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About Glenmachan Care Guide

Glenmachan Care Guide is a small, independent information resource for families looking after an older relative at home. The aim is simple: to set down, in plain language, the things people usually have to find out the hard way.

Who writes it

The guide is written and edited by Ruth Donnelly, a registered general nurse who spent more than twenty-five years as a district nurse around Belfast — in and out of people’s homes, sitting at kitchen tables with worried families, and seeing what actually helps and what just sounds good on paper. Everything here is grounded in that experience and in the guidance of the NHS, the Health and Social Care system, and the established carers’ charities.

Why it exists

Most people come to caring suddenly and unprepared. The information that would help is scattered across dozens of websites, written in officialese, or buried in leaflets nobody can find. This site pulls the most common questions into one place and answers them like a knowledgeable friend would — honestly, and without jargon.

What we are not

Glenmachan Care Guide is not a care home, a care agency or a healthcare provider, and we are not connected to any care service, business or product. We don’t arrange care, we don’t sell anything, and we can’t give advice about an individual’s situation. Nothing on the site is a substitute for proper medical, legal or financial advice for the person you care for. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist, social worker or qualified adviser about individual needs, and call 999 in an emergency.

How we keep it accurate

Benefits rates, legal rules and services change, and they differ across the UK. We point you to the official sources — nidirect.gov.uk, gov.uk, the NHS and the main charities — for the current detail, and we review the guides regularly. If you spot something out of date or unclear, please tell us.