Broomgrove Nursing Home Sheffield

Government needs to properly address elderly care provision

 

The Christmas period is awash with well meaning ads encouraging people to invite an elderly person around for a meal in the fight against loneliness.

Few of us are immune from the anxiety that can set in when we think about our own aging.

Who will care for us in later life? Who will ensure we’re safe and still feeling loved?

The questions take on a particular significance for someone like me – someone that doesn’t have any children.

The norms of society once dictated that – for those with children – generations go full circle in later life and the youngsters that once depended on parents for everything will one day return the favour.

But there has been a profound social shift in recent decades.

In the fifties and sixties it was given that the women would be the stay at home parent.

In more recent years women have moved en masse into the workplace following a very positive shift in attitudes.

A whole new industry has developed around childcare, childminders and after school clubs to accommodate the changing roles as caring capacity within individual families has changed.

State provision for older people has grown, but remains limited. The system still relies heavily on the informal care being done by family members, an estimated 7.6 billion hours per year.

Yet numbers of elderly people without relatives is set to grow as the proportion of women not having children has increased from one in nine to one in five.

It has been estimated that by 2030 there will be more than a million adults aged 65-74 without children.

The transient nature of modern life means many children are just not living close enough to parents to help.

Age UK estimates that there are now more than a million older people who struggle obtaining help with even the most basic tasks like getting out of bed, preparing and eating meals and going to the toilet.

Many elderly people are left isolated – spending the last days of their lives in hospital as funding can’t be found for a care home.

The Government needs to address where the responsibilities of the state and families start and stop in the 21st century.

The state can’t provide love and friendship, but it can and should provide and fund a basic standard of personal care for an elderly generation that has paid into the NHS all their lives.

An old person is for the remainder of their life, not just for Christmas.

Weight loss can signal serious health issues in old age

As a society we’re bombarded with messages that demonize the obese and wax lyrical when a celebrity has successfully lost pounds on a crash diet.

But many forget the tables are turned in old age and any sudden weight loss can regularly signal a serious health issues that needs urgent attention.

That’s not to mean being thinner in old age is not natural – older people are not as active so they don’t need the calorie intake of someone that is younger and more agile but it’s a balancing act that needs close monitoring.

As a society – far more needs to be done to ensure the nutritional health of the older generation.

Official figures show a tripling in the number of elderly patients admitted to hospital suffering from malnutrition.

Cut backs in Local Government services mean ‘meals on wheels’ – which were a lifeline ot thousands of older people – are now virtually non existent.

As well as the lack of a regularly available hot meal – this situation also brings about yet more feelings of isolation and loneliness as the lunchtime knock at the door is no longer there.

The Department of Health state clearer that getting thinner is not a normal part of the aging process.

Experts from Health and Social Care warn that losing weight could be an early sign of malnutrition or other serious conditions, such as cancer, dementia or liver disease.

Symptoms of malnutrition to look out for include tiredness, low energy levels, dizziness and repeated infections.

A staggering one in ten people over the age of 65 are thought to be malnourished. Other major contributing factors to loss of appetite in the elderly are loneliness and bereavement.

Many older people find it hard to stand or carry objects, making preparing meals ever more difficult. So many elderly people suffer in silence – it’s a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’.

So how can we help? If you have an elderly relative or neighbour, keep an eye out for them. Offer to help with shopping, or preparing meals or invite them round for a meal.

If you have an elderly neighbour and regularly cook for the family why not cook an extra portion each time? It could mean a world of difference.

Contact the elderly is a charity that help ensure elderly people get a hot nutritious meal every day. For more information go to contact-the-elderly.org.uk or ring 0800 716543

 

Lord Mayor unveils Broomgrove’s UK safety first

Resident care has undergone a hi-tech revolution at Broomgrove as it becomes the first in the country to install a pioneering new generation of nurse call system designed to prioritise care for the most vulnerable.

The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Anne Murphy, officially unveiled Courtney Thorne’s Altra system just a few days ago.

Donna Pierpoint, the manager at Broomgrove said: “We’re constantly on the look out for ways we can improve resident care and provide them with an extra level if safety and reassurance. This new system is absolutely fantastic.

“It’s an honour to be the first care home in the country to install it and have the Lord Mayor come to unveil it!”

The legacies of two former residents funded the wireless Courtney Thorne Altra system that automatically monitors response times and ranks their priority.

 

You can help with an early dementia diagnosis

There are an estimated 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK at the moment. Another 225,000 will develop it this year – that’s one every three minutes.

A recent Government survey of more than 4,000 adults revealed many people are still confused about what are, and what are not, signs of dementia.

Though Broomgrove isn’t a registered dementia home we have a lot of knowledge. We regularly get enquiries for respite care from older people who look after relatives with dementia and need a break. We often give them advice as to what help is out there for them.

An early diagnosis is imperative as this opens the door to future care and treatment. It helps people to plan ahead while they are still capable of making important decisions regarding their care and support needs. They are also in a far better position to make decisions on future financial and legal matters.

They are also able – along with their families –  to digest practical information, advice and guidance as they start to face new challenges.

I know how important an early diagnosis is. The symptoms displayed by my own mother-in-law were spotted early so the family encouraged my father in law to take her to the GP. She was diagnosed with dementia and put on medication straight away which has kept her stable.

She was also referred to the memory clinic, which has been a big support for my father in law.

The signs to look out for are:

  1. struggling to remember recent events, although you can easily recall things that happened in the past
  2. finding it hard to follow conversations or programmes on TV
  3. forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects
  4. not being able to recall things you have heard, seen or read
  5. Losing the thread of what you are saying, having problems thinking and reasoning, feeling anxious, depressed or angry.
  6. Feeling confused even when in a familiar environment or getting lost on familiar journeys and finding that other people start to notice or comment on your memory loss.

There is strong evidence that an early diagnosis helps someone with dementia to continue to live independently in their own home for longer. This helps to avoid early or unnecessary admission to a care home or hospital, enhancing the quality of life for people with dementia and carers alike.

More help and information can be found at www.ageuk.org.uk and www.alzheimers.org.uk

NHS – I think you have the answer to the bed blocking crisis

The elderly are being blamed as one of the biggest culprits in the current NHS ‘bed blocking’ crisis

Yes, they are more prone to hospital admissions due to their higher risk of falls, infections and general deterioration in medical conditions.

But no elderly person wants to be in hospital in a strange environment. They often can’t hear, see or understand the staff. All they want is to get better and go home!

Department of Health statistics show more than 680,000 elderly people are admitted to acute hospitals each year. They regularly languish on wards even though they are well enough to be looked after in a care home or at home with support.

The Government have promised a £300 million ‘rescue’ package to allow Social Services to buy care, but this is only a drop in the ocean.

50,000 care home beds have been lost over the last 5 years and care homes are closing at the rate of 4 per week. This is mainly because they are unable to meet the standards of care required by the CQC. Neither the NHS or Social Services pay care homes enough to be able to provide the high standards of care that the elderly deserve or CQC requries.

More intermediate care beds would help the situation but this comes at a time when community hospitals like Bakewell and Bolsover are due to close. These hospitals provide care whilst the elderly wait for either a care home bed or for a care package at home.

It costs £400 per day for a hospital bed. Is it just me or is the answer to bed blocking to use this money and save our community hospitals and pay more money towards care home beds and care at home?

NHS, I think you have the answer to the bed blocking crisis.


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