Will eldercare be as common as childcare?

February 26, 2014   Carers, family, Older care

By Andrew Bomford BBC Radio 4’s PM programme

A number of major employers are offering “eldercare” – help with looking after older relatives. Will this soon be as common as providing help with childcare?

Just before Christmas 2012 Deborah Gemmell realised she was a carer.

Deborah’s 82-year-old mother, Pauline Cuthbert – “feisty, independent – she has a better social life than I do” – fell and broke her nose. The accident shook Pauline’s confidence. She wouldn’t leave her house in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, in case she fell again.

Deborah, who lived a two-hour drive away, would have to take time off work to accompany Pauline to hospital appointments. She had a back-up plan – an eldercare package offered by her employer, giving up to 20 days assistance a year from a registered carer who could take her mother to her clinic.

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Almost three-quarters of people fear living standards will fall in old age

February 26, 2014   Carers, Older care
Older people, carers and professionals say the government is unprepared for the challenges of our ageing population, survey finds
Life is no picnic for many older people.

“We’re an old country – with our best years ahead of us.” That’s how David Cameron once characterised Britain, as he set out his vision to “defuse the demographic timebomb” and use its energy to power the country forward. Yet new research for the Guardian shows many older people do not share his optimism about the future of our rapidly ageing society, amid growing concern about pensions, health and social care, rising living costs and marginalisation.

The survey shows that just 29% felt the standard of living of older people in the UK was currently at a good level, compared with 46% who disagreed. And the long-term outlook is even gloomier: just over 11% expect older people’s standard of living to improve over the next 20 years, against 79% who disagree. Over 70% do not believe older people’s overall quality of life will rise in the next two decades, compared with under 16% who do.

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Recycled computers to boost Norwich schools

February 25, 2014   Norfolk

A city council initiative will see Raspberry Pi computers distributed to Norwich schools. A city council initiative will see Raspberry Pi computers distributed to Norwich schools.

Dan Grimmer dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk Monday, February 24, 2014
7:00 AM

A pioneering project will see hundreds of old council computers refurbished and sold so that tiny machines can be bought to teach computer studies in Norwich’s schools.

Norwich City Council is in the process of replacing some 800 computers at City Hall – a whopping 9.7 tonnes of electronic kit – with a new system.

But the technology will not be wasted, because the council has sent more than 500 of them to a company in Battersea, London, to wipe all the data and refurbish them.

They will then be sold and the money used to buy credit-card sized single-board computers, known as Rapsberry Pi, which the city’s schools will use to get youngsters interested in technology and programming.

A spokeswoman for Norwich City Council said: “The idea is that we will start distributing them to city schools in the new academic year.”

Other equipment, such as keyboards and mice will also be distributed to Norwich’s schools.

And, even before a single Raspberry Pi has been received by a school, the project has been picked as a finalist in a national awards scheme.

The iESE Improvement and Efficiency Awards have been set up to honour public service teams who work behind the scenes to keep much relied on services going in the face of severe financial pressures.

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