Medical services
Addressing growing complex medical needs by getting the most out of the caring community
Help at home after hospital from the Royal Voluntary Service
What help is available to older people leaving hospital? If your parent has been in hospital for a while, they may need help to get back into life at home. When they’re ready to go home they should be connected to a number of healthcare and care professionals to get the right services in place. […]
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Will Brexit affect the supply of medicines and medical devices?
As we enter our middle years, many of us are starting to build a collection of daily medications to address issues such as blood pressure, mood and aching joints. Our older relatives are quite likely to be taking even more medication and need more medical devices to achieve the best possible quality of life. While […]
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The doctor may see you now – if only virtually
With GP appointments increasingly difficult to come by, how will digital fit into the future of local patient care? ‘I can’t get an appointment to see my GP!’ We hear that cry of desperation on a regular basis. The system for making appointments seems to vary from surgery to surgery. Sometimes it’s fine, and you […]
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How will the promised boost in funding help to solve the social care crisis?
With a growing number of older people needing help to live independently at home, there is massive pressure on funding. A promised increase may go some way to helping. By Camille Leavold The UK Government recently announced a £3.5bn annual real-terms increase in funding for primary and community care in England, with Prime Minister Theresa May suggesting […]
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How NHS GP videoconference consultations work
by Kathy Lawrence As the UK government has just announced that videoconferencing with GPs is the way forward for the NHS in England, we’re talking about how the service works, and whether it’s something that can help older people. Experiencing LIVI for the first time Our local GP practices have been contacting patients to let […]
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When and how do we talk with GPs and hospitals about dying choices?
By Kathy Lawrence Talking about the likelihood of a loved one dying in the near future is always going to be difficult. But if we want to give them the good death that we would like, we and their physicians need to know their preferences. But how can we know if anyone has asked, let […]
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Hospital discharge and getting the right services in place
We often see stories in the media about older people being discharged from hospital without enough care to support them at home. Aleisha White, an independent social worker and founder of The Care Advice Service, explains what services should be available and how you can make sure they are in place. Why patients are discharged […]
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How online pharmacies can help in elder healthcare
If it’s difficult for your older friends or family to get out of the house then using an online pharmacy for certain medications and to fulfil prescriptions can be a useful option. This article is provided by Doctor Fox, an online medical clinic and pharmacy registered with the Care Quality Commission. Sometimes bad weather or […]
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Who wants to listen to what you think?
Written by Kathy Lawrence Sometimes it can feel like we have no voice in eldercare. Yet there are opportunities to give your opinion to people who will listen and can act on your feedback. If not that, they will at least share your experiences for the benefit of others. Time-limited surveys and questionnaires At the […]
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How can I coordinate my parent’s care?
Written by Rebecca Lenton As our parents get older their health issues can become complex. At one level hospital consultants are experts in their field but can be focused on the one issue without reference to anything else your parent is being treated for. At the local level your parent may be seeing a variety […]
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