Millions of people are fearful about care and regret not speaking out

New research by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reveals millions of people across England have had concerns about care and regret not speaking out.

Almost 7 million people, who are patients or family carers, have expressed concerns about care given in the last five years but have never complained. The majority (58 per cent) regret staying silent. The most common reason for not raising concerns was the belief that nothing would change as a result (37 per cent).

Some feared being seen as a 'trouble maker'

Some 33 per cent did not speak out because they did not want to be seen as a ‘troublemaker’. Some 33 per cent did not know who to raise their complaint with and 28 per cent worried about not being taken seriously. A fifth (20 per cent) did not know how to raise a complaint.

In response to the research, Care minister Caroline Dinenage said: “I encourage anyone who has concerns over their care, or the care of loved ones, to share their experiences with the Care Quality Commission - so they can continue their vital work of protecting patients and improving the excellent care we see across the health service.”

'Declare You Care'

The CQC is now calling for people to speak up about their experiences of care, following its poll (conducted from November to December last year). The care regulator has launched its ‘Declare Your Care’ campaign to encourage people to share their experiences of care with the care regulator.

The CQC advises four steps to report poor care:

1. Speak to staff to resolve it informally

2. If issues persist, ask your care provider to see the complaints procedure. This will tell you what to do.

3. If you are not happy about how they respond to your complaint, you can contact:

a. Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (for private or adult social care services)

b. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (for NHS services)

4. Share your experience (on behalf of yourself or someone else) with CQC at cqc.org.uk/share-your-experience

 

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/

Life as a 'sandwich carer': 'The emotions can be a rollercoaster'

At forty-one, Amanda Jones has children, a partner and work that she enjoys. She is also a primary carer for her 73-year-old mother who has dementia.

She is one of the 1.3 million people in the UK known as a ‘sandwich carer’ – those who have the dual responsibility of caring for sick, disabled or elderly relatives, as well as their own children.

The stress of covering her different roles led Ms Jones to give up full-time work last year.

She said: “The emotions can be a roller coaster. The constant worrying gets you down and the burden of simultaneously shouldering responsibility puts an enormous strain on family life.”

Getting by

More than a quarter of ‘sandwich carers’ are now reported to be suffering from depression and anxiety, according to new figures released from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Those carers are also struggling financially, with one in three saying they are ‘just about getting by’ financially, while one in ten are ‘finding it difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to cope.

The prevalence of mental ill-health has been found to increase with the amount of care given. More than a third of sandwich carers providing at least 20 hours of adult care per week report symptoms of mental ill-health, compared with 23 per cent of those providing fewer than five hours each week.

One in four report health problems, relationship troubles and isolation among the difficulties also related to their caring role.

As Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, put it “It is vital that the Government provides ambitious proposals for the funding and delivery of adult social care in the upcoming Green Paper – proposals that better support older and disabled people, giving the sandwich generation the ability to better manage work and caring responsibilities. It must ensure that they receive practical and financial support to care without putting their own lives on hold.”

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/

Millions failing to take free health checks that could spot dementia

NHS England is urging people over the age of 40 to make a New Year’s resolution to take up a free health check.

Fewer than half of eligible people in England have taken up the offer over the last five years, despite it being free for people between 40 and 74-years-old.

The 20-minute assessment, carried out by a GP or nurse, involves testing blood pressure, weight and height and could stop people developing physical conditions as well as dementia.

Alistair Burns, national clinical director for dementia and older people’s mental health for NHS England said: “Heart disease and dementia are two of the biggest health risks facing people in our country and the national health check will help stop both.

“Attending a free NHS health check is a great opportunity to discuss existing health conditions, and to work out how to reduce the risk of developing dementia and other illness in the future.”

According to NHS England, identifying people with an irregular heartbeat or high blood pressure and giving them treatment would help to prevent dangerous blood clots which could lead to strokes.

Similarly, if more people went for their health check, the number of people having a stroke or other heart problems would reduce, potentially preventing thousands of cases of vascular dementia.

Laura Phipps, head of communications at Alzheimer's Research UK said: “There is good evidence to suggest that what's good for the heart is also good for the brain, but while 77 per cent people believe they can reduce their risk of heart disease, only 34 per cent of people know they can reduce their risk of dementia.

“Research shows that midlife is a crucial time to take action that will help maintain a healthy brain into later life. With dementia now the UK's leading cause of death, we must encourage everyone to take positive steps to maintain good brain health throughout life and into older age.”

NHS health checks are offered to all individuals aged between 40 and 74 with no pre-existing health conditions. They are provided every five years.

For more information go to: www.nhs.uk

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community.

Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/

Driving with dementia: New guidelines advise when it's time to stop

New guidelines have been published to help doctors and health care professionals assess when people living with dementia should stop driving.

'Driving with Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment' - created by Newcastle University and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - helps medical teams with the appropriate assessment and management of people living with the condition.

Dr. John-Paul Taylor, clinical senior lecturer at Newcastle University, said: "This can be a difficult conversation for anyone to have, whether you're a family member or doctor, because losing the ability to drive can have a significant impact on someone's independence and well-being."

"However, someone who is no longer safe to drive can be a source of concern for families and loved ones and may also put the driver and others at risk."

The guidance should give greater clarity to people with dementia and those supporting them as to what to expect when being assessed for fitness to drive.

Changes in driving that indicate it is becoming unsafe include:

- Unable to hold a steady course in a defined lane—difficulty in following subtle changes in the course of the road

- Repeated failure to respond in busy environments such as junctions or crossings

- Seeming 'overwhelmed' in everyday driving situations

- Decline in ability to make independent decisions when driving

- Verbal prompt required by passenger

- Over-correction or erratic correction to changes in road direction or the environment

- Failing to release the handbrake

- Failing to check for hazards before moving off

- Trouble changing gears or missed gear changes

- Heightened passenger vigilance

For more information visit: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/driving-and-dementia/consensusguidelinesforclinicians/

 

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/

Welsh farmer produces 'natural' dementia drug by ditching sheep for daffodils

A sheep farmer in the Welsh Black Mountains has turned his farm into fields of yellow daffodils, after a drug derived from the flower was found to be effective in slowing the progress of dementia.

Certain varieties of daffodils produce galantamine, and their ability to do this increases when they are grown at higher altitudes and in harsher weather, causing them to flower later.

Galantamine works by inhibiting an enzyme that leads to the cognitive impairment found in people with Alzheimer’s.

Kevin Stephens started up Agroceutical Products on the family farm in Powys, after reading about how daffodils can produce natural galantamine.

Mr Stephens is motivated by a desire to give people with dementia a better future and also to give his family an additional sustainable farming income.

He said: “When we started doing this, people thought we were completely nuts. But it is starting to get some credibility and people are taking us seriously now.”

His farm is now producing enough galantamine to treat over 9,000 people with dementia.

Mr Stephens is hoping to encourage other hill farms in Wales to get involved saying it has dual benefits, bringing in a sustainable income for the farming community as well as helping combat a horrible disease, which is now the UK's biggest killer.

 

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/

Cancer could soon be detected through a revolutionary breath test, scientists have revealed

The Breath Biopsy device is being trialed in the UK and is designed to analyse molecules that could indicate the presence of cancer at an early stage.

It is the first test of its kind to investigate multiple cancer types and could save thousands of lives.

Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, lead trial investigator at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, said: “We urgently need to develop new tools, like this breath test, which could help to detect and diagnose cancer earlier, giving patients the best chance of surviving their disease."

The trial will start with patients with suspected oesophageal and stomach cancers and extend to prostate, kidney, bladder, liver and pancreatic cancers in the coming months.

If the technology proves to accurately identify cancer, the team hope breath biopsies could be used in GP practices.

Almost half of cancers are diagnosed at a late stage in England, highlighting the importance of early detection, particularly for diseases like oesophageal cancer where only 12 per cent of patients survive the disease for 10 years or more.

The trial is a collaboration between the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre and Owlstone Medical and is taking place at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

 

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/