Retirement Living

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART CARE IS

People with heart disease are being offered the chance to try a technological solution that will help them manage their conditions from home and avoid frequent hospital visits

Atrial is under way among cardiac patients in north Wales to test innovative technology that allows clinicians to monitor patients’ health and recovery via mobile phone. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) has teamed up with medical tech company Huma to assess whether people with heart problems can be supported in their homes using an app that reports on their condition.

Huma’s application allows people to record their symptoms and vital signs, such as weight and blood pressure. This can then be reviewed by a clinician and fed back to the patient to record progress and any concerns, which means changes in the patient’s health or response to medication could be identified sooner. The technology also allows patients to have consultations by video, helping to avoid unnecessary visits to clinics or hospitals. The pilot programme has been funded by the Welsh government.

Help yourself

The Welsh government’s Help Us, Help You campaign is encouraging people to use a range of services to alleviate pressure on the NHS, and it believes this cutting-edge solution is one way of

doing that, particularly in lowering waiting times. “We want to build on the advances made in digital technology since the beginning of the pandemic, but we need to understand how easy or difficult it is for people to use the application, which is what this pilot is all about,” says Viki Jenkins, heart failure advanced nurse practitioner at BCUHB. “Covid-19 has shown us we have to embrace innovation like this.” As part of the trial, patients will receive equipment to take readings, including a blood pressure Monitor health at home cuff, weighing scales and a pulse oximeter. If needed, hospital visits can be arranged for further treatment and consultation. Helen Northmore, head of Doctors can review information digital and artificial intelligence at Life Sciences Hub Wales, believes the Huma app is an example of how technology will play an even bigger role in

“We have to embrace patient care in the future. “The traditional pathway is for cardiac patients to regularly attend a hospital appointment and have these readings taken,” she says. “This application innovation will free up clinicians’ time so they can be there for patients like this” who need them more urgently, and it also saves the patient from having to travel and wait at the hospital to be seen.” For more information, visit www.huma.com.

Bright future for care home

A popular care home near Shrewsbury has secured new financial backing to give its residents peace of mind

Vicarage Nursing Home is a 50-bed specialist dementia care facility located in Bayston Hill, near Shrewsbury, and has been owned and successfully operated by the Ephraims family since 2003. But times have been hard for the industry recently and the owners knew a new financial plan was needed to ensure the home thrived. Thanks to Cynergy Bank, they have now been able to consolidate existing loans into a £2.35m CBILS term loan, with a £165,000 overdraft facility allowing them to reorganise their finances, purchase the freehold of the nursing home and invest in the business. Recognising the significant The owners secured a CBILS loan disruption Covid-19 has caused to the healthcare sector, the government guarantees CBILS loans for six years, Vicarage Nursing Home, Shrewsbury and Cynergy Bank was able to offer flexible terms and interest rates. It has provided both a significant cost saving to the company and funding to support further capital expenditure plans.

Roger, Margaret and James Ephraims, the home’s owners, says: “Recognising the uncertainty in the current climate, particularly within our sector, it has been refreshing to work with Satyen Shingadia of Cynergy Bank to achieve the refinance and acquisition package to support our strategy. We look forward to working with the bank on our future projects.” Visit www.vicaragenursing.co.uk.

Quality care you can trust in Chester

When a family is thinking about care for a loved one, they want the best - they want to know that the care home they choose will put their loved one’s safety, happiness and wellbeing first

Comfortable, modern accommodation accommodation

A range of indoor and outdoor are activities available Dedicated sta take care of the residents

Care UK’s Deewater Grange care home in Chester provides residential, dementia and nursing care, giving families peace of mind that their loved ones can stay living at the home should their needs change.

Living at Deewater Grange is all about quality of life. Every staff member in the home is passionate about enabling residents to enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle, tailored around their unique needs and preferences. The lifestyle team organises a huge variety of group and one-to-one activities, with plenty going on each day.

Sometime families can get caught up in the day-to-day care of their loved ones, and that means their personal relationships can means their personal relationships can be affected. Once their relative has settled be affected. Once their relative has settled into Deewater Grange, they are able to focus on spending quality time with them again just enjoying each other’s company.

With the extra support that the care home offers, new residents are often surprised at what they can do – whether that’s being able to continue with an activity they have enjoyed in the past or discovering new hobbies with daily activities. discovering new hobbies with daily activities.

Whether your loved one enjoys a quiet cup Whether your loved one enjoys a quiet cup of tea in bed of tea in bed before starting the before starting the day, loves going day, loves going for strolls in the for strolls in the landscaped grounds or enjoys a chat over a beer, the team at Deewater Grange will spend time to enable them to continue living life the way they want to.

Deewater Grange is part of award-winning provider Care UK – one of the UK’s most successful care home operators (as rated by the Care Quality Commission in England and the Care Inspectorate in Scotland) with over 35 years’ experience of delivering high-quality care to older people.

Deewater Grange, Chester Road, Huntington, Chester CH3 6BS. Call 01244 459559 or visit www.careuk.com/deewater-grange

A fulfi lling lifestyle tailored to individual needs “The team at Deewater Grange enable residents to continue living life the way they want to”