Home Care News
Gum disease bacteria linked to dementia brain changes, study claims
30 Jul 2013
A study published today has revealed that people with poor dental hygiene are potentially at a greater risk of developing dementia. The University of Central Lancashire’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.....
Alzheimer's Society launches first 'Dementia Guide'
29 Jul 2013
The Alzheimer’s Society has today launched an innovative booklet designed to support people with dementia and their carers. The ‘Dementia Guide’ is the first of its kind to provide people with vital information.....
CQC publishes report into 'shocking and unacceptable' bullying of its staff
29 Jul 2013
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published the findings of an independent report into “shocking and unacceptable” bullying and harassment of its staff. David Behan, chief executive of the organisation,.....
Norman Lamb to reform 'outdated' social care data collection process
29 Jul 2013
Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb has announced plans to shake up the way social care data is collected from local authorities. On Friday he revealed an overhaul of the system, which will see the Department.....
Carers Trust win big after Million Pound Drop live win from Hilary Devey
26 Jul 2013
Popular ex dragon Hilary Devey from the BBC’s series Dragons Den took part in the quiz show Million Pound Drop live and won big for charity the Carers Trust last Saturday evening. Ms Devey, who is Carers Trust Vice president,.....
Leading think tank finds one in ten aged over 85 have no friends
25 Jul 2013
One in ten people aged over 85 say they have no friends and over a quarter are dissatisfied with their lives, according to a new survey. The study 'Understanding Society', carried out by the Personal Finance.....
Over 3,500 new homes to be built to enable older and disabled people to live independently
24 Jul 2013
Over 3,500 new homes will be built as part of the Department for Health’s project to boost the supported housing market. The homes have been purpose designed for older and disabled people, to improve the quality of resident’s.....
'One of the most innovative' dementia services celebrates first birthday
24 Jul 2013
EachStep Blackley, a £5m dementia care service, has celebrated its first year of delivering specialist care and support to people in Manchester. The service, which is operated by social care charity Community.....
Dementia research funding aims for a worldwide impact
23 Jul 2013
Improving care for adults with dementia is the focus of a fresh research drive at the University of East Anglia, which has been awarded a £2m grant by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). The largest dementia grant.....
Ageing rural communities face increased social care needs to tackle loneliness and isolation
23 Jul 2013
The number of people aged 65 and over living in rural areas with social care needs is projected to increase by 70 per cent over the next 16 years. The largest problems facing older people living in the countryside has been linked.....
Profile: Day in the Life of a Home Carer who says 'I really feel I am making a difference'
22 Jul 2013
“I love it. I really enjoy going to work. I meet lots of different people and I really feel I am making a difference,” says Jo Wood, who has been working as a home carer for Carefound Home Care (Harrogate), for nearly two years. Ms.....
Breast cancer awareness needs to be improved amongst older women, report warns
22 Jul 2013
New recommendations to improve the inequalities in the treatment, services and support experienced by older breast cancer patients have been backed by leading charities. The report, which has been published by The All Party.....
Welsh Government to help elderly people live at home longer by integrating care services
22 Jul 2013
The Welsh Government has announced plans to join up health and social care services in a bid to help elderly people live at home for home longer. It is hoped the move will also relieve pressure on acute.....
CQC appoints first chief inspector of adult social care
19 Jul 2013
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has appointed its first chief inspector of adult social care. Andrea Sutcliffe, who is currently chief executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), is “delighted”.....
National Skills Academy for Social Care pilots new values-based recruitment kit for employers
18 Jul 2013
Social care employers can now use a new toolkit to help them find the right candidate for the job. Yesterday, Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb launched the values-based recruitment kit, which has been.....
Noticing changes in your memory could be an early indicator of Alzheimer's
18 Jul 2013
Alzheimer’s society has claimed that noticing a change in your memory should not be ignored because it could be an early indicator of the cognitive changes linked to Alzheimer’s. A group of research studies reveal that people.....
Care minister Norman Lamb announces funding reforms to protect people from unlimited care costs
18 Jul 2013
Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb has announced plans to help protect people’s savings and homes from unlimited care costs. The aim of the proposals, which will put a new cap on costs of £72,000 from.....
Sevacare bosses meet with senior politicians to raise awareness of the ‘vital’ sector
17 Jul 2013
The bosses of a national home care provider have met with senior politicians in an attempt to raise awareness of social care and seek improvements to the way it is prioritised. Sevacare chairman Ravi Bains.....
Number of people with dementia lower than experts projected
17 Jul 2013
Dementia diagnosis rates in the UK have actually fallen over the last 20 years, according to the findings of two Medical Research Council studies. A lower prevalence amongst adults over 65 than previously estimated is shown by.....
Jeremy Hunt vows to tackle 'mediocrity' in NHS following Sir Bruce Keogh’s review
17 Jul 2013
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has vowed to tackle “mediocrity and inadequate leadership head on” after a review of 14 NHS hospitals with high mortality rates revealed that care in some settings is “not good enough”. Sir.....
End of life care providers told to trust in personalised solutions
16 Jul 2013
An independent review into end of life care practice has led to the Government scrapping the Liverpool Care Pathway, a widely practised form of terminal care. The Liverpool Care Pathway was developed in the late 90s to inform care.....
National Autistic Society claims elderly people are missing out on vital support services
16 Jul 2013
Elderly people with autism are missing out on vital support services, says a leading charity. The National Autistic Society (NAS) has published the ‘Getting on? Growing older with autism’ report which.....
Norman Lamb calls for Neighbourhood Watch groups to help care for the elderly
16 Jul 2013
Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb has called for members of the public to step forward and care for elderly people living in their community. He told The Telegraph he believes Neighbourhood Watch groups.....
Carefound staff to raise funds for dementia with 10k run
15 Jul 2013
A charity that supports people with dementia in North Yorkshire is set to receive a cash boost thanks to a team of fit fundraisers from a leading home care provider. A team from Carefound, which provides.....
New form of Alzheimer's therapy is set to be safety tested on people
15 Jul 2013
Alzheimer’s therapy which may promote brain cell creation in animals is set to be safety tested on humans. A therapy has been approved to be tested on humans which could form the basis of a treatment for Alzheimer’s. Scientists.....
Care minister criticises ‘poor healthcare’ available to people with learning disabilities
15 Jul 2013
Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb has criticised the standard of healthcare available to people with learning disabilities and says more needs to be done to improve the treatment they receive. His plea.....
UK’s first dementia dogs helping to reduce social isolation of couples affected by the condition
15 Jul 2013
Two couples whose lives have been affected by dementia are being supported by specially-trained dogs as part of project designed to prevent social isolation. Students from Glasgow School of Art’s (GSA) product.....
Alzheimer's Society appoints new director of external affairs
12 Jul 2013
The Alzheimer’s Society has appointed a new director of external affairs. Alison Cook, previously a director at leading consultancy MHP Health Mandate, has taken up the role, replacing Andrew Chidgey who.....
CQC to appoint bank inspectors to help meet demand
12 Jul 2013
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) hopes to recruit around 200 social care professionals to help with its inspection programmes. The bank inspectors, who will work under the direction of permanent CQC staff,.....
Care sector backs National Minimum Training Standard for Healthcare Assistants
12 Jul 2013
The recommendation to train all healthcare assistants made in the Cavendish review published this week has been welcomed by many in the sector. In the review it was recommended that all healthcare assistants.....
Disability home care provider to stop bidding for contracts offering 15-minute care visits
10 Jul 2013
Leonard Cheshire Disability, a leading charity and one of the largest voluntary sector providers of social care, has pledged to stop bidding for 15-minute home care contracts. The charity has also launched.....
Dementia cure could be discovered as early as 2020 claims the Health Secretary
10 Jul 2013
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has claimed that drug companies could find a cure for the disease, which affects 800,000 people in the UK, by 2020. During a speech at the Local Government Association’s annual conference, Mr Hunt.....
All healthcare assistants will have to undergo basic training, according to Compassion and Care report
10 Jul 2013
A new independent report published today has revealed plans to ensure that all frontline healthcare assistants undergo the same basic training before being able to work unsupervised. The report showed.....
Trade union Unison calls for Government to scrap cap on social care costs
10 Jul 2013
The trade union Unison has joined forces with the National Pensioners Convention and is calling for the cap on social care costs to be scrapped. Instead they want social care to be provided free at the point.....
Robots to be introduced into homes to help people with dementia live independently
08 Jul 2013
Simple robots are being introduced into homes to help carers communicate with people with dementia and support their independent living. The 1.5m high motorised robot includes an inbuilt camera which allows.....
Home care worker for Bluebird Care scoops national home care worker of the year award
08 Jul 2013
Home care worker, Rupert Campbell, who works for Bluebird Care’s Bradford North office, has won National Home Care Worker 2013 at the Great British Care Awards. The Home Care Worker Award recognises the significant.....
Wales’ top government official to join Alzheimer’s Society as new chair
08 Jul 2013
Dame Gill Morgan, who retired from her post as Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Government last year, is to become the new chair of the Alzheimer’s Society. Dame Gill, who was the most senior civil servant.....
CQC to prosecute care home directors that allow neglect and abuse
05 Jul 2013
The will have the power to prosecute directors of care homes and hospitals and will also carry out mandatory checks to ensure they are ‘fit’ to lead their organisation, according to new proposals set out by the Care Minister. Care.....
Vulnerable elderly people to have 'named' clinician responsible for their care in the community
05 Jul 2013
All vulnerable, elderly people are to have 'named' clinicians responsible for coordinating their care once they have left hospital. The proposal is one of just a raft of proposals setting out improvements.....
Government has ignored public opinion and the experts, according to disability campaigners
05 Jul 2013
Eligibility criteria for social care services has become a key issue of discontent amongst disability charities, many of whom are urging more political pressure on the issue before it is too late to influence reform. Complete.....
Social services directors reflect on the challenges of complete health and care integration
04 Jul 2013
A wide range of challenges need to be overcome in order for NHS and social care services to successfully integrate, according to experts from both sides of the divide. Joint sector research, carried out by the Association of Directors.....
Activity book published as vital resource to help those caring for dementia
03 Jul 2013
A dementia-care themed publication has been launched by Care UK, with the helping of dancing judge and choreographer Arlene Phillips. Designed to inform carers and loved ones of adults with dementia with up-to-date expertise, the.....
Charities criticise Government's 'unrealistic threshold' on who should get help with care under new eligibility criteria
02 Jul 2013
The Government has announced new national eligibility criteria for the first time, setting out a minimum threshold to be introduced in 2015, on who should be offered care and support by local authorities in England. Care.....
Care providers fear lack of urgency in Government commitment to helping older people
02 Jul 2013
Last week’s Spending Review included some positive announcements on the future of care provision, but has achieved little to reduce the current anxiety surrounding the well-being of the UK’s ageing populace. In.....
Will the changes to health and social care funding in this year’s Spending Review benefit people requiring home care?
01 Jul 2013
George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer
YES
In his spending review the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced that the Government will be investing an extra £3.8bn to integrate health and social care.
He said that the investment will improve services...
Mike Padgham, United Kingdom Home Care AssociationNO
However the United Kingdom Home Care Association (UKHCA), the professional association for home care providers has highlighted its view that the changes put for forward by the Chancellor could have a negative impact on both........