Category Archives: mental health

Memory Café for dementia sufferers and carers in Queensferry

March 17, 2014   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, mental health, Scotland

The Memory Café

 

Queensferry Care has officially opened a new service “The Memory Café”, at The Haven 25b Burgess Road, its base in South Queensferry. Developed through a partnership with NHS Lothian, Alzheimer’s Scotland and Queensferry Care, the Café will open from 13:00hr to 15:00hr on the third Thursday of each month and will provide support, information and advice to people who have a diagnosis of dementia and to carers.

Sharon Hampson-Bahia, manager at Queensferry Care said: “We were delighted with the response at the opening of the café and it was clear that people attending valued the opportunity to meet and chat with the professional team in a relaxed setting while enjoying a coffee and some delicious cakes.

“Queensferry Care have been providing a range of services to older people and carers for over twenty years across rural west Edinburgh and it is has been exciting for us to be able to extend our work in partnership with Alzheimer’s Scotland and NHS Lothian in such an innovative way.”

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Patients 'imprisoned' in care homes, report finds

March 13, 2014   autism, Carers, DOH, mental health

The committee said it was “very concerned by what we heard about the safeguards”

 

The report highlighted the case of Steven Neary, who has autism and a severe learning difficulty.

Vulnerable adults are being kept virtual prisoners in care homes because of misuse of mental health laws, a House of Lords committee says.

The report expressed serious concerns that safeguards brought in to protect vulnerable patients are actually being used to “oppress” them.

It looked at how reforms passed in 2005 are working, but called for a new system to be drawn up from scratch.

The Ministry of Justice said it welcomed the report.

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Screen carers for depression, say doctors' leaders

March 11, 2014   Carers, Depression, mental health
The Royal College of GPs said carers often neglected their own healthcare needs

11 May 2013 Last updated at 14:27

Carers should be routinely screened for signs of depression by their GP to ensure their health needs are not neglected, doctors’ leaders say.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) estimates one in every 20 patients registered with a GP practice is providing unpaid care.

About 40% of carers are thought to be at risk of depression or stress because of their caring role.

Charity Carers UK said GPs had a vital role to play in supporting carers.

It is estimated that seven million people in the UK currently provide unpaid care to a sick or disabled child or an adult who could not otherwise live independently.

Many of them are already known to GPs, but the RCGP says more should be done to improve the support and services offered to carers.

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