Latest News from Everycare

February 6th, 2020

Wales considers tax rises to pay for growing care costs

Tax rises to cover the cost of caring for elderly and disabled people are being considered by the Welsh Government. The money raised could be spent on abolishing care fees or on a pay rise for care workers. A consultation on possible reforms to social care is due to start this summer.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething is set to call for “honesty” and a “grown-up debate” about increasing care costs. But the idea of raising income tax is likely to prove contentious in the run-up to the Welsh elections next year. Social care is under pressure across the UK from a squeeze on funding, an ageing population and high staff turnover. The state spends about £1.2bn on adult social care every year in Wales.

But in a statement to AMs on Tuesday Mr Gething will say the cost is predicted to grow between £30m and £300m by 2023. If the government wants “to seriously improve the quality and the reach of care, then it will require more funding”, he told BBC Wales.

For more on this story visit the BBC Wales website

February 6th, 2020

Wage cap to restrict availability of much needed care staff after Brexit.

Home care and nurses recruitment

A report highlights the likely effect of the government’s salary cap post Brexit on the social care workforce. It paints a bleak picture suggesting than no workers would qualify for entry to the Uk under the new rules.
With an estimated 122,000 vacancies in the sector and the government currently reviewing how social care is funded this will likely add to the problems facing the sector.

Social care leaders say Britain will miss out on ‘desperately needed’ care workers after Brexit, because the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) recommendation to government to lower the salary threshold for non-British workers fails to go far enough.

In a report, the committee has recommended the government reduce by £4,400 the salary threshold for skilled workers taking a job in Britain, after the UK leaves the European Union.

After Brexit, the right under freedom of movement rules for EU nationals to live and work in Britain goes. For people arriving in Britain with a job offer, MAC recommends cutting the general minimum salary requirement from £30,000 to £25,600.

While MAC argues the threshold will stop the undercutting of the labour market, care leaders have voiced their concerns that the workforce shortages in social care will only get worse.

Simon Bottery, senior fellow at The King’s Fund, said: “One in six staff working in adult social care in England have a non-British nationality. These workers are crucial for the viability of social care services which are struggling to cope with approximately 122,000 vacancies at any one time.

“By prioritising higher-paid workers, the Migration Advisory Committee recommendations for a points-based visa system would effectively shut the door to thousands of people who are desperately needed to shore up the social care workforce.

“In doing so, the Committee has batted the social care staffing problem back to government, challenging the government to improve care worker pay and conditions so more home-grown staff are attracted to the roles. However, the immediate reality is that the average hourly pay for care workers is below the rate paid in most supermarkets.”

January 12th, 2020

One million people in the UK trialling smartwatches to detect early signs of dementia

Home care and nurses recruitment

Alzheimer’s Research UK has launched a global initiative to revolutionise the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

The project will be trialled by a million people in the UK and includes wearing a smartwatch style device to detect early signs of dementia by using artificial intelligence to monitor more than 30 indicators, such as speech, gait, fine motor skills and sleep.

President of Alzheimer’s Research UK, David Cameron said: “I strongly believe we are on the cusp of a revolution in how we detect the brain diseases that cause dementia and radically improve the lives of the millions on families facing these heart-breaking diseases.

“Early and accurate diagnosis will give future treatments the head-start they need to succeed. Early Detection of Neurodegenerative diseases (EDoN) brings together those at the forefront of this early diagnosis movement”.

For more information go to the homecare.co.uk website

October 9th, 2019

Depression and anxiety: tips for carers

Carers can help the person with feelings of depression and anxiety with tips from the Alzheimer’s Society.

Someone who is feeling depressed or anxious will often find the following helpful:

  • Talking about their feelings – if someone is feeling depressed or anxious, or something very upsetting or traumatic has happened to them, they may find it helpful to talk to someone close to them about it. (Patience and understanding will be more helpful than trying to get the person to ‘cheer up’.)
  • Support to help them maintain social contact with other people – this will help them to feel less isolated.
  • Persevering with treatment – those close to the person should encourage them to keep taking their medication or seeing their therapist even if improvement feels slow at the start.
  • Keeping active – physical exercise is good for relieving feelings of anxiety and depression, and can also help people with sleep problems and apathy. Supporting the person to do other activities that they enjoy will often also help.
  • Eating a healthy diet – a poor diet can contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression, as can alcohol and caffeine. It is therefore a good idea to try to eat a healthy diet and not drink too much alcohol or caffeinated drinks.

To read the full story visit the Alzheimer’s Society website.

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