The sister

Jan Ellis

Take advice

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Theatre star

We're familair with them from their fictional counterparts - but get to know a real surgeon.

Increasing burdens?

With the shrinking ranks of the economically active being asked to support growing numbers of elderly people, are we the wrong age?

Jan Ellis is the sister-in-charge of the Kingfisher ward at Andover Memorial Hospital, a 30 bed rehabilitation ward for men and women over 65 years of age.

Q. How can I get some advice about choosing a nursing home?

A.The breadth of choice will of course vary from place to place but these sites can help you to know the right questions to ask when you look.

The Age Concern website has a section dealing with advice and guidance on Community care and care homes

This website provided by Help the Aged is packed with valuable information about different kinds of residential care and sheltered housing, details about the financial implications and much more besides.

The National Service Framework for Older People is a Department of Health document which defines the standards which services for older people should reach. There is also a paper called ‘Intermediate care – moving forward’. This describes the NHS plans to make available special facilities which will help to prevent older people being admitted unnecessarily to hospital and help those that are admitted to be discharged more quickly.

NHS Direct links:
Arthritis (Online Encyclopaedia)

Osteoarthritis (Online Encyclopaedia)

Rheumatoid arthritis (Online Encyclopaedia)

Hip Replacement (Online Encyclopaedia)

Dementia (Online Encyclopaedia)

Alzheimer's Disease (Online Encyclopaedia)

Other links:
Alzheimer's Disease Society

Arthritis Research Campaign

Arthritis Care

National Osteoporosis Society

British Heart Foundation

Stroke Association