Dementia campaign wins cross party support

RedLou

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Jul 30, 2014
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I bet it's won cross-party support. Not because they are being compassionate but because they figure they can cut the interaction with nursing staff if the families are there to feed and change and do all the caring jobs they did before hospitalisation. The day we get cross-party support for commissioned respite beds (see Ann Mac's posts) is the day we know they're actually being compassionate.
 

Chaucer 1931

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Mar 30, 2014
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I bet it's won cross-party support. Not because they are being compassionate but because they figure they can cut the interaction with nursing staff if the families are there to feed and change and do all the caring jobs they did before hospitalisation. The day we get cross-party support for commissioned respite beds (see Ann Mac's posts) is the day we know they're actually being compassionate.


Well said RedLou,you are spot on.

I'd much rather have dedicated dementia wards with trained staff,that can be left to do their work without us carers feeling scared that if we left our loved ones in hospital,it's tantamount to neglect,as they so often are in general wards.would be a
start,ooh they are getting desperate near to Election Day aren't they?!
 

Summerheather

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Feb 22, 2015
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Well said RedLou,you are spot on.

I'd much rather have dedicated dementia wards with trained staff,that can be left to do their work without us carers feeling scared that if we left our loved ones in hospital,it's tantamount to neglect,as they so often are in general wards.would be a
start,ooh they are getting desperate near to Election Day aren't they?!


Fully agree with you guys, now they want Carers in the hospital full time - are we not allow any life at all???
 

Beate

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May 21, 2014
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London
I know where you are coming from but come on guys, this is good news! Do you really want to have to leave a confused and frightened person in hospital on their own, however good the care might be? I am very happy that Nicci Gerrard's campaign has won widespread support and I hope that if OH has to go to hospital I can stay as long as I want with him to make sure he's ok. I am not sure why people are turning this around now and say that it means carers should be there all the time. No, it means if they want to, they can. If this was children we are talking about, there would be no question about this.
 
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Moonflower

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Mar 28, 2012
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I've got mixed feelings on this. Yes, if carers want to be there, they should be able to.

But I can so easily see this being turned round on families - "well yes we're too busy to feed your mum/take her to the toilet/stop her getting out of bed but really it's the families responsibility to do that."

No I wouldn't want my mum to be in hospital on her own - but I work full time and have kids to look after, so I wouldn't be able to stay with her
 

Summerheather

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Feb 22, 2015
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I've got mixed feelings on this. Yes, if carers want to be there, they should be able to.

But I can so easily see this being turned round on families - "well yes we're too busy to feed your mum/take her to the toilet/stop her getting out of bed but really it's the families responsibility to do that."

No I wouldn't want my mum to be in hospital on her own - but I work full time and have kids to look after, so I wouldn't be able to stay with her


I don't think it's worth a big fanfare, I think they gave it cross party support because it won't cost any government a penny. Most hospitals are quite sensible anyway about visiting if you can't keep to the hours anyway. I also see this being used though as a guilt trap on carers, someone else to take pressure from staff
 

notsogooddtr

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Jul 2, 2011
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Better training and resources are the answer,wonder if there would be cross party support for that.I have both parents in different nursing homes,both have had numerous hospital admissions over past year,several times they have been in hospital at the same time.I suppose I can now expect to be asked'will you be staying?'More pressure.
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
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London
I really don't understand you guys. When this campaign was started, everyone was for it as we all know that hospitals and dementia don't mix. Now that it gets widespread support it's suddenly a cynical ploy by the politicians? Are parents expected to be with their children in hospital 24/7? No, but they can if they want to as everyone accepts the simple truth that kids get scared in strange places without their loved ones. Dementia patients are like children. The best care in the world will not replace having familiar faces around them to give support when they are ill. That doesn't mean to say you have to if you can't but at least you would have the choice, and I am sure a lot of carers will be grateful. No one should feel inadequate if they can't be there all the time but this isn't what this is about.
 

Kevinl

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Aug 24, 2013
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Salford
What happens if someone has no family or no family locally or prepared to do this? Once nursing care isn't seen as a right and a part of the NHS's remit then what happens to them, give them their medication and let them starve. I'm all for the right to access but if I'm expected to be there and can't make it where's the safety net, if I turn up and offer to take over the feeding that should be a bonus for the staff freeing them up not something I'm expected to do.
It's election time and promises are cheap.
K
 

Liz57

Registered User
Dec 22, 2013
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When my mum was in hospital last year it was a nightmare. I didn't find it difficult to stay with her, I was asked to do so by the hospital. So I'm not sure where this policy changes anything and am a little suspicious that maybe this is the start of yet another round of treating dementia as anything other than the terminal illness it is.

Without wishing to change the subject, my local authority has just announced a £5.5m cut in adult social care for next year. We're not a large county with the current estimate of the county’s resident population at 186,100 and an older age structure than generally for England and Wales with 23 per cent aged 65 or above. That therefore represents an absolutely huge reduction in services per head. Now reversing that funding cut would make me believe there really is support for dementia sufferers and their families.