The Care Whisperer

Collaboration

Post No63...Grieving and dementia; a collaboration with Sylvia Brydon-Stock.

Introduction Very often, when we talk about grieving and dementia, we are referring to the grief of the carer / loved ones; and rightly so. For these folk, the grieving process is excruciatingly long, and often families are grieving even though the person is still alive, because although they are there

Collaboration

Post No62...What is the governments 'Social Care Cap' and how does it work?

Introduction In the past, the government has made noises about making changes to the social care sector, including finding new ways to support people to pay for their care. The problem is that these 'new policies' are seldom fully explained, or they are explained very vaguely, leaving them

Finance

Post No61...How does Social Services funding work in care homes?

In some European countries, each person funds their care placement through the tax system; essentially, when they require a care home, they move straight in because the placement has already been paid for during their working life. Unfortunately, in the UK, things are slightly more complicated than that…. This post

Finance

Post No60...What happens if you run out of money to pay for a care home? A 2024 update

Introduction: This is, and probably always will be, a massive question that families wrestle with when choosing a care home placement. Care fees have increased quite dramatically in 23 / 24, but so too has the cost of care provision (the break even point), largely because of the cost-of-living crisis. In

Common Questions

Post No59...What are good staffing ratios in care homes?

Introduction One question that often crops when presenting care homes is staffing, both the level of retention and the ratios of staff per resident. In this post, I will consider the latter. Staffing ratios in care homes tend to follow a similar structure because many providers have similar dependency tracking

Collaboration

Post 58...Christmas, dementia, and the emotional roller coaster

Introduction Christmas is a magical time of the year, it is one of the only times we take a moment to reflect not just on the year passed, but on previous Christmases and whom we spent them with. For people living with dementia and their carers Christmas can be magical,

Topical Content

Post 57…3 Ways older people can stay away from hospital this winter

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas; well, certainly in the shops it is as the mince pies have been on the shelves since September! It is, however, not looking quite so festive in the hospital wards... Amidst the newly sprung decorations and Xmas songs on the radio,

Video

Post No56...VIDEO How does 'challenging behaviour' affect a care placement?

Often, if a care home serves notice to a resident due to behavioural concerns, it proves very difficult for the same person to be placed in another care home. Many care homes provide dementia care, usually residential based or nursing based, but not complex based. This can lead to families

Video

Post No55...VIDEO What is Nursing Dementia care?

Many care home's provide dementia care, and also nursing care, and the differences between them is often explained in the homes brochure. However, it is more seldom that care homes break down the different types of dementia care that are available. Unlike Residential Dementia care, Nursing Dementia care

Infographic

Post No54...NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Funding Infographic

NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding is often something families have either heard or read about, but seldom fully understand. Most families are unsure how to claim it or know if they can actually claim it, which in the modern world is sadly becoming more difficult. Those with more complex behavioures

Industry Insight

Post No 53…Hospital discharging; the convalescent journey

Introduction Respite care in care homes is useful for a range of reasons, including regular breaks for carers, as a trial, or perhaps on a convalescent basis. Convalescent care is very common, because being medically fit to leave the hospital is not the same thing as being ready to return

Video

Post No52...VIDEO How care homes categorise Residential Dementia care

This short video explains how care homes assess the care type Residential Dementia care. More information about dementia care can be found in the resources tab and infographics below. 😁Resource Tab - Three types of dementia care, Dementia care - the emotional rollercoaser, Dementia care and necessary changeResidential Dementia InfographicResidential

Infographic

Post No51...3 reasons carers seek respite care - Infographic

As mentioned in previous posts with Sylvia Stock, caring for someone can be emotionally and physically challenging for the carer. Sometimes, there can also be a reluctance to take much needed breaks, due to feelings of guilt, or anger that, as a carer, you are finding it harder to cope.

Collaboration

Post No50...How care homes categorise Specialist / Complex care - Infographic

When I speak with families who are seeking care for someone with a history of challenging behaviour, they are often exhausted, stressed, worried, and tired of being told by care homes that they do not manage challenging behaviour. This can be quite an isolating and scary experience for families and

Collaboration

Post No49...Dementia care and necessary change - collaboration with Sylvia Stock

Introduction When caring for someone living with dementia, change is sadly inevitable, both for the person, but also for the family. The post below considers what necessary change might look like for families, and the emotional impact it can bring. Taking Care of the Emotional Impact of Necessary Change – By

Video

Post No48...VIDEO Care home consultancy now available

If you are new to the care industry, are in a crisis, or are a bit lost in the jargon, I will be able to help you. Through my work I have helped over 500 people move into care homes, and supported over 2500 individual enquiries from people who are

Collaboration

Post No47...The let’s pretend game - collaboration with Sylvia Stock.

Introduction When you are caring for a loved one there will be many emotions that you will feel, so knowing how to manage these emotions whilst, at the same time, trying to make important decisions, can be very stressful for carers. Trying to think when your brain is all '

Infographic

Post No46...A four step guide, how to move into a care home - Infographic

Moving a loved one into a care home can be a highly emotional experience for families, who can feel quite alienated because they don't know what the processes are, what they should be doing, or where they should be looking. In many cases, moving a loved one into

Video

Post No45...VIDEO What type of care needs are considered nursing care?

This short video discusses some of the tipping points that care homes may consider to be nursing care needs. These tipping points can be broken down into two areas; the first is a care provision that must be done by a nurse, like an insulin injection, or a collection of

Collaboration

Post No44…Dementia care, the emotional rollercoaster - Collaboration with Sylvia Stock

Introduction The previous post in this series about dementia care is about reasons why a person with dementia may have to leave a care home, mainly due to financial reasons or changing care needs. This post takes it back a few stages, and focuses on some of the many emotions

Common Questions

Post No43…Dementia care, will I have to move my loved one?

Introduction When it comes to finding a dementia care placement in a care home, there are often many things that concern families. Of these many things, the main areas of concern often centre around the possibility that their loved one may have to, at some point, move out of the

Video

Post No42...VIDEO, what is the Discharge to Assess (D2A) pathway?

The D2A pathway is used by many people, but only few (if any!) are told what it is, how it works, and what the pro's and con's are. This video has been designed to cover these points, which will help anyone who is in the process

Infographic

Post No41...Who cares for the carer? Infographic

This infographic considers 4 ways that unpaid carers can take breaks. This could be anything from a few hours at a social event, such as a memory cafe or day centre, to day care or even respite care. Whichever form of respite carers are seeking, it is important to remember

Industry Insight

Post No40…Independent living Vs care homes – how are they different?

Introduction With more options in the care sector now available to people, it’s always a good idea to evaluate the market before making a big decision, and choosing between independent living and a care home is no different. This post is going to look at how the two differ

Video

Post No39...VIDEO why older people need to stay hydrated

Dehydration can have huge impacts on the elderly, it can be the contributing factor to a person falling, developing a UTI, or being admitted to hospital. There are of course many other issues linked to dehydration, but this video focuses on these three aspects. Avoiding hospitals is important for older