Health
How can you help your parent stay well for as long as possible and find their way through a complex health system?
Who needs to wear a face mask or covering and who’s exempt
Many of us are now being asked to wear face coverings on public transport, in hospitals, care homes and GP surgeries, and now in retail outlets. It’s a physically and socially odd feeling, but that we, and our family members, must get used to if we want to visit a growing number of facilities. The […]
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How the pandemic is changing the way we manage diabetes
Diabetes is one of the conditions believed to raise the risk level of serious illness for anyone who contracts Covid-19. One in four people who died in hospital in England between March and May 2020 following a diagnosis of the coronavirus also had diabetes. While this sounds alarming, the risk of dying is still very […]
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Keeping track of your relative’s mental health after lockdown
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way that the world has been functioning over the past few months. As we try to head out of lockdown and get our lives back to some semblance of ‘normal’, it is just as important that we look out for our older family and friends as much as when […]
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4 Handy Gadgets for Parents with Mobility Issues
Collaborative Post As our parents age, it can become harder for them to get around like they used to. There are some things they can’t do anymore – whether it is too physically intensive or simply needs a steadier hand to use. Here are some handy gadgets for your parents when they show signs of […]
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Can our parents now enjoy some safe retail therapy on the High Street?
With lockdown easing, and people being positively encouraged to get back onto the High Street to save ailing businesses, our older family and friends may be tempted back out if they’re not actively shielding. However, older people, especially if they live with a number of health issues, remain at risk of reacting badly if they […]
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Mental capacity and Covid-19
There have been some changes to the way that people lacking mental capacity are cared for during the Covid-19 pandemic. The UK Government has published guidance on the key points of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) in England and Wales, and what has changed temporarily. The changes centre around […]
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A visit to the dentist in social distancing times
I went to the dentist today. A few months that really wouldn’t have been worthy of a blog, unless I was feeling particularly self-indulgent. But in these bizarre times, it was another bite of unreality. I actually had no idea dentists were open again for normal appointments. And I hadn’t checked my really empty diary […]
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Practical ways to encourage older people to drink more fluids
Ever been in one of those conversations where you’re trying to encourage your older relative to drink more water? But they don’t want to because they’re not thirsty, or they’ll be getting up in the night even more often than they already do? Or they won’t be told by their children what to do? Getting […]
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Will the post-virus world be kinder to the old and vulnerable?
Editorial While living with a pandemic has been strange and difficult, it gives us an opportunity to reset attitudes and behaviours towards the older members of society. But there are many questions with unpredictable answers. The first question of course is when will there be a post-covid world? For those going back to work and […]
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Tips on updating wills and LPAs while social distancing
While many people are hoping for the end of lockdown restrictions, for the older and vulnerable, social distancing remains the best option. Yet it continues to be important to keep estate planning, wills and provision for future challenges up to date. That includes putting measures in place to make life easier for all the family […]
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