The last taboo: A guide to dementia, sexuality, intimacy and sexual behaviour in care homes ILC-UK

The International Longevity Centre - UK��launched a new paper (Wednesday, 6th July 2011). The last taboo: A guide to dementia, sexuality, intimacy and sexual behaviour in care homes, provides care home workers and managers with information and practical advice on this complex, controversial and sensitive issue.The need for affection, intimacy and relationships for people with dementia in care homes has too often been ignored and side-lined in policy and practice. The onset of old age or a cognitive impairment does not erase the need for affection, intimacy and/or relationships. While the issues involved can be complex, controversial and sensitive and may challenge our own beliefs and value system, it is essential that we understand more about them to foster a more person-centred approach to dementia care. Care home residents with dementia often have complex care needs and trying to understand and respond to the more intimate and sexual aspects of a resident’s personality can be challenging.Aimed at care home workers and managers, the guide not only provides essential information on this aspect of dementia care but offers practical advice to support current work-based practices. Set out in an accessible and easy-to-read format, this guide includes case studies, questions, suggestions and a self assessment quiz to promote easy learning. It also provides a possible pathway for care home managers to develop a guiding policy on sexual expression in dementia.The guide for care staff is summarised in 10 key points:1. Some residents with dementia will have sexual or sensual needs.2. Affection and intimacy contribute to overall health and wellbeing for residents.3. Some residents with dementia will have the capacity to make decisions about their needs.4. If an individual in care is not competent to decide, the home has a duty of care towards the individual to ensure they are protected from harm.5. There are no hard and fast rules. Assess each situation on an individual basis6. Remember not everyone with dementia is heterosexual.7. Inappropriate sexual behaviour is not particularly common in dementia.8. Confront your own attitudes and behaviour towards older people and sex generally.9. Communicate – look at how you can improve communication with your colleagues, managers, residents and carers on this subject10. Look after yourself and remember your own needs as a care professional��The full paper is available: The Last Taboo

Review Of The Circumstances Surrounding The Elapse Of Time In Bringing To Completion The Western Health Board Inquiry Into Allegations Of Abuse In The Brothers Of Charity Services, Galway

Review Of The CircumstancesSurrounding The Elapse Of TimeIn Bringing To CompletionThe Western Health Board Inquiry IntoAllegations Of Abuse In The BrothersOf Charity Services, Galway Click here to download PDF 104kb

Looked after children in Dublin and their mental health needs.

Children in care in Ireland have increased by 27% in the last decade. This population is recognized to be among the most vulnerable. This study aims to describe their placement histories, service use and mental health needs. Data was obtained on 174 children (56.5% of eligible sample) with a mean age of 10.83 (SD = 5.04). 114 (65.5%) were in care for three years or more. 29 (16.7%) did not have a SW and 49 (37.7%) had no GP. 50 (28.7%) were attending CAMHS. Long term care, frequent placement changes and residential setting were significantly related with poorer outcomes and increased MH contact. Given the increase in numbers in care and the overall decrease in resource allocation to health and social care, individual care planning and prioritizing of resources are essential.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Dementia Care Services UK Market Briefing 2009

This brand new market briefing adds to the growing national debate on the future of dementia care services, making use of a unique and extensive L&B survey (2008) of over 6,000 care homes in the UK which provide care for people with dementia. It builds on the findings of the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia UK report (2007) and the national strategy for dementia Living Well with Dementia (2009) to identify market opportunities and provide essential guidance and information with regard to planning and developing new and existing services.Key issues, facts and figures highlighted in the report include:Dementia care is a multi-billion pound market in the UK and this market is set to grow considerably.��Dementia care in care homes dominates the sector in terms of current market value.��The use of dementia home care – though significantly smaller than the equivalent market in care homes – is set to rise markedly in the future.A significant proportion of residents for whom dementia is a known cause of admission are receiving care in settings which are not dedicated to dementia care.The new national dementia strategy for England, Living Well with Dementia should provide the strongest impetus yet for growth in the market for specialist dementia care.Growing awareness surrounding inappropriate use of anti-psychotic drugs on people with dementia in care homes may have a major operational impact on some homes if controls are increased and could substantially increase costs.Despite evidence of increasing dementia specialisation, there are, as yet, no organisations to emerge with full service dementia expertise and integrated care pathways.The supply of dedicated dementia services varies dramatically by region and locality, reflecting local and regional priorities and commissioning strategies.The design and layout of care homes for people with dementia is key and there is an increasing consensus around what constitutes best practice and ‘dementia friendly design’ .Care home fees for dementia are generally higher than fees for frail elderly residents.The report is essential reading for senior executives and managers within any organisation committed to, or considering involvement in, the dementia care sector, including for-profit, 'third sector' and public sector agencies.For further information, please contact:��Market ReportsTel.��020 7833 9123 orEmail��info@laingbuisson.co.uk��Download Full Brochure including Order Form��Download Contents and Tables�� Featured item on home page:��no��

Deaths from Alzheimer's disease, dementia and senility in England: (NEoLCIN)

Care homes will face particular challenges in responding to the inevitable rise in dementia, including Alzheimer’s, according to a report published by the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network (NEoLCIN). It says commissioners and providers across adult health and social care will be faced with meeting the needs of more people dying with these conditions as the population ages. It confirms that, unlike other conditions, most people with dementia, including Alzheimer’s, die in care homes.Of those who died with one of these conditions recorded as the main underlying cause of death, some 59% died in a nursing or residential home compared to 32% in hospital. That contrasts sharply with the figure for deaths overall: nationally 58% of us die in hospital and only 16% in care homes.The report also shows that people who die from cardiovascular disease, cancer or respiratory illness are significantly more likely to die in a care home if dementia including Alzheimer’s is a contributory factor in their death.Download Deaths from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and senility in England from the NEoLCIN website

Surveillance of influenza in Northern Ireland 2012-2013

The 2012/13 influenza season started earlier than in 2011/12; however it lasted longer, with GP consultation rates being elevated for approximately four months. Clinical indices began to increase in late December and peaked in early January, with the only two instances of community syndromic indicators exceeding the baseline threshold occurring in this month. GP influenza-like illness consultation rates in 2012/13 were higher than those in the 2011/12 season for the majority of the season but remained low overall.Overall no one age-group appeared predominantly affected; however, older adults predominated during the peak period, with rates increasing in children during February. Rates for those aged 65 and over increased late in the season, and this was associated with influenza outbreaks in care homes for the elderly.

Child Sexual Exploitation in Northern Ireland Report of the Independent Inquiry (PDF 2.73MB)

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), led by Kathleen Marshall In September 2013, a Ministerial Summit was held on the theme of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) referred to Operation Owl, an investigation of allegations of CSE in Northern Ireland, which had resulted in a number of adults being interviewed and some being arrested. Two weeks later, the then Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Edwin Poots, announced three actions to address this issue: an ongoing PSNI investigation focusing on 22 children and young people; a thematic review of these cases by the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI); and an independent, expert-led inquiry into CSE in Northern Ireland, to be commissioned by the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Minister of Justice. The Minister for Education agreed that the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) would enjoin the Inquiry in relation to schools and the effectiveness of the statutory curriculum with respect to CSE. The Inquiry was to focus on both children and young people living at home in the community and those living in care. This is an executive summary of the report of this Inquiry.    

Executive Summary of Combating Malnutrition

A new BAPEN report, Combating Malnutrition: Recommendations for Action, is the culmination of work undertaken by a group of experts in malnutrition, led by BAPEN. Launched in Parliament on 10 February 2009, it sets out how the vast majority of those at risk of the condition are living in the community – and not in care homes and hospitals, where the focus of Government action has been to date. It also sets out how the disproportionate burden of malnutrition in deprived areas exacerbates health inequalities. The report puts forward 25 actions that the Government needs to lead in order to reduce both the cost of the condition to the taxpayer, and the number of those at risk.

IPH response to the HIQA consultation on the National Demographic Dataset and Guidance for use in health and social care settings in Ireland

The remit of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) is to promote cooperation for public health between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the areas of research and information, capacity building and policy advice. Our approach is to support Departments of Health and their agencies in both jurisdictions, and maximise the benefits of all-island cooperation to achieve practical benefits for people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. IPH have previously responded to consultations to the Department of Health’s Discussion Paper on the Proposed Health Information Bill (June 2008), the Health Information and Quality Authority on their Corporate Plan (Oct 2007), and the Road Safety Authority of Ireland Road Safety Strategy (Jul 2012). IPH supports the development of a national standard demographic dataset for use within the health and social care services. Provided necessary safeguards are put in place (such as ethics and data protection) and the purpose of collecting the information is fully explained to subjects, mandatory provision of a minimum demographic dataset is usually the best way to achieve the necessary coverage and data quality. Demographic information is needed in several forms to support the public health function: Detailed aggregated information for comparison to population counts in order to assess equity of access to healthcare as well as examining population patterns and trends in morbidity and mortality Accurate demographic information for the surveillance of infectious disease outbreaks, monitoring vaccination programmes, setting priorities for public health interventions Linked to other data outside of health and social care such as population data, survey data, and longitudinal studies for research and analysis purposes.   Identify and address public health issues to tackle health inequalities, and to monitor the success of such efforts to tackle them.

RQIA Review of the implementation of Promoting Quality Care (PQC) Good Practice Guidance on the Assessment and Management of Risk in Mental Health and Learning Disability Services (PDF1.07MB)

Overview Report October 2012

A Strategy for Maternity Care in Northern Ireland 2012-2012 (PDF 634KB)

DHSSPS has carried out a review of policy on maternity service provision in Northern Ireland. The review focused on the best available evidence for the care and treatment of mothers-to-be; quality, safety and service sustainability; wider workforce issues; and professional roles and responsibilities. As a result, a draft strategy was developed, which was the subject of a public consultation from 28 September 2011 to 23 January 2012. Following an analysis of the responses to the consultation, the final strategy, A Strategy for Maternity Care in Northern Ireland 2012-2018, was published on 2 July 2012.

Get your 10 a day! The Nursing Care Standards for Patient Food in Hospital (PDF 1.92 MB)

Standards to improve the nutritional care and food experience of patients in hospital.