Kathy Lawrence
Who matters in the care home?
Written by Kathy Lawrence How one group of experts is aiming to encourage good practice in care homes. A buzz term you may increasingly come across when you’re researching care homes is “patient-centric care” or its stable-mate “patient-centred care”. It’s all about involving patients and their families in decisions about how residents receive their care. […]
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How do you view ageing?
Written by Kathy Lawrence It’s worth examining our assumptions about the process of getting old to see if they’re more negative that we’d like to think. How do you view the process of ageing? Maybe trying to support your parents to be independent on the one hand, but not actually trusting them to look after […]
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Planning a funeral: Answers for the bereaved
Planning a funeral can appear an intimidating prospect. It’s an event where a never-ending checklist of tasks looms large, all to be undertaken when you are in the midst of grief and the initial stages of mourning your loved one. With this in mind we answer some of the key questions that are often asked […]
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Dignity in dying and care for the living
Campaigner Amanda Waring explains why approaches to dignity in dying need to change in the UK, and offers some tips for caring for the living. Renowned filmmaker, comedian and actress Amanda Waring is a staunch campaigner for dignity in dying, after experiencing what she describes as the horrendous end-of-life care received by her mother, actress […]
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Mother’s Day gifts ideas for senior mums
You’ve been giving your mum gifts for the last 30 or 40 years or more. So what is there that would be different and appreciated? We’ve been looking at some more unusual or personal ideas available for Mother’s Day 2016. And where we’ve tested them ourselves we’re let you know what we think. Marie Curie […]
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Visiting grandparents in their new care home
If your parent has moved into a care home, should you take your children to visit? And if you do, how do you prepare them for the change in environment? In an ideal world your children will find that their grandparent has simply moved home. That they’re much the same as they ever were, but […]
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What does the increase in silver divorces mean for adult children?
More people than ever are getting divorced in their pension years and many are remarrying. Is this cause for concern for the children? What do those divorcing and remarrying need to do to avoid acrimony in the family? We asked family solicitor Amanda Phillips and divorce consultant Rhiannon Ford for advice. “We’re getting divorced”. Not […]
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How to prepare for your parent moving in
While moving your parent in isn’t for everyone there are those of us who would rather they were close to home so we can keep a watchful eye on their health than face the prospect of being unable to help because we live further afield. If your parent’s health worsens or perhaps they’re struggling with […]
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Respecting my parents’ wishes
This week’s storyteller is Clare Tanner. Clare was taken by surprise when her aunt told her that her mum was having heart surgery. She had no idea and she told us about her initial reactions in her story here. Now she explains the changes her and her mum have made in their relationship to foster […]
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Caring for a disabled mother-in-law
Caron Sprake, author of eldercare blog Caron Cares, shares how she cared for her disabled mother-in-law whilst juggling family responsibilities. When I said “I do” I acquired not only a husband but a disabled mother-in-law as well. After leaving my training as a student nurse because of back trouble I became a carer which helped […]
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