vacancies at their care homes in the Highlands and Moray. For more details visit http://www.parklandsgroup.com/careers/

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