Author Archives: Maureen
Care homes given five star ratings fail key standards
28 October 2012 Last updated at 01:28
Care homes given five star ratings fail key standards
By Hannah Barnes Reporter, 5 live Investigates
Concerns have been raised about the consistency of independent assessments of care homes.Care homes with five-star ratings are receiving premium fees despite not meeting essential standards set out by the care regulator.
Local authorities pay higher fees to care homes awarded top ratings.
But critics say this is a “cheque book system” open to any home prepared to pay for a rating.
The Care Quality Commission advises people to visit homes and check their most recent CQC inspection report before making a decision on care.
MPs warned of £10bn social care cuts
MPs warned of £10bn social care cuts
24 October, 2012 | By Kaye Wiggins
Councils will cut £10bn from their social care budgets over this spending review period, MPs have been told.
The figure was revealed at a health select committee hearing on Tuesday by John Jackson, chair of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ resources network.
Mr Jackson told MPs that his figure raised serious concerns about the future of social care funding.
“Adult social care is the largest part of council budgets and they will have to look for savings from it”, he said, warning that the further council tax freeze announced this month would put more pressure on care budgets.
How ‘wise’ young carer from Folkestone copes with stress of caring for her mother
How ‘wise’ young carer from Folkestone copes with stress of caring for her mother
EVERY day, when Bethany gets home from school, she gives mother Jane Crammond a wash. She helps with Jane’s physiotherapy, washes up and tidies, washes her mother’s hair twice a week.
It is a far cry from the way most 11-year-olds spend their evenings, but Bethany is different. Jane describes her as a “wise head on young shoulders” and certainly, although tiny in stature, Bethany does not seem to let life stand in her way. It was she who, aged eight, volunteered to care for her mother.
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Bethany has cared for mum Jane since she suffered a stroke
“It makes me feel happy inside that I can help,” she explains seriously. “It will help Mummy a lot to get better.”
Jane, who also has a 15-year-old son, was unaware of any health problems before she had the stroke, at the age of 42.
Although she went back to work at the Post Office
afterwards, her poor mobility and balance meant she had to leave six months later.
A fall a few months after that complicated issues further and she is currently unable to leave the house.
“Bethany’s my rock ,” she says proudly. “She’s always there to support me, encourage me, to say: ‘Come on Mummy, you can do it’.
