A report summarized progress by Strategic Health Authorities in establishing an integrated set of eligibility criteria for National Health Service continuing healthcare, and in reviewing cases where people might have been denied continuing care. The government announced that it had commissioned a new national framework for assessing fully funded NHS continuing care.
Source: Melanie Henwood, Continuing Health Care: Review, revision and restitution, Department of Health (08701 555455) | Press release 9 December 2004, Department of Health (020 7210 4850)
Links: Summary (pdf) | DH press release | NHS Ombudsman press release | Alzheimer's Society press release | Community Care report
Date: 2004-Dec
The health service ombudsman highlighted the problems faced by disabled and elderly people in accessing National Health Service funding for long-term care. She called for national guidelines to assess eligibility for long-term care funding, in order to end the 'hit and miss' process that people faced.
Source: NHS Funding for Long Term Care: Follow up report, HC 144 (2004-2005), Health Service Ombudsman for England, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Ombudsman press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2004-Dec
A study examined what work was being developed to improve supportive practice for disabled parents. For many disabled parents, standard sources of support were inaccessible or not adapted.
Source: Richard Olsen and Helen Tyers, Think Parent: Supporting disabled adults as parents, National Family and Parenting Institute (020 7424 3460)
Links: JRF Findings N34
Date: 2004-Nov
A report of a project to monitor the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 said that the legislation was yielding real benefits for adults with incapacity and those who cared for and about them. (The Act provided a range of measures to safeguard the property, financial affairs and welfare of adults who were unable to act or make decisions themselves because of mental disorder or inability to communicate as a result of physical disability.)
Source: Jan Killeen and Fiona Myers (with others), The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000: Learning from Experience, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | Summary | SE press release
Date: 2004-Oct
A survey found that care capacity in residential settings for elderly and physically disabled client groups shrank by some 9,600 places in the year to April 2004, to reach 486,000 places across all sectors (private, voluntary and public) - some 89,000 places lower than the peak in 1996.
Source: Care of Elderly People Market Survey 2004, Laing & Buisson (020 7833 9123)
Links: L&B press release | NCHA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
An article reported on an evaluation of two direct payments schemes in Wales. User responses indicated a broad range of beneficial outcomes, including improved self-esteem, increased control over lives, deeper and more lasting relationships, and new interpersonal, vocational and lifestyle opportunities, as a result of the greater flexibility and freedom of choice enabled by the schemes.
Source: Tim Stainton and Steve Boyce, '"I have got my life back": users' experience of direct payments', Disability & Society, Volume 19 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Aug
An article analysed the barriers to independent living for disabled people posed by the social care system. These ranged from financial incentives to place disabled people in residential care, to a failure to address needs relating to employment, parenting and leisure. Disabling attitudes held by social services professionals about 'risk' and 'capacity' were also major barriers. Unless the legislative framework were amended to include an entitlement to independent living, disabled people would continue to be denied their full human and civil rights.
Source: Jenny Morris, 'Independent living and community care: a disempowering framework', Disability & Society, Volume 19 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Aug
The social services inspectorate in Wales said that most disabled people s experience of social services was positive: but there was considerable room for improvement.
Source: Inspection of Services for People with a Physical or Sensory Impairment, Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (029 2082 5655)
Links: Report (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2004-Jul
The Department of Health and the Disability Rights Commission published a framework for partnership action, aimed at improving the experiences of disabled people in the health and social care system.
Source: Framework for Partnership Action on Disability, Department of Health (08701 555455) and Disability Rights Commission
Links: Framework (pdf) | DH press release | Leonard Cheshire press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
A report presented findings from research examining how and why disabled people experienced discontinuity in service provision when making structural transitions in their lives, and how barriers to making smooth transitions might be addressed.
Source: Ini Grewal, Sally McManus and Sue Arthur, with Lorna Reith, Making the Transition: Addressing barriers in services for disabled people, Research Report 204, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report (pdf links) | DWP press release
Date: 2004-May
A report examined the experiences of people with physical impairments who also have mental health support needs. A majority of respondents said they had difficulty accessing mental health services because of their physical impairments. A majority also had difficulty using physical disability services because of inadequate recognition of mental health needs and negative attitudes amongst staff towards mental health issues.
Source: Jenny Morris, One Town for My Body, Another for My Mind : Services for people with physical impairments and mental health support needs, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 574
Date: 2004-May
A journal article examined some of the key problems that had prevented many local authorities in Scotland from offering direct payments as a mainstream service option for disabled people.
Source: Charlotte Pearson, 'Keeping the cash under control: what's the problem with direct payments in Scotland?', Disability & Society, Volume 19, No 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Feb
The Scottish Executive published an action plan which set out a variety of goals to meet some of the common needs identified by people with sensory impairments.
Source: Community Care Services for People with a Sensory Impairment: An action plan, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Plan | Plan (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jan
A report said that government guidance on fairer charging for home care was not working. Many disabled and older people had to pay from their benefits for essential services they were assessed as needing, and were left with no choice but to reduce the level of service they received.
Source: Richard Holmes and Kate McMullen, The Costs of Care: The impact of the fairer charging policy on disabled and older people and their carers in England, Coalition on Charging, c/o Disability Alliance (020 7247 8776)
Links: Report (pdf) | Disability Alliance press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jan