Memory assessment best practice

A best practice guide for memory assessment services (MAS) has been produced by the Centre for Dementia Research at Leeds Beckett University, which was commissioned by NHS England and Improvement Cymru. The “Taking Memory Assessment Services into the Future” good practice guide was developed by professionals and people with experience of these services. Professor Claire … Read more

Keeping active

Keeping active: Residents in care homes across the country have been getting physical as part of a project involving the “Green Goddess”, a breakfast TV fitness star from the 1980s. Care UK’s Let’s Get Physical initiative encourages residents to “try something new,” including seated ballet classes and disco yoga.  Salisbury Manor residents Deanna Barnett and … Read more

Brain health: new app

Brain Health Scotland, hosted and supported by Alzheimer Scotland, has launched a new online app to help people look after their brains.  The My Brain Health Plan online quiz app presents users with a few simple questions about their life and routine before generating personalised tips and advice to assist them with their own brain … Read more

Care Innovation Challenge

Anyone keen to come up with new ideas for solving problems in the care sector is invited to apply for a Care Innovation Challenge weekend in July.  Cash prizes, expert mentoring and the prospect of media coverage are on offer to the creative thinkers who participate in the weekend, hosted by the Care Innovations Hub, … Read more

Care funding: changes urged

As the Health and Care Bill reached the final stages of its progress through parliament on 23 March, Alzheimer’s Society urged the government to make last-minute changes to its plans for funding social care. The charity warned that up to 80% of people living with dementia would not benefit from a proposed cap of £86,000 … Read more

Higher risk of dementia

A major research study published in the BMJ has shown that people were at higher risk of developing dementia following a Covid-19 infection.  Scientists found that almost a third of older adults (32%) who got Covid-19 in 2020 went on to develop at least one new medical condition in the months after infection, compared with … Read more

LGBT+ services

Admiral Nursing charity Dementia UK is highlighting LGBT+ History Month by listing services for LGBT+ people with dementia.  Some services are specifically for LGBT+ people, like Opening Doors which supports those aged 50 or more across the UK and has online support groups for people with dementia, while others like DEEP are generic but has … Read more

Failed contracts – failing care

A freedom of information (FOI) request by a national newspaper has revealed an alarming growth in the number of care home and home care providers ditching contracts to provide care for local authority-funded individuals. In just 10 months last year, 1,939 contracts with local authorities to provide care were handed back, compared with 731 contracts … Read more

Care home visiting

Government guidance on care home visiting in England was updated on 24 February, confirming that there are no nationally set direct restrictions on visiting in care homes.  The Department of Health and Social Care says it expects care providers to facilitate visits wherever possible and in a risk-managed way.  The revised guidance covers visits that … Read more

Boosters for care home residents

All residents in care homes for older people will receive an additional Covid booster jab this spring, PM Boris Johnson said last week, setting out the government’s plan for living with the virus.  But Alzheimer’s Society responded that the plan did not go far enough to protect people with dementia. While details of the additional … Read more