A lot is said about the importance of joining up health and social care. The historical disconnect between the NHS, providing healthcare that is free at the point of delivery, and social services, offering social care subject to means tests and strict eligibility criteria, is a root cause of the current adult social care crisis.

There is only one statutory mechanism in place to address this problem: the Better Care Fund.

I'm pleased to say that we now have an area of Independent Living dedicated to this subject, where we will be covering anything Better Care Fund-related.

Find out more here

 

Recorded online disability hate crime has increased by a third.

The charity Leonard Cheshire made Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to police forces across England and Wales, which revealed the shocking increase.

It is difficult to know whether the figures truly represent a rise in incidents, or the fact that some police forces have become more proactive in this area, and more disabled people are willing to speak up about online hate crime.

Read more here

 

Government figures suggest that 40 percent of people who could be eligible for pension credit don't claim it. That is 1.3 million pensioners missing out on financial support they are entitled to. 

Rules change today, adversely affecting couples with a disparity in age, but claims can be backdated for up to 3 months, so act quickly if you are in this situation.

We have the latest information here

 

Stroke is the primary cause of disability in the UK – it affects both men and women and can occur at any age, yet it seems that we don't know much about it, generally speaking.

For example, a recent study by the Stroke Association found that more than a quarter of the adult population don't know where in the body a stroke occurs...

Find out more here

 

A case study in utilising adaptive equipment in the bathroom to maintain independence.

Dave Ralph took up wheelchair rugby in his 50s and cycled from London to Paris to raise money for spinal injury charities. 

His Closomat shower toilet was installed with a Disabled Facilities Grant and allows him to manage his personal hygiene unaided.

Read more here

 

A reminder that the first annual Healthy Housing Awards will close for entries on 20th May – so you need to get a wiggle on if you would like to nominate your service or a colleague who is doing an exceptional job.

The awards celebrate the great work carried out by home improvement agencies, local authorities and housing associations across the country and will be presented at a prestigious ceremony in Westminster in September.

More details here

 

Don't forget that you can apply to join the Independent Living Facebook group, if you would like to spend more time discussing these themes with other interested people. 

There are various ways you can get in touch with us: email me; visit our Facebook page and leave a message there; or if it's short and sweet, Tweet!

Previous newsletters are archived here.

If you are reading a copy of the Independent Living newsletter that has been passed on to you by a colleague or friend, why not sign up for your own free subscription – it's quick and easy, and won't lead to your inbox being bombarded with other stuff!

Until next time, best wishes,

Frances