Merseyside holiday centre offering 'sanctuary' to people requiring 'emergency respite'

A Southport holiday centre is offering emergency respite services for people who are struggling to get support packages in place at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Revitalise Sandpipers in Southport is normally open to disabled people and their carers as a holiday centre however, during the coronavirus pandemic, the centre is remaining open to people in the Merseyside community who are struggling to get specific care packages required to remain at home.

’We are very pleased to offer a sanctuary of care during this worrying time’

Darren Holloran, general manager at Revitalise Sandpipers said: “When lockdown first happened we were left with a lot of empty beds and a full nursing team and carers.

"What we have done is provided emergency respite for people in the community whose care package were failing them either because they couldn’t get the agency staff in or the agency did not have the staff for the customer needs and they had no care.

“We have one lady here who did not have a carer coming to her house for 48 hours.”

The centre is currently looking after two sisters Liz and Christine. Both were born with a rare condition called microcephalia where the head (circumference) is smaller than normal and development of the brain can be affected. Their father Sid contacted Revitalise when he was struggling to get a support package in place due to the lockdown.

Mr Holloran said: “We are very pleased to be able to offer a sanctuary of care and support to disabled people like Liz and Christine during this worrying time. Hopefully, this will be one less thing for Sid to worry about.

“The sisters have been at Sandpipers for nearly a month and their care package has not been sorted at home. Once we’re confident that there is a good care package at home, and they want to go back to it then until then they can stay here.”

Revitalise Sandpipers is fully accessible, with equipment including hoists, profiling beds and airflow mattresses. The teams are comprised of registered nurses and care assistants where they can offer 24 hour round the clock care. All rooms have accessible shower rooms and Wi-Fi.

Mr Holloran said: “We are very pleased to be able to offer a sanctuary of care and support to disabled people during this worrying time. Hopefully this will be one less thing to worry about.”

Revitalise Netley Waterside House in Hampshire and Revitalise Jubilee Lodge in Essex are providing all their spaces to the NHS to help free up hospital beds for people with the virus.

“We have offered our other two centres in Hampshire and Essex to the NHS and Clinical Commission Groups (CCG) and they are being used to help people who have just come out of hospital for recuperation.

"We are continuing to be open for emergency respite for people who need us for a period of time.”

Anybody who is worried about whether their care support at home can continue, should contact Revitalise, who are able to offer long or short stays with full care support in place.

The charity is also offering transportation to those that need it, as well as financial support from their own Revitalise Support Fund and a generous donation from the Garfield Weston Foundation.