Tag Archives: Older care
Walk to honour Sunderland’s carers
The Mayor of Sunderland Coun. Bob Heron officially starts the Walk in Celebration of Carers at Herrington Country Park, on Friday.
by Sue Kirby
sue.kirby@northeast-press.co.uk
PEOPLE from across Wearside took a walk in the park in honour of carers.
Herrington Country Park hosted The Walk in Celebration of Carers, which was officially started by the Mayor of Sunderland Councillor Bob Heron.
People with learning disabilities and carers walked a one-mile route to recognise and celebrate the important role played by the 32,500 carers across Sunderland, who look after ill and disabled family members or friends.
The walk was organised by Washington Multi-Purpose Centre, part of Sunderland City Council’s Health, Housing and Adult Services, to link in with National Carers Week, and was supported by Sunderland Carers’ Centre and Asda.
Coun Heron said: “It is an honour and a privilege to be part of this celebration of caring in Sunderland.
“Caring can be anything from a full-time commitment to spending a couple of hours a week looking after others, helping them have a better quality of life.
Home carers save the county £164m
THE BOROUGH’s growing army of unpaid carers are saving the county’s social care sector an estimated £164million a year but are being left to struggle with little or no support or financial help.
According to expert analysis the 8,889 people across the borough caring for a loved one save the public purse an average of £18,473 a year each in care which would otherwise have to be provided by the state at a cost of £18 an hour.
More than 2,000 of those are providing over 50 hours of unpaid care a week.
Figures from the 2011 census show in the last ten years the number of unpaid carers in the borough has grown by over 1,000 but charities warn the actual figure is likely to be much higher as many people do not class themselves as carers and consider caring for a loved one just part of their family duty.
The biggest increase is in the number of people aged 65 and over now classing themselves as carers which has grown by 60 per cent since 2001 to 1,762 – reflecting the borough’s ageing population and increase in conditions such as dementia.
But in return for their contribution the amount available in carer’s allowance is just £59.75 a week – or £3,107 a year – and it is only available to people aged 16 and over and who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for their loved one.
Elderly residents ‘life line’ coffee shops are taken away in Norfolk
Residents angry as “lifeline” coffee shops are taken away from 14 Norfolk care at home complexes
Residents at the Wherry Housing Associated sheltered home complex, Redmayne View, angry that Norse are cancelling their café and shop. Picture: Denise Bradley
David Freezer Wednesday, June 19, 2013
12:00 PM
Angry residents of a Norwich care home have blasted funding cuts which will see their “lifeline” on-site coffee shop taken away and the hours of their shop slashed.
Older people living in the Redmayne View care at home complex, in Sprowston, say their quality of life will be damaged by the changes – part of a shake-up which has put 51 jobs at Norse Commercial Services at risk around Norfolk.
Redmayne View is one of more than a dozen care homes round the county where Norfolk County Council subsidises Norse Commercial Services to provide on-site coffee shops and convenience stores.
And with looming job cuts, those shops and stores, so valued by the elderly residents, are in danger of disappearing or having their hours reduced.
The 40 residents of Redmayne View currently enjoy a staffed coffee shop and mini convenience store service between 10am and 11.30am five days a week.
