Care sector news review: May 2018

Welcome to care sector news review, May 2018 edition.

Here, we’ll provide you with an overview of the latest care-related news, medical research and awareness initiatives.

Welcome to care sector news review, May 2018 edition.

Here, we’ll provide you with an overview of the latest care-related news, medical research and awareness initiatives.

Find out what’s been happening across the care sector during May 2018:

Care services

• The homes of older people should be sold to fund social care, NHS boss Simon Stevens has stated. He cited this model as preferable to taxing younger generations at a higher rate, but this statement is likely to spark some fierce debates about care provision and the importance of the home.
• Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve has called for CCTV to be fitted in the communal areas of all care homes nationwide. The move – originally championed by The Care Campaign for the Vulnerable ­– is aimed at reducing abuse. However, it will undoubtedly lead to questions regarding residents’ privacy.
• HC-One ­– Britain’s biggest residential care provider – is on sale for £1bn, with any deal set to become the largest care company purchase since 2012. The company was founded following the collapse of Southern Cross and has 14,000 staff working across 369 care homes nationwide.
• 3,500 older people are currently trapped in hospitals because sufficient arrangements are yet to be made to enable them to leave. Much of this is due to the rapid rate of care home closures over the last year; an average of 12 care homes per month have closed during this period.

Medical research

• Scientists at The University of Sheffield have received almost £150,000 in additional funding to conduct pioneering dementia research. Specifically, researchers will look to establish the link between Alzheimer’s and oxygen starvation in the brain.
• Researchers have established how to calculate a person’s lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s for the first time. Using this model, medical professionals could calculate age, gender and certain biological changes to predict dementia risk decades before symptoms become apparent.
• Artificial intelligence can now detect one of the most common causes of dementia more accurately than existing methods. The software – developed by Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh – analyses brain scan images to look for key markers.
• Parkinson’s has been linked to both tuberculosis and irritable bowel syndrome in a series of complementary studies released this month. Researchers hope these discoveries will aid the development of new diagnosis methods and treatments.

Awareness initiatives

• ‘Make May Purple for Stroke‘ took place this month; an initiative designed to increase stroke awareness and raise vital funds for stroke survivors. Care workers did themselves proud by participating in countless initiatives held up and down the country.
• This month was also designated National Walking Month 2018, and a host of charities joined together to hold events across the country. This initiative aims to encourage people to get active and enjoy both the physical and cognitive benefits of regular walking.
• 21–27 May marked Dementia Action Week 2018. Formerly known as ‘Dementia Awareness Week’, this Alzheimer’s Society campaign calls on people to take tangible action to support those with dementia.

Join us again in the last week of June for more of the latest care sector news.

If you’d like to find out more about The Good Care Group’s live-in care services, contact our friendly team.