News Archive
Johnson admits £6bn black hole in funding of care for older people
A looming £6bn black hole in the funding of social care for older people in England was acknowledged last night by Alan Johnson, the health secretary.
Survey finds 1 in 4 teenagers depressed
A mental health crisis in Britain's secondary schools was revealed in a survey showing a quarter of young teenagers are frequently depressed. The Children's Society charity, which carried out the poll, said young people were being ground down by multiple pressures at home and school.
Trouble looms for Britons racking up £25bn problem loans
The number of people struggling with their debts looks set to double during 2008 as the clampdown on lending will limit their refinancing options...
TUC attacks motherhood penalty in the workplace
The difference between men's and women's pay more than trebles when women reach their 30s, TUC research revealed today
Focusing on depression in a purely clinical way is preventing us understanding our susceptibility to it and ignores the good
it can bring, argues psychiatrist Paul Keedwell.
Managers do 40 days unpaid overtime a year to keep up with work
· Survey shows 89% exceed their contracted hours
· TUC urges workers to back 'proper hours' campaign
Richer but less happy, we are now a pill-popping people
It will take more than a change in prescription rules to break Britain's growing dependence on antidepressants.
Bridging the gap
Fed up with having no voice on issues that affect them, a group of campaigners with dementia are making themselves heard in the corridors of power. Mary O'Hara reports.
Alzheimer's: Tagging means freedom
Since her husband's death, Barbara Pointon has campaigned for better care for Alzheimer's patients. She tells Moira Petty why she believes sufferers should be electronically tagged.
People urged to ask more questions about care
People looking for care services need to ask the right questions and get expert advice before making life-changing decisions about their future, according to fresh advice published today by CSCI, the social care watchdog for England.
A BBC series on the state of social care in Britain reflects concerns about rationing. Dr Ray Jones assesses a specially commissioned calculator that helps people find out what's available and what it costs
Anti-poverty drive is failing working families
1.4m children still poor despite parent having job
Figure unchanged since 1997, says thinktank
A moving documentary about her husband's battle with Alzheimer's has made Barbara Pointon a best-known advocate for improved dementia care.
Consumer pain looms with banks to hike credit cost
Millions of people are set for their biggest ever financial hangover in the new year as the squeeze on money markets hits households across Britain.
Extend flexible working to all, ministers urged
The right to work flexibly should be available to all workers, not only parents of young children, the government was told yesterday as it published figures suggesting the traditional nine-to-five job has gone for good.
One in eight 'works 48-hour week'
People are working longer hours, reversing a 10-year trend of a cut in the working week, a report suggests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7116274.stm
Careers in Engineering Special Supplement
For a range of articles covering careers in engineering, visit Times Online's careers in engineering supplement.
Nothing but the best will do - and that's how it should be
Anyone who has worked in managing residential care for older people will tell you that it's not the residents who make it such a difficult job. No, if you don't count the staff, it's the relatives.
Kindness amid the chaos
We constantly hear reports of poor quality social care in the UK, but when Harry Ferguson's mother was terminally ill he was astonished by the compassion and professionalism of her nurses and social workers.
http://society.guardian.co.uk/longtermcare/story/0,,2197459,00.html
Elderly people 'face care fees confusion'
Older people paying out as much as £75,000 a year for a room in a care home are not being told what their money is buying and are unaware they may be subsidising other residents whose fees are paid by councils, according to a report.
http://society.guardian.co.uk/longtermcare/story/0,,2192591,00.html
The 'sandwich generation' who fill caring gap
A generation of men and women are struggling to care for children, grandchildren, ailing parents and hold down a job at the same time, according to a new report.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/25/ncare125.xml
Numbers seeking debt advice soar
The number of people seeking advice on how to meet their debts has hit record levels, the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has warned. The CAB said 1.7 million people sought debt counselling last year, up 20%. CAB is handling 6,600 debt enquiries a day. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6987909.stm
Survey finds majority give to charity
We live in a charitable society where people are more likely than not to volunteer or give money to charity, according to a survey just published by the Cabinet Office.
http://society.guardian.co.uk/voluntary/story/0,,2162807,00.html
A catalogue of abuse: report demands law to protect elderly in hospitals and care homes
Vulnerable elderly people are being subjected to neglect, abuse, discrimination and ill-treatment in the hospitals and care homes that should be looking after them, according to a report published today by a parliamentary committee.
http://society.guardian.co.uk/longtermcare/story/0,,2148898,00.html
Mental health services are failing the elderly
More than 3.5 million over-65s experience mental health problems, but most of those with depression or dementia are not even diagnosed, according to an extensive inquiry into services.
http://society.guardian.co.uk/socialcare/news/0,,2147701,00.html
Mental Health’s Voice of Reason
Jonathan Naess doesn't look like your typical mental health service user. But that is precisely the point. With his sharp suits and designer specs, the corporate finance lawyer reckons he is more typical than people think - and he has come out of the closet to prove it. Read more...
IET Connect can provide links to a wide range of specialist organisations covering topics from mental health to bereavement and debt to employment rights.
Borrowing Fears
Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, issued a stark warning to indebted households, fuelling fears that borrowing costs could soon rise to six per cent. More..
With consumer debt and insolvencies currently standing at record levels, IET Connect can help members who find themselves in trouble with money advice and financial support. For more information click here or call 0845 685 0685 to speak to an advisor.
Care Funding Debate
Gordon Brown must raise the debate on the funding of care for older people, says Stephen Burke in The Guardian. To read the story click here
IET Connect can help members with information, advice and funding for care homes. Read more here or call us on 0845 685 0685.