Social care reform is enormously difficult and there is attraction in the apparently simple concept of mirroring the National Health Service, which could offer comprehensive, high-quality, person-centred services that meet needs and enhance lives.
What would a national care service mean?
But questions remain. Who would be eligible for publicly-funded care? Who manages and commissions it? Who provides it? How it is funded and Who would regulate it? The answers to many may not have to sit centrally and may not be best carried out at a national level.
Who gets publicly funded social care currently, unlike the NHS, depends on their assets. The levels of these are set nationally and could remain so. There is an urgent need to lower the eligibility so more people have access funded support. National rules on eligibility need to be applied evenly – unlike now where there are variations.
If eligibility should be set nationally, management and commissioning of social care should happen locally. As much control as possible needs to be in the hands of people using services. Local councils know their communities and markets, and are best placed to support a person-centred approach. Yet, possibly due to finances, they don’t always deliver.
Most of England’s 18.5k social care providers (including Deckchair Care) are in the private sector, so who delivers a national care service is more interesting. A nationalised service would be hugely expensive, legally difficult and time-consuming to implement, without necessarily delivering the benefits its proponents expect.
In many people’s view, it is better to have a mixed market of providers from the public, voluntary and private sectors. That, though, requires local authorities to pay providers a fair price for good quality care, which in turn requires national government to fund councils adequately.
In conclusion, some aspects of adult social care should be run and funded nationally. This may be more complex than some might expect of a national care service, but it will deliver better social care.
About Deckchair Care
Deckchair Care are an independent, privately-owned care agency. We look after the elderly in Cheshire and South Manchester.
A Major review has recommended 12 health measures that can reduce the risk of developing dementia.
The biggest known risk factors for dementia are:
Smoking
Excess alcohol consumption
High blood pressure
Obesity
Diabetes
Head injury
Depression
Hearing loss
Exposure to air pollution
Lack of exercise
Education
Little or no social contact
Minimising these risks could potentially prevent or delay up to 40 per cent of dementia cases globally, according to the review of the latest evidence by 28 leading dementia experts from around the world.
The review finds that individuals can partially protect themselves by: Not smoking, drinking less than 21 units of alcohol per week, maintaining good blood pressure, avoiding activities that could lead to head injuries, using hearing aids if needed, eating a healthy diet, and exercising and socialising regularly.
It’s never too late to think about reducing your risk!
Following the
latest COBR meeting, updated guidelines for the Delay phase in Coronavirus /
Covid-19 have now been issued by the Government. These guidelines include:
People in “at risk” groups being asked within days to be largely shielded from social contact for 12 weeks.
14-day isolation of entire household should ANY member of the household experience symptoms (high temperature and/or a new, continuous cough).
The cessation of non-essential social contact and unnecessary travel.
Those who are able to, should work from home.
As a Care
company, we are doing everything possible to maintain high levels of support to
our clients, however we recognise that we may have to adapt our delivery of
service imminently, in order to ensure that our most vulnerable clients
continue to receive care.
At present,
the proposed changes are likely to be as follows:
Those who fall into the following categories will be visited as a priority:
Those without family support
Those with terminal / life-threatening illness
Those who require support with essential medication
Please be
reassured that whilst some clients will be given priority, ALL clients will
continue to receive care visits at this time.
In managing all care visits at this difficult time, we will no longer be able to guarantee visit times, but will still operate on an Morning / Afternoon / Evening basis.
Visit durations may need to be altered to accommodate all calls.
With regret, the following visits will need to be temporarily halted:
Social Visits / Carer Escorts
Meals out
Elongated calls to facilitate cleaning and non-essential tasks
As we work together to manage this situation, we will request the following support from family members:
If you are local, we ask that you continue to support your loved ones in any way possible within guidelines. If there are visits that can be managed by family, or that are not needed, please let us know as soon as possible. This will allow us to free up resource to assist others in need.
If you are able, please ensure loved ones have a ready supply of healthy meals, drinks, antibacterial sprays / soaps and tissues.
If possible, increase your phone contact – in a period of isolation with limited social contact – conversation is much needed.
Whilst we will do our utmost to support with necessity shopping, we cannot guarantee staff availability to undertake weekly shopping and therefore request family members organise the shopping of food and other essential items.
When it is
deemed necessary to instigate the aforementioned changes, you will be informed
however we do expect this to be within the next few days.
As a team, we
can reassure you that all staff members are briefed on the latest Government
guidelines and know to alert a member of the management team immediately if
they, or anyone in contact with a client, has a risk of infection. We urge you
to do the same, in order that we can plan and manage our care accordingly.
Carers continue to be well supplied in gloves, aprons and sanitisers. Carers
continue to carry additional supplies of disinfectant wipes, tissues and
antibacterial soap. Antibacterial soaps are now in most client properties for
the use of clients, carers and families. Working together we will maximise
safety for all.
You can also
find further information by following the link below.
If you have a TfGM-issued pension-age concessionary pass or a Women’s Concessionary Travel pass, to continue to benefit from unlimited off-peak travel on trams and trains in Greater Manchester after 1 February 2020, you will need to pay an annual £10 fee.
There is no change to free, off-peak bus travel across England and, if you only use buses, you can choose not to pay to add tram and train.
The £10 charge does not apply to concessionary passes for disabled people.
The new scheme starts 1 February, but you can pay now, to make sure you’re ready. If you pay early, you will be covered for one year from 1 February 2020. After 1 February, you’ll be covered for a full year from the date you pay.
The NHS is planning to relieve strain on hospitals by offering a visit within two hours.
New teams will include nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers and social care staff.
The “urgent community response” teams will operate 365 days a year and will help older people and those with complex care needs try to avoid ending up in hospital.
The teams are a key element of the NHS’s plan to provide increasing amounts of care in people’s homes.
The NHS and councils in seven areas of England will start putting the teams together and hiring staff from April 2020, with at least three starting to offer the service before next winter. Cheshire is one of the 7 areas.
Age UK estimates that there are almost 500,000 older people in England who are living at home and have multiple health and care needs.
About Deckchair Care
Deckchair Care are an independent, privately-owned care agency. We look after the elderly in Cheshire and South Manchester.
TV repeats and familiar songs can help people with dementia by stimulating memories and keeping the brain active.
And while people with dementia might not remember the exact details of a film, they may recall how they felt at the end.
Experts say it is the emotional details of a favourite film or song that remain lodged in our minds.
Whether it’s an old song they used to enjoy or a classic film, reminiscing can be beneficial to someone with dementia – it can help to maintain their self-esteem, confidence and sense of self, as well as improve social interactions with others.
However, every person with dementia is different, so it’s important to listen and accommodate your loved one’s unique needs and wishes.
About Deckchair Care
Deckchair Care are an independent, privately-owned care agency. We look after the elderly in Cheshire and South Manchester.
The clocks have gone back and Autumn is well and truly here.
This is traditionally a busy time for Deckchair Care. Our care team has now grown to 18 and we welcome new clients in Cheadle, Wilmslow and Gatley.
If you are looking for some help – either for yourself or a loved one – take a look at our website and find out about our personal and companionship care service.
About Deckchair Care
Deckchair Care are an independent, privately-owned care agency. We look after the elderly in Cheshire and South Manchester.
Photographs and films, ration books and a 1950s televisions have been used to transform wards across the UK into reassuringly familiar settings – including 1950s tearooms and seaside beach huts.
NHS England believes the “dementia-friendly adaptations” will help patients who struggle to adjust to their surroundings.
It is hoped these items from bygone eras may help trigger patients’ memories. If patients are engaged in meaningful activity and given mental stimulation, then they sleep better, feel less agitated, are less likely to get up in the night and less likely to fall.
Having a dementia-friendly place to stay may help these patients adjust better to their surroundings and reduce their reliance on medicine.
Hospitals taking part in the project
London’s Royal Free Hospital
West Yorkshire’s Airedale Hospital
Hull Royal Infirmary
Royal Preston Hospital
Wirrals Arrowe Park hospital
Grantham Hospital’s Manthorpe Centre:
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate:
Themes include:
A cinema room where patients can watch footage of old street scenes and sporting events from the 1950s and 1960s.
1940s style reminiscence room, featuring pictures of ration books and old photographs
A ‘memories pub’ complete with replica beer taps and vintage posters.
Dementia wards, corridors and day rooms kitted out in a vintage seaside theme with beach huts signposting patient bays and a retro boardwalk mural.
A 1950s-themed “memory room” where patients can relax among period furniture, artwork and a replica 1950s television.
A day room, where patients can do a jigsaw or listen to the hospital choir sing music from the 1940s and 50s, with a retro television cabinet and vintage-style furniture.
About Deckchair Care
Deckchair Care are an independent, privately-owned care agency. We look after the elderly in Cheshire and South Manchester.
