The Care Whisperer

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

Common Questions

Post No38…what to expect from the first few days / weeks in a care home

Introduction The move into a care home is often a challenging and emotional time for families, both during the research stage and subsequent assessment stage, right through to the person being admitted and moving to the settling in stage. The settling in stage is the theme for this post, it

Video

Post No37...VIDEO Why the care needs assessment is important

This video is about the care needs assessment, the possible outcomes, when they happen, and why they are important. Most families I speak with have an understanding that care homes do assessments, but they do not know as much about the finer details, which is why I think it’s

Infographic

Post No36...What is Funded Nursing Care (FNC)? Infographic

Many families are not aware of what FNC is, how much it is, and when it can be applied for. The infographic below offers a quick and easy guide for people who want to know more about FNC, but for a more detailed written post on the topic, please click

Infographic

Post No35...Explaining hospital discharging on the D2A pathway - Infographic

The D2A pathway was used majorly during the early stages of the Covid pandemic, but is still being used by hospitals to address ever increasing concerns with bed blocking, over occupancy and poor patient outcomes due to extended hospital stays. The below graphic is a useful addition to the more

Collaboration

Post No34…How dementia care can be provided at home, or in a care home

Introduction I’m delighted to say that this is a unique post because it is the first collaboration on The Care Whisperer website, so a big thank you to Right At Home Solent who have agreed to join forces on this one 😊. When a person is diagnosed with dementia, it

Video

Post No33...VIDEO discussing the differences between purpose built and converted care homes

This video discusses five points between the older model of converted care homes and the more modern purpose-built homes. The differences include size, operations, segmentation of care types, activities, and cost. If you would like to read about this topic in more detail, please see the link below. Thank you

Carers

Post No32…3 important reasons why carers seek respite care

Introduction Respite care is a vital service for carers, it gives people the chance to take breaks and revitalise, both of which are of great importance to the carer and the person they care for. In this post, I want to look at the three main reasons why people seek

Video

Post No31...Introductory VIDEO

Lights, camera, action! Well sort off... Because people learn in different ways, I think it is important to provide information in different formats for The Care Whisperer, with the latest format being video. The budget is low and the production is shaky (at best!), but with a little practice I

Finance

Post No30…The BIG question ‘what happens when the money runs out?’

Introduction Now then, this is a very important question, and one that is on the mind of almost all who are seeking a care home placement. In this post, I want to look at the threshold for exactly when someone becomes able to access support from the local authority, and

Industry Insight

Post No29...What type of care needs are considered nursing care?

Introduction When they are seeking a care placement, families are often left unsure what constitutes nursing care, although they may have been advised to look for nursing care by a Social Worker or by a hospital. Nursing care is subjective and will vary from one care provider to another, but

Infographic

Post No28...Why memory cafes matter - Infographic.

Memory cafes are fantastic places run by amazing people, and this infographic only provides a small example of the benefits they can bring. For a more detailed version of why they are so important, please click here. Memory Cafe Infographic To download and share, please click here Memory Cafe Infographic.

Industry Insight

Post No27…Powers of Attorney, and ways they can affect a care home placement

Introduction Powers of Attorney are important in many different circumstances, and can offer families peace of mind knowing that decisions can be made, if necessary, in their loved one’s best interest. I have witnessed, in my time, some more unfortunate cases where the family are seeking a care placement

Topical Content

Post No26…Government pledges £200 million for care home beds, but where are they?

Introduction The government has recently announced a plan to try and ease the pressure on the NHS by block buying beds in care homes, with the aim of increasing patient discharge from the ever encumbered hospitals. This sounds, in principle, to be a good idea, but it is really sustainable

Carers

Post No25…Who Cares for the Carer?

Introduction Carers are fantastic people. They work tirelessly in what can be challenging conditions for the benefit of the people they care for, and whether they are paid or unpaid, they do an amazing job and should be commended for the work they do. For the purpose of this post,

Infographic

Post No24...Care Needs Assessments - Infographic

For the full post explaining the assessment process in more detail, please click here. This infographic explains the reason care needs assessments are completed by care homes, the possible outcomes, and how they are completed. It is useful for anyone who is unsure about this process and is considering a

Industry Insight

Post No23…Explaining Care Needs Assessments in care homes

Introduction The care needs assessment is an important and pivotal part of the process when moving into a care home. Admissions into a care home seldom happen without them, and they go on to form the foundations of the new resident’s initial care plan. In the winter, particularly around

Dementia Care

Post No22…Why Memory Cafés Matter

Introduction For many years, memory cafes have provided a safe, informative, and social place for people living with dementia and their carers. They were, however, like many other important community projects, a casualty of Covid, and some are finding it tough to recover. What Covid did show us is that

Industry Insight

Post No21…Discharging elderly patients from hospital into a care home

It is a very common scenario for an elderly person to be discharged from a hospital into a care home. This could be on a convalescent basis, enabling the person to recover their strength before going back home, or it can be for long term care. Either way this often

Infographic

Post No20...Why Winter Pressures and Bed Blocking Matter - Infographic

Following on from a previous post about winter pressures, the inspiration for this infographic came from an article by Daily Mail Health Editor Kate Pickles, who had some rather scary statistics in her front-page discussion on the subject on 14thNovember 2022. Every year, hospitals are pushed further to the limit,

Finance

Post No19…Explaining NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Funding, and how it affects a care placement.

Introduction When seeking a care placement, many people come across the phrases CHC, continuing healthcare, FNC etc, and other forms of jargon that are often left unexplained. This post therefore breaks down what NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) funding is, how it is different from Funded Nursing Care (FNC) and how