Jersey care homes overwhelmed by increase in residents

A Jersey care provider is urging Islanders to discuss potential care needs with elderly relatives before they face a crisis

Jersey's largest group of care homes says it is overwhelmed with patients who have arrived in recent months.

LV Care said too many people were not talking about their illnesses with their families, and if they were they would not need 24/7 care.

A care home manager warned of a potential "crisis" with a shortage of beds available.

LV Home Care manager Kalina Syvret said: "There just isn't enough care for the amount of people who need it."

She added: "With care homes virtually full, and many people wanting to stay in their homes, it's putting increasing pressure on providers.

"We will always try to help people, but while it's inevitable that there will be some cases that are as a result of an unexpected incident, many issues could have been prepared for if people had discussed their needs and put some contingency plans in place."

LV Care said islanders need to have "difficult discussions" about how their relatives are looked after, so it's not as "traumatic and upsetting" in the long run.

Follow BBC Jersey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]