Tag Archives: Older care

‘Time bank’ launched in Clitheroe to help full-time carers

July 9, 2013   Carers, Older care

 

9:06am Tuesday 9th July 2013 in News  By Jon Robinson, Reporter

A RIBBLE Valley charity has launched a ‘time bank’ scheme aimed at lending a helping hand to carers.

Cross Roads Care, based in Clitheroe, hopes the project will attract more volunteers to do odd jobs for people who look after someone else full-time.

In return for doing tasks such as walk-ing carers’ dogs, or doing their gard-ening or ironing, their hours would be ‘banked’ and another volunteer, or a carer, would do something for them in return.

Ann Roberts, a former nurse who is a trustee at the charity, in Salthill Road, said: “I gave up my job to look after my mum when she had a stroke. Cross Roads Care came to help me out and allowed my mum to stay at home until she was 90.

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Robots to help people with dementia in Western Isles

July 5, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, health, Independent living, internet, Scotland, Social care

NHS Western Isles is putting robots into the homes of people with dementia as part of a pilot scheme

 

Members of the Remodem project team with the Giraff robot
Backers of the plan believe robots can replace the human touch

NHS Western Isles is putting robots into the homes of people with dementia as part of a pilot scheme to help them to continue to live independently.
A relative or carer – potentially hundreds of miles away – can drive the machine around the house to check that everything is all right.
The pair can also have a chat through a two-way video call system.
The Giraff robots are 1.5m (4ft 11in) tall with wheels, and a TV screen instead of a head.
A relative or carer can call up the Giraff with a computer from any location. Their face will appear on the screen allowing them to chat to the other person.

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How Care Homes Can Help Isolated Older People

July 4, 2013   Carers, Depression, Older care

Guest blog by Jason Tucker

Isolation and depression in the elderly has been a hot topic in the media in recent months. Following a slew of studies and reports the plight of older people has been thrown into a new light. Sadly, as a youth-obsessed nation the issues surrounding the elderly aren’t often given much in the way of attention by the press, but with a recent study showing that social isolation leads to a 26% higher chance of death over a seven year period, people are beginning to realise that something needs to be done.

The shrinking of our social circle seems to be directly correlated with our increasing age. As friends pass away and our ability to get out and about is limited it becomes harder to build and maintain relationships. Older people who have had children may find that they help in care of grandchildren, which helps keep them active and in regular contact with relatives. But with families living further apart than at any previous time in history, it’s not uncommon for grandparents to only see their grandchildren every few months or on school holidays.

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