Dementia at home and work – the legal (and non-legal) implications Eighty percent of the nations wealth is owned by those over 50. The numbers of people living with dementia over the age of 65 is on the increase. What are the implications for you, your family and your business? How can you best act for […]
Category: Social care
Would a little more conversation have kept Ashya King’s parents out of jail?
Are doctors and other hospital staff good communicators, when it comes to talking to patients and families? Some of them are, but as the “My name is campaign” seems to have illustrated lot of medical staff aren’t. “I was in hospital recently” said a colleague of mine, when I asked her about the campaign. “Someone […]
Everyone has the right to a day at the seaside
It’s a universal right to get sand between your toes, smell the ozone, hear the seagulls, watch the tide lapping the shore and eat an ice cream. This applies if you are one or 101. Whatever stage your dementia has reached all of these can be experienced in the moment and enjoyed. They are also […]
The right to die? Post script 1
“….nothing should be decided “lightly, wantonly or unadvisedly”. Following on from my blog of yesterday, there is a lot more in the press today. Including a report in the Independent that a letter written by cleric Christopher Jones who died from cancer is being sent to all members of the House of Lords urging them to oppose […]
The right to die – assisted death or assisted suicide?
Should we have the right to decide whether we live or die? Is it right to help a person end their life? Since 1961 it has not been illegal to commit suicide. The State recognises we have the right to end our lives if we want to. It’s important though to draw a distinction between assisted suicide […]
Poor care could get you five years in jail
It’s time all those involved in the care of the vulnerable woke up to their obligations under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (‘the Act’). Eighty per cent of people living in care homes have a form of dementia or severe memory problem. They are all entitled to have their rights under the Act respected. While, at […]
Can you still be made to retire at 65?
Since April 2011 you have not been able to dismiss employees just because they’ve reached the age of 65. So can you still have a retirement age of 65? Yes provided you can show “it was a proportionate way of achieving a legitimate aim,” or in plain English that it was reasonable in all […]
The Right to say NO
We all have the right to refuse medical treatment. If it is carried out without our consent then it can constitute an assault and give rise to both civil and criminal proceedings. But what is the position if we are unconscious at the time or otherwise lacking in mental capacity? If we do lack […]
Who cares wins
The report on the shortcomings at Mid Staffordshire Hospital has been truly shocking. Key findings include: A lack of consideration for patients Acceptance of poor standards A failure to put the patient first A number of other hospitals are now being investigated over abnormal death rates. With a rapidly ageing population we need, more than […]