Is there a ‘life beyond death? The role of synthetic resurrection in bereavement.
It isn’t often that there is a happenstance coming together of events – on the 2nd to the 8th December next week we will mark National Grief Awareness Week and […]
Stir Up Sunday: mixing together the future of social care in Scotland.
Well winter has well and truly arrived in the past week. Chatting to care providers in parts of Scotland they have been reflecting to me the struggles of staff getting […]
Visible, Viable, Valued and Visionary: the imperative of social care in Scotland.
There is never a dull moment in the world of social care in Scotland. In the past week we have ongoing debate about the National Care Service culminating in the […]
Flexibility and innovation: the future of remote and rural social care in Scotland: a thought piece.
In a previous blog I mentioned that I had had the privilege of visiting Australia where I had the opportunity to meet with and discuss the challenges of delivering aged […]
The keening of hurt : why raw emotion needs to have a place in grieving.
A week ago yesterday I was privileged to be delivering a session at the annual conference of the Australian Community and Care Providers Association in Adelaide. My theme was whether […]
Taking Party Politics out of health and social care reform: lessons from Australia.
This past week I have had the privilege of being a guest of the Australian Aged Care Providers Association. As well as being able to take part in speaking and […]
Moving the Needle – a human rights-based -approach to Infection Prevention and Control in Care Homes.
Today is the last day of International Infection Prevention and Control Week. It’s a week which has been centred on its theme which this year is “Moving the Needle on […]
The natural gift of caring: a reflection on environmental approaches to care and support.
I’ve mentioned quite a few times over the years about how restorative and important nature is for me, whether that be the countryside or hills, or more recently having the […]
Are we upholding the human rights of older Scots?
It’s been an interesting week where the answer to that question might be both a yes and also a no. Indeed, in the opinion of the Sacha Deshmukh, the chief […]
Scotland’s distinctive contribution to social care policy and practice: an extended thought piece
I have had the honour over a couple of days to be attending and speaking at the European Ageing Conference and during that time to further my own knowledge about […]
Deputy CEO Blog: National Care Service Maxims
Latest blog from our Deputy CEO, Karen Hedge on the 6 maxims to guide the work of the National Care Service.
The flower that holds memory: a reflection for World Alzheimer’s Day
Today, is World Alzheimer’s Day, and every year when this day comes around I’m sure I am not the only one who pauses to remember the lives I have known, […]
Time to celebrate social care nursing
The following extended blog was the substance of an address given at the second Social Care Nursing Conference, held in Edinburgh on the 4th September. At various points today and […]
Celebrating the global care workforce: insights on ageing.
Today is the Global Day of Care and Support for Older People. It was a day which was launched at the Global Ageing Conference when it was held in Glasgow […]
It’s the season for ‘walking on air’ – the adventure of social care.
I’m not a great lover of the month of August. For me it has always been a betwixt and between time; the usual warmth of the summer sun is disappearing, […]
From Springsteen to Taylor Swift: finding the music to grieve.
Well, it came to an end this week, or at least on this side of the Atlantic. After months on the road the phenomenon which is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour […]
Every picture tells a story: photographs and dementia on World Photography Day
I have always been fascinated and intrigued by photography, One of the first ‘big’ presents I got as a child was a simple camera. It was an Olympus Trip 35. […]
Working at inclusion: issues of race in social care.
The week just passed has been a bizarre and indeed sad one. At the start of the week, I was expecting to speak at an event yesterday which was a […]
The poverty of holidays.
I travelled to and from Manchester at the end of this past week. As usual I went by train and to say the least the stations in Glasgow and Manchester […]