Posted in News on May 6th, 2010
A survey by consumer group Which? has found that the weekly cost of home care vary dramatically by local authority area in England. The cost of receiving personal care – help with basic tasks such as washing and dressing – at home varies from £60 per week in Barnsley to £850 per week in Brighton. [...]
Posted in News on May 6th, 2010
The Institute of Ageing and Health at the University of Newcastle has called on politicians not to view older people as a ‘burden’ on the economy. In a letter to the three main party leaders, Professor Tom Kirkwood, the Institute’s director, explains: ‘An ageing population is seen as a ‘narrow prism’ of increased health and [...]
Posted in News on May 6th, 2010
Age Cymru, the Welsh arm of new charity Age UK, has expressed its view that the outcome of May’s General Election could rest in the hands of the nation’s older people. Politicians across the UK have certainly made it a priority to target older voters, with pre-election debates covering the future structure of the social [...]
Posted in News on May 6th, 2010
Nurses working in Welsh care homes will miss out on most of the 2.25% increase to NHS-Funded Nursing Care that was announced in the April 2010 budget. Local health boards have decided to award the full 2.25% increase only to nurses working in hospitals, whilst those working in independent care homes will only receive 0.75%. [...]
Posted in News on Apr 27th, 2010
Research undertaken in the US by Penn State University and the Benjamin Rose Institute has concluded that unpaid, untrained carers can ‘experience overwhelming stress’ when caring for elderly relatives with dementia. The survey report, published in the ‘Aging & Mental Health’ journal, describes how, for many carers, continued stress often leads to depression and nervous [...]
Posted in News on Apr 27th, 2010
Dame Joan Bakewell has stepped down as the Voice of Older People, just two years after she was appointed to the role. The Telegraph reports that she is calling on MPs to create a different and more powerful role in England, similar to the Welsh Older People’s Commissioner. The Welsh role carries considerable statutory powers [...]
Posted in News on Apr 5th, 2010
In January, we reported on the case of John Mejor, 89, whose continuing care funding was withdrawn by NHS Devon, despite his severe health needs. Mr Mejor had diabetes and advanced dementia and had also suffered a series of strokes, after which he moved into a care home as he was too ill for his [...]
Posted in News on Apr 5th, 2010
With the general election looming, MPs from several parties have announced their support for Community Care’s campaign to make dementia a major political priority. So far, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid, the Green Party and the SNP have all voiced their support for the Dementia Declaration. The campaign calls for a full parliamentary debate about the [...]
Posted in News on Apr 5th, 2010
A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has concluded that, despite being devolved, Wales faces heavy restrictions on how it can reform its social care system. Even though the Welsh Assembly is responsible for the country’s long term care policy and has its own Older People’s Strategy, it has to adopt UK-wide policies on benefits, [...]
Posted in News on Apr 5th, 2010
A survey by Saga Care Funding Advice Service has shown that more people are now aware of how much it costs to fund long term care. On average, respondents guessed the annual cost of a care home place at around £330 less than the actual average price, compared to guessing £1,200 less in the previous [...]
