A CARE home assistant made her way to work on a tractor after becoming trapped in deep snow in rural Lothian.
The unnamed staff member, who normally covers office work, had been on a grocery run from North Berwick when she had to be rescued by a farmer who drove her to Leuchie House, a respite home for people disabled by conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, Motor neurone disease (MND), and strokes. It has been cut off by blizzards since Wednesday.
She had been making the one-hour journey for kitchen supplies on foot on Thursday after heavy snow blocked the roads.
Becky Everett, head of operations at Leuchie House, said: "She normally works in the office here but she's been covering in the kitchen, and had gone out for food and got stuck in the snow. She was on foot when the tractor picked her up, she was trying to get here from North Berwick."
Staff at Leuchie House have been snowed in since Wednesday with only nine employees taking it in turns to cover all the care, catering and cleaning duties, and sleeping on site between shifts.
The house provides round-the-clock care for guests with serious illnesses, who stay for two-week breaks with or without their usual carers. There are currently 14 guests staying at the house.
As the weather eased yesterday, farmers brought potatoes, milk and bread by tractor and local residents started transporting staff to and from the facility using all-terrain vehicles, which are able to cross the snowbound fields while local road remain impassable.
Becky Everett, head of operations at Leuchie House, said: "The snowdrifts are shoulder-height apparently on the roads. We don't know because we've been here for three days and we don't know what's going on on the outside world. We would never have anticipated so much snow here."
"The staff who have been here since Wednesday have been doing all roles. We're cooking, cleaning, and getting the guests up and dressed. The staff have really pulled together. the atmosphere's incredible.
"It was only [on Friday] that the all-terrain vehicle was able to reach us, so we had been isolated completely since Wednesday. Staff have been walking all the way from North Berwick, which takes an hour. One member of staff on Wednesday night walked home and she came back on Thursday morning in terrible blowing conditions and drifting snow, and then another member of staff - a nightshift nurse - tried to get away but she got her car stuck and had to walk back.
"I think all the staff at Leuchie are very committed staff anyway and they would never want to let guests down.
"Unfortunately we've been unable to provide the normal activities like trips and outings that guests enjoy, but we've had great feedback that people have enjoyed their holiday anyway."
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