In the news ... Care Homes

This week, a Panorama investigation found that care firms have cancelled contracts with 95 UK councils, due to a shortfall in funding for the services they are expected to deliver. Many home care companies say their biggest problem is recruitment and retention of carers, which has had a knock-on effect with bed-blocking in hospitals; more than 6,500 elderly people are stuck in an acute hospital bed despite being well enough to leave. With demand growing, it is estimated that at least two million more carers will be needed by 2025 in England alone, in both in-home care and care homes. 

The Panorama episode aired on this topic can be viewed online. This video gives an overview of the upcoming changes to the social care common inspection framework coming into play in April and the future of social care inspections is discussed here.

Report: End of Life Care

A report by the PHE on End of Life care, indicates a growing understanding within the health sector of what is important to people at the end of their life. Key concerns for them are the effective management of pain and other symptoms, to be surrounded by loved ones and to be treated with dignity; as a consequence of this, the report has found that the proportion of people dying at home or in care homes is continuing to increase.

'Staying Put' in children's homes

Following a four-week consultation involving children/young people in care and adult care leavers, leading organisations have backed a proposal for extending so-called 'Staying Put' arrangements to children’s homes. The study also highlights the importance of each young person having a choice about what happens to them when they turn 18. Click here to view.