Visit Age Uk's website for their guide to making your money go further

Making money matters easier

The issue of funding care at home can be a complicated and stressful one for many people - with the costs of care increasing many worry if they will be able to afford it. However, there are many options available to older or disabled individuals requiring care.

Age UK,  a charity that provides information and advice for the elderly, have produced various guides on how you can fund your care. These very useful guides provide information on claiming benefits, guides on tax, equity release, and managing your money.

Alma Safe Care has also created a guide to Funding Care.

Download it here or find it on our website

Are you interested in care at home? 

Read our Guide to Live-in Care for more information.

Ministers urged to "shake up" care for older people in Scotland

It has been reported that a major report commissioned by the Scottish Government will call for the break-up of the bureaucratic empires governing health and social care, having concluded that Scotland's public services are "patchwork", "outdated" and "producer-led".

The report by the Christie Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services says that patients,  especially older people, should no longer be moved between hospital and councils.

It states thatsubstantial savings of hundreds of millions of pounds  could be expected if health and social care were to be integrated, so that patients would have only one place to go to receive help.

The report is expected to play a key role in government decisions over coming weeks, as Scottish ministers prepare to handle reductions in their available budgets at the same time as multi-billion-pound increases in the costs of delivering health, social care and education.It says the main reason is because far too much money is spent on trying to alleviate social problems rather than keeping an eye on the big picture and tackling them at source.The commission has called for a complete culture change in the public sector to focus on prevention, and says all public bodies should focus on improving "outcomes" for patients, pupils and the public.
This call for more integration in health and social care is likely to be backed by ministers, who have already said they want to see reform in Scottish social care.

Could this be the change that the social sector in Scotland requires?

Watchdog warns that Home Care visits being cut short are breaching human rights

Could visiting care be more of a danger than a help?

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has warned recently that older people’s basic human rights are being overlooked in home care visits provided by community services.
The EHRC found evidence of people being left in bed for up to 17 hours at a time, being abandoned in soiled bed sheets, refused help to eat and drink, and being stripped of their privacy and dignity. The horrific evidence was found during an inquiry the EHRC is carrying out into protection and promotion of human rights of older people who require or receive home-based care and support in the UK.

The findings suggested that short appointment times, often of only 15 minutes, high staff turnover and a lack of training were some of the causes of the human rights breaches.

Michelle Mitchell, charity director at Age UK, said the evidence showed instances of “serious neglect”. : “Decent care is about looking after a fellow human being in the way that we would like to be cared for when we are older,”.


"The biggest threat to the human rights of older people receiving care at home is from cuts to adult social care budgets, and it is very unclear whether tightening eligibility criteria to care will allow local authorities to continue to meet their human rights obligations," she added.


The United Kingdom Homecare Association described the findings as "disturbing" and reflected cost-cutting by council commissioners. "While the majority of homecare is delivered by voluntary organisations and private companies, it is funded by local councils, who effectively determine how much time is available to care providers to deliver services," it said.
"Regrettably, in the current financial situation, there is an emerging pattern of councils continuing to use their dominant purchasing power to push down the price paid to their providers and actively reducing the time allocated to each person receiving care."

This is yet another account of how home care visits are not meeting expectations. As social care funding decreases more and more, the danger of home care visits being cut short will increase greatly, and with it the danger of neglecting older peoples' basic human rights.

 With live in care from Alma Safe Care, these dangers can be avoided. Alma Safe Care provides qualified Nurses to live in the home to provide care, companionship and help when required - NOT restrcited to a 15 minute visit.

Could you have to fund the cost of your own care in future?

Many people rely on the current social care system to take care of them in old age. In Scotland we can receive free personal and nursing care in old age if eligible, or help funding care from our local authority.

By 2031, almost one in four people in Britain will be aged over 65 and many will rely on the social services system to provide their care. Unfortunately, however, those relying on this for the future could be in for a rude awakening.

Paul Burstow, Minister for Care Services, has issued a warning that in the future, the public should be prepared to cover their own care bills. Workers could soon be asked to save towards the cost of their own care and tosupport themselves through out their old age by contributing more to pension funds or insurance schemes. 

The warnings were issued after an international study concluded that the cost of caring for elderly and disabled people in industrialised nations could treble by 2050. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has also produced estimates that within the next three decades, the costs for the elderly and disabled will double.

A government led commission has said that individuals who are looking to fund care may have to find more money than previously budgeted for, as residential and homecare costs for the aging population look set to rise dramatically in the next 20 years.

The announcements have caused some worry in the sector, however perhaps surprisingly, research conducted through focus groups shows that most people questioned would be happy to contribute to the cost of their care, with insurance and pensions as the favoured methods of planning and saving for any future care costs.

It can seem a very daunting or complicated task to consider funding one's own care. We provide detailed information on the options available to you on our website.

Abuse in care home revealed once again in Panorama program

A recent programme aired by Panorama depicted the horrific abuse residents in a care home in Bristol were experiencing on a regular basis. 

The systematic physical and verbal abuse uncovered towards these vulnerable adults highlighted consistent failings which are being observed in care homes on a worringly increasing basis. 

As a live-in nursing care provider, we make a commitment to the individuals who entrust us with their safety and wellbeing, or that of their loved ones. Programmes such as Panorama have recently highlighted a frightening lack of accountability and supervision in the care sector, placing a cloud of suspicion over the whole sector. Indeed, the programme has sparked criticisms and investigations of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) , the regulator of care in England.  The Panorama programme led to 13 members of staff being suspended, and the home now looks set for closure.

Yet again, more investigations have begun as a result of these findings. It is difficult to believe that such investigations will really have a postiive effect on the care sector, its regulations, and people's perception of it.

Instead, we should use this opportununity to educate and reassure the individuals we care for and their families that quality, caring agencies do exist - and Alma Safe Care is one of them. 

For more details on the findings uncovered by the Panorama programme, look at the Guardian article online.

Alma Safe Care : Meet the team

The Alma Safe Care team is composed of a range of individuals with a wealth of varied experience in the care, recruitment, and nursing sectors.

We are based in Stirling in central Scotland, operating throughout Scotland.

This blog is written by Jennifer Campbell , Business Manager of Alma Safe Care Ltd. Jennifer is responsible for the daily managing of the company.

 Learn more about our team and our company from the Alma website.

Alma Safe Care is recruiting

Life as a Home Care Nurse can be very rewarding

Alma Safe Care is looking for qualified Nurses to work in rewarding live-in posts across Scotland.

Our live-in nurses provide care, companionship and help with household tasks. As a Home Care Nurse, you will receive free board and lodgings.

This can be an extremely rewarding job - looking after older or vulnerable adults who would otherwise have to leave their home.

  

We offer a competitive salary and full support from a Care Manager and Mentor.

Interested? Visit the recruitment section of our website, or Contact us today!