January 30, 2017 4:06 pm
David Cameron has called for more funding for dementia, as he was announced as the new president of Alzheimer’s Research UK. The former prime minister said there should be a more open discussion around dementia, which must not be written off as “an inevitability of later life”. Writing in The Times he said dementia funding was too far behind cancer research and stroke research. He quit as prime minister and then left Parliament after the EU referendum. He has already taken on a role with the National Citizen Service. On his latest position, Mr Cameron said: “We must win the battle for priorities. “Cancer research and stroke research deserve all their funding – but dementia shouldn’t be so far behind.”...
December 22, 2016 11:21 am
10 patients with an inherited form of blindness with be given ‘bionic eyes’ courtesy of the NHS. The bionic eye is a retinal implant which interprets images captured by a miniature video camera worn on a pair of glasses. The treatment with start in 2017 with five patients being treated at Moorfields Eye Hospital and five at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. For one year they will be monitored to see how they get on in everyday life. Professor Paulo Stanga, from Manchester hospital, has been involved with ongoing trials of the Argus II Bionic Eye and is said to be delighted with this latest development. The bionic eye has made a life-changing impact in trials with retinitis pigmentosa patients. One...
November 30, 2016 5:24 pm
The manager of Leonard Cohen announced that the cause of the singer-songwriters death was due to a fall, which led to him passing away in his sleep. Our population is steadily living longer and longer, and falls are a common cause of hospital admissions in later life. Not only can they result in bruises, breaks and a knock in confidence, falling is actually the leading cause of accidental cause of death in the elderly. Falls can be dangerous due to a variety of short and long term risks.Short term, falls that involve trauma to the head can cause life-threatening bleeding. Broken bones have their own risk decreasing mobility and, depending on the area of the break, lung embolisms in which...
November 17, 2016 10:25 am
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia have replaced ischaemic heart disease as the leading cause of death in England and Wales for the first time. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 61,686 (11.6%) out of a total of 529,655 deaths registered in England and Wales were attributable to dementia last year. Facts that have pushed dementia to the top of the list include an ageing population, better diagnosis and treatment advances for other illnesses and lifestyle improvements which have led to a decline in other diseases. The mortality rate for dementia, which was the second leading cause of death for the previous four years, has more than doubled since 2010, while that of ischaemic heart disease declined...
November 14, 2016 5:13 pm
Complaints about care provided in people’s homes rose by a quarter over the last year, while those about care homes increased by a fifth, a report has found. The local government ombudsman (LGO) received 2,969 complaints and inquiries about adult social care in 2015-16, up 6% on the previous year. Of those, there was a 21% rise in complaints about residential care homes, while complaints about home care rose by 25%. The report comes after the King’s Fund warned this week that councils could face legal challenges from families for failing to provide good quality and appropriate care to the disabled and older people. The LGO found themes across the complaints it received on home care, including staff failing to...
November 8, 2016 2:12 pm
Care for elderly people living at home is being underfunded by £513m, according to the latest estimate by the United Kingdom Home Care Association. They state the findings provide evidence that the viability of state-funded home care services is at risk. The new figures follow on from the Care Quality Commission warning earlier this month that the sector was at ‘tipping point’ with cuts leading to more pressure on hospitals and consequently deteriorating performances. The UKHCA, representing home care providers who are mainly in the private and voluntary sectors under contract to local authorities, claims the funding deficit puts care for more than half a million people who are supported at home at a large risk. It has renewed calls...
September 20, 2016 3:39 pm
Sue Peck is familiar with dementia having cared for her own Dad as well as many clients at Home Care Preferred. She recently raised money for Alzheimer’s Society in a fundraising run. Everyone at Home Care Preferred is very proud of Sue and her committment to help find a cure for dementia.
