If you have a furry friend at home, it’s safe to say they are your best friend – and just as much a part of the family as anyone else. Indeed, according to home renovation and design platform, Houzz, more than three-in-five pet owners actively consider their pets when making decisions about home renovations, with designers on the platform noting a rise in pet-specific requests during home remodels. “Whether it’s considering the best materials or layouts for our furry friends, or even integrating bed nooks, built-in dog showers or clever feeding stations, pets are an important consideration when designing a home that works for all the family,” says Katie Greenhalf, director at KG Lifestyle & Interiors. “And as a result, people are keen to integrate items for them within their interior design scheme,” she enthuses. Bespoke storage is all the rage “For many people, storage is a key part of designing where they live – and considering your pet within this, is integral to a design that works for everyone in the home. Greenhalf continues: “We’ve had clients request bespoke cupboards in the kitchen for a pet’s food; easily accessible for pets but also hidden away to keep things clean and tidy, and tucked away from toddlers too; integrated dog showers into the utility room and creating dog beds in the under-stairs area.” Stylish sleep spaces are trending For proud pet owners, dedicated spaces for pets are no longer hidden away, but are now at the centre of the design. According to Houzz’s survey, a quarter of pet owners have created a built-in nook for their pet’s bed. “It isn’t as crazy as it might sound, as a dedicated nook can be positioned out of the way, rather than in the middle of the floor like standard pet beds and cushions,” explains Amanda Pollard, senior editor, Houzz. “It also allows owners to locate their pet’s bed in a kitchen or living space, rather than having them sleep in a separate space away from family life.” If you’re thinking about commissioning a bespoke piece of furniture for your living room, she suggests including an integrated sleep space for your dog – so it ties into the design of your room. “For furry friends of the smaller variety, such as cats or petite pooches, you can carve out an area in a sideboard for a little built-in bed,” suggests Pollard. A-list access is also top of the agenda And it’s not just sleep spaces being incorporated into design plans either – how pets can get in and out of your home is another important factor to consider. Especially with big swathes of glazing becoming increasingly popular, deciding where the humble old cat flap should go can be a slight hurdle. Dominic McKenzie, director at Dominic McKenzie Architects came up with an innovative idea to overcome this. “We recently designed a house with wall-to-wall glazing across the rear elevation, but the owners’ cat needed a way to get in and out. “We devised this special entrance through one of the cupboard doors in the kitchen, which leads onto a cat flap to the outside,” he explains. “We made the cat’s doorway house-shaped to give it a special character – the cat is very happy.” Homeowners are always very keen to make their pets’ lives better as part of a renovation – as well as everyone else in the family, says McKenzie. “There’s usually a dedicated area devoted to the pet – and often their ways in and out of the property are high on the list of priorities when planning the project!” But what if there isn’t any space on the ground floor for a cat flap? Leah Chisnall, interior design project manager for Absolute Project Management, shares a creative approach for cat access in these instances… “We’ve had two projects that included rear extensions with beautiful full-length glazing, and no space for a cat flap,” says Chisnall. “As a solution, we created cat flaps on the first floor (in a study and a bathroom) and included bespoke cat staircases from the first floor to the garden, for the family cats to use.” Feeding stations are increasingly fashionable And for those muddy paws and messy food bowls, innovative spaces for feeding and bathing are also high on the renovation wish list. According to Houzz’s survey, one in five homeowners have added a built-in pet area for bathing or feeding into their homes – and for Absolute Project Management, it’s a top request from recent clients. “The dog featured here is the very lovely Biscuit, belonging to one of our previous clients,” discloses Chisnall. “As part of their terrace house renovation, we converted a fairly snug ground-floor WC into a dog shower room. “We built a short tiled shower wall to enclose the space, fitted a stone (splash-proof) shelf for shampoo bottles and fur brushes, hooks for towels and dog leashes, and made sure the shower waste was large enough (with an adequate catcher) for the excess dog fur!” explains Chisnall. Cats aren’t missing out on dedicated spaces either, as Leah shares another project where her team created a beautiful cat litter room for a client. “We carved out a small space in an under-stairs cupboard with a hole in the hallway door for the cat to get in – and beautiful stone flooring for the litter box to go on,” says Chisnall. “It was a very luxe and practical solution to keep it out of sight!” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sex Education season 4: How vintage finds help characters get their unique style Groundbreaking migraine treatment offers ‘new hope’ for patients ‘Millions of women and girls suffer severe pain’ during periods – research finds

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Mental health patients have been left languishing in hospitals for years due to a chronic shortage in community care, as the number of people trapped on wards hits a record high, The Independent can reveal. Analysis shows 3,213 patients were stuck on units for more than three months last year, including 325 children kept in adult units. Of those a “deeply concerning” number have been deemed well enough to leave but have nowhere to go. One of these cases was Ben Craig, 31, who says he was left “scarred” after being stranded on a ward for two years – despite being fit enough to leave – because two councils fought over who should pay for his supported housing. He missed his daughter's birth and didn’t meet her until she was 18 months old while waiting to be discharged, which only exacerbated his depression. He told The Independent: “I was promised I was going to be moving on, but it just seemed like it went on forever.” The average stay for patients in low-security hospitals was 833 days in 2022-23. The NHS does not collect data on how long people are waiting to be discharged, but mental health charity Mind said Mr Craig’s case was far from unique. Leaked reports, obtained by The Independent, also reveal NHS community services are struggling to see patients, while the NHS is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to house those who could be discharged. Documents for 2022-23 obtained and analysed by The Independent reveal: Adult mental health beds cost the NHS between £500 and £1,000 a day, compared to £5,000 per patient per year for community care One in five referrals for community care was rejected as the NHS battles a 12 per cent staff vacancy rate Patients waited 13 weeks on average to see a community mental health worker, but some waited up to 60 weeks The 3,213 patients stuck for more than three months was an increase of 639 on the year before and an all-time high, according to an analysis of NHS data In August, 10 per cent of patients were waiting 221 days to start community treatment One in 10 patients under a community mental health team did not see a healthcare worker for a year Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive for NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, told The Independent mental health patients stuck in hospitals were experiencing “personal distress” and getting ill again while they wait. She called on the government to put mental health on an “equal foot” to physical care and said not doing so suggested the government was content not to treat all patients equally. One senior NHS source said long stays in mental health units had become “normalised” and patients were becoming institutionalised. “These 60 and 90 [days] stayers are just being medicated and drifting. They’re adjusting meds to stabilise the person ... These long-stays people can get completely dependent, they lose contact with the world [and] their life, They’re terrible for people,” they said. ‘Robbed’ Mr Craig was admitted to Prestwich Hospital in September 2019 with psychosis from prison after his mental health deteriorated and he began hearing voices. In 2020 he was told by doctors he was well enough to be discharged home after his sentence ended. However, he then had two years of his life “robbed” as two councils rowed over who should fund the mental health hostel he needed to be discharged into to support his recovery. He was eventually discharged into supported living in September 2022 where he still receives mental health support. Mr Craig, who now lives in Manchester, told The Independent: “I was very depressed, I am still not over it properly yet. When I was there, I just didn’t want to go out or anything, so just stayed in my bed all the time. “I missed my daughter’s birth, and I didn’t see her until she was eighteen months old ... it’s left me scarred.” Even when he was finally discharged into supported living accommodation he says the community mental health team had “no input” into his care and says he was still struggling to get in contact with his community service team. Rheian Davies, head of Mind’s legal unit, told The Independent that cases like Mr Craig’s showed councils were failing in their legal duty to fund mental health support in the community. She said the charity had seen patients with longer discharge delays than Mr Craig’s due to this problem. “It’s deeply concerning that people are finding themselves stuck in hospital, their lives on hold, due to a lack of supported housing,” she said. “Delays in leaving hospital cause uncertainty and anxiety that can hamper or even reverse recovery. “This takes a huge emotional toll on the person and their loved ones, but the delay in discharge also means there are fewer beds available for people experiencing mental health crises.” She added that patients “deserve much better than being held indefinitely in hospital settings when they are well enough to return to the community”. Ms Davies said: “This case [Mr Craig’s] is a real opportunity to reduce the delays and hurdles caused by a disjointed system.” Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust said: “We work hard with all our system partners to ensure where patients are ready for discharge, they can do so as quickly as it is safe to do so.” Abena Oppong-Asare, Labour’s shadow mental health minister, said The Independent’s exposé showed NHS mental health services were “in crisis”. She added: “The Independent investigation reveals the appalling reality that patients are being left in hospital for months, when community care can be far more effective and less expensive for the NHS.” As part of its election manifesto pledges, Labour has promised to recruit 8,500 more mental health professionals, paid for through plans to abolish “tax loopholes for private equity fund managers and tax breaks for private schools”. The Department of Health and Social Care said in 2021-22 an additional £116m was invested in the NHS for mental health discharges and that it will have invested £1bn more in the sector by March 2024. An NHS England spokesperson said: “There is no doubt mental health services are under significant pressure, with the NHS treating record numbers of young people and community crisis services seeing a 30 per cent increase in referrals compared to before the pandemic, and NHS urgent and emergency care also treating record numbers.” Read More Rosalynn Carter tributes will highlight her reach as first lady, humanitarian and small-town Baptist Friends target rowing world record to raise awareness of mental health challenge Women in mental health crisis being jailed in prisons deemed ‘unfit for purpose’ Suspect in fatal Hawaii nurse stabbing pleaded guilty last year to assaulting mental health worker The Priory hospital fined £140k after woman dies on ‘utter shambles’ ward Dumped in A&E and left untreated for 5 days: Shameful plight of vulnerable patients

A dedicated dad has gone viral for dressing up in a pink leotard and tutu to take his young daughter to see ‘Barbie’ at the cinema. Eleazar Rodríguez Hernández took his daughter to see the hit film starring Margot Robbie on its opening weekend. He explained: “My daughter said ‘Daddy take me to the premiere of Barbie, but wear something pink or are you too embarrassed?’” He added: “I think the one who's going to be embarrassed is her!” In the images, Rodríguez is seen sporting a pink leotard and white tutu along with a broad grin. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter He completes the outfit with a cowboy hat and boots. Rodríguez took his daughter to see Barbie at the Cinépolis cinema in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, México, on 21 July. In one photo, the proud dad is seen buying entry tickets at the counter in his special outfit. He accompanied the image with the mock conversation: “What movie do you want to see? “The Super Mario Bros Movie, idiot!” Rodríguez said: “I made these posts without wanting to highlight myself, I just did what my daughter wanted. “I would do anything for her. “She was so happy. “Believe me, wearing pink clothes and a tutu does not make you any less of a man.” Photos of Rodríguez and his daughter have gone viral on Facebook with thousands of shares and comments. One local said: “These are the moments your daughter will remember most! I know because I carry in my heart everything my dad did in my childhood to make me happy.” Andy commented: “You are a f***ing crack... A f***ing hero without a cape... You are the boss of bosses!” Licia wrote: “That's a great father who does everything for his daughter. Blessings.” Enit remarked: “What a beautiful memory for his daughter. She will treasure that so much in the future. He's a dad worth millions.” Jesús said: “I want to be like you when I grow up.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Ralf Schumacher has opened up about his brother Michael Schumacher’s accident nearly 10 years ago, simply stating: “Sometimes life isn’t fair.’ Seven-time F1 world champion Michael has not been seen publicly since suffering life-changing injuries in a near-fatal skiing accident in December 2013 in Meribel, France. Michael’s wife, Corinna, has insisted on keeping Michael’s medical condition private in the years since as he recovers at home in Switzerland. Ralf, who raced against Michael in Formula 1 from 1997-2006, has this week briefly spoken publicly about the accident and the impact it has had on the Schumacher family. “Sometimes life isn’t fair, unfortunately. We have to accept it,” Ralf told German outlet Bunte. “When I see his [Michael’s] kids, Gina-Maria and Mick, my heart smiles. If anyone in the family seeks my advice, I’m there. “They’re making their way.” Schumacher’s son Mick lost his F1 race seat at Haas last year and is now a reserve driver at Mercedes, who Michael drove for from 2010-2012. The Schumacher family lawyer, Felix Damm, detailed this week why no formal “final report” has ever been publicised on the Ferrari icon. “It was always about protecting private things,” Damm told German outlet LTO. “We considered whether a final report about Michael’s health could be the right way to do this. “But that wouldn’t have been the end of it and there would have had to be constantly updated ‘water level reports’ and it would not have been up to the family when the media interest in the story stopped.” Former Ferrari boss Jean Todt has a close relationship with the Schumacher family, revealing last year he has seen the German three times a week on some occasions – adding that the 54-year-old is in the “best of hands… surrounded by people who love him.” Todt also said as recently as last July that he still watches F1 races with Schumacher despite the German’s unknown medical state. “I don’t miss Michael, I see him,” Todt told German broadcaster RTL. “Yes, it’s true, I watch grand prix with Michael. But sure, I guess what I miss is what we used to do together.” Todt is a close friend of Schumacher’s since their time working together during a successful era at Ferrari, when the German won five of his seven world titles from 2000-2004. In April, an editor of a German magazine was sacked after the Die Aktuelle publication used artificial intelligence to produce fake quotes from Schumacher. The magazine was labelled “disgraceful” by fans online for depicting the AI responses as an “exclusive interview” on their 15 April front cover. In a Netflix documentary which aired in 2021 titled Schumacher, Corinna detailed how his family have dealt with the situation and continue to “get on with their lives.” “Michael is here. Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength, I find,” Corinna said. “We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. “We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives. ‘Private is private’, as he always said. “It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael.” Read More Alpine provide update over Mick Schumacher seat for 2024 after test session F1 2023 season race schedule: When is the Brazilian Grand Prix? Michael Schumacher update: Lawyer explains lack of ‘final report’ on F1 star’s health Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin and a ‘miserable’ decline which could have consequences Max Verstappen gives blunt verdict on Sergio Perez’s Mexican Grand Prix crash Christian Horner drops Daniel Ricciardo hint as pressure mounts on Sergio Perez

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