The Carer Digital - Issue #18

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The Carer Digital

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Issue 18

THECARERUK

“Uncertain Future” For Care Homes as Empty Bed Numbers Double

The care home industry is facing an “uncertain future” with almost double the number of beds standing empty than at the same point last year, a survey has found as part of a 5 News special programme Covid Care Home Crisis – What Now? Which aired earlier this month.

The 5 News/National Care Association survey of 256 care home providers, found that there were 2,404 empty beds in June from a potential 9,735. At the same time last year there were 1,281 care home beds standing empty.

Overall, the average occupancy rate for the homes was 81% this June, down from 92% in June last year.

The National Care Association says the coronavirus has put a dent in the finances of many care homes and put yet more pressure on a sector which it says has been underfunded for years.

NCA Chairman, Nadra Ahmed said “We know that the impact of Covid 19 has had a devastating impact on the financial viability of care services.

“Without recognising and addressing this we will be facing the prospect of failing the most vulnerable citizens in our communities as providers feel that they can no longer sustain their businesses.

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!

“There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.”

ROSALYN CARTER An interesting article runs in this issue regarding a report by the University of Birmingham (page 5), where they say that urgent funding is needed UK adult social care.

This will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody!

Since I started editing this title in 2008, I have heard same message and I have heard successive ministers tell the public how they intend to fix long-term care – which, of course, never materialises!

The article refers to a “lost decade” and draws on and updates on a 2010 review of the reform and costs of adult social care – commissioned by Downing Street and the UK Department of Health – which concluded the system was widely recognised as “broken” and that, with no action, the costs of adult social care could double within two decades. Moreover, this would be the case for current services and approaches (which had already been strongly criticised for failing to fully and appropriately meet need), leading to significantly higher costs with no improvement.

As stated above this is nothing new! I have been writing and commenting on the crisis in social care for over 12 years. It has suffered years of chronic underinvestment, and a report I remember from only 6 months ago revealed that 1.2 million people were not getting the care they needed and there were 110,000 care vacancies with up to 25% of providers experiencing financial difficulties.

Following the recession of 2008, the country endured years of austerity which local authorities, who oversee social care, bore the brunt of - resulting in the gap between demand and resources growing larger and larger.

A report that I saw, again only about 6 months ago, revealed that since 1998 social care has been the subject of 12 white/green papers or major consultations, four independent reviews as well as numerous parliamentary inquiries. And where exactly are we?

During this period Germany and Japan have introduced social insurance systems that will ensure that everyone will be able to afford the care needed in old age. I understand that Germany’s is a compulsory lifetime insurance.

However, if one casts our minds back to the 2017 general election then Prime Minister Theresa May almost suffered a defeat with a proposed social care tax dubbed the “dementia tax”, which she was forced to abandon. Ms May was attacked on all sides!

The problem is, for too long social care has been a political football, an opportunity to play party politics against each other, and that has resulted in absolutely no advancement whatsoever.

Germany’s Pay-as-you-go long-term care insurance (LTCI) funds are, I understand,

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managed by (legally distinct) health insurance schemes. The individual contribution rate is presently 2.5% of wages payable up to a contribution ceiling with childless adults paying a little more. For those in work, employers pay half the premium while the retired pay full contributions. LTCI membership is compulsory and non-employed people are covered by employed householder insurance contributions.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the country’s attention just how vital the social care sector is, and how it has been taken for granted by successive governments.

The sector employs over 1 ½ million people with projections indicating that this will need to grow by a further 520,000 to meet demand over the next 15 years.

Social care needs urgent funding as the Birmingham University report states, but that is something we have known for years. The country needs bold leadership, we are all fed up of the can being kicked down the road time after time.

I have conducted very limited research into the success of the German model, it has had its critics and has undergone occasional reform, but it is widely accepted among German citizens and has achieved many of its original goals.

Would be interested in any feedback/comment would wish to make and would warmly welcome an in-depth article on future funding of care!

I always finish with a thank you to the many homes and their PR agencies providing us with some wonderful stories of anniversaries, fundraising, in-house care home initiatives keeping the spirits high, so once again well done and please keep them coming! I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk.com

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 3

“Uncertain Future” For Care Homes as Empty Bed Numbers Double (...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) “Providers have been delivering care services despite the funding challenges for over a decade at least, any resilience they had in their businesses has been eroded by this virus and many now face an uncertain future.

“The Government response to calls for support was late and inadequate, they must now redeem themselves by responding to the call for urgent support to halt provider failure across the country as the sector faces rising debt and low occupancy.”

At one care home run by Croft Care Group, half of the beds are now standing empty.

James Creegan, Director of Care at the groups said “Being brutally honest if things didn’t improve then we would need to look at the future of the care home and whether it is financially viable going forward.

“Currently we have 34 people living here, it is their home and if we had to make a decision to close I know I would be pretty devastated.”

The Tregwilym Lodge Nursing and Residential Home in Rogerstone, Newport lost 21 residents to Covid-19. The first died on the day the UK went into lockdown.

Manager Karen Healey said the past few months have been extremely challenging but the home has now been covid free for 28 days.

“We’re now down to 50 residents in the home, which means we have 24 vacancies and with a loss per week of around £24,000. This is clearly hugely impacting the business,” she said.

She said changing guidance and a lack of community testing is causing her concern for the future, particularly the winter months.

Karen added, “We’re not alone, as in any other care sector where they’ve had a lot of deaths. I am unaware of the plans on what’s going to happen if we should hit a second wave.

“There’s been no engagement in respect of whether we’re going to have extra staff, whether we’ve got enough PPE in the system, the flu jabs in respect of our staff and everyone making sure we’re covered.”

Mike Padgham, chairman of the Independent Care Group and runs four homes in North Yorkshire, said in May that he was worried about the rising costs of the pandemic, from personal protective equipment (PPE) to extra staff to cover for those self-isolating as well as lost income from empty beds. He said rising costs of personal protective equipment and lost income from fewer new residents moving in were hitting both social care staff and the older people they care for.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Throughout the pandemic we have been working closely with the sector and public health experts to put in place guidance and support for adult social care including testing all residents and staff, funding a care home support package worth £600m and making a further £3.7bn available to councils to address pressures caused by the pandemic.

“We are doing everything we can to support the social care sector and will bring forward a plan that puts social care on a sustainable footing to ensure the reforms will last long into the future.”

The Local Government Association says the pandemic has acted as a catalyst in exposing problems many homes have been facing for years and that social care deserves parity of esteem with the NHS. Cllr Paulette Hamilton, vice-chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said “The pandemic has absolutely brought it to a knife edge because we were having problems in the sector to start with. Covid-19 has just really highlighted the issues that have been within the sector all the way along.

“We want to work with the Government to ensure that going forward, adult social care gets the care and the attention that it needs.”

Committee Pilots New Social Say Hello to Isabel!

Care Ratings System to Hold Government To Account An independent evaluation system that will give ratings on the Government’s progress against its pledges on health and social care targets is to be piloted. The process will be carried out by an expert panel established to evaluate a specific policy area, the Health and Social Care Committee has announced.

The CQC-style process will offer independent and objective evaluation of ministerial pledges within a system designed to develop and enhance the Health and Social Care Committee’s core task of holding the Government to account. The findings of the panel are expected to feed into on-going inquiries carried out by the Committee and be complementary to its work.

The Committee has announced that the initial pilot will

examine progress against targets in maternity services, an area where evaluation is expected to be of particular value.

Chair’s comments Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee said: “We are piloting a new CQC-style ratings system to provide an expert independent assessment of the government’s record on key pledges. This willmean the governmentisheld toaccount by an evaluation process similar to that used across the NHS and social care system which gives notjust an absolute score but key pointers as to how toimprove that score

next time round.

“We hope it will focus attention on areas such as cancer, mental health and patient safety where a number of vital commitments have been made.”

We here at the Carer were delighted to receive this wonderful photograph of Isabel Ngwenya a senior support worker at the Shine Group who has been working in the care sector for the last 15 years. Isabella was a very worthy runner-up in our recent “Unsung hero” award.

Isabel has overcome some significant challenges in recent years forcing her to make and adapt lifestyle changes in order to continue her career in the care sector.

Chief operations officer for the Shine Group Georgia Bakopoulou said: “Isabella has never lost her positive attitude and she has been a brilliant example to our service users to show that even though you experience challenges, you should never give up and you should find ways to progress in life. And despite these challenges, even during the Covid crisis she chose to continue working with the appropriate PPE, as she wanted to continue inspiring her colleagues and service users during this hard time.

Always with a smile on her face, working hard and helping the service users and her colleagues, Isabel has been an unsung hero and a bright example of hope and never giving up for all of us!”

Well done Isabel!

PAGE 4 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

Dealing with Care Home Residents When they Lose Capacity

By Jemma Garside, Associate - Solicitor at law firm Boyes Turner (www.boyesturner.com) Everyone who works in the care sector knows how demanding it can be.

Looking after someone who lacks the mental capacity to make their own decisions can be especially challenging, but fortunately there are legal guidelines to help care homes through this.

The Mental Capacity Act was introduced in 2005 to protect and empower people who lack the mental capacity needed to make their own decisions. A person may lack capacity due to a stroke or brain injury, or they may have a condition such as dementia that means over time they have lost capacity.

Capacity is time and decision-specific. A person lacks capacity if they are unable to understand information relevant to a decision, retain that information, weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of the decision and communicate it. Any decision made on behalf of a person who lacks capacity must be made in what is judged to be their best interests.

WHO CAN MANAGE A PERSON’S AFFAIRS? There are two ways in which another person can be appointed to manage another person’s affairs. These are by:- A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) - A Court of Protection Deputyship An Attorney is appointed by the person themselves (known as the “donor”), prior to their loss of capacity. A person may make an LPA because they have become aware that they have a deteriorating condition or they may have been advised to do so as part of advance plan-

ning. Attorneys will register the LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and will then be able to make decisions on behalf of the donor.

A Deputy is appointed by the Court of Protection after the person has lost capacity. Anyone can apply to become a Deputy for another person as long as they can show the Court that they are capable of discharging their duties responsibly. The Court can also appoint a Professional Deputy. The latter is often more appropriate where a person has substantial and complex assets. Deputies are supervised by the OPG and must also produce annual accounts and reports. The OPG can send a visitor to ensure that the Deputy is acting in the person’s best interests.

What kinds of powers are available?

There are two powers available, one dealing with property and affairs and the other with health and welfare.

PROPERTY AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS An LPA or Deputy for property and financial affairs can deal with matters such as operating bank accounts, managing investments, dealing with benefits and pensions or selling property.

With an LPA the donor can still make their own decisions whilst they retain capacity. However, once they lose capacity their attorney will make all decisions in their best interests. Standard instructions can be included in this type of LPA to allow for greater flexibility to changing circumstances.

HEALTH AND WELFARE An LPA for health and welfare provides the opportunity to either authorise an attorney to give or refuse consent to life sustaining treatment, or to refuse such authority. It also allows the attorney to make welfare decisions such as where the donor should live, who they should live with, their care arrangements and medical treatment.

The Court of Protection is much less likely to appoint a Deputy for personal welfare and will instead make a one-off declaration dealing with issues such as contact with others, care regimes, residence and medical treatment.

HOW CAN CARE PROVIDERS WORK WITH ATTORNEYS AND DEPUTIES? An Attorney or Deputy has a duty to act in the best interests of the person lacking capacity. This means that they must put in place appropriate arrangements, such as: - An allowance for the resident so that they can purchase small items; - Making funds available for any personal treatments and activities; - Funding appropriate equipment; - Ensuring that the resident’s needs are being met; and - Ensuring that the appropriate Deprivation of Liberty authorisations are in place.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE WHERE THERE ARE CONCERNS? It may sometimes appear that an Attorney or Deputy in not making good decisions on behalf of the person they are responsible for. In this case, in the first instance it is important to talk to the Attorney or Deputy to understand how they consider their decisions to be in the best interests of the resident.

If concerns remain, the next step is to contact the Office of the Public Guardian to investigate the matter further.

It is possible to change an Attorney or Deputy. If the resident still has capacity they can do this directly. If they do not, then an application will need to be made to the Court of Protection.

Those responsible for care home residents should understand the legal obligations around mental capacity and keep records to show they have complied at every stage. Of course, most people involved in the care of the vulnerable act with integrity, but understanding relevant laws will help them avoid any difficulties that may arise including through misunderstandings, at the same time protecting residents and their families.

For more information, contact the specialist Court of Protection team at Boyes Turner on cop@boyesturner.com

North Walsham Care Home Resident Celebrates Centenary A resident at The Manor House care home in North Walsham, Norfolk, has marked her 100th birthday with a special celebration at the home. Irene Vincent has been living at The Manor House since 2018 and reached her milestone birthday on Wednesday 5th August.

Irene was born in Birmingham in 1920 where she went to school before working for the Cadbury Brothers at the age of 14. She met her husband, Ernest, when he was working for the Post Office, however before they could get married, he joined the British Army’s 7th Armoured Division – known as the Desert Rats. Here, he was posted to France during WW2 and took part in several campaigns.

They married in December 1944 when he was home for a short period of leave, sharing their special day in a double wedding with her sister.

Whilst Ernest was away at war, Irene volunteered for the Red Cross, working

with injured servicemen and was a fire watcher in the centre of Birmingham.

Ernest returned home and to his job at the Post Office after the war ended, and in 1946 they had their son, Barry, who would eventually give them two grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Irene received a congratulatory card from HRH Queen Elizabeth, as well as a special cake decorated in beautiful flowers and has enjoyed some pampering from The Manor House team, with a member of staff offering to come in on her day off to do her hair and nails.

Home Manager of The Manor House, Paula Pawsey said, “It was an absolute delight to be able to treat Irene to some special pampering to mark her milestone birthday. We hope she enjoys her beauty treatments and her cake, and on behalf of everyone at here at The Manor House I’d like to wish her a very happy 100th birthday.”

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 5

Researchers Warn of Impact of ‘Lost Decade’ in Adult Social Care Urgent reform of the funding of UK adult social care is needed to save a desperately overstretched system which has now reached breaking point, warn policy experts at the University of Birmingham.

The crisis is partly the result of a ‘lost decade’ in which policymakers systematically failed to act on alarms raised back in 2010, say the researchers in a hard-hitting report published in the Journal of Social Policy.

In what is described as “the first analysis of its kind to present policy makers with different scenarios for adult social care funding and reform, to view these in practice (by comparing them to nearly a decade of policy) and to set out the relationship between future economic growth and the provision of sustainable adult social care”, the team, led by Professor Jon Glasby in the School of Social Policy, asserts that without swift Government intervention, the adult social care system could quickly become unsustainable. The 2020 update was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council part of UK Research and Innovation, as part of the research titled “Sustainable Care: connecting people and systems, 2017-21”, led by the University of Sheffield’s Professor Sue Yeandle.

The article draws on and updates a 2010 review of the reform and costs of adult social care – commissioned by Downing Street and the UK Department of Health – which concluded the system was widely recognised as “broken” and that, with no action, the costs of adult social care could double within two decades. Moreover, this would be the case for current services and approaches (which had already been strongly criticised for failing to fully and appropriately meet need), leading to significantly higher costs with no improvement.

Jon Glasby, lead author of the report and Professor of Health and Social Care at the University of Birmingham, said: “Our research has explored the future reform and costs of adult social care, and the high cost of inaction. In 2010, we were adamant that doing nothing was not an option. Our 2020 update shows that,

without swift Government intervention, the adult social care system could quickly become unsustainable.

Even though this research was carried out before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, urgent action is likely to be even more pressing in the current context.”

Not only were these warnings not heeded – but the situation has since got worse. Adult social care has always been organised differently and funded less generously than health care, and has faced a combination of pressures caused by demographic change, increased costs, and rising need, compounded by cuts to public expenditure. Ambitious plans for a ‘National Care Service’ were not implemented, while the austerity agenda led to a decade of spending cuts, service pressures, and a growing sense of crisis. Predictably, the result has been greater unmet/under-met need, more self-funding, lower quality care, a crisis among care providers, and much greater pressure on staff, families and partner agencies. Cuts have also fallen heaviest on older people, with services for working age people less affected. Despite the legitimate needs of other groups, it is hard to interpret this other than as (at least in part) the product of ageist attitudes and assumptions about the role and needs of older people.

While the situation is urgent, the human misery caused by this ‘lost decade’ is not as visible as financial pressures on more prominent, popular and better understood services, such as hospitals or schools: “When social care for older people is cut to the bone, lives are blighted, distress and pressure increase, and the resilience of individuals and their families is ground down”, says the paper. “Yet this happens slowly – day by day, week by week, and month by month. It is not sudden, dramatic or hi-tech in the way a crisis in an A&E department may be, and tends to attract less media, political and popular attention… With yet more urgency than in 2010 we warn: Doing nothing is NOT an option.”

Home Care Providers Launch VAT Lobbying Campaign A webinar to launch the campaign seeking a review of the current VAT status of the social care sector took place earlier this month and was attended by over 160 representatives from the sector.

The campaign is the brainchild of a consortium of home care providers, the founders of which are Ken Deary (Right at Home), Martin Jones (Home Instead Senior Care UK), Michelle Fenwick (Heritage Healthcare), Lisa Fyfe (Caremark), Alex Green (Radfield Homecare), Wayne Smith (Bluebird Care) and Yvonne Tomlinson (Kare Plus).

Hosted by BBC News Presenter and Business Correspondent, Ben Thompson, the webinar outlined a vision for the future where all social care provision is zero-rated for VAT so that providers are able to reclaim VAT on business expenses.

Speaking at the webinar, the founders outlined why a root and branch review of the sector’s VAT status is so critical and how any savings would be re-invested into their businesses for the benefit

of the carers they employ and to improve the client experience.

Speaking about this, Ken Deary, CEO of Right at Home UK said, “The pandemic has shone a light on the vital work carried out by the social care sector like at no time before. We have seen our carers applauded alongside healthcare workers with a real recognition and appreciation for the work they do. And that’s fantastic and makes us all feel immensely proud.

“By taking action now on VAT the Government can finally recognise the vital role we all play on the front line and support us to future proof the homecare sector for years to come.”

The consortium argues that the sector, which is made up of many small, independent operators is experiencing increasing cost pressures, much of which is due to the high level of regulation they operate under.

The group argues that they should operate under the same VAT regime as mobility aid retailers, which serve practically the same client base, who are already zero rated.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 7

More Support from Care Services Needed to Keep Care Staff in Work A survey carried out by national charity Carers UK shows employers in England are seeing the health, wellbeing and productivity of their workforces adversely impacted by a shortage of support from social care services.

Two thirds stated that there needs to be more practical assistance from care and support services to ensure their staff with unpaid caring responsibilities are able to stay in work.

Previous research by the charity suggests each day 600 people give up work to care for older or disabled relatives, at an enormous cost to the economy.

With the Government’s furlough scheme scaled back but many care and support services still closed, increasing numbers of working carers are having to consider reducing their hours, or even quitting work to care.

Dave Kirwan, Managing Director and sponsor of the Carers Network at Centrica, said: “The carers working at Centrica are often under a lot of pressure juggling their work and care responsibilities and many have seen an increase in their caring duties during the pandemic. We try to do all we can to support them as an employer such as offering flexible working, paid carers leave and peer support through our Carers Network. But in many cases their working lives would be made far easi-

er with more practical support from social care services.”

Sarah Boddey, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, EMEA & APAC at Northern Trust said: “From flexible working to free back-up care sessions that help bridge gaps in care – Northern Trust has a range of carer resources to support our staff with caring responsibilities. We also aim to provide extra practical assistance on top of social care services to help ease the stress and worry experienced by carers in our workplace.

These carer-inclusive policies give our employees who are carers the freedom to better balance their careers and caring responsibilities, but there is always more that can be done.”

Responding to Carers UK’s survey before the pandemic, 72% of employers said caring and the ageing population will put more pressure on their staff, and 64% believed it may lead to loss of valuable employees if staff give up work to care.

Now during the pandemic, with an additional 2.8 million workers having picked up caring responsibilities in a matter of weeks, employers are receiving an influx of requests for flexible working hours to accommodate caring responsibilities. More conversations are taking place with line managers about family responsibilities because of Covid-19, with some employers choosing to provide carer’s leave and special leave to cope with the current situation.

Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said: “When you’re caring for someone and you can’t get the support you need from social care services, it can become impossible to stay in work.

“Our survey shows that businesses are now having to manage the fallout of this increasingly common dilemma for staff who are juggling work and care for a relative.

“Just as childcare used to be a key issue stopping women from continuing to work, now caring is holding back thousands of people from enjoying a fulfilling career and retaining an income.

“If the Government wants to ensure jobs and keep the economy thriving it has to recognise how big an issue caring has become for a huge swathe of workers – and their employers. Investing in social care and delivering an ambitious plan for reform would allow thousands of people to benefit from a job and improve productivity across industries.”

Two thirds of employers wanted to see services that are available outside of normal working hours and clearer, more accessible public information on how and where working carers and their families can get practical help with caring.

A similar proportion (68%) said recognition of carers by GP and health professionals, as well as timely and ongoing support, was their top priority to help them look after carer health and wellbeing at work.

Healthcare Homes Hosts ‘Care Appreciation Week’ The Healthcare Homes Group has hosted a special week of thanks and celebration to mark the work of its teams during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The group’s ‘Care Appreciation Week’ took place from Monday 3rd August to Friday 7th August, with members of the group’s executive team visiting each of the 45 homes and 12 homecare branches to convey their thanks and gratitude.

Homes and branches are planned their own special events as part of the week, whilst maintaining their high levels of Covid safety. Just some of the planned activities at homes included a beach-themed party at Home Close in Fulbourn, a Caribbean-themed party with long service

award presentations at Park House in Peterborough, a barbecue and musical entertainment at Ladymead in Swindon, a fun sports day, afternoon tea and long service awards at Haughgate House in Woodbridge and a party with hog roast, group dance and party at Sovereign Lodge in Eastbourne.

The 12 branches of the group’s homecare division, Manorcourt Homecare, also planned events such as a treasure hunt around Norwich from the Norwich branch, a buffet lunch and long service awards at the Hornchurch branch, a ‘Bake Off’ in Harlow and afternoon tea with staff probation celebrations in Swaffham.

The events and executive team recognition came amidst an outpouring of community support and thanks for the efforts of care workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Strict measures were introduced by the group when the pandemic was declared, and staff have been working tirelessly to implement new processes to keep residents safe and happy when unable to see their loved ones.

Healthcare Homes Group CEO, Gordon Cochrane explains, “We cre-

ated Care Appreciation Week as a way of demonstrating our gratitude for the outstanding work of all staff right across our group.

“Every member of our team; care assistants, registered nurses, catering staff, domestic staff, managers, and everyone that contributes to our care delivery, has simply been incredible during the most challenging time we have faced in our history.

“I have been continually overwhelmed, proud and thankful for the efforts they have gone to with the sole aim of keeping people safe. I have heard countless examples of staff who have made personal sacrifices to ensure the wellbeing of residents or clients – coming to work on days off to support their teams, going above and beyond to provide people who are shielding with supplies or help at home. The unity in effort and in care has been phenomenal.

“These efforts are far from over and I join the overwhelming calls of thanks from communities right across the UK for everything the care family has done to support those who need help the most during the most difficult of times.”

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PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

The Importance of Allotments and Gardens in the Pandemic

By Damaris Daniels, QCS’s Content Director (www.qcs.co.uk)

To mark National Allotments Week, Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) has teamed up with the National Care Forum to ask its members why green spaces are so important to them.

During the Second World War, 1.4 million allotments* helped to feed the nation. Seventy-five years on, as the world battles to contain the Covid-19 Pandemic, the 330,000 allotments in the UK**, are again proving their worth - albeit in a very different way. While they may no longer be Britain’s breadbasket, allotments provide a spiritual oasis where people can reconnect with nature, and they’re also the glue that moulds, shapes and strengthens communities.

At Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), a major provider of content and compliance tools for the care sector, we have found that gardens and allotments have served to enrich our flexible working strategy.

Many of our staff enjoy working in their gardens or allotments in their spare time. They say that they are therapeutic environments that have sparked creativity, and improved their mental and physical wellbeing during the lockdown.

EVERYONE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO ALLOTMENT AND GARDENS In residential care settings too, green spaces play an extremely important role in the lives of the residents. But for those living with dementia, visiting an allotment or gardening in a home can be challenging. It requires ingenuity and innovation, which Haviland House Dementia Care Home maintenance team employed to great effect when it created an indoor allotment for its residents, called the Ashmount Garden Room.

Andrew Whitman, a spokesman for Guild Care, which operates Haviland House, paints a picture of the allotment, “The ceiling has been painted to look like the sky with clouds dotted around, the walls wrapped like a garden scene, the cupboards look like sheds and the window sills are covered head-to-toe in butterflies, plants, binoculars and other little outdoor themed trinkets which bring the room to life.”

GARDEN AND ALLOTMENTS HELPING TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF INHOUSE ACTIVITIES For Tom Harrison, Director of Operations and his colleagues, who work for Ambient Support, the gardens and green spaces at the projects and schemes in which they operate, have not only been “a sanctuary for service users and staff” during the pandemic, but are helping Ambient’s staff to re-evaluate and re-assess their approach to activities.

The charity, which provides care and support services for older people, people with a learning disability and those with a mental health need has operated a gardening and horticulture project in South London for over a decade. Last year it opened a horticulture hub for service users at one of its projects in Bromley. It includes raised beds, greenhouse and even a training room, which provides courses to any budding green fingered volunteers.

thing he’s always loved. He’s in a different place here, but the routine can continue. That helps lessen anxiety and confusion, and that’s a big thing. It gets him outside and exercising too which is hugely important for wellbeing.”

ACCESSIBLE SPACES Perhaps though the real power of allotments and gardens lies in their widespread appeal. Indeed, they are the cement that helps to bridge different generations inspiring them to collaborate.

Take Kelvin, Alan and Michael, for example. They live together and receive support from Real Life Options, a charity which specialises in helping people with learning disabilities and autism.

Eighteen months ago, the trio approached their Service Manager, Soneni Pearson. They had seen a piece of land adjacent to their home and were keen to see if they could convert it into an allotment. With Soneni’s help, they applied to Leeds City Council. A few months later, to their delight, they found out that their application had been successful.

With the support of the Real Life Options team, and lots of hard toil, they have transformed the space into a fully functioning vegetable garden, which provides them with home-grown organic fruit and vegetables, not to mention a refuge from Covid.

Soneni says, “The allotment has been a great haven during the Covid 19 pandemic. It has provided a safe place for Kelvin, Alan and Michael to remain physically active whilst social distancing, which has been fantastic for their mental health and wellbeing.”

Liz Jones of the National Care Forum, adds, “The experience of the COVID lockdown has highlighted to us all how important it is to be able to get outside and enjoy fresh air and the power of nature. This is just as important for our more vulnerable people including those receiving care and support, as we know how much being in the open air, be that gardens, allotments or beautiful outdoor spaces, can help to improve people’s overall health and wellbeing.”

He explains, “Gardens and allotments can teach us so much. In the Coronavirus lockdown, they have illustrated that “being” is the “new doing” in learning disability and mental health services. Going green really helps improve wellbeing. We have discovered that while a full and varied programme of activities is very important, many of those that use our services have been happier and less anxious whilst their choice of social activities have been restricted. We’ve noticed too that relationships in the lockdown have flourished. What’s more, often the bonding process begins in tranquil outdoor spaces like gardens and allotments. That, I think, is their greatest strength.”

As well as producing a bountiful supply of healthy organic vegetables for service users to enjoy, the questions of how we, as a society, make use of green spaces in the future provides much food for thought.

QCS would like to thank the NCF and its members for sharing their experiences and stories.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RAISED BEDS Some 70 miles away in High Wycombe, at the Royal Star & Garter care home, 87-year old David, who’s also living with dementia, is still able to enjoy daily visits to the garden thanks to helpful staff and several raised planting beds, which were installed last year.

David’s daughter, Kate, explains the benefits that her father receives from gardening.

She says, “…It gives Dad focus. He’s planted runner beans and now he’s having them for tea, which is lovely. It’s linked him back to some-

REFERENCES: * How Britain utilised allotments during two world wars: The era of ‘growing’ your own Sky History https://www.history.co.uk/article/how-brits-utilised-allotments-during-two-world-warsthe-era-of-‘growing-your-own’ **Figure confirmed by the National Society of Allotments and Leisure Gardeners

Scottish Company Launches Facial Recognition And Thermal Imaging For Care Homes A Scottish company has unveiled an attendance ‘track and trace system’ that uses facial recognition and thermal imaging to detect people with high temperatures and infection which will mean better safeguarding of Care Home staff and patients against Covid-19 infection The technology was developed by Reddy Punna, the CEO of Edinburgh-based enterprise technology specialist Purview Services and himself a Covid-19 survivor, having been diagnosed the virus on a business trip to India.

The system is capable of scanning 30 people per second and will indicate those at higher risk of Covid-19 infection, so that they are swiftly detected and contained as they enter the Care Home.

Currently unable to return to Scotland, Reddy focused on developing the facial recognition and thermal imaging technology whilst in India.

He comments;

"Immediate protection from The Covid-19 pandemic requires compliance with test, trace isolate and protection strategies and we’ve done this through the development of our optical attendance and access system. The facial recognition and thermal imaging system can detect people’s temperature, the presence of a face mask and social distancing as they walk past the scanning technology at a rate of up to 30 per second and within a range field depth of 9 metres.

Those entering a Care Home with a raised temperature can be identified and then diverted to be helped by staff to stop any potential spread of Covid-19. Containment through an attendance and access system with zero contact and temperature measurement can be a key to avoiding easy spread of the virus that can take place with a biometric access system.”

Purview’s Facial Recognition and Thermal Imaging technology allows the system to

check and enable access (e.g. light goes green from red). For example, if there is a temperature alert on the system, a person can be rechecked with handheld thermal imaging.

The reading can then be conveyed to the individual and they would then be advised accordingly. The reading can also trigger the tracing process to find who the identified person has been in contact with.

The strategy is to have free flowing footfall with access control , allowing people to move without congestion and being hampered by unnecessary delay.

With little sign of stability in the rise of Covid-19 infection around the world, the public needs assurance that risk of infection in crowd management can be completely minimised and controlled immediately when a case is flagged by the facial recognition and thermal imaging software.

As measures are being gradually relaxed, the public is mindful that the spread of Covid-19 is yet to be fully contained and until there is a wholesale decrease in infection rates, facial recognition and thermal imaging will give assurances to businesses that this type of technology can further reduce infection rates.

Visit www.purviewservices.com today for further information.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 9

Covid in Care Homes: Many Are Asymptomatic or Have ‘Atypical’ Symptoms Many care home residents who have Covid-19 infection are either asymptomatic or experience ‘atypical’ symptoms – according to a new study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and North Norfolk Primary Care, supported by UEA Health and Social Care Partners.

Due to the rapid-response nature of this evaluation, it has not yet been peer reviewed.

In response to Covid-19, a new ‘intelligent’ testing service was implemented in care homes in North Norfolk.

The service, implemented by the enhanced care home team (ECHT) with North Norfolk general practitioners, identified Covid-19 symptoms amongst residents. They found that around half of residents who tested positive for Covid-19 were asymptomatic, but some went on to develop symptoms.

They also found that in many cases symptoms were not typical and did not include a high temperature, cough or loss of smell. Instead, residents who tested positive for Covid-19 often presented as ‘generally unwell’.

The team say that effective testing and screening of residents and staff in care homes is vital for identifying cases and controlling the spread of the virus.

Dr Paul Everden, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School and Innovation Lead for North Norfolk Primary Care, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting older people, especially in care homes. We wanted to develop a service with our local GP’s, implemented by our ECHT, to keep residents and staff safe by early identification of infection.”

ECHT tested 518 residents in 44 care homes and 340 staff in 10 care homes for Covid-19 using nose and throat swabs between April 7 and June 29. Test results and symptoms were compared for residents. Positive asymptomatic residents were followed for up to 14 days after testing.

The ECHT found that 103 residents tested positive in 14 homes and 49 staff in seven homes. However, of the residents, only 38 (37 per cent) had typical symptoms at the time of the test.

More than half (54 residents) were completely asymptomatic when tested, and 12 developed symptoms within 14 days. Some of those with a positive test result did experience typical symptoms such as a cough or fever, but feeling generally unwell was also common.

Dr Everden said: “We found that older people in care homes are frequently asymptomatic, but can go on to become symptomatic, i.e presymptomatic. We also found that of those who tested positive, some were just ‘generally unwell’.

“We carried out this service evaluation in North Norfolk but we would expect to see similar results nationally. All UK care homes are at high risk of Covid-19 infection and residents are extremely vulnerable to infection and death.

“Older people in care homes have multiple co-morbidities including dementia, lung disease, a reduced sense of smell, and may have communication problems too. Together this means it is difficult for staff to identify typical listed Covid-19 symptoms – a temperature, cough and anosmia. It may also be difficult for some patients to recognise or communicate that they are feeling unwell.

“At the time of launching this service there was no testing in the community, let alone in care homes. It was therefore vital that we put into place an ‘intelligent’ testing service that allowed the earliest ‘pick up’ of infection with the least use of a precious resource. It was through this process that we identified asymptomatic and presymptomatic people who could potentially infect other residents and staff.

“Our trigger for testing a resident was any general deterioration in health status with isolation and then, if positive, testing of all other residents and staff.

“These findings are really vital for protecting care home communities and we hope they will help keep residents and staff safe – particularly if we are to face future waves of the pandemic in the UK where resources will again indeed be precious.”

Care Home Resident Receives Gift Fit For A Saint A student nurse has delighted a resident at Muirton House in Blairgowrie after organising a surprise delivery from his favourite football club.

Stuart McGregor, who is a lifelong St Johnstone fan, was gifted a signed ball and personalised gift set from his boyhood club after being contacted by one of Stuart’s carers at Muirton House.

The signed ball features signatures from a number of Stuart’s favourite players, including Jason Kerr, Scott Tanser and Stevie May, while his gift set includes a brand-new St Johnstone water bottle and wallet.

The gifts were organised by Becky McGregor, a student nurse who works at the home on Essendy Road, as a way of saying thank you to Stuart for being so friendly and welcoming to her during her time at the home. Staff at Muirton House are also hopeful of organising a visit from some of the St

Johnstone players in the future, when visiting restrictions allow.

Upon receiving the gifts, Stuart said: “I can’t believe that the club have sent me these personalised gifts. The St Johnstone players have been my heroes since I was a boy.”

Becky, who organised his gift, said: “It became clear almost instantly that Stuart is a huge Saints fan. He is always following the games and talks about the club very passionately.

“He is an amazing character with a great sense of humour, and I thought the gifts would be a nice way to say thank you to Stuart for being so kind and welcoming to me during our time together at Muirton House.”

PAGE 10 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

A Registered Manager’s Fight On The Frontline To Protect His (Care) Home

By Chris Walton-Turner, registered manager of Haviland House (www.guildcare.org/dementia-care-home-haviland-house) and Gloria Haynes, associate consultant at Meaningful Care Matters (www.meaningfulcarematters.com)

Almost half a year on from when the coronavirus pandemic first swept across the UK, we are still dissecting its effects across all industries, especially in social care; one of the worst hit sectors.

With murmurings of a second wave in Britain imminent, we are still very much in the thick of the crisis, and in one care home in Worthing, West Sussex, the constant battle remains in protecting those in its care.

Referred to as family members, those residing at Guild Care’s Haviland House, a well-established home operating in The Butterfly Approach® - a care philosophy supporting meaningful specialist dementia care – have been under the care of a brave team ensuring their quality of life remains just as meaningful in the face of intense pressure.

Below, Gloria Haynes, an associate consultant at Meaningful Care Matters, a leading care and organisational development group that supports and partners with Guild Care, speaks intimately with Haviland House’s registered manager Chris Walton-Turner, who shares how he and his team have valiantly gone above and beyond to protect their (care home) family.

Gloria: In general, how has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the care service at Haviland House?

Chris: Only one family member has been admitted to hospital due to COVID-19, but they returned to us on the same day. This highlights the high standard of care and support provided at Haviland House, with no one having to receive the intensive care support provided at hospitals.

The design of the home also allowed us to create an isolation group in

one household. We have a clinical separation area that can be accessed by the team working on the isolation group via a separate door and staircase.

An area below the stairs has been used for team members to shower and change, preventing them having to access the main areas of the home.

Gloria: How has the period affected your team?

Chris: Many new connections and friendships have developed as a result of people working together differently. I’ve been constantly telling my team how much I appreciate what they are doing. I’m in no doubt that this is a brave workforce made up of people who have worked hard, long shifts when they have had to, risking their own health and that of their families.

They are tired of the pressures associated with lockdown and the restrictions to meet changing Government demands. The emotional cost through restrictions and limited connections remain at the forefront of their minds as they continue to support our vulnerable older people. There is a fear of the unknown with this virus and how it will continue to impact us into the future.

There is also anger at seeing the pictures of people having mass gatherings for various activities, especially the pictures of people hoarding together on beaches during heatwaves, whilst they are working to protect vulnerable people in the heatwave.

Guild Care is supporting our team through a range of wellbeing initiatives.

Here at Haviland, we are a family and are there to support each other. The team already has a private and secure Facebook group that every member of staff can access. It provides a good source of support for everyone. I use the chat group to keep them informed, posting daily to update everyone about any changes at work, whether that be new people, health issues etc.

It’s been a useful team communication resource.

Gloria: How have family members coped without being able to see relatives for so long?

Chris: The support from relatives has been phenomenal. Everyone has said they are grateful for all that is being done and the messages of thanks have boosted the team. All the loving relationships within the home obviously help too.

Relative visits are beginning to take place, with our wellbeing organiser setting up a rota to allow people to visit family members either in our day centre or garden. We currently allow visits from one family at a time, with a maximum of two people visiting each family member.

During lockdown Guild Care launched a You’ve Got a Friend in Me social media campaign. It was set up when we had to shout our doors to all visitors to help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness amongst our family members and to ensure them that the local community was thinking of

them. We invited people to join a Facebook group to share a few of their special moments. We were overwhelmed with the positive responses we had letters, pictures and videos that were posted daily from nearly 300 members including people from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and India. We also had contributions from two of our local schools.

Gloria: What has been the impact on you as the person with overall responsibility?

Chris: I’ll admit I’m tired and exhausted after working long hours. I don’t live locally, but since the lockdown I have been staying in Worthing three to four nights each week so I’m more easily accessible to Haviland House and the team. And when I go home, I’ve been sleeping in a separate room to my partner to reduce any risk of cross contamination.

I’m wary of a second wave and determined to keep all systems in place for the time being, until we can really see that the country is becoming safer. The team has been asking if we can reduce some of the measures implemented during the beginning of lockdown, but I’m determined that we have to remain on high alert.

Ultimately, I recognise the generosity of spirit shown by my team and the unconditional love felt for the family members living at Haviland House.

Gloria Haynes is an associate consultant at Meaningful Care Matters, a leading care and organisational development group that specialises in helping health and social care providers to access a variety of support services. The group helps to facilitate the creation, reinvigoration and sustainable implementation of person-centred care cultures where people matter, feelings matter and we are ‘Free to be Me’.

Chris Walton-Turner is the registered manager of Guild Care’s Haviland House, a specialist dementia care home in Worthing, purpose built to fulfil the needs of residents living with different stages of dementia. Guild Care is Worthing’s pioneering care charity. Its three independently managed care homes provide residential, nursing and specialist dementia care. From a week of respite to a home for life, Guild Care offers lengths of stay to suit any need. Each of its homes are not-for-profit, enabling the group to keep enhancing its residents’ facilities and supporting the local community.

Guinness Resident Explores Loneliness And Isolation Through Photography Since the easing of lockdown due to Covid 19, Tony Fisher a resident at Riddings, one of Guinness Care’s Independent Living schemes in Derbyshire, has been able to resume taking photographs of people for his next exhibition entitled ‘Only the Lonely?’.

For the exhibition, due in Autumn 2020, he is currently taking photographs of people (ensuring social distancing) which explores loneliness, isolation and well-being, something he has battled with personally for over 40 years.

Tony has lived and worked in the East Midlands region as a professional photographer and filmmaker for many years, especially in the community arts sector and funding for his forthcoming exhibition was received from the Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants.

Tony said: “I have been interested in arts since I was at school and art college and have been taking pictures and making art all my life, it is something that gives me constant pleasure. Each picture I take means something to me and I love to capture the vibrant colours, and sometimes in monochrome, of the world around me and share them with others.

“At a resident meeting earlier this year, I was really touched to be asked to put up framed photographs in our lovely community room we have in our flats once renovation is completed.”

Steve Smith, Independent Living Adviser at Guinness Care said: “Tony keeps himself busy and works tirelessly both campaigning on mental health issues and championing the good work carried out by so many people who suffer mental health.

“His photography skills and his eye for detail promote both the impact of mental health, loneliness and isolation but also bring joy and his images are very thought provoking. Tony has won several awards and has exhibited in many galleries across

the country. I think the man is a genius and an inspiration.”

Tony has recently received an honourable mention from the 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Award in the Worldwide Photography Gala Awards. Also, one of Tony’s photographs, is featured in the Lockdown Collection of Historic England and his photo ‘At the Boundry’ has been chosen to represent the East Midlands region in the Historic England Archive.

Up to 750,000 COVID-19 Test Kits Recalled Amid Safety Concerns • For kits at a Warehouse facility: Randox will arrange for collection and transport of this stock to Randox

As many as 750,000 coronavirus testing kits sent to care homes and people’s homes are being recalled over safety concerns.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has instructed Randox to recall the ‘Randox COVID-19 Home Testing Kit’ with the Catalogue Number: EV4429 from NHS Test and Trace testing settings.

This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to prevent any further use of these Randox tests.

Anyone who is in possession of this Randox test kit should follow the below instructions on how to return kits to Randox.

NHS Test and Trace has a separate contractual arrangement with Randox laboratories. As a precautionary

ACTION TO BE TAKEN:

measure and while we investigate further, NHS Test and Trace paused the use of these Randox test kits with

• discontinue use of and quarantine any stock of the Randox COVID-19 Home Testing Kit immediately • follow the instructions listed below to ensure the return of any stock of the Randox COVID-19 Home Testing Kit to Randox Laboratories Limited: • For the Care Home Channel: making use of the original shipping carton or the return boxes that were provided to Care Homes, package all remaining COVID-19 Home Testing kits into these boxes. If no suitable packaging is available, packaging may be requested (details to follow). A return label will be provided and must be affixed in a prominent position to the outer package for return to Randox Laboratories Limited. A courier will collect the unused kits within a specified time period, different to that for the collection of staff and resident samples that are being processed for COVID-19 testing.

Laboratories Limited. The Warehouse facility will be requested to advise on the number of cartons to be collected.

On July 15 NHS Test and Trace were notified that some test kits produced by Randox laboratories may not meet government required safety standards for coronavirus testing. Alongside the Lighthouse Laboratories,

immediate effect.

The Department for Health and Social Care stated: ‘We have high safety standards for all coronavirus tests.

Following the pause of Randox tests on 15 July, Randox have now recalled all test kits as a precautionary measure.

'The risk to safety is low and test results from Randox kits are not affected. We have been supporting all testing settings to receive replacement kits as soon as possible.’

Care homes are being advised that ‘a courier will collect unused kits within a specified time period, different to that for the collection of staff and resident samples that are being processed for COVID-19 testing’.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 11

Adult Social Care Workforce Grows Again To Meet Increasing Demand The number of people working in adult social care across has increased again to 1.52 million according to a new report by Skills for Care.

Their annual ‘Size and structure of the adult social care workforce in England’ report also reveals thatif the adult social care workforce grows proportional to the projected number of people aged 65 and over in the population, then the number of adult social care jobs would need to increase by 520,000 jobs to around 2.17 million jobs by 2035.

Skills for Care’s Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) is funded by the Department of Health and Social care and uses workforce data supplied by twenty thousand frontline employers. The data used in this report for the 2019/20 period was collected prior to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in England.

Other key findings from the report include: • An estimated 18,200 organisations[1] were involved in providing or organ-

ising adult social care in England.

• An estimated 38,000 establishments[2] were involved in providing or organising adult social care in England.

• It is estimated that approximately 70,000 direct payment recipients [3] were employing their own staff.

• Since 2012/13, the number of adult social care jobs has increased by 9% or 130,000 jobs, to 1.65 million jobs in 2019/20.

• The rate of increase for adult social care jobs has slowed – between 2014/15 and 2019/20, the workforce grew by around 15,000 jobs per year compared to an average increase of 26,000 jobs per year between 2012/13 and 2014/15.

• Since 2012/13, the workforce has continued to shift away from local authority jobs (a decrease of 25%, or 37,000 jobs) and towards independent sector jobs (an increase of 11%, or 130,000 jobs).

• The number of jobs in domiciliary services increased at a faster rate between 2012/13 and 2019/20 – an increase of 95,000 jobs and 15% – than jobs in residential services – an increase of 25,000 jobs and 4%.

• Registered nurses were one of the only jobs in adult social care to see a significant decrease over the period down 15,500, or 30% since 2012/13.

Skills for Care CEO Oonagh Smyth said: “We are grateful to all the employers who have contributed their data because as we start to think about what the adult social care sector will look like after the pandemic it is vital we do that based on the gold standard data in this report.”

“This report is a reminder of the vital role our growing workforce will play in any future reform of our sector and their skills, knowledge and commitment to person centred care will support people to live the lives they want to.”

The full report is at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/sizeandstructure

83-year-old Care Home Resident Takes a Holistic Approach to COVID-19 Recovery An 83-year-old resident from Suffolk Lodge, a Wokingham-based care home run by Optalis, has made a full recovery from COVID-19 by taking an all-natural approach to his health.

Mr Roderick Mackie, known as Mack, has lived in the reablement wing of the residential home since early 2020 where he was recovering from a fall in his garden. The 83-year-old felt instantly at home at Suffolk Lodge, and, while there are care workers who provide full support, he continued to live an independent lifestyle where he would visit the shops and cook his own dinners.

However, shortly before lockdown, when returning home from a day out, he began to feel out of character and confused. Within a couple of days, Mack had become quite unwell, and tested positive for COVID-19. Despite this, Mack chose to take an all-natural approach to his care and recovery.

Thanks to his excellent health, Mack was able to continue working to the age of 80 before retiring. Mr Mackie has always led a healthy lifestyle, keeping to a vegetarian diet and, most recently, taking walks around the grounds of Suffolk Lodge for daily breathing exercises.

He’s also spent time reviewing scientific research, learning about biology and how the body reacts to illness. As such, his wish was to not take any conventional medication whilst ill. As he explained; “I’ll leave it to my antibodies to make the decision. If my antibodies don’t work, then it’s my time

to go.”

Endeavouring to make him as comfortable as they could, the care team at Suffolk Lodge supported him through his illness, ensuring he remained hydrated and comfortable as he fought through the virus.

Within a week, Mack began showing signs of positive recovery. His symptoms eased and he felt well enough to leave his bed. On his recovery, Mr Mackie commented: “My health now is fairly good, although I have to allow for my age.”

Wendy Luck, Optalis’ Suffolk Lodge Home Manager, explains: “Our focus was on making Mr Mackie as comfortable as possible. He became quite unwell, but we would never go against a person’s wishes when it came to their health and medication.

“However, despite being seriously ill, Mr Mackie began to make a remarkable recovery, something that I attribute partly to his daily breathing exercises. We’re all thrilled to see him return to full health and are happy to see him involved in daily activities at the home once again.”

With his health back, Mack has been enjoying his independence. During lockdown, Mack has spent his time learning to play the piano by ear, so his first trip out will be to the library where he’ll be looking for piano guides and sheet music to enhance his learning.

PAGE 12 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

How Keeping a Routine Helps Fight Loneliness During Covid-19

Article by Safe Harbour (www.safeharbor.co.uk)

Loneliness is an epidemic, and conditions for it have potentially worsened due to Covid-19 lockdown measures that were implemented across the UK back in March earlier this year. What can we do in these unprecedented times to help mitigate the effects of loneliness in the care setting? Maham Azam, writer at Safe Harbor Residential Care Homes discusses the various benefits of following a daily routine amidst the pandemic, and ways in which this can be established.

The effects of loneliness, particularly on older people can be quite detrimental. Lonely people are more likely to suffer from dementia and heart disease, and the effects of loneliness are said to be as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

With lockdown measures enforcing social distancing, many residents have seen reduced visits from family due to fears of spreading the virus. Although this was a protective measure, particularly for those with underlying medical conditions that were told to shield, there is no denying that the sharp reduction in contact with loved ones has heightened this sense of loneliness among those in care homes.

There is no doubt that Covid-19 has challenged our normal routines. So how can a “new normal” routine keep residents in good spirits?

BENEFITS OF A ROUTINE Covid-19 or not, there are clear benefits of having a routine. Having a daytime routine has been linked to

healthier sleeping cycles. Keeping in a routine is also important for self-care - when we stick to a routine, we are able to make time for things that matter to us. If you set aside a set time each day to do something you enjoy, like calling a loved one, or going outside and sitting in the park, it stimulates you both on a physical and emotional level. This is key to keeping your mind engaged. Finally, sticking to a routine helps us to get necessary tasks done - once you tick something off your to-do list, the feel-good hormones released from completing a task can lift your mood.

It’s vital to stay on top of social interactions. If a resident usually expected weekly visits from relatives, you could look into turning those weekly meetings into a virtual one - a half an hour video call can lift their mood and keep that vital aspect of contact with the outside world in motion.

We encourage that residents should be able to carry out their normal activities wherever possible, provided there are heightened hygiene control procedures to protect them. As discussed above, routines also help us to get things done - trips to the supermarket for essentials can be a great way of bringing together the element of routine and social interaction.

Another reason that having a routine for residents can boost their morale and combat loneliness is that it helps them to gain control of their life. This sense of agency and independence can help to combat the feeling of being lonely, as can make them feel fulfilled. Finishing a painting that they have been working on routinely for the last few months can give them a sense of achievement and self-sufficiency.

FINAL THOUGHTS Now more than ever it is vital that during the pandemic residents are carrying on with their routines to keep their minds engaged and bodies healthy. Helping them to establish a routine that covers normal activities, self-care and getting necessary tasks done can be a great way to establish a sense of order and purpose in their daily life, which could help to decrease the feeling of loneliness.

Staff and Relatives of Brendoncare Knightwood are Taking to The Skies Brendoncare Knightwood’s staff and relatives are taking on a skydive to raise money for the care home in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire.

A team of eight members of staff and their relatives is preparing for the challenge which is due to take place in early September in Salisbury.

Staff have been working relentlessly to care for residents during the coronavirus pandemic and are taking part in this challenge to raise funds towards a summer house for the gardens at Brendoncare Knightwood, where residents and their families can meet in a safe environment.

Leeanne Broyd, Activities Coordinator at Brendoncare Knightwood and skydive team organiser, said, “The current pandemic has highlighted how important it is for our residents to keep in contact with

their family and friends. However, as they have been unable to see each other in person inside the building, we have been providing services online for them, such as video calls. We continue to offer visits in our beautiful gardens.

“We would like to help raise funds to help improve and expand the services that we can offer and continue this great work with our residents. Not only does this service help us support our residents, but it also helps to provide reassurance to friends and family who desperately miss seeing their loved ones.

“We are reaching out to the local community and businesses to help us raise £4000 to help us purchase a summer house for the gardens at Brendoncare Knightwood, where our residents can continue to meet with their families in a safe and warm environment.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 13

Urgent Investment Needed to Boost Mental Health Recovery The Local Government Association, which represents councils, said people’s mental wellbeing will play a crucial role in every aspect of recovery planning, including schools reopening, workers returning from furlough, people who have been shielding, and in dealing with the economic and housing consequences of coronavirus, as well as planning for possible further spikes in infections.

In a new joint report the LGA and the Centre for Mental Health said a national focus is needed on helping everyone stay mentally well, including those affected by COVID-19, backed-up by funding for councils to spend with local partners, including the voluntary and community sector, on meeting their communities’ mental wellbeing needs.

With mental health problems costing UK employers £35 billion a year in sickness absence, reduced productivity and staff turnover, the report said a further shift in national focus and funding away from treating mental ill-health and towards a locally-led approach to promoting people’s mental wellbeing throughout their lives, will help to prevent more serious problems from developing, whilst enabling earlier intervention and targeted support for those who need it.

The LGA and Centre for Mental Health say sufficient and sustainable local funding is needed to make this possible, as well as to address the wider social and economic challenges which can contribute towards poor mental health.

The total cost to society of mental health problems in the UK was £119 billion in 2018/19 and research found that children from the poorest 20 per cent of households are four times as likely to have serious mental health difficulties by the age of 11 than those from the wealthiest 20 per cent.

Studies of several councils across the country, highlighted in the report, show four common principles in how to improve population

mental health, reduce inequalities and prevent mental ill health in their communities: • Public mental health as everybody’s business: health and wellbeing of the local population is the responsibility of every part of the council and the wider community; • Collaboration: councils working together with other parts of the system, such as the NHS, and closely involving community groups and other partners; • Place-based approaches: using the concept of ‘place’ to encourage residents and organisations to get involved with the wider health and wellbeing agenda; • Taking a holistic approach: using a wide range of approaches and strategies in tackling the determinants of mental ill-health.

Libraries, leisure, housing, money advice and other essential councilrun services, alongside statutory mental health services and public health, all play a crucial part in supporting people’s mental wellbeing.

The report also reveals how a snapshot of councils have been able to maintain focus on mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak by using digital technology, flexible commissioning and developing new resources, alongside existing approaches to health promotion and the prevention of mental health problems.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Good mental health is in everyone’s interest, especially as we look to move into the next phase of the pandemic.

“The lockdown had a profound impact on everyone, leaving many of us unable to go to work or school, meet family and friends, go to the shops or take part in leisure and cultural activities. The very things that support our mental wellbeing and which we often took for granted,

CQC COVID-19 Inpatient Survey The Care Quality Commision (CQC) is carrying out a survey to capture the experiences of patients in hospital during the peak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A sample of patients admitted to hospital for one night or more during March, April and May this year, are being invited to take part in the survey.

The sample of patients includes people admitted with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, and those admitted for unrelated reasons.

were suddenly taken away.

“Councils have always had an important role in improving and maintaining people’s mental wellness, from childhood to old age, but coronavirus has proven the value of this more than ever.

“Our mental health is so closely linked with other essential areas of our lives, including housing, employment, social inclusion and economic development. Councils are uniquely placed to use their services to connect all parts of this system together and help ensure the country is prepared for the future.

“As this report states, we need to refocus our policies and funding towards these preventative local services, to help reduce health inequalities and ensure better mental health for all.”

Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health, said: “The pandemic has been a difficult time for many. As evidence emerges of a rising tide of mental health problems, it is more important than ever to proactively support communities to have good mental health.

“This report demonstrates how all councils can champion better mental health by setting clear and ambitious goals, working arm-in-arm with communities, developing good relationships with the NHS and other system partners, and embracing mental health as part of all their responsibilities. We must learn from the positive practice on display in these case studies and further afield.

“The leadership, commitment, energy, and compassion we have seen is inspiring but we know this alone is not enough. Local authorities must be adequately funded in recognition of their potential to support resilience in their communities, tackle health inequality, and limit the human and financial cost of mental health problems.”

The CQC are asking these patients to complete a version of CQC’s existing annual adult inpatient survey questionnaire. It includes new questions about the experience of being in hospital during the pandemic.

Patients can complete the questionnaire online or over the phone. The questionnaire will be available for approximately four weeks.

The results will show how safe, effective, caring and responsive patients believe that the care they received has been. They'll be available at a national, regional and Integrated Care System (ICS)/Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) level.

The CQC says it expects to report on our findings in the Autumn. These will help inform how services plan for, and respond to, any second coronavirus spike. The findings will also be used to support services in the ongoing care of those who continue to be admitted with coronavirus.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 15

Fears Over Opening Up Homes As Virus Looms Care providers are being urged to slow down plans to open up care and nursing homes amidst fears that a second wave of coronavirus is coming.

Latest coronavirus death figures revealed another fall in care and nursing homes cases. For the week ending 24th July, 69 people died from Covid-19 in care and nursing homes, down from 91 the previous week and 95 the week

before that.

Whilst welcoming this reduction, the Independent Care Group urged caution and warned that a proven testing regime needs to be in place before homes relax restrictions and allow relatives back in to visit their loved ones.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “The figures show a significant and welcome fall in care and nursing home deaths, which is wonderful news. However, we have to remain vigilant, even though there is growing demand for homes to re-open their doors.

“We need to slow down. There are far too many uncertainties at the moment for us to allow relatives back in to visit residents in care and nursing homes, however much we want to do so.

“We are being warned that a second wave of Covid19 is just weeks away and we haven’t got the testing regime in place that we were promised. All in all, it is just too risky for the health and safety of our residents and our staff to ease lockdown restrictions in care and nursing homes too quickly.”

Providers are disappointed after the promised testing system – every seven days for staff, every 28 days for residents – was delayed after the Government’s chosen test was found to be unreliable.

Now, the Government is promising to supply homes with tests that can deliver results within 90 minutes.

Mr Padgham added: “A 90-minute test sounds a wonderful idea and will be very welcome if it is successful. But we have seen the Government make promises like this and then fail to deliver on them.

“We were promised a testing procedure in place by now but that has not happened. Now we are told that they are going to send out the 90-minute testing kits, but there are already questions being raised about the efficacy of those.

“It would be better if the Government waited until it had a proper, proven testing system ready for introduction, rather than raise false hopes and promise something that is not delivered on time.

“In the meantime, we are facing increasing calls from relatives who, understandably are wanting to see their loved ones after waiting many weeks through lockdown. But whilst we continue with all this uncertainty, we have to say to them: ‘be patient with us until it is safe’.”

Novellini launch BeSafe walls to help the UK return to work safely

Care Boost for Veterans After Staff Qualify To Prescribe Medication

A Lead Nurse and a Lead Physiotherapist at Royal Star & Garter have become the first members of staff in the charity’s care homes to qualify as non-medical prescribers.

Yuriy Bukovych and Maddie Venkatesh qualified in July after completing their non- medical prescriber courses. The charity, which provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia, covered the cost.

The ability to prescribe in-house means the Homes are able to provide a rapid on- site response to residents’ health needs, obtaining their medication within hours. It also brings wider-reaching benefits by reducing the workload and burden on GPs. The National Care Forum (NCF) praised “the dedicated support from Royal Star & Garter”, saying the investment in its staff would lead to improved care for its residents.

Yuriy, who has worked at the Solihull Home since 2011, said: “It was a tough course but you don’t get permission to grant prescriptions lightly! I’m proud to receive this qualification, and I’m grateful that the charity has paid for this. It’s nice to work for a charity that’s interested in developing you. The charity and Home Manager Cheryl Harbourne recognised the delays with the current system, and wanted to improve the care we provide. Royal Star & Garter is forward thinking.”

Maddie commented on her achievement: “It was tricky to fit study hours in while working full time as I had to work around the GP hours. But it’s all worth it in the end. It’s very useful to have an independent prescriber in a care home as it increases the convenience and speed with which residents receive their medicines.”

Royal Star & Garter is a member of the NCF, which represents the not-for-profit social care sector, and has been calling for non-medical prescribers in care homes. NCF Policy Director Liz Jones said: “It is fantastic to see Royal Star & Garter are announcing their very first qualified non-medical prescribers. As a long established veterans’ care charity with a passion for innovation, this is their first step in having prescribers in all of their care home settings, all of whom will have been supported with the cost and time needed to achieve this expertise.”

Pauline Shaw, Director of Care at Royal Star & Garter, congratulated Maddie and Yuriy, and said: “The benefits of having non-medical prescribers in a care home setting is clear to see. Not only do residents benefit from speedier access to medication, but it cuts out red tape and eases the pressure on prescribers, such as GPs. It is our intention to have non-medical prescribers in all of our Homes.”

The primary benefit? Hygiene. Employees will feel protected with the BeSafe wall as it provides a barrier. Constructed from 6mm tempered glass, it’s easy to clean with any alcoholic disinfectant. In smaller spaces where it’s difficult to sit two meters away, the wall is a particularly helpful solution.

Office teams aren’t the only ones who will be happy to see these walls put in place. BeSafe is a smart answer for all industries where contact with the public is required, such as pharmacies, retail counters, restaurants and public offices.

Sunderland Care Home Gives Back to Their Local Homeless Community Residents at HC-One’s Northview Lodge care home in Sunderland have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of their local community throughout the coronavirus pandemic, so much so that they have decided to give back.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Northview Lodge have been the recipients of multiple donations, ranging from personal protective equipment to hampers of food and toiletries.

As such, Northview Lodge Residents all decided that they wanted to give back to the community after they have given them so much.

A discussion was had surrounding other vulnerable communities within the area and something close to the hearts of the Residents

Workplaces around the nation are preparing for when the UK can return to a kind of normality. The Novellini Group presents a solution that will help to create safe working environments that are hygienic and adaptable. The BeSafe wall is a protective device that companies with any office, desk space, trade counters, and food service areas can incorporate going forward.

of Northview Lodge is homelessness.

“I would not like to be homeless during these scary times,” said Northview Lodge Resident Hannah Mathews.

The home has always donated their Harvest Festival leftovers to the church for their soup kitchen, so has a history of donating to homeless charities.

Centre Point is a Sunderland based charity that looks after people from 16-21 who are homeless.

The staff and Residents donated items and toiletries and other items such as socks and blankets.

Northview Lodge Home Manager, Patrick Morley said: “I am so proud of the Residents and team at Northview Lodge. Despite these trying times they have continued go the extra mile.”

Novellini can customise each barrier to suit the space with three versions (floor mounted, trade counter, and desks) and five different sizes.

UK Sales Manager at Novellini, Stuart West says ‘We are looking to help the UK workforce where we can and these are a positive answer to those concerns about health and hygiene.’

As specialists in showers and design, Novellini are putting their skills to good use and many businesses across the UK will be pleased to find a safe and stylish solution. They are even available in several colours and glass finishes to suit the surroundings.

For more information contact Novellini UK on 01727 229922 or visit the website at www.novellini.co.uk For brochure and advice please email info-uk@novellini.com For large projects or orders, customized solutions can be evaluated. We are available to evaluate and propose BeSafe Wall solutions specific for your protection needs.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 17

Dementia Rates Falling By 13% Over Last 30 Years Research has revealed that dementia rates have fallen by 13% over the last 13 years.

A global team of researchers led by Prof Albert Hofman, from the Harvard School of Public Health, analysed data from seven populationbased studies in the United States and Europe.

They found the incidence of dementia fell 13% per decade over last 30 years, between 1988 and 2015.

Early results from this research had previously been presented at Alzheimer’s Research UK’s 2019 Research Conference in Harrogate.

Commenting on the research Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK said “Looking over three decades, the incidence rate of dementia in Europe and North America seems to be declining.

“This is more pronounced in men than women and is likely to be driven by changes in lifestyle.

We know that recent decades have seen a radical decline in smoking rates for men. While many people may have been persuaded to stop smok-

ing due to an increased risk of cancer or heart disease, it is also a key risk factor for dementia.

With other dementia risk factors such as obesity and diabetes on the rise, this apparent decline in dementia rates may not continue for long.

“In future, prevention strategies that combine drug treatments and lifestyle changes may be the most effective strategy to limit the impact of dementia. While new drugs take many years to develop, lifestyle changes are available to us all.

“A recent poll conducted by Alzheimer’s Research UK found just a third of people think it’s possible to reduce their risk of developing dementia but there is robust evidence that what’s good for the heart is also good for the brain.

“As well as maintaining a healthy blood pressure, the best current evidence suggests that not smoking, only drinking within the recommended limits, staying mentally and physically active, eating a balanced diet, and keeping cholesterol levels in check can all help to keep our brains healthy as we age.”

Virtual ‘Thank You’ And Hamper Surprise for Berkshire Social Care Staff The Senior Management Team of local social care provider, Optalis, have taken the time to show appreciation of their social care teams, following their selfless work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Knowing the recent challenges faced, Optalis organised a virtual ‘thank you’ event, as well as delivering surprise hampers to the workforce.

As part of the event, every team member was invited to join digitally and join in with the celebrations.

Following announcements from the Senior Team, guests were encouraged to highlight teams and staff members who had truly gone above and beyond.

During the pandemic, many of the Optalis’ workforce have had to adapt to ensure their customers continue to receive the high quality of care and support needed.

Many care workers have been temporarily redeployed to other roles, as well as all individuals having to face the challenges of socially distancing guidelines and keeping customers safe, all whilst having concerns about their own family and friends. The Optalis team felt now was a good time to pause, reflect and acknowledge each and every person’s hard work and dedication.

David Birch, CEO of Optalis, commented: “I’m truly proud of how the Optalis team have performed and coped through the first wave of COVID-19, everyone

has been extraordinary, and I want to thank them all from the bottom of my heart.”

Helen Woodland, Director of Provided Services, added: “I thought I’d seen everything during my 30 years in social care, but I was wrong as never before have I seen the sheer commitment, resilience, care and compassion to the degree that each and every one of our staff members have shown.”

While joining the event, around 50 treat hampers were delivered to approximately 620 staff to enjoy. And, for those who weren’t available, the session was recorded for staff members to watch and join in with afterwards.

Resident at Care Home Reunited with Childhood Room After Almost A Decade A resident at Oakleigh Lodge care home in Nottingham was left astonished after being reunited with his childhood bedroom after almost a decade.

Stephen Gregory, 22, who has quadriplegia cerebral palsy, was allocated the bedroom upon his return to Oakleigh Lodge in Mapperley, nine years after leaving the home as a child.

Stephen, who requires full time assistance from two carers, has spent most of his life living at home under the care of his parents but did previously stay at Oakleigh Lodge when it was a children’s respite service approximately a decade ago.

Stephen stayed at the home for a short time but left in 2011 to attend Portland College, before returning to Oakleigh Lodge once again in June 2020.

After his return to the home, Stephen’s mum, Helen Gregory, said: “I am absolutely amazed that Stephen has been allocated the same room after so much time away. Oakleigh Lodge has changed immensely since Stephen was last there, so to find that he is going to be staying in the same room, where he made so many memories, is incredibly touching.”

Stephen’s condition means that he is unable to move independently and requires assistance in almost all aspects of life. Stephen does possess a level of understanding about his likes and dislikes and has learned to vocalise and communicate basic information to his carers.

He has been described by carers at Oakleigh Lodge as an amazing character with a great sense of humour.

Gina Harris, one of Stephen’s carers at Oakleigh Lodge, said: “Stephen has a fantastic personality and, despite requiring assistance in most aspects of life, is always playing tricks on people at the home. He is often heard giggling and laughing to himself and joking with people at the home.

“He has been absolutely brilliant with everyone during his short time at Oakleigh Lodge and he has really lifted the spirits of the staff that have worked with him. We are all really looking forward to providing him with the full Oakleigh Lodge experience once restrictions allow.”

PAGE 18 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

High BMI In Early Adulthood Could Increase Risk Of Dementia In Later Life Research presented at the 2020 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference links high Body Mass Index (BMI) during early adulthood with an increased risk of dementia in later life. While research into BMI and dementia risk has been conducted for some time, past studies have typically focussed on BMI in mid or later life.

In this research, the scientists looked at 5,104 older adults from two existing research studies. Researchers then estimated BMI, beginning at age 20, for these older adults.

Scientists inferred dementia risk through memory and thinking tests, and by looking at hospital and medication records. In this study early adulthood was defined as 20-49, mid as 50-69, and late life as 70-89 years old.

Results of the study show that women who were estimated to be overweight in early adulthood had a 1.8 times higher dementia risk com-

pared to those who were not. Obese women had an even higher dementia risk – 2.5 times higher than women with normal BMI in early adulthood.

For men, dementia risk was 2.5 times higher among those who were obese in early adulthood, 1.5 times higher among those who were overweight in mid-life and two times higher among those who were obese in mid-life.

The research also added to existing evidence that dementia risk decreased with a higher BMI in later life.

Dr Rosa Sancho, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “This study links a higher BMI in early adulthood with an increased risk of dementia later in life and underlines the importance of maintaining a healthy weight to help support a healthy brain. However, the researchers used estimates of BMI and risk, and pooled data from dif-

ferent studies so a more comprehensive and long-term approach is needed to explore this relationship in detail.

“We know that diseases that cause dementia get underway in the brain many years before symptoms start to show. Studies looking at our lifestyle in early adulthood are important to help us build a picture of the factors that could impact our brain health as we age.

“Once these results are published in peer-reviewed journals, we will be better able to consider the importance of these findings. We do know there are things we can do to keep our brain healthy as we age.

As well as maintaining a healthy weight, the best existing evidence suggests that staying mentally and physically active, not smoking, drinking within the recommended guidelines, eating a healthy diet, and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check can help us to keep our dementia risk as low as possible.”

Tameside Care Home Residents Celebrate 85 Years of Friendship Mary and Gladys, two Residents at The Beeches care home, are celebrating a huge 85 years of their friendship together.

Mary Quinn has lived at the Tameside care home for just over 4 years, and her friend Gladys Robson moved to the home 2 years ago.

Both Residents have known each other since the age of 11 and are now both 96 years old and getting to share even more memories together.

Gladys used to often come and visit Mary in the home and would stay for lunch occasionally. However in February 2018 Gladys decided that she wanted to live at the Beeches.

Gladys loves getting to spend time with her oldest friend, reminiscing about their school days and fond memories they have from going to church together. They both used to clean and help out at the mums and tots club at the church too.

Back in the day Mary and Gladys were both in the ladies guilds and

used to go out enjoying lunches at Wetherspoon’s and shopping in Stalybridge together regularly.

Since living at the Beeches they both enjoy joining in with different activities in the home. They both used to love going on trips out and visits to events on at the Holy Trinity church, which they are keen to get back to once the pandemic is over.

The pair love being together and it is so special that they are able to continue their friendship within the same home.

When asked about their friendship Mary said “I think it’s marvellous we are here together, we can tell you some stories” and Gladys said “it’s nice that I live here with Mary, we have known each other a very long time and been here for each other whenever needed”.

Sade Smith, the homes wellbeing coordinator, commented “This is why I love my job, seeing friends reunited together and sharing the fond memories they have”.

Mölnlycke Launches New Wound Care Patient Educational Resources to Support Patients and Carers During the Coronavirus Pandemic

16 June 2020 at 9am. Milton Keynes. Mölnlycke

launches a suite of new patient educational resources to support wound care practice during the coronavirus pandemic, when home visits from a healthcare professional are more limited.

The resources feature a range of easy to follow guides and videos for patients, or their carers, on how to look after their wound in their home, without a healthcare professional present. The resources include simple step-by-step guides on how to

remove an old dressing, clean a wound and apply a new dressing. It also includes top tips on when to change a dressing, signs of possible infection and how best to help a wound to heal.

Commenting on the resource, Alison Scofield, Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist said: “During this current climate supporting patient self-care with their wounds has never been so important. With step by step pictorial processes to follow for dressing

Manufactured in the UK

Celebrating 40 years

changes, advice on lifestyle and any issues to look out for, this guide is suitable for patients at home and in care settings.”

All resources are available to view, download and print via patient educational resource centre on the Mölnlycke Advantage webpage https://www.molnlycke.co.uk/patientselfcare/ .

Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com

Introducing the new HYGIEIA range In the past few weeks the design team at Euroservice have been focussing on the needs of the care sector taking into account the enormous pressures faced over the past few months.

Elegant and practical new designs have emerged from market research and the new HYGIEIA service trolleys have been created to combine hygiene and social distancing with style and elegance.

The new HYGIEIA trolleys are an attractive and practical alternative to clinical aluminium trolleys given that antibacterial spray can be used freely to sanitise them.

Moreover, when not in use the attractive trolleys can be used as a vending trolley, selling personal care products to residents or snacks/pastries to visitors.

Your lovely trolley could do so much for you and your residents!

Get in touch with our friendly sales team and we will be happy to help find a trolley to meet your needs.

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Visit the website at euroservice-uk.com to see the full range.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 19

Five Ways to Create a Healthy Work-Life balance to Help Manage Stress

By Gill Hasson, co-author of Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace A good work-life balance can be a challenge for many, but when your work is all about taking care of people, the associated emotional involvement means that striking that balance can be even more difficult. Worry and concern about a resident’s or client’s condition is more difficult to leave at the end of the day than paperwork at the office. The increased level of stress that comes as a result can impact on care workers’ wellbeing and this can lead to mental health problems.

It's important to recognise the symptoms of being overly stressed so that you are able to deal with these pressures before things get even worse. Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure. It’s the distress that’s caused as a result of that overload.

Stress can affect how you feel, think, behave and how your body works.

If you feel that you get easily irritated and overwhelmed or anxious, then you’re probably stressed. Stress affects us physically too - tense muscles, palpitations, stomach problems, headaches - are all symptoms of stress.

Here are five ways to help manage and reduce stress:

SPEAK UP One of the key resources for managing workplace stress - whether it’s an unmanageable work-life balance, work overload, unreasonable or unrealistic demands - is the ability to say “no”.

You may worry that by refusing to do something or put up with something, others will be dismissive, get annoyed or upset. But saying

nothing and suffering in silence is not going to make things better! The Mental Health Foundation recommends that “when work demands are too high, you must speak up. This includes speaking up when work expectations and demands are too much. Employers need to be aware of where the pressures lie in order to address them.”

BE ASSERTIVE; SET LIMITS Being able to turn other people down is an ability that will help you manage other people’s requests, demands and interruptions. If you’re unwilling or simply unable to do what’s been asked of you, you’ll need to say no. Be clear and direct; no waffling, excuses or elaborate explanations. Don’t blame someone or something else, just be honest. You only need one genuine reason for saying no. Just say what it is.

Acknowledge the other person’s response and then either stand your ground or choose to negotiate and compromise.

GET CLOSURE; LEAVE WORK AT WORK • Reflect. At the end of each day (and at the end of each week) give yourself a positive debrief; write down three positive things that happened that day. Things that, no matter how small, you achieved, you learnt, made you laugh, a positive interaction with someone else. For anything that didn’t go well, ask yourself what you’ve learnt from that and what you might do differently, next time.

• Disconnect. An activity that's completely different from what you do at work is a good way to get away from pressures of work. It could be hiking or cycling or playing a sport. It could be something creative artistic or musical. Whatever you enjoy doing, make sure you set aside time to do it.

And do more of it more often!

PRACTICE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES • Get active. Our physical health and mental health are closely linked; physical activity can be beneficial for your mental health and wellbeing too. The benefits can be immediate. So get up and get moving!

• Eat well. If you're unsure about how healthy and balanced your diet is, try

keeping an eating diary. Write down everything you eat in a week and then go to the NHS website nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/ to see how your diet compares and what changes you could make.

• Go to Sleep • Create for yourself a calm, relaxing bedtime routine. If you're having difficulty getting to sleep, don’t tell yourself ‘I can’t sleep. I’m going to feel horrible tomorrow.’ This sort of self-talk creates a stress response that makes the problem worse. See if listening to something on the radio, listening to music, an audio book or a podcast distracts your mind; gives it something else to engage with.

SEEK OUT NATURE Try and organise your days so that you can spend time in nature.

Mind has lots of tips on how to bring some benefits from nature into your life, whatever your personal situation. Go to mind.org.uk and search for 'ideas to try in nature' and 'nature and mental health overcoming barriers.'

If you, however, you find it more and more difficult to manage the pressure, don’t hesitate to seek professional medical and psychological advice.

Gill Hasson is co-author, with Donna Butler of Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Employers and Employees (Capstone, May 2020).

Gill delivers teaching and training for educational organisations, voluntary and business organisations and the public sector. She has 20 years' experience teaching and writing on a range of wellbeing issues; confidence and self-esteem, self-care, overcoming anxiety assertiveness and resilience. Gill is the author of more than 22 books; the bestselling Mindfulness, Mindfulness Pocketbook, Emotional Intelligence, Positive Thinking, the Sunday Times bestseller How To Deal With Difficult People, plus other books on the subjects of resilience, communication skills and assertiveness.

Follow: @gillhasson

Dementia Care Specialist Launches Innovative Stretching Initiative Yorkshire-based dementia care specialist Vida Healthcare is investing in the long term health and wellbeing of its residents with stretching classes led by exWestend star Emma Flett.

Launched in its two homes, Vida Hall and Vida Grange, in June 2020, the stretching initiatives have proven to be a big hit with staff and residents.

Leading a physically active lifestyle and incorporating movement into everyday life can significantly improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia.

Benefits can include reduced risk of certain cancers, increased mobility, greater self-esteem and more independence when carrying out daily tasks.

Charlotte Gibbs, Wellbeing Lead at Vida Hall, has seen a positive impact on the residents who’ve been involved: “Residents are keen to take part and they remember the time of the stretching classes, and are able to memorise and maintain basic stretching routines. This is a significant milestone for many of our residents, especially those living in the later stages of dementia.

“We’ve seen specific people benefit from the classes, for example one resident* broke their shoulder three years ago and since we’ve introduced the

stretching they’ve achieved a greater range of motion than previously possible.”

Emma Flett who leads the classes added: “Residents really enjoy the sessions and I can see improvements each week. This time gives both staff and residents the opportunity to do something different and strengthen their bond which has been especially important during lockdown when loved ones haven’t been able to visit.”

Originally involved in London’s West End, Emma Flett has starred in shows including ‘A Secret Garden’, ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’. She is currently a tutor in acting and movement at The Drama Studio London, part of The University of West London and also teaches stretch classes with Psalms & Stretches.

Staying mobile can reduce the need for constant supervision from carers and enable people living with dementia to enjoy a better quality life. Whether walking, stretching or using an exercise bike, where possible movement and physical activity should always be encouraged.

PAGE 20 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

2G No Longer A Thing Of The Past For Care Villages

By Simon Hayler, Director, GHM Care (www.ghmcare.co.uk)

Sprawling sites, multiple buildings, lots of green space…these are all typical features of the latest UK care villages. But having a single network that staff, residents and guests can access across an entire site can be problematic. WiFi signals are limited by distance, especially when in green spaces, and it’s not viable to dip in an out of multiple net-

works and systems.

However, ensuring full voice coverage across an entire village is paramount to the efficiency and safety of those on site. Staff members need to be accessible wherever they are, alerts and notifications need to be received in between buildings and safety devices such as nurse call alarms need to be operational for residents whether visiting other site facilities or taking exercise more remotely.

To overcome these issues, many care villages are turning the clocks back and implementing specific solutions based on 2G technology. The technology can effectively provide a private mobile network for care villages, giving full coverage that never drops out of signal wherever you are on site. Each member of staff has a special SIM card that enables them to access the dedicated 2G network which is integrated with the villages new or existing telephony platform allowing for complete communication between desk based and mobile users.

Alerts and other notifications can be received directly to mobile devices regardless of location.

And when the phone is back within a WiFi range it can pick up that network as any other device would.

2G data takes the form of two different standards, GPRS and EDGE. GPRS was introduced in 2000 and it is indicated by a ‘G’ symbol on Android smartphones or ‘GPRS’ on iPhones. EDGE was introduced in

2003 as an upgrade to GPRS and it’s indicated by an ‘E’ symbol on both Androids and iPhones. The technology enabled various networks to offer services such as the text messages, picture messages & MMS (multimedia messages).

Of course, 2G can’t deliver the same speeds as the later releases of 3, 4 and 5G. GPRS can go up to 114 Kbps (0.1 Mbps) and EDGE can get as high as 237 Kbps (0.2 Mbps). To put this in perspective, 3G can handle up to 42 Mbps and 4G can go even higher than that.

But whilst streaming or downloading large files or images wouldn’t be possible using 2G, the technology can be effectively exploited for a far more secure and reliable voice network. Signals travel further, can be secured and are not limited by external walls and buildings.

It’s therefore the perfect solution for vast but private estates, such as care villages, that need continuous coverage.

Simon Hayler of GHM Care says: “Care villages offer amazing flexibility and spaces for residents but maintaining a single network across these often very large sites has been difficult. Whilst 2G technology doesn’t sound the most advanced, it provides the most cost effective and robust solution for voice networks in today’s market, and with the licensed spectrum (4G) opening up, this offers care villages an upgrade path to use multiple applications on a single device.”

Consett Care Home Colleagues Raise Over £1500 For Garden Memorial Shelley, Emily, Jordan, Emily and Bridie were the five ladies who, on hearing that HC-One’s Greenways Court were wishing to raise some money for a garden memorial following the loss of Resident due to the coronavirus, decided to organise a sponsored walk from the home on July 26th.

First, they stopped at St. James’ Park in Newcastle, where four other Colleagues from the home, Jill, Pauline, Jill and Tracy would meet up with them to offer refreshments.

Next stop, The Stadium of Light in Sunderland. Again, four Colleagues met up with the amazing trekkers to offer refreshments before they would set off back to the home, where they were to be met by Residents, Relatives and more of their Colleagues.

The huge 16-hour, 47-mile round trip certainly took its toll on the ladies, so they enjoyed a well-deserved buffet and some drinks when they returned.

One Greenways Court Resident said: “My goodness, they are amazing,” as the ladies returned to the home.

Shelley, a Care Assistant at Greenways Court decided to set up a Just Giving page so that people could donate. The page has received over £1,310 to date with just over £250 being raised inside the home.

Tina Ayton, Greenways Court Home Manager said: “Wow, what a day.

Everyone was overwhelmed at how well the ladies died. The money raised is well above the target required.”

Colleagues and Residents at Greenways Court will have a memorial bench made by a local gentleman, which will be situated in the homes garden, so the Residents they have lost during the pandemic, will always be remembered.

Dedicated Crawley Care Worker Retires After 30 Years A former nurse who has dedicated the last 30 years to caring for the elderly in Crawley has celebrated her retirement with a party at Deerswood Lodge care home, where she has worked for the last 14 years.

Sue Murray was joined by residents, colleagues and Shaw healthcare operations manager, Clare Gibson, at the care home in Ifield for a garden party, with cream scones and Prosecco to celebrate her dedication to the residents of Deerswood Lodge and her career in care.

Initially training as a nurse at St Georges Hospital in Tooting, London, Sue later moved to Crawley to raise a family. She has worked at a number of care homes in the area since the early 1990’s, initially for the County Council, and then moving to Deerswood Lodge when it opened in 2006. During her time at Deerswood Lodge, Sue worked as a team leader, supporting with residents’ medication and mentoring other members of staff on her shift.

She said: “I’ve dedicated my career to working in care, so knowing when to

step back and plan for retirement after so many years was very difficult. It’s been an honour to work at Deerswood Lodge since its creation, alongside a number of wonderful colleagues, who I will sorely miss.”

Wan Nowakowski, manager of Deerswood Lodge care home, added: “Sue is a much-loved personality for all of the residents and her colleagues at Deerswood Lodge. In her role as team leader she has helped develop the next generation of talent, with her efforts recognised by the company in the national Shaw Star Awards in 2014.

“The last few months have been incredibly difficult for everyone working in the care sector, but Sue has stuck by our residents and supported her colleagues through the pandemic. I’d like to thank her for everything she has done for the home and hope she enjoys a well-deserved retirement.”

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PAGE 22 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

LGA Responds to Carers UK Report on Need for More Support for Carers Responding to a Carers UK report on how two in three employers say more support from care services are needed to keep staff in work and the need for greater investment in and reform of adult social care, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Every part of the care and support sector is under intense pressure due to the current crisis and councils are doing all they can to support carers and those they care for through this.

“Our care system could not survive without the contribution of unpaid carers, who provide vital support for thousands of people every day. Councils fully recognise their crucial role and assess and support hundreds of thousands of carers every year, but

could do even more with the right resources.

“We know that caring can place a real strain on carers – emotionally, physically and financially, especially during this pandemic, which is why councils are committed to doing all they can to support them.

“Social care deserves parity of esteem with the NHS. This needs to be backed up by a genuine, long-term and sustainable funding settlement for adult social care, which we have been calling for long before the current crisis.

“We look forward to the beginning of promised cross-party talks on the future of adult social care, as soon as possible.”

Microwave Specialist Launches Its Biggest Ever Giveaway Regale Microwave Ovens is offering a free Panasonic rice cooker with every purchase of some of the brand’s microwave ovens.

Users can now benefit from a free Panasonic rice cooker when they certain Panasonic microwaves via specialist supplier, Regale Microwave Ovens.

Panasonic Rice Cookers are Ideal for cooking porridge at breakfast and keeps it hot for late risers when on standby without it drying out!

One of the models where the giveaway applies is the Panasonic NE-1878, a 1,800W inverter-powered microwave designed to feature the benefits of an all metal door. With each purchase, companies can receive a free model SRGA421 rice cooker, worth over £120, which will also come with 2kg of FOC Tilda rice inside.

All enquiries received by Regale will be passed to the nearest geographical dealer, and both units will be dispatched by Regale to the operators on the UK mainland with next day delivery, free of charge.

There are three other Panasonic ovens included in the promotion, but these

qualifying for a FOC 7.2L Panasonic rice cooker. The ovens are the:• Panasonic NE-C1275 13A plug-in combination microwave oven with ‘five-way’ cooking methods.

• Panasonic NE-1880 & NE-3280. The extra-large and very powerful microwave ovens can take 2 x full size (1:1) Gastronorm pans.

• Each of these ovens comes with a 7.2litre Panasonic (model SRGA721) rice cooker, Free Of Charge. Each rice cooker comes with a complimentary 5kg of Tilda Basmati rice. Furthermore, Regale will deliver the equipment free to any UK mainland operator on the next working day.

Regale deputy MD Iain Phillips said: “Of course there are a few terms and conditions with this fantastic giveaway, the main one being that it is restricted to ‘whilst stocks last’, however we are hoping that we can run it from now to somewhere towards the end of August.”

See the advert on the facing page for details or call 01329 285518..

Legacy Gifts Transform Garden Into Allotment For People With Learning Disabilities A group of adults with learning disabilities from Cornwall has been reaping the rewards of a charity grant and are now growing, cooking and eating food grown in their very own allotment.

The keen gardeners are supported by national charity Hft at its supported living service in St Austell, where they have been maximising the use of their on-site green space over the last four months. The service was awarded a £3,000 grant by the charity, allowing it to establish an allotment in some unused garden space in 2019. Complete with raised beds, homemade planters and a greenhouse, the project has gone from strength to strength during the pandemic by providing people with a stimulating and rewarding activity during an uncertain time.

Over the last few months, people supported at the service have embraced the chance to grow their own produce and learn new skills.

Staff have empowered people to take a leading role from start to finish, with their responsibilities ranging from choosing seeds to plant, watering and pruning, to creating a scarecrow to keep the birds away. The team’s hard work has already paid off, with recent crops of courgettes, strawberries, cabbages and carrots going down a storm at dinnertime, and pumpkins well on the way in time for Halloween.

The project has been particularly beneficial during the pandemic, with people welcoming the chance to spend time maintaining the space as an alternative to the activities they would normally take part in within the community. As well as providing people with daily exercise and time outdoors, the project has created opportunities to learn new things, with staff teaching people more about nature, the food chain, healthy

eating and where food comes from. The area has also been enjoyed by people with more complex needs at the service, who have experienced sensory benefits from the garden’s array of textures, smells and noises, which has created a relaxing sanctuary during an often uncertain time.

Funds for the project came from Hft’s very own Funds for the Future

scheme, which uses donations left to the charity through gifts in Wills.

Staff are encouraged to apply for the grants, which they can use to fund creative and innovative projects that make a difference to the lives of people with learning disabilities.

Rebecca, who uses the allotment, said: “I like the fact we can grow vegetables, I like the tomatoes and strawberries the best. It’s really good and makes me feel happy, I can go and spend time on my own over there and relax.”

Paris Milton, Registered Cluster Manager in Bradbury, said the project has been made even more beneficial due to the pandemic: “This project really has been proof that great things can grow from tiny seeds. While the last few months have been tough, people have been given a sense of purpose by having the chance to spend time outside every day tending to their plants. There have been so many brilliant outcomes during this project, spanning from people researching new recipes that use their homegrown food, to others expanding their palettes by trying out new fruits and vegetables. The project has also helped us all become more socially and environmentally aware. We have been focusing on educating people about the environment and ensuring we are doing our bit to be sustainable. Being able to grow our own food has really helped to get this point across.

“As lockdown eases, we’ll be continuing the work we have started and plan to enjoy this wonderful space for many months to come. We’re so grateful to the generous people who have left gifts to Hft in their Wills who have made this all possible.”

Significant Decrease In Dementia Diagnosis Rate Figures suggest a decrease in the number of people being officially diagnosed with dementia, between February and June 2020, due to the coronavirus lockdown.

• There has been a significant decrease in dementia diagnosis rates – from 67.6% in February to 63.5% in June 2020. Source – NHS Digital publication of recorded dementia diagnoses.

• Data also shows a sharp drop in the number of referrals to memory services. There are usually on average 2,600 referrals from primary services to memory clinics per month yet data showed only 84 referrals in April, 435 in May and 994 in June.

Source – Alzheimer’s Society calculations based on NHS Digital publication of recorded dementia diagnoses.

• With many memory services moving to offering remote consultations, Alzheimer’s Society raises concerns over the potential of all services becoming virtual. This could disadvantage people without digital literacy or internet access, as well as those with cognitive and sensory impairments which would make remote consultations more challenging – the validity of remote consultations has been questioned with due to time lags in connectivity, an uncontrolled environment, and other technology difficulties.

Fiona Carragher, Director of Research and Influencing at Alzheimer’s Society

said, ‘As society negotiates the devastating impact of coronavirus and attempts to prepare for a possible second wave, another hidden crisis is growing.

The recent sharp drop in both dementia diagnosis rates and referrals to memory clinics means a huge group of people will be living without an official diagnosis, unable to get financial, legal and emotional advice, as well as any support or treatment available.

‘This is particularly alarming when we know lockdown has led to people’s dementia symptoms becoming more severe – our recent survey showed half of people with dementia reported increased memory loss and over a quarter losing daily skills like cooking or dressing.

‘We urgently need a clear plan from the Government for how services can reprioritise routine screenings, combatting growing waiting lists for memory services and making sure people feel safe to access health services they are entitled to. A lack of official diagnosis and the support that brings could lead to deterioration in people with dementia’s condition, in turn risking unnecessary hospitalisation. People with dementia have been hit hardest by coronavirus and without action, they could face a huge health crisis further down the line.’

PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

Music and Mandalas

By Meta Killick and The Reverend Professor June Boyce-Tillman MBE MEDITATION

How does music improve mood and enrich relationships in care environments? Well listening to music has long been been suggested to beneficially impact health via stress-reducing effects. In fact researchers found that music releases dopamine, the feel-good chemical in your brain. It also found that dopamine was up to 9% higher when volunteers listened to music that they enjoyed. It may be obvious to us, but it is strong evidence for the link between music and mental wellbeing.

The Carer is delighted to welcome comments from The Reverend Professor June Boyce-Tillman MBE is currently Professor of Applied Music at The University of Winchester and an Extraordinary Professor at North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, and a music therapist and therapeutic care practitioner Meta Killick: The What Good Looks Like project was rooted in an innovative approach to safeguarding. This project used active shared music making which was seen to improve mood and enrich relationships. The aim to build safer happier and therefore safer care homes was effectively achieved. Most of the homes engaging in this new project were already in trusting relationship with the musicians through this previous project. These homes welcomed the chance to engage in a new project.

Western culture with its competition and stress on assessment has generated a great deal of stress.

The caring professions are under particular pressure in situations where they feel undervalued and overstretched. It is often cited by employees as a reason for sickness absence, increasing stress on patients and families (Subothini et al 2015). If prolonged. stress can lead to mental and physical illness including heart disease, back pain, headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances and alcohol and drug dependency.

There is a general reduction in the quality of life in general and depression and fatigue become regular occurrences. It is in the context of a desire to produce an environment that is supportive and encouraging that this project is rooted. Living With Harmony group music sessions have already shown to be a fun way not only to relax stress but also to improve relationships and collaboration and co-operation.

MUSIC, HEALTH AND MEDICINE In the Elevate programme in Salisbury Hospital, members of the hospital staff were actively observed taking part in the artists’ sessions, just by singing a song with the musicians, or improvising a little dance in the middle of the bay in the ward: “It was also noticed that the staff would sing or hum the tune of a song in a variety of situations, for example, while they were washing a patient behind the curtains, when they were taking the blood pressure of a patient or giving them their medications.

Furthermore, it became increasingly evident that some of the staff was using music to distract the patients from the procedure they were carrying out.

(Preti and Boyce-Tillman 2014 p24)” The ArtsCare programme on Salisbury hospital saw the following effects which are very relevant to this study: • The mediation of the artists through the programme’s activities promoted socialization between the patients in the same location through singing, experimenting with small and gentle movements, reciting a poem, or creating a story based in the natural world; • The symbolic language of arts appeared to be a gentle aid for the patients to reconnect positively with their past; • The experience improved the patients’ perception of their hospital experience and made them more relaxed, even if they were undergoing stressful treatments; • Hospital staff reported a positive impact on the patients, describing it as relaxing, distracting and enjoyable; • Staff engaged with the patients at a more personal level such as short conversations about musical taste

and memories • Staff used arts activities to distract the patients while they were carrying out some minor medical procedures.

• Artists used their art forms to elicit physical, cognitive, social and emotional responses from their patients.

• Artists were passionate about their work and the perceived positive impact of their arts on the patients and staff represented a strong motivation to keep them in the job.

• Artists did, however, get fatigued partly because of the emotional drain of working with the patients and partly because of the improvisational nature of their work that forced them to make real time decisions in relation to patients.

• Hospital administrators supported the programme and were aware of its impact. (based on Preti and Boyce-Tillman 2014 pp5-6) The data from this project indicated that music was not only a distraction from suffering but also had a therapeutic effect, at least on some of the patients and so facilitated the work of the hospital. The arts genuinely supported the care of older people. The project was in a hospital where, according to the Department of Health, older people occupy two thirds of general and acute hospital beds in the UK (Pope, 2012). These people will often be affected by dementia, either vascular, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Depression, psychosis and agitation, or aggression, are often symptoms associated with dementia (Shub, Ball, Abbas, Gottumukkala, & Kunik, 2010) as people are put in a situation that they cannot manage emotionally; this may cause a ‘catastrophic reaction’ an emotional sudden change from tears to anger (Rockwood, Fay, Hamilton, Ross, & Moorhouse, 2014).

An admission to a care home requires a set of psychological and behavioural skills that a frail and often sick individual may not possess at such times (Inouye et al., 1998). In this context where the most frequent activity is ‘waiting’ (e.g. for mealtimes, for such tasks as washing and dressing, for treatment, for some visitors) boredom may well turn into depression (Hayes, 2014). Admission to a care home in the life of an older person is also associated with approaching death (Inouye et al., 1998) The value of music in the lives of older people has begun to emerge through evidence-based research (Clift, 2012; Cohen, 2006). In relation to the effects of music on older people , the literature suggests that listening and being actively engaged in music activities (recorded or live) can: • decrease stress and promote relaxation (Spintge, 2012); • reduce agitated behaviour (Gerdner, 2000; Lou, 2001) • decrease behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (i.e. delusions, agitation, anxiety, apathy, irritability, and night-time disturbances) (Raglio et al., 2008); • promote the recall of personal histories (Lord & Garner, 1993); • improve mood, orientation, remote episodic memory and to a lesser extent also general cognition (Särkämö et al., 2013); • enhance caregiver well-being, when they are engaged in the singing activities (Särkämö et al., 2013).

• impact positively on the quality of life of the residents in nursing homes (O'Shea et al., 2014); • facilitate the discussion of death/dying and deep personal issues that sometimes older people are not able to discuss with anybody (Pope, 2012).

However, despite all of these findings, there is little evidence for the use of listening to music in care homes, either for general relaxation or as distraction from painful procedures (Zengin et al 2013). The reduction in pain may be because music is a competing stimulus for the impulses relating to pain.

However, it would appear from many studies that this must take into account the person’s tastes and experience of music.

One of the strategies that people today are using in their search for spirituality is a practice called mindfulness. The spiritual experience in music in its process has much in common with notions in mindfulness; some people can get close to the state of mindfulness by means of music, particularly music involving some degree of repetition and where its texture is thin enough to allow for the thoughts of the experiencer. Mindfulness has great popularity with its sense of a non-judgemental resting in the present. It is often defined as ‘paying attention on purpose moment by moment without judging’ (Kabat-Zinn 1990).

Jon Kabat-Zinn’s description of the state of mindfulness concentrates on stopping completely, accepting paradox without anxiety and discord, outside of time and consisting of pure feeling (KabatZinn 2012). The mind is quietened and stress is reduced.

Mindfulness develops the ability to pay deliberate attention to experience from moment to moment, tuning into the mind’s activity. The sensitive interplay of an improvising group where expressive musical motifs are explored between performers, can draw others into their world. There are, on the market, a number of recordings designed for use in meditation, which often contain a great of repetition and have an improvisatory character, similar to those used in the Music and Mandalas project.

Although in a hospital context and in mental health treatments mindfulness is increasingly offered and practised it is not regularly available in residential or nursing homes. So it is possible that the combination of music and meditation may have immense possibilities for improving the character of interactions in care homes and the general wellbeing of everyone involved within them. The aim of this project is to use music as a way of introducing this practice effectively for people with or without cognitive impairment.

wholeness of the personality, which if all goes well is harmonious. (Jung, 1961 pp. 195–196) He saw that these were related to times of intense personal growth and an essential part of the rebalancing of the psyche.

It is clear that such rebalancing is essential at such a momentous moment in a life journey as admittance to a care home - finding a purpose in a new form of life. Other writers like David Fontana (2005) developed the place of mandala in healing in books with titles like Meditating With Mandalas - 52 New Mandalas To Help You Grow In Peace And Awareness Healing mandalas became part of many courses designed to awaken wisdom, bring about calmness and aid focus and concentration . So they became a centring device. The contemplation of ancient or modern mandalas have proved very helpful as well as the process either of colouring within them or drawing one’s own. One basic shape is: But this can be made much more complex and decorated in a variety of ways such as

The symmetry of a mandala has been seen to create a sense of order for the mind. The task of colouring a mandala focuses the mind on the act of engagement with the archetype. This again encourages the letting go of the thinking mind and entering a liminal space. Colouring a mandala has already been shown to bring improvements in well-being in the more general population as the number of colouring books on sale proliferate containing mandala shapes designed to produce peace and tranquillity.

THE USE OF MANDALAS Mandalas are becoming very popular in meditative practices. They were a regular part of Hindu and Buddhist practices and were seen as linking the outer world (macrocosm) with the inner world (microcosm) with overtones of weaving (Madhu 1979, pp. 12-22).

Now mandalas have been embraced in Jewish, Christian, Pagan and other religious traditions today.

In Sanskrit the word means circle and it represents the cosmos as well as the spiritual journey of the meditator reminding them that the journeyer is a part of this never ending circle which includes living and dying – recalling the earth, the moon, the sun and so on – often with connections to sacred geometry.

As we have seen above, for older people the ability to contemplate living and dying is important for which opportunities are lacking in contemporary society. There were mandala type shapes within the Christian tradition in shapes like the Celtic cross, the rosary, the halo, the crown of thorns on Jesus’s head, the rose window (Painton 2005) and the labyrinth as found in the floor of Chartres cathedral:

THIS IS A CHRISTIAN CELTIC CROSS

So, for some older people with a Christian heritage, it may recall memories from their past.

Psychotherapy embraced these shapes in the hands of Jung, who used art as a way of accessing his own unconscious. He found that it was often the circle that appeared spontaneously and found these in his exploration of traditions from the Indian subcontinent: I sketched every morning in a notebook a small circular drawing, ... which seemed to correspond to my inner situation at the time. ... Only gradually did I discover what the mandala really is: ... the Self, the

See Reverend Professor June Boyce-Tillman speak on the subject at www.youtube.com/watch? v=Hm-exg0Qoic&feature=youtu.be

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 25

Regulators Approve Accelerated Centenarian Celebrations for 104-Year-Old Rushden Woman Review For Alzheimer’s Drug The US drug regulator (FDA) announced that the potential Alzheimer’s drug, aducanumab, has been accepted for a priority review process.

Aducanumab is an antibody designed to target amyloid, a protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s at an early stage in the disease process.

The pharmaceutical company, Biogen originally halted Phase III clinical trials of aducanumab, called ENGAGE and EMERGE in May 2019, when early indications suggested they would not benefit people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

However, following a new analysis with a larger amount of data that became available after the trials stopped, Biogen filed for market approval with American drug regulator, the FDA. Now the FDA have said they have accepted the proposal under their priority review process.

Priority review is a designation reserved for drugs that could offer major advances in treatments or that provide treatment where none existed. The FDA aims to get a drug through the entire process in six months and is looking to make a decision by March 2021.

The drug will need to be approved by regulators before it could be offered more widely to the general population.

Biogen is also planning a new study to re-offer the drug to

eligible participants from their earlier trials of aducanumab.

Samantha Benham-Hermetz, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “People affected by Alzheimer’s disease have waited a long time for a life-changing treatment and today’s announcement offers hope that one could be in sight.

“Importantly, the FDA will now accelerate the review of the potential Alzheimer’s drug, aducanumab, to decide whether there is sufficient evidence that it is safe and effective to be made available in the US. It is reassuring that this devastating disease remains a priority concern for drug regulators and with no disease-modifying Alzheimer’s drugs getting this far before, and we are in uncharted territory.

“At Alzheimer’s Research UK we will continue to highlight the need for regulators and drug developers to work together to speed up access to promising new treatments for those who need them. This critical work now has renewed urgency.

“COVID-19 is putting dementia research at risk, but our mission to bring about life-changing treatments has not changed. This Government must now deliver on its manifesto commitment to double the dementia research budget to accelerate progress towards new treatments.

One of Northamptonshire’s oldest women has celebrated her 104th birthday at a Rushden care home.

Mabel Mitchell was joined by staff and residents at Victoria House for a surprise party, who came together to wish her happy birthday and indulge in cakes and other sweet treats.

Born and raised in Kettering as one of four siblings, Mabel went on to work at a local shoe factory before meeting Albert, who she later married.

Mabel often supported her local Salvation Army with charity work, and remains a keen reader and knitter into her centenary years.

Sharmaine Hall, home manager at the Shaw healthcare-managed home, said: “The last few months have been extremely unusual for all of our staff and residents, and with outside visits remaining limited, it’s important that we do what we can to keep spirits high and celebrate landmark birthdays like Mabel’s.

“We hope Mabel enjoyed her cake and a slight tipple of shandy too – we’re already looking forward to her 105th.”

Covid19: Accelerating the Use of Digital Technology in Healthcare As this crisis impacts every part of the health sector, significant vulnerabilities are being exposed. The NHS ‘digital revolution’ has long been touted as the key to futureproofing both Social Care and our health service in the face of increasing patient demand. That demand has now reached unprecedented levels and seems unlikely ever to revert to previous trends; against that background; there is an urgent requirement to move quickly to realise the opportunities which are available from digital technology. It is no longer an interesting speculation; it is an essential requirement to support staff and save lives. (Rt Hon Stephen Dorrell)

USING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY Poor efficiencies in many areas of the sector are caused by the lack of investment in technology.

Technology will improve the way your staff carry out tasks by either speed up existing processes or allowing new, more flexible and accurate ways of carrying out a job or process which will in turn enables live real time management information.

Would you expect to check out of a hotel with an invoice and extras raised in Word or Excel so why do many operators still use this method when invoic-

ing?

How many industries with shift workers rely on manual payroll processing outside the care sector?

Repeatable systems should harness the power of technology to cut back the massive waste of man hours spent processing and checking manual tasks.

In order to work out the best technology for your needs, you should assess your current systems against your requirements. Think about what inefficiencies exist in your homes and how you could: 1. Capture relevant information, such as resident/staff details, in a simple, time-efficient way.

2. Manage your documents to ensure that information is dealt with logically.

3. Avoid duplication at all costs; completing handwritten timesheets which then need to be manually inputted into payroll is a massive, unnecessary waste of time & manpower.

4. Address technological obstacles. The perception that your staffs are not IT literate is out of date; most people own a smart phone so yes they are!

See www.fusion4care.com for details or see the advert on page 23.

WISHING YOU DIDN’T KEEP PAPER RECORDS? S STAFF TAFF AF MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT R otas, Timesheets & Payroll Payroll Rotas, RESIDENTS & SER VICE USERS SERVICE In voicing, Enquiries & Occupancy Invoicing, C ARE PL ANS CARE PLANS As sses s sments, Dail es, Assessments, Dailyy Not Notes, Task T askk Management Manag M ag g gement &C are Planning Care FUSION CAN CAN A INS INSTALL TALL AL LL AND TR TRAIN T AIN YOU AND YOUR YOUR S TAFF REMO TEL LY YOU STAFF REMOTELY WITH C ONTINUOUS AND REASSURING WITH CONTINUOUS R OUND THE CL OCK SUPPOR T. ROUND CLOCK SUPPORT.

As the pandemic crisis hits, with self-isolation and home working much greater, the digital revolution has, for most, future proofed “business as usual” But we know a large percentage of social care providers are not so lucky!

NOW MORE MOR RE THAN EVER THE USE OF DIGITAL DIGITAL TECHNOL NOLOGY IN SOCIAL CARE TECHNOLOGY CARE IS PRO PROVING VING IT ITS S WEIGHT IN GOLD GOLD..

The demands yyou Th ou are are no now w facing ar aree unprecedented; unprecedented; maintaining intaining levels l vels le ls of ccare are and a staff staff,, the safety and w d thosee yyou ou ccare are for is your yourr maximum priority rity. DIGITA AL wellbeing ellbeing of those who w work ork for yyou, ou, and priority.

DIGITAL TECHNOL OGY CAN CAN MAKE THIS SO MUCH EASIER. SIER R. TECHNOLOGY EASIER Vital information all in one plac e, in the cloud, rremotely em motely ac cessible to eevery very member of staff who needs place, accessible it. There There is an urgent urgent rrequirement equirement to move move quickly are available available from from uickly ly to realise r opportunities that are the opportunities digital technology technology..

t: 001133 1133 979 555 e:info@fusion4care.com e:info@fusion4care.com • www www.fusion4care.com .fusion4care.com

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PAGE 26 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL RCP Presents Practical Solutions During the Pandemic PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS

ENHANCED CLEANING

Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) is a leading global provider of hygiene, cleaning, waste and safety equipment to multiple industries.

During the pandemic, healthcare facilities have been frontline environments battling COVID-19. The everyday heroics of medical staff have been acknowledged globally. Governments have reacted differently, but their advice has been consistent: ensure regular hand hygiene, enhance cleaning and waste procedures and maintain social distancing.

Surfaces are a primary contamination point. In a healthcare facility, cleaning products need to perform well, wherever they are used, under whatever conditions.

RCP’s cleaning products place adaptability at their core. Microfibre products embedded with zig-zag technology remove 99.9% of microbes with or without bleach and are available in multiple colours to prevent cross contamination. Reusable cloths can endure up to 500 wash cycles before they need to be replaced.

By using adaptable microfiber products, healthcare facilities improve their ability to clean alongside demonstrating visible cleaning to patients and visitors.

HAND HYGIENE

Healthcare facilities were considered the most forthright proponents of hand hygiene prior to 2020 and have still seen a dramatic increase in the need for hand

hygiene provisions.

RCP’s contribution to the various settings of healthcare hand hygiene has been through free-standing hand hygiene stations and wall mounted dispensing solutions.

Hand hygiene stations can be securely deployed wherever needed, providing instant hand hygiene via alcohol or alcohol-free hand rubs. These stations are touch operated, eliminating cross contamination risks while wall mounted units have antimicrobial touchpoints. Both use sealed soap refills that eliminate the contamination risks inherent in bulk refill systems.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Throughout healthcare facilities, there are multiple points where waste is created and stored prior to transportation. In both cases, it’s advisable to isolate waste in closed lid containers to prevent germs spreading.

RCP waste management products provide closed-lid isolation of waste and further reduce risk with foot operation rather than manual handling. Smooth resin construction make them easy to clean between uses, eliminating lingering threats.

GUIDANCE

In addition to product solutions for healthcare, and to support all facilities through the pandemic towards

Mattress Maintenance Services Helping Hospitals and Care Homes Spring into Action

By Truan Remmington - Contracts Development Executive – Spearhead Healthcare In order to bring a mattress back into service after use, it needs to be completely cleaned and decontaminated to approved standards that guarantee bacterium and viruses such as C.Diff and MRSA are killed, and no cross contamination occurs.

A challenge with mattress cleaning is not only that it requires large commercial washing machines but that different mattress types also require different treatment. The construction of air pressure mattresses for example means they cannot be washed in high temperature machines, requiring cold-water disinfection instead. The only certified process available, OTEX, injects ozone into each wash, killing all the harmful microorganisms without using the heat

or chemicals of traditional laundering.

However, having the time, staff, and the facilities required to provide this level of deep clean for each of your mattresses can prove very costly.

In additional to it being potentially dangerous, there is also a high probability of reputational damage if standards slip and go unnoticed by your staff, because this is something patients and their families will always, quite rightly, notice and report.

The right rental and maintenance service will not only provide you with an appropriate mattress when you need it, but offer fast cleaning, repairs, and replacements, ensuring mattresses are up to the required standards. This undoubtedly saves you

reopening, RCP has created digital guidance documents: • Sector specific best practice guides • Cleaning and waste management guidance • Return-to-work preparation guide • Bulk refill soap systems health risk factsheet Constant dialogue helps RCP understand the needs and expectations of professionals across the healthcare sector. Taking this information, using it to develop products that solve multiple challenges, makes RCP the leading choice for performance and ROI. Find out more about Rubbermaid Commercial Products by visiting Rubbermaid.eu or emailing RCPEnquiries@newellco.com

money in the long term, provides the best possible levels of care to your patients and residents, and reassures all stakeholders that hygiene is a top priority; a must in the current climate.

WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR?

So what should you look for in a rental service – apart from a wide range of special purpose mattresses? Here are a few key pointers: • Rapid breakdown response • All work carried out by trained technicians • Mattresses returned in fully certified working order with free loans while repairs are carried out to allow you continuity of service • Servicing and/or repair offered in a hygiene controlled environment where mattresses are PAT tested, static pressure leak tested and cycle tested • Mattresses placed in an infection controlled 'Cold Storage' zone to control cross contamination • Mattresses completely cleaned and decontaminated using a specialist, certified decontamination system to approved standards • Transparent and clear results reporting for peace of mind In today’s ever-more pressurised care sector, on-demand mattress rental and maintenance services are playing a growing role in helping providers respond quickly to growing patient and resident intake. This allows you to maintain the highest possible standards of infection control practises in all areas.

Visit www.spearheadhealthcare.com

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 27

Hygiene Does Not Stop At The Washroom says Kimberly-Clark Professional

Now more than ever we all want to know that we are doing everything we can to keep ourselves, our colleagues and visitors safe and well. To do this requires understanding the science behind surface wiping and cleaning, says Kimberly-Clark Professional.

We want to know that people have washed their hands properly and that places are as clean and as hygienic as possible. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends prioritising the daily cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces.

Cleaning vs. Disinfecting Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and other impurities from surfaces or objects by using detergent (or soap

and water) to physically remove germs from surfaces.

This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects by using chemicals1. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

The CDC recommends a two-step daily routine to clean frequently touched surfaces. For Step 1 clean surface with a detergent or soap and water. With Step 2 disinfect the surface using an EN-registered disinfectant. Surfaces considered hot spots for germs include computer keyboards, phones and light switches.

Science indicates why these surfaces need daily hygiene protocols in addition to hand hygiene standards in facilities For more information about how to make your facility truly exceptional – a place where everyone feels equipped and empowered to contribute to a more hygienic environment – visit our hand and surface cleaning page. https://youtu.be/WHNYNtVeymM https://home.kcprofessional.com/UK_Healthy_ Workplace_Cleaning_0520

Callero Shield for Care Homes and Clinics

For over 40 years, Gratnells Medical products have been widely used for hospital storage. From trolleys and frames, to trays and accessories, the wide range of products makes up the ideal storage solution for any medical environment. Designed with a multitude of settings in mind, the Gratnells Medical range would fit suitably into care homes, dental practices and other surgeries.

The Gratnells Callero Shield range is a complete collection of products designed to offer ample storage that is easily moveable and fits neatly into any environment. Treated with BioCote® antimicrobial additive, the trays and trolleys in the range protect against the spread of various viruses, bacteria and germs.

Callero Shield trolleys are available in double and treble column width and with multiple tray combinations. Suitable for the safe storage of PPE, medical files and equipment, uniform and beyond, the trolleys are easily movable between locations and can

be set in place with lockable castors. They’re also popularly used as sanitation and cleaning stations due to the ample storage space and the antimicrobial metal worksurface.

The antimicrobial Gratnells Rover allows the movement of heavier loads with ease. Robust, hygienic and practical, safely carry medical equipment over any terrain and up and down stairs. With a safety strap to secure antimicrobial trays in place and the option to add antimicrobial lids to trays, contents will be safe on their journey from place to place.

Recently added to the Gratnells antimicrobial range are the new SortED inserts. SortED is a new range of removable, modular inserts designed to fit and create separate sections in shallow and deep Gratnells trays. Also treated with BioCote® additive, the dishwasher safe inserts offer a safe and hygienic solution for the storage and distribution of smaller medical equipment or PPE. Browse the full Gratnells Medical range: www.gratnellsmedical.com/

Environmental Science Limited (ESL) Restructures its Business to Launch Unique and Effective Palm Tree Foaming Hand Environmental Science Ltd based in March, Cambridgeshire was originally set up in 1994 and has focused primarily on the authoring of Safety ata and Workplace Activity Safety Protection (WASP) Sheets, identifying chemical hazards and providing on-site COSHH monitoring, LEV testing and risk assessment services.

This core activity will continue, however due partly to the changed circumstances brought about by Covid-19, the company has made the decision to significantly expand and restructure the business. ESL has built and established trusted relationships within the UK chemical industry over the last 25 years, therefore it is a natural progression for the business to move into the development, manufacture, and distribution of hygiene products. These will include hand sanitisers, sprays, medicated soaps, surface and floor wipes and disinfectants.

To facilitate these new product lines, a new business entity is being created with the name “Environmental Science Hygiene Ltd”, and the existing company is renamed as “Environmental Science Group”. Their new website is: www.envsciencegroup.com One factor behind the change of direction for the business is that some products are being very hastily marketed during this pandemic; therefore they do not perform as efficiently as may be implied. By contrast,

the team at Environmental Science are committed to producing high quality products that are both safe and effective.

They also feel it is important to provide complete transparency by supplying the relevant GHS Safety Data Sheets, Product Labels, Product Information Sheets, etc.

Our Palm Tree Foaming Hand Sanitiser is unique and different from other current products for the following reasons: • The alcohol is naturally sourced and distilled from the sap of palm trees.

• The palm trees are not damaged in the extraction process, so the product is both sustainable and ecofriendly.

• Unlike most other sources of Ethanol, by tapping into an existing resource it means that valuable agricultural land can be used for food production instead.

• The foaming action is preferred by the healthcare sector over gel-based products.

• The alcohol content is in excess of 60% as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

• Conforms to the European Standard EN1276.

For further information, please contact: Tel: +44 (0) 1354 653 222 Email: sales@envsciencegroup.com Web: www.envsciencegroup.com

Tel: 01495 772164 I 07967 402995 www.shophygiene.co.uk

PAGE 28 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Haigh Engineering Resident and patient waste is a day to day practical matter that simply cannot become a problem for frontline carers and nursing staff. With the raised awareness of cross infection risks, the proven reliable waste disposal systems from Haigh are recognised more than ever as being a key part of the toolkit for ensuring that human waste is effectively and efficiently removed as a source of risk, day in day out, without the risks and complications of either washing pots or manual bagging waste for collection.

The team from Haigh have been working hard to support this beyond just the manufacture of the Incomaster and Quattro waste disposers here in the UK, but also developing innovative and safe methods to enhance the

servicing provisions that are available to customers. The recently launched all-inclusive rental proposition has proven particularly effective and popular with new and existing customers alike, not least as it reduces the operational, maintenance and financing headaches from sites which have more critical matters to address.

For more information about incontinence and bedpan waste disposal please feel free to contact the Haigh team on 01989 763131 or info@haigh.co.uk

Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. Although these are designed to keep the workplace tidy and uncluttered they are, more importantly, built knowing the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a priority for healthcare providers, and who are employing a combination of infection prevention and control strategies, including hand hygiene, cleaning, training and the adoption of new technologies, to tackle the problem.

As a result, a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market, including antimicrobial technology. Angloplas’ range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial

PVC with silver ion technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas. This helps reduce the risk of cross infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product, reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA, E Coli, Legionella, Salmonella and mould by up to 99.99%.

For non-clinical environments Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags.

You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www.angloplas.co.uk and clicking Hospital, Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code.

SANOZONE. The Easy Way To Sanotise Your Indoor Spaces SANOZONE, which delivers the most efficient sanitisation performance in indoor spaces, is now available from Barbel.

Manufactured by Vitaeco S.r.l., the world famous manufacturer of the highly regarded HotmixPro thermal blender range, SANOZONE sanitises rooms of many sizes in enclosed HRC sites, hotels, restaurants, bars, conference rooms and similar establishments where totally reliable and regular sanitisation is needed.

SANOZONE is particularly suitable for hospitals and care home areas, where absolute cleanliness is mandatory, and in areas where it is difficult or impossible to deliver effective sanitisation throughout.

The SANOZONE range of machines

use Ozone (O3) technology, a gaseous form of Ozone that fills the room, reaching every corner of the space, santising surfaces and critical hard-to-reach corners homogenously, consistently and safely.

The SANOZONE range of sanitisation machines are all equipped with the latest technology and customised disinfection programmes to suit your specific requirements.

The running costs are considerably lower than any traditional disinfecting programmes and most importantly, there is no manual labour involved.

For further information about the SANOZONE range, please contact Barbel on 01629 705110, email info@barbel.net, or visit the website at www.barbel.net

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 29

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

The Care Home That Remained Covid-19 Free Thanks To Ground-Breaking Protein

“There isn’t a doubt in my mind that it saved the lives of our residents and staff.”

The owner of a care home has hailed a £20 face covering, coated in a ground-breaking protein called Viruferrin™ that is now scientifically proven to stop the spread of Covid-19, as ‘life-saving’, after it helped to prevent a coronavirus outbreak within her home.

The news comes as ONS released statistics showing that just over 28% of all coronavirus deaths in Wales occurred in care homes.

Former nurse Elen Hughes and husband Trevor Hughes, are owners/directors of the Plasgarnedd Care Home on Anglesey; they purchased the Virustatic Sheild face coverings for all their staff very early on in the pandemic when the World Health Organisation confirmed the COVID19 pandemic threat. This decision, they believe, is the main reason the care home was able to control the disease, despite one resident becoming ill with the virus and given a positive diagnosis.

“The face covering, in my opinion, definitely stopped any type of transmission to my staff,” said Elen. “This meant none of them passed it on to the other residents. The protective face coverings have been life-saving. I stand by that! There is not a doubt in my mind that it saved the lives of our residents.”

Elen, who oversees a team of 120 carers and support staff over two sites and in the community, made the decision to provide face coverings for all employees some time before guidance from Public Health Wales was changed to make them compulsory for the sector.

“I saw these face coverings on the news and decided right there and then to go ahead and purchase them for my team. At that time, we were under no obligation to do that, we were told by Public Health Wales that

we just needed aprons and gloves, but because of my nursing background and I guess, a gut feeling, I just knew that the situation was serious and that we needed to protect our residents (all of whom are in single rooms) and that to do so we needed to protect our staff – even though there were no confirmed cases here.” continued Elen, “However, subsequently, one of our ladies became ill. When her condition deteriorated, our resident was admitted to hospital where it was confirmed that she had the COVID-19 virus. I have no doubt that this lady will have been infectious while she was in our care before and that the Virsutatic face coverings worn by our staff alongside scrupulous hygiene prevented them from becoming infected and spreading the virus through our home.”

Some care homes in North Wales have unfortunately not been as fortunate. One with a similar number of residents, which received a positive diagnosis at the same time, has seen several staff members and residents test positive for Covid-19 and a number of fatalities.

“We’ve had a similar set of results across both of our sites, so it can’t be coincidence. Others sadly haven’t been so lucky, and I simply put that down to the fact we’ve worn Virustatic Shields and that our amazing staff have followed our own strict infection control guidelines.”

Virustatic Ltd, the leading biotech organisation behind the masks, donated 20 of its Shields to Plasgarnedd. Overall it donated 15,000 of its coverings to frontline workers, charities and those most at risk across the UK. Paul Stanton, a former national Director of NHS Board development, who works as an independent consultant with NHS organisations and with senior clinicians commented: “In any care home there is a significant risk that staff who have become infected in the course of their ordinary lives may, before their symptoms develop, unintentionally bring Covid-19 into their place of work and thus spread the virus to colleagues and to residents – unless they are suitably protected against airborne transmission of infected particles.

“Where residents, as was the case at Plasgarnedd, are isolated within single rooms, unprotected staff could all too easily have spread the virus from one infected resident to others – and indeed to their colleagues.

However, it seems that in this case the Virustatic protective face coverings helped to prevent any onward transmission. It will be important to establish, through properly conducted clinical trials, how important a contribution the protective face coverings can make in other private sector residential care settings”.

Initial discussions are already underway between Virustatic and Care England, the umbrella representative body for private sector residential care home providers, to initiate such trials.

“It will also be vital to the wider UK economy to establish, through properly conducted and evaluated trials, the contribution that these protective face coverings can make in other non-care workplaces. Potentially, the ability of this new form of face covering to prevent the spread of airborne particulate infections in workforce intensive employment settings could be

game changing” Paul Stanton said.

This week it was announced that the ground-breaking Viruferrin™ coating used on the Virustatic Shield has been independently tested and proven to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection at a cellular level. The discovery is being hailed as a significant breakthrough in the fight against the disease, paving the way to research that could deliver a cure. The next step is clinical trials on preventative and curative applications of the Viruferrin™ technology.

Paul Hope, Inventor of the Virustatic technology and products said: "The coating has been demonstrated to protect the cells. If that is replicated within the respiratory systems and lungs it will stop the virus spreading because it cannot infect other cells. We believe the tests demonstrate the effective preventative and curative ability of this coating against Covid-19.”

Paul made it his mission to find a way to prevent deaths caused in pandemics after his own grandfather died of the Spanish Flu in 1919. This latest discovery builds on 10 years of work by Paul, his family and a team of British scientists and virologists.

Paul ended: “I am delighted to hear that our face coverings have already proven life-saving for Plasgarnedd Care.”

Plasgarnedd Care is an award-winning Care Provider which has over 30 years’ experience of providing the highest level of care and support for service users in and around Anglesey and Gwynedd. More information: www.plasgarnedd.co.uk The Virustatic Shield is available to buy direct from the website virustaticshield.com

PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Proven Technology Offers Greater Protection for Staff and Residents Against Covid-19

Care Homes are having to work around the clock to ensure their facilities are as clean and infection-free as possible, to try and prevent Covid-19 (and multiple other viruses and harmful bacteria) from entering their facility in the first place or containing it once it does.

However, routine cleaning and disinfection, even with the use of other hand sanitisers and antibacterial surface cleaners, only sanitises the individual or surface for that moment in time, i.e. as soon as contact is made with an infected surface or introduced from the outside, the area or the person is no longer safe.

In the tight confines of a Care Home, supporting one of the most vulnerable groups, cross infection via surface contamination is a major challenge. The transient nature of current cleaning regimes will always prove challenging, particularly as over 80% of germs are spread by hands.

Now a proven, independently accredited technology that offers a protective barrier wherever there is a risk of infection is at the forefront of preventing and protecting against the spread of Covid-19.

Once applied it stays active, providing up to 30 days

protection on surfaces and 24 hours on the skin. In a Care Home, this can dramatically reduce the chances of encountering a crisis by reducing the spread of dangerous pathogens either by hand or touch.

OneSpray’s Hand Sanitiser offers 24 hours protection with one application, contains no alcohol, is ultra-gentle on the skin and won’t wash off during normal daily washing.

This means it is very economical to use versus alcoholbased sanitisers, given that typically one person will apply those sanitisers up to 10 times per day.

OneSpray’s Surface Sanitiser offers protection on nearly all surfaces including door handles, desks, door entry systems and keypads, touchscreens, phones, kitchens and taps. A single application forms an invisible barrier over the surface that lasts up to 30 days and will not wash off so normal, daily cleaning can continue.

OneSpray products incorporate Zoono technology, world leaders in antimicrobial protection. Over 150 worldwide laboratory testing reports support the efficacy of their products.

In earlier trials for London Underground a treated train came back 99.9% clear after 28 days of uninterrupted service.

OneSpray is offering a Starter Outbreak-Prevention Package, specifically for Care Homes. It consists of a 5-litre Hand Sanitiser with two 1-litre dispensers, plus a 5-litre Surface Cleaner with two 500ml spray bottles.

For more information contact 07811113108 or email russell@onespray.com or see the advert on page 8.

New Health Check Station A new product has been released to help check individuals’ temperatures as they enter a public space. The Health Check Station by Contour Heating has been designed to help control the spread of infection in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Manufactured from mild steel with a BioCote® antimicrobial powder coating, The Health Check Station has been designed with safety and efficiency in mind. A durable Perspex screen with a small cut out provides the user with a safe means of checking employee and visitor temperature upon arrival.

With a letterbox-style slot for documentation (such as registers and time-sheets) and informative signage to help reinforce key messages in relation to government guidelines, The Health Check Station can be used in offices, factories, retail units, public buildings, schools and much more.

The Health Check Station is available directly from Contour Heating. Call +44 (0) 1952 290 498 to find out more or head over to www.contourheating.co.uk.

Staysafe Visor - CE-Certified PPE Manufactured in the UK Staysafe Visor is a subsidiary of 1st Packaging Ltd, a leading specialist UK plastics manufacturer founded in 2002. Used in a wide range of health and commercial settings, our high-quality recyclable CE-certified face shields offer protection against liquid droplets, sprays and splashes. Our visors are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, are anti-fog and easy to assemble.

As a long-established UK company, we have been able to step up our manufacture of PPE to meet high demand during the current unprecedented circumstances. Our facilities enable us to produce well in excess of 200,000 items per week.

At Staysafe Visor our experienced team takes very seriously its role in support-

ing the health of the community by helping to maintain a safer environment.

Availability and affordability are the cornerstones of our operation. Because we sell directly to businesses, organisations and the general public, we are able to remove the need for intermediaries and keep costs low. We believe that we offer the most competitive rates on the market for this type of CE-certified PPE. Our high-quality products are helping to better protect employees in the NHS, care homes, education, transport, manufacturing and a host of other workplace settings. For further details about our range of visors please do not hesitate to contact our friendly expert team.

See page 4 for details or visit www.staysafevisor.co.uk

www.baltex.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 31

Meeting the hygiene challenge of COVID-19

By Zak Manhire, Chief Commercial Officer at Regency Design Protecting care home workers and their patients throughout the COVID-19 epidemic and beyond has been a constant challenge, and one that has attracted considerable media attention. It has also prompted the business community to look at its own capabilities, and whether manufacturing and production facilities can be turned over to fulfilling the ongoing demand for protective clothing and equipment.

Made out of premium quality products, Regency Design’s dispensers cut down on sanitiser costs by using sensory technology to dispense an adjustable amount (1.5ml, 1.2ml or 0.8ml) of sanitizer gel or liquid per use. As well as this, the units are constructed out of Mild Steel, which makes them lightweight, yet robust and sturdy. They are all powder coated in a SteriTouch antimicrobial covering to ensure no harbouring of germs on the units themselves. The units are customisable with bespoke under surface mark resistant graphics applied on the front of the unit.

Our company, Regency Design, is one such company that has answered the call, and now produces a suite of products ranging from face visors to automatic hand sanitising units to keep carers, patients and guests safe and avoid cross contamination issues in often challenging environments. All of which manufactured in the UK at their site in Surrey.

Our face visors prove useful for care-home staff as they are highly durable, re-useable and CE marked to demonstrate conformity with health, safety and environmental protection standards.

They comprise a clear, polycarbonate panel with a soft foam headband and a Velcro adjustable strap. With anti-mist properties, high-quality optics with no distortion and a space for branding / name.

Most recently we have gone one better and added an innovative body temperature reading camera with AI Face recognition, that can measure temperatures within 100 milliseconds and at a distance of 0.5 metres all while someone is sanitising their hands.

The infrared temperature sensor provides alerts when a person has a high temperature.

The system is calculated with an algorithm for object heat and fast detection temperature accuracy, with a temperature sensing range of 30 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius and an accuracy of plus or minus 0.3 degrees Celsius.

Along with the face visors, Regency Design has also launched various automatic hand sanitising units to increase hygiene levels. The automatic hand sanitising units help reduce cross contamination by making the hand cleaning process completely touchless. Our units are diverse as they come as both small and large floor standing units, wall mounted units and countertop units, which provide convenience to all parts of a care home. The small and large floor standing dispensers allow all patients to reach the units, whether they are in a wheelchair or standing, and the countertop units provide hygiene for staff, administration and visitors.

The temperature reading system gives care home staff a non-invasive and comfortable way of checking, staff and guests temperatures, with an aim of reducing contamination issues and increasing hygiene.

To go with the sanitising units, Regency Design also supplies a sanitiser gel or liquid, which can be put into the automatic dispensers so care home staff can keep their units topped up with ease and without worry of replenishment.

Regency has committed to offer a 15% discount on all its products if you use Carer20 when enquiring.

For more information please contact Zak Manhire on zak@regencydesign.co.uk or 07837391421.

www.regencydesign.co.uk

PAGE 32 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

CONTINENCE CARE

CareZips Dignity Trousers ™

CareZips™ preserve dignity and privacy of people receiving care during diaper changes.

CareZips™ make diaper changes easier and faster, reducing workload, saving efforts, and saving time!

CareZips™ help to deliver better standards of care!

Fitted with unique 3-zip fastening system, the CareZips™ make changing of incontinence diapers more dignified and comfortable for the patients and easier and faster for the carers.

CareZips™ feature 3 strategically positioned zips, 2 of which run from the waist to the knees on both sides of the body. The 3rd zip goes from the inside of one knee up to the crotch and down to the second knee on the inside of the other leg. This zip facilitates total opening of the trousers at the crotch during diaper changes. The 3-zip system ensures fast and easy access to the abdomen and crotch without having to undress the patients or pull their trousers down.

CareZips™ are suitable for men and women. They are available in 7 sizes for perfect fit. CareZips™ are soft and wrinkle resistant with stretch and give for extra comfort.

Practical, durable, washable and non-iron, the CareZips™ trousers are the perfect choice for daily use.

Contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 www.win-health.com or see the advert on page 7.

New Skincare & Incontinence Leaflet A new ‘Skincare management in incontinence’ leaflet is available from Thornton & Ross Pharmaceuticals – manufacturers of Zerolon® Barrier Cream. Accredited by the Association for Continence Advice (ACA), the leaflet is designed as a quick guide for all health professionals involved with continence care. Including recommendations from NICE, the leaflet also outlines factors to consider when selecting a barrier cream and advice on helping prevent incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD).

Zerolon® Barrier Cream is the latest addition to the Zeroderma emollients and barrier creams range, specially formulated to prevent irritation from bodily fluids including urine, faeces and exudate.

To receive a free copy of the ‘Skincare management in incontinence’ leaflet, please email: zeroderma@thorntonross.com Thornton & Ross Ltd, Linthwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5QH 01484 842217 www.zeroderma.co.uk

iMEDicare Ltd Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

iMEDicare Ltd is a dynamic and rapidly growing Medical Device Distributor offering an exciting range of unique and market leading medical products for patient use in the fields of Urology and Continence Management Treatment throughout the UK. Our motto is “Pelvic Health Naturally” – premised on the ability of living tissues to react positively to clinically approved therapeutic measures in a pelvic health con-

text. Our logo features a very interesting version of the infinity symbol in blue – which also looks like the Pelvic Girdle bone structure. This symbol represents a sense of simplicity and balance – an important tenet in providing effective healthcare solutions and achieving optimal pelvic health.

We offer a unique blend of professional and patient product training in Clinical and Home environments which are designed to improve individual product customizability, user uptake and long-term patient compliance and satisfaction.

See the advert on this page for details.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 33

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Cash’s Labels- “The Name Behind the Name” At Cash's, we aim to capture, reinforce and communicate our clients’ brand equity through quality and innovation, from design to distribution.

Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels, woven badges, care labels, branded and promotional swing tags, garment accessories, packaging and barcoding. Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protection to

our customers' brand by assisting to combat counterfeiting and grey market activity.

Our industry leading eCommerce system is designed to reduce cost, improve efficiency and streamline supply chain management and will fully protect the integrity and accuracy of critical business data. The order entry process is very simple meaning suppliers and vendors can spend their valuable time on tasks other than ordering apparel labelling and accessories.

See the advert this page for details.

Please go on our website to see the new range of Dishwasher proof ID labels which can also be stuck onto textiles.

5 Reasons Why You Should Choose LaundryTec Chester based LaundryTec since its foundation in early 2016 has become one of Alliance Internationals major UK distributers. Founded by Jeremy Hartigan, the team of industry professionals with the backing of the Alliance Lavamac brand and supported by its service partner PDS Laundry based in Nuneaton. They supply a significant number of the UK’s leading health care operators with equipment, installation and after sale support.

The LaundryTec designs offer not only washing, drying and ironing equipment but a full range of handling, distribution, folding and identification systems, to create a fully functioning laundry complete with all items necessary for efficient operation. Every LaundryTec machine includes full installation options, including the removal and disposal of an existing machine. A training program and a minimum of 24 months part and labour warranty.

The environment is at the forefront of every opera-

tor’s mind. Standard specification on a Lavamac machine includes functions that automatically weigh and control the energy input into the machine and store the data in the machines memory. Our LS range of electric heat pump dryers require no ventilation or gas services and operates at 3kw per hour.

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE LAUNDRYTEC 1. Cost 2. Efficiency 3. Service 4. Design 5. Innovation Telephone 0151 317 3127 Web www..laundrytec.com

Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

0151 317 3127

www.laundrytec.com

info@laundrytec.com

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE LAUNDRYTEC 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Washer Extractors

Tumble Dryers

Cost Quality Service Design Innovation

Flatwork Ironers

Other Equipment

PAGE 34 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Calibre Audio - Unleash the Power of Your Imagination Audiobooks offer a gateway to the world of independence when print is inaccessible. Reading books has many health benefits; from reducing anxiety and helping to combat memory loss, to boosting mental health. Books provide us with companionship, adventure, empathy and enjoyment, and listening to audiobooks extends all of this to people who cannot read printed books.

A restricting disability can bring with it the sting of isolation, and being locked out of activities that were once enjoyed can create frustration and loneliness.

However, research has shown that listening to audiobooks can boost mental health (ref. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), helping to

counteract depression and other mental health issues.

Escaping to audiobooks provides comfort and companionship as well as being a coping strategy in hard times.

Calibre Audio is a charity, providing free audiobooks to anyone who struggles to read print, through sight loss, dyslexia or a physical disability.

Our collection of over 11,500 audiobooks includes books from all genres, both fiction and non-fiction, from the classics to the latest blockbusters; from crime to autobiographies.

Our books are available online for members or delivered to your door via a free postal service.

It is free and easy to join.

Visit calibreaudio.org.uk for more information or to join. See page 4 for details.

Adaptawear Clothing To Help Healthcare & Care Home Workers: Independent & Assisted Dressing If you are a healthcare or care home worker or Occupational Therapist and struggling to dress your patients during this Covid-19 pandemic; then take a look at our range of Adaptawear adapted clothing for both men and women. Adaptawear comfort clothing has been designed to help independent living and assisted dressing with the aim to make getting dressed easier and less painful for both the wearer and carer.

Adaptawear designs and manufacturers a range of ladies and men’s open back and drop front trousers, magnetic & open back shirts and blouses, dresses, skirts, open back nighties and front fastening bras. We also sell a selection of everyday essentials aimed at making people comfortable day and night.

Adaptawear clothes are ideal for

arthritis, stroke, Parkinson, incontinence and dementia sufferers as well as people of all ages who struggle with buttons and zips. The easy fit clothes are made from quality and natural fabrics to provide maximum comfort.

Adaptawear Offers: • Discreetly Adapted Clothes • Independent & Assisted Dressing • Ladies & Men's Daywear and Nightwear • UK Nationwide and Overseas Deliveries • No Quibble 14 Day Returns • VAT Exemption where relevant • FREE Delivery on orders over £100 For more information on Adaptawear’s Product Range please visit www.adaptawear.com. Carer readers please quote TC141 for 10% discount off your first order.

Why Specify a Yeoman Shield Fire Rated Door Edge Protector?

When specifying for a structure, it’s important to be aware of the level of wear and tear a door can be exposed to in a public building.

Door edges, in particular, can be easily damaged or worn down by regular use – which can then render them non-compliant for fire safety regulations. To ensure that a project remains compliant, an architect can specify durable door edge protectors to add durability and longevity to doors.

Not only will specifying edge protectors increase the longevity of doors, they will enhance the cost efficiency of a project by reducing maintenance demands and the possibility of having to replace unsafe fire doors.

Yeoman Shield fire rated Door Edge Protectors are unique with a 2.0 mm Vinylac outer and a specially formulated 9mm PVCu reinforced core. They are FD30 (1/2 hour) and FD60 (1 hour) rated

with intumescent seals that are in accordance to the fire door’s specification. Fire rated Door Edge Protectors are suitable for commercial applications such as residential blocks, schools and hospitals etc.

Door Edge Protectors can also be specified with different fire seals, from a plain intumescent fire seal to a brush, fire and smoke variant.

Of course, for doors that are non-fire rated in an architect’s project Yeoman Shield also provide quality edge protectors without seals to enhance durability and reduce wear.

Source a full range of door protection panels and kick plates from a single supplier by choosing Yeoman Shield.

Our door protection panels and kick plates offer the same lasting durability and quality as our door edge protectors.

See page 12 or visit www.yeomanshield.com for details.

Workwear Experts For Over 100 Years Grahame Gardner has more than 100 years’ experience in clothing a broad spectrum of medical and healthcare professionals. Our knowledge and understanding of uniform demands ensure we remain one the UK’s most trusted and respected suppliers. We combine our extensive expertise with the latest innovations in technology and fabric and design, to offer you the highest quality garments to meet the demanding standards of healthcare professionals… all at exceptional prices!

We also provide one of the most flexible embroidery services available from any clothing manufacturer using state-of-theart technologies that enable us to copy virtually any design or

logo directly onto your chosen uniforms.

Whether you’re seeking a classic healthcare dress or tunic, or something from our bold and bright scrubwear range, you can find it with us. As one of the largest workwear providers in the UK, we are proud to be able to offer instant stock availability on 1,000s of workwear garments all in addition to our extensive range of ‘made to order’ items that can be manufactured on demand in a wide range of styles, fabrics and colours.

To find out more, or for a no obligation discussion as to how we can help with your workwear requirements, please get in touch on 0116 255 6326 or email Info@grahamegardner.co.uk www.grahamegardner.co.uk

In-House Practical Engagement Workshop Scripts New Pressure Relief Options from Airospring Medical Now Available for Care Homes & Services Airospring Medical manufactures a range of pressure relieving devices.

Our flagship products are a range of lightweight and breathable pressure relief cushions and mattress overlays made from high-tech 3D Knitted Spacer Fabrics. Airospring has been awarded a full patent in August 2014 approving this ground breaking technology. Our pressure relief cushions distribute weight and allow maximum airflow. The cushions have been tested for the dissipation of perspiration, a key factor in the fight against pressure ulcers. Welcome to a new standard in healthy seating.

Call: 0115 9322403 Email: sales@airospring.com Visit: www.airospring.com

Renray Healthcare Design and Manufacture New COVID19 Response Beds for Temporary Hospitals Renray Healthcare has developed a field response bed to supply to temporary hospitals, with our design expertise and manufacturing capability we have been able to put the COVID-19 Response bed and mattress into production quickly, with deliveries going out across the country to help in the fight against COVID-19.

Renray has been supplying beds, mattresses and furniture for over 50 years and due to the increasing spread of Coronavirus, we are proactively using Hydrogen Peroxide Vapour (HPV) decontamination system in all our Heavy Goods Vehicles prior to delivery of your goods to eliminate the virus or any potential contaminant, making deliveries safer for our staff, customers and users.

Let us know if you require beds for temporary or permanent hospitals, to ensure you have everything you need to continue caring for patients in this difficult time.

Download our brochure now for more information: The COVID-19 Response Bed Brochure at https://tinyurl.com/unofs42 Please contact customer service on 01606 593456 or info@renrayhealthcare.com who will be happy to assist you. See the advert on page 3.

C & S Seating Postural Management C & S Seating has been providing postural control equipment to hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and medical equipment services nationwide since 1991.

With 9 different sizes of T-Rolls and Log Rolls in a removable and machine washable, waterproof Titex or Soft Knit material. These rolls are used to control posture and position of the body in either supine or side lying. Our Knee & Leg support wedges are available in 2 sizes.

C & S Seating is the sole manufacturer of the Alternative Positioning Support (APS) system. Ideal when more control of the abducted lower limb is required (See photo) which has

removable side cushions and middle pommel; this is available in small or large.

Our popular range of Soft Knit covers in a choice of 5 vibrant colours provide a softer alternative that fit easily over our standard waterproof rolls.

It is recommended you seek professional advice to select the correct product depending on your needs.

Contact us on 01424 853331 or visit us at www.cands-seating.co.uk to request or download a brochure, pricelist or order form, request an individualised quotation, speak to an advisor or to place an order.

See the advert on page 10.

As training sessions and venues may be difficult to facilitate for some time, Happy Days Dementia Workshop has acted quickly, re-writing their ‘Practical Engagement Workshop’ into a series of easy to follow presentation and training guides.

Enriching social care is at the heart of Happy Days, ‘It’s amazing to see how care teams are heartened and invigorated once they see how easy it is to engage more meaningfully with residents on a daily basis’ says Gillian Hesketh, MD of Dementia Workshop.

Training in-house can support the safety of your care teams, reduce travel, time and cut costs.

Demonstration and nostalgic materials can be included in packages with options to add an activity manual, reminiscence baskets and memory prompts. The workshops are ideal for building carer confidence, boosting morale and uplifting everyone’s mood.

Packages can be created to suit your care team requirements and resident interests. See The Carer front page or find starter practical workshop packs online at www.dementiaworkshop.co.uk / Phone direct on 07971953620 or see the advert on page 1.

The Benefits of Spillsafe Every year, thousands of working hours are lost to the sanitisation of furniture which ultimately can never be completely sanitised. This can feel like a losing battle to “beat the bugs” as any attempt to truly clean soiled furniture will inevitably only be scratching the surface.

The true challenge lies inside the chair, a haven for contamination, but therein lies the problem. How do you clean the inside of a chair that has been soiled?

The simple answer is “you don’t”.

There is no way to truly clean a chair that has been soiled as liquids will find their way into every part of your furniture, absorbed by wood and languishing in foam and fabric. So, what is the solution to sanitising your furniture?

Simply, you stop anything from ever reaching the interior.

The truest way of maintaining hygeine is to prevent unsanitary situations from ever reaching the areas that cannot be easily cleaned. Investing in hygienic barriers today not only saves time and money, but ensures the protection demanded by those who need it most. This was our maxim here at SpillSafe when developing our patentpending cassette system – Why allow the uncleanable to become unsanitary in the first place?

Matthew Holmes, Director of SpillSafe Ltd. Contact Spillsafe Ltd on 0330 088 4851 or www.Spillsafe.co. See the advert on page 9.

New Guides To Supercharge Your Care Home Management Is continued customer satisfaction important to you?

Could your communications with residents and their loved ones be improved? Does your care home's website need to be brought into the 2020's? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you will be pleased to learn about a series of free expert guides for care home managers and owners.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched a series of guides for the care home industry. These guides provide you with specialist advice on fair trading practices, complaints procedures, communications methods and website layouts for care homes written by and for those

working in the care homes sector.

UK consumer law is among the best in the world, but this also means that it can be complicated and in-depth.

Care home regulations are no exception, and you may be overwhelmed by it all. These guides make it simple and straightforward so that you can avoid the regulatory pitfalls and improve your business for the good of you and your residents.

The guides are hosted on Business Companion, a government-backed website containing a wealth of in-depth knowledge on every element of consumer protection written by industry experts in every sector.

Download your free guides at: www.businesscompanion.info

PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

FOOD AND NUTRITION

Catering with Care

By Rebecca Bridgement, managing director at Radish

Care homes and assisted living environments across the country have been on the frontline of this pandemic and they have survived the unimaginable. Covid-19 has changed life as we know it, particularly so for the vulnerable. In the darkest days of lockdown, residents weren’t always able to leave their rooms. Visits from loved ones have been and remain restricted and, for many, social activities have either been paused or moved online.

Across the sector, there has been a big change in behaviour and, five months on, in habits too. The experience of those in assisted living or care environments has changed dramatically, and leadership teams have been forced to find new ways to get through these troubled times – from entertaining residents and facilitating video calls with family members, to ensuring social distancing while promoting health and wellbeing.

Nutritional health remains as important as ever but catering for care homes and assisted living environments during a pandemic isn’t without its challenges. For Radish, the catering arm of Churchill Group, a typical day is a lot busier than pre-Covid19. In fact, it’s flat out. The team have had to think on their feet and adapt quickly. It has always been important to protect food from harmful bacteria, viruses and allergens that could be spread by other activities, but this understandably has had to step up a gear since the outbreak.

From taking extra care when preparing food and cleaning storage areas, to running

Are You in Need of Dysphagia Training*?

Did you know that between 50-75% of nursing home residents suffer from dysphagia1? Nutricia has a training solution for you, a FREE e-learning covering the fundamentals of dysphagia management using Nutilis Clear.

The training is divided into 4 sections and has been specially designed for busy health and social care staff caring for people living with dysphagia. It takes 60 minutes in total to complete, however you can complete one section at a time.

HOW CAN THIS TRAINING HELP YOU? • Easy & convenient online solution to dysphagia training • Visibility to track progress in your care home • Raise the quality standard of dysphagia care in a consistent way

training on everything from handwashing best practice to operational transformation to reduce human-tohuman contact, all while adhering to ever-changing government guidelines - it’s fair to say the new normal has taken some getting used to. As you can imagine, our business has had to transform since the outbreak first hit. The operations team at Radish are no longer allowed into the environments that are catered for; they are having to manage their teams remotely which is a completely different style of management. We have really upped our communications efforts to support our teams throughout this time.

Other changes are afoot, too. For example, the onsite teams at assisted living sites have had to pair up in bubbles in order to work safely and effectively. Food is prepared in the kitchen, then packaged in disposables and delivered to the doors of residents. We are really proud to have fully recyclable and compostable disposable products so having to react quickly has not had any additional impact on our sustainability efforts.

Instead of eating within a restaurant, residents are eating within their own apartments – and are therefore stripped of the social element that makes mealtimes so enjoyable. To make up for that, our teams are always thinking of the little things they can do to make people smile, to make these moments more memorable. On Victory in Europe Day, for example, we delivered a special afternoon tea. We’ve come up with other ideas to help boost morale on non-celebratory days, too, including the introduction of a cupcake competition across all developments, where the residents got to taste their delicious creations.

Needless to say there are ongoing challenges and risks, but let’s take some time to appreciate what the care sector has managed to achieve. Despite everything it has had to deal with, there are many examples of how working practices within the sector have transformed to keep everyone safe and well, staff and residents alike.

Coronavirus hasn’t gone away and we still need to do our bit to protect each other and the vulnerable, but I believe this pandemic is bringing out people’s caring sides.

And since catering is about tapping into the little things that give people joy, we believe this is our chance to shine and to truly make a positive difference to residents in care and assisted living environments. for patients with Dysphagia to complete the modules as part of their induction programme. Existing health and social care staff members should also complete the learning to support their continuing professional development.

There is a certificate that can be downloaded once the training has been successfully completed.

Use the camera on your phone to scan the QR code to access the e-learning and get started!

For any questions contact your local Nutricia sales representative or our Resource Centre at resourcecentre@nutricia.com.

Nutilis Clear is a Food for Special Medical Purposes for the dietary management of dysphagia and must be used under medical supervision.

*This training is intended for healthcare professionals only.

The quality standards aim is for all new health and social care staff members caring

Tackling Malnutrition in Dementia Patients

By Gillian Farren, Registered Dietitian

NUTRITIONAL CHALLENGES Patients with dementia face numerous challenges, all of which can have a significant impact on their ability to eat and drink.

In the UK alone, it is estimated that 3 million older people are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.1 Alongside weight loss, key micronutrient deficiencies are recognised, with an estimated 35% of older people showing deficiencies in vitamins A, B12, iron and zinc.2 Although weight loss is part of the natural ageing process, dementia is recognised as a key contributor.3 Moreover, the link between dementia and weight loss strengthens as dementia becomes more severe.4,5 It is important to support dementia patients in eating and drinking well, as inadequate nutritional intake can make a person with dementia more confused.6 Recent guidance from NICE recommends that carers “encourage and support people living with dementia to eat and drink, taking into account their nutritional needs” and “consider involving a speech and language therapist if there are concerns about a person’s safety when eating and drinking”.7 However, dementia carers face specific challenges in supporting patients to eat and drink enough.8

DYSPHAGIA: A BARRIER FOR DEMENTIA SUFFERERS Dysphagia is a term used to describe difficulty or discomfort in swallowing food, fluids and saliva. Dementia is a well-recognised cause.9 Signs of dysphagia in people with dementia include coughing or choking; difficulties chewing; spitting out food; wet gurgling voice after eating; and food/drink spilling from or residue in the patient’s mouth after eating.10 If dysphagia is not managed appropriately, patients can suffer severe health consequences such as chest infections, aspiration pneumonia and choking-related death 9.

PROMOTING A SAFE SWALLOW The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) is a global standard that describes correct and appropriate thickening of liquids and food texture modification, to ensure that they are safe to offer to patients with differing degrees of dysphagia.11 IDDSI gives clear descriptors for all levels of consistency, from level 0 (thin/unthickened) up to 4 (extremely thick) for fluids, and from level 7 (regular) down to level 3 (liquidised) for foods.11 It is vital that patients with dementia are only offered foods and drinks that are a safe and appropriate texture for their current level of dysphagia. This should be assessed and regularly monitored by a registered speech and language therapist.

Many dementia patients dislike the taste and texture of thickening agents. Thus, products which do not require added thickener may be more acceptable, and can make it easier when patients with dementia are preparing their own drinks. Interestingly, research suggests that use

products which do not require added thickener can lead to increased food and fluid intake.12

PERCEPTION, DEXTERITY AND DISTRACTIONS Dementia often changes how patients recognise once-familiar foods, drinks and utensils.6 Additionally, preference for sweeter tastes and contrasting colours are commonly observed 3. Involving patients in preparing their own foods and drinks, alongside the use of adapted utensils and cutlery, and a reduction in distracting sounds, sights and objects at mealtimes, can encourage independence and focus, while preventing wandering off during mealtimes.13

USING THE “FOOD FIRST APPROACH” For patients with small appetites, foods and drinks can be enriched by adding foods rich in fats and sugars – such as butter, jam, cheese and cream – to increase energy and protein intake without increasing the amount of food eaten. This is referred to as a “food first” approach.14 While this is the preferred first-line strategy to tackle malnutrition, dementia patients can still struggle to meet their needs from food alone, and oral nutritional supplements or nutrition shakes such as NuVu Life are often recommended to fill the gap.15

HOW NUVU LIFE CAN HELP Made up with 200ml whole milk, one 50g sachet of NuVu Life delivers an impressive 362 kcal and 27.5g protein. When mixed with water or milk, it is IDDSI level 2 consistency. For patients requiring level 2 thickened fluids, NuVu Life removes the need for added thickening agents, thus saving time and reducing risk of error for carers and patients alike.

Moreover, NuVu Life is enriched with vitamins and minerals, including those identified earlier in the article (i.e. vitamins A, B12, iron and zinc), which are a specific concern for older people. Just one 50g sachet on NuVu Life provides 100% of the recommended daily intake for these key micronutrients.

NuVu Life is available to purchase online (www.nuvulife.com), RRP depends on the quantity purchased. Use voucher code TC30 to claim 30% off your order. For sales enquiries, or to request a sample of NuVu Life, please email sales@nuvulife.com or call: 07740 844 405.

REFERENCES: 1. Stratton R, Smith T, Gabe S. Managing malnutrition to improve lives and save money.

BAPEN Report 2018. (available at http://www.bapen.org.uk/pdfs/reports/mag/managingmalnutrition.pdf ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 2. Maggini S, Pierre A, Calder P. Immune function and micronutrient requirements change over the life course. Nutrients. 2018; 10(10):1531. (Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6212925/ ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 3. Prince M, Albanese E, Guerchet M, Prina M. Nutrition and dementia: a review of available research. Alzheimer’s Disease International 2014. (available at https://www.alz.co.uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/nutrition-and-dementia.pdf) [accessed 07 June 2020] 4. White H, Pieper C, Schmader K. The association of weight change in Alzheimer's disease with severity of disease and mortality: a longitudinal analysis. J Amer Geriatrics Soc 1998; 46(10):1223-7. (available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.15325415.1998.tb04537.x) [accessed 07 June 2020] 5. Albanese E, Taylor C, Siervo M, Stewart R, Prince MJ, Acosta D. Dementia severity and weight loss: A comparison across eight cohorts. The 10/66 study. Alzheimer’s & dementia: the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. 2013; 9:649-656. (Avaiable at https://alzjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.jalz.2012.11.014) [accessed 07 June 2020] 6. Alzheimer’s Society. Caring for a person with dementia: a practical guide. 2019. (Available at: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/202003/caring_for_a_person_with_dementia_600.pdf ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 7. National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Dementia: assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers (NG97). 2018. (Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97 ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 8. NHS Education for Scotland. Supporting People with Dementia in Acute Care: Learning Resource. 2016. (available at: https://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/media/11866144/supporting%20people%20with%20dementia%20in%20acute%20care%20final%202016%20web.pdf) [accessed 07 June 2020] 9. Holdoway A, Smith A. Meeting nutritional need and managing patients with dysphagia.

Journal of Community Nursing. 2020; 34(2):52-59. (Available at: https://www.jcn.co.uk/files/downloads/articles/12-nutritionalneed.pdf) [accessed 07 June 2020] 10. Hansjee D. 5 Fundamental Ms: cutting aspiration risk in dementia and dysphagia patients. Nursing Times. 2019; 115(4):38-41. (Available at: https://cdn.ps.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/03/190327-5-Fundamental-Ms-cutting-aspiration-risk-in-dementia-and-dysphagia-patients.pdf) [accessed 07 June 2020] 11. International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative. Complete IDDSI Framework detailed definitions 2.0. 2019. (Available at: https://ftp.iddsi.org/Documents/Complete_IDDSI_Framework_Final_31July2019.pdf ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 12. McCormick S, Stafford K, Saqib G, Ni Chronin D, Power D. The efficacy of pre-thickened fluids on total fluid and nutrient consumption among extended care residents requiring thickened fluids due to risk of aspiration. Age and Ageing. 2008; 37(6):714–715. (Available at: https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/37/6/714/40923 ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 13. Crawley H, Hocking E. Eating well: supporting older people and older people with dementia. Caroline Walker Trust. 2011. (Available at: http://www.cwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EW-Old-Dementia-PracticalResource.pdf ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 14. Forbes C. The ‘food first’ approach to malnutrition. Nursing and Residential Care. 2014; 16(8): 442-445. (Available at: https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/nrec.2014.16.8.442 ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 15. Robinson K. Nutrition and Dementia. Dietetics Today. Sept 2018; 42-43 (Available at: https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/nutrition-and-dementia.html ) [accessed 07 June 2020]

NEW DYSPHAGIA E-LEARNING Between Between 50-75% of nursing nursing home residents from residents suffer suffer fr om dysphagia dysphagia1

ARE YOU IN NEED OF DYSPHAGIA TRAINING? NUTRICIA HAS A SOLUTION! A FREE e-learning covering the fundamentals of dysphagia using Nutilis Clear*

4 modules 60 min utes minutes

Point your camera at the code to access the registration link

PAGE 38 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE TumbleCare from Easylink Workforce Scheduling Solutions Medpage Limited T/A Easylink UK was established in 1984 after the invention of an alarm clock to wake deaf people. The “Shake Awake” set a new precedent in quality standards for products designed for sensory care, notoriously at the time – rubbish.

The company invented a new device for the detection of nocturnal epileptic seizures in 1994, which also set a new precedent for quality, especially after the company achieved certified medical accreditation. We could boast and say we have supplied more seizure detection monitors than any other company in UK. You could say we are innovators; we are and very proud of it. To constantly adapt to changes in demands for care technologies, remain competitive and continue to develop new care solutions it takes more than intelligence, it takes passion.

Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, failing economy, factories closing and international

shipping facing the worst crisis ever known, we have battled through. At the start of the lockdown we supplied the NHS and Local Authorities with over 2000 bed occupancy detection alarm systems, many of them used to enable long term patients to be discharged from hospital to free up beds for COVID victims. Independent living support was and is essential during this pandemic.

Now we launch our new brand. TumbleCare. The TumbleCare brand is a range of fall detection and prevention products focussing on affordable quality and product performance. The products are tough, easy to set, use and provide carers with reliable advance warning notification of potential falls. Visit our website. Firstly, you’ll be amazed at the variety of care solutions we offer, then blown away by our realistically fair pricing. www.easylinkuk.co.uk

WristPIT from Pinpoint

unaware that a patient had had a fall for quite some time.

Pressing the clearly labelled call button on the WristPIT notifies the personnel on duty that a patient is The WristPIT from Pinpoint,is a bespoke patient call requesting help and informs staff exactly where the transmitter designed to be worn on the wrist. patient is. The call button is recessed and surrounded This wrist-worn personal infrared transmitter by a bump guard to prevent false alarms.

(WristPIT) is easily accessible and allows patients to Pinpoint Alarm Systems are installed in thousands of activate a call for even if they are away from their bed or medical facilities throughout the UK and USA. The new a fixed call-point.

WristPIT is backward compatible and easily integrated Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology into existing Pinpoint Systems. (usually worn by staff for personal A green LED indicates the WristPIT is ‘activated’ safety) has, for the first time, been with good battery level. When the battery requires designed around patient use. The changing, the LED flashes red until the battery is WristPIT can withstand showering and changed and the device has been retested. brief submersion in water and also In addition to being water-resistant, the incorporates antimicrobial product WristPIT has been designed to withstand protection, reducing the ability for bacharsh environments and user tampering, teria to grow. meaning suitability for facilities where According to figures published by the service users may be at risk of selfNational Reporting and Learning System, harm. around 250,000 incidents where patients For more information: required assistance in hospital were reported in www.pinpointlimited.com 2015/16. In many cases, nursing staff remained

Workforce Scheduling Solutions deliver Electronic Time & Attendance systems worldwide, using the latest Face Recognition technology.

Why should care homes move from paper to electronic time sheets

The industry is under considerable financial pressures. An efficient electronic booking on/off system that will schedule, provide budgets, calculate hours worked, overtime and absence such as sickness and holiday entitlement will save Time and Money.

How is time and money saved by doing things electronically?

Collecting payroll information from

paper timesheets can be slow, prone to errors, and very labour intensive.

Staff rosters can be produced as far in advance as practical and accurate within budgeted hours. Staff book on and off-duty electronically, thus eliminating any time errors.

Wage queries are virtually eliminated and immediate checks can be made without wading through reams of paper which invariably are inaccurate, misfiled or even 'lost".

There are many systems on the market - Why facial recognition is important and how it works

Some systems use tokens, which can be lost or left at home, requiring management involvement in the booking on/off procedure.

Fingerprint systems can be beaten and Social media is awash with ways to copy fingerprints. Face recognition combined with a staff PIN is simple to use and manage using touch screen technology and web cams.

Staff see their image displayed immediately when booking on or off and confirms their identity visually.

It provides the best deterrent available as it builds a greater 'image knowledge’ of each employee, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Eliminates 'buddy punching' where employees can book colleagues on/off duty using someone’s tokens, swipe card or even fingerprint.

How is data protected?

With the correct security setup computer systems provide more data protection than paper-based records which can be easily removed or stolen. GDPR covers all data including paper records and therefore the chances of infringing the rules and incurring fines is greater

CARE VISION – Outstanding Care is at the Heart of Everything We Do At Carevision, outstanding care truly is at the heart of everything they do. They have combined over 40 years of hands on experience running care homes and working with some of the smartest mind in tech, they have created Care Vision - An all-in-one, cloud-based system that incorporates all your care and admin in to one easy to use system. Carers can compile resident notes, health observations and EMAR. Care home managers can manage rotas, accounts, HR and house-keeping tasks and log visitors using the digital visitor book.

Residents can use the system to make personal choices on meals and activities and use the app to keep in touch with family and friends.

Rishi Jawaheer, director at Care Vision says “The 100+ care homes that

PINPOINT WRISTPIT The WristPIT is a wrist worn Personal Infrared Transmitter designed exclusively for patient use.

The latest call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms. It is also backward compatible, allowing seamless integration into existing Pinpoint Systems.

DID YOU KNOW? Biomaster Technology is incorporated into all surface areas of the product during manufacture, inhibiting the growth of contaminating bacteria 24/7 for the lifetime of the product.

www.pinpointlimited.com

use our system have seen its benefits – They are saving 2-4 hours of staff hours per resident, per week and they are achieving outstanding CQC results.

Carers love it, residents and relatives love it, and care home managers can’t remember how challenging managing a care home was before it.”

Of course, taking on a whole new system can seem daunting, that’s why Care Vision offer minimal investment, all round support and flexible hardware options.

They don’t feel the need for long-term contracts, Rishi says “We have total confidence, once you use Care Vision, you will love it as much as we do.”

The Care Vision team would love to talk to you about what the system can do for you. Contact at info@care-vision.co.uk or call 0208 768 9809.

See the advert on page 42 for details.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 39

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE What Has COVID-19 Taught Us? During the last few months, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by services and technology companies has been epic. Decision making processes which normally take months, even years took days. Massive co-ordinated efforts with care homes, hospital trusts, local authorities, manufacturers and suppliers all coming together on projects across the UK. We can certainly say, having been heavily involved in many projects in the UK and around the World, that Courtney Thorne are enormously proud and humbled to have played our part.

One of the largest temporary Field Hospitals is the Dragon’s Heart Hospital inside the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. This vast stadium initially housed 335 emergency beds, when an additional 1200 beds were required Courtney Thorne was approached to supply,

install and commission nurse call points throughout the pitch and seating areas. These call points (including shower and toilet alarms) were supplied, installed and commissioned by Courtney Thorne’s own engineering team. Designed into 55 separate “wards” and integrated with paging systems. Completed in two weeks, it was a herculean effort by everyone involved.

No one could have predicted what was going to happen when in January we heard of deaths in China spreading. The impact of the lock-down in March brought home the scale of the problem as business owners worried, not knowing what the consequences might be. This was true for those of us supplying the healthcare sectors, with hospitals focussing on the pandemic and care homes locking down to protect elderly residents.

As we reduce the lock down rules, for many people and businesses this means a degree of normality and returning to work, albeit with social distancing. Those in the care sectors however will be more cautious so not to risk the vulnerable and elderly. Where there are COVID-19 free hospitals some of the day to day maintenance, building work, refurbishment will re-start, and it is here that the health and care solution providers need to be ready to support these projects.

Care homes need to make sure the safety of those in their care is not compromised by aging or failing nurse call systems. Courtney Thorne continued to provide full engineering, sales and support functions throughout the lock down period. A serious consideration when deciding who will supply business and person critical technology in the future.

When we look back on this period, no doubt some of the practices learnt will stand the test of time, such as flexible working with more home working. Video conferencing has at last come of age, e-training, webinars, online meetings have been the savour of many busi-

nesses.

It therefore appears to have taken a pandemic to create a situation where communication technologies, readily available becomes normalised. Spending quality time with our closest family is favoured rather than spending hours sat in commuter traffic. Business leaders at last realise that they can trust colleagues to do the right thing. Maybe there is a compromise to be gained where work can be more flexible, coupled with face to face meetings, not for every individual nor every business, however it is a start.

For more information about solutions for care, see Courtney Thorne's advert on page 11 or visit www.c-t.co.uk

How Can Employers Help Improve the Work-Life Balance and Mental Health of Social Care Workers?

Hailed as heroes during the pandemic, social care workers dedicate their lives to help the old, the weak and the sick. Often forgotten and under-valued, their mental health is under strain and COVID-19 has understandably worsened the situation.

How can employers help their employees restore a healthier work-life balance?

THE STATE OF THE SOCIAL CARE WORKFORCE A new survey by Quinyx found that health and social care workers are amongst those most likely to have their mental health negatively impacted by their job. The pandemic has made it worse: 54% of those polled said that their work had negatively impacted their mental health over the past 12 months, versus 48% before the pandemic - a 12% increase.

LOW PAY, LONG HOURS AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS COVID-19 has seen them work longer hours and be in the spotlight, with high expectations from their

employers, the nation, the government, and to an extent, global scrutiny over which country will do “better” at handling the crisis. Added to the fear of getting sick or contaminating their loved ones, it is easy to imagine the mental burden on those who risk their lives to help others.

Prior to the outbreak, the main reasons invoked by those who suffered poor mental health as a result of their job were low pay (42%) and managers’ expectations being too high (37%).

Some concerns were alleviated during the pandemic though, with 72% of healthcare workers polled saying that they felt valued by their employer, versus 53% prior.

WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS DO TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION? While increasing wages may not always be possible, three areas can make a positive difference: - Two-ways communication channels, effective and open, to monitor and engage.

- Allowing greater flexibility and control over work hours to restore a healthy balance.

- Optimised schedules to improve efficiency, reduce the overall cost of labour and help both workers and managers plan ahead.

HOW TO SUCCEED? Using technology to improve your workers’ work-life balance and wellbeing is one way to stay ahead of the game. Technology can help keep your employees productive, connected and happy. A solution like Quinyx helps empower workers, while optimising communication, time management and resources. It can also ensure that employers comply with the new regulations around contact and tracing, all through a simple, user-friendly app. www.quinyx.com/survey * Research conducted by Censuswide in two stages: the first was conducted with 1,200 deskless workers who work an hourly schedule in the following sectors: healthcare and social assistance, retail, hospitality and tourism, shipping/distribution, transportation and warehousing. It took place between 11.03.2020-23.03.2020. The second was conducted with 1,205 desk-

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 41

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE The Tiny Tablet from Inspired Interaction be useful for staff training, presentations and transferring data.

"This new interactive experience has been of great benefit to our longterm residential residents with mid to late stage dementia, focusing on three primary outcomes of play: sensation, relaxation and reminiscence. Their interaction and engagement have increased considerably since using the table".

Stuart Davies - General Manager Plas Bryn Rhosyn, part of the Pobl Group Tel: 07950 513 176

Our touch tables are portable, adjustable and utilized the same way as a smart phone or iPad. They are ideal for improving the well being of residents through App Technology.

Every Tiny Tablet comes with a commercial grade screen and a chargeable built in power pack so there are no potential trip hazards. We offer both fixed and height adjustable tables, making it accessible for standing or seated use.

Wi-Fi capabilities allow the table to be used anywhere around the care home, enabling every resident to benefit both in a group activity environment and privately on a one to one basis.

Having the option of USB, HDMI, VGA and Bluetooth means various devices can be connected to the table, increasing options of use. This can

Sales & Enquiries: sales@inspired-interaction.com Web: www.inspired-interaction.com HRH Prince Charles discovering the Tiny Tablet at Plas Bryn Rhosyn Care Home

Using Technology to Manage the Prevention and Control of Infection in Care Homes For care home residents, infections can be serious, and in some cases, life-threatening. So, in the midst of a pandemic, the focus on good infection prevention and control practices has never been more important.

Over the last few months, we have supported Radar Healthcare customers in the management of Covid-19 related incidents, helping them to map resident outbreaks, identify pockets of self-isolating staff and anticipate consequential risks as a result.

The steps taken in care homes to protect residents and staff from infection represent an important element in the quality of care. So, knowledge and understanding of outbreak prevention, preparedness, detection and management is key.

PREVENT The dynamic management of emerging risks is a collective responsibility and one which ensures your workforce is fully involved in the process of preventing and controlling infection.

Risk registers should be actively maintained and monitored with a standardised risk scoring mechanism to facilitate prioritisation.

Risk stratification combined with regular audits and assessments to identify potential hazards can then support the creation of preventative action plans.

PREPARE Engaging with your workforce to co-create your strategic and

operational approach to infection prevention and control can support you to embed a culture of continuous improvement in this area.

Education plays a critical role in the prevention and control of infection so it’s critical that you manage and track workforce capability and competency – giving you peace of mind that they understand the importance of infection control and the specific role they have to play.

DETECT Clear communication of symptoms, guidelines and procedures ensures staff are equipped to recognise an outbreak and take appropriate action. With standardised procedures for reporting active cases and incidents, you can develop a clear picture of the pace and spread of the infection.

DIGITALISING YOUR OUTBREAK MANAGEMENT PLAN Prompt investigation and control of infection outbreaks is critical to protect the safety of residents and staff but mobilising an infection outbreak response can be difficult if information is siloed or managed manually.

Find out more about how Radar Healthcare can support your infection control processes at info.radarhealthcare.co.uk/infectioncontrol/

Tiny Tablet

Interactive Activity Touch Tables for care homes, education & hospitals.

Based in the West Midlands, all of our Tiny Tablets are designed and manufactured in the UK.

Utilising the latest touchscreen technology, we’ve created a range of products that are easy and intuitive to use, combining education & play through the use of interactive technology.

■ Wi-Fi Capabilities

■ Screenshot Function

■ Google Play Store Accessibility

■ Wheelchair Accessible

■ Bluetooth

■ Internet Browsing

■ Films and Catch Up TV

■ Brain Training / Collaborative Apps ■ Skype

■ 8 Hour Use Off One Charge

■ Data Saving Option ■ Multiple Users

■ Durable Screen

■ 3 Year Warranty

■ Full Onsite Training with every product

07950 513 176 sales@inspired-interaction.com www.inspired-interaction.com

PAGE 42 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Mainteno Facilities Maintenance and Management Software Whether it’s managing planned maintenance or dealing with fault repairs, Mainteno simplifies the day-to-day maintenance of almost any organisation.

Mainteno also seamlessly incorporates asset management and tracking.

Mainteno streamlines every aspect of the maintenance management process, saving your organisation time and money.

Usability made affordable Mainteno was designed with practicality in mind. The interface is so intuitive that basic operation can be learned in minutes, and you can be a power user in one afternoon.

Elegant usability usually means a hefty price tag.

However, our pricing structure means that for small

organisations, Mainteno can cost as little as two cups of coffee a month. No set-up fees, no lengthy contracts and a free trial, all mean that the system starts paying for itself straight away.

Dr Asif Raja, Bsc MBBS Summercare Managing Director says “Facing significant challenges of ever increasing quality and compliance demands upon time and resources as well considerable economic pressures, Summercare, an award winning provider of residential care and housing related support, sought to upgrade their systems for managing the property and environmental aspects of its service delivery. After an extensive period of investigation and research Mainteno was selected as the platform of choice for the entire organization based on its ease of use, very short-term contract, quick set up and ongoing support.”

Visit www.mainteno.com, Tel: 020 8798 3713 or email sales@redro.co.uk

Network Communication Systems

www.mainteno.com

sales@redro.co.uk

Network Communication Systems Ltd ( NCS ) was established in 1992 and from the outset has provided Telecare and Security Products and Services, primarily to Local Government (Housing) and Housing Associations. Today we have many accreditations to our name including ISO 9001 Quality Management which ensures the company meets its quality commitments The company offers a full range of services encompassing Consultancy, Design, Project Management Installation and Maintenance The company supplies both 3rd party and own brand products for individual and grouped living.

Grouped Living encompassing Sheltered Housing, Extra Care and Nursing Homes The Company offers maintenance on any make and model of

Telecare and Security Products/Systems, including system upgrades, partial and full, for better operation with the new digital telephone system being phased in by 2025. Maintenance can be offered on an ad-hoc basis or contractually via various packaged service agreements, depending on customer requirements Recently the company has just completed a design and installation project for Central Bedfordshire Council comprising over 50 CCTV cameras, some of which offer auto-tracking to get the best possible close up high quality image, Recording Equipment, Security Doors including Door Entry and Access Control and Automatic Swing Door Operators. All delivered to the client’s satisfaction.

For further information, please visit www.nsgroup.co.uk

Please Please mention mentionTHE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

NURSE CALL

IT’S NOT OBSOLETE UNTIL THE OPERA LADY SINGS Grouped Alarms - Fully Integrated Telecare and Security

• 2 System types available depending on requirements • Door Entry panels and standalone fob readers • Telecare room units with choice of peripherals • On-site / Local Offsite / Off-site operation • BS8521 protocol for remote Off-site monitoring

Door Entry and Access Control

• High quality robust stainless steel panel • Panels and readers can be inter-connected • Cloud based remote management option • Well specified - Will meet your requirements • High reliability and fault tolerant • DDA compliant • Parts availability - 15 years • Low cost

Carephones and Peripherals

• Tele-care for individual properties • High quality product • Available in various models (PSTN or GSM) • Allows connection of multiple peripherals • The only product in the marketplace that offers wireless remote speech stations and voice pendants • Compatible with most Alarm Receiving Centres • Low Cost

EDISON TELECOM LTD (IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984)

have spares, enhancements and expertise for wired and wireless systems abandoned by the original manufacturer, whoever they are.

Call us on 01252-330220 We can give most systems a new lease of life and maintain them into the future.

www.edisontelecom.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 43

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE ETHEL, The Smart Care Hub The Covid19 pandemic has really ripped through our healthcare system and it has impacted the Care Home industry in a profound way too. However, what’s been quite evident, is the resilience of staff and their drive to better manage the residents in their care. In a way, the pandemic offers us an opportunity to explore if ‘technology enabled care’ can help us solve some of the issues we are facing. Can Tech help busy Carehome staff offer better support, connect the residents regularly with the family, help with clinical outcomes, without adding to their workload?

It is in this context that solutions such as ETHEL, the

smart care hub has attracted a lot of interest from the Care Home sector. ETHEL is a large (16 inch) touch screen personal device with a robust stand and tailormade for 85+ yr olds who have little or no computer skills. Its easy to use interface and robust security features helps a resident connect with their wider family network and clinical team in an easy way. Families can make video calls to the Large screen device, they can send photos and video clips and send simple messages. It also allows the clinical team to offer remote physiotherapy, remotely gather vital signs from the resident on a regular basis and do remote video consultations. ETHEL also comes with a built in Early Warning Scoring system for detecting deterioration.

A number of patients across the UK – from Shetland Islands to the devon coast have benefitted from using ETHEL. You can get more information at www.ethelcare.co.uk and/or call us on 07841977559.

C CONNECTING ONNECTING RESIDENT TS RESIDENTS with ffamily amily & clinical team. team.

Qintil Learning Manager Qintil was created for the care sector and we’re proud that so many incredible health and care professionals and their employers use Qintil everyday to learn and maintain skills and manage training and compliance.

Qintil is a lifelong learning platform that's built for the way the world works today. You'll almost certainly have more than one job in your lifetime, and quite possibly more than one career. You might even work more than one job at once, or for a staffing agency.

We built Qintil so that you can find, share and manage everything that's essential for work - your learning, certificates, achievements and right to work docs - in one place. You can share them, connect to more

Edison Telecom

We here at Edison Telecom Ltd have been providing specialist solutions to your call system requirements tailor-made to each customers needs for over 25 years, says director Bob Johnson.

Is your current Nurse Call “legacy�, obsolete, so full of software bugs or commercially not viable for your current supplier/maintainer to maintain?

We may have just the part and expertise that you are looking for to give your nurse call a further extension to

than one employer's learning at one time and when you move to a new job, contract or career you can take it all with you and continue to add to your lifelong record of learning.

This all helps employers too of course. Now there's an easy way to get a record of new hires' learning and documents and to deliver their own training from any source.

Our mission is to help everyone benefit from the thousands of ways there are to learn and to have one place to find, manage and share it all.

Try for free today.

Call 0300 577 1484 Email sales@qintil.com Web qintil.com life, adds Bob, “Edison will treat your nurse call with the same compassion that you give to those in your care.

There will come a time when your equipment is beyond repair but Edison are experts in extending the life of obsolete systems.� www.edisontelecom.co.uk

Family virtual Family visits Virtual Clinical Virtual C onsultation Consultation V ital Signs & Vital NEWS2 Scores NEW S2 Sc ores Electr Electronic onic Car Care e Not Notes es

ethelcare.co.uk ethelcar e.co.uk ETHELsmarthub

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 18 | PAGE 45

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Arquella's AIDA Data Platform Lotus Care Technology Arquella is proud to release our first version of the AIDA data platform.

We are committed to improving the quality of nurse call reporting by integrating cloud-based technology with advanced hardware. This development means that all of your data is easily accessible from any internet device. Our technology is even compatible with some existing nurse call systems.

With the easy to read 'Dashboard', you see a brief overview of all your current calls on one simple screen. With a simple click you are able to access more detail easily. Choose rooms, zones, call types, dates and times, you can evidence the care that your residents receive with total ease.

All of the data available is easily saved as a report, perfect for your CQC requirements. You

don't need any Arquella equipment to access Dashboard and Reports, our web browser interface gives you instant access onsite or offsite, complete with login control. You control who sees zones, sites or groups of homes, bringing local and national reporting with just one click.

We recognise that your care teams deliver excellent care, and we are committed to supporting you in capturing those moments. This is why we strive to provide you with the best technology to gather detailed evidence of the care you deliver.

Arquella's future-proof solutions keeps you up to date with all future releases, giving you peace of mind and the ability to 'Capture Moments of Care'.

Please call or email us so we can show how AIDA can help you.

See the advert on this page for details.

Plexus Innovation Provides GUARDIAN® To Help Safeguard Care Homes Plexus Innovation has forged links with Careline Lifestyles to take one of the job’s pressures off the nursing team at a time that is intense in the industry.

Ian Murray and Steve Todd, directors of Plexus Innovation, are successfully rolling out its innovative GUARDIAN® technology. They were keen, during such unprecedented times, that a care company benefitted with no initial cost implications.

GUARDIAN® is a remote, automated measurement and alert system that focuses on environmental data including temperature. Ideal in reducing the risk of legionella and ensuring temperature in water or refrigeration units is at an optimum level to protect health, Plexus Innovation’s technology comprises of a combination of hardware, with remote monitoring software.

Plexus Innovation supplied training to Careline Lifestyle staff, enabling the user to simply plug in and activate the hardware in seconds, putting the data live onto the portal managed by the experienced team at Plexus Innovation.

Provided initially for free, the arrangement covers nine of Careline Lifestyle’s homes across the North East.

GUARDIAN® is now monitoring 37 measurement points, including medical fridges and ambient room temperatures, which must be kept at compliant levels.

Ian said: “GUARDIAN® is cost effective, reliable and reduces risk. We are delighted to be remotely monitoring for Careline, where lack of compliance can be of detriment to

medications, dispensed to the people they care for.

“Previously these critical assets would be checked manually, which leaves room for human error when people are busy or under pressure. Using GUARDIAN® the nurses can get on with looking after the people in their care and not worry about this detail. Our system identifies compliance issues, enabling us to keep clients informed, saving time, effort and often money!

“Plexus Innovation can really help and support much of the health, social housing, care and even the hospitality industry perfectly.”

Based in the North East, Careline Lifestyle is a leading independent provider of high quality nursing and residential care specialising in acquired brain injuries, neurological, mental health needs, learning and physical disabilities for persons over 18 years of age in addition to providing nursing, residential and social care for the elderly. Kirsty Nealis, Head of Care Delivery at Careline Lifestyles said: “With the extra pressures brought about by COVID-19 we couldn’t be more grateful for this GUARDIAN® helping hand to ensure our compliance measurements are done quickly, properly and even better, remotely.

“We are always looking at innovative new ways to improve our services which frees up staff, allowing them more time to support our residence. “ “Thank you to Ian and Steve of Plexus Innovation for the free installation and remote monitoring over these first few months of a new and trying challenge!”

More information on GUARDIAN® is available at www.plexus-innovation.com

The NurseAlert pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot.

Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls.

Having many years of experience in

fitting and maintaining Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has different needs. They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier.

Visit lctuk.com for details.

Without QCS we wouldn’t have been rated as an ‘outstanding service’ Rupert Stocks Registered Manager, Guyatt House

Join over 86,000 WEXMWƼIH YWIVW REXMSR[MHI 8LI UK’s leading bespoke TSPMGMIW TVSGIHYVIW ERH QEREKIQIRX XSSPOMXW JSV XLI care sector

'SQTP] [MXL VIKYPEXSV] WXERHEVHW +IX LIPT MR TVITEVMRK JSV inspections Ensure documents are compliant Daily updates, stay informed on GYVVIRX MWWYIW ERH RI[W

Start your free trial today at www.qcs.co.uk or call 0330 8087 606

@QualityComplianceSystems