older people

Background: We aimed to investigate quality of life ratings among people with varying severity of dementia and their carers, recruited in general hospital.

This study was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research and King’s College London and commissioned and co-funded by Comic Relief and the Department of Health. It presents findings of in-depth interviews with a selection of older people who have experienced abuse and mistreatment.

The majority of adults with a learning disability live with family carers, many of whom are ageing and have support needs of their own. Planning for the future thus becomes the key to preventing a crisis situation when family care is no longer viable because of death or ill health. Existing knowledge and practice are largely based upon the perspective of professionals and carers. This study explores the views, aspirations and concerns of adults with a learning disability, about living at home and planning for the future.

Background: A previous study in Amsterdam showed that combined family support in the Meeting Centres Support Programme, in which dementia patients and their carers are both supported by one professional staff member, is more effective in influencing behaviour problems and mood of dementia patients living in the community than non-integrated support, such as day care only.

Objective: A multi-centre implementation study tests if similar effects are achieved in other regions of The Netherlands.

This 2-disc set include information developed as part of the Mutual Caring Project. The Mutual Caring Project was set up to help promote recognition of good practice and develop improved service provision for older families where the balance of the caring relationship between the long-term family carer (often a parent) and the person with learning disabilities (normally an adult son or daughter) has changed. This disc set highlights this neglected area and provides evidence of practical approaches that can be used in different settings.

Written from an American perspective, this book tackles head on the powerful myths and discriminatory attitudes that underlie one of the unspoken moral disasters of contemporary life: that so many older people die, before their time, cut off from their family and their homes, unhappy and alone.

The author had a shock when she visited her mother in India and discovered the realities of caring for a person with mental health problems. Here she describes the difficulties that many carers cope with on a daily basis.

Objectives: In recent years advanced technologies, such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS), allow for tracking of human spatial activity and provide the ability to intervene to manage that activity. The purpose of this study is to examine the issue of who should decide about the use of electronic tracking using GPS for people with dementia.

Literature on responsibility of adult children for aging parents reflects lack of conceptual clarity. The authors examined filial concepts across five cultural groups: African-, Asian-, Euro-, Latino-, and Native Americans. Data were randomly divided for scale development (n = 285) and cross-validation (n = 284). Exploratory factor analysis on 59 items identified three filial concepts: Responsibility, Respect, and Care.

Key messages:

• Many older people see personal budgets as offering them more independence, as well as choice and control. The biggest concerns are managing the money and understanding what it can be spent on.

• Personal budgets can be held in several ways. Personal budget holders need clear information about what is involved – including risk and safety and help with assessment and planning. Knowledgeable staff are particularly important.