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Sunday 30 November 2014
George Osborne and Ed Balls discuss the funding proposals set out by Osborne on the Andrew Marr show – that he will put an additional £2bn into frontline health services. He described it as a “down payment” which he was able to commit to because of the economy being strong. What are your thoughts about this? Have you heard confirmation that the economy is currently strong? You can watch the video here:
Frontotemporal
dementia is one of the less common forms of dementia. It is sometimes called Pick's disease or frontal lobe
dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society has produced a downloadable factsheet which
explains what it is, who gets it, and describes the symptoms. It also provides
details about how this type of dementia is diagnosed and the treatment and care available.
We should not dismiss people’s delusions and hallucinations as merely symptoms of a malaise. A new report by the British Psychological Society argues that they can be understood as much as can other conditions like anxiety and depression. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and other treatments, should be made available for people with psychosis and bipolar disorder.
New research is suggesting that drinking 3-5 cups of
coffee per day may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. This may be due to the
antioxidants present in coffee. However, don't put the flags out just yet.
According to the Society's Research Officer Jess Smith, "... studies in
people show mixed results - more research and clinical trials are needed to see
if positive effects occur in people over the long term."
Thursday 27 November 2014
Carers UK and Embrace-learning have joined forces to provide you with all the information you need to know about the new Care Act:
A dedicated website: http://thecareact.co.uk and an e-learning course, The Care Act Unpacked. You can view a free demo here: http://thecareact.co.uk/the_course.php
Tuesday 25 November 2014
The Commission has announced a new partnership with The
Silver Line 24/7 helpline for the elderly. The Silver Line, which has been
described as 'ChildLine for older people', is celebrating its first birthday.
The partnership will help the Commission to determine when and where
inspections are appropriate, and to identify areas of excellence.
UK scientists have discovered that particular areas of the brain are linked to both dementia and schizophrenia. These areas control 'high order' information from the senses. Interestingly these regions are both the last to fully develop (during adolescence), and the first to degenerate during ageing.
Professor Hugh Perry of the MRC commented,
"It raises important issues about possible genetic and environmental factors that may occur in early life and then have lifelong consequences. The more we can find out about these very difficult disorders, the closer we will come to helping sufferers and their families."
Sunday 23 November 2014
In response to CQC guidance on openness and transparency, Rob Webster, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “The Duty of Candour guidance must be seen as an enabler in the development of a culture of openness when things go wrong and when reputations and lives are at risk.”
From April 2015, the CQC will take over the responsibility from the HSE for deciding whether regulatory action should be taken when health and safety incidents are reported which involve people who use health and adult social care services regulated by the CQC: http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/have-your-say-how-safety-incidents-will-be-acted-upon-next-april
Please follow these links for information about our Dignity
in Care and dementia awareness e-learning courses: http://goo.gl/we7coV
and http://goo.gl/8vvlCW
People
with dementia may have other illnesses or disabilities that make it difficult
for them to be cared for at home. The
Alzheimer’s Society has compiled a factsheet which describes the process of
choosing the right care home for people with dementia, and which examines
exactly what high quality care involves.
Friday 21 November 2014
Director of Operations Kathryn Smith on the sensitive
subject of sex and intimacy and people with dementia. She calls for greater
training and awareness among care home staff. Apart from the dementia element
she suggests there may be an ageist taboo which needs to be tackled. It is
important that every care home should have a specific sex and intimacy policy
in place.
The commission has published 'intelligent monitoring reports' to aid its inspectors in deciding which of the NHS trusts (who provide mental health services) to prioritise. The new model considers 59 separate levels of evidence including bed occupancy, the NHS staff survey, the national health outpatient survey, together with concerns raised by trust staff. The model is augmented by local information from partners and the public.
Wednesday 19 November 2014
Are you or is someone you know looking to learn or develop skills which will open opportunities to work, or advance further in the health and social sector? To browse our wide range of e-learning courses, including those relating to disability and dementia awareness, guidance about the new #CareAct, and a range of qualifications essential for people who want to work in the sector, please visit: http://www.embrace-learning.co.uk/Website/Pages/Guest/courselist.php or give us a call on 0161 928 9987.
A look at dementia care in Japan. New voluntary
initiatives are complimenting the publicly-funded health and care provision.
Across the nation 5.4 million trained volunteers called "dementia
friends", have introduced an imaginative range of dementia care and
support programmes. Examples are the suzu-no-ya, or open house scheme, and
neighbourhood watch initiative to monitor "wanderers" - people who
tend to stray from their homes and find themselves lost.
You can view our range of dementia awareness e-learning training
courses and packages at: http://goo.gl/lHKd01
Academics in California have found a link between
disturbed sleep patterns and loss of memory. Mice that ate during a normal time
for sleep had their memory impaired. Sleep interruption, it is discovered,
affects the function of the hippocampus - a region of the brain.
Whereas previous research had indicated a link between
sleep disturbance and an increased risk of dementia, this study found the
effects to be temporary. There is a need for further research in this area.
At Embrace-learning, our team of educationalists, designers and software developers are passionate about what they do. Our strength lies in how we work to provide our clients with e-learning that is cost-efficient, engaging and effective.
To join us online, please visit us at http://www.embrace-learning.co.uk
Monday 17 November 2014
The National Information Board has published a report into how digital technology will transform people's health, as well as the health of the NHS. The plans include:
- everyone being able to access their GP records online by 2015
- all other health records to follow by 2018
- a national digital standard for people at end of life
- the Personal Child Health Record (the red book) to be digitalised
- real time data to be available to paramedics, doctors, nurses and midwives
- digitalisation to play a vital role in contributing to the £22 billion efficiency savings target
For information about our Compassion and Dignity in
Care e-learning course, please visit http://goo.gl/we7coV
Thursday 13 November 2014
A moving account of 11 year old Antonia-Rae Budgen Davis who has been caring for her mother on her own since she was six. She is one of the estimated 700,000 young carers in England.
From April next year, elements of the Care Act, together with the Children and Families Act, mean local authorities must take reasonable steps to identify young carers, assess their needs, and state what those needs are.
A commentary on Margaret Hodge's new role as implementer of Southwark's Better Care Fund, a project she has described as beset by "unacceptable incompetence". In this single London borough, she is tasked with making the council, NHS, police and the voluntary sector work together, with the stated aim, ultimately, to reduce demands on the NHS and prison service.
The Social Care Institute for Excellence's (SCIE) chief executive, Tony Hunter, on the Care Act's requirement for advocacy services. From next April, councils are obliged to provide these services for people who have "substantial difficulty" in being fully involved in decision making.
For commissioners who might find this new responsibility daunting, the institute has produced a new guide.
In conjunction with Carers UK, we've produced an e-learning course to help anyone working in the health and social care sector to understand all they/you need to know about the #CareAct http://goo.gl/Dfd3ZA
The government has published the Care Act's fundamental standards regulations. Two of these standards, the duty of candour, and the fit and proper person requirement, come into force on 27 November. The remaining 10 standards will be implemented next April. These are as follows:
- care and treatment must be appropriate and reflect service users' needs and preferences
- service users must be treated with dignity and respect
- care and treatment must only be provided with consent
- care and treatment must be provided in a safe way
- service users must be protected from abuse and improper treatment
- service users' nutritional and hydration needs must be met
- all premises and equipment used must be clean, secure, suitable and used properly
- complaints must be appropriately investigated and appropriate action taken in response
- systems and processes must be established to ensure compliance with the fundamental standards
- sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff must be deployed
Wednesday 12 November 2014
GP Martin Brunet offers a fascinating appraisal of how dementia is diagnosed, and what should happen when a positive diagnosis is made. He describes the latest government £55 'bribe' to GP's as 'hare-brained', and offers alternative recommendations. He advocates,
- not referring patients to 'memory clinics'. They just serve to frighten people recently diagnosed with dementia
- the appointment of a trained memory worker for each GP practice
- having memory clinics attend GP practices.
He highlights a disparity between the resources freely on offer to the newly born, to the vacuum newly diagnosed dementia patients receive. Well trained memory workers can fill this void, "...expanding [people's] horizons rather than closing them down".
He also suggests ways in which this new approach could be (in part at least) funded:
- diverting the £5 million GP incentive scheme
- abolishing the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation payment, "...an expensive box-ticking exercise of questionable value".
Tuesday 11 November 2014
Cuts in social care funding have led to a third of all UK
local authorities abandoning the provision of meals on wheels. According to the
National Association of Care Catering, the number of meals on wheels/lunch club
meals delivered has fallen by more than half over the last decade. This when
the proportion of elderly citizens has been on the increase.
Although there is some evidence that demand for these
services may have fallen (partly perhaps due to the availability of supermarket
home deliveries), there is still considerable concern.
The Association's chair, Neel Radia said that community
meal provision, "...provides the regular friendly human contact that we
all need, and the vital wellbeing and safety checks that vulnerable older
people require, particularly in the colder winter months."
The government has been embarrassed by the findings of its own financial watchdog, the National Audit Office. The £2 billion Better Care Fund, designed to reduce hospital admissions, is judged to be founded "on optimism rather than evidence”.
Integrated care is seen as unlikely to deliver the hoped for 3.5% reduction per year in hospital admissions, particularly as they've been increasing at the rate of 47% over the last 15 years.
The main consequence of the new initiative, it is forecast, will be to create a £700 million black hole in NHS funding.
Monday 10 November 2014
A report published by the Older People's
Commissioner for Wales has said that
many people living in care homes have an "unacceptable quality of
life". Care Forum Wales Chair
Mario Kreft said, however, that the findings did not "fully recognise what
is being achieved despite the system".
The Chief
Inspector of Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW), Imelda Richardson, also stressed that the majority of care homes provide good
or excellent care, but admitted that there is "still an unacceptable level of care in some homes".
The Welsh
government has stated that it is already taking appropriate action to address
these issues.
Friday 7 November 2014
To join us online, please visit us at http://www.embrace-learning.co.uk and don’t forget to follow the links below to join our discussions:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/embracelearnuk
A major stumbling block in the treatment of neurological
disorders like dementia may be on the verge of being overcome. The blood brain
barrier acts to filter out undesirable elements in our blood to prevent them
contaminating our brains.
Now scientists have attached a potential treatment to
molecules that can pass through this barrier - in primates. Briefly, the
attached cell, an antibody, passed through the primate's blood brain barrier
and effectively reduced levels of a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer's
disease.
A look at the work of the charity Contact the Elderly.
They aim to improve the quality of life of the eldest in the community.
Volunteer drivers will pick up the same older person each month and drive them
to a volunteer host's home. Here they will join them for tea, a chat and a
piece of cake!
The impact this has is impressive. As executive officer
of the charity Cliff Rich says, "The tea parties give the guests such a
boost, with over a quarter visiting their doctor less since joining."
This demonstrates how important face to face contact is
for the elderly, and how the lack of such contact is detrimental to their well
being.
Thursday 6 November 2014
Are you or is someone you know looking to learn or develop skills which will open opportunities to work, or advance further in the health and social sector? To browse our wide range of e-learning courses, including those relating to disability and dementia awareness, guidance about the new #CareAct, and a range of qualifications essential for people who want to work in the sector, please visit: http://www.embrace-learning.co.uk/Website/Pages/Guest/courselist.php or give us a call on 0161 928 9987.
Wednesday 5 November 2014
We round up daily news, reports, and announcements relating to health and social care on our Tumblr blog. Click http://embrace-learning-blog.tumblr.com to follow us and post your comments!
The BBC's health editor, James Gallagher, investigates
the effects of shift working on the human brain. Whereas the risks of obesity
and breast cancer on shift workers had been known, now it's a detrimental
effect on cognitive function that's a cause for concern.
A recent study published in the journal Occupational and
Environmental Medicine suggests that a decade of shift working will age the
brain by six and a half years.
Interestingly, when people stop shift working at that
point, their brains start to recover. However it can take as long as five years
for a complete recovery.
This has implications for the care of those with
dementia, highlighting the necessity to establish strict day/night routines,
with controlled lighting and medication (eg melatonin) to encourage sleep.
This could transform treatment for those with Alzheimer's
in the very near future, as the drugs in question, lixisenatide and
liraglutide, have already been licensed for use on humans and are readily
available.
The concept of using drugs designed to treat one
condition in the treatment of other conditions is called drug repurposing.
According to the society's Head of Research, James Pickett:-
"Current treatments for Alzheimer's only help with the symptoms for a short while and do not stop the disease
from progressing. We believe that the concept of drug repurposing,
where drugs already licensed for one condition may be beneficial for dementia, has enormous potential and could deliver new
treatments faster and cheaper than producing a new drug from scratch. By
speeding up the research process we hope to
deliver a new dementia treatment within five to 10 years".
Tuesday 4 November 2014
Of those renewing, 2.5% will be subject to an audit. Those selected for audit will be required to send in a profile demonstrating how their professional development meets the council's standards. This profile should include:
- a summary of your practice history over the last two years (up to 500 words)
- a statement of how you’ve met the standards of continuing professional development
- evidence to support your statement.
The best form of evidence would be a certificate demonstrating that you have received the latest training in your field.
For information about our e-learning courses for people working in health and social care, please click here: http://goo.gl/m9Ad9Z
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