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Matt Seex Editor mattseex@stepcomms.com


CARE HOME


ENVIRONMENT Editor Matt Seex


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Mike Gammon


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THE CARE HOME ENVIRONMENT is published monthly by Step Communications Ltd, Step House, North Farm Road,


HOME ENVIRONMEN


is published monthly by Step Communications Ltd, Step House, North Farm Road,


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Dementia – misconceptions abound


Time for the government to spring into action


Welcome to the May issue of The Care Home Environment.


Welcome to the February issue of The Care onment.


home provider Care UK has laid bare many of the misconceptions and fears that people have about dementia. Almost two thirds of the 2,000 people questioned by OnePoll are afraid of developing dementia when they get older. More surprising is the revelation that 11 per cent started worrying about the condition in their 20s. Misconceptions about dementia abound – a fifth of adults wrongly believe that Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are different names for the same thing, while 17 per cent believe that if a member of their family develops dementia, this means that they will, too. While fourteen per cent of those questioned think that people living with dementia cannot lead a meaningful life, over a third admitted that they actually know little about the condition. Even though there are (according


With the Spring Budget due to be held in March, the Treasury has invited interest groups, individuals, and representative bodies to comment on government policy and suggest new policies for inclusion.


New research commissioned by care


Accordingly, in its Spring Budget submission, Care England has called on the government to zero-rate VAT for welfare services, to standardise commissioning practice to reduce complexities and inefficiencies in the system, to introduce an annual fee uplift deadline of 31 March to aid financial planning, and streamline funding at a Local Authority level.


More broadly, Care England is challenging the government to close the Fair Cost of Care gap, ringfence funds for adult social care, introduce a funded £15 minimum wage for care staff, and set out a long-term vision for social care funding settlements.


to Alzheimer’s Society) an estimated 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia (a number expected to rise to


ISSN NO. 2398-3280 The Publisher is unable to take any


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ys illegal.


cessarily shared by the journal. Readers are expressly advised that while the contents


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According to Care England, its Spring Budget submission ‘outlines a series of pragmatic asks that can be introduced immediately with no additional expense to the taxpayer and sets out long-term solutions to address systematic issues facing social care’.


Care England’s concerns were reflected in the recent National Audit Office report Reforming Adult Social Care in England, which found significant inadequacies in the Department of Health and Social Care’s delivery of reform plans. The DHSC has scaled back its short-term plans for reform and set funding at £729m despite £1.74bn having been agreed with the Treasury in 2021.


1.6 million by 2040), Care UK’s research found that 72 per cent of adults have made no effort to learn about the condition. In response, Care UK has launched a new video guide which aims to debunk the myths surrounding dementia and provide support to families whose loved ones have been diagnosed with the condition. Suzanne Mumford, head of nursing,


care and dementia services at Care UK, said: “There are plenty of misconceptions when it comes to dementia, and what this means for the person living with it and their family. “In reality, dementia is a condition that


can be managed to ensure those who live with it can continue to lead fulfilling, meaningful lives and can be supported to still do the things they love. That’s why we’ve launched our latest video guide, One step at a time. Featuring tips from our experts, but also testimonies of residents’ families, it is designed to help people navigate through the dementia journey, from dealing with the initial diagnosis to learning how to live well with dementia.” While the results of Care UK’s research


might be troubling, they are perhaps not all that surprising. The spectre of dementia – along with the prospect of old age itself – is something most of us push to the back of our minds. It is a scary thing to think about, and most of us would prefer not to do so. Yet it is only a matter of time before dementia affects somebody we love, or indeed us personally. Perhaps, then, we all need to be a little braver and find out more about a condition that is almost certain to come into our lives one day. I hope you enjoy the issue.


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Care England chief executive Professor Martin Green OBE said: “With government funding last year not making a difference to the sustainability of 84 per cent of care providers in England, we can’t continue with more of the same. The government has given the sector more money than ever before, but the sector has not been able to benefit as it should have. We need to impose a new reality. The sustainability of the sector is compromised. This may well be the last chance for this government to demonstrate their commitment to fixing social care. “Intervention from the government must be immediate and substantial. Almost half of care providers have had to close a part of their organisation or hand back contracts to their Local Authority as a result of the cost pressures they find themselves operating against. Adult social care is an economic powerhouse. Research has found that for every £1 invested in social care, £1.75 is generated in the wider economy. Our sector is crucial to the financial and physical health of the nation, and unless the government acts now, we won’t have a social care fit for the future.” I hope you enjoy the issue.


THE


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