Guides
Plain, practical reading for families and for the people who run care homes. Every figure is from a named source; nothing here is medical advice.
For care home managers
How to evidence resident wellbeing for your CQC inspection
What CQC looks for on person-centred care and on independence, choice and control, and practical ways any care home can show residents' wellbeing day to day.
About 6 minutes
Loneliness in care homes: what managers can do
Loneliness is common in care homes, even with people all around. What the research says, and practical steps: befriending, life stories and one-to-one time.
About 5 minutes
For families
Written for the daughter or son who’s worried and doesn’t want to take over.
Signs your elderly parent isn't coping at home (and what to do next)
The quiet signs a parent may be struggling at home, and calm, practical steps to take, without frightening them or taking over their life.
About 3 minutes
How to check on an elderly parent who lives far away
You can't be there every day: here's how families keep a real eye on a parent from a distance, without hovering or falling out.
About 2 minutes
Loneliness in older people: what it does, and what families can actually do
Nearly a million older people in the UK are often lonely. What that does to health, and the small, doable things families can do about it.
About 3 minutes
How to talk to your parent about accepting help, without a row
The conversation most families dread. How to raise it so your mum or dad feels respected, not managed.
About 2 minutes
Ten ways to stay close to an elderly parent between visits
Practical, low-tech and no-tech ways to keep a parent feeling close and looked-after between visits.
About 2 minutes
Is a companionship call service right for your mum or dad?
What a companionship call service does, who it suits, who it doesn't, and the honest questions to ask before you sign anyone up.
About 2 minutes
The scams that target older people, and how to spot them early
The scams aimed at older people right now, the signs someone's being targeted, and how to protect a parent without taking over their finances.
About 2 minutes
Building a daily routine that keeps an older person well
Why routine matters so much later in life, and how to help a parent build gentle structure into their day.
About 2 minutes