Category Archives: Carers

Thousands of dementia sufferers rarely see loved ones

April 9, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, family

Tens of thousands of elderly people with dementia see friends or family just once a week according to a landmark report warning of an “epidemic of loneliness” among Britain’s most vulnerable.

 

One third of dementia sufferers said they had lost friends following a diagnosis

By , Health Correspondent

8:00AM BST 09 Apr 2013

The study by the Alzheimer’s Society says that 250,000 people – almost one third of those suffering from dementia – are now living alone in their own homes.

Of those, 29 per cent only see friends or family once a week, while 23 per cent can only expect one weekly phone call.

Jeremy Hughes, the charity’s chief executive said: “This report reveals the stark truth that too many people with dementia, especially the thousands who live alone, are truly isolated.

“We need to put a stop to this epidemic of loneliness, not only to improve quality of life but also to save thousands from reaching crisis point and being admitted to hospital unnecessarily or care homes early.”

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Changes begin for disability benefit

April 8, 2013   benefits, Carers, disability, ukcuts

8 April 2013 Last updated at 10:57

Disability Living Allowance replaced by PIP scheme

 People with disabilities will eventually all move over to the new PIP system

Major changes to disability benefits for new claimants are being introduced in some areas of the country ahead of a nationwide rollout of the new measures.

It is the start of the replacement of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) by Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said the “ridiculous” system under which people were awarded benefit with no further checks must end.

But charity Scope says the changes have been designed just to save money.

That claim has been denied by the government, which says spending will not be reduced, but more help will be given to those who need it most.

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Who will care for the disabled in years to come?

April 7, 2013   Carers, epilepsy, learning difficulties, Social care, ukcuts

Who will care for the disabled in years to come?

Sunday 7 April 2013

 

By ANN MAXWELL
Published on Sunday 7 April 2013 00:00

WHO really cares about the future of our children and young adults who have profound learning disabilities as a consequence of severe epilepsy?

In Scotland, there are approximately 1,000 children and young adults under the age of 25 whose cognitive abilities are limited by the early onset of complex epilepsy in infancy. Most of these young people will have lifelong learning disabilities that will prevent them ever living independently, requiring round- the-clock care for the rest of their lives.

In childhood, naturally parents to want to care for their child with epilepsy. But as the complexities of the condition emerge and the damage of those early life seizures take their toll, parents begin to struggle. The family life they had hoped to enjoy as they raise their child (or children) slowly slips away from them.

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