Category Archives: disability

Coroner calls for more nursing care for immobile patients

January 10, 2013   Carers, disability, Norfolk

Coroner calls for more nursing care for immobile patients after death of 52-year-old Norwich woman

By DAVID BALE
Thursday, January 10, 2013
11:51 AM

A coroner called for more nursing care and monitoring of restricted mobility patients after hearing how a 52-year-old Norwich woman died from infected pressure sores on her body.

Annette Dixon, from Fishergate, had been diagnosed with a spinal cord tumour in 2007, which was inoperable and had left her immobile and reliant on a mobility scooter to get about.

She was able to wash and dress herself but did not receive any nursing care, although two carers from an agency came to see every day for about 30 minutes to chat and help her move from her wheelchair.

She was also irregularly seeing a neurologist and a rehabilitation specialist.

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Carers champion uses Facebook to help heroes

January 7, 2013   Carers, disability, internet, poverty, Scotland, young carers

A NEW carers tsar

The city's new 'carers champion', Norman WorkThe city’s new ‘carers champion’, Norman Work

Published on Monday 7 January 2013 12:00

A NEW carers tsar is to use Facebook to reach thousands of unsung youngsters across Edinburgh who look after disabled or elderly relatives.

Councillor Norman Work, a former vice-convener for social care and housing, has become Scotland’s first “carers champion” – a post established as part of the council coalition agreement between Labour and the SNP.

One of his first steps will be to connect with the Capital’s hidden army of young carers via such social media platforms as Facebook, to make them aware of the vital support services aware to them.

He said: “We’re looking at being as accessible as possible.”

Cllr Work, whose role will see him engage with carers and act as their voice within City Chambers, recently held his first meeting with organisations representing the tens of thousands of people in the city who look after a friend or family member for free.

Following the meeting, he said he is particularly keen to engage with children who look after a parent or sibling but may not be receiving the help they are entitled to.

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Learning disabled and carers must be to the fore in reforms

December 22, 2012   Carers, cerebral palsy, disability, learning difficulties, ukcuts

Cuts to these services do not work.

The proposal to shut three day centres in Glasgow and provide other services “in the community” is billed as a reform, but in fact it is only a step in a process which has been going on for years, of trying to cut the cost of learning disability (LD) services and at the same time introduce “personalisation” as the means of meeting needs and allocating scarce resources (“Kelman condemns closure of centres”, The Herald, December 17, and Letters, December 17, 18 & 19).

The need to cut costs is real. Regardless of who is to blame for the current squeeze on local government resources, in the real world there is going to be less money to spend on all local government services for some time to come. It is therefore essential to focus resources on things which will do most good.

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