Care Sector News Review: October

Read on to find out more about what’s been happening with care services, medical research and awareness initiatives in October

Welcome back for October’s edition of ‘Care Sector News Review’.

This month, awareness initiatives relating to older people have been a regular occurrence, care homes have taken steps to overcome rising costs, and significant strides have been made in the treatment of both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Read on to find out more about what’s been happening with care services, medical research and awareness initiatives in October.

Care services

Older people are being put at risk by the current frequency of care home closures, according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The industry watchdog states that many care providers have effectively seen a 30% hike in costs over the past year.
The NHS has begun opening its own nursing homes in a bid to bypass the rates of bed blocking currently being witnessed. Managers have said that such investment is more cost-effective than the delays, cancellations and congestion experienced at present.

Medical research

An exclusive report from The Evening Standard has provided insight into the new ‘gold standard’ for stroke treatment, which has been trialled at London’s St. George’s Hospital. Experts state that such treatment can be the difference between a full recovery and serious ongoing health ramifications.
Researchers from the universities of Aberdeen and East Anglia have identified that stroke survival rates can be affected greatly by the number of specialist stroke nurses available to treat a person in the immediate aftermath of a stroke.
The progression of Alzheimer’s disease could be halted by an injection into the brain’s memory centre, according to scientists at Imperial College London. The injection increases levels of a gene that breaks down and clears out the plaques thought to cause Alzheimer’s.
A drug currently used to target cancer cells could be administered as a nasal spray to block the development of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers from Lancaster University have noted.
Computer keyboards might soon be used to test for the early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, an article in science journal Nature has suggested. The new method uses software to monitor how long users press each key for when typing out a piece of standardised text.

Awareness initiatives

1 October marked the International Day of Older Persons; a UN initiative developed to help challenge negative stereotypes of ageing. The aim is to increase inclusivity for older people across society and support them in playing an active role economically, politically and culturally.
8 October was designated as World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Living and dying in pain: it doesn’t have to happen’, and numerous events were held to raise both awareness and funds for supporting people receiving palliative care.
13 October was World Sight Day. This annual event aims to raise awareness of vision loss; a condition that affects a disproportionate percentage of older people.
October has seen a number of events held in honour of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Funds raised through initiatives such as Wear It Pink will all go towards specialist breast cancer care services.

Join us at the end of November for another edition of Care Sector News Review, and find out more about the latest stories from the care sector.

Care Sector News Review: October

Care services

Medical research

Awareness initiatives

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