Latest news with #carer
Telegraph
22-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
‘I make life and death decisions, but earn as much as a supermarket worker'
When people think about care work, they probably imagine it's all just wiping bums. But it's so much broader – and so much more complex – than they realise. It's about companionship, advocacy and emotional support on top of all the physical and medical support. Yes, there are bums to clean, but it's not just elderly people. I support younger people too – those with learning difficulties, autism and wheelchair users who just need help getting into routines. Sometimes we even help with pet care, or I'll take a lady to church so she can maintain her faith. It's about keeping people safe in the broadest sense of the word. I'm a domiciliary carer, which means I visit people in their own homes rather than working in a care institution. My mum worked in care homes, but I didn't like the idea of being stuck in one place for the whole shift. I wanted to be out in the community, moving from one person to the next. I liked the idea of letting people live the life they want. Most days, I start at 7am and get home by around 5pm. Normally, I'll see up to eight clients, with each visit lasting between 45 minutes and one hour. But occasionally, I do a double shift, which can involve 16 clients in a single day. Mornings are my favourite, I feel it's so critical to give people a good start to the day. It just sets them up. I'll get clients up, washed, dressed, give them their medication and ensure they have enough breakfast and fluids. I check for things like skin integrity, their mood and whether they have enough food in for the rest of the day. You also want to make sure they're comfortable, anything from getting the TV remote to finding their dentures, glasses or hearing aids! Visits at dinner-time are the same in reverse, whereas lunch calls are shorter and more focused on offering company. In some cases, I might be the only person they see all day, so being there, even just to have a chat, is really important. I became a care worker three years ago, which was a radical career pivot. Before that, I worked in the corporate world as a project manager for over a decade, but I became extremely unwell mentally through the stress. I was in my late-30s, and I knew I had to make a change. I didn't want to sit in front of a computer any more. I wanted to be out and about, helping people. So I became a carer, and I'm really glad I did, despite its challenges. The training was short, but brilliant. Fortunately, the horrors of Covid had passed by then. People know how expensive their care is, so they're often shocked when I explain that only a fraction of their fees go to the carer. I earn around £28,000 a year (more than a 50pc pay drop from my corporate job, meaning I've swapped one stress for another, given my finances are now tighter).
South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong carer hotline to scale up operations after handling 100,000 calls in 2 years
A carer support hotline commissioned by the Hong Kong government handled almost 100,000 calls in nearly two years since its launch, with operations set to be scaled up to meet growing demand. Advertisement Operated by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, the 24-hour '182183' hotline provides emotional support and referrals to welfare services. It is staffed by more than 100 social workers, who work in shifts across 30 phone lines. Since its launch in September 2023, amid a spate of family tragedies involving stressed carers, the operator had handled 99,899 calls as of June 30 this year, according to Venus Ho Ka-yi, supervisor of the hotline centre. Venus Ho (centre) says the hotline can arrange in-home respite services. Photo: Nora Tam Most callers sought emotional support, followed by inquiries about services. The team also made 1,744 referrals, including 208 to respite centres, which Ho said was important for carers to buy time to hire a domestic helper or find a residential care home for their loved ones following hospital discharge. A carer, surnamed Lam, in her sixties, called the hotline early one morning in January this year during an emotional meltdown. She had spent the previous four days cleaning up after her 97-year-old mother, who, despite incontinence and mobility issues, refused to use nappies and insisted on going to the toilet unaided. Advertisement 'It was frustrating that she did not listen to me, and I broke down emotionally,' she said. 'I called the hotline asking for respite services, I would take any respite centre no matter how far it is, because I wouldn't be able to survive the night without it.' Lam recalled social workers telling her 'not to worry about money' and swiftly arranging a wheelchair, transport, and a care assistant to send her mother to a respite centre in Sai Wan.
The Sun
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
I got a British Gas letter out of the blue asking for £3k – I had always paid my bills on time
Q. My gas and electricity is supplied by British Gas. I make sure to pay my gas and electricity bill on time. 1 I don't have a direct debit set up. I'm disabled, and my carer takes me food shopping where I pay my bills at the same time, which are £28.77 for gas and £20.50 for electricity. But 18 months ago I got a letter out of the blue which said that British Gas had made a mistake and I now owe £3,000. I was given no explanation as to how I racked up so much debt. British Gas said I now need to pay £30 a month in arrears on top of my fortnightly payments of gas and electricity. I am consumed with worry about how to pay. A. It can be a big shock getting a surprise bill from your energy supplier. Your case required a little untangling to get to the bottom of what happened, because British Gas has a different story to yours. British Gas said it told you that you had built up an energy debt back in January 2021. Your monthly payments were not enough to pay for your energy usage, and you were £878 in arrears. It set up a payment plan for you, and said you agreed to pay £36.21 every fortnight to pay off the debt. British Gas said you struggled to keep up with the payment plan, although it sent reminders to you to pay. By March last year, your debt had snowballed to £2,495. British Gas said it doesn't recognise the £3,000 figure you said was in your surprise bill. It also said you did make some payments to pay off the debt, and that you now owe £1,740. Usually, you can't be charged for energy you used more than 12 months ago if you haven't been sent an accurate bill for it before, even if you asked for one. But these rules don't apply to you as British Gas said it did let you know that you were not paying enough. You both have very different versions of events, and clearly, there seems to have been a breakdown of communication somewhere along the line. It can also be difficult to keep track of your bills if you do not have an online account, as in your case. I asked British Gas if it could do anything for your case, as you are a vulnerable customer and clearly are struggling to keep up with your bills. It agreed to add £1,000 credit to your account as a gesture of goodwill. You still owe £740 and have agreed to a payment plan to help cover the remaining amount. when it reopens in September. Squeeze team total: £224,150.
The Sun
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I've lost 5st on Mounjaro – I have zero saggy skin and even went down a shoe size, but there is one bad side effect
A MUM has shed almost 5st in five months thanks to Mounjaro - and revealed it's not only her clothing size that's reduced. Lucy, 37, started taking the weight loss jab in February when she tipped the scales at 16st 10lb. 4 4 The mum of three, from Greenock, Invercylde, now weighs just 11st 13lb. She's even managed to avoid the loose and saggy skin that has plagued other Mounjaro users thanks to a regular exercise regime. And she no longer craves greasy takeaways or junk food. Lucy - a full-time carer for her children, two of whom have additional needs - told Fabulous: "I had been trying to lose weight for years, but struggled to lose more then 10lbs. "At Christmas it reached the point I was a size 22 and clothes were tight. This is when I started doing research on Mounjaro as I had seen online amazing results. "I didn't have a specific target weight. I wanted to be a size 12/14 but I have no desire to be really skinny as I do like being curvy. "I am very open and everyone knows I am on Mounjaro, a lot of my friends are too. And we support each others journeys." Mounjaro, which is known as the King Kong of weight loss jabs, works by suppressing the appetite and making people feel fuller for longer. Such injections are licensed for patients with type 2 diabetes and to assist those who are clinically obese - with a Body Mass Index of 30 or over. One jab is administered each week but the duration is dependent on a person's weight. The drugs can be lawfully supplied only when prescribed by a practitioner - like a doctor, nurse or a pharmacist-independent prescriber. Recalling her journey so far, Lucy said: "I perhaps didn't do what most people do and move up doses every four weeks. "I stayed on the starting dose of 2.5mg for 17 weeks and lost it slow and steady. "I attempted the 5mg but I didn't like the amount of suppression it gave, I could barely eat, and that's not the mindset I want. "I want to have slight suppression so that I am making my own choice what to eat. "I am back on the 2.5mg and using it as a maintenance dose, but do plan to stop after the summer holidays and maintain on my own." 4 4 She added: "Since losing all the weight my relationship with food is completely different. "Anything greasy turns my stomach, I have attempted a Chinese and I was sick after it, so have completely avoided takeaways. "I don't miss any snacks and treats, I just don't think about food as much. Shoe knew? Lucy documents her Mounjaro journey on TikTok (@ where she is very honest about her mindset and progress. While she says her experience has been overwhelmingly positive, she has had side effects including sickness and sore heads. She was also forced to chop her locks into a bob and start taking vitamins due to hair loss. But it's a lesser-known side benefit that left her stunned on her weight loss journey. What to do if you lose too much weight too quickly whilst on Mounjaro IF you're losing too much weight too quickly while on Mounjaro, it's important to take action to avoid potential health risks like muscle loss, malnutrition, dehydration, and fatigue. Here's what you can do: Evaluate Your Caloric Intake Mounjaro reduces appetite, which can make it easy to eat too little. If you're losing weight too fast (more than two to three lbs per week after the initial adjustment period), try: Tracking your food intake to ensure you're eating enough calories (apps like MyFitnessPal can help). Increasing protein intake to preserve muscle mass (aim for 0.6–1g per pound of body weight). Adding healthy fats and complex carbs (e.g., avocados, nuts, whole grains) for balanced energy. Adjust Your Dosage (With Doctor's Approval) If your weight loss is too rapid or causing side effects, your doctor may: Pause dose increases or lower your dosage. Adjust your treatment plan to stabilise your weight loss. Strength Training & Exercise To prevent muscle loss: Incorporate resistance training at least two to three times per week. Stay active with low-impact exercises like walking or yoga. Hydrate & Manage Electrolytes Drink enough water (Mounjaro can reduce thirst). Electrolytes matter - Consider adding magnesium, sodium, and potassium if you feel weak or fatigued. Monitor for Malnutrition & Deficiencies Rapid weight loss can cause vitamin/mineral deficiencies (especially B12, iron, and electrolytes). If you experience: Fatigue, hair loss, or dizziness, ask your doctor about supplements. Consider Further Medical Guidance If your weight loss is excessive or causing health concerns, speak with your healthcare provider. They might adjust your dosage, diet, or exercise plan to help stabilise your weight loss. "My shoe size has changed which is bizzare", she revealed. "My feet have got skinnier. I usually wear a size six but I have found recently my trainers feel a bit loose on me." And it turns out she's not alone, as her revelation sparked similar admissions from other Mounjaro users. One said: "I've came down a whole shoe size lol ! It's not just you." A second wrote: "Started my weight loss journey at 26st 11 I was a size 7. I'm now 11st and a size 4.5/5." "Yep, I've gone from a 5 to a 4.5. Bought shoes today", revealed a third. A fourth added: "I'm 25kg down since January and I've gone from a size 7 to a size 5.5." Meanwhile, a fifth chimed in: "I went down a shoe size after I lost 6 stone! it's definitely a thing." For anyone considering Mounjaro, Lucy recommends a "slow and steady" approach and guzzling down at least two litres of water a day. She continued: "Don't move up doses to quickly, fast weight loss can trigger other health issues. Slow and steady worked great for me. "And once you hit your target weight, try not to keep setting new targets. You don't want to develop an unhealthy relationship with your body."
The Independent
28-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘You have to fight tooth and nail': PIP claimants tell of struggle to get awarded as Labour accused of making it harder
Sarah has just found out that she will likely be able to keep her Personal Independence Payment (PIP) after months of worry. The 40-year-old mother-of-one works from home, which allows her to juggle life with being a new parent and her disabilities. Chronic fatigue syndrome in her joints means she regularly experiences brain fog and exhaustion, and needs help. And it's her PIP that makes this possible, helping her to afford a carer, stay in work and spend time with her baby. Claimed by 3.7 million people, the health-linked benefit at the heart of Labour's proposed welfare reforms is designed to help with extra costs incurred by living with an illness or disability. The government's concessions on plans to cut welfare spending now mean that Sarah won't be subject to stricter eligibility criteria when next assessed for the benefit. Instead, from November 2026, only new claimants look set to be subject to the tighter criteria, under Labour's bill going through Parliament. But Sarah says she is struggling to see this as a victory. 'If there's another Sarah who's born a few years later, and ended up in this situation, it's still just as appalling,' she says. 'It's encouraging some disabled people to throw other disabled people under the bus. And it's vicious, because it relies on some people being scared enough to say 'well, we'll take what we can get'.' And like so many others, Sarah did not find applying for PIP an easy process to begin with. 'It feels really deliberate' 'It feels like you're being tripped up constantly,' Sarah says. 'It feels really deliberate, how difficult it is. It feels extremely deliberate. Because there are so many ways it can be made more accessible to disabled people.' Halfway through her assessment for PIP, Sarah's infant daughter started to cry in the other room. This caused her to panic, and she shouted to her husband that the baby might need changing. Because of this 'the assessor said I was clearly able to respond to my daughter's needs and assess what she needed,' Sarah says. 'But I said to him I can't care for my daughter on my own, I rely on other people doing that for me. I need somebody with me while I'm with her.' None of this was included in his report, she claims. And it's not just Sarah. Ginny's husband Tim was diagnosed with myotonic muscular dystrophy in 2006, a progressive genetic condition that affects muscles and movement. The mother-of-two works part-time while also caring for her husband full-time. His PIP award means means Ginny is entitled to a £200 Carers Allowance, which she says is essential to support her family. 'Tim doesn't like to admit it, but people frequently can't understand what he says. Every day I'm asking him to repeat himself as his wife, and I know him well,' Ginny explains. 'He was asked to repeat himself at least five times during the assessment. But when it came to the report, it said the assessor had no problem understanding him.' Ginny says the assessor also wrote down that Tim was managing to work part-time for 25 hours as a library assistant. He was actually working just 25 hours a month, just over six hours a week, Ginny says. 'Do you have a dog?' At a PIP assessment, the assessor will decide if an applicant has limited ability to carry out daily living activities. They do this by asking applicants to carry out a range of activities, awarding them points based on how limited their ability is. According to one former assessor, opening questions might include: 'How are you doing today? How did you get here? Do you have a dog?' An applicant could be forgiven for thinking these questions are just small talk, their PIP assessor being friendly and trying to ease them into the process. But in most cases, the assessment has already begun, the former worker says. How they answer these questions could be the difference between a lifeline to pay for their health-related costs or nothing. The former assessor, who wished to remain anonymous, said this approach is standard for PIP assessors. It is permitted under the DWP 's PIP assessment guide, which recommends assessors carry out 'informal observations' that may 'show discrepancies'. 'As soon as you say to them, 'I'm here to do the assessment, is that OK?' and they say yes, it's started,' she explains. 'And then you'll comment, you'll look around the room for photographs of them on holiday, of children. You're looking for evidence that they're not telling the truth.' According to polling by disability charity Sense, over half (51 per cent) of disabled people with complex needs report feeling humiliated during benefits assessment. A further 45 per cent said the process made their symptoms worse. The charity's policy adviser, Evan John, said: 'I think sometimes when you hear some of the discussion around PIP, somebody might think that it was an easy benefit to claim, but that experience is really divorced from the experiences of disabled people.' 'We'd like to see a system that treats disabled people with dignity, that assess people fairly, but doesn't make them feel like criminals for trying to access the support they need.' 'You have to fight tooth and nail' Neither Sarah nor Tim were awarded any points at their PIP assessment. Instead, they asked for a mandatory consideration, but were turned down and faced a lengthy wait for an appeal at a tribunal. 'We went to mandatory consideration fully aware that they would just turn that down because that seems to be the standard with them,' Ginny says. 'But that was just a step to go to appeal.' Sarah was only given the lowest rate of PIP after tribunal, while Tim was awarded his in light of more medical evidence. Around 56 per cent of PIP assessments resulted in a reward between 2019 and 2024. But around two-thirds of decisions are overturned at the tribunal stage, independent of the DWP, by a panel of decision-makers including a judge. 'You have to fight tooth and nail,' Ginny says. 'All the government's talk about 'people just are getting this too easily' or 'supporting people who have the most severe conditions'. 'In my book, my husband has a severe condition and it just feels like they're redefining disability to suit themselves.' It remains to be seen whether the government's concessions over its welfare plans will be enough to appease wavering backbenchers with MPs set to vote on the measures on Tuesday. A DWP spokesperson said: 'The fact is that PIP assessment suppliers and healthcare professionals are involved in the process but are only one part of the evidence used – they have no role in the decision-making process, and are clearly instructed not to base their opinions solely on the situation seen at assessment. 'We're creating a sustainable welfare system that genuinely supports sick and disabled people while always protecting those who need it most, and at the heart of this is our review of the PIP assessment to ensure it is fit for the future. 'We will work with disabled people and a range of experts on this as we deliver our Plan for Change.'
