What the papers said in the week to 22 May 2022
Dementia Action Week started with the story of Bhagwant Sachdeva, who lives in the Wolverhampton area and has dementia. The article focused on the need for and virtues of early diagnosis- and pointed to particular problems in identifying dementia in South Asian elders:
- Taboo stops south Asian people in UK seeking help for dementia, says charity | Alzheimer’s | The Guardian
- www.alzheimers.org.uk/punjabi
This is valuable and important work, but life for people with dementia and their caring families from all backgrounds remains difficult, more difficult since the coming of Covid-19. A new Dementia Strategy is expected. Action on the ground is what is needed.
Preparations are under way for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Thankfully the Queen has shown herself fit enough to attend some events: UK preparing for Queen’s platinum jubilee with thousands of events | UK news | The Guardian
- Queen makes surprise appearance at Elizabeth line opening ceremony | The Queen | The Guardian
- A number of modest towns are to be restyled ‘cities’ as part of the celebration: Doncaster and Milton Keynes among eight towns awarded city status | Cities | The Guardian
Hostilities in Ukraine continue. A diversion demonstrated support for the people of Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest: Zelenskiy hails Ukraine’s Eurovision win and plans to ‘one day’ host final in Mariupol | Ukraine | The Guardian
- But the realities of daily fears and deaths continue: Alone under siege: how older women are being left behind in Ukraine | Global development | The Guardian
- Russia-Ukraine war: what we know on day 86 of the invasion | Russia | The Guardian
- Memories of previous wars and their consequences resurface: www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/15/hes-coming-home-mass-grave-in-valencia-gives-up-francos-victims
- First world war bomb survives bumpy ride in Yorkshire litter pickers’ car | Yorkshire | The Guardian
The economic consequences of the several concurrent crises are being felt by people of all ages: UK inflation hits 40-year high of 9% as cost of food and energy soars | Inflation | The Guardian
- ‘I feel abandoned by the state’: UK pensioners on the cost of living crisis | Cost of living crisis | The Guardian
- ‘Apocalyptic’ food prices will be disastrous for world’s poor, says Bank governor | Andrew Bailey | The Guardian
- Officers should use discretion over stealing to eat, says police watchdog | Police | The Guardian
- There are concerns that some people are exploiting the situation to make unreasonable profits: what applies to care for children may be as applicable to care of older people and others in need Private children’s home bosses in England criticised over huge profits | Social care | The Guardian
- The Church of England has spoken out about the greed and inequality of rewards offered by some businesses: Executive pay system is broken, says Church of England’s pension board | Executive pay and bonuses | The Guardian
Health matters are high on the agenda:
An alarming proportion of the population report experiencing pain and find it difficult to access effective treatment. There is hope: I’m one of the 28m in Britain who live with chronic pain – where is the plan to help us? | Lucy Pasha-Robinson | The Guardian
While food is become more expensive, the dangers of excess weight have to be emphasised: More than 42m UK adults ‘will be overweight by 2040’ | Obesity | The Guardian
- Weight gain is not solely a consequence of excess consumption of calories: Environmental toxins are worsening obesity pandemic, say scientists | Pollution | The Guardian
Poor sleep is another drain on health and wellbeing. There are approaches which can help with this: Insomniacs in England to be offered app treatment instead of sleeping pills | Sleep | The Guardian
Problems of mental health are often harder to identify or to talk about, but help is available if only the necessary services can be properly resourced and organised: ‘There are no words for the horror’: the story of my madness | Mental health | The Guardian
Prospects for new treatments are little-short of Science Fiction: Contact lens that can release drug could be used to treat glaucoma | Medical research | The Guardian
Time and space and nature retain their convalescence power: Space to grow: wilderness therapy could help abuse survivors | Domestic violence | The Guardian
And the shadow of Covid-19 still looms large around the world North Korea on brink of Covid-19 catastrophe, say experts | North Korea | The Guardian
- Vaccination is to be extended: At least 25m people in UK to be offered Covid booster this autumn | Coronavirus | The Guardian
Older people command headlines:
Some make raucous use of new communication systems: Older people using TikTok to defy ageist stereotypes, research finds | TikTok | The Guardian
Ken Bruce (aged 71) is the most popular disc jockey: Ken Bruce remains most popular UK radio host as mid-morning trend prevails | Radio | The Guardian
Others find a new persona: A new start after 60: ‘I took up hedgelaying at 65 and discovered a hidden connection with my father’ | Agriculture and forestry | The Guardian
David Jolley – Chair of Christians on Ageing, in a personal capacity
