Category Archives: Older care

While our pensioners are living in poverty, should we really be sending more money abroad?

January 16, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, charities, dementia, Older care

Funding the care for our vulnerable elderly is an issue of morality, not charity, writes Tracey Crouch

By Tracey Crouch

1:49PM GMT 15 Jan 2013

Last week, Parliament spent a full afternoon debating the extremely important issue of dementia. Colleagues from across the House spoke with real passion and emotion, sometimes based on personal experience, about a dreadful condition which in just a few years time will affect over a million people, or one in three of those aged over 65.

Most people will already know someone who has dementia or who will suffer from dementia in the future, and so how politicians deal with our ageing population and all the related issues that it brings is a real life electoral issue. People judge a government on its morality, and what can be more important than how we treat our vulnerable elderly?

It breaks my heart to hear about those in their retirement living in poverty. The Government has done the right thing to introduce the triple lock into pension increases, maintain the commitment to the winter fuel allowance and continue with cold weather payments. But with adult social care budgets being cut and a care funding crisis looming, so much more needs to be done, and it is time we recalibrated our spending priorities to ensure that taxpayers money, stretched as it is, goes into providing the services we need at home, not financing projects abroad.

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Help stop the elderly care funding crisis and sign Make Dilnot Happen by 2015 petition

January 11, 2013   Carers, disability, Older care

Make Dilnot Happen by 2015

By Marijke Cox, Reporter Friday, January 11, 2013
1:22 PM

Kent County Council leader Paul Carter is calling for the care cost cap to be implemented by 2015

 

Pauline Turner and her mother AnniePauline Turner and her mother Annie

OUTspoken County Hall leader Paul Carter has demanded the Government cut foreign aid and EU budgets, and divert funds to elderly people to stop them having to sell their homes to pay for care.

The senior Tory criticised the “lack of commitment” shown by the Coalition, which has dithered over introducing recommendations outlined by the Dilnot commission to reform adult social care funding.

Under the current system, elderly people, including those suffering debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, are forced to sell their homes and use savings to pay for care costs.

As a result, many who have worked every day of their lives and never relied on state benefits are left with nothing.

Cllr Carter said the current funding system was “not up to the job” and demanded Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg resolve the crisis.

He has launched a Government e-petition with the leaders of Hampshire and Buckinghamshire county councils calling on Whitehall to introduce recommendations outlined by the Dilnot commission.

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Cold snap poses ‘significant health risks’ to elderly

January 10, 2013   Carers, fuel poverty, Older care

Cold snap poses ‘significant health risks’ to elderly, says Health Department

Severe cold weather and snow forecast for this weekend could cause ‘significant health risks’ for the elderly, the Department of Health warned, as they advised families to keep check on vulnerable relatives.

Elderly woman keeping warm in winter

British expats aged over 60 in Europe will be entitled to a winter fuel allowance Photo: REX FEATURES

3:53PM GMT 10 Jan 2013

In the next two to three days there is a high chance of severe cold weather, icy conditions and heavy snow across large swathes of the country, according to the Health Department.

It said cold weather can be “dangerous”, particularly for the very young and very old, and that the conditions could give rise to “signficant health risks.”

The Met Office this morning issued a cold weather level two alert, the third most severe warning, with forecasters warning temperatures could reach as low as -9C in the early part of next week.

Families were advised to keep a close eye on elderly relatives as well as young children, who are particularly vulnerable in cold patches.

The Met Office said the weather “could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services”.

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