No press voice on Bang to rights not quite want we want and not enough clang!
Carers Rights Day 2013 here
Carer rights Home page here
Towards the end of the conference and in the context of Baroness Jill Pitkeathley's previous portrayal of a good carer voice in Parliament, I proclaimed that the same does not exist within newspapers on such an important day to us.
The comment began by drawing on previously articulated concern over toilet closures and other reductions in services in Hereford and the county. The comment continued by saying that those of us who were here at the smaller event on 17 September ended the proceedings with a song about us having one voice. Since then, there has been a lot in national and local newspapers about toilet and A & E closures. Where was our voice?
Professor Luke Clements, shortly before question time, had shown us that any movement needs an identity, a narrative and a creed. None of these were apparent within our context in the main newspapers on the day. Carers Rights Day, as far as I have seen, had not been mentioned.
Newspapers were then waved in the air and several headlines read out. My comment concluded that our voice needs to be louder and let's work locally and nationally towards a loud and clear press presence this time next year. It was well received.
The nearest articles (published on the day) to our interest are numbers 1 to 4 here:
- Times
- Telegraph
- theguardian
- More extracts over various dates - not mentioned on the day
- Local good news - not mentioned on the day
No more than headlines from 1 to 4 were read out on the day.
1 Times - front page
1a
Help us end male cancer ‘deaths from ignorance’
Boris Johnson today urges men to take the threat of prostate cancer seriously by getting a test if they are concerned that they are at risk.
In an interview to mark the launch of The Times’ Christmas charity appeal, the Mayor of London admitted that, like many men, he does not know as much about the illness as he should. more here
Page 26 gave the same headline to a two-page spread on The Times Christmas Appeal which also has the article in the centre.
1b
New fathers win right to share year's parent leave
Men will be given the chance to take up to 50 weeks of paternity leave, under radical changes to mark the end of “Edwardian restrictions” on the rights of new parents, ministers will say today.
From April 2015, working couples will be able to split the entitlement to time off work after the birth of their child, in a move designed to allow the sharing of childcare duties. source
2 The Telegraph
National shame of dementia diagnosis - the front page headline - no result found. Make do with this:
2a
Dementia is 'stealing lives', Jeremy Hunt says
One in four hospital patients is suffering dementia with many nurses unaware they have condition, Jeremy Hunt has said as he warns that the disease is “stealing lives”.
A landmark report says that thousands of people suffering from the condition are suffering from “unacceptable” gaps in care, with almost half going undiagnosed. more
Underneath the article as published in the paper is a smaller version of 1b.
2b
Elderly go to hospital to die, warns NHS chief - page 4. Nothing here. Patients should be offered carer at home by GPs, he argues. Nothing here - pretty useless search box!
2c
Why I truly believe this generation can be the one that overcomes dementia - Jeremy Hunt. That is the smaller headline under 2b. Result. Via Google, you find this which is only better but not a lot of good.
2d
Further down the same page you read
Care home staff abused residents for fun Plenty on lawnmowers here. more
Perhaps we'll do better in the Mail:
3 Daily Mail
3a
Guilty, carers who abused dementia patients for fun No search facility here. I didn't explore by subscribing.
World here but not the same date. more 23 November here.
3b
Half of dementia patients failed by the NHS Some success here.
4 theguardian
4a
Care workers guilty of abuse at nursing home - p 19 under the Courts heading.
The nearest that can be found was the previous day, as follows:
4b
Care workers found guilty of abusing dementia patients 'for laughs'
Three care workers have been found guilty of mistreating dementia sufferers at a nursing home "for laughs".
Residents were mocked, bullied and tormented because they would have no memory of the abuse, with one man having his foot stamped on deliberately and another tipped out of his wheelchair.
The vulnerable victims' heads were also pelted with bean bags for entertainment, Preston crown court heard.
Carol Ann Moore, 54, Katie Cairns, 27, and Gemma Pearson, 28, were found guilty under the Mental Capacity Act of ill-treatment or neglect of a person who lacks capacity, after a four-week trial.
However, it is the same as in the paper on 29 November. It is here
5 More extracts over various dates
A page written before 29 November is here and it will carry extracts after that date later.
pagetop here
6 Local good news
A "carer" search in the Herefordshire Times the day before Carers Rights Day resulted in this paid-carer article, an article on a new college for disabled adults, and a "Christmas wheelchair present for happy boy" thanks to the Lions at No. 6 here.
