Older people risk being cast as villains in an "age war" because Britain is unprepared for an increasingly elderly population, the former Care Minister has said.
Monday, 23 September 2013
'Gold standard' needed for hospital care
A new quality mark should be introduced to help hospitals provide the best quality of care for older patients, experts have said. A report from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) claims that...
Cold homes misery for UK residents
Thousands of people are struggling to heat their homes due to rising energy prices, while many are worried about how they'll cope this winter. New research reveals that a quarter of the UK populati...
Bid to get older people cycling
New research is to investigate how older people can be encouraged and supported to cycle into their old age. An academic from Oxford Brookes University will lead the three-year study, beginning in...
New adviser scheme to help concerned patients
A new scheme is to be launched at a hospital trust that aims to improve the experience of patients. The team of advisers will be available to speak to any older hospital patient at Norfolk and...
Pensioner attacked as he wrestles with burglar in back garden
A PENSIONER was hit on the head after wrestling with a burglar in his own back garden.
Pensions, should Scotland vote ‘yes’
Today the Scottish Government published 'Pensions in an independent Scotland', a paper setting out its position on a range of pensions issues as they relate to the prospect of Scottish independence. Doug Anthoney responds. With less than a year to … Continue reading →
Retiring later does not reduce survival chances - study
Working until later in life does not affect people's chances of a long and happy retirement, a study has concluded.
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Poor OAP care 'zero tolerance' call
The NHS in Wales must do more to tackle poor care for older people, the older people's commissioner says.
You’re Never Too Old To Care
Health Minister Edwin Poots has said that supporting carers is the key issue for our health service.
He was speaking at the Carers Northern Ireland event 'You're never too old to care' in Mossley Mill as part of Carers Week , which aims to celebrate the massive contribution of the 214,000 people in NI who look after a friend or family member who is frail, ill or disabled.
The Minister said: "One of my key priorities is to ensure, wherever possible, that people are helped to maintain their independence at home – I believe this is vitally important. Carers make an enormous contribution towards helping family members and friends to remain in their own homes, and live more independent, fulfilling lives.
The Commissioner for Older People, Claire Keatinge, also warned that older carers must not be taken for granted.
"Older carers support thousands of people, making it possible for them to lead dignified and fulfilled lives at home. These older carers may have health problems or disabilities themselves and sometimes struggle with the practical and emotional challenges of caring.
They need support, information, respite and practical help and must never be undervalued or taken for granted. They deserve to be provided with the support they need to help them in their caring role and to support their own health and wellbeing."
Esme Charles, who has been caring for husband Denis who has MS for about 40 years, spoke about the difficulty of asking for help and knowing where to turn. She said:
" I gave up work to look after Denis and we managed as best we could until we hit a crisis point and didn't know how to get help. You learn about caring as you go along but more information and support early on would have helped me be better prepared for what was to come."
As well as the individual speakers, the event featured an expert panel of Northern Trust Managers, Carer Esme Charles, Commissioner for Older People and our very own Advice and Information Officer Lesley Johnston.
See more pictures from the event on Facebook
Prepared to Care? Report Recommendations
Carers Week surveyed over 2,100 carers for the 2013 report, Prepared to Care? As part of this survey carers stated what would have made a difference to their experience.
Their list of recommendations includes:
- Better public understanding and recognition of carers.
- Access to information and the right support from the beginning.
- Professionals understanding the role of carers and sharing
- information, decision making and planning with them.
- Access to high quality practical and emotional support and
- information as well as breaks from caring.
- Flexible working practices and understanding from employers.
- Financial support and a fair and easy to navigate welfare system.
What do YOU think?
We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think would make a difference to carers' lives and get in touch on facebook www.facebook.com/carersweek and www.facebook.com/CarersNorthernIreland
Healthcare standards consultation
Poots launches consultation on draft minimum standards for independent healthcare establishments
Health Minister Edwin Poots has announced a public consultation on draft minimum care standards for independent healthcare establishments.
The draft standards set out the minimum requirements that providers of these services must achieve. They also set the level of service that people using the services can expect to receive.
Mr Poots said: "These standards mean that those people accessing independent healthcare will be assured of the minimum level of care they can expect to receive.
"They go some way to ensuring patients and clients are well-treated and cared for and will create a benchmark against which providers can measure their services."
The Minister added: "This consultation is another important step on the road to improving the quality of all regulated services and I encourage anyone with an interest to make their views known."
The final standards will be used by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority as part of its programme for the registration and inspection of independent healthcare establishments to assess and report on the quality of care delivered.
The consultation stage is designed to allow everyone to contribute to the final standards.
Find out more at www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/index/consultations/current_consultations.htm
Bedroom Tax - don't let it happen here
100 days after the introduction of a bedroom tax in GB, carers are facing debt, eviction and food poverty.
Don't let it happen in Northern Ireland.
Carers in Great Britain are being hard hit by the Government 'bedroom tax' cuts to Housing Benefit - despite Ministers' promises of support to protect carers and disabled people. New research by Carers UK, published 100 days after the introduction of the 'bedroom tax' lays bare the shocking impact of the policy on families caring for disabled loved ones.
Carers UK interviewed 100 carers affected by the changes, and the findings include:
- Three quarters (75%) of carers having to pay the 'bedroom tax' are being forced to cut back on essential spending on food, electricity and heating.
- One in six (17%) are falling behind on their rent and face eviction.
The welfare changes - dubbed the 'bedroom tax' - mean people in social housing considered to have 'spare rooms' are seeing Housing Benefit cut and are being left with an average shortfall of £14 a week - over £700 a year. Families who cannot afford to pay face having to move seriously ill or disabled loved ones.
When the policy was launched in April, ministers pledged a £25 million discretionary payments fund to help protect carers and disabled people. Carers UK warned the fund was woefully insufficient, and would only be enough to support around 40,000 of the 420,000 disabled people Government figures indicated would be hit by the cuts.
The charity's new research shows only 1 in 10 carers receiving these discretionary payments on an ongoing basis. Others were receiving temporary support of just a few months, facing the extra costs once discretionary relief expires.With insufficient funds to meet the needs of people affected by the cuts, local councils are, Carers UK says, drawing up their own criteria to ration discretionary payments.
Carers turned down for support reported reasons given by local authorities including that spending any more than £3.60 a day per person on food, buying spectacles or postage stamps all counted as unnecessary expenditure and could be cut to cover rent shortfall.
Heléna Herklots Chief Executive of Carers UK said: "This policy is having a shocking impact on families already struggling to care for seriously ill or disabled loved ones. Carers, whose contribution is often warmly praised by ministers, are being made to feel like they are being punished.
"These are carers who need an extra room just to get few hours of sleep as they care 24/7 for a disabled child, or who are unable to share with a partner because of serious illness.
"Our research exposes the devastating impact on those affected: carers being left unable to pay electricity bills and cutting back on meals to ensure the people they care for have enough to eat. Families coping with impact of conditions like cancer or a stroke, or caring for a severely disabled child, now face eviction."
This week the charity is delivering over 100 heartfelt letters from carers affected to the Prime Minister, in response to his commitment to look at individual cases of families including disabled people who are being affected.
Write to your MLA
Welfare reform is not yet in place in Northern Ireland. Carers Northern Ireland is urging the NI Assembly to take action to stop the introduction of the 'bedroom tax' and protect carers.
Use our toolkit to write to your MLA about your bedroom tax fears or email John McCormick at Carers Northern Ireland and tell us how the changes would affect you.
The Government's new Housing Benefit rules, dubbed the 'bedroom tax, mean working age council or housing association tenants cannot receive Housing Benefit for unoccupied or 'spare bedrooms'. Benefit received to cover some or all of the rent is reduced according to the number of rooms defined by local authorities as 'underoccupied'. Those of pension age and in receipt of Housing Benefit are not affected.
About the research
Carers UK interviewed 101 carers affected by the 'bedroom tax' between Friday 28th June and Tuesday 9th July, of those interviewed:
- 8% had been exempt from the changes because the rules now allow for extra rooms for disabled children who cannot share with siblings and if tenants or their partners need a room for someone to come in to provide overnight care.
- 56% had applied for discretionary payments from their local council to cover the shortfall.
- However only 23% had received a discretionary payment – of those, 10 were receiving support for full year (when they would have to reapply), and a further 12 had received temporary support for between 3-8 months, which had already ended for some.
- Of those not receiving discretionary payments and having to pay the shortfall, 75% were cutting back on essential spending like food and heating; 17% were in arrears and 8% were paying through debt.
- Seven carers had moved as a result of the changes, three said their accommodation was better, one said it was the same and two said it was worse.
Caring About Carers Awards 2013
Carers Northern Ireland, Carers Trust and The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) are calling for nominations for the Caring About Carers Awards that recognise the work of GPs and GP practices in supporting unpaid carers across the UK.
The Caring About Carers Award is now in its fourth year and patients and carers who feel that they have been helped and supported by their GP or GP practice are encouraged to nominate.
Individual awards are made to practices in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales, with an overall award for the GP or practice judged to have made the biggest difference or improvement to carers' lives.
The closing date for entries is 31 July 2013.
Helen Ferguson, Director of Carers Northern Ireland, said:
"We are delighted to be joining RCGP and Carers Trust in the 2013 Caring for Carers Awards. We often hear from some our members that the recognition and support they receive from their GP is a lifeline as they care. We hope that many of our members will nominate their GPs and GP practices for these Awards, and that this will encourage other practices to recognise and value carers."
Nominations can be made by email to caringaboutcarers@rcgp.org.uk or by writing to:
Caring about Carers Award 2013
Royal College of General Practitioners
4 Cromac Place, Belfast, BT7 2JB
Carers should include the following info in their nomination:
- Their name, address and telephone number, and
- The doctor's name and surgery contact details
- How the GP surgery supports them in their caring role
Further delay on Welfare Reform
The progress of the Welfare Reform Bill in Northern Ireland has been further delayed until Spring 2014.
The Welfare Reform Bill needs to pass through a number of key legislative stages before it can become law. Discussions are continuing amongst the political parties and Minister McCausland has stated that he will only move the Bill into the next stage, Consideration Stage, when he believes there is sufficient consensus within the Assembly to do so.
This means that changes to the benefits system will not happen in October 2013, but will be delayed until Spring 2014 at the earliest.
The Department for Social Development has announced a revised timetable as follows:
• The introduction of Universal Credit: Summer 2014
• The introduction of a Benefit Cap: Spring 2014
• The introduction of Personal Independence Payment: Spring 2014
• Changes to housing benefit: Spring 2014
• The introduction of new fraud and error powers: Spring 2014
• Changes to Employment and Support Allowance: Spring 2014
• Reform of the Social Fund system: Spring 2014
• Introduction of changes to the Appeals process: Spring 2014
Write to your MLA
This delay gives carers more opportunity to tell MLAs of their fears about welfare reform. Check out our Bedroom Tax Campaign
Read more about Welfare Reform at: www.nidirect.gov.uk/welfarereform and see how the Welfare Reform Bill is progressing at www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Legislation/Primary-Legislation-Current-Bills/Welfare-Reform-Bill/.
Housing benefit defeat - act now
Following the defeat of the high court challenge on bedroom tax rules, it's never been more important to oppose its introduction in Northern Ireland.
Reform of Housing Benefit is one of the Government's key measures in welfare reform. Under new rules already in place in GB - the so-called 'bedroom tax' - working age council or housing association tenants cannot receive Housing Benefit for unoccupied or 'spare bedrooms'. Benefit received to cover some or all of the rent is reduced according to the number of rooms defined by local authorities as 'underoccupied'. Those of pension age and in receipt of Housing Benefit are not affected. Research by Carers UK has found that carers are struggling badly with the changes.
Act now - write to your MLA
Welfare reform is not yet in place in Northern Ireland and we are urging the NI Assembly to take action to stop the introduction of the 'bedroom tax' and protect carers.
Use our toolkit to write to your MLA about your bedroom tax fears or email John McCormick at Carers Northern Ireland and tell us how the changes would affect you.
Who Cares report published
Thanks to everyone who fed into our consultation response. The summary report of the consultation has just been release and it includes many of the concerns we raised.
Health Minister Edwin Poots has published a report summarising the findings of the recent consultation on 'Who Cares? The Future of Adult Care and Support in Northern Ireland'.
This was the first stage of a three stage process to reform adult care and support.
On carers the report says:
"Support for carers was the issue raised most consistently throughout the consultation. It is clear from views shared that people believe there should be more support to enable carers to continue in their caring role. While Who Cares? set out to recognise the role played by carers, some argued that it was not entirely successful in doing so, with the concern that it downgraded the role of caring from a labour intensive task to one of befriending."
Belfast start for Rhonda's marathon journey
Rhonda Fitzpatrick is kicking off her marathon tour to raise funds for Carers in Belfast on 22nd September. Here, Rhonda talks to us about how running helped in her caring role and her marathon effort to raise money for carers across the UK. Please show your support.
"I have worked for Carers Scotland for 7 years and I know what a difficult job unpaid carers have, often with little acknowledgement. I was a carer myself in the past so I know how demanding it can be - any one of us can become a carer overnight and it can be a life changing experience.
I have always enjoyed running and have even found that it helped me in my caring role. When I could fit in a run, it gave me time just to be myself and to enjoy the company of friends who have always been very supportive. I would come home invigorated and ready to start caring again.
The person I cared for is so much better now and I am able to enjoy running more often and also to give something to carers who are not so lucky. I plan to fundraise for Carers UK by running a half marathon in every city that Carers UK has an office. The first one is Belfast on 22 September, followed by Cardiff on 6 October and Manchester on 20 October. I've never been to Belfast before so I'm quite excited about my visit.
Please show your support
I hope you will consider visiting my Just Giving page http://www.justgiving.com/Rhonda-Fitzpatrick1 and making a donation, no matter how small. Also, if you happen to be in Belfast on 22 September and get the chance, please shout a few words of support to me. I think I might need it!
Thank you!
Do you think carers get a raw deal from public services?
Please tell us your experiences of public services.
Carers Northern Ireland is carrying out research for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to find out whether the current law, practice and policy in relation to carers meets their needs, what the gaps or problems are and what improvements could be made. From this research, we will write a report for the Commission which will help them understand how they might best work to improve carers' rights.
We urgently need you to tell us about your experiences of public services
Have you had difficulties in dealing with public authorities (such as hospitals, GPs, schools, social services) in relation to your caring responsibilities?
Are you a carer who may be affected by the upcoming changes to benefits?
Are you worried about how changes to health and social care provision will affect you?
Would you be willing to talk to us about your recent experiences?
Focus groups
We are organising one-off focus group discussions with carers between 16th and 20th September. We'd like to talk to carers of all ages and regardless of the age, health condition or disability of the people they caring for. All input will be received in strict confidence.
Participants will receive an information pack and we willcover reasonable travel and alternative care costs.
Get involved
If you'd like to get involved or find out more, please contact Helen Ferguson on 028 9043 9843 or email: reception@carersni.org.
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