ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

  • Home
  • Community Journalist
  • Events
  • Media Page and Press Kit
    • Projects and Work
  • Resources & Documents
    • LGBTQ+ Support Groups and Documents
  • Archives
  • Contact

Caring for Family – Hospital A&E

18/06/2015 By ACOMSDave

Family CaringOver the last year I have had to take my father into Belfast hospital A&E  for assessment and admission following a pro-longed illness and time at home – this occurred on a number of occasions.  The waiting times at A&E from time registered to time of admission into the ward have been 11-12 hours on each occasion – and according to the hospital staff, these were not busy, busy days!

The staff in the wards were excellent and they managed to get my father stabilised; however in the first instance whilst they resolved his physical symptoms they did not tactical underlying problem, and he was discharged after nearly three weeks to his home and myself.  This discharge was pushed through due the urgent need to release beds for new patients, and when I arrived in the evening to pick my father up I found him sitting in his pyjamas, dressing gown and with a blanket wrapped around him beside the desk in the reception area; totally unsure of where he was and why he was being asked to sit there.  I further had the indignity of having to dress him into his street clothes by using the toilet, as there was nothing else available.  This whole situation further stressed him out, and when I did get him home he slipped into  the illness and went straight back to where it had been before admission, and after another 4 weeks of both stress for my father and myself, he was again admitted to hospital, and this time was taken onto a ‘Ward for the Elderly’ where he was assessed as having dementia.

From this point forward the route was fairly well planned, and he ended up being discharged to a great nursing home ‘Ben Madigan’ in Newtownabbey.  The staff here have proved to be wonderful and very supportive of both my dad and myself, for being in the midst of dementia is stressful for both the parties – the family member diagnosed and the rest of the family supporting.

Illness at any time is stressful, but when the patient is suffering from such a debilitating disease as dementia, then more care must be taken in hospitals and our NHS to ensure a quality of care above that of what we expect.

 

Filed Under: Editor to ACOMSDave Tagged With: A&E, Belfast A&E, dementia

Physiotherapy can transform the NHS and lives of older adults

19/05/2015 By ACOMSDave

The Guardian – Wednesday 13 May 2015 16.15 BST Last modified on Wednesday 13 May 2015 16.18 BST

 

There are three million falls annually among older people, and the cost to the health service is estimated to be £2.3bn a year

 

Dean Metz

Physiotherapist Dean Metz says that falls in old age are not inevitable. Photograph: Dan Prince Kate Murray

Starting an exercise regime in your 70s or 80s may sound unusual. But for a growing number of older people it could help them hold on to their independence for longer, and reduce the pressure on families, carers and the health and social care system.

“There is a lot of evidence that physical activity and exercise are valuable however old you are, and that frail, older people gain the most benefit,” says Louise McGregor, vice-chair of the Agile professional network for physiotherapists working with older people. “You are really never too old. We now have a lot more people who live into their 100s and they can still benefit from the right type of exercise.”

Prescribing more activity for older people is part of a more proactive approach by physiotherapists to prevent a loss of mobility and independence.
But first, says McGregor, we need to challenge some of the beliefs about ageing among older people, their carers and even some health professionals: “When people start to slow down, it’s not necessarily a part of normal ageing.

“We have to dispel the myth that nothing is reversible, when actually for many people problems of balance and muscle weakness can be addressed even when you’re in your 90s.”

The impact of a carefully tailored physiotherapy regime can be significant, in some cases, according to McGregor, a relatively small input can “transform lives”.

However, with an ageing population putting a strain on the NHS and social care – over-65s now account for 70% of bed days in hospital – there is also a real financial pay-off. There are three million falls annually among older people, and the cost to the NHS is estimated to be £2.3bn a year.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy believes that almost 200,000 of those falls could be prevented annually through physiotherapy-led prevention services, which would save £275m.

When people slow down, it’s not necessarily a part of normal ageing
Louise McGregor
One notable success story is in the north-east, where a multi-disciplinary falls prevention service at South Tyneside district hospital offers a “one-stop” clinic with joint assessments by a nurse and a physiotherapist to identify what may be causing patients’ falls and what can be done to help prevent them in future.

Dean Metz, falls specialist physiotherapist at the hospital, explains that the process includes everything from blood pressure and vision tests, to a full balance-and-strength assessment with follow-up programmes devised to help.

“As a child, when we develop, we learn to do things like stand on one leg. Often, as older adults, we need to relearn those skills, so we will do that with them in a safe environment,” he says.

Metz believes it is important to challenge the belief that falls are inevitable in older age. “A lot of older adults feel it’s just a natural part of getting older, they’ll say: ‘Oh, I fell over, I’m getting on,’” he says.

“And there’s a big amount of fear. Older adults don’t necessarily want to tell anyone in case people say maybe they shouldn’t be living on their own or maybe it’s time for them to go into a home.

“We want to encourage them to have that discussion as it’s important when it could be something simple to address.”

The programme has had some impressive results: 81% of patients reported a decrease in falls in the six months after visiting the service, although Metz says the real figure may be lower as patients were self-reporting. However, he says that he can see for himself the difference the service makes: “It’s wonderful to see one of my patients out and about.

“They are so grateful that they have got such an important part of their life back and they no longer feel prisoners in their own home.”

Another area where physiotherapy can have a real benefit is with people with dementia, where physiotherapists can play a key part in assessing a patient’s needs and ensuring high-quality care.

McGregor, who is also an allied health professional therapist consultant, older people rehabilitation, at St George’s NHS trust in London, says she often supports those with dementia and their carers, and is passionate about the difference physiotherapy can make.

“Working with people with dementia, you have to be a lot more adaptable and more creative. You have to be flexible – an older person with dementia would still benefit from exercise, but may not remember to do those exercises,” she says.

“However, getting to know the person can really help – finding out what they used to do can be helpful in finding a way to communicate. Then you can get really good results.”

Filed Under: Editor to ACOMSDave Tagged With: Dan Metz, dementia, physiotherpay

Bradford leads the way in fight against dementia

19/05/2015 By ACOMSDave

Bradford Telegraph and Argus Last updated 14:09 Monday 18 May 2015 by Claire Wilde, City Hall Reporter

Bradford leads the way in the fight against dementia
Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Photograph of the Author by Claire Wilde, City Hall Reporter

A PIONEERING project looks set to put Bradford at the forefront of the battle against dementia.
Bradford Council has teamed up with a host of organisations, including two of the country’s top three universities, on what is being described as the most comprehensive study of its kind ever carried out by a local authority.
In an 18-month project, public health bosses, academics, hospitals and GPs, voluntary groups, patients and their families have come together to show how dementia affects people’s lives in Bradford.
The work shines a light on the current picture in the district, as well as looking forward to what the problem might look like in five years’ time.
It will also set out an action plan of what health bosses and others will need to do to help prevent people developing dementia, improve the lives of those with the condition and ease the burden it places on families.
The findings will be revealed today, but are expected to show that the number of people with dementia is predicted to rise by an estimated 15 per cent by 2020, to around 5,750.
And to mark the beginning of dementia awareness week today, those involved are unveiling a new five-year dementia strategy for the district.
Dr Andrew O’Shaughnessy, consultant in public health for Bradford Council, is one of those who has been leading the project.
He said dementia was “one of the greatest, if not the single greatest, health and social care challenge we are currently dealing with”.
He said: “People are living longer. It’s basic arithmetic to say we are going to get more dementia, because it is predominantly – but not exclusively – a disease of old age.
“We don’t have a way of curing dementia. I know people are working on it but it is not something we can afford to look at because it is not on our radar. It is not on anybody’s radar.
“What we want to do is we want people to live well with dementia.”
Dr O’Shaughnessy said another important aspect of the work was looking into how people’s lifestyles affected the likelihood they would develop the condition in the first place.
He said: “One in three cases of dementia is the result of bad lifestyle choices.
“Quitting smoking, improving your diet and getting enough exercise at a younger age could help prevent people getting dementia in the first place.
“We’re also looking at how we can improve the quality of life for those with the disease by allowing people with dementia to stay in their own homes for as long as possible and further improving the care they get.”
In one groundbreaking strand of the work, health bosses have teamed up with world-class academics from Oxford University and the London School of Economics on a five-year research project funded by the Health Foundation.
The research, which is now under way, aims to measure the cost-effectiveness of every £1 spent on dementia projects in the district, so funding can be ploughed into the most value-for-money schemes.

YOUR VOTE
Do you think enough is done to help dementia sufferers and their carers?
Yes:
Bradford Telegraph and Argus: results 10%
No:
Bradford Telegraph and Argus: results 90%
Thanks for voting – this ballot is now closed

Dr O’Shaughnessy said throughout the project they had been working very closely with Bradford University’s School of Dementia Studies, keen to harness the expertise on their doorstep.
And he said Bradford was now leading the way with work to create dementia-friendly communities.
The new five-year strategy sets out five main aims for the district’s health and care services.

They are:
– To keep people with dementia in their homes for as long as possible;
– To increase the focus on dementia in care homes;
– To increase awareness of prevention of dementia through healthy lifestyles;
– To provide high-quality end-of-life care for people with dementia;
– To enable people to live well with dementia.

Councillor David Green, council leader and chairman of the district’s Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “The welfare of vulnerable people is a priority for the district and addressing health inequalities.
“Bradford district is leading the way in developing a number of dementia-friendly programmes and the actions that come from this strategy will make a real difference to people’s lives.
“The work being carried out in Bradford is pioneering and at the forefront of dementia research, which will enable other local authorities to develop their own strategies.”

Filed Under: Editor to ACOMSDave Tagged With: Bradford, dementia, local government

Categories

Copyright ACOMSDave.com © 2023