Home Care News
UK could have its first 'LGBT-friendly' care village by 2020
30 Oct 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.....
Young Onset Dementia: 'We need to dwell on the things we can do, not on the things we can't'
29 Oct 2015
At the age of 61, Chris Norris was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia – an unusual type of dementia that affects around 16,000 people in Britain. Frontotemporal dementia tends to affect the frontal and.....
CQC launches discussion in to the future of regulations
29 Oct 2015
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a new discussion paper detailing the decisions it is faced with, when changes are to make to ensure that high-quality health and social care is delivered to those who need it. The.....
Phoning Friends initiative is a 'social lifeline' for people living alone
27 Oct 2015
Friends of the Elderly introduced Phoning Friends as an initiative designed to offer people aged 60 and over support, companionship and advice. The telephone befriending service was introduced after previous research revealed that.....
Dementia drug delays older people's need for care homes
27 Oct 2015
People with Alzheimer’s can stay in their own homes longer and delay their move to a care home, as long they take donepezil, research reveals. A 12-month study by University College London (UCL), published.....
Almost a million over 65s suffer in silence with energy firms
26 Oct 2015
Hundreds of thousands of older people are experiencing incorrect energy charges, supply issues and poor service but are not complaining to their provider. Ombudsman Services: Energy, which handles complaints.....
Virtual reality maze could predict onset of Alzheimer's disease
23 Oct 2015
Alzheimer's disease could be detected years before the onset using a virtual reality maze, according to research published in the journal Science. The study, led by Lukas Kunz of the German Centre for Neurodegenerative.....
People with dementia urged to stay active when clocks change
23 Oct 2015
The Alzheimer’s Society is urging people with dementia and their care workers to resist the temptation to ‘hibernate’ after the clocks go back this weekend. Remaining active throughout the winter and being.....
Mediterranean diet could slow brain ageing
22 Oct 2015
Following a Mediterranean diet may be associated with losing fewer brain cells caused by ageing, according to new research published in the journal ‘American Academy of Neurology’. A study of people with an average age of 80 showed.....
Super-smeller Gran who sniffs out Parkinson’s could have found secret to diagnosing the disease
22 Oct 2015
A research study has been launched to find out if people’s skin odour could hold the secret to diagnosing Parkinson’s, after a Scottish grandma was able to identify the disease through sniffing their t-shirts. In.....
UK launches world's largest clinical trial into effect of aspirin on cancer prevention
22 Oct 2015
The world’s largest clinical trial has been launched in the UK to examine whether aspirin can delay or prevent cancers from returning. The Add-Aspirin study will attempt to determine whether a daily dose of aspirin, taken over.....
Parliament told to defend the dying's right to round the clock care
22 Oct 2015
Around-the-clock palliative care is a dying person’s right which parliament must defend says the Marie Curie charity, ahead of a debate on the Access to Palliative Care Bill. The charity has called for ‘parliamentary.....
UK's first 'dementia-friendly' supermarket checkout opens in Chester
21 Oct 2015
A Chester branch of Tesco has become the first known supermarket to implement a ‘dementia-friendly’ checkout. The Frodsham Street store has a clutter-free checkout which features clear images representing coins and their value......
Tens of thousands of older people face cold winter in park homes
21 Oct 2015
Thousands of older people living in park homes, could be facing a cold winter as they struggle with the high cost of heating this type of accommodation, according to research conducted by Age UK. It is estimated that around 100,000.....
Drug firms and Government invest £65m in dementia fund
21 Oct 2015
The UK Government and major pharmaceutical companies are investing £65m ($100m) in a global fund to develop new treatments for dementia. The UK Government and six drug companies namely GlaxoSmithKline.....
Age UK reveals 'destructive vicious circle' in health and social care for older people
21 Oct 2015
The health and social care system for older people in England is under severe stress and underperforming, leading to higher costs, poorer health outcomes and worse service user experiences, warns Age UK. The.....
CQC calls for NHS Trusts to improve mental health care after finding 'no notable improvement'
21 Oct 2015
The Care Quality Commission has called for NHS Trusts to improve their out-of-hospital care of people with mental health problems ranging from mild depression to psychosis, after finding ‘no notable improvement’ in the past year. The.....
Uber launches new service for disabled passengers needing extra help
20 Oct 2015
Uber has launched an option on its taxi-hailing app for people with disabilities in London who need extra assistance. A hundred of Uber’s most experienced drivers have signed up to the new service called.....
NICE publish guidelines on delaying and preventing dementia in later life
20 Oct 2015
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has launched recommendations on approaches in mid-life to delay or prevent the onset of dementia, disability and frailty in later life. The report,.....
Pharmacy fined for selling older people's data to lottery hoaxers
20 Oct 2015
Thousands of older and vulnerable people’s confidential data has been sold on to fraudsters by a pharmacy. The UK's largest NHS-approved online pharmacy Pharmacy 2U has been fined £130,000 by the Information.....
Manchester City and United football legends take part in reminiscence event for people with dementia
19 Oct 2015
Football legends, Lou Macari, former star of Manchester United, Celtic and Scotland and Alex Williams, former Manchester City goalkeeper, took part in a special reminiscence event helping people with dementia reconnect with their.....
Terminally ill Caremark director announces date of death on LinkedIn
19 Oct 2015
Operations director for Caremark Sutton, Simon Binner, is set to end his life in Switzerland today, Monday 19th October 2015, after announcing his decision on his LinkedIn profile page. Mr Binner of Purley,.....
Care Minister tells providers to innovate to make ends meet as he can't promise extra funding
16 Oct 2015
Care Minister Alistair Burt has told social care providers to be innovative in finding efficiencies because he can’t guarantee more funding. Delegates on the third and final day of the annual National Children.....
Government announces changes to restrictions on recruiting nurses from overseas
16 Oct 2015
The Government has revealed temporary changes to restrictions on recruiting overseas nurses to ensure care homes and NHS care provisions have adequate staffing levels. Nurses will be added to the Government’s.....
Fungal infections could be linked to Alzheimer's disease
16 Oct 2015
Evidence of fungal infections has been found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to research published in Nature’s Journal of Scientific Reports. Researchers from the Autonomous University.....
Home care firms take legal action against council over low pay
16 Oct 2015
Eighteen private home care providers have begun legal action against the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and are demanding the authority pay them more or face court. The Bradford Care Association,.....
BBC Dragon backs charity campaign for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
15 Oct 2015
Dragons' Den entrepreneur, Deborah Meaden has lent her support to the latest Hearing Dogs for Deaf People campaign to improve access to UK businesses for people with highly-trained assistance dogs. The campaign was launched after.....
CQC State of Care report shows 'quality of care placed in jeopardy by underfunding'
15 Oct 2015
The Care Quality Commission's (CQC) State of Care Report on the quality of health and adult social care in England, has revealed that more than 60 per cent of adult social care services have been rated either ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’. Yet.....
Councils are failing to prioritise services that help older people live independently
15 Oct 2015
Older people’s ability to live independently is being hindered by Welsh councils’ failure to prioritise many services, a report reveals. The Wales Audit Office has found that while all councils in Wales valued.....
Robotic suit could make older people less reliant on care workers
15 Oct 2015
A robotic suit could help older people walk and carry out chores in their own homes, reducing their dependence on care workers. Academics have developed an exoskeleton suit, named AXO, fitted with motion.....
More than 240,000 patient falls happen every year in UK hospitals
14 Oct 2015
More than 240,000 falls are reported in acute hospitals and mental health trusts in England and Wales every year - that's 700 a day, according to the first nationwide audit of hospital inpatient falls. The.....
Over 60s revealed as having the most unhealthy diet
14 Oct 2015
People over 60 have been revealed as having the most unhealthy diets as a result of their children having left home, a study has found. Despite eating a healthy, balanced diet for years when caring for their children, older people.....
Disability hate crimes rise by 25 per cent
14 Oct 2015
Police have recorded a 25 per cent increase in disability hate crimes in 2014/15, according to Government figures. Crimes against disabled people rose in 2014/15 from 2,006 to 2,508 when compared to 2013/14.....
Blackwood praised for commitment to person-centred care
13 Oct 2015
A Scottish housing support service has been commended by the Care Inspectorate after it received a five star review for its services. Blackwood’s Aberdeen Services recently underwent a short-notice inspection for which it was awarded.....
Social care cuts are putting older people and disabled at risk
13 Oct 2015
Older people and those living with disabilities are being put at risk, due to the ability of councils to provide dignified care because of a gap in social care funding. Following a joint submission in the Spending Review, the Local.....
Infection not poor mental health could be cause of falls at home
13 Oct 2015
Falls by an older person could be the result of an infection rather than poor mental health, a US study reveals. Nearly half of falls resulting in visits to emergency rooms are caused by infections, according.....
A daily glass of red wine could help Type 2 diabetics
13 Oct 2015
A glass of red wine a day could keep Type 2 diabetes under control, according to new research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Scientists found that people who had a regular glass of red wine with their evening meal.....
Academic gets funding to unlock amyloid secret that could prevent Alzheimer's
13 Oct 2015
A dementia researcher has been given nearly £370,000 to investigate how to clear a build up of the protein amyloid in the brain, which many believe will prevent people getting Alzheimer’s. Dr Cheryl Hawkes.....
NHS approach to performance assessments requires 'radical simplification'
12 Oct 2015
Independent charity and think tank, The King's Fund has called for an assessment on performance of local health systems in the future. The review titled: ‘Measuring the performance of local health systems: a review for the Department.....
Centenarian sent 16,000 birthday cards dies
12 Oct 2015
A hundred-year-old woman who received 16,000 birthday cards from strangers after an appeal by her care workers, has died. Winnie Blagden, who passed away last night, would have only had contact with the outside.....
Cancer Research UK launches £100m scheme to help beat cancer
12 Oct 2015
Cancer Research UK has launched Grand Challenges – a £100m investment for international scientists to revolutionise the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer. A panel of academics collaborated with.....
Tablets set to 'revolutionise' home care in the UK
12 Oct 2015
People will soon be able to tap on a tablet to tell their care worker when they need a visit, thanks to technology adopted for the first time by a UK home care agency. The Mid Shropshire and South West Staffordshire.....
NHS trusts must make 'radical changes' to reduce financial deficit
09 Oct 2015
NHS foundation trusts (FTs) have accrued a financial deficit of nearly £1 billion within the first three months of the new financial year, described by regulators as being the worst financial position in a generation. Foundation.....
Football legend Robbie Savage to donate money from new autobiography to Alzheimer’s Society
09 Oct 2015
Ex-professional footballer Robbie Savage is donating 25 per cent from the royalties of his new book ‘I’ll Tell You What…’, to the Alzheimer’s Society. Mr Savage, who is now a football pundit, has dedicated.....
One in 10 home care agencies will be forced to close due to National Living Wage
08 Oct 2015
Eleven per cent of all home care agencies have revealed that they will be forced to close within the next 12 months, due to the low fees paid by local authorities. A survey carried out by the United Kingdom.....
New guidelines issued to prevent overmedication of people with learning disabilities
08 Oct 2015
Families and carers of people with learning disabilities with behaviour that challenges, could benefit from a new quality standard to help them receive the personalised care and support they need, when they need it most. The new.....
Two-thirds of adult social care requests rejected by local councils
07 Oct 2015
Local councils are struggling to action new requests for adult social care in England as the result of budget cuts, the latest figures reveal. Figures published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.....
'Smart' home of the future will make life easier for disabled people
07 Oct 2015
It’s a work in development at the moment, but if all goes well, Blackwood, a Scottish innovative housing and care provider, plans to launch a state-of-the-art home for people with disabilities in Dundee next year. The.....
UK end-of-life care ranked 'best in the world'
06 Oct 2015
End-of-life care in the UK has been ranked number one by a study investigating the quality and availability of services worldwide, although charities warn that much more needs to be done. Released by the.....
Nurses have too many patients to care for and too much paperwork
05 Oct 2015
A survey of 4,000 nurses across the UK has found that many are considering leaving the job. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) survey found many nurses felt undervalued, with too many patients to care for and too much paperwork. More.....