Saturday, 4 December 2010

Dementia nursing care needs overhaul, says King's Fund

4 December 2010 Last updated at 04:24

Dementia nursing care needs overhaul, says King's Fund

Christophe Grillet's continuing nursing care was removed and he is now in a home

Nursing care for people with dementia is in need of a radical overhaul, a leading think tank has warned.

The King's Fund says people with Alzheimer's and dementia in England are having NHS-funded care withdrawn in the later stages of their illness.

It says relatives have to pick up the bill for additional nursing support.

The government says the number of people receiving continuing care has risen by almost two-thirds in the past three years.

There are 820,000 people living with dementia in the UK and that number is set to rise as the population ages, according to the Alzheimer's Research Trust.

Social needs

Christophe Grillet, from Cambridge, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 17 years ago, was receiving round-the-clock health care from the NHS at home but as his condition became more advanced, he was reassessed and the continuous care was withdrawn.

“Start Quote

Because we didn't get the support we needed, we are separated, and that is the biggest problem”

End Quote Kate Grillet

His wife Kate said: "They say his needs are primarily social care needs - washing, dressing, feeding and that he's relatively easy to deal with.

"The country is full of people, including my husband, who are having their support taken away and left to try and fund whatever care they can get themselves.

"This doesn't take into account when you have Alzheimer's your health needs are even more, you don't get better."

Mrs Grillet said she felt excluded from much of the decision-making regarding his NHS-funded care and now her husband is in a home which costs them £600 a week.

"Because we didn't get the support we needed, we are separated, and that is the biggest problem," she added.

The government has issued guidelines to primary care trusts (PCTs) on how they should assess the continuing care needs of people with dementia but campaigners say funding cuts mean many PCTs just ignore them.

Barbara Pointon, from Dementia UK and the Alzheimer's Society, said: "What's happening with NHS continuing health care is it's getting more and more difficult to get in the first place, and when people with dementia move into the advanced stage and need more care, it's being taken away from them."

“Start Quote

Over the next 30 years the number of people with dementia will double so we do have to find different ways of delivering services”

End Quote Jo Webber NHS Federation

The King's Fund is calling for a shake-up of the system that differentiates between health care, which the NHS pays for, and social care, which local authorities and individuals have to fund.

Richard Humphries, from the health think tank, said: "The system is increasingly broken and it will struggle to cope with the rising tide of people with dementia and people will become more dissatisfied with it.

"We desperately need a radical overall to bring more fairness and more funding into the system."

Jo Webber, from the NHS Confederation, which represents the majority of NHS organisations, said the service did not have an "infinite pot of money".

"Over the next 30 years the number of people with dementia will double, so we do have to find different ways of delivering services," she said.

"I don't underestimate the anxiety and the worry at the moment for people who are having these issues but we can't go on this way."

Mr Grillet's PCT says it followed the government's guidelines but health care needs change.

Thursday, 2 December 2010

Brazil: Amazon deforestation falls to new low

Man made fires to clear the land for cattle or crops in Sao Felix Do Xingu Municipality, Para, Brazil - June 2009

The figures suggest scenes like these are getting rarer in the Amazon

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to its lowest rate for 22 years, the government says.

Satellite monitoring showed about 6,450 sq km of (2,490 sq miles) of rainforest were cleared between August 2009 and July 2010, a drop of 14% compared with the previous 12 months.
Brazilian officials said the reduction was due to better monitoring and police control.
Environment minister Izabella Teixeira said the figures were "fantastic".
She said she would be "proud" to present the results at the UN Climate Change Conference currently taking place in Cancun, Mexico.
She added that Brazil was well on course to reduce deforestation to its target of 5,000 sq km of by 2017.
The latest figure still represents an area more than half the size of Lebanon or Jamaica.
But it is far lower than the peak of 27,772 sq km in 2004.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the reduction showed Brazil was "keeping its promises" on tackling global warming.
In 2005 President Lula pledged to reduce deforestation by 80% by 2020.
Global importance
Deforestation is thought to be responsible for about 20% of CO2 emissions worldwide.
The cutting and burning of trees in the Amazon has made Brazil a major contributor of the greenhouse gases that fuel global warming.
The latest data was published by the Brazilian space research institute (Inpe) which uses satellites to monitor deforestation in the Amazon.
The head of Inpe, Gilberto Camara, said the reduction was the result of "co-ordinated action", including greater control of illegal logging by Brazil's environment ministry and the federal police.
He also praised "responsible businesses" who had stopped buying beef and soya produced in deforested areas.
Mr Camara added that a programme that had given legal titles to about 300,000 landholders had also helped reduce the rate of forest clearance.
President Lula's government has also been promoting "extractive reserves" where local people can make a living from the forest without destroying it.
Environmental groups have warned that Brazil's soaring economic growth, as well as growing global demand for agricultural produce, could increase pressure on the Amazon rainforest in the coming years.

Patients Association warns hospitals 'lack basic care'

Louise Jacob: Her daughters were concerned about her care

Nursing care must be strengthened and the complaints system overhauled because of continued poor care of older people in hospital, says the Patients Association.

The patient lobby group has highlighted 17 cases in England and Wales where patients were left lying in faeces, or desperately hungry and thirsty.

It said it had been inundated with similar stories.

The government said it was committed to tackling shortfalls in patient care.

The Patients Association acknowledged that most patients do get good treatment, but said some were still being denied the essentials of nursing care, even though it highlighted serious problems last year.

A national survey of hospital experiences in England suggests that nearly half of all patients rate their care as excellent, and just 2% said it was "poor".

Family complaints

Liz Pryor said her elderly mother Anne Robson went to hospital following a fall in January and became badly dehydrated and lost weight. She says her mother was left lying in a nightdress that was wet up to her armpits with urine.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

It's a scandal, and it's outrageous that it has been persisting for years”

End Quote Katherine Murphy Patients Association

She died within hours of being discharged.

"Mum was admitted with a suspected fractured hip and she was discharged a week later about to die," said Liz Pryor. "I think that's unacceptable.

"I don't think anyone did anything on purpose, but it's a systemic, viral attitude."

The hospital does not accept that she deteriorated during her hospital stay, according to the report compiled by the Patients Association.

Louise Jacob's daughters Deborah and Rebecca said she went to hospital in January following a stroke. They said staff often failed to give her the medication she needed, and she was left propped on a bed pan for long periods of time.

They were then prevented from visiting her because of an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug, norovirus, on the ward. Mrs Jacob died a few days later.

"The indescribable heartache and anguish caused through us not being allowed to visit our mother will be with us for ever," her daughters told the Patients Association. "We can never forgive the hospital for the way Mum was badly let down during the last few weeks of her life."

According to the report, the hospital apologised to the family and said it was not their intention to stop visits to seriously ill patients.

Wider failings

The Patients Association said the 17 cases highlighted wider failings in NHS nursing care.

It is calling for the introduction of independent "patient safeguarding champions" at every hospital to check that nursing standards are maintained.

It also wants the NHS complaints process to be overhauled.

"Surely the essentials of nursing care are what every patient deserves and should get?" said Chief Executive, Katherine Murphy.

"It's a scandal, and it's outrageous that it has been persisting for years."

The family of former Patients Association president, Claire Rayner, who died in October, is backing the calls for change.

"If she were here today she would have been hollering from the roof tops about it," said Claire Rayner's son Jay.

"Any health system is only as good as its failings, and those detailed in these pages are truly dismal."

'No excuse'

The Royal College of Nursing said there was no excuse for poor care.

General Secretary Peter Carter said: "Neither the RCN nor the overwhelming majority of committed and caring nurses can possibly condone the neglect, rudeness and in some cases outright cruelty outlined in this report."

However, he said problems often arise when staffing levels are cut.

Care Services Minister, Paul Burstow said the report painted a disturbing picture.

"It is an unacceptable legacy that this government is committed to tackling."

He said that was why the government would soon start publishing details about complaints.

"The NHS must become much more tuned into patient views and experience."

Saturday, 27 November 2010

Cloned cattle food safe to eat, say scientists

26 November 2010 Last updated at 07:17

Cloned cattle food safe to eat, say scientists

Click to play

The BBC's Pallab Ghosh looks at how cloned meat reaches the dinner table

Meat and milk from cloned cattle and their offspring are safe to consume, independent scientists have said.

The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes said it believed the food was unlikely to present any risk.

The Food Standards Agency will discuss the conclusions in December before providing further advice to ministers.

Questions raised by reports over the summer that meat from cloned animals' offspring was sold to consumers "remain unanswered", the Soil Association says.

However, the committee's scientists said there was no substantial difference between meat and milk from cloned animals and produce from conventional livestock, in line with a number of other scientific assessments.

Three cases had emerged of meat linked to a cloned cow being sold in the UK, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Two involved Highlands farm bulls grown from embryos of a cow cloned in the US, while the third involved meat from a male calf being sent to a London butcher's shop.

Disadvantage claim

The FSA said the calf was the offspring of one of eight animals born in the UK from embryos produced by the US cloned cow.

FSA chief scientist Andrew Wadge said: "The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes has confirmed that meat and milk from cloned cattle and their offspring shows no substantial difference to conventionally produced meat and milk, and therefore is unlikely to present a food safety risk."

“Start Quote

Not only does cloning have a negative impact on animal welfare, we also have no long-term evidence for the impacts on health”

End Quote Soil Association

Send your comments

In the US, South America and Asia, farmers can breed from cloned cows, sheep and pigs in order to increase milk and meat production.

However, farmers in Europe who want to introduce the products of cloned animals into the food chain require specific authorisation because they are considered "novel foods".

BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh says this is in effect a ban. Breaches of the Novel Food Regulations can attract a fine of up to £5,000.

Some European farmers believe they are being put at a disadvantage by being denied the option of using the technology, our correspondent adds.

Critics say there are strong ethical and animal welfare reasons to ban its use in European agriculture.

"There are many unanswered questions on the issue of cloning animals - both ethical and practical - and insufficient regulation," said a Soil Association spokeswoman.

"Not only does cloning have a negative impact on animal welfare, we also have no long-term evidence for the impacts on health."

The European Commission proposes to ban meat and milk from clones and their offspring. The FSA board will discuss this at its December meeting, with the outcome influencing Britain's negotiations on the issue in Europe.

A spokesman said the board had asked for clarity from Europe but that any change in position was unlikely to come in the short term.

"It is for individual member states to interpret European law but, obviously, we differ from the commission on this," he said.

Friday, 26 November 2010

Bristol nursing home staff ignored dementia sufferers

26 November 2010 Last updated at 08:23

Bristol nursing home staff ignored dementia sufferers

The report highlighted issues over cleanliness and welfare at Sunnymead Manor

Carers at a Bristol nursing home ignored dementia sufferers despite repeated calls for help, inspectors have found.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said residents were left with food on their faces and clothing at Sunnymead Manor, in Southmead.

Admissions at the home have been suspended following the report.

The owner of the home, Mimosa Healthcare, has issued an "unreserved" apology for the distress caused.

"Mimosa Healthcare regrets that in recent months it has not delivered in certain areas to the high standards of care the company expects and delivers throughout its business," it said in a statement.

"We also acknowledge that this has also fallen short of the high standards rightly demanded by residents, relatives, the CQC and other partners."

The firm added it took the "concerns and issues highlighted within this report extremely seriously".

'Exposed to infection'

The CQC said it inspected the home after a member of staff there raised concerns.

Two inspections were carried out on 13 and 15 October.

Inspectors found bedrooms at Sunnymead had "offensive odours and stained carpets" while morning medication was given to residents too late.

There was also no evidence of training for staff in how to manage wounds and infection.

Ian Biggs, from the CQC, said the care at the home "fell far short of the standards people have a right to expect".

"It is even more disturbing when you consider that many of the residents here are frail, vulnerable people who are the least able to complain about the poor and unhygienic environment.

"We found clear evidence that the home is not maintaining essential standards of cleanliness, with the risk that staff and residents are exposed to healthcare associated infection."

Peter Howson was born in London

Submenu Group

Peter Howson

Frank McFadden

Graham McKean

Blind Leading the Blind III (Orange Parade), 1991.

Peter Howson OBE (born 1958) is a Scottish painter. He was an official war artist in the 1993 Bosnian Civil War.

Peter Howson was born in London and moved with his family to Prestwick, Ayrshire, when Howson was aged four. He spent a short time as an infantry soldier in the Royal Highland Fusiliers but left to study at the Glasgow School of Art in 1979 where he worked alongside contemporaries such as Adrian Wiszniewski, Steven Campbell and Ken Currie, who also worked in figurative art.

His work has encompassed a number of themes. His early works are typified by very masculine working class men, most famously in The Heroic Dosser (1987). Later he was the official war artist for the Bosnian civil war in 1993. Here he produced some of his most shocking and controversial work detailing the atrocities which were taking place at the time. One painting in particular Croatian and Muslim, detailing a rape created controversy partly because of its explicit subject matter but also because Howson had painted it from the accounts of its victims rather than witnessing it firsthand. Much of his work cast stereotypes on the lower social groups; he portrayed brawls including drunken, even physically deformed men and women.

Judas, 2002.

In recent years his work has exhibited a strong religious theme which some say is linked to the treatment of his alcoholism and drug addiction at the Castle Craig Hospital in Peebles in 2000, after which he converted to Christianity.^[1] Howson also has Asperger syndrome.^[1]

His work has appeared in other media, with his widest exposure arguably for a British postage stamp he did in 1998 to celebrate engineering achievements for the millennium, which allegedly infuriated The Queen as her head seemed to be appearing out of a chimney. In addition his work has been used on album covers by Live (Throwing Copper), The Beautiful South (Quench) and Jackie Leven (Fairytales for Hardmen).

His work is exhibited in many major collections and is in the private collection of celebrities such as David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Madonna who inspired a number of paintings in 2002.^[1]

Howson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours

The Madness of Peter Howson, BBC Four, review

Benji Wilson reviews The Madness of Peter Howson, BBC Four's profile of the painter who was driven to the edge of his sanity by an art commission, plus Misfits, the Asbo teen superhero drama on E4.

Artist Peter Howson, who has autism, is the subject of the BBC documentary The Madness of Peter Howson, which shows how a commission drove him to the edge of bankruptcy and his sanity. Photo: BBC

By Benji Wilson 7:36PM GMT 25 Nov 2010

Comments

Blame Van Gogh’s ear, or Blake and his angels in trees, or just about anything to do with Caravaggio, but we tend to like our artists a little bit wacko. Inverting the premise, artists who are financially astute, wear Boden slacks and smile politely wind up as illustrators. A little torment makes a better picture. Which is why last night’s documentary on BBC Four about the Glaswegian artist Peter Howson, whose pugnacious, almost cartoony figurations are so beloved of aesthetes like Madonna and David Bowie, was titled The Madness of Peter Howson.

Howson has suffered from drug and alcohol addiction and was diagnosed last year with Asperger’s syndrome. But in fact, Howson’s madness, if indeed any of that constitutes madness, was by far the least interesting thing about the film. Had it been titled Peter Howson Paints a Picture no one would have watched it, but ironically, the best bits were the ones where we got to watch the painter painting.

No child of the Eighties can forget the wonder of watching Rolf Harris pom-ti-pom-ti-pom-ing a blank canvas into a recognisable image with a few casual slaps of paint. It should remind us that the very best thing television can do with art, that an art gallery can’t, is to show how it is created

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00w57gt/The_Madness_of_Peter_Howson/

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Saturday, 4 December 2010