Tag Archives: Older care
Care home nurses to be taught to play board games with dementia patients to stop them being prescribed chemical cosh
Nurses in care homes will be taught to play board games with dementia patients to prevent them being prescribed anti-psychotic medication.
PUBLISHED: 00:22, 16 June 2012 | UPDATED: 00:22, 16 June 2012
Nurses in care homes will be taught to play board games with dementia patients to prevent them being prescribed anti-psychotic medication.
Under a Government-backed scheme, they will be encouraged to help patients with hobbies such as baking and painting in the hope it will help their symptoms.
It follows concerns that thousands of the elderly with dementia are being given drugs to sedate them and stop them wandering off.
Such drugs – dubbed a ‘chemical cosh’ – have been found to double the risk of death and actually worsen patients’ symptoms leaving them unable to walk or speak coherently.
Over the next few month nurses in 150 care homes in the UK will be trained to care for patients as people, rather than just a condition.
They will be taught to find out what hobbies patients used to enjoy when they were younger and encouraging them to take part in the activites in the care home.
Cash strapped councils strip £900m from elderly care
Elderly and disabled care budgets have been slashed by £900 million this year alone as local councils struggle to balance the books, social services chiefs have disclosed.
Almost £2 billion less is now being spent on care for vulnerable older or disabled people than just two years ago as nationwide cuts to reduce the deficit take effect.
Social services chiefs said the figures showed there was now a “desperate need” for politicians of all political parties urgently to agree a solution to the looming crisis in care for the elderly to cope with Britain’s ageing population.
Couple who owned care homes in Terrington and Spalding found dead in their car
Jaswant and Isabel Beeharry were found in the back seat of their black BMW in a lane at Floods Ferry, near March, on Saturday morning.
Chris Bishop Wednesday, June 13, 2012
9:05 AM
“While there is some unavoidable uncertainty about the future of the home at the moment we will ensure that all the residents continue to receive the care they need”
Debbie Olley, from Norfolk County Council
Firefighters said there had been “a small fire” in the car, which had left it smoke damaged.
