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Welcome to Care Home Reviews this is your site providing unbiased and real reviews of care, nursing & residential homes from visits by real people. Share your experiences and recommendations; see what others have said....more

If you have good experiences tell us about them; if you have had not so good experiences please also tell us - help us to help others achieve better care for their love ones. To view practical and unbiased information concerning the choices of homes for your loved one, go to "Advice And Information

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Why we are here.....

It is considered that 1 in 4 of us have either organised or are in the process of organising care for a relative or friend *, but there is still a huge lack of awareness as to the different care and funding options that are available. *TNS Omnibus Research

Councils warned to plan for long-term care of elderly
Friday 19th February 2010 By Hannah Bargery from Wirral Globe

Councils will struggle to meet the costs of an ageing population if new long-terms plans are not put in place, according to a local government spending watchdog. An increase in the number of older people means the cost of providing care services could almost double by 2026 at the same time as public spending cuts require local authorities to find billions of pounds in extra savings, the audit commission said.

The watchdog's report, Under Pressure, called on councils in England to put the needs of older people at the heart of their plans. It warned that by 2026, 40% of the population will be over 50 compared to 34% last year which could lead to serious financial challenges. Councils are being urged to tackle poor housing, health problems and social isolation and avoiding cuts falling on 'soft targets' that contribute to older people's well-being. Michael O'Higgins, audit commission chairman, said: "Innovative, personalised services mean older people stay independent longer, saving public money.

"There are huge financial pressures on councils in the years ahead, but re-designing services and exploiting technology can make them better, more efficient and more personal. "Some councils are showing the way, tackling the causes of ill-health and social isolation, reducing the need for expensive social care and helping people live well in later life.

Liberal Democrats oppose plan for free home care for elderly
From The Times February 22, 2010 - Sam Lister, Health Editor

Gordon Brown's policy of free home care for the elderly will suffer its most serious setback yet this morning when the Liberal Democrats become the first party to oppose the plan.

Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, will announce that unpaid carers who look after relatives for more than 50 hours a week would instead get a week's holiday cover out of money allocated by the Prime Minister for free care. In a speech to the King's Fund think-tank, Mr Clegg will become the most high-profile critic of Mr Brown's pledge to give 400,000 people with "critical needs" free care at home. Concerns have been raised that the policy has not been costed properly, would detract from other services, and was little more than "back-of-the-envelope" electioneering by Mr Brown.

Mr Clegg will describe the plan - proposed unexpectedly by the Prime Minister at his conference speech last October - as a "cynical promise ... everyone now knows will actually lead to cuts in care budgets for some of the most vulnerable elderly people". Until now, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have opted not to block the legislation, for fear that the public would see it as a rejection of the offer of free care. The most vociferous critics have been from within Mr Brown's own party, and local authority leaders alarmed at its cost.

The Liberal Democrat party leader will acknowledge that his party had initially supported the Personal Care at Home Bill, which passed through the House of Commons, but now accepted that it was fundamentally flawed....more

Singing 'rewires' damaged brain
By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News, 21st February 2010

Teaching stroke patients to sing "rewires" their brains, helping them recover their speech, say scientists. By singing, patients use a different area of the brain from the area involved in speech. If a person's "speech centre" is damaged by a stroke, they can learn to use their "singing centre" instead. Researchers presented these findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in San Diego. An ongoing clinical trial, they said, has shown how the brain responds to this "melodic intonation therapy".

Gottfried Schlaug, a neurology professor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, US, led the trial. The therapy is already established as a medical technique. Researchers first used it when it was discovered that stroke patients with brain damage that left them unable to speak were still able to sing. Professor Schlaug explained that his was the first study to combine this therapy with brain imaging - "to show what is actually going on in the brain" as patients learn to sing their words....more

Pensioners face 'pay as you die' council tax scheme, claim Tories Daily Mail 22nd February 2010

Pensioners could face pressure to join a 'pay as you die' council tax scheme, Tories claimed today. Conservatives said the plans amounted to a 'death tax' whereby pensioners could have the option to defer council tax bills until after their death. The Opposition said a deferment scheme being piloted in Northern Ireland could be extended to England if Labour won a fourth term at the general election. Under the measures, older people can choose to stop paying local rates - with the outstanding bill, plus interest, collected when their property is sold or they die.

Shadow communities secretary Caroline Spelman suggested it would be applied to council tax as well, turning it into a 'second inheritance tax. This is another savage raid on the savings of the elderly. Pension funds were first, then social care, and now people's homes,' she said....more

Care and Support Conference Statement Friday 19 February 2010

Key voices in the care and support world came together today and discussed the key issues facing the care and support system, to give their views to national and local politicians. It was a helpful, broad ranging, high level discussion that helped to build consensus towards a White Paper . This report summarises views given by attendees at the conference and was agreed by delegates at the final session as a summary to provide to politicians.....more

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