Monthly Archives: January 2013
High court victory for Swadlincote gran’s carer cash case
A GRANDMOTHER from Swadlincote has won permission from a high court judge to challenge a council over its carers allowance.
08:38 Thursday 03 January 2013 Written by BY HELEN KREFT
The 67-year-old, who cares for her 13-year-old grandson, and at one stage was also caring for her granddaughter, receives a residence allowance from Derbyshire County Council, which is just 58 per cent of a fostering allowance. However, with the help of Ridley and Hall – a specialist grandparent carers solicitors, she will now challenge the policy, saying it would have cost the county council a fortune putting the children into foster care.
The children were placed with her in 2000 by Social Services who encouraged her to apply for a residence order, as the children’s’ parents were not able to properly care for them.
Target culture ‘knocks care out of nursing’
Target culture ‘knocks care out of nursing’ says expert as he warns workers are unable to stand up to abuse
- Professor Keith Brown criticises target-driven workplace culture
- He is currently overhauling training received by Britain’s care professionals
- Said that staff find it easier to ‘turn a blind’ to abuse in care homes
By John Stevens
PUBLISHED: 23:48, 1 January 2013 | UPDATED: 08:14, 2 January 201
A generation of nurses and carers have had their compassion ‘knocked out of them’ by a blindly target-driven workplace culture, an expert has warned.
An obsession with targets and jargon is stifling their innate desire to care for patients and care home residents, Professor Keith Brown said.
The professor, who is in the process of overhauling the training received by Britain’s care professionals, said many workers felt unable to stand up to abuse if they saw others mistreating patients.
He pointed to the example of the abuse scandal at the Winterbourne View private hospital in Bristol, which he said showed how those not perpetrating abuse had found it easier to ‘turn a blind eye’.
Carers face New Year struggle after cuts
SOUTHSIDE carers have spoken of how they are facing an increasingly difficult struggle to look after their loved ones in the New Year as the cuts announced in the budget hit home.
In the budget on December 6, the Government announced that it was cutting the carers’ respite grant, which is intended to help carers take a break or holiday, from €1,700 a year to €1,375.
Many carers will also be affected by cuts to gas and electricity allowances that have been reduced from the current €41 to €35 per month and from €22.60 to €9.50 for the telephone payment.
Medical card holders who previously paid 50c per prescription will now pay €1.50, while the monthly threshold for purchasing prescription drugs has increased from €132 a month to €144.
Des Coffey (48), from Tymonville Park in Tallaght, cares for his 19-year-old daughter Danielle who has Down’s Syndrome, has severe learning difficulties, is severely autistic and has kidney problems.
