NEWS
CRAEGMOOR RESIDENT IN CAMBRIDGE STUDY
A resident at a Craegmoor specialist home in Wakefield has been taking part in vital medical research being carried out by the University of Cambridge.
The objective of the four year study is to understand why people with Down’s syndrome are at risk of memory problems, so that treatments can be developed that might prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Kevin Wharton, 57, who lives at The Lawrence, in Wrenthorpe, Wakefield, became one of the project’s volunteers after reading about the research in a newsletter sent to the home.
Kevin was visited by university research assistant Tiina Annus at the home, where she gave him puzzles and riddles to assess his memory and other skills. Kevin then travelled to Cambridge, supported by a member of staff, where he had different types of brain scan, which have been analysed as part of the study.
The research is being carried out because some people with Down’s syndrome have problems with their memory at a younger age than the general population, which experts believe could be caused by higher than average levels of the chemical amyloid in the brain.
Professor Anthony Holland, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said: “Through this research we are hoping to better understand the development of this disease among people with Down’s syndrome and to gain information that may help with its prevention and treatment.”
Sarah Hughes, Managing Director of Craegmoor, said: “Our staff work hard to encourage and support residents in engaging with the wider community and Kevin has taken away a real sense of pride and achievement by being involved in this important study being carried out at the University of Cambridge.”
BARKER COMMISSION: INCREASE TAXES TO
FUND SOCIAL CARE The bulk of additional funds needed to reshape the social care system should come from the public purse, according to a report released by The King’s Fund.
The report, containing the final recommendations of the Barker Commission, is the first to make tangible recommendations for care reform.
Among other suggestions, the report says that costs of social care should be shared between the private individual and the state, but with the taxpayer carrying a heavier load of the cost than at present.
Current spending on social care for older people stands at £6 billion. The report’s proposed changes to provide free care for older people with ‘critical’ and ‘substantial’ need would require an additional £2.7 billion. This cost would rise to around £14 billion by 2025.
The commission also proposes that health and social care should be moved to a single, ring-fenced budget for the NHS and social care, with a single commissioner for local services.
Commenting on the report, Chair of the Commission, Dame Kate Barker, said: “We have concluded, as others have before us, that our system is not fit to provide the kind of care we need and want. We propose radical change, greater than any since 1948, that would bring immense benefit to people who fall into the cracks between means-tested social care and a free NHS. This includes people at the end of life and those with dementia or other conditions where too often there is a conflict about who pays at the expense of what people need.”
Professor Chris Ham, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, added: “The proposals as set out by the commission may not appeal to politicians fearful of commitments to greater public expenditure, but these issues cannot simply be ignored. The commission is clear – there is no ‘do nothing’ option.”
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