A Scottish council has been condemned for arranging respite care for older people in bed and breakfast accommodation rather than independent residential or nursing homes.
Argyll and Bute Council has one of the highest ratios of independent residential and nursing home units to population of older people in Scotland. Its chief executive, James McLellan, said: "We have, in some areas, negotiated short-term respite care breaks in bed and breakfast establishments, taking advantage of underused facilities and boosting the local economy simultaneously."
Ronald McColl, social work spokesperson for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, condemned the policy as unlikely to meet the needs of older people with ill-health or disabilities. McColl added: "Respite care should be provided in premises that are purpose-built for that function."
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