Tag Archives: dementia

Lack of nurses in Norfolk for dementia prompts appeal

August 18, 2016   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, Featured Article, Norfolk

The Wymondham Dementia Support Group

Dianne Fernee, organiser of the Wymondham Dementia Support Group, with some of the knitted and crochet forget me knots she is collecting, hoping to get 17,000, one for each person living with dementia in Norfolk. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY

The Wymondham Dementia Support Group has launched an appeal to get together 17,000 knitted and crocheted forget-me-nots, one for every person in Norfolk living with dementia.

The group’s organiser, Dianne Fernee, said the campaign was to highlight the lack of Admiral nurses, who are specialists in dementia.

Mrs Fernee said: “Admiral nurses are a lifeline for people with dementia, but there are only two of them serving 17,000 people, which isn’t nearly enough.

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New law failing to deliver for England’s unpaid carers

July 5, 2016   Carers, disability, Featured Article, ukcuts

A year on

A year on from the introduction of the Care Act, a review by the UK’s largest charity for unpaid carers has found that the new act has made little or no difference to the 5.4 million carers in England.

Carers Trust surveyed and spoke to unpaid carers looking after their sick or disabled family and friends, and to health and social care professionals to find out how well they thought the new act, which entitles carers to an assessment of their needs, was working.

The review, led by former care minister Paul Burstow, found a ‘mixed picture’ with examples of good practice, but in many cases found that the act had made no difference to carers. In some instances, carers hadn’t heard about the measures that had been introduced, which could support their needs and well-being as a carer.

The new Care Act came into force on 1 April 2015 and gave carers rights on an equal footing to the people they care for.

Their new rights include taking into consideration the carer’s health and wellbeing, family relationships and their need to balance their home life with their education or work. If they are found to be eligible they are entitled to support, sometimes funded by their local authority. In addition, all local authorities must provide advice and information and prevent carers’ needs from getting worse.

Former Care Minister, Professor Paul Burstow said: “For many of the carers who responded to Carers Trust’s calls for evidence, the response was stark – the act had made no difference. It was news to some that there were new rights as they simply hadn’t heard of them.

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WRAP offers a lifeline to sufferers and carers

May 21, 2016   Carers, dementia, Featured Article, internet, Older care
By Sarah Evans –

The show will be held during Carers’ Week on Wednesday, 8th June, at the Stratford ArtsHouse, from 10am until 4pm.

AS the Alzheimer’s Society helps mark Dementia Awareness Week, until Saturday, 21st May, a Warwickshire charity which supports people on a dementia journey, is expanding its services in Stratford.

Warwickshire Reminiscence Action Project — better known as WRAP — was initially set up 20 years ago to support and train people caring for older people in the community.

It started under the control of Warwickshire’s Community Education Service, but is now a registered charity in its own right.

Over the years, more and more people have started looking after a loved one living with dementia, and WRAP’s support services have grown and adapted to their needs.

It has been estimated that around 670,000 people in the UK care for a loved one living with a form of dementia, which WRAP understands can be a lonely and overwhelming role.

Mike Strophair, who founded WRAP, told the Herald: “People can live very positively with dementia and at WRAP we are here to support those people and their loved ones.

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