Tag Archives: Older care
No Christmas Holidays for Family Carers
The Carers Association urges families and friends not to forget family carers this Christmas
The Carers Association is appealing to people across the country not to forget Ireland’s 187,000 family carers this Christmas. With Ireland facing an aging population in a time of mass emigration and 6,500 children providing care to family members, family carers have never needed support more.
Family carers provide unpaid care to society’s older people, those terminally ill and children and adults with disabilities – yet they have no legal entitlement to holidays, breaks or a day off from this demanding role, even at Christmas.
Life on a low income in the UK today
Part of Solve UK poverty
Making ends meet when you have very little is extremely hard work. More than one in three families in the UK today – over two million families – have an inadequate income.
A new report by Loughborough University for JRF Falling short: the experiences of families living below the Minimum Income Standard looks at 30 families who are all living below the Minimum Income Standard (MIS). This is an income level determined by regular research asking the public what they think is required for an acceptable living standard in the UK today – including social participation as well as physical essentials. Some are managing to get by, but can’t imagine being able to stretch to a day trip or low cost family holiday. Others struggle to afford material necessities like food and school uniforms.
Disabled Trunch pensioner reduced to tears by care firm
Patricia Burnett. Picture: MARK BULLIMORE
A care firm with 66 clients in north Norfolk has come under fire for its treatment of a disabled pensioner.
Wheelchair user Patricia Burnett, 73, has been reduced to tears, and left feeling helpless and frustrated by what she claims is poor care provided by Better Healthcare Services.
Her string of grievances include alleging that one carer failed to turn up, others do not know what they are supposed to do and leave without helping her, some turn up too early, and others are not properly trained.
After months of dissatisfaction, Miss Burnett decided to go public this week after breaking down when she said a new carer had not listened to her, handled her roughly and left her in discomfort.
