Care Home News
Care home owner invites ex-prisoners to his house for Christmas dinner every year
28 Nov 2018
A care home owner, who wants to eradicate ‘us’ and ‘them’, has been inviting residents over to his house for Christmas dinner for the last 10 years. Professionals who work with people with mental health issues.....
Brexit? All I want for Christmas is social care's green paper says care boss
27 Nov 2018
The boss of a care home group is demanding Theresa May’s government clarify its plan for adult social care by hurrying up with the publication of its green paper, as drama over Brexit threatens to oust the PM from office. While.....
Low pay and Brexit risks shortage of almost 400,000 care workers
26 Nov 2018
Low pay and Brexit is expected to create a shortfall of nearly 400,000 social care staff in England by 2028, a leading think tank reports. The Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) has reported.....
Mum set to leave family for four years to walk 20,000 miles for dementia research
26 Nov 2018
“I might be gone for some time,” says a mother-of-one, who is set to embark upon an adventure of a lifetime to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK. Karen Penny is aiming to walk around the entire coast.....
Dementia's 'memory man' hunts for early diagnosis with carer volunteers
26 Nov 2018
Dementia researcher, Dr Michael Craig, is on a mission to find a diagnosis for dementia in its early stages. His work on memory has also led him to the conclusion that ten-minute rests after learning new information can help people.....
Care home group reveals why it ditched uniforms
23 Nov 2018
A care home group in the south west of England has revealed that it took the decision to ditch uniforms for staff, due to concerns they were causing divisions between the care staff and the residents. Evolve.....
Government announces £3.5bn funding boost for primary and community care
23 Nov 2018
The government has pledged an extra £3.5bn a year in annual funding for primary and community care by 2023/24, as part of the £20.5bn funding increase for the NHS announced earlier this year. Prime Minister.....
UK care homes urged to reduce use of palm oil and plastic
22 Nov 2018
The 5 Nations Care Forum is calling on care providers to support their campaign to cut down on the use of single-use plastic and products containing unsustainable palm oil. The issue of palm oil hit the headlines.....
Attraction and retention of nurses: a challenging time in care homes
22 Nov 2018
Attracting and retaining nurses in the care home sector is increasingly difficult. A key challenge is to ensure older people’s nursing is seen as an attractive career move, says Elaine Farrer, operations director at south coast provider.....
Butterfly Care Homes bring humanity to those living with dementia
22 Nov 2018
An older woman was visibly distressed, shouting and screaming. She lived with dementia and had recently moved into a Butterfly Care Home. She would have been labelled ‘difficult’ or ‘challenging’ under an.....
Care homes with dementia 'carer champions' reduce agitation and antipsychotics
20 Nov 2018
Care homes using dementia ‘carer champions’ to deliver person-centred care lessen agitation in people with dementia and reduce their usage of antipsychotic drugs. Sixty-nine care homes took part in the Wellbeing.....
Luxury care home with private chauffeur acquired by Target Healthcare for £13.8m
19 Nov 2018
Parris Lawn, a purpose-built care home in East Sussex, has been acquired by specialist care home investor Target Healthcare for £13.8m and will be run by the Caring Homes Group. The home in Ringmer, opened.....
Wendy Mitchell on living with dementia and why her cat kept getting fatter
16 Nov 2018
Billy the cat was on a diet but he kept getting fatter and no one knew why. “Even the vet commented on it,” revealed Wendy Mitchell, who is living with dementia. Wendy, who is 62, was diagnosed with early.....
Anchor becomes care home group with most 'outstanding' ratings
16 Nov 2018
After gaining its eighth CQC ‘outstanding rating’, Anchor has become the UK care home provider with the most CQC ‘outstanding’ ratings. The most recent of which was awarded to Abbeywood Care Home in Surrey, for an inspection that.....
Care minister backs CMA crackdown on 'unscrupulous' care homes taking elderly 'for a ride'
16 Nov 2018
A crackdown on care homes is underway, with new guidance for care providers to protect elderly from "unfair care home practices and secretive fees" - a move backed by Care Minister Caroline Dinenage who is keen to stop residents.....
Care provider fined £300,000 for exposing residents to risk of sexual harm
16 Nov 2018
A care provider has been fined £300,000 for allowing a man in its care with a history of sexual assaults the freedom to prey on vulnerable people. Hillgreen Care Limited was required to provide round-the-clock.....
Care Workers Charity chief resigns to create loneliness start-up
15 Nov 2018
Alex Ramamurthy, the chief executive of the Care Workers Charity (CWC) is stepping down from his job on 30 November to work on a booking platform enabling care homes to rent their communal space to host adult day clubs. The.....
Care England chief says creativity can turn 'the mundane into inspirational care'
14 Nov 2018
“Changing the mundane to the inspirational... is what lies at the cornerstone of good quality care” said Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, in an ITN programme called ‘Creativity in Care’. Launched.....
Tax increases urgently needed to rescue adult social care, warn councils
14 Nov 2018
Increasing income tax or National Insurance (NI) contributions must be urgently considered by the Government to rescue the future of adult social care, councils have warned. The Local Government Association.....
Helo, shwmae? Care workers learn Welsh to ask elderly 'How are you?'
13 Nov 2018
Care workers across Wales are going back to school to learn Welsh and communicate with elderly people in their ‘mother tongue’ - to make them feel at home. Whether you’re moving to a care home or receiving.....
Night-time positioning reduces care home residents' pain medication
13 Nov 2018
Sleep positioning has been found to improve the quality of life and reduce pain medication for people with conditions such as Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and dementia. Spending long periods.....
Lord Warner: 'Churchillian' effort needed to stop care crisis 'dicing with death'
12 Nov 2018
“Blood, toil, tears and sweat” was what Winston Churchill famously offered the British people to win the Second World War but sacrifices must be made again says Lord Warner, to end to the suffering of millions of elderly and disabled.....
Live music 'should be essential in' all care homes
12 Nov 2018
A major new report has recommended that live music should be essential in all UK care homes. The research, led by Live Music Now and the University of Winchester, suggests that carefully delivered music can.....
Care home boss stole £14,000 from elderly to spend on Christmas gift and petrol
09 Nov 2018
A care home boss who admitted stealing more than £14,000 from elderly residents, squandering some of the cash on a Christmas gift for her son, has been spared jail. ’Abuse of trust’ Sandra.....
Lancashire care home rated 'outstanding' filled with music and laughter
09 Nov 2018
Longfield Residential Home in Blackburn has been rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, with inspectors saying ‘the home was filled with laughter and music and staff interacted with people in a caring and respectful manner’. The.....
Government says 'sleep-in' care workers aren't entitled to minimum wage
08 Nov 2018
Care workers should not be paid the National Minimum Wage for every hour of a sleep-in shift, the government has announced. New guidance by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).....
Care minister chats with war veterans in tour of West Midland care homes
08 Nov 2018
Care minister Caroline Dinenage undertook a whistle-stop tour of care homes across the West Midlands this week and met with residents, war veterans and care staff to gather their views. Caroline Dinenage's.....
Health minister urges more 'social prescribing' and less 'dishing out drugs'
06 Nov 2018
Matt Hancock, minister for health and social care, has spoken about how social prescribing should be seen as a viable alternative to “dishing out drugs”. The minister reserved special mention for the effect.....
Care minister launches recruitment campaign to address high levels of care vacancies
05 Nov 2018
Care minister Caroline Dinenage has launched a government campaign to encourage more people to work in adult social care. There are around 110,000 vacancies in adult social care in England, with staff turnover.....
Former CQC chief joins care home provider HC-One
05 Nov 2018
Sir David Behan, who recently stepped down as head of the Care Quality Commission which inspects care homes in England, has joined one of the biggest care providers, HC-One, as a non-executive director. Sir.....