Category Archives: Carers
Scottish Health Awards: Nomination for Scot who helps dementia carers after going through the same with his mum
VOTING ENDS TODAY
TOMMY Whitelaw is devoted to helping improve the lives of those who care for dementia sufferers through his campaign Dementia Carer Voices.
TOMMY WHITELAW spent five years as a full-time carer to mum Joan as she suffered from dementia.
The 51-year-old, of Glasgow, gave up his job handling merchandise on concert tours to care for her as the progressive disease took its toll.
Initially, he struggled but after getting help he set out to make sure other carers didn’t suffer in silence.
Joan died a year ago, aged 73, but Tommy is still working to improve the lives of other carers.
Norfolk charity to pioneer care home volunteers scheme
Norfolk charity to pioneer care home volunteers scheme
Volunteer Mary Knights, right on one of her visits to see Thorpe St Andrew pensioner Beryl Forkes. Photo: Steve Adams.
Mark Shields Thursday, September 5, 2013
5:36 PM
A new scheme being pioneered by a Norwich-based charity could see the lives of care home residents enriched by visiting volunteers.
The programme will see volunteer activity coordinators placed in homes to get residents relieve pressure on care staff and allow unpaid workers to take responsibility for getting residents involved in social activities.
Norfolk County Council and Voluntary Norfolk, the two bodies behind the scheme, believe it could not only help older people to get more out of life but help the next generation of professional carers to develop.
The coordinators will start work at some private care homes in north Norfolk next month, and though they will be specifically trained for the role, they will not replace paid staff or do any of their duties.
Linda Rogers, Voluntary Norfolk’s head of operations, said: “While placing volunteers in private care homes is something of a new step, many of Voluntary Norfolk’s existing volunteers already help older people in the community with social and leisure activities, so to some extent the new scheme is an extension of something that we know works well and is greatly appreciated.
“The new scheme will benefit the residents, the volunteers themselves and, we hope, the caring profession in years to come.”
Suffolk: New ways of delivering care on the way
Suffolk: New ways of delivering care on the way
Suffolk Family Carers chief executive Jacqui Martin
Paul Geater Thursday, September 5, 2013
9:00 AM
Home care for frail people across Suffolk could get a radical shake-up after a county-wide consultation over the next few months.
Meals on Wheels changes
The county is also looking at how it provides community meals services from September next year.
At present it provides 219,000 hot meals to about 725 customers a year. The cost of the meals is £1.4 million, and the £5.50 cost of the meals brings in £1.2 million – meaning the cost to the council is just over £200,000 a year.
About half of the meals have to be put on plates for the customer, 35% require diabetic diets, and 15% need “modified texture diets.”
Dr Murray said the council would be looking at how these meals were delivered – for those who were able to cope it might be better to deliver frozen meals that could be microwaved when needed. The cost of those is £3.20 each.
However because an increasing number of customers were very frail, that might not be a solution for many of those requiring the service.
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