Decorating the homes of people with dementia with familiar items from their past ('retro-decorating) can help them stay at home longer by reducing anxiety and triggering good memories. A pilot scheme operating at the Riverside Home Improvement Agency is discussed.
Decorating the homes of people with dementia with familiar items from their past ('retro-decorating) can help them stay at home longer by reducing anxiety and triggering good memories. A pilot scheme operating at the Riverside Home Improvement Agency is discussed.
Subject terms:
home improvements, intervention, building design, dementia, environmental factors;
Care home managers are finding their time increasingly taken up by multiple information requests as councils, primary care trusts and the Care Quality Commission each look to monitor standards. This duplication of effort was highlighted in a report by the English Community Care Association (ECCA). This article reports on commitment by the Care Quality Commission to reduce duplicate monitoring and an initiative in Essex, where councils have adopted a collaborative partnership approach to improving care quality in residential settings using the principles of the My Home Life initiative. A care home manager and a contract monitoring manager also give their views on the situation.
Care home managers are finding their time increasingly taken up by multiple information requests as councils, primary care trusts and the Care Quality Commission each look to monitor standards. This duplication of effort was highlighted in a report by the English Community Care Association (ECCA). This article reports on commitment by the Care Quality Commission to reduce duplicate monitoring and an initiative in Essex, where councils have adopted a collaborative partnership approach to improving care quality in residential settings using the principles of the My Home Life initiative. A care home manager and a contract monitoring manager also give their views on the situation.
Subject terms:
inspection, managers, local authorities, performance evaluation, primary care trusts, standards, care homes, contracts;
A nutritional champion, employed as a senior care assistant, and a head chef, are raising the standard of cooking and nutrition in one Wimbledon care home. Residents of Queens Court Care Home are screened using the five-step Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool to identify adults who are malnourished, at risk of malnutrition or are obese. Menus are then provided to improve health outcomes as well as to give them the foods they enjoy. The improvement in the health of a resident with dementia after being admitted to Queens Court Care Home is described, highlighting the success of their approach.
A nutritional champion, employed as a senior care assistant, and a head chef, are raising the standard of cooking and nutrition in one Wimbledon care home. Residents of Queens Court Care Home are screened using the five-step Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool to identify adults who are malnourished, at risk of malnutrition or are obese. Menus are then provided to improve health outcomes as well as to give them the foods they enjoy. The improvement in the health of a resident with dementia after being admitted to Queens Court Care Home is described, highlighting the success of their approach.
The Dilnot commission's proposals are evaluated against their key reform objectives. The article looks specifically at the areas of: protection against high care costs; fairness; underfunding; enhancing and understanding of the care system; and integration with the NHS. The concluding section discusses the likelihood of the Dilnot proposals being implemented. The care costs of one women with dementia are put forward as an example of someone who would have benefitted from the reforms.
The Dilnot commission's proposals are evaluated against their key reform objectives. The article looks specifically at the areas of: protection against high care costs; fairness; underfunding; enhancing and understanding of the care system; and integration with the NHS. The concluding section discusses the likelihood of the Dilnot proposals being implemented. The care costs of one women with dementia are put forward as an example of someone who would have benefitted from the reforms.
Subject terms:
long term care, older people, access to services, ageing, assessment, care homes, costs, eligibility criteria, financing;
Many social workers have found personalisation has increased the bureaucracy in their jobs. This has been supported by the findings from a Community Care survey commissioned by Unison. The article makes a call to keep things simple and to monitoring the amount of bureaucracy. Work in Hartlepool Council is highlighted. Hartlepool have reduced the number of assessment forms that need to be completed by social workers. An independent social worker also cites the amount of paper work as one reason she choose to leave local authority employment.
Many social workers have found personalisation has increased the bureaucracy in their jobs. This has been supported by the findings from a Community Care survey commissioned by Unison. The article makes a call to keep things simple and to monitoring the amount of bureaucracy. Work in Hartlepool Council is highlighted. Hartlepool have reduced the number of assessment forms that need to be completed by social workers. An independent social worker also cites the amount of paper work as one reason she choose to leave local authority employment.
Increasing stress among the Muslim community in the UK is impacting on their mental health. The need for mental health services to understand the importance of faith when treating the patient is discussed.
Increasing stress among the Muslim community in the UK is impacting on their mental health. The need for mental health services to understand the importance of faith when treating the patient is discussed.
Subject terms:
Islam, mental health problems, mental health services, multicultural approach, Muslims, religious beliefs, stereotyped attitudes;
Two year pilots in seven local authority areas aim to transfer social workers from local authorities to independent social work practices. These new organisations new organisations, which are likely to be set up as social enterprises, will be run by the social workers themselves. The pilots aim to improve relationships between social workers and service users, and reduce the amount of bureaucracy. This article looks at differing opinions on these independent social work practices.
Two year pilots in seven local authority areas aim to transfer social workers from local authorities to independent social work practices. These new organisations new organisations, which are likely to be set up as social enterprises, will be run by the social workers themselves. The pilots aim to improve relationships between social workers and service users, and reduce the amount of bureaucracy. This article looks at differing opinions on these independent social work practices.
Subject terms:
organisational structure, social work, social care provision, social enterprises, social workers;
Take up of personal budgets still low in older people and those with mental health problems. The coalition government wants all users on personal budgets by 2013. The author looks at the challenges facing local authorities in achieving this goal with current cut-backs in resources.
Take up of personal budgets still low in older people and those with mental health problems. The coalition government wants all users on personal budgets by 2013. The author looks at the challenges facing local authorities in achieving this goal with current cut-backs in resources.
Subject terms:
local authorities, mental health problems, older people, personal budgets, service uptake, cutbacks, financing;
Improved joint working between health and social care services in Portsmouth is ensuring that patients experience minimal delay before being rehabilitated outside hospital. Key changes implemented were the development of an integrated discharge bureau involving health and social care and the streamlining of some social work processes which leaves hospital social workers to focus on the discharge process. A hospital social worker explains the benefits of the changes.
Improved joint working between health and social care services in Portsmouth is ensuring that patients experience minimal delay before being rehabilitated outside hospital. Key changes implemented were the development of an integrated discharge bureau involving health and social care and the streamlining of some social work processes which leaves hospital social workers to focus on the discharge process. A hospital social worker explains the benefits of the changes.
Subject terms:
hospital social workers, joint working, hospital discharge, social services, discharge planning, health care;