Care Home News
Nurses urged not to be judgmental about working in care homes
30 Jan 2018
Care homes all over the UK are struggling to attract nurses with some paying exorbitant agency fees to plug the gap. The level of pay and misconceptions about nursing in care homes are seen as largely to blame for nurses opting to.....
'Theatre of hope' festival shines light on 71-year-old playwright with dementia
29 Jan 2018
Seventy-one-year-old Bob Fulcher may have spent his working life as a farmer but he’s proof it’s never too late to make a career change after co-writing his first ever play - eight years after developing dementia. His.....
Care home workers in 'unique position' to help residents die well
26 Jan 2018
Care home workers can form a very close bond with residents and because of this, they are ‘in a unique position to help them express and achieve their wishes for their final days and hours,’ according to Marie Curie. The.....
Care home residents turn to grime with rap of 'Man's Not Hot'
25 Jan 2018
Care home residents in Swansea have shared their secret talent for rapping on a music video, showing they "are up for anything". Hengoed Court Care Home teamed up with young volunteers at The Red Café project to create.....
Care home resident with MS able to holiday with wife once again
24 Jan 2018
A couple who were forced to end their previous summer holiday after just two days, have been able to enjoy quality time together once again with the help of a Bournemouth care home. Paul and Valerie Griffiths,.....
Dementia and less community support causing rise in mental health detentions
23 Jan 2018
England has seen a rise in the number of people being detained under the Mental Health Act and this is due to an increase in the number of people with dementia, less support in the community and a change to the definition of a mental.....
'Too many' care home residents in Wales have 'unacceptable quality of life'
23 Jan 2018
The Older People's Commissioner for Wales has criticised the Welsh Government for failing to take action on previous findings, saying 'too many' care home residents in Wales have an 'unacceptable quality of life'......
Care home giant ditches 'after death' fees following CMA action
22 Jan 2018
A care home provider running 64 care homes has agreed to stop charging fees after a resident dies, following action from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Care home group Maria Mallaband Care Group.....
Should you avoid care fees by putting your home into a trust?
19 Jan 2018
Moving into a care home can be very expensive and many people are forced to sell their home to pay for their care. You can get help with paying for your care from your local authority but this is means-tested.....
New blood test promises early detection of cancer
19 Jan 2018
A team of researchers have taken a major step towards one of the biggest goals in cancer research: a blood test that can detect tumours long before a person becomes aware of symptoms. The 'liquid biopsy'.....
Music is 'powerful but under-used tool' for people with dementia
18 Jan 2018
The Commission on Dementia and Music has called on local authorities and the NHS to recognise the ‘therapeutic potential of music’, saying it is a ‘powerful but under-used tool’. Its report ‘What would life.....
People with dementia forced to fight for free NHS care
17 Jan 2018
People with dementia are being forced to fight funding battles so they can receive Continuing Healthcare, with some ending up dying before a decision on eligibility has been made. Continuing Healthcare funding.....
Tracey Crouch appointed as loneliness minister in memory of MP Jo Cox
17 Jan 2018
Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed the country's first minister for loneliness, in memory of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in 2016. Tracey Crouch, the new ministerial lead for loneliness, will.....
Wales' 'bold new models of care' will 'fail without funding'
16 Jan 2018
An independent panel commissioned by the Welsh Government has published its vision for health and social care, however critics say its failure to address the “fundamentally important issue of funding” puts the plan in jeopardy. The.....
Sir David Behan steps down as head of CQC
15 Jan 2018
Sir David Behan has announced he is to step down as chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt hailing him as an “exceptional leader”. He will continue as head of the.....
Geri Halliwell makes care home residents TV stars
12 Jan 2018
Residents of a care home in Oxfordshire enjoyed some winter ‘spice’ when they visited Geri Horner, née Halliwell, at her home to appear on a home-cooking segment for ITV’s This Morning. The former Spice Girl.....
Care home residents forced to listen to Beyoncé and Bon Jovi
12 Jan 2018
Residents at a care home in Kent have complained to the Care Quality Commission that they are being forced to listen to 'loud music' such as Beyoncé and Bon Jovi. Barham House care home, which provides care.....
Secret to long, happy marriage is 'let wife be the boss', reveals 91-year-old
11 Jan 2018
A 91-year-old has revealed that the secret to his “long and happy marriage” is to “let the wife be the boss”. Seventy years ago on Christmas Day, Richard Hills married Joan at St John’s Church in Hammersmith. Last.....
A&E doctors attack Theresa May's claim NHS is 'better prepared this winter'
11 Jan 2018
Patients are dying in hospital corridors this winter say A&E doctors who have written to Theresa May to say her NHS ‘plans have failed to deliver anywhere near what was needed’. More than 120 patients a.....
Councils warned about lack of transparency over 'top up' fees
11 Jan 2018
Councils have been reminded by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman that they need to provide better clarity on care home costs, following a complaint by the ‘distressed’ family of a man with dementia. The.....
Care home's intergenerational project takes residents on trip down memory lane
11 Jan 2018
An intergenerational art project at a care home in Scotland has given residents the chance to take a trip down memory lane. After participating in a series of creative workshops, residents at Cornwall Park care.....
Pfizer ends research to find treatments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease
09 Jan 2018
Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, has announced plans to end its research efforts to discover new drugs for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The announcement follows years of failed.....
Jeremy Hunt keeps top job but gains 'social care'
09 Jan 2018
Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet reshuffle has seen Jeremy Hunt retain his position as the country’s top health chief, prompting many to hope his new title of ‘Health and Social Care Secretary’ will bring ‘a new dawn’ and not.....
'Aussie flu' fears cause vaccination confusion
08 Jan 2018
Hospital departments and emergency services across the country are reportedly struggling to cope after the arrival of a new and virulent strain of flu from Australia, now being dubbed as ‘Aussie flu’. Many.....
Resident at 'outstanding' care home says 'Mum' for the first time in 24 years
08 Jan 2018
A care home in Essex, which helped a resident with complex behavioural needs learn to talk after 24 years, has been rated 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Beacon House, a five-bedroom home,.....
'Start listening' and let care homes ease winter pressures on NHS
05 Jan 2018
Severe pressures in hospitals this winter has seen thousands of operations cancelled, causing social care leaders to urge NHS bosses to ‘start listening’ and let care homes do more to help. Elderly.....
Toby Young defends disability comments saying 'I have an older brother with learning disabilities'
04 Jan 2018
Toby Young, the free schools campaigner, has defended himself in the furore over his controversial appointment to the board of the universities watchdog, saying “I have an older brother with learning disabilities”. Mr.....
Queen gives OBE to director at veterans' care homes
02 Jan 2018
Pauline Shaw, director of care at The Royal Star & Garter Homes, which runs two care homes for military veterans, has said she is ‘over the moon’ at being awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List. The.....
Care watchdog's chief inspector thanks Mum for CBE
02 Jan 2018
Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of adult social care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), has been awarded a CBE by the Queen in the New Year’s Honours List, prompting her to give thanks to her mum and dad for their support. Ms.....