Scottish Government promises outcomes-driven approach to integration

Engaging the medical profession is vital if health and social care are to be successfully integrated, according to a report by MSPs. The Health Committee of the Scottish Parliament welcomed the Government’s focus...<<Read More>>

Improvements needed for elderly exercise programmes

NHS exercise programmes are beneficial to the elderly, yet fail to meet the requirements in the recommended guidance, research by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has suggested. A survey of 1,700 older people who had attended programmes to reduce falls reported...<<Read More>>

Care homes call for more nurses

Dying at home could save NHS millions – charity

Marie Curie Cancer Care has suggested that letting more people die at home rather than hospital – which is often what they ask for anyway – could save the NHS millions a year. The charity said that cutting the length of hospital stay for 30,000 patients who are in the last stages of life...<<Read More>>

Predicted increase in eyesight condition

Research suggests that the number of people in the UK suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which can cause blindness, is expected to rise by a third by 2020. AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in the western world and is the reason behind more than half...<<Read More>>

Elderly social care reforms ‘postponed’

Reforms of funding for elderly care may not be completed until 2025, reports suggest. Andrew Dilnot, the economist whose report into social care earlier this year recommended a series of reforms to protect pensioners from having to sell their homes to pay for care in later life, said such a delay...<<Read More>>

Database to rate care homes announced

A customer ratings website is to be created for care homes in next spring’s white paper on social care. This will allow users to rate care providers on an online database, which people can then use to compare different homes. Records of mistreatment or...<<Read More>>

BMA keeps up campaign against pensions changes

The BMA is maintaining its opposition to the Government’s pension changes, despite compromises announced last week, and has pledged to “show support” for striking workers from elsewhere in the public sector on November 30. It is not balloting doctors on industrial action at this...<<Read More>>

Life expectancy gap increasing

The gap in life expectancy between the North and South of the UK is increasing, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). According to the data published yesterday, the gap between the local areas with the highest and lowest life expectancies increased between...<<Read More>>

Elderly care below standards

Elderly care in some hospitals is not meeting up to dignity and nutrition standards, according to an assessment by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Unannounced visits were carried out at 100 hospitals and concerns were identified in 55 cases. These included a lack of support for those needed...<<Read More>>

High dementia risk for those who rate their health poorly

There is a higher risk of developing dementia for people who rate their own health as poor, according to researchers published in the journal Neurology. Researchers at the University of Bordeaux, France studied 8,169 people aged over 65 for a period of seven years. By the end of the study, 618 had developed dementia.
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Surgery patients at risk

Poor care, limited access and delays to treatment are putting surgery patients’ lives at risk, a report from the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) suggests. They argue that patients should have better access to facilities like scans and operating theatres, with more critical care provided after an operation.
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Vitamin B deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s

Low levels of vitamin B12 have been linked to brain shrinkage and cognitive problems, according to research undertaken in Chicago. This has implications on whether vitamin B deficiency can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s. Researchers at <<Read More>>

Study shows dangers to elderly people from drug combinations

A study into the side-effects of common drugs has found they can increase the risk of death and dementia in elderly people in some combinations. The findings of the study, which included more than 13,000 people, have prompted...
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Call for rethink on elderly drinkers’ recommended intake

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has suggested recommended daily alcohol limits for older drinkers should be reduced. The report argued that current guidelines for safe weekly intakes, 21 units for men and 14 for women, are based on research on young adults and...
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Study suggests olive oil can help prevent strokes

Research by French scientists has concluded that higher levels olive oil in the diet of people over 65 can help to reduce the likelihood of stroke. The findings were published in the journal Neurology and lead author, Dr Cecilia Samieri, of the...
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Spot checks on elderly care in Welsh hospitals

Health watchdogs are to introduce spot checks of elderly care in hospitals in Wales following a report branding some care “shamefully inadequate”. The report by the older people’s commissioner for Wales, Ruth Marks, called Dignified Care, was published in April and called...
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Dementia checks at 75 urged

The Alzheimer’s Society has suggested the NHS should be routinely offer screening for signs of dementia to all 75-year-olds. Professor Clive Ballard, the charity's director of research, says getting a diagnosis is fundamental to ensuring the right treat... <<Read More>>

Care home ordered to improve

A nursing home where people developed pressure sores has been told it is “not meeting” quality and safety standards. The Care Quality Commission has ordered GT Care Services Ltd to improve standards at Hillscourt Nursing Home, Exeter. Inspectors visit... <<Read More>>

More older people feel let down by health staff

A rising number of older people feel they are viewed as a “nuisance” by health professionals. An Age UK survey has revealed that 32% of over-65s feel that way, up from 29% the year before, despite them being the largest age... <<Read More>>

Complete failure in elderly care on the NHS, says Ombudsman

Shocking failures in care for the elderly highlighted by the Health Service Ombudsman have been condemned as “completely unacceptable”. The in-depth review of ten cases concludes that the NHS is failing to treat... <<Read More>>

Elderly care under the spotlight as nurses carry out spot checks

Senior nurses will carry out unannounced spot checks in at least 100 hospitals to investigate standards of care for the elderly. The checks, by the Care Quality Commission, will focus on malnutrition and dignity, especially on... <<Read more>>

Hospital closure confirmed

A hospital for the elderly is to close. Bramcote Hospital in Nuneaton, Warwickshire will close so intermediate care services can expand. MPs and campaign groups had been fighting to keep the hospital open. The resources will be shifted into offering eight more beds at nursing... <<Read more>>

Extra winter deaths makes new emergency plan imperative, says Age UK

ONS figures published yesterday show 23,100 excess winter deaths of people aged 65-plus occurred in England and Wales last winter, a drop of 31 per cent from the previous year but still in line with a five... <<Read more>>

Retirement reduces tiredness and depression

Retirement leads to a substantial reduction in mental and physical fatigue and depressive symptoms, according to a study published on bmj.com. However, the research also concludes that retirement does not change the risk... <<Read more>>

Adult social care standards see ‘improvement’

The Care Quality Commission has announced that standards in adult social care are improving but that there is still some way to go. A report carried out by the CQC has found that standards have improved considerably since 2008 but that more...

Independent social workers to care for adults

The health secretary Andrew Lansley has announced that a scheme to use independent social workers to care for young people is to be extended into adult social care. The proposals mean that these social workers will have more independence in delivering...