Home Instead York newsletter
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October 2020
Home Instead CAREGivers Commemorated by Civic Trust
During lockdown, The York Civic Trust were keen to raise awareness of all things positive and celebrate the people and organisations who went the extra mile. They asked people to nominate their ‘Lockdown Heroes’ to be commemorated in the form of a Civic Trust Plaque. Luke Norbury, Owner of Home Instead Senior Care in York, nominated the dedicated team of CAREGivers at Home Instead, which enabled their elderly clients to stay in contact with their community, family, and friends. The CAREGiver team at Home Instead have been working extra hard to keep their clients and their families feeling happy, safe, and secure. Last month Luke, along with Lorna Hoegh and Kerry Galloway, Registered Care Managers at Home Instead York, visited Fairfax House to collect a plaque on behalf of their team of CAREGivers.
CAREGiver Julie retires after exceptional service to clients Home Instead York would like to wish CAREGiver Julie a very Happy Retirement. Julie left us earlier this month after over four and a half years of exceptional service, in which time she built up some incredible relationships with the clients she supported. Julie will be greatly missed, her hard work and dedication to providing an ‘outstanding’ level of support is what made her a fantastic CAREGiver.
All the very best Julie!
Zoe transfers to Scarborough office Best of luck to Zoe who left Home Instead York last month. Zoe has transferred over to our Scarborough office, to take up her new position of Care Co-ordinator after relocating to the area. Zoe has a wealth of experience having been with Home Instead since 2013 and we are in no doubt she will be a huge success over in Scarborough. We will miss you Zoe!
The best apps for your medical needs There’s an abundance of health and care apps available. That’s why it’s difficult to know what you should use to boost your own wellbeing. We’ve teamed up with ORCHA (the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Applications) which gives access to the best health and care apps, to ensure that you’re only informed by credible and reputable sources. ORCHA gives you a library of hand-picked apps, which have all met quality assurance and gone through rigorous reviews. 85% of health and care apps don’t meet their standards, so ORCHA has worked hard to highlight ones that are effective enough. It gives older people the ability to manage their health successfully with some tried-andtested resources. And to make this even better, you don’t need to be a Home Instead client to use the service. We’re making this available to all, so share with family and friends if you think it will help.
How does it help? The apps ORCHA reviews and recommends vary, suiting a range of client needs:
Psychological wellbeing Clients with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression can manage their illness better with ORCHA. There are apps that provide counselling, for example. And there are also apps that help you cope with the dayto-day stresses that life brings, whether that’s through meditation or help with sleeping.
Physical activity For many of us, technology underpins our regular exercise, from counting steps to planning running routes. ORCHA opens up a whole range of activities to keep people fit, and ensures that they are carried out effectively. Whether our clients want to do outdoor exercise or home work-outs, they’ll find activities that suit their interests and fitness levels.
Long-term condition management Spending every day living with a health condition is tough, so any support that technology provides can go a long way. ORCHA highlights apps that help people with dementia remember their daily rituals better, and set reminders for whenever they need to do something important. There are also apps to help people with diabetes track blood sugar levels. It helps our particularly vulnerable clients keep on top of tasks that maintain their health.
Mental stimulation It doesn’t matter what age you are – training your brain is key to staying well. ORCHA highlights the best apps that will help keep your mind ticking away, including fun puzzles that can easily get you hooked.
How can I use the apps? If you’d like to test some of the apps that ORCHA have highlighted as the best for your specific medical needs, then head over to https://homeinstead.orcha.co.uk/
People living with dementia can tune into a new radio station, M4D Radio, designed to boost their mood throughout the day. The group of radio stations by Music for Dementia is designed to follow the rhythm of the day from waking to bedtime and through the night. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year playing music that evokes memories. Give it a listen over at: https://m4dradio.com/ Or, if you have an Alexa device, ask it to ‘Play M4D Radio’.
Home Instead Research Fellow Home Instead Senior Care UK are really pleased to announce that we have signed an agreement with the University of York to establish the Home Instead Research Fellow. This is a first for a home care provider and is an innovative approach to changing the understanding and perception of home care. The position will be based within the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU), a multi-disciplinary centre with an international reputation for applied health and social care research relevant to policy, service organisation and delivery, and practice. The post is for three years and is a core element of an innovative and exciting research partnership between the University of York and Home Instead. The purpose of this partnership is to facilitate a step change in the evidence-base on homecare and research investment in this key, but relatively neglected, aspect of social care. The Home Instead Research Fellow will play a key role in working with Home Instead owners, office team members and CAREGivers, clients, families, and the public to specify a programme of research on homecare. It will conduct research, be actively involved in delivering this programme of research and obtain external research funding on the topic of homecare. This is likely to involve collaborations with other researchers within the University of York or elsewhere. A key part of the role is to help Home Instead become a “research ready” organisation, to effectively mine our data for research purposes as well as setting best practice and supporting the network to establish research collaborations.
It was National Gas Safety Week last month and here at Home Instead we are supporting the efforts to try and get some easy and invaluable education out to our CAREGivers and clients to keep them safe. As the winter approaches it’s important to be aware of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide as they become more prevalent as we begin to use our heating.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, poisonous gas produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, including gas, oil, wood and coal. Carbon based fuels are usually safe to use, however, when the fuel does not burn properly, excess CO is produced, which is poisonous.
What should I look for? It is really important to know the major signs and symptoms of CO poisoning so that you can keep yourself and others safe. Symptoms that could suggest CO poisoning include: Headaches, Breathlessness, Dizziness, Collapse, Nausea, Loss of Consciousness, Exhaustion Ask yourself these questions: Do these symptoms only occur when at home? Do these symptoms disappear or improve when I leave home and re-appear when I return?
Are other people living in the house experiencing similar symptoms? Are pets being affected or showing any symptoms? If you are concerned that due to other health conditions you may not notice a change in yourself or someone you are caring for, you can also look for these signs around the home: Gas cooker flame is ‘lazy’ (a yellow/orange colour – it should be blue!) Pilot lights frequently go out Lots of condensation on windows/walls Chimneys, Flues, Vents are blocked (on purpose or by accident)
What can I do to keep myself and others safe? Ensure gas appliances have undergone their annual check. Have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm fitted. Know the common signs and symptoms and what to do. Think CO when visiting clients, friends or relatives. Lots more helpful information can be found on the Gas Safe Charity Website, which is funded by the Gas Safe Register. Please see the handout opposite for a helpful guide.
✠Cut along dotted line for safe keeping
✠Cut along dotted line for safe keeping
Mirthy Talks - Live talks direct to clients’ living rooms General Information In response to COVID-19, an organisation called Mirthy has been working to tackle social isolation through delivering online speaker events for older people to enjoy from the comfort of their own home, offering a range of talks by some of the best public speakers to entertain and inform. Mirthy were a finalist in the AAL Smart Ageing Prize 2020, and in March 2020 were named Runner Up in the Tech To Connect Challenge - a £1m competition from Nesta
and DCMS for early stage technology ideas that tackle social isolation. The talks that Mirthy deliver cover topics from gardening and travel to history and show business. Every talk is followed by a live Q&A with the speaker encouraging interaction and connection. Home Instead clients, clients’ families and potential clients can now access free talks every Thursday which can be attended on computer, tablet or phone. Individuals will need to register by going to https:// mirthy.co.uk/talks/.
Following September’s edition of the Elder, here is session 3 of our simple exercises to do at home:
Putting Oomph into fitness Stretch and Flex Movements Repeat this section twice Single Arm Reach Out - Reach forward with one arm to as far as feels comfortable and return back to the centre. Do this 8 times, then repeat with the other arm. (8 on each arm) Diagonal Leg Stretch - Lift your leg up and stretch it out diagonally away from you. Focus on holding at the end point before returning back to centre. (3 times on each leg) Shoulder Tap Reach Down - Cross the arms and tap the shoulders, then extend the arms beside your body. (10 times) Ankle Rotation - Sitting upright in your chair, lift one foot and start to slowly rotate in one direction. Do this on each foot. (5 times on each foot) Strength Movements Repeat this section twice Side Reaches - Starting with both
arms up as if you were going to start boxing. Stretch one arm out to the side and return to the centre of your body. Repeat on the other arm. (8 each side) Side Steps - Starting with both feet flat. Step one out to the side and return to the centre. Repeat on the other leg. (8 on each leg) Single Leg Kicks - Sitting upright. Kick one leg out forwards, straight in front of you, then return to centre. Repeat on the other leg. (8 on each leg) Double Arm Reach Ups - Reach both arms above your head and return to your knees. (8 times) If you found that easy, try to put the movements together, so the arms and legs move together - one side at a time. Coordination Movements Pass Through - Pass a small object through your legs making a figure of
8 shape. This can be done with a ball of socks or any ‘easy to grab’ object. (Alternate each side) Brain Aerobics - Touch your nose with your right hand and cross your left hand over to touch your right ear. Swap them over. When this is done correctly it creates an overlapping technique. See if you can gradually get quicker! Body Scan - Tap each joint from the bottom of your body (ankles) to top (above head) and back down. Begin with tapping the ankles, knees, shoulders and finishing with a double arm reach up. Then making your way back down the body. Start slow and see how fast you can repeat this up to 5 times.
Guidance notes: You may notice your heart rate increase - this is normal.
Share the Care Referral Program Home Instead York are running a ‘Share the Care Referral Scheme’. Recommend Home Instead York to your friends and family and once they have signed the Service Agreement and commenced care with us both you and your friend will receive £95 each if you both use our services. To both receive £95 off your Home Instead Senior Care York bill the following Terms & Conditions apply. ▲ New clients – Please ensure you hand your referral card to the person who conducts the consultation at the time of signing the Service Agreement and commenced care. This will ensure saving the £95 set up charge. ▲ Existing clients will receive £95 discount off their next bill once their friend has signed the Service Agreement and commenced care. ▲ Existing clients may refer as many friends as they like. Providing they have this qualifying card, you will both receive the £95 discount. (If you need more cards just ask.)
Share the Care
York & Ryedale
Thank you for putting your trust in us! Tell your friends about your good experience at Home Instead York & Ryedale. Give them this card and you and your friend will receive £95 each if you both use our services. For T&Cs please see over
▲ We reserve the right to vary these terms and conditions and to terminate the scheme at any time.
▲ We respect your privacy and so we collect and process all data in accordance with our Data Protection promise.
Dementia and the Herbert Protocol When a person goes missing, it is very distressing for family and friends and can be even more worrying when the missing person has Dementia. The Herbert Protocol is a simple risk reduction tool to help the police in their search for people with Dementia who go missing. The Herbert Protocol is a form that contains vital information about the missing person. The form is filled in by the person with Dementia, their family or carers. The completed form should be kept safely by carers, family or friends, but where it can be found quickly in the unfortunate event of the person going missing. The police will only ever ask for the form if the person is reported missing.
Please don’t send it beforehand and do not give it to anyone who you do not know or trust. When a person is reported missing, the police need a vast amount of information from people who are likely to be in a heightened state of
anxiety. Extracting that information takes time and may not always be accurate, particularly when it relates to historic information which can be important when searching for a person with Dementia.
Home Instead Senior Care 10 Clifton Moor Business Village James Nicolson Link, Clifton Moor York YO30 4XG Telephone: 01904 690884 Email: info@hiscyork.co.uk Web: www.homeinstead.co.uk/york
The Herbert Protocol is designed to collect most of the information in slow time, so that it can be passed to the police quickly if it is ever needed. It will help the police in their search for the missing person, saving valuable time and help return them to safety. The form should be kept up to date with a recent photograph of the person that can be passed to the police if needed. If you believe a person has gone missing and you are concerned for their safety, call the police on 999 and tell the police operator that you have a Herbert Protocol. You can download a form at: https://northyorkshire.police.uk/ staying-safe/personal-safety/theherbert-protocol/
Live well, your way with care at home
Safe ■ Effective ■ Caring ■ Responsive ■ Well-Led “Each Home Instead Senior Care® franchise office is independently owned and operated.”