'10p per day' spent on dementia patients

Three quarters of health trusts have refused to increase their funding for dementia care, despite government calls to make it a priority.

One in every ten of the trusts investigated has even reduced their level of spending, in a situation condemned by a leading campaign group as an "embarrassment”.

One primary care trust, Nottinghamshire County, has admitted spending just £38 a year for each patient with the illness.

The figures, revealed under the Freedom of Information Act, have been described as a "recipe for disaster” by charity the Alzheimer’s Society.

Full Article on Telegraph

INFO: Senior Moves: making the move smooth and stress-free

Senior Moves provides a relocation service for the elderly.

Moving can be an upheaval at any time in life, however for an elderly person the experience can be overwhelming. Moving later in life inevitably means downsizing, leaving a home where a life time of memories have been built, and a life time of possessions that will not fit in the new smaller home.

Senior Moves Ltd, is a member of NASMM, National Association of Senior Move Managers, we are CRB checked and committed to continual training in Move Management for the Elderly, and work to Code of Conduct to ensure all the elderly people we work with are supported fully.

The services they provide are as follows:

New home finding service
Assisted viewings of the new home
Downsizing
* What to keep (what will fit in the new home)
* What to give to members of the family
* What to give to charity shops
* What to throw away
Preparing the existing home for sale, to ensure maximum value including clearing garages and attics
Preparing floor plans for the new home to ensure what belongings are taken will fit
Packing, working with removers to ensure everything ends up at the correct destination.
Preparing the new home, decorating, cleaning, arranging connection of washing machines, gas cookers etc
Unpacking, putting together furniture, making up the beds, hanging pictures, fill the refrigerator, ensure the television is connected.
Deal with change of address notifications

Please contact them for further information, or visit their web site at www.seniormoves.co.uk
Tel: 0771 283 4064

- This service covers Wiltshire.

Don't let us down on care funding reform, alliance tells Andrew Lansley

Pressure is being piled upon the beleaguered health secretary, Andrew Lansley with a blunt warning from groups representing millions of elderly and disabled people that they will not stand for "empty promises" on reform of care funding.

In a joint letter to Lansley, the biggest ever alliance of charities, care home organisations and housing providers says the government must not duck its commitment to deliver reform when it publishes a social care white paper later this year. The warning comes amid reports that Downing Street fears the white paper could turn into a repetition of the government's NHS shake-up, the poor presentation of which is widely blamed on Lansley. Officials at No 10 are said to have stepped in to influence the policy process.

Ministers are believed to have some political cover as a consequence of all-party talks on care funding reform, which have begun behind the scenes in parallel with preparation of the white paper.

Full Article on Guardian Society

What are your views on the state of care?

THE Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust is inviting its users to take part in a survey and say what they think about the care and treatment they received.

The feedback will be used to highlight the areas where the trust performs well and to identify areas where there is room for improvement.

The questionnaires are being sent out now to anyone who received care between July 1 and September 20.

It forms part of the National Patient Survey Programme, involving NHS trusts across the country, and is co-ordinated by the Care Quality Commission – the independent body that regulates health and adult care services in England.

Full Article on Swindon Advertiser

X-rays up and running at Devizes Hospital

The X-ray service at Devizes Hospital re-opened yesterday after four months of being out of action.
The facility closed on October 17 because a tank had to be re-sealed.

The Royal United Hospital, Bath, runs the service on behalf of NHS Wiltshire and an RUH spokesman confirmed the equipment was now working.

An RUH spokesman said the waste tank had been replaced and a new pump installed at a cost of around £18,000.

The service was due to resume on Wednesday last week but was delayed after final safety checks resulted in more work having to be carried out.

The spokesman said: “While this essential work was being carried out we made alternative X-ray facilities for Devizes residents available at other nearby sites.”

The X-ray service at Devizes Hospital is available by appointment for patients who are referred by their GP.

Article taken from Gazette & Herald

More help with benefit claims

PEOPLE in south Wiltshire who need specialist benefits guidance will soon be able to get more help and advice.

New advisers are to be appointed by Wiltshire Citizens Advice (WCA) after it was awarded a £38,000 grant by Wiltshire Council through the Action for Wiltshire partnership.

The scheme sees organisations working together with the council to tackle the effects of the recession in the county, to prepare for the economic recovery, and to build a sustainable future for the county.

In the past Action for Wiltshire has supported a benefit take up campaign, with two full time caseworkers. This project successfully helped people claim £897,000 in unclaimed benefits.

WCA saw a 21 percent increase in the number of people seeking advice about benefits and by December 10, 2011 advice had been given on 17,368 benefit issues compared with 19,957 issues for the whole of the previous financial year.

The caseworkers will work across south Wiltshire, and will advise a minimum of five clients a week, meaning about 260 people should benefit from the project.

Article taken from Salisbury Journal

EVENT: More Choices - Larger Voices: Information Day

for carers of disabled and special needs children and adults

Wednesday 21st March 2012, 10am to 5pm
STEAM, The Great Western Hall, Kemble Drive, Swindon SN2 2TA

Please drop in at any time and stay for as long as you like.
Refreshments served throughout the day.

Information stands
Over 70 stands on services, providers, help groups & organisations, special needs
schools & colleges, wheelchairs & motability and the ‘Carers Journey’

Information presentations
in the Sir Daniel Gooch Room
10:15 – 11am Parents & Carers Advisory Group working together with Swindon Carers Centre + Q&As
11:30am – 12:30pm Understanding how children’s short breaks & carer’s breaks work
in Swindon + Q&As
12:45 – 1:30pm Transitions – life changes + Q&As
2 – 2:45pm Family life and managing stress + Q&As

Fully accessible •Free parking tickets from desk •Children and family members are welcome

www.swindoncarers.org.uk
www.swindonparentsandcarers.org.uk

We really hope to see you there.

For any information please contact Lisa Barrett on:
tel: 01793 531133 email: lisa.barrett@prtc-swindon.org