Age And Stage

A guide to homecare

In the final episode of series 1, Annabel & Daisy speak with Cameron Young, CEO of trinityhomecare.co.uk about the evolving home care sector in the UK, and the need for early planning and community support, Get in touch with your comments & questions Email: ageandstage@agespace.org  Voicenote: www.speakpipe.com/ageandstage WhatsApp: 07982 360113 Share Age & Stage with friends & family: https://pod.link/1798413657 Age Space: www.agespace.org Key points: Early planning is essential, a subject that has come up in many of our podcast episodes. There are varied strands of home care - including live-in care, preventative care and dementia support. Technology is increasingly being used - positively - in enhancing care. We explain CQC ratings and how to gauge a care home that currently isn't CQC rated (through no fault of their own). ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Financial advice for later life - from a chartered financial planner

This episode is not intended as individual financial advice. You should always speak to an independent financial advisor. Mel Kenny is a chartered financial planner at https://rad-new.com/ [https://rad-new.com/] and a regional coordinator with https://societyoflaterlifeadvisers.co.uk/ [https://societyoflaterlifeadvisers.co.uk/]. He discusses the financial considerations for elderly individuals and their families. He emphasises the importance of soft skills in financial advice, such as listening and providing reassurance. Key topics include annuities, equity release, and trusts, which can help manage care costs and help decisions when it comes to a reliance on local authorities. Kenny also highlights the challenges of balancing financial planning with emotional needs, the role of SOLLA in providing accredited advisors, and the complexities of NHS continuing care. He stresses the importance of comprehensive financial advice that considers both financial stability and emotional well-being. Get in touch with your comments & questions Email: ageandstage@agespace.org  Voicenote: www.speakpipe.com/ageandstage WhatsApp: 07982 360113 Share Age & Stage with friends & family: https://pod.link/1798413657 Age Space: www.agespace.org Key points: Explore annuity options to cover potential care costs. Investigate lifetime mortgages as a way to access home equity without having to move. Seek a care needs assessment from the local authority to determine funding support. It is essential for the advisor to listen to clients and make them feel heard, which can make a significant difference in meetings. The emotional aspect of financial advice should be considered and the importance of providing reassurance to clients and their families. The 'Care Cap' was proposed as a solution to the challenges of long-term planning for care funding. This idea has now been scrapped and the focus is on the wider government review and plan, with some clarity coming in 2026. There is an annual allowance for gifting money, along with other small transfers, but this is bound up in various rules and regulations which should be considered. In what can be a confusing and changing financial world, the best advice is often to build up assets to a point where potential care needs can likely be covered. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Choosing care homes - your questions answered

Debbie Harris from the elderly care and retirement-living directory autumna.co.uk discusses the complexities of choosing a care home with Daisy and Annabel. She highlights the need for quick decision-making, with a typical six-week window, how Autumna supports over 3,000 families monthly, offering a care-finding tool and a seven-day advice line. The discussion also explores the current challenges facing the Care Quality Commission and the importance of understanding care needs, along with the impact of hospital discharge delays, and much more. Get in touch with your comments & questions Email: ageandstage@agespace.org  Voicenote: www.speakpipe.com/ageandstage WhatsApp: 07982 360113 Share Age & Stage with friends & family: https://pod.link/1798413657 Age Space: www.agespace.org Key takeaways from this episode: Using a directory like Autumna, Identify what type of care is needed (e.g., residential, nursing, complex, dementia) and search for care homes accordingly. It's important to identify a good care home, although the subjective nature of quality care to suit each individual means 'one size' rarely fits all. Autumna offers a huge number of filters in the search function, covering pets, gender and LGBTQ+ wishes, food preferences and much more. Consider factors like location, price, additional care needs, behaviors, nursing specialisms, food requirements, disability support, room types, and nearby services when searching for a care home. Ensure power of attorney is in place and understand how long any available funds will realistically last before needing a transition to local authority funding (balancing circumstances with location choices, alongside the available budget). Autumna is transparent and provides unbiased information. Consider respite care as a temporary measure to get the elderly relative back on their feet before potentially returning home. The conversation touches on the importance of positive social care stories - of which there are many - and the need for better press for the vast majority of cases. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Mediators for later life

Margaret Doyle and Tracey Adamson are 'Elder Mediators'. We discuss the role of mediation in helping families to resolve issues and concerns about care and support for elderly parents and relatives.  We also cover the challenges and benefits of elder mediation, including intergenerational conflicts, estrangement, and care issues. Get in touch with your comments & questions Email: ageandstage@agespace.org  Voicenote: www.speakpipe.com/ageandstage WhatsApp: 07982 360113 Share Age & Stage with friends & family: https://pod.link/1798413657 Age Space: www.agespace.org Mediation differs from therapy, focusing on practical solutions and respecting all parties' rights. They highlight the importance of addressing unspoken issues and the role of active listening and "I" statements. The conversation also touches on the gender dynamics in caregiving and the potential for mediation in resolving disputes with care providers. The episode emphasises the need for early, non-confrontational conversations and the benefits of mediation in achieving sustainable solutions. Mentioned In The Episode: The Elder Mediation International Network: https://elder-mediation-international.net/ [https://elder-mediation-international.net/] Sandeep Jauhar - My Father's Brain https://amzn.eu/d/3XUyWq1 Kathryn Mannix - Listen https://amzn.eu/d/d7eW0Sj Hourglass https://www.wearehourglass.org/ [https://www.wearehourglass.org/] Summary: "Tracey speaking about the fact that mediators love conflict because it's the catalyst for change. I think that's a very sort of interesting and positive way to think about how you're feeling perhaps at this stage in discussing elderly care with parents and relatives. You know, it's a step in the process. I also thought, of course, obvious, but something you never think about that there may not be obvious conflict, just decades of baggage that you've carried around with you since you were a kid. So trying to sort of see that for what it is, I think, is probably really helpful. And then the notion that all of this is tainted with grief and loss, and, you know, fear for your parents and the fact that they're sort of slowly ebbing away before you, that's a really important dynamic in all of this. I also thought what was really important was ageism and its impact, and how we think about our elderly parents and relatives. And we need to think about it much sooner and in that broader context, and I think finally, but almost most importantly, finding the right time to have these conversations. Of course, it doesn't need to be around the kitchen table or the dining room table, which you know, as we know, can feel quite confrontation but actually out on the walk when you're side by side with each other. So a huge thank you to Margaret and Tracey". ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Organising The Rest Of Your Life

Peter Thornton, author of "The Later Years" (https://amzn.eu/d/1bPRHfQ) discusses practical advice for organising one's life in the later years. He describes his experience with older parents and friends, emphasising the importance of practical checklists and positive outlooks. He advises drafting a will, creating a "death file" with essential documents, and maintaining physical and social health. Thornton also highlights the benefits of technology like video doorbells and personal alarms for safety. The conversation touches on the need for legal paperwork, such as lasting powers of attorney and advanced decisions, to ensure one's wishes are met. Get in touch with your comments & questions Email: ageandstage@agespace.org  Voicenote: www.speakpipe.com/ageandstage WhatsApp: 07982 360113 Share Age & Stage with friends & family: https://pod.link/1798413657 Age Space: www.agespace.org Key Points: Draft a will Create an "on-death" or "death" file with important personal and financial information. Consider home-sharing or taking in a lodger to provide companionship and additional support. Ensure smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and emergency response systems are in place and functioning properly. Explore the use of smart home technologies and monitoring systems to support independent living. Consider creating an advance decision or advance statement to communicate your wishes regarding medical treatment. Peter refers to 'Telecare' & 'Telehealth' services. More information can be found here: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/care/housing-options/adapting-home/telecare/ [https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/care/housing-options/adapting-home/telecare/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.