Little to stir the sap of care providers

SPRING is in the air and it appears things start to have a fresh, new beginning feel about them.

It is, usually, a time for optimism and looking forward to the warmth of summer ahead.

It is a time when nature reawakens after a long, bleak winter.

For some businesses and organisations, this is a time for their conferences and seminars, to share new ideas and fresh thinking.

But for the Government it seems, at least as far as social care is concerned, the hibernation continues.

There has been very little to stir the sap of care providers in recent weeks.

We are used to the Government ignoring warnings of problems within the care of our most vulnerable.

So, it came as no surprise when a report led by Warwick Business School went unanswered.

It said the Government had failed to support social care properly after the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic had subsided, contributing to the current crisis the sector is now in.

But when this report was published the government did not respond and continued with its sleep on this big issue, as it has for some years now.

What are we to conclude on this inaction over social care?

Maybe that the Government is keeping its powder dry for a big announcement – the long-promised reform and overhaul of the sector perhaps?

Finally, the funding we need to tackle the 165,000 staffing vacancies, stop the home and domiciliary care closures and provide care for the 1.6m who are currently going without?

I’m not holding my breath.

Rather I fear that the Government has nothing more to say on social care aside perhaps from some minor tinkering and tweaking here and there.

As far as social care is concerned, it has run out of ideas if indeed it ever had any. Which, if true, is very worrying.

It suggests we are going to have to wait until the next General Election before there is the chance of any new suggestions of where we are heading with social care reform.

That could be 18 months away and a lot of irreparable damage could be done to the care of the vulnerable in that time. How many more care and nursing homes and domiciliary care providers will close? How many more people will have to go without the care they need because funding continues to be cut?

And even when the manifestos are published, what guarantee is there that social care will be a high priority for any of the political parties with a chance to taking power? It hasn’t exactly been front and centre at the last few polls.

Maybe the answer is for social care providers to stand for election themselves next year…

Okay, so the chances of actual election might be slim on such a single-issue electoral ticket, but at least it would show to the public and to politicians the strength of feeling and concern for the plight of social care and provide a platform to air the issues.

Before then, it isn’t too late for this Government to show that it hasn’t totally run out of steam on social care. One of the problems is a lack of understanding of the issues at the heart of the Department of Health and Social Care.

But care providers are more than ready and willing to help and advise the Government on the things that need to change to help social care tackle the crisis. It isn’t all about money but tackling the critical staffing shortages has to be a high priority. We have to find a way to properly reward the workforce – a workforce that continues to work, day in day out, without resorting to strike action – despite being underpaid and undervalued.

They at least deserve parity with their NHS counterparts who are being better rewarded after, in some cases, taking to the picket lines.

The signs are not encouraging.

Far from supporting the sector, the Government continues to cut funding – witness the recent halving of the workforce development budget from £500m to £250m – hardly the act of a Government looking to make progress on the reform of our sector.

The Government needs to wake up from its winter slumbers on social care and show us that it cares for the sector and has a plan.

People are understandably disillusioned and have lost faith in politics and politicians.

But we cannot and should not have to wait until a General Election more than a year away before people who need support right now get come help.

AAT takes steps to help address adaptation delay

AAT the stairclimber people have developed an initiative to support adaptation delivery teams in reducing delay – cutting the process to a matter of days/weeks.

The result is achieved through prescription, where appropriate, of an AAT S-Max stairclimber with Universal Back.

The Class I Medical Device certified stairclimber manages the risk of navigating stairs, without the delay and disruption of alternative stair transfer methods.

The addition of the Universal Back to the stairclimber means each “passenger” is correctly positioned and secure during the transfer process, with an accessory that can easily adapt to their requirements as their condition changes- and those of another user in the future.

The combination provides a proven, safe way of enabling someone with reduced mobility to access all levels of their home environment achievable in a matter of days: the combination of S-Max and Universal Back can be delivered to the client within a working week of receipt of order.

The speed of delivery is complimented by AAT’s assessment managers, who endeavour to be with the client, and undertake the free, no obligation assessment, within 10 working days.

“Someone’s ability to navigate stairs in one of the most common issues requiring an adaptation or delaying hospital discharge,” said Peter Wingrave, AAT director.

“Our S-Max/Universal Back combo is, where appropriate, a viable, practical solution.

“It can be delivered within a working week of order, with full training given. It requires no structural alteration to the home, nor installation.

If/when no longer needed, it can be taken into stores and re-issued – expediating another adaptation without the need for grant funding.

“It can help prevent future admission/ re-admission, by reducing the risk of a fall on the stairs- one of the top home hazards.

“With the current, and ongoing pressure on NHS and social care services, surely it makes sense, where reasonable and practical, to make use of such resources?”

Enquiries: Further details of the AAT S-Max and Universal Back can be found at https://www.aatgb.com/s-max/ or by emailing