Tag Archives: family
A minister for older people would be a victory for all generations
Intergenerational squabbling over housing is missing the point, all generations should welcome the Commons’ decision
With the media drawing battle lines between young and old, last week’s vote in the Commons urging the government to consider appointing a minister for older people could be seen as a victory for the greys.
The debate, prompted by a 137,000-strong petition presented to Number 10 in November, follows increasingly frenzied reporting about which generation is faring the worst in the economic crisis. But, as attendees at a Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) consultation on housing policies for all generations heard, such intergenerational squabbling is missing the point.
The consultation, a result of a partnership between St George’s House and the JRF, brought together senior figures to consider what a fair housing deal across the generations would look like.
Ministers to pledge free holiday to family carers as part of new plans to reform care system
White paper detailing changes to care system to be published later this month
- Care services minister says current arrangements aren’t working
- An estimated 1.25million people spend more than 50 hours a week caring for family member
PUBLISHED: 01:51, 9 June 2012 | UPDATED: 01:53, 9 June 2012
Carers looking after vulnerable relatives will be entitled to respite holidays paid for by the Government.
The ‘sandwich generation’, which juggles looking after elderly parents with supporting children, will be given greater help under the plans.
Ministers will require councils to arrange support for carers including short holidays away from the person they care for, assistance with transport and training in care techniques.
A White Paper detailing the reforms to the care system will be published later this month.
Caring for someone who lives in another country?
In the shoes of… Dorothy Hall | Independent Social Worker, Carer and Whose Shoes? guru!
- Dorothy Hall facilitating a Whose Shoes? session
Caring is often tough, but all the more so when you are caring for someone … in another country. For Day 9 of our series of ‘walk in my shoes’ blogposts, looking at dementia from different perspectives, my friend and colleague Dorothy Hall shares her story. As a highly skilled social worker, Dorothy spotted the early signs of Milou’s dementia and tried to navigate the care system in Belgium…
As a social worker with many years experience in working in the field of adult social care, I spotted the signs of dementia in my mother-in-law (Milou) at an early stage. This did not make dealing with an increasingly difficult situation any easier, in fact I think it contributed to my stress.
I anticipated a lot of the subsequent problems, but not all. One area of stress was in the complications that developed in the relationships with Milou’s close friend of some 50 years plus, and in the attitude of her only son, my husband, who did not want to accept what was obvious to me.
Milou lived in Brussels, she and her friend relied on each other for mutual companionship and support and were both in their eighties. The first difficulty was in the reaction of her friend, who felt that if Milou would only pay more attention, her difficulties would be resolved. She was convinced that loss of memory was an indication of mental laziness & not listening.
