September 13, 2007
Thursday, 13th September 2007
Greetings from Angela Gifford, Proprietor of Able Community Care, and welcome to the Able Newsflash, published by email every Thursday morning.
If you enjoy reading it please forward it to any other person who may also find it of interest.
Alternatively, they can subscribe directly for their own copy each week from our website: http://www.uk-care.com
Care News
A Social Worker, Mental Health, has won a discrimination case against the General Social Care Council. It had delayed approval of his registration due to issues raised by his HIV-positive status. He was awarded £2,166.02 in compensation. For further details go to:http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease.asp
Figures from the DVLA show that there are over 3 million people age 71 and over with driving licences. The Assoc. of British Insurers advise that drivers over the age of 70 are three times as likely to be killed or seriously injured in a road accident as those people between the ages 40 and 65 years.
The DVLA is putting forward options in a consultation document in the next few months that is expected to propose that elderly drivers take one or more compulsory tests. It is possible that this will include an assessment by a doctor, a paper based test and a sight test.
Adding a penny in the pound on income tax would raise £2 billion which would pay for 80% of all care home and domiciliary care fees according to a survey commissioned for Counsel and Care.
In-House News
Potential clients have been visited in Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire.A new post has begun in Glasgow for a woman with spinal injury. Salary is £558 inc. Care Manager Alan Wilson.
A team, meeting has taken place in Berkshire.
The first Christmas/New Year bookings have been completed and letters asking all of our clients whether they need cover over the Christmas/New Year period will be going out in the next few days.
Care Manager Jackie Maasz has celebrated ten years with Able Community Care.
A new training facility in the offices at Whitlingham is nearing completion and should be ready for use in early October.
Interesting Information
The 2001 Census included a question on carers for the first time and Carers UK has therefore, in line with any other person who is interested, unprecedented national and local knowledge about carers.The information that is available includes facts such as the numbers of carers who are under the age of 18, how many people are caring in the political wards, health details of carers, etc.
However it appears that questions may not be asked about carers in the next Census due in 2011 and Carers UK has launched a campaign to keep questions relating to carers in because there is no other comprehensive survey that can produce such a wide range of relevant information.
For further details go to the website of Carers UK at:
http://www.carersuk.org
Question answered in 2005:
Question - My Mother lives in an old cottage and I am sure her home is a fire risk. Some of her electrical items are very old and she has no smoke alarm. I have spoken to her on many occasions about making her home safer but she chooses not to listen to me. Are there any “official” bodies that could come and advise her as I am sure she would listen to them?
Answer - The Government is so concerned that vulnerable and elderly people are at risk of fire in their homes that it was announced last October from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minster that one and a quarter million households will be offered free smoke alarms and safety advice. In 2003 three hundred and one people died in accidental fires in the home. Three quarters of these deaths were in properties without either a smoke alarm or had one that did not work.
Look up the local Fire Brigade in your Mother’s area and contact them, explain the position and I am sure they will be happy to help her and you.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this and "see you next week".
Best Wishes,
Angela Gifford, Proprietor
Able Community Care.
Able Community Care is a nationwide provider of Live-in Care services.
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