Home Care News
£753m shortfall sees councils' widespread use of 'flying' home care visits
29 Jan 2016
The majority of England’s councils are ignoring official guidelines by limiting home care visits to 15 minutes because they cannot plug a £753m home care deficit. Some 74 per cent of local authorities in.....
Care firm opens academy and will create 100 jobs to meet home care demand
28 Jan 2016
A care provider has unveiled a new training academy and aims to offer up to 100 new jobs in 2016 to meet ’growing demand’ in the home care market. Family run firm Townfield and Coach Care Ltd, run by two.....
'Bedroom tax' declared 'unlawful' by Court of Appeal
27 Jan 2016
The Government’s ‘bedroom tax’ policy, which reduces housing benefit for social housing tenants, has been declared ‘unlawful’ by the Court of Appeal due to its impact on vulnerable individuals. Grandparents.....
Care providers urged to prepare nurses for new competency checks
27 Jan 2016
Care providers are being encouraged to get their nurses ready for incoming competency checks that will determine whether they can continue working for them. From April, the new checks system, called revalidation,.....
Toxic algae could increase risk of Alzheimer's disease
26 Jan 2016
Toxic algae found in 12 freshwater lakes and reservoirs across Britain may be responsible for an increase in dementia, scientists have warned. Researchers in the US have discovered that a chemical called BMAA, a by-product of a.....
£4m centre for people with learning disabilities to create over 100 jobs in North Tyneside
26 Jan 2016
A new 40 bed specialist care facility, specifically designed for adults with learning difficulties and autism, will provide more than 100 jobs for people living in North Tyneside. Kendal House Properties are working with care provider.....
Elderly face losing free TV licence
25 Jan 2016
People aged 75 and over may have to give up their free TV licence or make a voluntary contribution to it, the BBC has said. The BBC is considering the move, following its agreement to pay the £650m cost.....
Chronic stress and anxiety increases risk of developing depression and dementia
25 Jan 2016
New research has warned people to find ways to reduce chronic stress and anxiety or they may be at an increased risk of developing depression and even dementia. Led by the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest.....
What's it like to have dementia? I take a virtual tour
22 Jan 2016
I’m slowly shuffling around in the semi-darkness with loud noises and voices in my ear, desperately trying to find a matching pair of socks as instructed. But it’s impossible. My sense of touch, sight and hearing have been messed.....
NHS announces trials to improve health care using innovative technology
22 Jan 2016
Older people living with long-term health conditions and mental health problems will be among the first individuals to benefit from a new initiative designed to modernise how the NHS delivers care. The NHS.....
Innovative spoon to help those with Parkinson's disease wins top design award
21 Jan 2016
A spoon that reduces spillage, designed to aid those with shaky hands as a result of Cerebral Palsy, essential tremor and Parkinson’s, has been awarded the top prize in a Dragons Den style design competition. Housing.....
Home care provider rated 'Outstanding' for compassionate care
20 Jan 2016
Crescent Homecare Ltd has been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating for their continuous dedication to providing high-quality services, following a recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. The domiciliary care.....
Current therapies for Parkinson's disease do not improve quality of life, researchers claim
20 Jan 2016
New research from the University of Birmingham has shown that physiotherapy and occupational therapy do not produce improvements in quality of life for patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease. The.....
Christopher Eccleston urges nation to #sharetheorange to challenge attitudes towards dementia
19 Jan 2016
Award winning actor, Christopher Eccleston is urging people to share a new thought-provoking animation from Alzheimer’s Research UK which has been created to confront common misconceptions surrounding dementia using only an orange. The.....
Proposals to restrict zero-hour contracts for home care workers could improve quality of social care
19 Jan 2016
New plans to improve the quality of social care by restricting the use of zero-hour contracts, and ensuring employers pay domiciliary care workers the national minimum wage have been unveiled by the Welsh Government. The.....
Vitamin B can help boost learning and memory in older people
19 Jan 2016
Vitamin B can help to improve learning and memory in older people who have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood, according to new research. In the study by Oxford University, over 250 older people.....
Cancer drug improves Alzheimer's disease symptoms in mice
19 Jan 2016
Cancer drugs available on the NHS could help reverse Alzheimer’s disease by boosting the immune system, according to new research published in the journal Nature Medicine. The drug targets a protein called.....
British Sign Language pilot leads to more accessible Government services
18 Jan 2016
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has introduced a new video relay service to support British Sign Language (BSL) users to access the DWP website. The system will ensure BSL users can easily access Government services.....
People with dementia 'gamble with their health' when admitted for hospital care
18 Jan 2016
Many people with dementia are falling while in hospital, being discharged at night or being abandoned in hospital, despite their medical treatment having finished, an Alzheimer’s Society investigation has revealed. Freedom of Information.....
Unique urine smell test could lead to early Alzheimer’s diagnosis
15 Jan 2016
A new non-invasive urine test could provide early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, a new US study has revealed. The research, published in the online journal, Scientific Reports could identify the disease that affects nearly 500,000.....
Men who eat flavonoid-rich foods such as blueberries less likely to have erectile dysfunction
15 Jan 2016
Flavonoid-rich foods such as blueberries, cherries, blackberries and radishes have been found to reduce erectile dysfunction, according to new research. The collaborative study from the University of East.....
Hundreds die waiting for social care packages in Scotland
14 Jan 2016
Last year hundreds of people living in Scotland died, while waiting for social care packages to be arranged, the latest shocking figures have revealed. Campaigner, Motor Neurone Disease patient and founder of GordonsFightback.com,.....
Home care boss gives evidence to House of Commons committee on gender pay gap
13 Jan 2016
Penrose Care’s managing director, Robert Stephenson-Padron, presented evidence to the House of Commons Women & Equalities Committee inquiry on the gender pay gap. He was joined by a handful of Penrose Care.....
Dementia drug found to prevent falls in people with Parkinson's
13 Jan 2016
A commonly prescribed dementia drug could help prevent falls in people living with Parkinson’s. Published in journal, The Lancet Neurology, the study found that people with Parkinson’s who received the oral drug Rivastigmine were.....
Scientist says drugs to treat dementia will be available within decade
13 Jan 2016
Alzheimer’s will become a treatable condition within 10 years, a leading dementia researcher predicts, with 2016 tipped to be a breakthrough year for better therapies. Speaking at the Royal Society in London.....
Disability assessments cost Government more money than they save
12 Jan 2016
The Government is spending more on fit-for-work assessments than it is saving since reforming health and disability assessments to cut costs, a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed. The study revealed that the.....
Older people lose the ability to detect sarcasm
12 Jan 2016
People aged 65 and over lose the ability to detect sarcasm and are more likely to misinterpret sarcastic comments and take the literal meaning than younger people, according to new research. In the study.....
Guys on film: Lack of men working in social care prompts camera confessions
12 Jan 2016
A publicity drive to recruit more men into the care sector will see men from the industry sharing personal stories on camera about their working life in social care. Led by the National Care Forum (NCF) and.....
Welsh care services at 'risk of collapse' due to National Living Wage
11 Jan 2016
Welsh care providers and social services directors are urging the Welsh Government to take urgent action and increase funding for care, warning that the National Living Wage being introduced in April could put care services at risk.....
Prime Minister announces plans to invest nearly a billion into mental health services
11 Jan 2016
The Prime Minister has announced plans to invest billions of pounds into mental health services across the UK as he talked about the taboo of poor mental health services during a speech at the charity, Family Action in London. The.....
Cancelled operations sees elderly feel pain of doctors' strike
11 Jan 2016
Elderly patients will bear the pain of strike action by junior doctors on January 12 because of the cancellation of thousands of operations. Many patients who had been expecting to undergo hip and knee.....
Charities urge Prime Minister to hold Commission on the future of NHS and social care
09 Jan 2016
In an open letter, health and social care professionals and charities have urged the Prime Minister, David Cameron to be 'bold' and hold a Commission on the future of health and social care in the UK, as it faces huge demographic.....
Seasonal flu is 'circulating' warns Public Health England
08 Jan 2016
The latest information from Public Health England (PHE) indicates that flu is currently circulating in communities across England, with an increase in influenza confirmed hospitalisations. The chief medical.....
Blocking brain inflammation could 'halt' the progression of Alzheimer's disease
08 Jan 2016
A new study has revealed that blocking a receptor in the brain responsible for regulating immune cells, could protect against some of the memory and behaviour changes seen in Alzheimer’s disease. The research,.....
Two thirds of people living with dementia feel isolated after diagnosis
06 Jan 2016
Forty per cent of people are sceptical over how much someone living with dementia benefit from seeing loved ones they are no longer able to recognise. In the report published by Alzheimer’s Society, 43 per.....
Vitamin D supplements 'increase risk of falls in elderly'
05 Jan 2016
New research has revealed that vitamin D supplements could increase an older person’s risk of falls and fractures. The Switzerland based study, published in the journal JAMA, Internal Medicine suggests that.....
MPs and Lords to compete in Parliamentary Pancake Race for disability charity
05 Jan 2016
MPs, Lords and political journalists will once again be taking part in the annual Parliamentary Pancake Race to raise money for the disability charity Rehab. The race, which attracts a large number of tourists,.....
One fifth of older people living with diabetes as UK figures top four million
05 Jan 2016
More than four million people are now living with diabetes in the UK, according the latest information published by Diabetes UK. The figures are based on GP patient data from the latest Quality and Outcomes.....
Potential new vaccine could slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease
04 Jan 2016
A new clinical trial is underway to look at a potential vaccine that targets tau protein in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is characterised by the build-up of two hallmark.....
Frail, older people suffer in silence as they are 'too afraid' to complain about poor care
04 Jan 2016
A new Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report has revealed that people over the age of 75 often lack the knowledge and confidence to complain when they receive poor care, and worry about the impact this might have on their.....