Over a third of residential care homes will see signs of distress in their elderly residents over the festive season after having to give up a beloved pet, it was revealed today.

An in-depth study of 234 UK nursing homes and sheltered housing units, published by the Society for Companion Animal Studies, has revealed that the vast majority of care facilities do not allow pets, despite a growing body of evidence showing their importance to senior citizens.

There is nothing worse than having what you consider to be a silly little accident but paying the price for it over the course of a few weeks. A simple trip over an object that has been left lying around can jar and individual’s back, rendering him or her unable to move properly for anything up to a month, even if they are able bodied and in the peak of health. This risk is more pronounced in seniors than in any other age group because the body’s ability to heal itself decreases with age.

Cats can be ill tempered and mean on their worst days, but even the most annoying problems have a remedy somewhere. If your cat is clawing your furniture, your carpet, and your legs with the same ferocity, understanding the how and why behind the behaviour can help you redirect your feline friend’s clawing instinct to be expressed in less destructive ways.

A care worker has escaped prison despite being found guilty of punching and slapping an 87-year-old dementia sufferer.

The terrified man desperately raised his arms over his face to protect himself from her as she shouted at him, Grimsby Crown Court was told, but she showed no remorse.