Hugh Myddelton House
Care Home in Southgate, North London. A modern,
light and airy purpose built care home.
Location: Southgate
Postcode: N14 5QR MAP
Telephone: 020 8886 4099
URL:
http://www.barchester.com/\
Old people and technology:
Third generation mobile technology, 3G, came off the worst in a report
into people's understanding and take-up of technologies.
76% does not know, are misinformed or cannot explain 3G.
Many have become confused and are bombarded with information, which turns
them off experimenting with technology.
People also feel they cannot take up the opportunities new technologies
have to offer, even if they wanted to, because the prices are still too
high, Ofcom's Independent Consumer Panel report found.
Older people are also especially irritated with devices and technologies
that are fiddly to use, a problem shared with disabled people.
Twice as many people with disabilities, who are also under 65, said they
found it difficult to use mobiles, than those with no disabilities.
TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS
Broadband: 62% aware of/understand it
Digital TV: 70% aware of/understand it
Digital radio: 47% aware/understand
3G: 15% aware/understand
Facts and figures on old people:
Older people in society in 2008, 20.5 million people were aged over 50
years (up 690,000 since 2002) and 2.7 million were aged over 80 years (up
220,000 since 2002).
There are now more pensioners in the UK that there are children under 16.
In the next 20 years, the number of people aged over 85 years in England
will double and the number over 100 years will quadruple.
By 2050 there will be around 250,000 people aged over 100 in comparison
to the figure of 10,000 in 2008.
by 2031, around 27 million people will be aged 50 and over.
Care of older people:
In 2006/07 an estimated 2.5 million older people in England had some need
for care and support.
In 2006, 70% of people aged 75 years and over reported having a
longstanding illness and 50% said longstanding illness limited their
ability to carry out daily activities.
Within hospital:
Two thirds of NHS beds are occupied by people aged 65 years or older.
Approximately 60% of NHS patients will have pre-existing mental health
problems or will develop these during their stay in hospital, with
depression, dementia and delirium accounting for 80% of these.
2007, one fifth (20%) of people staying in hospital who needed help to
eat, said that they did not get enough support. This shows no improvement
from 2006 and a decline since 2002 (18%).
In 2004, one in five older people (aged 50 and over) had attended an
outpatient or casualty department in the three months prior to interview
and one in ten had stayed in hospital as an inpatient in the previous 12
months.
The proportion of older people with a long-term illness or disability
(LLTI) that restricts their daily activities increases with age. Just over
a quarter of men and women aged 50-64 in Great Britain reported such a
disability compared with two thirds of men and three quarters of women
aged 85 and over in 2001.
Within care homes/the community:
At the end of March 2008 there were nearly 373,500 places in care homes
for older people.
In April 2007, 420,000 people in the UK lived in care homes; while
346,700 people in England received local authority funded home care each
week.
The majority of older people continue to live in the community well into
later life; just less than three quarters of people aged 90 and over were
living in private households in 2001.
In 2006, 150,000 older people were purchasing care at home privately and
118,000 older people were purchasing places in care homes privately.
Questionnaire: mahya grandma
1. How often do you see a doctor?
Every time I feel like something is wrong. However I do go in for check
ups every 6 months or so, just for blood tests.
2. How often would you like to see a doctor?
I believe that I see a doctor as much as I should.
3. Do you feel you get the required level of medical care?
Yes I believe that I do since the doctors, now days are very good, better
then they were when I was a child.
4. How well do you feel all your medical options have been explained to you?
Sometimes I do not fully understand the wording that the doctor uses
however my children always come with me and they explain the parts that I
don't understand.
5. What's your opinion of the competence of medical staff?
I believe most of them know what they are doing however some of them do
take there time just to take an x-ray or something simple. Most of the
medical staff that I have meet know what they are doing, but you do get
some nurses every now and then who don't know anything and they are the
ones that irritate me the most.
6. What's your general attitude towards doctors?
Most of them are very nice however I do not like their cold hands. It
makes me feel uncomfortable.
7. How willing would you say you are to seek medical assistance?
I would be willing to see a doctor if I thought something is wrong with me
but if my children think I should go then I don't because I know what's
good for me not them.
8. If you visit your doctor, how do you get there?
My children always drive me there since they all live close however my
eldest son tends to take me more then the others since he lives closer to
me then my other children.
9. How long does it take you/is transport available?
Around 15-20 minutes when my eldest son drive, but when the others drive
it takes around 20-25 minutes since they are more careful on the roads.
10. What technology do you feel comfortable using?
I don't really use much technology, I had a mobile but it's too
complicated for me, so I don't use that any more. My son's tried getting
me sky and I said no but they sill got it for me I still don't know how to
use it and I've hade it for around a year. The only time it gets used is
when my grand children come over and watch cartoons on it.
11. How about computers, the Internet, remote controls, mobiles etc?
I do not use a computer since I don't have one, I don't think I need one.
12. How do you get in contact with doctors when needed?
My children normally call them for me, but I have ringed them before my
self to make an appointment.
13. If you need it, who picks up your prescriptions?
My children normally do but I have got on the bus and picked my
prescription up myself before.
14. Who do you contact initially for medical advice, (friends/family/doctor)?
Normally talk to my children fist and then they make an appointment if
they think it serious enough to see the doctor.
15. How do you contact a doctor for medical advice?
My children or I phone them.
16. Have you ever used any specialist medical services - panic alarm, NHS
direct etc?
No I can't say that I have.
17. How do you find appoint times, waiting times etc?
The longest I have waited at the doctors has been 30 minutes, which is a
long time since I arrived 10m before my appointment. At the hospital when
I went in for an x-ray I waited for around 45 minutes to an hour. Which I
was not happy about.
18. Do you have any good or bad experiences in particular relating to
doctors?
My GP is a very nice lady however her cold hands make me un-comfortable.
19. As you have aged do you feel that you have become more aware of your
health?
Well I know my children have, I do eat healthier now then I use to.
20. Do you worry more about getting ill?
Well everyone does weather old or young, especially with the swine flue
going round.
21. Would you feel comfortable about self-diagnosing on the Internet?
If I did it then no I wouldn't feel comfortable but if my children or
grand children did it then I will be more comfortable. However the doctor
will always be my first choice.
22. Do you feel that you would be able to understand and read the symptoms?
Well yeas, however I would probably need it to be explained to me.
23. Do you feel that you could trust what was on the Internet?
I might to some extend however I would always go to the doctor for a
second opinion and if I need medication, I would need to see the doctor. I
will not take medication that has been subscribed by a computer.
Questionnaire: phils grandma
1. How often do you see a doctor?
Yes I have to due to my hip operation and other problem.
2. How often would you like to see a doctor?
I belive I do since I phone for a doctor if I need one but I also have a
helper as well as family relative that help me out. The people next door
also help.
3. Do you feel you get the required level of medical care?
I belive I do since I have a helper who helps me out.
4. How well do you feel all your medical options have been explained to you?
Yes I understand fully.
5. What's your opinion of the competence of medical staff?
I believe they are ok, however I believe they can do better since I keep
having to go back with the same problem.
6. What's your general attitude towards doctors?
I am use to them now.
7. How willing would you say you are to seek medical assistance?
I am fine with it.
8. If you visit your doctor, how do you get there?
Family members take me.
9. How long does it take you/is transport available?
Its around 1hr 30m.
10. What technology do you feel comfortable using?
I have a mobile phone and I also have sky.
11. How about computers, the Internet, remote controls, mobiles etc?
I do not use a computer since I don't have one.
12. How do you get in contact with doctors when needed?
I phone them.
13. If you need it, who picks up your prescriptions?
My helper picks it up.
14. Who do you contact initially for medical advice, (friends/family/doctor)?
The doctor.
15. How do you contact a doctor for medical advice?
I phone them.
16. Have you ever used any specialist medical services - panic alarm, NHS
direct etc?
No I have not.
17. Do you have any good or bad experiences in particular relating to
doctors?
I suppose they are not doing as much as they should since I keep having to
go back.
18. As you have aged do you feel that you have become more aware of your
health?
Well yes since I was use to doing everything on my own and now need a helper.
19. Do you worry more about getting ill?
Yes I do.
20. Would you feel comfortable about self-diagnosing on the Internet?
No since I have very little information on it.
21. Do you feel that you would be able to understand and read the symptoms?
No
22. Do you feel that you could trust what was on the Internet?
No
