Author Archives: wendy

Health and social care will need half of Government spending unless changes made: King's Fund

January 31, 2013   Carers, disability, DOH, health

Health and social care could consume half of government spending in 50 years’ time if current trends continue, a think tank has predicted.

 

Currently nine per cent of the UK’s income is spent on health and social care, and this is predicted to more than double to 20 per cent by 2061

By , Medical Editor

7:30AM GMT 31 Jan 2013

By 2060, half of all Government spending could go on health and social care unless major changes are made, the King’s Fund has reported.

The new report states that population changes, increases in wealth and medical advances will increase pressure to spend more on health and social care in the future.

Currently nine per cent of the UK’s income is spent on health and social care, and this is predicted to more than double to 20 per cent by 2061. Taking into account economic growth, current levels of taxation and Government expenditure this would mean one in every £2 spent by the Government went on care.

Prof John Appleby, author of the paper, said that increases on this scale were not inevitable.

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Does no one care asks disabled man left in the cold?

January 30, 2013   Carers, disability, fuel poverty

Disabled man left to freeze

Chris Eaborn, keeping warm next to an old gas fire, lent to him by a neighbourChris Eaborn, keeping warm next to an old gas fire, lent to him by a neighbour

Published on Wednesday 30 January 2013 12:34

A DISABLED man trapped in his freezing Wigan home has made a public cry for help after having his power cut off for more than three days.

Chris Eaborn was so desperate for help after his electricity was cut off that he put notices in his window crying “HELP! We have had no electricity or heating for 72 hours. Does anyone care at all?”

Another reads: “We cannot cook any food, we cannot shower, basic human rights denied,”

The 56-year-old had been hoping for a quick fix after cable fault hit his home in Woodhouse Lane, Beech Hill, last Saturday night.

With no phoneline, he was forced to seek the help of a neighbour, whose power had also been shut off, to call Electricity North West.

But due to high volumes of calls following the bad weather, Mr Eaborn was unable to get through until Monday morning,

So he put up an SOS message in his window, hoping someone would take pity and help him and the two other houses in the row of terraced homes affected.

The resident, who has an ulcerated leg, said; “I have no power, no heat and I am freezing – there is no damp proofing and I have had two freezing nights.

“I can’t even boil a kettle, have a shower, or cook hot food – I can’t do anything because everything is powered by electricity. I need the heat because of my leg.

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High-tech home help

January 29, 2013   Carers, Older care

By Charles Laurence , Wednesday 23 January 2013

A new touch-screen system arriving in the UK this year (courtesy of Saga!)

promises to revolutionise old age. It helps to keep older people in their own homes for longer by enabling family or carers to keep a loving eye on mum or dad from afar. Here’s where it all began…
Simple medical information goes into the system too, such as blood pressure monitoring results.Simple medical information, such as a blood pressure reading, can be entered into the system.

At about the time that Michael Murdock began to worry about his mother’s approaching old age, his eye was caught by a stand at a high-tech trade show. It was called GrandCare Systems. Murdock was in business fitting ‘smart’ automation technology to expensive homes – his was a company you called when you wanted to be able to set the swimming-pool temperature from your car, or watch the front gate with hidden cameras. Amid the gizmos and trade tools at the show, GrandCare seemed to be offering something a little different.

‘I thought “Wow”,’ he says. ‘Here was a company with the sort of technology I use, but adapted to help me look after my mum!’

What it was offering was a way of watching over a loved one with a minimum of intrusion and a maximum of communication. And it was easy to use.

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