nhs
Will the “Friends and Family Test” make a difference to hospital care?
Written by Kathy Lawrence Patients now have the opportunity to rate their hospital experience. Kathy explains how the survey works and wonders if it will give the right answers to improve our parents’ experiences. At the beginning of 2013 the UK Government announced that it would be making more use of a “Friends and Family” […]
Read moreTips on extracting your parent from hospital
Written by Kathy Lawrence If you’re new to parents as in-patients in hospital, then here are a few tips from those who’ve learned from experience. Every hospital trust and private group has its own structures and systems, but here are some pointers to help you get out of the building calmly with most of the […]
Read moreNHS Continuing Healthcare: why it’s important to have a coordinator
Claiming NHS Continuing Healthcare in the UK is an uphill struggle. Our expert Roger Burgess explains why it’s so important to ensure an independent coordinator is appointed. Note: This article was originally published in February 2016, and the Framework it discusses has since been updated. While much of this article is still relevant, there […]
Read moreNHS fully-funded care for people with primary health needs – part 2
Following his discussion of who can claim NHS Continuing Healthcare funding in part 1 of this article, independent adviser Roger Burgess explains the steps that applicants will go through to make their claim. He provides comment and advice based on his experience of helping others to make claims. Note: This article was originally published in […]
Read moreNHS fully-funded care for people with primary health needs – part 1
People with a ‘primary health need’ could be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare financial support but it’s not a service that’s widely advertised. Expert Roger D Burgess describes what he has learned from helping families to make their claims. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in February 2016, and the Framework it discusses has […]
Read moreThe 10 biggest myths about NHS Continuing Healthcare funding
Angela Sherman, Director of Care To Be Different an online information resource about NHS Continuing Healthcare funding, debunks common mistruths about NHS Continuing Healthcare funding. Are you sorting out full time care for an older relative? Be aware that you may be given incorrect information about care fees and NHS. When it comes to NHS […]
Read moreHow to appeal against a NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment
Update November 2020: Continuing Healthcare funding has been a source of much frustration for some years. Now the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has released a report based on the cases brought to them and resolved over the last three years. The ombudsman found that failings in care and support planning has resulted in individuals and […]
Read moreWhat is NHS Continuing Healthcare?
Written by Rebecca Lenton As our parents get older their healthcare needs can change considerably. With complicated health conditions comes lengthy NHS and local authority assessments that can leave both you and your parent in a state of confusion. It can be difficult to understand how these processes can be of benefit to your parent […]
Read moreHow can MySupportBroker help your parent coordinate care?
Written by Rebecca Lenton Founded in 2010 MySupportBroker CIC is a national social enterprise helping to bridge the gap between health and social care by bringing together local people with personal experience of managing long term health conditions with those who need guidance in sourcing and coordinating their own care and support. We talked to […]
Read moreHow to cope when you’re a whistleblower
Dear Lesley, How do people cope if they’ve been the family whistle-blower, trying to report abuse of elderly parents by close relatives? 9 years ago I warned both the NHS and the local social services department that my parents were at risk of abuse. My letters and phone calls were ignored and my visits have […]
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