PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 55
EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital! Wonderful news this week that the UK recorded has no Covid deaths for the first time since the pandemic began.
Editor
Peter Adams
According to statistics released by the Office of National Statistics, death rates over the last three months, and the numbers of people being admitted to hospital and catching the virus have all gone steadily down. Add to that the increasing numbers of people getting their first and second doses of vaccines, which bodes well for the future.
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This is the often neglected side of residential care by mainstream media, which I have often found disappointing. Very quick to publish salacious stories, but not so quick to publish many “feelgood stories”, ones putting joy and fun into residents lives after a devastating year. sector news.
So much so we have decided to include yet another Unsung Hero award! Yes, our “no-frills glitz or glamour” award of a luxury hamper for somebody working in a residential/nursing care environment from any department who has gone the extra mile and deserves a bit of recognition! (See page 17). I would also draw your attention to our front-page story, which comes as no surprise to anybody. There is no doubt that the former government adviser Dominic Cummings’ evidence last week was “explosive”. There was no plan! We introduced this weekly digital edition right at the beginning of the pandemic and so far have published 55 weekly digital editions, and 7 Bi monthly printed editions, as well as daily updating our website with the latest
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Another sign that life that the sector may be beginning to return to normal is the increased number of wonderfully uplifting stories we are receiving at the moment!
Residents leaving their care environment to enjoy an outdoor trip for the first time in a year, another involving a care resident getting hundreds of centenary birthday cards from around the world, a visually impaired artist curating his own gallery in a care home, memory walks, a resident creating a library - all initiatives and activities putting joy intoresidents, families' and staff's lives!
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I think I would have seen a plan during that time! Dominic Cummings is, from what I have seen, saying that the Health Secretary made an unconditional promise not to send potentially infected patients into care homes, which is the most serious allegation and one, I hasten to point out, that the Health Secretary has refuted. I do hope, however, that instead of ongoing public “spats”, with allegations being bandied about to “settle old scores”, that we will see the government’s response to the pandemic laid out in a formal and full independent inquiry. After which an immediate government mandate to reform the social care sector. COVID-19 has put adult social care firmly in the public, political and media spotlight, highlighting the vital value of social care to the wider public and this interest needs to be channelled in the debate about the future of care and support. Long-term reform is urgently needed and has been for decades, and the government has an ideal opportunity to learn from past mistakes and fund and reform the sector to ensure those mistakes are not made again and to do so at the earliest opportunity.
EDITOR Peter Adams SALES EXECUTIVES Sylvia Mawson David Bartlett Guy Stephenson TYPESETTING & DESIGN Matthew Noades PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Shelly Roche Published by