Author Archives: Maureen
Angus launch of Butterfly Scheme to improve the safety and wellbeing of patients with dementia
The scheme allows people whose memory is affected by dementia to opt-in to having a discreet butterfly symbol placed next to their name.
NHS Tayside has launched the ground-breaking Butterfly Scheme for acute hospitals in Angus, which aims to improve the safety and wellbeing of patients with dementia.
The Butterfly Scheme was officially launched in Perth Royal Infirmary in January by founder Barbara Hodkinson and is now being adopted across all acute hospital sites in NHS Tayside, the first Board in Scotland to adopt the scheme. Barbara, a carer whose mother had dementia, officially launched the scheme for Ninewells and Royal Victoria Hospitals on Thursday and, on Friday, was in Forfar to mark the roll- out of the scheme to Whitehills Health and Community Care Centre, Stracathro Hospital and Arbroath Infirmary.
Unpaid carers cost economy £5.3bn, charity warns
It says an unfit care system means people often have to give up work to help the elderly or adult disabled.
The figure was calculated on the lost earnings and forgone taxes of more than 300,000 unpaid carers.
The government says its long-awaited white paper on social care is “imminent” and will include funding changes to “transform care”.
Michelle Mitchell, charity director general of Age UK said: “For many people, caring for a loved one is second nature and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“But carers should never be forced to sacrifice their own financial security and wellbeing due to the lack of service provision and support from public services.
“Care cannot wait any longer – this is the government’s last chance to get it right and set their political legacy for generations to come.”
LET’S FIGHT FOR THE ‘FORGOTTEN GENERATION’
Grandparents can care for the young but who will care for the elderly
Tuesday June 26,2012
By Esther Rantzen
TEN MILLION people in Britain are without a voice, without an advocate, without rights of their own yet these 10 million have spent their lives earning the right to respect and advocacy and their voices desperately need to be heard. They are the Britons over 65 who have given so much to our country.
Many worked hard, brought up families, scrimped and saved during the war years and are still proud and uncomplaining. Many are being parents all over again – a recent survey suggested 25 grandparents a day quit their jobs to help their own children raise families.
In these tough times, with more new mums having to go out to work to support the family, it’s grandparents who are being relied on to look after the children and ensure continuity at home. Yet despite most willingly doing all they can for the family they remain unpaid, unrecognised and somewhat forgotten – not by their children and grandchildren but by society and, more specifically, the Government.
