Category Archives: Carers

Norwich and South Norfolk stroke survivors in call for communication support service

May 8, 2014   Carers, Featured Article, Norfolk, stroke

Wednesday, May 7, 2014
7:52 PM

Stroke survivors in Norwich and South Norfolk are calling for a communication support service to be reinstated after a loss of funding.

South Norfolk stroke support group meeting in Cafe Marzano at the Forum, Norwich. Photo: Steve Adams

The Stroke Association ran the service to help sufferers left with aphasia – a condition where people have difficulty speaking or understanding speech – learn how to talk again or use other means of communicating.

But the charity stopped providing the service in March last year after losing NHS funding.

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Carers need our support

May 8, 2014   Carers, disability

By North Devon Journal  |  Posted: May 08, 2014

In last week’s Journal there was a fabulous piece from North Devon Hospice’s very own Beth Kelso.

In the regular “Opinion” section, Beth was writing about the way in which we support carers, an aspect of hospice care that many are not aware of. After all, if it wasn’t for these carers (often husbands, wives, sons or daughters) the health of the person they are looking after would suffer greatly.

We feel it is absolutely vital that carers feel supported in their task, which can take over their entire life.

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Care agencies ‘must ensure recruits can speak English’

May 7, 2014   Carers, Featured Article, Social care
7 May 2014 Last updated at 10:01

Recruitment agencies should ensure care workers can speak English before placing them in vulnerable people’s homes, a government adviser has said

Dr Shereen Hussein, scientific adviser to the Department of Health, told BBC Radio 5 live that poor language skills could lead to bad care and abuse.

Figures from King’s College London say 20% of care workers are migrants.

Care minister Norman Lamb said communication skills would be required for the new Care Certificate.

The brother of one dementia sufferer told the BBC his carers struggled to communicate.

‘Exceptionally difficult’Phil, whose full name we have withheld, has a 62-year-old brother with a severe form of dementia. He employed carers for 18 months to oversee the care of his brother, but grew frustrated with the quality of the staff.

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