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CHILDREN’S SERVICE TAKES OFF IN ABERDEEN

Launch of CHAS at Home Aberdeen

Over 100 guests joined Brian Adam Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip and the Henderson family from Aberdeenshire for the launch of the CHAS at Home Aberdeen service on Friday 18 November 2011 at Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom.

CHAS at Home, run by Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), provides a free home care service to families who have children with a life-shortening condition, offering nursing care, emotional support and practical help. The new Aberdeen base complements the existing CHAS at Home service based in Inverness and from the two children’s hospices run by CHAS, Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch. The development of the home care team will enable CHAS to provide support to more families in their own homes in between visits to the two children’s hospices, or when a child or young person is too ill to travel.

CHAS is currently supporting 11 families in the Grampian area including the Henderson family and four further families in the region who are bereaved. It’s believed that this is less than 50% of children and young people in Grampian who are known to have life-shortening conditions and CHAS is hopeful that with an Aberdeen presence to raise its profile, more families will be encouraged to contact CHAS to use the service.

At the launch guests heard from Brian Adam, CHAS Chief Executive Maria McGill and met the new Aberdeen team which comprises two nurses and a support worker, overseen by Director of CHAS at Home Babs Henderson.

Maria McGill, CHAS Chief Executive said: “CHAS already has a presence in Aberdeen with our fundraising team and we’re hoping the new CHAS at Home service will help reach out to more families from this area and increase awareness of CHAS. Caring for children and young people is at the heart of all that we do and we’re looking forward to working alongside existing care services in the community.”

Brian Adam said: “The new Home Care Service is a huge boost for families in the Aberdeen area and will give them continued support in their most familiar surroundings.

“It is inspiring to see the work CHAS does to support children and young people with life limiting conditions and I saw from the family I met on Friday, just how valuable this service will be.”

If you would like to find out more about the CHAS at Home Aberdeen service contact the team on 01224 624858 or to support CHAS please contact the Aberdeen Fundraising Office on 01224 645000 or go to www.chas.org.uk

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