Tag Archives: carers

Lack of care workers forces disabled woman into care home

March 6, 2013   Carers, Multiple Sclerosis, Scotland, ukcuts

Disabled woman forced to leave home due to lack of care workers

STV

A disabled woman has been forced to leave her home because of a lack of care workers.

Kathleen Robertson, 60, had been able to live in her flat in Ellon with the help of staff from care-at-home providers, Raeburn Healthcare four times a week.

But when Raeburn announced they did not have enough staff to continue their support, Aberdeenshire Council social workers also said they could not find any workers to help her either.

Mrs Robertson, who has multiple sclerosis and is paralysed from the neck down, has been living on her own in a specially-modified flat for three years, but now she has had no choice but to lose her independence and move to nearby Auchtercrag Care Home.

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Telecare aimed at families worried about elderly parents – if it works

March 5, 2013   Carers, Older care, telecare

Telecare could be the future of elderly care – if it works

A package aimed at families worried about elderly parents is being launched at a time of growing doubt about the efficacy of telehealth

elderly people

Help at Hand will soon be followed by similar services but research has suggested no benefit for telecare users. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian

Telecare arrives on the high street this week with the launch by O2 of a package aimed at families a bit worried about Mum or Dad. For £99 down plus £20 a month, a person gets a mobile device that connects to a 24/7 support centre, makes calls to four pre-set numbers, and sends an alert and GPS location when it thinks they may have fallen or wandered outside a programmed zone.

The launch of Help at Hand, to be followed soon by comparable products from other companies, marks a watershed in the assistive technology market. Until now, telecare has been available largely only through local councils and/or via landlines. This offers a mobile solution direct to the consumer.

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February was National Heart Month

March 5, 2013   Carers, Heart, Norfolk

Norman Lamb visits Sheringham charity shop

By karen bethell Tuesday, March 5, 2013
10:00 AM

 MP and health minister Norman Lamb with staff and volunteers at Sheringham British Heart Foundation charity shop.

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb had a chance to find out about the work of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) on a visit to the charity’s Sheringham shop.

Because February was National Heart Month, the health minister contacted the BHF head office and asked to meet staff and volunteers at Sheringham.

“The organisation does brilliant work, both in raising vital funds and campaigning,” he said. “There is a lot of work to do in our communities to raise awareness and to let people know what they can do to save lives.”

Mr Lamb, who entertained supporters at last year’s Lib Dem conference by performing a Vinny Jones-style hands-only CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive, chatted with staff, volunteers and customers at Sheringham.

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