Care Homes Guide - Articles
The following selection of articles are for your general information when looking for a Care Home.
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Articles |
Domiciliary, Recruitment & Training Agencies:
According to domiciliary, specialist recruitment and training agency statistics, the need has never been greater for quality staff - the types of carers who individually and collectively can make a real difference to the quality of life for older people. |
Luxury Retirement Properties
Specialist retirement developers around Britain are striving to supply retirement properties with a difference. Prime locations are being earmarked for development on up-market sites; the focus is on developing retirement villages or communities that are unique and ooze exclusivity. Take, for example, the prestigious Cliveden Village development of very desirable and architecturally innovative 2 and 3 bedroom homes for the over 55s |
Financial Considerations for Retirement Properties
Forward financial planning is key to a happy and self-sufficient retirement. In fact, research suggests that the decisions you make before you retire can have a profound effect on both your financial wellbeing during retirement, as well as on the quality of your lifestyle. |
Choosing a Retirement Property
Are you looking to buy a retirement property, but don't know where to start?
The following summary concentrates on the basic requirements when choosing a retirement property.
Of course, choosing a new property and making the right decisions associated with moving home can be daunting at any age; for older people considering retirement properties, this assertion is particularly true. |
Advice for people looking for Social Care in the UK
We have based the following advice on the information given in the CSCI advice booklet 'Social care - choosing the right service for you' and have provided links throughout the article to other websites with contact details to help you find out more specific information. |
For the whole of January BBC Radio 4 will be taking an in-depth look at social care.
For the whole of January BBC Radio 4 You and Yours and Woman's Hour will be taking an in-depth look at social care. How do we provide care for a rapidly ageing population? How do we ensure that disabled people have choice and control over their lives? And who should pay in the future? Should it be the state or the individual or a combination of both? |
New Quality Star ratings may make choosing a Care Home and Care Service easier
From January 2008, the Commission for Social Care Inspection [CSCI] which inspects care homes and services in the UK are introducing a new Quality 'Star' Rating for services. It is a simple system using a rating from '3' Stars for Excellent to '0' stars for Poor. |
The New single, national system for determining eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care
The Department of Health has produced a public Information booklet to help explain the new national guidance, that came into effect from 1 October 2007, which sets out a single, national system for determining eligibility for NHS continuing healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care. |
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is now fully implemented
The Act covers a whole range of decisions about an individual's property and affairs, healthcare treatment and where they live, as well as everyday decisions about personal care or what they eat, and is effective when the individual lacks the capacity to make the decisions themselves. It enables people to plan ahead for a time when they may lose capacity. |
The Family Home - Financial Options
What happens to the family home when you have to finance care home fees and what are the other financial options ? |
Funding the Care Bill Shortfall
Care home funding is reaching crisis point. Anyone who is under the impression that the government will deal totally with the financial burden needs to think again, as very few of today's elderly will find that their care is entirely covered by the National Health Service. For this reason, working out how the care bill shortfall can be covered is now a crucial aspect of old age planning. |
Financial Long-Term Planning
The importance of financial long-term planning cannot be over-emphasised.The earlier you plan ahead, the more likely you are to have the resources in place, both financially and information-wise, to make the correct decisions. |
Care Homes and the Consent Dilemma
The consent dilemma is a burning issue and should be something that is discussed with care home personnel, before the person becomes resident. This is particularly important if there are obvious mental health issues. |
Selecting the Correct Care Home: Legal and Financial Factors
Ideally, the choice of care home should have nothing to do with the financial means of an individual, but more to do with locating the most suitable place to live for this vulnerable person, in terms of the level of care available, appropriate environment, happiness and a sense of 'fitting in'. Reality; however, can often prove very different. |
What is Extra Care Housing?
'Extra care' or 'assisted living housing' is a relatively new concept that is filling an important gap in the elderly care industry. Also known as 'very sheltered developments / schemes' or 'housing with care', this type of housing is designed to cater for a frail and incapacitated, yet fiercely independent-minded ageing population. |
Choosing the Right Care Home
In an ageing population, the increasingly common task of selecting a suitable care home either for oneself or a close relative can seem quite daunting. The reality of the situation is that this is probably one of the most important life-changing decisions |
Drive for Quality Dementia Care in UK Care Homes
An estimated 75 percent of people living in UK care homes have some level of dementia - and these figures are rising. |
Ageing Population & Implications for Care Home Provision
The UK has an ageing population, with the number of elderly people requiring residential and on-going nursing care set to rise steadily by the end of the century. |
Financial Implications of Funding Residential Care
Deciding on the best way to fund residential care for a particular individual is complex because there are so many different variables to consider. Add to that the stress of getting to grips with an avalanche of information (not all of it relevant!).. |
Improved Standards in UK Care Homes
Since the publication of the Care Standards Act 2000 (CSA) and the National Service Framework for Older People (NSF), published in 2001, much has been achieved in terms of raised standards and improved quality of care in both state and private sector care |
Levels of Care and Care Options Explained
For those new to the world of care home provision, distinguishing between the various levels of care offered by different types of homes can be quite confusing! But all becomes clearer when the distinct functions of the two main types of care homes are detailed. |
Nutritional Issues in Care Homes for the Elderly
A number of recent reports indicate that malnutrition is a widespread and growing problem among Britain's ageing population. As a result, several new Government-led initiatives have been put in place to stem this very worrying trend. |
Preserving Personal Identity in a Care Home Environment
The big (and often unvoiced) question on most people's minds when entering long-term residential care is: 'Will I lose my sense of personal identity and will my freedom of choice to live my days as I wish be eroded?' |
Spot Checks on UK Care Homes
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) has been given the go-ahead to get tough on care homes where services and facilities are not up to scratch. |