Home Care News
Osborne's 'big' Spending Review does little for social care
25 Nov 2015
Chancellor George Osborne's Spending Review does not deliver the £3bn needed for the adult social care sector. The Chancellor, describing his 'big Spending Review', has announced the Government will.....
Welsh law holds care home providers accountable for failings
25 Nov 2015
A new law will make care providers face tougher regulation and inspection in Wales and hold them to account for failings. The new Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Bill, passed by Welsh.....
Alzheimer's charity launches new website to help children understand dementia
24 Nov 2015
A new website has been launched to help children understand dementia, after a poll revealed that almost a third of parents say their children have been impacted by the condition. Alzheimer’s Research UK has launched a website called.....
Loneliness poses a serious risk to the health of older people
24 Nov 2015
Loneliness is no longer just an emotional factor and has been identified as being a key factor in premature deaths in older people. A new study, led by researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of California.....
Osborne to allow two per cent rise in council tax to pay for care
23 Nov 2015
Chancellor George Osborne is to allow local authorities to raise council tax bills by two per cent a year to pay for social care costs and will announce the measure in this week’s Spending Review. Local authorities.....
Salamanders inspire scientists to develop drug to heal older people’s bones faster and better
23 Nov 2015
Amphibians such as salamanders have inspired scientists to develop a new type of drug to make the healing process of bone fractures faster and better. Researchers from Southampton University have found that.....
Older people in Cornwall to lose access to the arts after charity is ruled 'no longer sustainable'
20 Nov 2015
Arts for Health Cornwall and Isles of Scilly is to close after being ruled ‘no longer sustainable’ following a financial assessment of the organisation. The charity provides vulnerable people living in Cornwall.....
Half of UK's carers may not be claiming benefits they deserve
20 Nov 2015
Half of the carers supporting a disabled, ill or older person in the UK, may be missing out on the financial support they are entitled to according to the charity Carers UK. Too many of the UK’s 6.5m unpaid.....
Social care for people with disabilities is 'chronically underfunded', warns charity
20 Nov 2015
Severe underfunding has meant that people with disabilities, who rely on social care for their independence, are often left hungry and isolated from the rest of society, according to disability charity, Scope. Research.....
John Lewis launches appeal to give elderly a Happy Christmas
20 Nov 2015
John Lewis has released unseen footage of its ‘Man on the Moon’ advert to appeal for donations to support older people this Christmas. The high street retailer’s Man on the Moon Christmas advertising campaign,.....
Dementia patients face 'postcode lottery' when accessing medication
19 Nov 2015
People with dementia who live in some of the poorest areas of England are less likely to receive medication than those living in more affluent parts of the country, a new study has found. The latest research.....
Grumpy old men could be the result of a low sex drive
19 Nov 2015
Today may be International Men’s Day but many older males could be feeling grumpy and utter words to the effect of ‘not tonight darling’ because their sex drive has been zapped by an undiagnosed condition. Testosterone.....
Robotic pet helps elderly combat loneliness
19 Nov 2015
A robotic pet that purrs, feels and moves like a cat has been created to offer companionship to older people. Designed with built-in sensors that allow a life-like response to a person’s strokes, hugs and.....
Cognitive brain ageing accelerated by smoking
18 Nov 2015
Research has revealed that smoking appears to accelerate the thinning of the outer layer of the brain, jeopardising important thinking skills such as planning, decision-making and problem-solving. Scientists.....
Books boost older people's happiness and social life
18 Nov 2015
The social life, health and happiness of older people is expected to get a much-needed boost thanks to reading projects funded by lottery cash. Older people, particularly those living alone, will be encouraged.....
Care sector under 'immense pressure' with rising workforce gap
17 Nov 2015
The adult social care sector could face a shortfall of one million workers in the next twenty years due to restrictions on immigration and a failure to attract British workers, according to a report published by Independent Age and.....
English demand GPS like Scotland to give those with dementia 'freedom to roam'
16 Nov 2015
Campaigners are demanding GPS for those with dementia in England to give them the ‘freedom to roam’ just like the Scottish. People with dementia in Scotland last year gained the right to use a GPS-based tracking.....
Diabetes cases continue to rise amongst older people
16 Nov 2015
New research has revealed that over three million older people are currently living with diabetes in the UK, which has increased by over 65 per cent since 2005. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has revealed.....
Older people go hungry as Meals on Wheels services are scrapped
13 Nov 2015
The Malnutrition Task Force has revealed that more than 46,000 older people have been deprived of their ‘Meals on Wheels’ service in the past three years. With the Government’s comprehensive Spending Review.....
Compulsory registration introduced for domiciliary and residential care workers in Wales from 2020
12 Nov 2015
Health and Social Services Minister, Mark Drakeford has announced that all domiciliary care workers in Wales will need to be registered from 2020, before they can work in the social care sector. Adult residential care workers are.....
Mental health care at risk as 'services shrink and demand escalates'
12 Nov 2015
A review by The King’s Fund think tank has revealed that cuts to adult mental health services in England are having a negative impact on the quality of care patients receive. The briefing found ‘widespread.....
Watchdog sees complaints about adult social care soar
12 Nov 2015
New figures reveal a surge in complaints about care for older people and the disabled in England. The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), the watchdog which handles unresolved adult social care complaints,.....
Older people left to fend for themselves as public services 'disintegrate'
12 Nov 2015
Age UK has revealed that too many older people are struggling at home as the public services on which they rely on are becoming increasingly withdrawn. The charity has urged the Government to invest in the.....
Mouth cancer revealed as tenth most common cancer in men
11 Nov 2015
Oral cancer is currently the tenth most common cancer in men, according to Cancer Research UK. Research has revealed that 7,300 people were diagnosed with oral cancer in the UK in 2012 and twice as many men.....
Care home cash crisis will lead to thousands of residents 'flooding' NHS hospitals
11 Nov 2015
Care homes are coming under increasing financial pressure and within five years many will be forced to close and NHS hospitals will have to care for people who have nowhere else to go, according to a stark warning from an independent.....
Sitting on public benches can help combat loneliness and isolation
10 Nov 2015
Public benches help improve people’s mental health and social wellbeing as they serve as resting places for those with limited mobility and also combat loneliness and isolation, according to new research. The.....
Innocent Drinks and Age UK encourage people to knit for 12th Big Knit Campaign
10 Nov 2015
Innocent Drinks and Age UK have launched the 12th Big Knit campaign to raise awareness of the millions of older people who die each winter, because of the cold. Each winter one older person dies every eight.....
Warped sense of humour could be an impending sign of dementia
10 Nov 2015
A dark sense of humour could be one of the early signs of dementia, according to a new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from the University College of London (UCL) found.....
Fitter legs could improve brain ageing
10 Nov 2015
Muscle fitness, measured by power in the legs, is associated with an improved rate of ageing in the brain, according to a study published by the British Society of Gerontology. Researchers at King's College.....
ITV's Emmerdale to feature vascular dementia storyline
10 Nov 2015
Emmerdale and Alzheimer's Society are set to deliver an emotional storyline to British screens, in which the resident vicar, Ashley Thomas is diagnosed with early onset vascular dementia. The popular ITV.....
Over a tenth of deaths in England and Wales caused by dementia
09 Nov 2015
There were over 500,000 deaths in England and Wales in 2014 and out of these, over 50,000 were caused by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Office of National Statistics. The figures from.....
Social-networking prevents loneliness in older people
09 Nov 2015
Increasing numbers of older people are turning to social networking to feel less isolated, according to new research. A report conducted by Pew Research Center found that 35 per cent of adults aged 65 and.....
Safety alert issued to care homes over residents falling from hoists
09 Nov 2015
All care homes and hospitals that provide NHS funded care have been issued with a Patient Safety Alert over people being put at risk of death or serious harm from hoists. The alert has been issued following.....
Public mental health spending is 'negligible', reveals charity
09 Nov 2015
Mental health charity Mind has revealed that local authorities in England are spending just one per cent of their public health budget on mental health. Research suggests that while local authorities spend.....
Three cups of tea a day could help prevent osteoporosis
06 Nov 2015
A daily intake of three cups of black tea could reduce the risk of bone fractures in older people by almost a third, according to new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The.....
Actress urges arts venues to be more dementia friendly
06 Nov 2015
Actress Gemma Jones, who famously played the mother of fictional character Bridget Jones, is calling on arts venues to be more dementia friendly. The star of stage and screen’s own mother had dementia and.....
Older people are 'happy, confident and adventurous' according to new research
06 Nov 2015
Recent research conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that older people tend to be happier than their younger counterparts. The report, commissioned by Cigna Insurance Services,.....
John Lewis Christmas advert highlights the millions of older people who spend Christmas alone
06 Nov 2015
Department store John Lewis has partnered with Age UK to release its latest Christmas advert which highlights the millions of older people due to spend Christmas alone. The advert lends its support to the latest Age UK campaign,.....
Supermarkets donate plastic bag funds to dementia institute
06 Nov 2015
Retailers Iceland, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose will use the proceeds from shoppers’ plastic bag charges to build a dementia research centre in London. The four supermarkets have pledged to reduce a £100m.....
Health watchdog reveals 'shocking' cases of undignified care
05 Nov 2015
Healthwatch Oxfordshire (HWO) and Age UK Oxfordshire are working with local health and social care services to improve standards of dignity in care in Oxfordshire. The move follows the publication of the.....
Older people encouraged to keep active and help others after Hearing Dogs volunteer wins award
05 Nov 2015
On Wednesday 4 November, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People hosted their annual award ceremony at One Marylebone. The Hearing Dogs Awards are sponsored by Royal Canin and Specsavers Hearing Centres and were attended.....
Drug used to treat angina could prevent dementia
05 Nov 2015
A new trial has been launched by scientists to determine whether an angina drug can prevent lacunar strokes which trigger dementia. Researchers at the universities of Edinburgh and Nottingham will share.....
New guidelines issued to help improve quality of life for older people with multiple long-term conditions
05 Nov 2015
The latest guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have called for health and social care services to work together to ensure that people with multiple long-term health conditions are involved.....
Penrose Care pays new London Living Wage to its home care workers
04 Nov 2015
Home care provider Penrose Care Ltd has implemented the London Living Wage rate to all of its home care workers, following an announcement by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson on Monday 2 November. Penrose Care implemented the new.....
UK could have its first 'LGBT-friendly' care village by 2020
04 Nov 2015
Homophobia can be a real problem in care homes and people who have been 'out' all their lives feel forced to hide their sexuality and keep it a secret. A survey carried out last year by Nottingham University.....
Council workers urged to become dementia friends
03 Nov 2015
Communities Secretary Greg Clark is calling on all councils to train up their staff to become dementia friends. Greg Clark and his team at the Department for Communities and Local Government became dementia.....
Online brain training can improve memory and reasoning in older people
03 Nov 2015
Playing online ‘brain training’ games that challenge memory skills and reasoning could have significant benefits for older people during their day to day lives, reports a new study by Kings College London, published in the Journal.....
Care regulator accused of aiding sector’s collapse with higher fees
03 Nov 2015
Care providers are being financially squeezed at both ends by the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) move to charge them more, as they face rising costs and inadequate local authority payments. Care England,.....
People with learning disabilities should be in 'homes not hospitals'
03 Nov 2015
People living with learning disabilities and autism will receive support to lead more independent lives, following the publication of a national plan to improve learning disabilities services. More than 2,500.....
Dame Judy Dench backs Age UK's campaign to prevent 'heart-breaking' loneliness at Christmas
02 Nov 2015
While many of us look forward to spending time with family and friends during the festive season, recent research has revealed that Christmas celebrations often fall short for older people. Age UK launched.....