Monthly Archives: July 2014

Qualifications You Should Seek in a Care worker or Home Carer

 Guest blog by Lawrence Henderson

Psychology major

What being a carer entails.

Whether you are currently taking care of a loved one or planning for the future, it’s a good idea to be aware of what being a carer entails. Some people simply just do not have time to provide this valuable service and therefore need to procure the services of an experienced home worker or care worker. But how can you know for sure that the person in question is qualified to be a care worker? There are no real formal qualifications that must be had in order to serve as a care worker, so it really comes down to experience, character and a variety of other elements that you’ll have to verify on a case-by-case basis. We’ll outline some of the requirements of being a care worker you should be on the look-out for – both good and bad – to help you make the best decision.

Are 15-minute homecare visits always bad?

Shorter visits can have a place within a wider care package

Why 15-minute homecare visits should be bannedShr

  • Guardian Professional,
‘Service users often wish to know what time people are going to turn up and for how long they will stay.’

Local authority commissioners often face criticism for the regimented way they purchase care and particularly for the hourly rates they offer. Interested observers will talk about the need to purchase care around outcomes, rather than the seemingly outdated method of paying by the hour, half hour or 15 minutes. In reality this is a bit of a holy grail as very few local authorities have mastered the art of outcome-based commissioning. This is made more difficult by the fact that service users often wish to know what time people are going to turn up and for how long they will stay. There is also the small matter of deciding how to pay for such arrangements.

Disabled people in Britain face a hidden housing crisis, charity warns

Disabled people are experiencing a hidden housing crisis, says a new report suggesting that many are having to wash in their kitchens and sleep in their living rooms because their homes are ill-designed for their needs.

The charity Leonard Cheshire Disability claims that as many as five million people now need a disabled-friendly home, a number set to rise as the population ages. A survey for the charity’s Home Truths campaign finds that almost three-quarters of people with mobility problems do not have an accessible door into their building. More than half say their buildings do not have doors and hallways wide enough for a wheelchair.