Home care providers, regulation and standards
The United Kingdom Homecare Association is a provider organisation raising and maintaining standards, but has a section on choosing care, including a list of home care providers local to you.
www.ukhca.co.uk
NHS Choices provides much information, including overviews of most medical conditions, as well as the facility to locate home care services in your local area.
www.nhs.uk
Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and social care in England, including home care.
www.cqc.org.uk
Later life – General information
Age UK provides useful information on a wide range of subjects important to the elderly, including health & wellbeing and money; it also sells products suited to later life.
www.ageuk.org.uk
Independent Age offers advice and information on social care provision; guides for the over-65s on finance, staying independent and getting the most from later life; and befriending services and discussion groups.
www.independentage.org
Policy Research Institute on Ageing and Ethnicity considers issues from the perspective of black and minority ethnic groups.
www.priae.org
Disability Rights UK has lots of information on how individuals can assert their rights.
disabilityrightsuk.org
Later life – Specific services
Boots Hearingcare offers an online hearing check (not a replacement for a full hearing test), appointment booking, and answers to questions on living with impaired hearing and hearing devices.
www.bootshearingcare.com
Mobility shopper is a no nonsense review site of mobility, health-care and disability products written by people with a range of disabilities and mobility issues.
www.mobilityshopper.co.uk
Life long learning
The University of the Third Age provides new, life-long learning opportunities and avenues for retired and semi-retired people.
www.u3a.org.uk
Financing care
Depending on your caring needs, you could receive one of two levels of Attendance Allowance to help with personal care because you are physically or mentally disabled and aged 65 or over. This is not means tested.
www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance
Paying for Care provides insight into the factors that determine whether you will need to pay for your own care or not, the main options and how to get independent advice on what is best for you.
www.payingforcare.org
The Money Advice Service is a free, impartial service set up by the government to provide information many aspects of life, including care and disability, including an analysis of considerations when weighing up whether to move into a care home or to stay in your own home to receive care.
Care & Disability:
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Care Home or Home Care:
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Specific Health Conditions
Alzheimer’s Society provides information and services for people affected by dementia in their communities; the website has an enormous number of resources.
www.alzheimers.org.uk
There are several sources of information and support for people living with arthritis.
Arthritis Action: www.arthritisaction.org.uk
Arthritis Care: www.arthritiscare.org.uk
Arthritis Research UK: www.arthritisresearchuk.org
National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society: www.nras.org.uk
The British Heart Foundation provides helpful advice and guidance on preventing heart disease, how best to live with it, and how to administer first aid to someone with heart failure.
www.bhf.org.uk
Cancer Research UK has good information on cancer generally; the different cancer types, their diagnosis, treatment and how to live with them; and how to reduce the likelihood of developing the disease.
www.cancerresearchuk.org
Macmillan Cancer Support provides good information on the different types of cancer and can help you assess your finances as well as find support in your area, including specialist Macmillan nurses.
www.macmillan.org.uk
Diabetes UK offers guidance on the nature of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and on how best to monitor, manage and live with each of them at different stages of life.
www.diabetes.org.uk
The European Lung Foundation website has a section on information about different lung diseases, their symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment.
www.europeanlung.org
The Multiple Sclerosis Society provides information about the condition along with access to support.
www.mssociety.org.uk
National Osteoporosis Society offers guidance on the disease and its different forms, scans, tests and medication, and how to live with the disease.
www.nos.org.uk
Parkinson’s UK provides an overview of the disease, treatments and therapies, and everyday living, as well as support to sufferers and families.
www.parkinsons.org.uk
The Stroke Association can provide information and support for people who have suffered a stroke.
www.stroke.org.uk
Technology and ageing
These websites below are all focused on people living with dementia; however, they are equally relevant for the challenges faced by people without dementia.
The Dementia-friendly Technology Charter contains both policy and high-level commitment, and detailed advice. Case studies show the use of different technologies with specific symptoms.
Dementia-friendly technology: Delivering the national dementia challenge
Alzheimer’s Society’s factsheet provides an overview of available technologies and how they can help with daily life; it is general information without individual product recommendations.
Assistive technology – devices to help with everyday living
AT Dementia covers assistive technologies, including telecare, for people with dementia. It has both general information and a directory of individual products.
www.atdementia.org.uk
End of life
Hospice UK has a search facility to find hospices in your area.
www.hospiceuk.org
Dying Matters has many resources covering the issues of dying, death and bereavement, and encourages people to talk more openly about these matters and to make plans for their end of life.
dyingmatters.org