Over 80s provide £23 billion of unpaid care

AN app has been developed to help people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to take an active role in managing their health.

My Arthritis is an app developed by Ampersand Health drawing on the expertise of patients and clinicians from King’s College Hospital. It helps people manage their arthritis day-to-day, bringing together a personal health record, daily tracking and easy-to-access help and support from the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society. Hospitals that sign up can use the app to manage their patients remotely, improving care quality and reducing unnecessary hospital visits.

Inflammatory auto-immune conditions – including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis – are characterised by periods of relapse and remission and impact people of any age, including the young. In addition to the physical symptoms of pain, fatigue, swollen joints, anxiety, depression and other factors impact emotional wellbeing and can severely affect quality of life.

At times of relapse, when help with flare management is needed, rapid access to specialist advice can lead to better outcomes (and reduce hospital admission costs). Many people with RA experience anxiety and depression as this disease impacts on quality of life in a major way. People need access to tools and resources

which can help them manage their disease better. People who are able to self-manage better reduce the burden and cost to the healthcare system.

Nader Alaghband, founder of Ampersand Health, said: “We know that the patient’s journey is often long and lonely and a model of care based on infrequent outpatient appointments (which rarely coincide with a clinical need) can be significantly improved through better communication and increased patient engagement.

“There is a growing body of evidence that self-management works for patients with rheumatoid arthritis”, said James Galloway, consultant rheumatologist at King’s College Hospital. “Equally, the burden that long-term conditions such as RA place on the NHS is unsustainable and the time is right to develop and advocate for new, digitally enabled models of The My Arthritis app facilitates daily tracking and easy-to-access help

care that could drive savings and quality improvement.”

The app – which is free – is currently being used by many people living with RA and several hospitals are either using or about to start using the platform to manage their patients remotely when appropriate. https://www.nras.org.uk http://ampersandhealth.co.uk

ONE in three people over 80 are unpaid carers for sick or disabled relatives, according to Age UK. It is estimated that they save our economy an incredible £23 billion a year through the unpaid care they give loved ones.

Responding to the figures, Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said: “Most people over 80 have health problems and can do less than they once could, so the fact they are providing £23 billion’s worth of unpaid care for others is a sure signal that our social care system is failing.

“Older carers are far more likely to be caring for someone with multiple TALKBACK l SPRING 2020

needs, dealing with complex conditions like dementia and physical disabilities. Yet often they care alone, unable to take a break or step out the door for long, leaving their own needs at the wayside.

“Older carers who have contributed – and continue to contribute – so much to our society deserve far better.

“This crisis in social care needs to be taken seriously by all politicians. We urge the Prime Minister and his Government to acknowledge our country’s carers by taking firm steps towards delivering an enduring social care solution.” Older carers are often unable to take a break or step out the door for long

The My Arthritis app facilitates daily tracking and easy-to-access help

Image: Dragana_Gordic/Freepik

Image: katemangostar/Freepik

Cold homes can exacerbate existing health conditions

FATIGUE can be one of the most difficult symptoms to cope with for people with rheumatoid arthritis. A new study has found that group cognitive behavioural courses may help.

The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, compared six weekly group sessions plus a booster session with a single brief one-to-one meeting. Both groups also received an educational booklet. It took place in seven UK hospitals and was codelivered by pairs of trained rheumatology nurses and occupational therapists. Satisfaction The group sessions caused a small reduction in the impact of fatigue which was still evident after two years. The course was well received by participants, with more than 80% expressing satisfaction with it and saying they would recommend it to others.

Those members of the rheumatology team delivering the courses also found the additional training they had received beneficial in other areas of their practice. It was felt the intervention could be more widely implemented to reduce the emotional and practical problems associated with fatigue. Fatigue is a significant problem for more than 50% of people with rheumatoid arthritis and can be an enduring presence in their lives. www.nihr.ac.uk

AROUND three million people in England live in homes that are too cold. The health effects are enormous – people can end up visiting their GP more, being admitted to hospital, becoming depressed, or even dying because they are just not warm enough at home.

Health Education England e-Learning for Healthcare has worked with Public Health England to develop the Helping People Living in Cold Homes e-learning programme for health and care professionals.

The new resource supports health and social care professionals to put National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance into practice.

Aimed at health and care staff who undertake home visits, the resource provides information on local services that can assist people living in cold homes, such as installing insulation, improving heating systems or helping reduce energy bills.

It also helps people spot the signs of a cold home – including less obvious ones. With this information, staff can have a conversation with people whose health may be affected by being too cold at home, and signpost them to the relevant local services. www.e-lfh.org.uk

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