Category Archives: Older care

‘Meal Mates’ feeding scheme helps patients get their meals

March 11, 2013   Carers, disability, health, hospital, Norfolk, Older care

KING’S LYNN: Getting matey at mealtimes

Meal Mates feeding scheme at Tilney Ward in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Helen Wise the meal time co-ordinator with patient Jean Hill.Meal Mates feeding scheme at Tilney Ward in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Helen Wise the meal time co-ordinator with patient Jean Hill.

Published on Saturday 9 March 2013 09:30

Volunteers at Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital have been swapping their desks for dinner trays to help create a mealtime community on the wards and encourage patients to enjoy their food.

The Meal Mates scheme was introduced in August 2011, prompted by staff concerns at the national reports suggesting that patients in some UK hospitals were going without food and drink because nursing staff were too busy to look after them.

Although no allegations had been made against ward staff at the QEH, staff were concerned that on some wards, those with older patients including some with dementia, that nurses were unable to give patients the time and support needed during mealtimes.

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Compulsory training for Care home staff to protect elderly

March 9, 2013   Carers, Older care

Care home staff to have compulsory training under government plans to protect elderly

Care home staff will be forced to undergo compulsory training for the first time under government plans to protect the elderly from abuse and neglect, The Telegraph can disclose.

Residents and their relatives will be able to comment on services and score them

By , Political Correspondent

9:58PM GMT 08 Mar 2013

The lack of basic requirements for training care workers is leaving frail pensioners in the hands of staff who have “no idea what they are doing”, Norman Lamb, the health minister, warned.

Proposals expected within weeks will outline national minimum standards for preparing new recruits to work in nursing homes. Carers who help with tasks such as washing and dressing elderly people in their own homes will also be required to undertake the training.

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International Women’s Day: Who cares?

March 8, 2013   Carers, dementia, Older care

An older working carer reviews her experience in a changing world by Maria Parsons

Friday, March 8, 2013
12:44 AM

Maria Parsons looks at the issue of carers in her essay for The International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC-UK).

Maria Parsons is committed to improving services for older people and their carers. A social worker, academic and policy lead with health, social care and housing, formerly Director of Oxford and London Dementia Services Development Centres, she is now Director of the Creative Dementia Arts Network (CDAN).

International Women’s Day offers a rare opportunity to formally recognise women’s care of older people and to place ‘who cares’ firmly back onto the political agenda. For amidst the policy debates and government responses to Dilnot, scant attention, if any, has being paid to the ‘who’ of care funding; specifically on ‘whom’ and ‘what’ will the funds made available be spent?

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