Category Archives: Older care

Give cleaners to the elderly says minister

August 28, 2013   Carers, Older care, Social care

Voucher scheme could create over 700,000 jobs

  • The system is already used in Belgium and France
  • Report claims it would create more than 700,000 jobs

By Mario Ledwith

PUBLISHED: 04:35, 28 August 2013 | UPDATED: 09:34, 28 August 2013

The elderly could be given state-funded cleaners so their relatives no longer have to quit their jobs to look after them.

Under a plan backed by the care minister, those no longer able to carry out household tasks would be issued with vouchers to put towards gardeners, cooks and cleaners.

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Frail elderly ‘face carers shortage’

August 24, 2013   Carers, Older care, ukcuts
24 August 2013 Last updated at 00:02

The researchers used population projections and survey data in their report

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

Hands of an elderly person

There will be a shortfall in the number of people able to provide vital unpaid care to frail elderly people in the coming years, a report says.The London School of Economics analysis suggested the gap will start becoming evident by 2017 in England.

By 2032, 160,000 elderly people will be left without the support they need – about one in seven of those who will need help, the experts predicted.

This is because the oldest age groups will grow at the fastest rate.

Researchers used population projections and survey data to compile the figures.

Currently an estimated 675,000 older people rely on unpaid carers – mainly their children – as they fall outside the state support system, which is available to the poorest.

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Government should do more to get ‘marginalised’ older people online

August 23, 2013   Carers, internet, Older care

Age UK has said the number of old people who feel isolated would be reduced if more of them were online.

 

Age UK have called on the government to get older people online. 7:00AM BST 23 Aug 2013

The charity cited a study showing that older people who know how to use the internet are nearly three times less likely to say they are lonely than those who do not.

Despite this, figures from the ONS released this month show that almost three quarters of women aged 75 and over – two million people – have never been online.

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