Care providers in tynedale / Northumberland and the care fees cap for old age

This last week I have met with 3 different providers of care:
- hospice care from tynedale hospice at home, with whom I met on Saturday. I know the team well and have fundraised for them in the past, but it was really good to meet George, the new chairman.
- on Friday I also met a number of the domicilliary care providers. They do a vital job visiting the elderly 3-4 times a day. However, it is clear that the model of care provision is particularly complicated and expensive to provide in rural areas. We are working on this and looking to meet with the county council soon.
- finally I have spent a lot of time with specific care homes of late, from discussions with Wellburn, to visiting multiple other homes lately like Helen McArdle's home in Hexham at Acomb Court.
The problems faced by all care providers and the state remain the same.
How do you provide quality care for our loved ones, in a safe and reasonably regulated setting, without making the care provision uneconomic for either the state, whether it be county council or the commissioning group, or the local business doing the providing, to run?
This is not easy.
All this in the context of the government plan to introduce a cap on adult social care costs in 2016 which will limit the amount an individual has to contribute towards the cost of their social care.
- This will lead to a £72,000 lifetime cap as to what an individual is required to pay
- The means tested threshold will rise from £23,250 to £118,000
- A deferred payments scheme will be introduced in 2015 to which should ensure that no one is forced to sell their home in their lifetime to cover care costs

What is beyond dispute are two things:
The present system unfairly penalises those who were thrifty in their adult lives and saved, such that they are forced to sell their homes to pay for care. This new reform will give certainty in old and middle age.
As we all live longer, as health outcomes get better and better, care of our ageing population is going to be a key fundamental of the way we, as individuals, and government, as the custodians of national purse, live our lives. Tyne

Ponies in Care Homes! A great North East Business helps local care home residents

Molly, a 12 hand Dartmoor Pony, stole the show at Acomb Court care home last Friday and I love the fact that the local business of Katy and Laura is so successful, and helps the residents so much.  Molly is the horse who happily takes the lift, is wonderful with residents, and who loves to be petted, and has only a slight weakness for sugar lumps. Molly is seen with her owner Laura and local resident Margaret Newton, who adored Molly and could not stop petting her. Also seen with us at the wonderful Acomb Court in Hexham are the Hexham Middle School choir - who are shortly to be heading on up to Hexham QEH. The choir were on good form, and it was good to see Elizabeth and Aneesha, 2 of  the youngsters who had come to the House of Commons and were my maths gurus who helped to change the way we do long division in this country.

I am a big fan of National Care Home Open Day. Everyone was very happy at Acomb Court.  

I had to go to do a surgery but Molly happily got in the lift and went off to meet the residents on the 1st and 2nd floors, chatting away to lots of residents. A very moving day, that I had to blog about.

Check out Laura [and Molly's] website http://mollyandmrp.com/site/about-us/