Loyal Friends Old and New

To my loyal friends old and new, and all of those who have followed me for the past seven years as there has been no new additions to my website carers-healingspur.co.uk for quite some time and my circumstances have changed and most that is on my website carers-healingspur.co.uk is now old news apart from useful links. For the time being from now on I will occasionally only continue with my blog Lifes-mosaics where I will occasionally transfer and repeat some things from carers-healingspur together with new additions as they occur, and endeavour to cheer everyone up during difficult times in the UK and worldwide. Most things that are mentioned on my website have now already come to pass and although the future still looks bleak for a multitude at least people are now more aware and realising that changes for the better must occur, it is worth it for all those who are suffering to stand firm together and work hard by keeping faith to achieve what is right then those in power and otherwise who do evil things will find themselves outnumbered, it is time to smile, continue to persevere with love and kindness to each other. Look upward to the stars and trust the Divine. Barnaby is not Worried Animals are amazing their instincts and tactics for survival teach us much, we are animals with choice and higher intelligence. Dogs are wonderful faithful companions who see and trust us as gods while they are here. They and other animals and creatures are wonderful therapy too. Barnaby a Chihuahua is an elderly senior now sadly in ill health and has been a therapy dog for 10yrs with no status or accolades, he has put a smile on countless people’s and children’s faces and sends the same to you today.

Loneliness

Years ago families were much closer than they are today and because of the many changes in society over decades the extended family is no longer as close together as they used to be. We are again on the brink of change because there has to be if the care that was so freely given when times were hard in days gone by is to flourish again and bring us the cherished love and steadfastness that every family needs. It is becoming more commonplace every day to hear about the loneliness of millions of people deserted and alone particularly the elderly who do understand the difficulties that are being heaped upon their children and grandchildren in the world today, it is sad and harrowing to read the article in the link below and is surely a warning for everyone to search their hearts and make every effort to see that any future generation does not have the same experience of feeling they are abandoned because they grow old, or for any other reason. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2269846/I-adore-grandchildren-Im-just-old-bat-year-A-grandmothers-heart-strike-chord-millions.html Things are slowly changing for the better as there are still people who care and are trying their best to do something about it. The charity YouthNet showed that loneliness crosses generations. Two charities YouthNet and Age UK are joining forces in order to bring older and younger people together and they are raising cash for a new service in which young volunteers will help isolated people learn how to use the internet. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2269337/The-grandparents-rarely-grandchildren-One-sees-relatives-month-less.html

Important Much More News- About Me Now

Those who read my website carers-healingspur.co.uk will know that for the past seven years my husband was diagnosed with dementia and was treated as a dementia patient also by me. Now his diagnosis has been changed and we are informed that he does not have dementia and has never had it he has not regressed over this period of time and has also passed his dementia tests. His new diagnosis is that his behaviour has been due to a minor stroke he had years ago causing Mild Cognitive Impairment, there is no evidence of when this stroke occurred but I can say it has been evident to me for many years but got worse as he aged. Because of his dementia diagnosis and the extremely difficult circumstances it caused for me at home for almost seven years he attended a day centre 3 days a week for those with dementia problems during which time he conveniently would occasionally accept he had dementia problems and other times would not. I suspect spending so much time with dementia patients he acquired many of the symptoms they had. I asked social workers several times if a place could be found at a different day centre where he could be encouraged to get a better sense of achievement but there was never a place available. I must add that the cost of his day centre increased over the years which was very difficult as although he had his small allowance, I have never had a carers allowance, the amount paid became up to £200 plus every ten days or so inclusive of his lifts there and back. Now because of his new diagnosis he is no longer eligible to go to a dementia day care centre and has at last been found a more suitable place 2 days a week at much less cost, one run by Age UK who I thank so much, and the other run by volunteers to whom I am very grateful indeed, the total cost now under £20 per week enabling me to proceed with an extension for a toilet, shower, and much needed facilities due to my husband’s incontinence and physical health, and my own health which has deteriorated over these years. My husband is slowly trying to improve his behaviour in some ways but sometimes finds it very difficult. After having spent seven years with dementia patients I believe some of his behaviour is habit, he has always said conveniently at times to those around him that he had dementia and at other times that he did not, no wonder he was confused. Socially he is the most likeable man anyone could meet, but people should bear in mind what happens behind closed doors is not always seen or known. Mild Cognitive Behaviour- M.C.I Not a lot is known about M.C.I and it is better to read about it on the link I publish below after reading this. MCI affects everyone who has it, individually and in different ways, thousands who have it never know it and work successfully and lead normal lives, because it affects the frontal lobes of the brain it does affect personality and can cause them to behave in an unusual manner it depends how severe it is. I would not describe some of my husband’s behaviour as mild by any means. M.C.I can over the years lead to Alzheimer’s disease but not necessarily so. There are many living with a partner or a family member who may recognise this condition and not understood it, and I believe it to possibly be the cause of many divorces, it is a little understood condition and there is much work to be done in understanding it and little treatment and help specially at this time of government cut backs. If anyone is living with someone with Mild Cognitive Impairment I will be pleased to hear from them, there are forums for Dementia but I see none for M.C.I I will be grateful for any information about it. I will continue to care for my husband’s physical health to the best of my ability, as with anyone I can only help him with his Mild Cognitive Impairment if he chooses to help himself using the choices he can still make. This new year promises to be a very busy year for me as I endeavour to make our home as comfortable and as secure with the facilities needed in order to keep my husband who is 89 yrs old this year out of hospital, or a care home, and provide the same for myself in my advancing years so we can both hopefully approach the end of our lives with dignity. Any other avenue seems to be less likely due to government cut backs, an inadequate health service, and the growth of a less caring society over the last decades. I will keep the history on carers-healingspur.co.uk and Lifes-mosaics blog, and Pals message board for a while till hopefully I can find the time to begin a new and interesting website for all, for now I wish you all Love, blessings, good health and strength in 2013 M.C.I- link http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=120 Age UK http://www.ageuk.org.uk/

Betrayed

When are the government going to stop breaking their promises to the elderly and taking diabolical liberties with their lives and health, or even consider the strain on their carers. David Cameron backed the £35,000 cap on fees and now the elderly face paying £75,000 per person, this does not cover the cost of bed and board, food or heating which costs a further £7,000 to £10,000 a year. Residents would have to pay this on top of their care fees, total cost towards £200,000. I wonder what incentive this is giving to young people to work, save, or care, what example are the government giving. Just one of many examples is the disgraceful number of bureaucrats on six figure salaries across Whitehall the numbers of which are going up as there is a 50 percent rise in staff being paid £100,000 which the tax payer pays in full. Please read on the links- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253199/Middle-class-care-fiasco-PM-backed-35-000-cap-fees--elderly-face-paying-double.html?ito=feeds-newsxml http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2252912/George-Osborne-DOUBLED-number-Treasury-staff-figure-salaries-election.html A Chilling vision, or warning http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253922/Germany-accused-deporting-elderly-Rising-numbers-moved-Asia-Eastern-Europe-sky-high-care-costs.html?ito=feeds-newsxml I am sad to have to publish this so close to 2013, and to all those to whom this may affect I send my best wishes that they remain positive and strong. Please remember we are made of the same stuff as the stars and may blessings abound for all my friends. More news about me in the New Year.

We Must Become a More Compassionate Nation

Please read this article on the link below and remember the many elderly people spending Christmas in loneliness and isolation with a very bleak 2013 to look forward to.

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2243664/Why-middle-aged-middle-classes-heartless-elderly.html

Change on The Way

Friends and browsers of my blog and website carers-healingspur.co.uk this is to inform you all that my circumstances have changed and I will be continuing in a new and better way in the months to come, so please keep a lookout for new and more information to be added at a later date, meanwhile do please keep reading the history over the past few years, I will be back with more as soon as I can, as always I wish you all blessings of the very best and thank you all for your patience and loyalty. Pamela

Good News

A Little Light is dawning at last on those in a position to ease the burden that so many thousands of elderly people have been under and are shouldering today, although there are still many problems to solve this is at least a step in the right direction, hopefully this will continue at a quick pace and any problems given the urgent and immediate attention they deserve, we have waited long enough. Please read http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2188952/David-Cameron-A-35-000-cap-care-bills-PM-pledges-end-heartbreak-elderly-forced-sell-homes.html

Pessimism

At times I have been thought of as a pessimist, who hasn’t! The thing about pessimism is that we are never disappointed, but if we are always pessimistic nothing good ever happens, it is important to be positive because there are also always good things around the corner we just do not always see them straight away, remain positive folks and be at peace. For you all

Carers Need More Medical Help

It is vital for older carers age 65yrs into their 90’s who are caring for their loved ones at home to get more medical help, I have been saying this for years on my website www.carers-healingspur.co.uk carers first concern is that their love one receives the love, care, and medical help they deserve, but who is caring for the carers. There has been enough time for the UK government to have done something about this long ago, as everyone is living longer and alzheimers and dementia increases what do they think is going to happen when they can no longer emotionally blackmail the carers as they drop from ill health and exhaustion, please catch up on the almost non existent progress on my website, it has been put on a back burner long enough, Please read the links below- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2036433/Older-carers-say-looking-loved-ones-damaged-health.html http://www.carers.org/press-release/being-older-carer-has-devastating-impact-your-health

Another Plot to Rob Pensioners

Please read this full article in the Daily Express and join the crusade to prevent more disgraceful and unfair cuts in benefits for pensioners, it is outrageous that yet again the most vulnerable in our society are being taken advantage of. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/332107/Secret-plot-to-rob-pensioners When are this UK government going to stop adding continuous insult to injury please read also the Daily Mail article Care Fees Paid after You Die. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2171717/Care-fees-paid-AFTER-die-New-loan-scheme-mean-elderly-homes--families-sell-later-settle-care-bills.html

Daily Mail Dignity for the Elderly Campaign

Please read the full article, and this damning letter sent to David Cameron and signed by 78 organisations including Age UK, Saga and The Local Government Association published in The Daily Mail today May 8th 2012 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2140974/Elderly-care-crisis-David-Cameron-dont-turn-old.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

The Forgotten Fallen

Where is the compassion, not enough is being done for those suffering from PTSD post traumatic stress disorder, those returning from the horrors of war, for them and their families, and for anyone in despair your life is very precious please click on these UK links below, where ever you are seek help do not give in, and for those in a position to help no matter how small please do all you can, we all need each other. http://www.itv.com/news/2012-04-16/the-forgotten-fallen-young-soldiers-most-vulnerable/ The Samaratins http://www.samaritans.org/?gclid=CMDE0p39z68CFQMNtAodEEHFIQ No Man is an Island No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. John Donne

A Word of Warning

Spare a thought for the thousands of elderly and vulnerable people who are continually at risk from the incredible number of scams around today that are in junk mail which is constantly dropping through the letter box, or phoned. Newspapers, magazines, and media should be more aware of what they are advertising regarding the amount charged for phone calls etc in order to enter any competitions in the first place, plus checking the validity of any ad charging money and stating what could be false credentials, I am a carer for my husband who has dementia and I have had experience of this, and I cannot stress the heartache and financial loss this can cause, having the responsibility of caring for his dementia when he was first diagnosed and sorting out the amount of horded junk mail and financial crisis due to the ridiculous law that I was unable to open his mail social workers were called in to help him deal with his problem, it is now reasonably under control thanks to their help although it is important a constant watch is kept.
Beware of the cost of phone calls required to enter these competitions and the cheap throw away gifts they offer, or lottery scams, remember if you have not entered for anything you cannot have won anything,. There are scams to numerous to mention, be ultra cautious, if in any doubt don’t gamble, delete emails without opening, destroy the junk, and use these links for help in UK.

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/what/

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html

Good Friday 2012

The Greatest Compassion of All



Through all of life’s pains and
trials when a tortuous path must
be tread,
who will take the sufferers hand
to give healing comfort and ease
the dread,
we can open our eyes and see the
one who walked that path before,
he who sacrificed his life and
opened up the door,
he never left us all alone his spirit
is with us all when we call,
to give us strength and forgiveness
and help us up whenever we fall,
to remember him when we raise
our eyes to the vastness of the sky,
remember what he taught us, then
there is no reason to ask why.

by Pamela V Hall

Wishing all my friends a very happy and blessed Easter

The Best Things in Life are Free

Diabolical Treatment of the Elderly in UK Care Homes

When are the UK government going to do something about the quality of care in our care homes for the elderly where so many elderly people are being treated worse than animals? There are far too many managers of these homes putting greed before care, under staffing, bad training and the total lack of compassion is a disgrace to the UK, are the many elderly vulnerable people in the UK being looked on as collateral damage during this recession, do they have to go to the wall while the government mess about making excuses before doing something humane, we can only guess, meanwhile those who are losing their loved ones in unforgivable circumstances in these places grieve. People are not blind they see what is happening and realise their own tenuous future is not that far off, beware all those who can afford to turn a blind eye for they will soon become outnumbered.
The gap between young and old has been widening for decades, why not bring elderly people into the classroom where questions can be asked and answered and views shared, this is done for racial intergration why not for the elderly in the UK and everywhere else.

Elderly treated like animals read this and weep

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2126379/Sentenced-death-old-The-NHS-denies-life-saving-treatment-elderly-mans-chilling-story-reveals.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2116239/Judges-anger-accuses-Bupa-home-putting-cash-care-grandmother-90-dies-neglect.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Town Halls guilty of discrimination

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093571/Elderly-losing-500m-year-funding-care-Town-Halls-age-discrimination.html

UK Government advice about how to make a complaint about care home abuse of elderly

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/care-home-standards-and-how-to-complain

Patient and client Council

http://www.patientclientcouncil.hscni.net/

Worldwide problem excellent link

http://www.nursinghomeabuse.net/

Vital for Your Health

Thanks to Lorraine Evans for her constant work to help those who are suffering and have been damaged by TVT/ Mesh. This video is extremely important for sufferers and those who do not understand what this is. It concerns everyone even if you do not think so, the video is self explanatory, and her website TVT MUM of great help

http://www.tvt-messed-up-mesh.org.uk/index.html

Please watch-

In Case Anyone is Feeling Sorry for Themselves

Life is for living, never give up.
Inspirational

Not a Good Start For The Elderly 2012

Half way through the first month of January 2012 I cannot say it has been a good beginning for me considering that my 87yr old husband was admitted into hospital on Boxing Day, and my youngest daughter was admitted into the same hospital on a different ward at the same time, it was proved to me that the treatment of both had marked differences as my daughters treatment was excellent, but I had good reason to verbally complain to my husband’s nurses and the ward manager about his treatment, out of respect to my husband I will not go into the embarrassing details here except to say that what is reported in the newspapers about the disgusting treatment of the elderly in hospital is true having had experience of my husbands treatment recently.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said “It will often be in the best interests of dementia patients to be treated at home”. Many thousands of family carers who are elderly carers themselves like me in their 70’s, and 80’s and who are also suffering ill health themselves while caring for a partner or relative could definitely do with much more help than is now available to enable them to give the dementia patients the nursing, physical, and mental care needed in order for them to remain at home.

Now the elderly have to suffer insults and bullying by those who propose that elderly home owners who have paid their taxes and worked a lifetime to pay for their homes should move out of their family home and get shoved by councils into other housing, as Saga’s Ross Altmann said “ It is outrageous social engineering” despite paying their taxes and being thrifty all their lives the elderly may now have to free up the equity in their homes to fund care while those who have squandered their money or lived off the state will get their care free. Every year 20,000 pensioners have to sell their homes to pay for residential care, would it not be fairer for the funding to be out of general taxation like the NHS.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2088083/Housing-minister-Grant-Shapps-urges-help-OAP

Why have people been blind as to what has been happening over a number of years and led to this situation as I have so often pointed out on my website-
www.carers-healingspur.co.uk
Everyone must take responsibility including the government. In my opinion how can we dictate to other countries about human rights when this and so many wrongs are happening here in the UK everyone should put their house in order globally.

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas make the most of it my friends