Monthly Archives: June 2015

Families shun care homes to look after elderly themselves

Overall number in care has gone up by just 1,000 in decade despite pensioner numbers rising by a million 

  • Proportion of older people in residential homes has fallen – despite predictions more working families would lack time to look after relatives
  • Better health and increased life expectancy likely influenced shift
  • But high costs and concerns over quality of care in low-paid industry beset by scandals may also be factors, say Office for National Statistics

Tens of thousands of families are shunning care homes to look after elderly relatives themselves instead.

Hospital sets up food bank

Mum Kayleigh Emmerson, whose son Connor was born weighing just 1lb 10oz, said she would go hungry in order to pay for her bus fare to hospital

Newcastle Chronicle  A food bank is to be set up at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital to help parents of premature children facing poverty
Expensive: Parents with babies in neonatal care spend on average £280 a week

Husband urges Norfolk’s ‘hidden’ army of carers to seek support

Les Eve, Carers UK Ambassador for Carers in Norfolk.

A husband who spent almost 30 years caring for his wife, after she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, has urged the county’s “hidden” unpaid carers to get the support they are entitled to.

Ahead of Carers Week, which starts on Monday, Les Eve said he wanted to get the message out that people looking after loved ones were not alone.

Mr Eve, who set up the Costessey Carers Support Group following his experiences looking after his wife, Shirley, is the Carers UK Ambassador for Carers in Norfolk.