Caron Cares

About you carers? You care for a loved one, simply because you care for them or love them but who cares for you. Would you know where to turn if you needed help or support? Would your GP be sympathetic and supportive if your caring duties were grinding you down? It is well documented in […]

{ 0 comments }

  Screening for Abdominal aortic aneurysm. In England, screening for AAA is offered to men during the year they turn 65. Men aged 65 or over are most at risk of AAAs. Screening can help spot a swelling in the aorta early on when it can be treated. Screening for AAA isn’t routinely offered to: women men under 65 […]

{ 0 comments }

It’s official Caron Cares is a Top 10 UK Health Blog I am incredibly pleased and slightly humbled to have had Caron Cares listed as one of the UK’s top 10 Health blogs, alongside social media legends such as the “Mental Elf” and “Evidentially Cochrane”. This has led to a blogger spotlight bio on their website, […]

{ 0 comments }

The Perfect Care Home. I have followed the work of Paul Burstow for some time now and this article mirrored one I wrote years ago about “My ideal care home, in an ideal world” Here is Paul’s article and whilst I dream to think that care could and would really look like this who will […]

{ 0 comments }

A Heavy Heart and a Soap Box   This day was a monumental day for all the wrong reasons seeing the future funding of social care cut in the UK. Even more cuts to social care in an ageing County. Devon’s population of over 65’s is 21.3%. Doesn’t sound many but it’s 31.5% over the national […]

{ 0 comments }

  Political Hats   I wrote this before the General Election in June 2017. Better late than never to share here! POLITICAL HATS. I never used to think of myself as politically minded. One day I was with a care home owner I was interviewing for a Devon Life article, and he said: “Take off your […]

{ 0 comments }

Scams and how to protect someone elderly With an estimated 50% of elderly people reportedly being targetted for scams, I feel we need some clearly stated facts educating us, Scam alert education. I think there should be some simple warnings describing what could potentially be a scam, especially a phone scam. With many people living […]

{ 0 comments }

Simple Tips For Rethinking Arthritis Pain This is a guest post from Joe Flemming, from Vive Health. Arthritis pain in shoulders, knees, ankles, and other joints is not easy to deal with, especially as we get older and encounter other health problems. Even mild over-the-counter pain relievers, like aspirin or ibuprofen, carry unwanted side effects. […]

{ 0 comments }

  OMG! I have been nominated!

{ 2 comments }

  Get Outside Research finds care home design isn’t depressing – providing you can actually get outside  With around 40% of residents in UK care homes having significant depressive symptoms, researchers have questioned whether the design of the physical environment of homes could be contributing to the problem, and how this could be addressed. New […]

{ 0 comments }

Cuts, cuts, and more cuts. Local authorities plan to find £824m of savings, meaning they will be spending £6bn less on social care than in 2010 when austerity began. Cuts to social care will continue this year despite ministers putting in an extra £1bn to halt the deterioration in services, senior council officials have said. […]

{ 0 comments }

Empathy Apathy The recent revelations that Bupa, making £700 million a year profit from care homes are the perpetrators of “institutional abuse’ shocked the Nation, for all of ten seconds, or so it seems Has the constant bombardment of negativity in the media caused us to become de-sensitized? Do we move on so fast as […]

{ 0 comments }

  Care Co-operative helps self-funders This is a very interesting initiative for people self-funding care. This article was in the Telegraph and I am sharing it here in its entirety. Helping choose a care home for a beloved parent could be one of the most anxious times of your life. That was certainly the experience […]

{ 0 comments }

The Social Care Alliance The election may be over but the politics is not. Social Care is a topical challenge, one that is not going away now the votes have been counted, and with the Conservatives remaining in office their manifesto, harsh at is was, remains. Many people like myself fight for better care for […]

{ 0 comments }

Carer’s week June 12-18th One week to draw attention to the amazing job carers do day in day out. Is that really enough? Should we need to have such a week? Should carers not be automatically applauded and appreciated for the selfless job they do? Questions, questions. We know the answers, so then why do […]

{ 1 comment }

  Think Drink As the temperatures start to rise it becomes more and more important to check that our elderly are drinking sufficient water to avoid becoming dehydrated. Many elderly people today still don’t drink sufficient fluids and certainly not water. However, there are a few tips to help maintain their fluid levels. Add sugar-free […]

{ 0 comments }

  Constipation needn’t be a pain in the bum! This article has been kindly written for Caron Cares by  Nutritionist Hazel Pelham and looks at some gentle, effective solutions to the troublesome issue of constipation for elderly people. This is what Hazel advises.   Constipation is a common problem for older people.  Reduced mobility and […]

{ 0 comments }

Age Related Sarcopenia One in 20 older people and one in three who live in residential or nursing home may have age-related Sarcopenia. This is the term for loss of muscle mass and strength and one I hadn’t come across before. The National Sarcopenia initiative aims to increase awareness and screening. The British Diabetic Association […]

{ 0 comments }

OOops!   As a blogger/writer I tell it like it is. No mincing my words, no apologies. I don’t make things up and I don’t exaggerate. I just tell it as it is. I was given two ready meals from Apetito/Wiltshire Farm foods. I don’t like food waste when I know people go hungry in the UK […]

{ 0 comments }

Evicted In old age, your home is your castle, safe as houses as the saying goes. Or so it should be. However, there are more and more instances where people are being “Evicted” from care homes! I am not wanting to be negative, but it is important for readers to know what can and does […]

{ 0 comments }

In praise of our NHS As a health and social care blogger, I decided to put the NHS emergency services to the test. Only joking, that would be really irresponsible of me, not to mention selfish taking up time and resources that are already as we know stretched to the limits. I did, however, find […]

{ 0 comments }

The Election Here goes! I never used to think of myself as politically minded. One day I was with a care home owner I was interviewing for a Devon Life article, and he said “Take off your political hat”. It was then, I realised I had one.   Sadly since then, I have gone from […]

{ 0 comments }

Gifting Assets   (Shared from the WHICH website and very important to read and know) The cost of care – residential care homes and nursing homes in particular – can be very high, so it’s understandable that some people might be tempted to ‘offload’ assets so that they are excluded from the financial assessment. You […]

{ 0 comments }

Battle Burnout More and more campaigners are finding themselves facing Battle Burnout. People like Jenny Moore who has fought for 7 years to have the voices of elderly people heard. Carol Dimon, Ruth Ablett,Karen Armstrong,Christina Taylor,Joanne Fowler, and many others have fought for years to ensure change happens. I am questioning my efforts too. Who […]

{ 0 comments }

In praise of the NHS Nowadays all we seem to hear about is how the NHS is failing our elderly, certain treatments refused on the grounds of age, poor standards of care in overstretched and understaffed hospitals, I could continue…. However, I was delighted to see that the system still offers an amazing standard of […]

{ 0 comments }

Does exercise slow ageing? We all know that exercise is good for controlling pain, weight, sleeping and just simply feeling better. Studies show it can help prevent diseases associated with ageing such as heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and dementia, but can exercise actually slow the ageing process? Researchers at King’s College London, believe […]

{ 0 comments }

Recognising Elder Abuse Elder Abuse is not acceptable – Would you recognise some of the less obvious signs ?  We all have the right to feel and be safe, regardless of our age or circumstances and it important that we are vigilant to ensure our elderly loved ones are safe and treated with the dignity and […]

{ 0 comments }

When should someone stop driving? When do you think elderly people should stop driving? Should there be a stated age, or re-test ? For many elderly drivers their car means independence to them, they can drive to the supermarket to shop and get out and about to visit friends.They can also visit partners or friends in […]

{ 0 comments }

  Pack your bag! Make sure you have a hospital bag packed for someone elderly you care for especially if they are not in the best of health.Such a simple idea that can really prevent someone elderly from having an even worse time if admitted to hospital in an emergency. A hospital bag should contain […]

{ 0 comments }