FAMILIES of people addicted to drugs, who claim they were unfairly sidelined at both Scottish and UK drug summits last week, are calling for their role in saving lives to be recognised and supported.
Justina Murray, chief executive of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs (SFAAD), said family members and their concerns were overlooked at both conferences, did not feature on either agenda, and their advance call for families to be automatically involved in the care of their loved ones were not addressed. Colin Hutcheon, chair SFAAD and the only family representative on the drug death task force, also claimed that he felt frustrated that their voices did not seem to be heard.
Both said while some with addiction issues were estranged from their families, many were involved in life-saving daily care but found themselves shut out by professionals, who did not recognise their critical role in providing care.
READ MORE: UK minister under fire after leaving drug conference halfway through
Murray added: "Throughout the two days [of the drug summits] there was a growing sense of frustration that families were not on the agenda and there was no reflection of the critical role of families.
"Families will tell you about how they have cared for their loved ones – housing them, clothing them, loving them and believing in their recovery. There are also the practical steps – picking them up from police, courts, hospitals, taking them to appointments and meetings.
"They are often the constant thread in their lives."
Examples given include a mother who drove hundreds of miles every day to pick up her daughter’s methadone script in an area she had moved away from due to threats on her life, and families who saved loved ones from overdose after using spare keys to check on them after becoming concerned.
READ MORE: Plans for safe injecting facilities for drug users in Glasgow
Yet Murray said relatives were too often dismissed. “This now needs to be redressed,” she added. The organisation wants to see support services to help families cope and for families to be included in care plans, like other carers.
Hutcheson said his family had often felt shut out of his son’s care by professionals.
In one incident he was told to leave his son’s bedside in hospital following an overdose and only found out later he had been discharged without anywhere to go. His son then returned home with him.
“Families every day and right now are supporting people with substance use and complex needs,” he said. “Every day they are saving lives.”
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