Care homes
Care home occupancy down over Grim Reaper fears
People are reluctant to put their relatives into care homes because they think the ‘Grim Reaper is waiting at the gate,’ a senior councillor has warned.
Short-termism can be expensive
COVID-19 has laid bare the numerous challenges faced by adult social care. Iain MacBeath, NCASC 2020 speaker on funding and reform, says now is the time to take a risk and develop the integrated services we’ve aspired to.
Care directors warn of lockdown impact on homes
The Association of Directors of Adults Social Services (ADASS) has urged the Government to ensure families can visit care homes during the lockdown.
Reading refuses to send COVID-19 patients to care homes
Reading Council is to defy a Government order to provide care home places for Covid-19 positive patients.
Working together to protect care homes in Leicester
Leicester’s success in stopping COVID-related deaths in care homes is due to data, system working and trust , says the city council's strategic director for social care and education Martin Samuels.
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked report warns sector less ready for Brexit transition
Local government is less ready for the end of the transition period than it was for a no-deal Brexit last October, a Whitehall document leaked to The MJ has warned.
Balancing the risks
Councils should ‘stop shaping all policies based on counting COVID cases and need to start balancing risks across a broader spectrum’, writes Claire Fox.
Digitising the front door to care
A new 'white paper' report by consultancy Agilisys outlines how technology can help lead the rethink of the care sector. Author Steve Morgan talks to Michael Burton of The MJ about some of the solutions.
Government ‘effectively abandoned’ care home residents to COVID-19, Amnesty says
Care home residents in England were ‘effectively abandoned’ by the Government in the early stages of the pandemic, a human rights organisation has said.
Care homes need test results 'in minutes not days'
Care homes need test results ‘back in minutes not days’ if they are to be kept free from coronavirus, says chief executive of Care England, Professor Martin Green.
No solution in sight for social care crisis
Sir Keir’s criticism is spot-on, says Heather Jameson. Social care during the pandemic has been a national disgrace, and 'constantly pushing social care solutions into the long grass is unforgivable'.
Occupancy rates unsustainable in 26 Bradford care homes, says care chief
Occupancy rates are unsustainable in 26 care homes in Bradford, with people ‘genuinely worried’ about the risk of further virus outbreaks, says the council’s social care chief.
A perfect storm for care homes
Councils must now strategically invest in services to help people stay in their own homes and negotiate jointly with their NHS partners to play a bigger role in modern nursing homes, says Iain MacBeath.
Is COVID a catalyst for systemic change within care?
London has the highest COVID-19 care home death rate of any UK region. Dr Onkar Sahota says it is crucial the £600m Infection Control Fund reaches the frontline.
Regulators refusing to make care home deaths public
Regulators are keeping the COVID-19 death tolls at individual care homes secret in part to protect the interests of providers before a possible second spike in coronavirus cases, it is revealed.
Wolverhampton imposes care home visit restrictions
The council has banned non-essential indoor care home visits following a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Fifth of care homes took on COVID patients, survey reveals
One in five care homes had to accept patients discharged from hospital who had tested positive for COVID-19 during the early part of the pandemic, a survey has found.
Government has ‘neglected’ care homes - report
Government action to support care homes during the coronavirus pandemic was too little, too late, a report has found.
Plan to hand social care to NHS is for ‘wrong reasons’
Plans to hand social care to the NHS are being mooted for ‘all the wrong reasons,’ local government finance expert Rob Whiteman has said.
We need an entirely new approach on care
increased technological advances mean that in the future care is far more likely to be provided in people’s homes, says Jonathan Rallings. He argues that we need to create a system which can evolve to meet these more sophisticated needs.
