Free advice in Devizes about caring for dementia

PEOPLE caring for a relative with dementia at home can find out more about the illness at a free training course in Devizes.

Six weekly sessions will include a look at the different types of dementia, how they can affect people and how to deal with everyday situations that might arise.
There will also be information on the legal and financial aspects of caring and an overview of the services available.

The course is run by independent Wiltshire charity Alzheimer’s Support and funded by Wiltshire Council and NHS Wiltshire. All the speakers are experts in their fields.

Anna Littlechild, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Support, said: “Coming on a course is a good way to meet others in a similar situation and discover new ways to cope.”

The course will be held at Devizes town hall on Friday mornings from September 27. To attend or to find out more, call Stephany Bardzil on (01225) 776481.

Article from Gazette & Herald

Million more elderly outside care system than before financial crash

At a time when the number of people past retirement age has been growing faster than at any point in history, the numbers receiving any help from the state for their everyday care needs has dropped sharply.

According to figures collated by the charity Age UK, the proportion of the retired population of England receiving care has fallen by a third in the last five years.

It provides a stark illustration of how, despite efforts by councils to shield care for the elderly and disabled from the full impact of austerity cuts, existing services are being rationed to all but those with the most severe needs.

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A recent survey found that many family carers of people with learning disabilities feel at breaking point, and a lack of respite care is often central to this. Editor Dan Parton reports.


For Hayley Goleniowska, it was only  when her body gave out and she ended up with a facial palsy that she realised she needed a break from constantly caring for her young daughter, Natty, who has Down’s syndrome.

The facial palsy was caused by stress and exhaustion; Goleniowska hadn’t had a break of any sort since Natty had been born.

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Disabled can now dive in Melksham

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Alex Slade, recently qualified as an instructor for the disabled and has set up the not-for-profit 3D Diving Services in the town to offer scuba classes to the mentally and physically disabled.

She said: “I have been teaching diving for over 20 years, but recently qualified as a disabled diving instructor.

Full Article on Wiltshire Times

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The Supporting Working Carers Report is warning that as well as losing money, businesses risk losing valuable, experienced employees if action is not urgently taken to enable people with caring responsibilities to remain in work.

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Universal credit: Flagship welfare reform 'poor value' says watchdog

The government's flagship welfare reform has been badly managed, is "overambitious" and poor value for money, the spending watchdog has said.

The National Audit Office said risks were taken with the universal credit to hit targets, IT systems had "limited functionality" and an unfamiliar project management approach was used.

A national rollout of the new benefit has been delayed following IT glitches.

Full Article on BBC News

Elderly care crisis claims a million family homes

The estimate, based on polling measuring families’ individual experiences, is far higher than Government projections have previously suggested.

But charities and pensions experts said it represented one of the first realistic attempts to quantify the scale of the hidden care funding crisis in the UK.

And they claimed that it showed that the Government’s long-awaited overhaul of the social care system in England – including the introduction of a cap on bills – does not go far or fast enough to address the crisis thousands of families are facing.

Full Article on Telegraph