covid-19
Older life in the pandemic – news update
The Covid-19 pandemic is changing the way our older family and friends receive health, financial and other services. Here’s a roundup of recent news. Access to GP services Long-term Covid-19 effects Is blood pressure medication a worry? Hearing disability and masks Care homes in the pandemic Do not resuscitate orders Do you know if you’re […]
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What will it take for care homes to open their doors again?
When will we be allowed to get back into care homes to visit our loved ones? While some homes are clearly working hard to find solutions to what is an incredibly difficult question, others are said to have pulled up the drawbridge and are implementing draconian measures to keep visitors out, and to isolate residents […]
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Hospital discharge changes during Covid-19
In August 2020 the UK government promised a £588 million fund to cover adult social care or the immediate costs of care for people in their own home after discharge from hospital. Here’s a run-down on the latest guidance for those leaving hospital, their family and their carers. (If you click on the links for […]
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Visiting family members in care homes during the Covid-19 pandemic
Of all the challenges facing people during the coronavirus pandemic, being able to visit family who live in care homes has been one of the most confusing and heart-breaking. While we do hear reports of homes where visiting, at least in gardens, has been going ahead without problem, there are also many stories of families […]
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Pandemic rules for older people living independently
As we come out of lockdown the ‘guidance’ around who we can see when, and where we can go, is changing rapidly. For anyone who’s been at home and is now just venturing out into the world, it can appear very confusing. With this in mind, it seems worth offering a snapshot of the guidelines […]
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What’s happening in eldercare?
Rapidly growing number of unpaid carers during coronavirus pandemic Older people are slower to take extra measures to protect themselves … But are more cautious about going out Possible Alzheimer’s treatment with commonly available asthma drug Television licence to be payable by most pensioners from August Telephone repeat prescriptions to end? Hospital stays are generally […]
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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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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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