The Carer Digital - Issue #3

T H E P U B L I C AT I O N F O R N U R S I N G A N D R E S I D E N T I A L C A R E H O M E S

W W W. T H E C A R E R U K . C O M

The Carer Digital

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Issue 3

Government to Offer COVID-19 Testing for “Everyone Who Needs One” in Social Care Settings

All care home residents and social care staff with COVID-19 symptoms will be tested as capacity is built up, the Government has announced.

Currently the first five symptomatic residents in a care home setting are tested to provide confirmation of whether if there is an outbreak, However, as lab capacity increases every day the government is expanding testing to include all care home residents who develop symptoms.

The safety of residents and staff is a priority and as such, testing will now also be provided to all potential care home residents before they are discharged from hospital. This will provide reassurance and peace of mind to residents and family members, and will help care providers to take appropriate action to ensure that social care workers and other residents

are safe - including implementing isolation procedures for those who test positive.

The measures confirmed today are expected to be outlined further in the government’s Covid-19 social care action plan tomorrow, and will help give residents, their families and those that they care for peace of mind.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said: “I am deeply conscious that people in residential care are among the most vulnerable to coronavirus.

We are doing everything we can to keep workers, residents and their families safe, and I am determined to ensure that everyone who needs a coronavirus test should be able to have access to one.

“We have already begun testing social care work-

ers and will roll this out nationwide over the coming days. And as we continue to ramp up our testing programme, we will test all current care home residents with coronavirus symptoms and all new care home residents who are discharged from hospital into care.

“Testing is key in our battle against coronavirus, and as part of our plan to prevent the spread and save lives we will ensure that everyone in social care who needs a test can have a test.”

As the rollout continues the Health Secretary has confirmed that every social care worker who needs a test can now get one.

Dedicated testing has already begun for frontline staff, including social care workers and in addition to over 20,000 tests for NHS workers and their families.

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT Welcome to the third edition of The Carer Digital “The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else.”

Editor

Peter Adams

Once again, a very warm welcome to the third edition of the Carer Digital, a weekly digital offshoot of our quarterly printed publication. How delighted we are with the feedback we are getting! The response from industry observers and experts wanting to share their views and knowledge, plus of course the wonderfully uplifting stories from care homes, managers, staff and sometimes residents themselves, makes

our job worthwhile!

For the benefit of new readers - The Carer Digital has been created to keep you up to date with news, (most importantly news without the spin), and as up-to-date as possible with the current COVID-19 crisis.

I have said previously that there is a “irony” surrounding mainstream media’s coverage of the coronavirus in the residential and nursing care sector. The irony being that, until the current crisis in the sector mainstream media, (particularly some of the journalists who are making a name for themselves on the back of this crisis), said very little if anything at all about the ongoing problems the sector has faced for years.

It is as if the clouds parted and all of a sudden they realise the importance of the sector and the value and contribution staff working in social care make.

We all, of course, have been aware of that for years!

At the time of writing there is an ongoing clash as to whether care home deaths should be included in the Government's official figures. The UK death toll has risen past 12,000 deaths. However. observers say that this is not the complete picture. as it excludes deaths occurring in other settings, including care homes.

Suppressing or airbrushing figures serves no purpose whatsoever. The care sector now finds itself in the eye of the storm. It is as though the media has shifted its entire spotlight to the sector. Care homes, as we are all aware, are especially vulnerable places for viruses such as the coronavirus. With elderly residents, often with underlying health issues all living together, conditions and risk will significantly be higher leading to the perfect storm.

The whole of Europe's care sector is struggling and not just the UK. Data collected from official sources in Italy, Spain, Ireland, Belgium and France by the International Long Term Care Policy Network (LTCPN) showed 42-57 per cent of all deaths linked to Covid-19 were among care home residents. A terribly sad factor is that the elderly are disproportionately vulnerable to developing the worst symptoms of COVID-19. Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe said recently: “We know that over 95% of these deaths occurred in those older than 60 years. More than 50% of all deaths were people aged 80 years or older. We also know from reports that 8 out of 10 deaths are occurring in individuals with at least one underlying co-morbidity, in particular those with cardiovascular diseases/hypertension and diabetes, but also with a range of other chronic underlying conditions.”

Which is why our front page story on the Government announcement is so very welcome and time, of course, is of the essence. The care sector has been very vocal in requesting PPE, additional funding and equipment since the very beginning of this pandemic. The Government now has a real opportunity to turn the tide, the more support the care sector gets the more it is able to support the NHS. Once again we are always interested in what you have to say. So please keep your

CARSON MCCULLERS

stories coming! We want to share the good stories, motivational stories, the heartwarming and uplifting stories! Please contact me at editor@thecareruk.com or call (01202) 552333.

And once again, I will draw your attention to our Unsung Hero award on page 15.

Regular readers online and in print will know that we have been running a “no-frills” Unsung Hero Award each Summer and Christmas over the past few years. A very simple competition to reward a member of staff working in a residential and nursing care home who has gone that extra mile, and whilst appreciated, may not have had the recognition so richly deserved.

So we here at The Carer have been delighted to put up a luxury two night break for two people in a choice of over 300 hotels around the country. All you have to do is nominate someone from any department telling us why you feel they should be awarded the Unsung Hero award, maybe just a couple of paragraphs highlighting who they are and what they have done and we will do the rest!

I know you will all be busy but please if possible email us with a small paragraph explaining how your nominee has gone that extra mile! nominate@thecareruk.com Say hello to some past winners!

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 3

Government to Offer COVID-19 Testing for “Everyone Who Needs One” in Social Care Settings ( CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) As capacity grows further through the government’s new mega labs, it will prioritise the testing of symptomatic social care workers and anyone in their household who have COVID-19 symptoms.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) are leading coordination of testing for the care sector, and have already offered 6000 care facilities the opportunity to test their staff. By the end of the week they will have contacted all 30,000 care providers.

Care providers will identify workers eligible for testing and refer them to their local testing centre.

Tests for social care staff and residents will support the government to achieve its ambition of 100,000 COVID-19 tests a day by end of April.

Responding to the government’s promise Dr Layla McCay, director at the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said: “The offer of more tests for social care staff is desperately needed as this sector has been suffering in silence during this pandemic. But it comes as health leaders across primary, community and mental health services are continuing to experience difficulties with getting their staff the tests they need to get back to work despite similar promises being made by Government.

“Things are improving but the country’s testing capacity is far from where it needs to be to meet the ambition of 100,000 a day in just over two weeks – that’s over 85,000 more tests a day than what is happen-

ing now.

“We need absolute clarity from the Government on how this will be achieved in such a short space of time otherwise it will be viewed as a false promise.

“Also, if we are to understand and beat this virus we need to understand how and where it is spreading, and for the frontline to be protected. That is why the number of deaths in care homes should be released daily in the same way as they are for hospital deaths and why the workforce must be given better access to PPE.” The National Care Forum (NCF), the national body for the not for profit care sector, has also responded, Ms. Vic Rayner, Executive Director of NCF says “This is welcome news from the government, but comes way too late in the day. The care sector has been asking for this since day 1 of the pandemic, and the government has been extremely slow to respond to the emerging crisis. It seems that the mantra what gets measured matters has been applied to the lives of people in care homes, and without the vital test to tell us that many were suffering, ministers and officials were unable to see the impact of the pandemic outside of the hospital environment.”

Vic goes on to say “This needs to stop now. Social care is an essential service and needs to be treated as one. The government has told us we are in a battle with an unseen enemy, yet to date social care has been left to make do and mend – like the Dad’s Army of the battalion. To win this war, the government needs to rapidly equip it’s whole army of

health and social care with the equipment and the resources to fight the fight on every front.”

Care England welcomed the announcement, Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “During this dreadful pandemic it is hard to find things to be positive about, but today’s announcement from DHSC that testing will be available for all social care staff and residents that need it is indeed welcome. Care homes will be in a much better position to face this virus head on once they have been able to test both their staff, residents and new residents who have been discharged from hospital into their care homes”.

Care England is working tirelessly to ensure that the needs of the adult social care sector, the second front line, are heard at this time of crisis and have been focusing exclusively on the need for sufficient PPE and testing. We sincerely hope that the narrative will become a practical reality and whilst timing is of course of the essence, a more thorough testing regime will enable the social care sector to support its colleagues in the NHS as they strive to combat corona virus.

Martin Green continues: “Testing and PPE go hand in hand and are at the forefront of all care providers’ minds. It is heartening to know that the Government is listening to the sector. I’m humbled to see the amazing work that the social care workers are doing round the clock and would urge anyone who thinks that a career in social care is unskilled or not a key worker to think again”.

Care Is The New 'Frontline' Against Coronavirus Nursing and care homes for older people are becoming the new frontline in the fight against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, care providers have said.

But they have warned that the social care sector is ill-equipped as it fights increasing numbers of Covid-19 admissions coming through home doors.

A lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and a lack testing are hampering their efforts to cope, the Independent Care Group said.

Its chair, Mike Padgham warned: “The death figures that we are now seeing for care and nursing homes are much higher than reported by the ONS because there is a considerable lag in reporting and we must prepare ourselves for more bad news.

“Unless the Government recognises that care and nursing homes are as vital in the fight against coronavirus as hospitals we are just not going to be able to cope.

“The Government has forgotten about social care providers – not just during this pandemic but for generations – and now we are becoming a new frontline in the fight against coronavirus, that neglect

is putting the workforce and the people we care for at unacceptable risk.”

Social care teams up and down the country are caring for people with Covid-19 in nursing and care homes and in people’s own homes.

Social care currently looks after 400,000 people in care and nursing homes – that is three times the number in NHS hospital beds. It looks after a further 640,000 people in their own homes.

Mr Padgham added: “Care and nursing homes are short of PPE and a lack of testing is making it difficult. The Government has been quick to support the NHS during coronavirus, but has forgotten about the vital role social care has to play.

“Care and nursing home owners are opening their doors to care for people who may or may not have Covid-19 but they are ill-prepared to do so.

“Social care has been under-funded and under-recognised for generations. We are short of staff and short of resources. We failed to repair the roof when the sun was shining and now we are facing the consequences in a sector that is ill-equipped to cope with a pandemic

like this.”

But he also added: “We are where we are and the priority at the moment is that we work together - social care, NHS, local authorities – to get the people we provide care for and our staff through this horrific period.

“Social care staff, alongside NHS colleagues, are doing an amazing job at the most challenging of times and all deserve the greatest support the country can provide for them. “The support social care is starting to receive is encouraging and I hope that finally people are seeing what a vital job our workers do. Perhaps once this is over, that recognition will become greater support for the sector.”

The ICG has written to the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, calling on him to find a way to financially support struggling social care providers, initially by making care zero-rated for VAT. At the moment care providers face the anomaly of paying VAT for goods and services but being unable to charge VAT themselves, to offset some of those costs.

PAGE 4 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

COVID-19 and Employment Law In The Care Sector – How To Make Sure You Are Compliant

By James Simpson, head of employment at Blaser Mills Law

Whilst the coronavirus outbreak has brought many industries to a halt, care providers are continuing to work hard to tackle the escalation of the virus and meet the needs of the most vulnerable.

For employers in the sector, it’s crucial to understand your obligations and to ensure staff are adequately protected. Here of some of the main things you need to do to stay compliant.

Follow government guidelines It is very important that the care system continues to operate, however many of those in receipt of care are in the high-risk category, and as an employer you must still ensure staff are able to follow public health advice.

You should do everything possible to minimise the chances of employees carrying/and or spreading the virus in the workplace and make sure they know how to spot the symptoms. If an employee does become unwell at work with coronavirus symptoms, they must inform you straight away and go home. The unwell employee must then self-isolate at home for 14 days if they live with others, or seven days if they live alone.

You should be particularly cautious if any of your employees are at increased risk from coronavirus, including [but not limited to] those who have a long-term health condition, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease or a weakened immune system, as well as anyone who is pregnant or over the age of 70.

PROVIDE PROTECTION Like many others in the care system, you are likely working hard to prepare for the escalation of COVID-19 and, as part of this, you should take the protection of your staff fully into account. Provide refresher training as necessary to ensure staff have access to critical information when it comes to issues such as infection control, and put robust measures in place to make sure any visitors are safe to enter to protect your workers.

According to Public Health England guidelines, employers should make appropriate protective clothing and equipment available to employees, such as fluid repellent surgical masks, to minimise the risk to themselves and the individuals they are caring for.

CHECK YOU ARE PAYING STAFF CORRECTLY Employees are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they need to self-isolate in line with government advice. This applies not only if they have been diagnosed with coronavirus, but also if they have any of the symptoms, for example a high temperature or new continuous cough, or if someone in their household has

coronavirus symptoms. It is particularly important that this is in place for workers in social care settings because of their contact with individuals from high-risk groups.

SSP is now payable from day one instead of day four for affected individuals. If an employee cannot work, they should inform you as soon as possible with the reason.

EXPLORE AVAILABLE SUPPORT As a result of the coronavirus crisis some workplaces, including a small number of care homes and other care settings, have been closed. In response to this, the government has announced details of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. If at any stage you have to make the decision to close your business, you may be able to use this scheme to keep people employed until you are able to reopen, rather than making staff redundant.

BE FLEXIBLE Government advice states people in vulnerable groups should use ‘social distancing measures’, which include working from home, where possible.

Clearly, for those providing care to the vulnerable and elderly, it may not be possible to work from home, however you should still take a flexible approach and avoid penalising staff in terms of both sickness absence triggers and pay.

You should seek to offer staff more flexible ways of working where possible, for example by allowing them to change their start and finish times to avoid rush hour on public transport and cancelling unnecessary faceto-face meetings.

Manage workload pressures The coronavirus outbreak raises the likelihood of staff shortages, and you have a duty to ensure carers are not asked to do an unrealistic amount of work. Regularly review staff workloads to prioritise activities and identify the least essential work that can be set aside until after the worst of the crisis is over. You may also need to consider recruiting staff on a temporary basis to spread the workload and cover severe staff shortages to ensure staff and the people they care for are kept safe and well.

Seek external support This is a highly unusual time affecting care providers around the world. However, by taking the right steps and practicing strong due diligence, employers can help to minimise risk to workers whilst maintaining a high quality of care.

If in doubt, seeking expert advice can help you navigate matters more easily. Make sure you choose a respected lawyer who understands and has experience in advising on employment law. The correct legal counsel can go a long way in ensuring you are approaching things in the right way and sufficiently fulfilling your duty of care.

Provider Rewards Staff With Pay Rise An award-winning North Yorkshire care provider is rewarding staff who are on the front-line in the fight against coronavirus with a Covid19 pay bonus.

Saint Cecilia’s Care Group has told its 160 staff they will be getting an extra pay rise in recognition of their work during Covid-19 and their efforts seven days a week, 365 days a year.

They will also be receiving a hamper of food each from local baker Cooplands, after last week each of the four homes received a box of

sweet treats.

Managing director Mike Padgham, said: “We are so proud of our staff at the current time. They are working extremely hard and putting their health and safety on the line every single day to look after our 110 vulnerable residents.

“We wanted to show how much we appreciate what they are doing by giving them a bonus at this very challenging time. It recognises not only their fantastic effort during the coronavirus pandemic but also

everything they do all year round to provide wonderful care.”

Last week the company sent each home a box of sweets and chocolates and this week will be following that up with a hamper of food for each colleague from Scarborough bakery Cooplands.

“It is hard to show just how much I and everyone connected with Saint Cecilia’s appreciates what our staff are doing at this time,” added Mr Padgham. “But hopefully this pay rise and our hampers will go some way to show our gratitude.

“I am delighted to say that this will take all our staff above the Real Living Wage. This is the voluntary wage level, above the Government’s National Living Wage and suggested by the Living Wage Foundation, based upon the cost of living.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 5

COVID-19 Funding for Local Authorities Fails to Recognise True Costs of Social Care

Dr. Rhidian Hughes

Care leaders express their disappointment at proposals from the LGA and ADASS to cover additional costs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A proposed uplift of up to 10% for social care providers to address rising demand and costs caused by the coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic is wholly inadequate, according to the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG), a national body representing more than 100 voluntary

sector social care providers.

In a joint statement, the LGA and ADASS suggest that costs for social care providers are likely to increase by in the region of 10% in April and that local authorities will need to consider how best to make additional payments, which could include directly meeting additional costs, uplifts

to fees, or through support in kind. It also highlights that costs in learning disability services may be differently affected and require alternative local solutions.

The statement also aims to address concerns about sustainability and price, particularly around cost pressures such as higher dependency levels, higher staff sickness absence rates, higher administration costs due to greater volatility of support packages and personal protective equipment costs.

It follows the government announcement on March 19 that it would give £1.6bn emergency funding to local authorities to help cover additional pressures created by the coronavirus crisis.

The funds are intended to guide local authorities to continue to commission adult services and those new people who require support after being discharged from hospital. However, the statement recommends that any additional funding is temporary and will end when the emergency crisis finishes or is scaled down.

Dr Rhidian Hughes, chief executive of VODG, said: “Years of sustained political failure to address the lack of funding for the social care sector means that the system was in an already extremely precarious position before the coronavirus outbreak. The Prime Minister told the country that the government would do ‘whatever it takes’ to respond to Coronavirus. Sadly, these principles do not

apply to essential social care services.

“While we recognise that local authorities have been left with a meagre budget, the suggestion that costs for social care providers will rise by in the region of 10% is inaccurate and does not reflect the current and continually rising costs of provision. Furthermore, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on social care providers and associated staffing pressures will continue long into the future.

“The statement is also concerning because it lacks clear direction and a mandate, without which there is the risk that local authorities may simply choose to ignore the guidance. Funding for learning disability and autism and other disability services also needs to be clarified without delay.

“Now more than ever we need strong local leadership to work hand in hand with the voluntary sector to ensure people in some of the most vulnerable circumstances are best supported at this time of great need.”

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said: “A 10% increase is simply insufficient, no ifs or buts. If local government cannot reconcile funding for adult social care and thus does not have the money to fund care home beds for existing and new residents then we have a serious problem on our hands. It is false economy to underfund the adult social care sector and will also severely impact hospital services.”

Baking to Say Thank You to Key Workers Avalon’s manager Sarah Patten with one of the ‘thank you’ cakes; 12-year-old baker Sofia Nichols; 2-year-old Harley-Rose helps out; Recent cakes baked by Sofia Nichols The manager of a Bridgwater specialist dementia care home has been ‘very touched’ by the arrival of some home-made cakes, baked especially for herself and her staff team by a young neighbour to salute them for the way they are supporting residents at Avalon Nursing Home during the coronavirus crisis.

Sarah Patten, manager of Avalon, said: “We were surprised when her first very hygienically-wrapped cake arrived at the home, and moved by the message that came with it.

“Twelve-year-old Sofia Nichols - who also lives in Bridgwater – had heard via her mum, a friend of mine, how hard everyone is working here to try and keep life as normal and rewarding as possible for the people with dementia who live with us.

“Making and delivering cakes within the current rules is a bit

of a challenge, but Sofia was very determined and responsible about the whole thing, and we think it’s the loveliest gesture.”

Sofia said: “I thought the carers and staff who work at Avalon deserved some kind of ‘thank you’ for keeping the people they look after safe and happy, so I baked them a cake and my mum walked over with it for her daily exercise.

“Mum said they were really pleased with it, and I’m glad if it brings them some happiness.

“I really love baking and my little sister Harley-Rose, who is only two, loves to help - so we’re really enjoying ourselves as well.”

The pair have also baked some Easter goodies for the team at Avalon.

Sofia’s mum, Charlotte Smart, is being very careful to observe the required social distancing when delivering the cakes and calls the home on her mobile to let them know when there is a fresh delivery outside for them to take indoors.

PAGE 6 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

Making Care Home Workers More Resilient In Times Of Crisis

By Caroline Maries-Tillott WMAHSN As with many areas of the healthcare sector, care homes are facing challenges around staff retention, government cutbacks and a growing, ageing population. This is in the midst of COVID-19, one of the most acute health challenges in living memory. So how do we ensure that the nation’s care home staff are equipped with the tools they need and remain resilient both in their daily work and in times of crisis?

Caroline Maries-Tillott, Quality Improvement Lead for Patient Safety Service at West Midlands Academic Health Science Network (WMAHSN) takes a closer look at how the care industry can help support its workers to increase resilience and staff retention.

“I think it is really important we recognise the incredible dedication and love people within our care sector are pouring into the work they do each and every day. Care homes play a critical part in an integrated healthcare system but their contribution can sometimes go unrecognised. Sadly, this is reflected in the current downward recruitment and retention trends of care home staff.

“What’s clear is that despite this, staff still have an overwhelming desire to deliver good quality care for residents. To help in their mission of delivering the best care possible, staff need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills. Investment in learning and the improvement of skills would be instrumental in improving the overall quality of care delivered to residents, reducing any avoidable harm and retaining talent.

“Care home staff work with some of the most vulnerable people in our society, many of the residents are frail and have underlying health conditions. This is why in times of crisis, care home workers hold an increasingly important role, as the number of vulnerable individuals living in care homes far exceeds that of patients in hospital beds.

“At the WMAHSN, we started our Safer Provision and Care Excellence (SPACE) scheme in December 2016, involving 35 care homes across Walsall and Wolverhampton. Last year we expanded the programme making it available to all care homes across the West Midlands. We are now working with 217 staff from across 105 care homes and care home businesses, in collaboration with Clinical Commissioning Groups and Local Authorities to ensure resources span as far and wide as possible.

“Aiming to provide staff with techniques to gather data and identify areas for improvement within their care settings, we are engaging care teams at every level to instil confidence and empower staff to make positive change.

“Following the programme, we have not just seen a reduction in recorded falls and the number of severe pressure ulcers, but also an

7 Tips For The Caregiver During these difficult times, many of us have become caregivers to those who need it the most, this could be a family member or a neighbour. You play a vital role in looking after their everyday needs – it is natural to feel overwhelming and exhausted at times, especially when there is no end date in sight. The most important thing is to remember your health should be looked after too, don’t let your sleep be affected and ensure you’re still eating on a regular basis.

To give you some extra support and encouragement, experts at Forest Healthcare (www.foresthc.com) have shared their best advice on how to strive as a caregiver.

1) Take a break without guilt When you’re supporting someone alongside dealing with your own stress

From Forest Healthcare (www.foresthc.com)

and mental health, it is important to take breaks. Allow yourself to respite a couple of times in the day, without feeling guilty. A happy and refreshed carer is much better for everyone when they’ve taken a break themselves.

Don’t ever be too hard on yourself, you’re doing the best you can do during these difficult times.

2) When they look good, they feel good It can be a fun task to make your loved one feel good by giving them a makeover! Washing their hair, giving them a haircut or changing their outfits can make a big difference to how they feel and see themselves. Even the simplest thing as wearing something with brighter colours can uplift their mood for the day.

3) Be patient Given the current climate, it is natural to feel overwhelmed and stressed.

It is important to provide loved ones, care in respect of their independence.

Your patience might be tested so always remember to go for regular walks for a breath of fresh air. Work together as a team and you will find that communication is key.

4) Look for guidance

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overall improvement in safety, the quality of care and the uptake of staff-led workplace initiatives.

“As care homes play a major role in Prevention, Identification and early Escalation and Response (PIER) in relation to resident deterioration, programmes such as SPACE are important for making staff more resilient. They help build upon existing skills and make it easier to identify the signs of deterioration and assess fatality levels among residents.

This is particularly relevant when dealing with something like COVID-19.

“This is a challenging time and the lockdown situation is increasing the pressure put on care home staff and residents. It is however important to remember that care home staff know their residents better than anyone else and are therefore best placed to spot early signs of deterioration, this will become increasingly important in the coming weeks.

“We all know that staff who feel supported and valued in their workplace tend to stay longer in their jobs, be more productive and produce better results. Ongoing training will not only help staff feel valued but also help them work smarter, safer and provide better care for their patients.

“As the number of older people living in care homes is set to almost double by 2035, it’s imperative that alongside sufficient funding, training and upskilling has a major role to play. By building quality improvement capabilities in health and social care we will help staff stay abreast of changes and the tools they need to provide excellent care. Staff having pride in their role and feeling valued, supported and adequately funded will be crucial in achieving a care system fit for the future.”

For more information on the WMAHSN, visit: wmahsn.org/ If you’ve suddenly been put into the role of a caregiver, you might have a million questions. What should they eat? When should they be asleep? Just because you’re inside, doesn’t mean help isn’t available. Some organisations such as the Red Cross, have a lot of information online and a helpline.

You can also use social media such as Twitter or LinkedIn to find a geriatric caseworker that can help identify any problems and resolve them.

5) Be proactive Take charge and have a plan in place to prevent any panic during last minute emergencies. This will help prevent a sense of control to the situation, by ensuring you know who to call if anything happened, it would give you a sense of security and reassurance.

6) Be organised Develop a daily routine and stick to it, find something that you will stick to such as a wall planner, notebook or a Google calendar. Make a note of daily tasks such as personal hygiene, meal preparation and dressing as well as important things, such as paying bills on time. Have doctors’ numbers handy in case you need them and set up any alerts for prescription pick-ups.

7) Don’t be hard on yourself Being a carer triggers a lot of difficult emotions, you will feel resent and then guilt because you feel resent. This doesn’t mean you don’t care for the person in question, it just means you’re human. Instead of bottling your emotions, write them in a journal, talk about them with a loved one or share them in an online support group so you know you’re not alone.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 7

Care Workers “Representing the Very Best of Us” Celebrated with Campaign of Thanks

Independent grant-making charity, the CareTech Foundation joined in calls for greater recognition of the UK’s 2 million frontline care workers and the part they play in tackling coronavirus.

The CareTech Foundation encouraged everyone to join in and ‘Sparkle for Social Care’ on Monday 13th April by using anything that sparkles, be it tinsel, a homemade glitter and sparkle poster or fairy lights, to show those who care for society’s most vulnerable that they are valued and posting photos on social media using the hashtag #SparkleforSocialCare The Sparkle for Social Care campaign was launched because care workers don’t receive enough credit for the vital work they do. An army

of almost 2 million care workers is currently looking after the most vulnerable people in the UK, helping them to get through the lockdown.

People in need of care are often older or suffering from certain health issues, meaning they are also the most susceptible to Covid-19. While their families and friends are unable to look after them, care workers offer a vital life-line, ensuring that their daily needs are met and that they are not left stranded and alone.

By continuing to provide care for those in desperate need during this crisis, care workers are potentially putting themselves at risk. There is a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment, PPE, meaning care workers are having to carry out their roles, often with little to prevent them being infected.

When a care worker does become ill, or needs to self-isolate due to a family member showing symptoms, they can’t work, with many falling into serious hardship. Within days of the Care Workers Charity launching its Covid-19 crisis grants, they had received thousands of applications from care staff who were in crisis because of coronavirus. Therefore, as well as putting something that sparkles in their windows or on their clothes to show their support for care workers, people are also being encouraged to donate to the Sparkle for Social Care crisis appeal, launched by the Care Sector Ball organising committee. Jonathan Freeman, CareTech Foundation’s CEO, is Vice-Chair of the committee and has played a key role in developing this new campaign.

The appeal aims to raise £1million for the Care Workers Charity Covid19 Crisis Grants to support care workers during the coronavirus crisis.

Care staff, personal assistants and support workers can apply to the charity for grants if they are unable to work because they are self-isolating. The CareTech Foundation is a long-standing partner of the Care Workers Charity, providing a three-year grant to support its Hardship Fund for care workers.

Announcing the CareTech Foundation’s support for the Sparkle for

Social Care campaign, Chief Executive Jonathan Freeman, said: “We all know how important and how brilliant care workers are. They represent the very best of us, and the care and kindness they show on a daily basis is needed now more than ever. It’s vital that, as a society, we say thank you to these amazing individuals during the crisis, and that’s why my colleagues at the CareTech Foundation and I will be using tinsel, glitter and anything else we can find that sparkles to ‘Sparkle for Social Care’. Many people across the country joined us in showing care workers that they are valued, and I hope that as many as are able will donate to the Sparkle for Social Care emergency appeal.”

Executive Director of the Care Workers’ Charity, Karolina Gerlich, said: “The current crisis is bringing real hardship, not just for those who are isolated and alone because of health conditions, but also for the tireless women and men who care for them. Right now, care workers are working longer hours, and in more difficult conditions than ever before. They are sacrificing their own health to care for others.

“Many care workers live pay cheque to pay cheque, and they are terrified by what might happen if they can’t work due to coronavirus. Our appeal is designed to help those care staff affected by the disease.

When you consider all they do for society and for our loved ones, the least we can do for them is ensure they don’t go into debt because of Covid-19.”

The CareTech Foundation is asking everyone who is thankful for the hard work of care workers to join the #SparkleforSocialCare movement The CareTech Foundation is joining with the other organisers of the annual Care Sector Fundraising Ball to back the Sparkle for Social Care emergency appeal. Each year the ball recognises the contribution of care workers and raises sorely needed funds for charities in the care sector. Now they are calling for donations to the Sparkle for Social Care Crisis Appeal, donations can be made at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Sparkle-for-Social-Care

Care Group and Baker Rise to Covid-19 Challenge A North Yorkshire care group has teamed up with a local baker to provide each of its staff with a hamper of food as a reward for their hard work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Saint Cecilia's Care Group called in Scarborough baker Cooplands to create 160 hampers for each of its staff, who have been caring for older and vulnerable people throughout Covid-19.

Managing director Mike Padgham, said: "We are delighted to be working with local baker Cooplands to provide this reward for our hard-working team.

"This has been the toughest, most challenging period for any care provider to go through and we are truly proud of our staff's efforts throughout, they have been

magnificent."

The delivery of a hamper to each member of staff follows on from the company's decision to give each of its staff a Covid-19 pay bonus.

Belinda Youngs, CEO of Cooplands, said: "We were very pleased to help Saint Cecilia's when they called to say they were looking to supply their staff with food hampers.

"It is wonderful that they are supporting a local baker in this way as we all have to work together during these tough times.

"We are very pleased to be supplying hampers to some very hard-working and deserving workers."

PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

Regulator’s Policy On Registering The Right Support Looks Unlikely To Change

By Duncan Astill, Partner, and Amanda Narkiewicz, Principal Associate, at national law firm Mills & Reeve.

There is no shortage of column inches devoted to the CQC’s controversial guidance document Registering the Right Support (RTRS).

The guidance issued in June 2017 remains in force and informs the CQC’s approach to the registration of any new service provision for people with a learning disability and/or autism. A significant feature, is that it includes a presumption that accommodation will be for six service users or less. The CQC say that this is not a rigid rule, however, it is the experience of many that it is being operated in that way.

fer not to live alone with support, or it is not suitable for them, offer them the option of living with a small number of other people in shared housing that has a smallscale domestic feel. Involve people in choosing how many people, and who, they live with”.

The CQC’s guidance is currently under development – a brief consultation took place at the start of 2020. It appears, however, that this is additional guidance, rather than a replacement. Indeed, the draft document includes the following statement: “Our policy on regulating providers that support autistic people and people with a learning disability remains unchanged from Registering the right support, but, having sought feedback, we have aimed to clarify to providers how we might implement the policy in this update.”

So, the number six is here to stay and whilst not the only condition, it is clear that there are many at the CQC believe it to be sacrosanct, despite its rather tangential origins.

Whilst the focus of most column inches has been on the rights and wrongs of RTRS, little focus has been given to the impact of the guidance on existing services. What does it mean for those trying to maintain larger services currently registered? Is it possible to transfer an existing service to new owners without falling foul of new registration criteria?

BUT HOW CREDIBLE IS THE SIX PERSON RULE?

MAINTAINING REGISTRATION

The CQC claim that the numbers are based on NHS England guidance from 2015 Building the right support although, the care model in that document makes no reference to the number six.

In the appendix of RTRS, it also refers to NICE’s 2012 guidance, Autism spectrum disorder in adults: diagnosis and management, as a basis for its six person rule, however, that document only relates to adults with autism and does not define “small scale”, it states: “If residential care is needed for adults with autism it should usually be provided in small, local community-based units (of no more than six people and with well-supported single person accommodation).

In 2018 NICE published new guidance, Learning disability and behaviors that challenges: service design and delivery. This makes no reference to the six person cap.

However, it does make the following observation: “… evidence suggests that people with learning disabilities … want to have a choice about where they live and live in spaces that are ‘homelike’.” It is also worth noting that the guidance recommends to commissioners: “If adults pre-

It is clear that the CQC are conducting inspections of learning disability services with a mind to the RTRS guidance. We regularly see statements made at the start of the reports to the effect that existing services do not meet RTRS guidance and would not be registered if they applied now.

However, the CQC are not taking steps to close existing services – recognising the impact and distress that this would have on service users. RTRS recognises that existing providers “… have to work within the physical constraints of existing buildings and locations’’. However, they expect them to meet the “underpinning principles” and “evidence-based best practice” and make changes where they can.

This has meant, for some providers, a lot of time and effort going into making sure that the support they provide is more personalised, replicating the community: offering choices instead of planned activities and making sure that mainstream NHS services are accessed where appropriate. This is important, as it does seem that these simple changes really do help to demonstrate a service model that ensures people are

supported to have a “good and meaningful everyday life”.

It must, however, also be recognised that some services offer a genuine community to residents (we have seen examples of 20 year friendships) and facilities, such as, on site hydrotherapy, that simply might not be available to service users living in the community and this also helps to enrich people’s lives.

From what we have seen, it is clear that the CQC must work hard to find a genuine balance.

CHANGING OWNERSHIP Whilst new applications are subject to the strict application of size criterion in RTRS, how will the CQC approach a change in ownership of an existing service?

If there is a share sale of an existing company – there is no actual change in registration. There is a requirement to notify the CQC of changes to the board (Regulation 15(e)(i)-(iii) Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009) but the legal entity actually carrying on regulated activity will not change.

However, many services are part of a group and the transfer of a single location will require a new application on the part of the new owner.

That proves more problematic because technically a new application must be made. However, RTRS itself recognises this: “In the case of existing services, whether they are transferring to a new provider or not, CQC acknowledges that providers have to work within the physical constraints of existing buildings and locations.

Subject to constraints that cannot be changed within existing arrangements, CQC expects providers to ensure that the underpinning principles and evidence-based best practice are demonstrated in their registration applications and, where appropriate, evidence that providers plan to make changes to adapt premises to meet best practice guidelines.”

So, all is not lost.

In the same way that inspectors are making judgements on the ability of current service providers to flex their services to address new models of care, a new owner who seeks a new registration of an existing service will be asked to demonstrate planned changes that will deliver the principles envisaged by Building the right support and RTRS. That should enable current services, with more than six residents, to be transferred to new owners, especially if they are better placed to deliver that change.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 9

Government Sets Out Plan for National Effort on PPE

A UK wide plan to ensure that critical personal protective equipment (PPE) is delivered to those on the front line responding to Covid-19 has been published by Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock.

The three-strand plan will provide clear guidance on who needs PPE and when they need it, ensure those who need it can get it at the right time and set out action to secure enough PPE to last through the crisis.

A full, 24/7 military operation is already underway to deal with the unprecedented, global demand for PPE as a result of this pandemic.

A new national supply and logistics network has been created from scratch in a matter of weeks to manage supply and demand across the UK, and to make sure appropriate PPE reaches those who need it.

A new website, developed with the help of the military, is being rolled

out in the coming weeks to improve distribution and will enable primary, social, and community care providers in England to order critical PPE. In addition, a new hub provides easy access to all the Government’s guidance on PPE in one place - a one-stop-shop people can visit to understand what PPE they need.

This is in addition to a 24-hour helpline which already allows providers to request emergency drops of PPE to meet immediate need.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I will stop at nothing to protect those on the frontline who are fighting this virus.

“Our heroic health and care staff are working around the clock and my absolute priority is to support them. Our new online ordering tool for PPE is supported by a 24/7national supply and logistics network.

“There is a herculean effort behind the scenes, supported by the military, to get the right kit to our frontline heroes. These new supply chains, matched with a call to arms for more businesses and organisations to join this national effort, will help save lives.”

The three strand plan sets out: 1. Guidance: Being clear who needs PPE and when, and who does not, based on UK clinical expertise and WHO standards. This will ensure workers on the front line are able to do their jobs safely, while making sure PPE is only used when clinically necessary and isn’t wasted or stockpiled; 2. Distribution: Making sure those need PPE can get it and at the right time. The Government will ensure those who need critical PPE receive it as quickly as possible by setting up a new national supply system; and 3. Future supply: Taking action to secure enough PPE to see us through the crisis. The actions being taken to ensure we have enough critical PPE to last the UK through the pandemic, working alongside industry to boost future supply. The Government has already coordinated deliveries of PPE directly to health and care providers and to 38 local resilience forums across England. These efforts are being coordinated across all

Four Nations of the UK to ensure appropriate distribution of critical PPE. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, over 761 million items of PPE have been delivered across the United Kingdom to 58,000 different settings including hospitals, hospices, care homes, home care providers, GPs, pharmacists and dentists to ensure our frontline is protected. This includes 158 million masks, 135 million aprons and 360 million pairs of gloves.

The plan also emphasises the need to ramp up domestic production of PPE. The Government is calling on industry to join forces to manufacture more protective equipment to support the national effort.

Already companies such as Burberry, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, Ineos and Diageo have started work to produce equipment including gowns, visors and hand hygiene products.

Last week, following extensive consultation with the Medical Royal Colleges, all four UK governments published updated guidance for PPE for health and care workers. This covers doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers and social care staff.

Critical PPE guidance has also been published for cleaners, funeral directors and first responders. Beyond these roles in settings including supermarkets and public transport, the clinical evidence, which is kept under review, does not suggest widespread benefit from wearing PPE over and above social distancing, social isolation and good hand hygiene.

In addition to this a new dedicated team has been set up to focus on securing supplies and identifying PPE suppliers from across the globe to meet the increasing demand for a growing list of products, with a call to arms to businesses to turn their manufacturing efforts to this response to meet technical specifications published by government.

Businesses and organisations including Kingfisher Group, Apple, Huawei and BP have also stepped up to the plate to generously offer their own PPE for use by the NHS and public organisations.

Appleby Care Home Launches Campaign To Combat Social Isolation Appleby care home, North Shields, has launched a campaign to help to combat social isolation amongst residents during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Following a temporary closure to all visitors, the home decided to launch the campaign and has asked the public to send in postcards, letters or even drawings to its residents to help them keep in touch with the local community.

The home, on Military Road, regularly engages with the community through a variety of activities including intergenerational music groups which has been a huge hit with the resident and young children alike.

Audrey Casey, 85, resident at Appleby care home, said: “I’ve always enjoyed the activities with local youngsters, and it’s a shame that we have had to put them on hold for now but we understand the impact visits could have on our health.

“The postcard campaign is a wonderful idea and I’m looking forward to reading the lovely messages we receive from our local community.”

Clare Leonard, home manager at Appleby care home, said: “Because our residents are amongst the most vulnerable in society and we want to ensure their safety and wellbeing during this difficult time, our home is closed to visitors at this time.

“Postcards have always been a wonderful way to keep in touch with people so we would like to encourage our local community to send postcards, letters and even drawings to keep our residents engaged.”

If you would like to send something to the residents at Appleby you can do so by emailing appleby.admin@larchwoodcare.co.uk or posting to Appleby Care Home, Military Road, North Shields NE30 2AB

PAGE 10 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

Covid-19: Managing Staff in the Residential Care Sector

By Jo Moseley, a PSL in Irwin Mitchell’s Employment Team The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the care sector has been significant. Although many public facing organisations have closed and employers have been asked to work from home, for the majority of those providing day to day care, this obviously isn’t possible.

This article concentrates on the employment issues relevant to employers of residential care workers.

RISK ASSESSMENTS As an employer you have a duty to protect the health and safety of your staff and separately have duties to the people you are caring for. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the minimum you must do is: • identify what could cause injury or illness in your business (hazards) • decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk) • take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk Coronavirus poses a substantial risk to your staff and, depending on their age, health and other factors could cause significant harm to them.

You will also need to consider how they travel to work and you shouldn’t expect any member of staff to get onto an overcrowded bus/train and may have to show some leeway around start and finish times to ensure you have appropriate cover to accommodate this.

‘HIGH RISK’ STAFF You also need to identify anyone considered to be at high risk of harm if they catch the virus. The government has published a list (https://tinyurl.com/t6ssvqa) and this includes anyone over the age of 70 (even if they are otherwise fit and well), anyone with an underlying health condition and pregnant women. Your staff may not have shared their medical history with you, or told you that they are pregnant and you should therefore ask them to let you know if they believe they are vulnerable so that you can take steps to protect them.

Guidance (https://tinyurl.com/ql6ak74) for this high risk group was last updated on 30 March and says they must ‘be particularly stringent’ when following social distancing measures. . Carers providing day to day personal care to others are not able to socially distance themselves in this way and should be given alternative duties if any are available. The NHS has published guidance (https://tinyurl.com/u6p3gsz) and continues to contact those who are particularly vulnerable to the disease. Many are being told to "shield themselves and stay at home" for at least 12 weeks and therefore must not be asked to work.

If it is not safe for a member of staff to come into work, you must ask them to remain at home. Depending on the nature of your contractual arrangements, you may have to continue to pay them their normal salary, unless they are self isolating on medical advice, or because they, or someone they live with has coronavirus symptoms. Where

that’s the case, they are entitled to SSP and may also be eligible for contractual sick pay (this will depend upon your policy wording).

Pregnant women have special rights. If you do not have any suitable alternative work they can do, or the employee reasonably refuses it, you must suspend them on full pay.

You may be able to ‘furlough’ anyone who has been asked to shield themselves on medical advice or who is sick – but if you do that you have to move them off contractual sick pay or SSP. Under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, employers can recover up to 80% of a worker’s wages (subject to maximum of £2,500 per month).

The Scheme will not up and running until the end of April, but payments can be backdated to 1 March 2020.

STAFF LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD AS ‘HIGH RISK’ PEOPLE Some staff will not want to come into work if it increases their risk of catching the virus where they live in the same household as someone in the ‘high risk’ category. If they are living with someone who is ‘shielding’ in line with public health advice, they can be furloughed – even if there is no redundancy situation. Unfortunately, the position, is less clear for those who are living with someone in the high risk category who have not been told to shield. Our view is that you must take these concerns seriously – not least because, insisting they go to work and be in close contact with clients who may have the virus, could expose them (and their families) to severe risk.

In these circumstances, it could be a breach of the implied duty of trust and confidence to insist they continue to perform their normal duties. Other options are: • Giving them the option to take holiday if they can’t work from home; • Agreeing a period of paid or unpaid special leave with the individuals; • Prioritising staff in this category when deciding who to furlough; • Carrying out a specific risk assessment to identify the risks associated with the individual continuing to come into work; • Transferring them, if possible, to a different place of work where they can socially distance at work and are not required to take public transport to come into work.

RESIDENTIAL CARE GUIDELINES When the Government published its guidance in relation to PPE last

month it said that “If neither the care worker nor the individual receiving care and support is symptomatic, then no personal protective equipment is required above and beyond normal good hygiene practices.”

This was recently withdrawn this and on 2 April it has published new guidance which can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/u3huvuh in the following report: Coronavirus (COVID-19): admission and care of people in care homes.

Contained within these new guidelines, which were most recently updated on 10 April, are enhanced PPE recommendations for a wide range of health and social care contexts.

RESIDENTS WITH SYMPTOMS If a resident in your care home or retirement living complex displays symptoms of Coronavirus, you must follow strict guidelines laid down and provide suitable PPE equipment for staff caring for them. Given the ongoing difficulties in procuring suitable equipment, this will be a challenge. However, if you can’t provide this your staff could refuse to work because of concerns about their health and safety – and shouldn’t be dismissed or disciplined in these circumstances. They could also resign and claim constructive dismissal if they have two years’ service.

SELF ISOLATION Any member of staff who displays symptoms of the virus must self isolate for 7 days. If they become unwell whilst at work, you must make sure that they can sit somewhere away from residents and other members of staff until they are able to go home.

Any staff member who has someone in their household who also has symptoms must self isolate for 14 days. Unless testing becomes more widespread, this is likely to cause staff shortages. You may therefore need to ask staff to cover additional shifts. Workers shouldn’t work over 48 hours a week (averaged over a 17 week period) unless they have signed an opt-out. You’ll need to monitor working hours and step in if someone is doing too much and not getting enough rest.

Anyone who is self-isolating – even if they aren’t actually ill, is entitled to SSP for up to 14 days The usual ‘waiting days’ are dis-applied and payment is from day one. Your organisation will be able to recoup its SSP costs (up to 14 days) if you employ 250 or fewer staff.

Unfortunately, if you don't fit that description, you'll have to meet the costs yourself.

CHILDCARE Schools are closed and many parents are juggling work and childcare. Some schools and nurseries have remained open to look after the children of any key workers who can’t keep their children at home.

However, they are not (to our knowledge) open at weekends, and this may cause problems for some of your staff who work shift patterns and who, in normal circumstances, may have relied on their family or friends to help them. If staff can’t get into work, then they may be able to take paid special leave.

Continuing to operate care homes is going to remain extremely difficult during this pandemic. It could go on for many months. Care providers will have to do their best to cope and employers in the sector will need to keep a close eye on government guidance which is changing every day.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 11

NHS Works with Tech Firms to Help Care Home Residents Connect During Crisis

Thousands of isolated residents and patients will be able to connect with their family and friends with video call devices, the Government has announced.

NHSX is working with technology firms to help some of society’s most at-risk and isolated people access vital emotional support and companionship during COVID-19.

As part of this work, Facebook will provide up to 2,050 of its Portal video calling devices for free to hospitals, care homes and other settings including hospices, in-patient learning disability and autism units.

Fifty of the devices have already been deployed to pilot sites in Surrey with Manchester, Newcastle and London and other areas to follow, with support from Accenture.

NHSX Digital Transformation Director, Iain O’Neil said: “Technology companies big and small continue to pledge their resources and expertise to support our NHS and social care system in these unprecedented times.

“We are working hard to find and develop services that meet people’s equally unprecedented needs.

Technology has never been so important to providing one of life’s most essential things – the ability to communicate with the people we love regardless of where they are.”

As well as providing solutions to reducing social isolation among residents and patients, NHSX is working with a range of technology companies to support the NHS and social care system in these unprecedented

times.

Additional solutions include enabling health and care staff to work remotely when they may be advised to work at home, improving communication between clinical and care teams, shifting hospital outpatients to virtual appointments, and accelerating the use of online and video consultations within GP and primary care services.

Minister for Care Helen Whately said: “Social distancing is tough on us all, and we must remember how beneficial interaction with loved ones is for our wellbeing. I’m delighted that NHSX is partnering with Facebook to make it easier for those in care homes to keep in touch with friends and family, alongside the ongoing hard work by NHSX to expand communication capabilities across the health and social care sector.

Vic Rayner, Executive Director, National Care Forum and Care Provider Alliance, said: “We are thrilled to see solutions being offered to Adult Social Care providers that can support residents in care homes to communicate with their loved ones remotely during this COVID-19 outbreak, and are very much looking forward to hearing how these Facebook Portal devices are used and what impact they have during this difficult time.

This is a fantastic starting point and with other systems offering similar solutions we are sure that communications between care recipients and their loved ones will continue to be a priority that is supported.”

Freddy Abnousi, MD, Head of Health Technology, Facebook said: “We designed Portal to give people an easy way to connect and be more present with their loved ones. With the global pandemic and social distancing measures, the ability to stay connected is more important than ever. That’s why we are piloting a program with NHSX to provide Portal devices in hospitals and other care settings to support patients and help reduce social isolation.”

How a Nottingham Care Home Helped 78-Year-Old Resident Beat Coronavirus

A GOOD supply of tea and biscuits, decorated PPE and music are just some of the tactics a specialist care home in Nottingham used to help a 78-year-old dementia patient successfully recover from coronavirus.

Sandra Whitcombe’s family has applauded the care she received while a resident at Church Farm at Rusticus, in Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire.

The grandmother-of-two has been a resident at the care home since August 2019. As one of the most bubbly and social residents, the staff were determined to help Sandra recover quickly, whilst maintaining a high quality of life and, of course, protecting others.

Sandra’s son, Steve, said: “We are so pleased to see mum happy and back to her bubbly self. The great care she has had and continues to receive has helped her to get through this tough time – we can’t thank the team at Church Farm enough. We just can’t wait to be able to spend time with her as soon as lockdown measures allow us to see her!”

In addition to strictly following all government guidelines, the Church Farm Care team, which includes its own full-time carers, nurses, and GPs, has been taking the temperature of all staff on arrival each day.

This meant that Sandra was moved into isolation as soon as she developed a

temperature. The business also made a significant investment in PPE to ensure staff have the necessary equipment to keep safe.

Patrick Atkinson, owner of Church Farm Care Ltd., said: “This has been an anxious time for residents, family members, and staff but Sandra’s recovery is proof that, with a thorough and sensible approach, recovery and containment is possible – and in a way that retains a high quality of life for those in care.

“One of the challenges was the use of masks and other PPE as seeing our staff with their faces covered was understandably confusing for residents living with dementia. The team decorated their masks to make them bright and colourful which Sandra really responded to – it's just one example of how a personal approach really helped. We also used books and music to entertain Sandra while in isolation – as well as keeping a good supply of tea and biscuits!

“We’re so thrilled that Sandra is better. This success is really testament to the dedication of our staff – they are on the frontline and truly going above and beyond to keep our residents healthy, safe, and happy. We’ve personally packed 400 bags of treats for all our staff and there has been amazing community support such as donations from local businesses for staff and residents, as well as pictures and letters of support from local children.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 13

Calls for Local Government Funding For Adult Social Care Services The Care Provider Alliance (CPA) hasccalled for urgent action by local councils following the publication of guidance to councils by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) on the funding arrangements for social care providers in England during COVID-19.

Fee rates paid by local authorities have not reflected the true cost of care for many years and this has contributed to increasing the fragility of the social care market, which is needed more than ever during COVID-19.

The recommendation of a 5% uplift to cover this year’s increase in National Living Wage (NLW) is insufficient to cover the true rise of 6.25% which providers are expected to pay. Furthermore, the proposed 10% increase for additional costs associated with COVID-19 is woefully inadequate to cover the significant costs care providers are incurring.

Government’s recent announcements of additional financial support to businesses at risk of financial failure during COVID-19 are unlikely to support social care providers in the same way as other businesses. Many care providers have experienced dramatic cost increases, due to a combination of buying more essential PPE supplies at significantly inflated prices and ongoing costs related to staff sickness and absence.

Lisa Lenton, Chair of the Care Provider Alliance says, “We welcome the efforts of local government leaders to agree a consistent

increase in fees to be used by all councils in England, and the inclusion of the care sector in these discussions. However, the proposed funding arrangements are inadequate and there is no guarantee that individual councils will follow the guidance. We do not believe that there is a system in place to ensure that £1.6bn of public funds reaches front-line services. In addition, the guidance fails to address the question of how support can be provided to providers who are not currently funded via local authority contracts.

“Failure to recognise the very real increases in operating costs as a result of COVID-19 risks a substantial failure and collapse of care providers with a significant impact on people, councils and the NHS.” In a recent consultation with care providers across the sector, evidence gathered by the CPA shows very clearly that the levels of increases in operating costs across care providers, both home care and residential care services, is much greater than 15%.

Ms Lenton continues, “Local government leaders have said they are willing to review the situation at the end of April, so that more evidence can be presented to HM Treasury. We will assist them with evidence from our research and we will continue to demand that councils increase the funding available to the care sector, so that it can maintain services and keep people safe during this pandemic.”

Balloch Couple Celebrate 70 Years Of Marriage At Care Home Party DEVOTED couple James and Elizabeth Kerr celebrated an incredible 70 years of marriage at a special party at their care home.

The Kerrs, who live in the Tower Unit at Hill View care home on Singer Road in Clydebank, received warm congratulations from Her Majesty the Queen, as well as cards and presents from their family.

The couple, known as Jimmy and Cissy, were sadly unable to enjoy the festivities that their three children – Jim, Elizabeth and Rosemary, nine grandchildren and great-grandchildren had been planning for them, due to the restrictions on visiting care homes.

So, Tower Unit staff stepped in to help them celebrate the huge milestone, 70 years after they got married in 1950.

Their youngest daughter Rosemary said the family were grateful for the special effort made by staff.

Rosemary said: “We were heartbroken that we couldn’t throw the party we’d planned, but the Tower Unit staff are wonderful – they made sure Mum and Dad had a happy day.

“The staff there just love them. One carer told me that when Mum is in the dayroom and Dad walks in to join her

in the morning, her face lights up like she’s 21 again. It’s a deeprooted, true love and the carer told me their devotion for each other makes her and the staff want to cry!”

Home Manager Kathleen Glasgow said the couple are a joy to look after.

Kathleen said: “It was our privilege to help Jimmy and Cissy celebrate their anniversary, what an achievement!"

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 15

In This Time of Crisis, Nominate YOUR Unsung Hero A 2 night luxury break for 2 people in a choice of over 300 hotels awaits the April Carer Unsung Hero!

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To say that the healthcare /social care system has been under pressure recently would be stating the obvious, and we are all to aware of many thousands of Unsung Heroes at this time!

The current health crisis has highlighted all the hard work and dedication that those working in the sector deliver on a daily basis. There is no doubt that there are many heroes working in the social care sector and we are offering a chance to nominate yours - that person who has gone that extra mile and whose work deserves recognition.

Over the past couple of years we have invited residential and nursing care homes to nominate somebody in their home who they believe is that “Unsung Hero”.

Every care home will have somebody who goes that extra mile, and often receives little recognise or reward, and, over the past two years we have had a

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No catches no rules no gimmicks, simply nominate somebody in your care environment who you think has done something you feel has made an impact and gone that extra mile and is worthy of a nomination.

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Call For Care Homes To Join Digital ‘Adopt A Grandparent’ Scheme

A Surrey care home group, CHD Living, is calling for more care homes to get involved in a campaign which invites people to digitally ‘adopt a grandparent’, having been overwhelmed by an incredible response from all around the world.

Aimed at combating loneliness and encouraging companionship, the initiative is centred on connecting the public with care home residents, helping them to form meaningful, intergenerational friendships.

The campaign, established by CHD Living, a Surrey and South London based care home group consisting of 13 residences, two specialist rehabilitation centres and a domiciliary care business, was initial-

ly launched last autumn and looked for local volunteers to physically visit the home to meet and bond with residents.

However, given the ongoing crisis and the current restrictions on movement, the group decided to take the campaign digital – aiming to harness video technology to spread the message further and encourage connections from anywhere in the world.

The call for volunteers was met with an astonishing response, with 60,000 people signing up within 3 weeks from all over the world including from the US, Canada, Dubai, New Zealand and more – far more than the care home group could possibly look to pair up.

Shaleeza Hasham, Head of Hospitality, Communications & Commissioning at CHD Living, said: “We’ve been absolutely astounded by the sensational response to our campaign! It’s been a complete whirlwind the past two weeks, but one that’s brought in much needed positivity at an incredibly testing time for the care industry. Some of the messages we’ve been receiving have been so lovely, and we’ve been pairing up people, facilitating video calls and encouraging communication; the start of which has been extremely heart-warming.”

Shaleeza continued: “However, we didn’t want to restrict this initiative to just our homes. We have just over 800 care recipients, so you can appreciate 60,000 is more than enough to keep them company! Now we’d like to take the next step and embrace a larger community, helping these wonderful volunteers to connect with other care homes, and vastly increasing the pool of potential ‘grandparents’.”

As ‘virtual volunteers’, participants in the scheme will be encouraged to use technology to provide mental stimulation and remote companionship to those in care via regular video calls. Drawings, letters and poetry from the public are also being welcomed as part of the initiative

to brighten residents’ days.

Care homes interested in joining the scheme should register their interest by visiting https://chdliving.co.uk/careproviders-aag-form and filling in the form. From here, representatives from CHD Living will be in touch to discuss the next steps.

Members of the public who are interested in enrolling in the scheme can still register interest via https://chdliving.co.uk/adopt-grandparent.

Shaleeza Hasham commented: “Despite the huge interest, we’re still accepting registrations as we’re hoping this will become a global movement to help encourage intergenerational companionship. We’d just like to ask for patience as we work our way through the requests.

In the UK at the moment, we’re set to encounter the peak of the pandemic. Our priority is to provide the best possible care for our residents, so we ask for understanding around any delay in the pairing process.

However, rest assured, your participation is very much appreciated, with our residents and staff taking tremendous heart from it.”

She concluded: “We hope that care homes across the world will be in touch to join the campaign. It’s a fantastic opportunity to spread a positive message at a very difficult time and we’re hoping people will continue to embrace the spirit of companionship and friendship that we’re looking to project.”

Established in 1984 by founders Liakat and Nazira Hasham, CHD Living is an award-winning, family-owned group, comprising 13 residences throughout Surrey, as well as two specialist rehabilitation centres and a domiciliary care business, Longdene Homecare, providing care for over 800 people across Surrey and South London.

For more information on CHD Living, please visit https://chdliving.co.uk/volunteering

PAGE 16 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

Llanidloes Woman Celebrates 101st Birthday Amid Virus Crisis

The whole community at a Llanidloes care home paused last week to recognise a remarkable milestone, as resident Nancy Marion Griffiths celebrated her 101st birthday.

‘Nance’ lives at Maes-Y-Wennol, which is run by Shaw healthcare, although she was born and raised in Kidwelly, south Wales, where she also met her husband, Roy. They moved several times and eventually settled in Newtown.

Like care homes across the country, staff at Maes-YWennol are working around the clock to keep residents safe, as well as doing what they can to keep up residents’ spirits. Nance, who is feeling fit and well despite her advancing years, was treated to cake and champagne to mark the momentous occasion. Nance had phone calls from her family on the day, as well as lots of cards and gifts from friends and family.

Sandra Holt, manager at Maes-Y-Wennol, said: “Nance is such a wonderful character in our home who says the secret to a long life is feeling young – she often remarks that she is 21 at heart!

“We were delighted to be able to celebrate such a special birthday with her, especially during such a difficult time and it was fantastic to see so many at Maes-YWennol joining in the celebrations.”

Coronavirus Lockdown: Can I Still Make a Lasting Power of Attorney?

As the number of coronavirus cases in the UK continues to rise daily, leading East Midlands law firm Nelsons has seen an increase in the number of people wanting to make Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) and asking whether this is still possible during the UK lockdown.

Jane Sutherland, partner and specialist wills and probate solicitor, said: “Not only have we seen an increase across the industry in the number of people wanting to make and amend wills, we’ve also seen a rise in the number of enquiries relating to LPAs since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic.

“Due to the fast-acting nature of the coronavirus, people are looking to put arrangements in place now, as if they do become seriously ill, their capacity to make decisions could be impaired within a matter of days.

“We always tell clients that we hope they’ll never have to use their LPAs, but if they do then they are crucial when it comes to making life easier for both the client and their family at what is already a very stressful time.

Therefore, it’s vital people are aware of the two different types of LPAs and how to go about making these.”

WHAT IS AN LPA? “An LPA is a legal document in which the person making it (the ‘donor’) appoints one or more people chosen by them to act as their ‘attorneys’. The donor will continue to make their own decisions whilst they are able but if in the future they lost capacity, for example because of an accident or illness, then their attorneys could step in to act on their behalf.”

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LPA? “There are two types of LPA and you can choose to make one or both: 1. Property and financial affairs LPA: This document would give the appointed attorneys legal authority to deal with all the donor’s property and financial affairs on their behalf should the donor find it difficult or become unable to deal with these themselves.

2. “Health and welfare LPA: “This document would give the appointed attorneys legal authority to make decisions regarding the donor’s health and welfare on their behalf should they become unable to make these for themselves. This would include, if the donor wanted, the ability to decide on whether or not they receive life sustaining treatment.

“It’s worth noting that any LPAs that are made cannot be used by your attorneys until they’ve been registered with the court. As this process can

take around three months, I strongly recommend that all LPAs are registered at the same time as they’re made in case they’re required urgently in the future.”

WHAT HAPPENS IF I LOSE MENTAL CAPACITY IN THE FUTURE AND DON’T HAVE AN LPA IN PLACE? “Without a property and financial affairs LPA, your financial affairs cannot be dealt with until an order has been obtained from the Court of Protection authorising this. It usually takes the court at least nine months to issue such orders and the application process is often expensive and time consuming.

And without a health and welfare LPA, these decisions would be taken by your doctors and social workers on your behalf in what they believe to be your best interests. It’s worth bearing in mind that this, of course, may not reflect what you would have wanted.”

HOW CAN I MAKE OR AMEND AN LPA WITH A SOLICITOR DURING LOCKDOWN? “Due to the restrictions we’re currently under, we’ve found ourselves speaking to clients mainly via telephone or video link. We will then prepare the LPA and send it out to the client by post for signature.

“We’re very lucky that, as solicitors, we are able to work from home. We have all the necessary technology that enables agile and secure working at our fingertips and so are still able to engage with clients in the way we always have done during this lockdown period.”

HOW DO I GET MY LPA WITNESSED DURING LOCKDOWN OR SELF-ISOLATION? “By law, LPAs have to be signed first by the donor in front of one witness.

They then have to be completed by a certificate provider (for example Nelsons) who will confirm they’re happy the donor has understood the document they’ve signed. After this, the attorneys have to sign and have their signatures witnessed.

“If someone is self-isolating and lives alone, you could arrange a meeting with a neighbour or friend in your garden, driveway or street. Anyone required to sign should use their own pen, wear gloves and ensure they’re practising social distancing by standing two metres apart. Once complete, you should ensure the document is placed safely in an envelope before removing any gloves.”

WILL THERE BE ANY TEMPORARY CHANGES TO THE LAW? “There has been a suggestion that the Court of Protection might look into speeding up the registration process for LPAs. However, the law requires a four-week notice period between applying and getting the documents registered, so I think it’s unlikely that we will see any changes.”

For more advice on making a Lasting Power of Attorney, please visit www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/lasting-powers-of-attorney.

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PAGE 18 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

Social Care Expert Calls for Greater Transparency in the Sector as Covid-19 Deaths Rise Social care experts, Autumna, are calling for greater transparency in the care sector so it can better support the NHS and families, as the government confirms that more than 2,000 care homes have experienced coronavirus outbreaks.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in calls to our national care advice line during the coronavirus pandemic, and families are worried: they’re struggling to find homes for elderly relatives who have coronavirus, and they’re extremely worried about putting loved ones into homes which already have the virus. One lady said, ‘I will look after mum myself rather than risk her dying of Covid-19 in a care home’. With real concerns like this, it’s time for the sector to open up to demonstrate the vital role it plays in supporting the NHS and the country,” commented founder Debbie Harris, who has been helping families find care homes for more than ten years.

Autumna runs a free national care advice line (which it has extended

to seven days a week during the crisis) supported by online expertise and a national online directory of care homes. It is offering a free listing to all care providers during the crisis to relieve pressure on the NHS by making it easier for families to find appropriate care solutions for elderly residents.

Questions being put to the Autumna care advice line by families include: • Is there a list of care homes that have Covid-19?

• How do I find a care home that will take my mum who has Covid-19?

• Are care homes only taking people with Covid-19?

• Mum is due for discharge from hospital, will any care home take her for respite care?

• Can I take my mum out of her home if it’s got Covid-19?

“The care sector is playing a vital role in supporting the country through this crisis and in most cases is doing an incredible job in very difficult circumstances, with carers on the front line putting themselves and their families at risk, especially with a real shortage of personal protective equipment. But confusion is adding to the anxiety of families. Greater transparency will help people make the right decisions for their loved ones, which will in turn help relieve pressure on the NHS by enabling fam-

ilies to find appropriate care solutions quicker,” added Ms Harris.

Autumna welcomes the government announcement to test all carehome residents and carers who show symptoms of Covid-19, but urges that testing should be extended to those cared for in the community.

Autumna is backing the call by Age UK, Marie Curie, Care England, Independent Age and the Alzheimer's Society for the government to provide a care package to support social care through the pandemic.

“The coronavirus pandemic has created both an immediate crisis in the care sector as well as putting a ticking timebomb under it,” commented Ms Harris. “Care staff are on the front line of supporting elderly Covid-19 patients, with many dedicated carers choosing to self-isolate with the elderly residents they look after to minimise the risks to them.

“New Covid-19 emergency rules require patients to vacate a hospital bed within one hour of being medically discharged, but families are unable to visit care homes to assess whether they are the right place for mum or dad. It normally takes up to a week to arrange a care home for a hospital discharge; if elderly people get put into homes that can’t properly support their needs, it will create potentially serious problems further down the line.”

Maintaining Health & Safety During “Unprecedented Time”

By Nick Wilson, Director of Health & Safety Services at Ellis Whittam (www.elliswhittam.com)

While many are able to revert to working from the safety of their home, care providers are on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With outbreaks in care homes across Britain, staff are fighting a daily battle in caring for the elderly and vulnerable. Amidst the usual stressors, those within the sector are now facing a critical shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), high levels of absenteeism and the difficult challenge of keeping morale high at a time of unrelenting pressure.

Unsurprisingly, many care workers fear coming into work due to the risk of contracting the virus and taking it home. At the same time, they are the ones trying to hold other families together, dealing with

distressed relatives who are anxious about their loved ones. All of this can take an enormous toll on a person’s mental health.

From a health and safety point of view, your first priority will be to prevent anyone within your facility from contracting the disease. With the level of infections on the rise within the care setting, risk assessment has never been so imperative to ensuring the safety of staff, contractors, visitors and residents.

COVID-19 is a hazard, and as with any hazard in the workplace, it needs to be eliminated where possible.

Unfortunately, care providers are not in a position to eradicate the disease – but you can put control measures in place to reduce the risk of it spreading.

In practical terms, this means ensuring that standard operating procedures are in place to deal with individual residents who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, as well as implementing appropriate infection control precautions to protect staff and residents. Care homes will have already taken such measures at the beginning of the outbreak, so it is now a case of diligently reviewing these on a regular basis as new information comes to light.

As a health and safety practitioner, my team and I are advising those within the care sector on a daily basis. Our advice centres around risk assessment and, within this, we are directing care providers to: • Identify biological risks. This will assist in ensuring

your infection control policy is fit for purpose and highlight any areas where additional control measures are required.

• Identify where and how to apply social distancing rules and reduce close interactions. Examples may include only permitting contractors by appointment, restricting movements to parts of the home, and setting up PPE stations outside residents’ rooms.

• Undertake documented daily monitoring of employees for signs and symptoms of the virus. This is one of the most effective ways to prevent the virus spreading as it will stop it from entering the home in the first place via employees.

Of course, while you are busy implementing physical controls to keep people safe, it is essential not to overlook the mental health implications that all of this may have. Working in the care sector is pressure-filled at the best of times, with enormous physical and mental demands. Add in the fear and management of a biological hazard from a global pandemic, and the result is likely to be an intensely stressful working environment.

Unfortunately, staff now face a number of new, extraordinary pressures, not least the ongoing concerns over PPE provisions, the need to keep up with ever-changing government guidance, and tremendous responsibility for people’s health while being anxious about their own. While you cannot eliminate

all fears, support staff by: • Encouraging them to express concerns and offering reassurance. This can be as simple as a five-minute chat over a cup of coffee, or a thank you.

• Encouraging managers not to be too task-focused – ask staff how they are and be interested. Life is messy and unpredictable right now, so be the outlet people need.

• Minimising distractions, as we all work better when focused. Try not to overload staff with information – stick to the facts. Arrange for bigger, more complicated tasks to be done in the morning where possible.

• Making sure staff have time to eat and take a break.

If possible, provide lunch for your staff so that they can spend their home time resting and with their families. Consider assigning staff a lunch buddy to reduce feelings of isolation or anxiety.

• Signposting staff to external support, such as Mind, Anxiety UK, the Mental Health Foundation or your own counselling provider.

This is an unprecedented situation and will test UK care providers to their limits – but with the bravery, courage and strength that those within the sector have already shown, we will come out the other side.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 21

Risk and Resilience Around COVID-19

By Kella Bowers, Head of Social Services and Abuse at Forbes Solicitors

It’s challenging at the best of times for local authorities to deliver services to the community and protect the most vulnerable in our society – a challenge which has been amplified during the current pandemic – and could leave Councils facing civil liabilities the future.

To justify the resourceful and excellent work being done within care homes, nursing homes and the social care industry, decisions will need to be fully documented, ensuring the difficulties faced are recorded and there’s full clarity around the rationale for decision-making. This will prove fundamental to protecting budgets going forward and avoiding criticism and liabilities further down the line.

The Health & Safety Executive has provided further guidance on the reporting requirements under ‘The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013’ (RIDDOR).

A report should only be made under the RIDDOR regulations when: 1. An unintended incident at work has led to someone’s possible or actual exposure to coronavirus.

In such circumstances, this must be reported as a dangerous occurrence. The example used by the HSE is where a lab worker accidently smashes a glass vial containing coronavirus, leading to people being exposed.

2. A worker has been diagnosed as having COVID-19 and there is reasonable evidence that it was caused by exposure at work.

This must be reported as a case of disease and exposure to a biological agent.

This could for example apply to Health Care Professionals who contract COVID-19 after treating patients with COVID-19 whether that be in hospital or a social care home setting.

3. A worker dies as a result of occupational exposure to coronavirus.

If the death is confirmed by a registered medical practitioner as being caused

by Coronavirus, this must be reported as soon as practicable and within 10 days of the death.

Employees working on the frontline are likely to be most at risk of exposure to this virus, and we have sadly seen many an example of this in recent weeks.

It is essential that COVID-19 specific risk assessments are undertaken by employers. Where a risk of exposure is inevitable or possible, the nature of the risk needs to be determined, and steps take to reduce foreseeable risks. This may be through the implementation of additional control measures, adapted safer systems of work, and the free provision of medically advised “fit for purpose” Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). As ever, PPE is to be used as a last resort. Source: HSE https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/riddor-reporting-coronavirus.htm The safety and care of vulnerable people is a care home’s top priority and should continue to be. Taking the time to step back, consider document the decision-making process and reporting requirements will best position you so that the good work being done now can be demonstrated in the future.

Empowering Care Homes In Uncertain Times Workwear Experts For Over 100 Years Care England has written to all its members encouraging them to engage with their Local Authorities regarding increased financial pressures as a result of COVID-19.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “We have developed a template letter informed by engagement with Care England members over many weeks cataloguing the sorts of financial issues that they are facing. We hope that it will empower members in their engagements with local commissioners and also help to inform CCGs and Local Authorities of the kinds of challenges that care providers are facing currently”.

It is vitally important for care providers to be supported in their response to COVID-19. The health and social care systems are fundamentally intertwined and any response to COVID-19 on a

national basis is reliant upon the support of a strong care system which is in turn dependent upon a well informed discussion at local level.

Providers may be facing increased costs from issues such as the National Living Wage, agency fees and a range of operational pressures.

Members can download the template letter from www.careengland.org.uk and we encourage members to include their own examples and figures to elucidate their own local realities.

Martin Green continues: “If care homes are forced to close as a result of financial pressures in the coming weeks and months this will inevitably have an adverse effect upon local health systems, local economies, communities and finally, but most importantly, the people who reside within these care services”.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 23

Helping Patients to Stay Nourished and Hydrated

By Harriet Smith, Registered Dietitian on behalf of AYMES International (www.aymes.com) Over 3 million people are malnourished in the UK and up to 20% of older adults are dehydrated, especially those in long-term care establishments. If dehydration is not addressed quickly, it can result in a rapid decline in a person’s health, which could result in poor health outcomes. Similarly, malnutrition can affect every system in the body, leading to adverse changes in body form and function.

As we get older, our ability to sense thirst decreases. Poor mobility, cognitive decline, and physical ailments (including problems with swallowing) are also potential barriers for staying hydrated. Certain patient groups (i.e. people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease) are at even greater risk of dehydration, and medications such as diuretics and laxatives can also result in increased risk of dehydration due to fluid losses.

Fluid requirements are highly individual and depend on lots of different factors. Some of these factors include: age, gender, bodyweight and physical activity levels. As a rule-of-thumb, most healthy adults should be aiming to drink around 1.5-2 litres of fluids per day (around 6 to 8 glasses). However, if they’re doing lots of exercising, are unwell, or are living in a warm environment, they may need to drink more.

It’s important to monitor your patient’s hydration status to ensure that they’re drinking enough. Here are some things to consider: Thirst: if they’re feeling thirsty, it’s a sign that they’re already dehydrated and they need to drink more.

Urine colour: aim for a pale, yellow straw colour during the day. The

darker the colour of urine, the more dehydrated they are.

Headaches: a persistent headache can indicate a person is dehydrated.

Confusion and tiredness: these are common signs of dehydration.

Whilst tap water is an obvious choice for hydration, herbal teas, fruit squash/cordials, tea and coffee, milk and non-dairy alternatives and fruit juice/smoothies all contribute towards our fluid intake. You might be surprised to learn that hydrating foods such as yoghurts, jelly, soups, stews and fruits and vegetables (i.e. watermelon and cucumber) can also contribute towards daily fluid intakes.

Patients with or at risk of malnutrition may benefit from nourishing drinks which provide additional calories (energy) and protein. For example, AYMES Retail (aymes.com/products/aymes-retail) is a nutritionally-balanced, milkshake-style supplement designed to help give an

additional boost to those who do not require medical intervention, providing up to 266 kcal per serving when mixed with 200ml whole milk.

Oral nutritional supplements (sterile liquids, semi-solids or powders which are delivered via the oral route) may be used in patients who are struggling to meet their nutritional requirements through an oral diet alone. They’re prescribed for medical purposes in patients who meet the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) prescribing criteria, have been screened using a validated malnutrition screening tool such as MUST and have been deemed to be at nutritional risk.

Finally, thickening agents (both gum and starch-based) are often used in the treatment of dysphagia to improve swallow control and prevent aspiration. They bind with water to increase bolus viscosity, which slows the entrance of thickened fluids into the pharynx, lowering the risk of aspiration. Research suggests that xanthan gum, one of the ingredients in gum-based thickeners, may have a laxative effect when consumed in large amounts (>15g/day), which could be a problem for some people with pre-existing gut disorders or those taking certain medications.

Patients who can’t tolerate gum-based thickeners may prefer to stay on a starch-based thickener such as Thicken Aid.

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Wavewash; a soon to be launched hand washing gadget is being offered free to a selection of healthcare providers for product testing.

A hundred of the devices, which aid and encourage better hand washing, are available for organisations such as care homes, hospices, nursing homes and GP surgeries.

Fitted above any sink, Wavewash starts a light-up timer when it is activated by a user with a wave of their hand. The timer gives users an indication of how long they should be washing their hands in order to kill germs and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The device is intended for use by healthcare providers to help staff, patients and visitors to wash their hands more thoroughly.

To be launched in April, Wavewash can also be used in the toilets of businesses including retailers, pubs, cafes and restaurants to improve hand hygiene and reduce the spread of germs and viruses. It is also suitable for use at home.

Wavewash is being developed by a team of British engineers who’ve managed to develop the product in response to the coronavirus outbreak within just 30 days. The team was inspired after speaking to doctors and nurses about the problems caused by people failing to properly wash their hands.

Martin Hurworth from the Wavewash team said: “It’s absolutely vital that we all wash our hands properly to control the spread of coronavirus and healthcare providers depend on patients, staff and any permitted visitors to do the same.

“Health authorities around the world are urging us to wash our hands for 20 second using soap and water every time as it’s one of the easiest and most effective ways we can avoid getting sick and

spreading germs and viruses to others.

“Unfortunately, accurately counting to 20 seconds is actually pretty hard, even if you sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice and lots of people cut corners and forget to wash their hands for that long… and, of course, some people overlook washing their hands completely, which is disgusting.

“Wavewash aims to solve all of these problems.

It’s a smart but noticeable device which reminds people to wash their hands more thoroughly and helps them to do it.

“We’ll be launching Wavewash commercially soon, but because healthcare providers need help now, we’re offering it to them before anyone else, completely free.”

Wavewash is a simple and seamless tech solution that’s inspired by the ‘nudge theory’ of behavioural science. The gadget works using a non-contact sensor, so there’s no need to touch the device at all. It can also be fitted to virtually any surface using screws or a self-adhesive pad that’s included and its smooth surface avoids the build-up of dirt and germs.

Health authorities around the world, including

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.

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Public Health England and the NHS recommend that everyone should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and water to easily and effectively kill the microorganisms which can cause illness, including COVID-19 coronavirus.

The makers of Wavewash hope that the device will lead to more people thoroughly washing their hands now and in future.

Healthcare providers that would like to apply for free Wavewash units should contact trial@wavewash.co.uk or call 01603 343 727.

For more information about Wavewash, visit www.wavewash.co.uk.

Made to the highest safety standards with a wide selection of choices, this range gives you total reassurance, every time. Each dish complies with IDDSI guidelines for texture, launched in nd. Each dish has April 2019, ensuring you can prepare each meal safely and with peace of mind.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 25

Simply Puree

definitely recommend this texture modified meal range not only for the taste but also for the appearance, quality and texture. I find that this range has made a huge difference to my clients’ lives, they now enjoy their meals and I have found that many Launched in 2019, Simply Puree is a range of now look forward to meal times again. The meals IDDSI compliant, nutritionally balanced, texture are quick and easy to regenerate and they maintain modified meals from levels 3-6, catering for people appearance, texture and taste once cooked through. with dysphagia. . All made to the highest safety “So, if you have clients who have to be on a texstandards with a wide selection of choices, this ture modified diet following a swallowing assessrange ensures you can prepare each meal safely ment by a speech and language therapist, due to giving you total reassurance, every time. perhaps a stroke, Dementia, Parkinson’s disease etc entry screenings to all essential colleagues and upEach dish also has consistency in nutritional conthen I would highly recommend the Simply Puree to-date training about infection prevention and content, allowing you to easily control calorie intake. All range for them. trol, extra help from care workers to restore some meals come frozen and ready to serve, providing “The range has now been extended to include normality for service users has been vital. quick and convenient meals that simply need to be reduced portion sized meals for those with small Lynne Waters, HR Director of Exemplar Health placed in the microwave or oven. But that’s not all, appetites, as well as snack pots for those clients Care, said: “I’m extremely proud of all our colleagues made to home-cooked standards these authentic to up their nutritional daily intake. All options needing who are doing all they can to continue to provide the and tasty meals are packed full of flavour, making are of the same high quality and are fully IDDSI combest high-quality care. As a thank you for their conthem perfect for any meal occasion throughout all pliant – who wouldn’t enjoy an afternoon snack of tinued hard work, we have launched this package day parts! bourbon biscuit!” level

4 tea, with a chocolate

hoping that it will make their lives easier at this diffiWe work closely with a number of speech and lanNot only are we continually expanding our adult cult time. guage therapists so that we can ensure that we can range, we’ve listened to our “As the Government continues to control social adapt and innovate to the changcustomers and have now contact and limit travel, we recognise that some ing wants and needs of patients launched our Simply Puree people might struggle to get to and from work if or residents with dysphagia. range which also fully Junior public transport is reduced or cancelled, so taxi jourClare Park MSc MRCSLT complies with paediatric IDDSI neys will be remunerated.”

HCPC, Speech and Language guidelines so now we can proSince all non-essential visits have been limited, Therapist says: “As a clinician for all age groups. vide Exemplar Health Care is purchasing iPads for all care specialising in swallowing, I have For more information go to homes to keep service users in touch with their famibeen using the Simply Puree bidfood.co.uk/simplypuree ly members and friends via video calls, making this range for many years. I would time a bit easier for all.

In addition to purchasing iPads, Exemplar Health Care has reached out to local schools to offer support, Lynne

Waters, continues:

“To brighten up the day of people living

in our care homes,

we have also

launched an ‘Every

Day Letters’ cam

paign so that school

children and their

parents can send let ters, poems and drawings. We have already been inundated with lovely letters and drawings!”

The specialist nursing care home provider is ahead of the curve in terms of ensuring their colleagues’ mental health and wellbeing is looked after during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, by giving them access to an Employee Assistance Programme with a 24-hour helpline and free counselling, or encouraging them to reach out to the designated Mental Health First Aiders at each care home.

Exemplar Health Care Ensures Care Workers Receive Free Meals and Food Deliveries During Health Pandemic

The unprecedented health pandemic caused by COVID-19 has placed a great deal of pressure on UK care homes – and in recognition of this and as a thank you for the dedication shown by its employees, Exemplar Health Care has created a new package to offer employees access to free food deliveries, takeaways and financial support for those with children who are eligible for free school meals.

Exemplar Health Care, a specialist nursing care home provider that supports adults with complex needs, is offering extra support to all of its staff across its 32 care homes. This support includes: o free meals for all employees during shifts, so that they don’t need to leave the care home to get food or worry about bringing food into work. o a takeaway pizza delivery for all staff, every week, at each care home. o free food ordering service and 10% off their food shop by ordering their personal shopping through catering supplier, Birchall Food Service o financial support for employees whose children are eligible to receive free school meals (equating to £2.00 per child, per shift worked Monday to Friday during term time).

This additional support will help these key workers, who support people living with complex needs, to continue to go to work and ease the burden of either financial worries or getting access to the things that they would normally find easy, such as shopping.

With strict instructions in place at the 32 care homes to ensure that service users are kept safe from the virus, such as restrictions on visitors, pre-

PAGE 26 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

Latest Inspection Hands Colten Care A ‘Magnificent Seven’ Seven of Colten Care’s 21 nursing homes have now been officially rated Outstanding by sector regulator the Care Quality Commission.

It follows an inspection at the south coast operator’s Dorset home, Newstone House, which was found to be ‘exceptionally well-led and effective’.

The Sturminster Newton home, which cares for up to 59 residents including some living with dementia, was also praised for being ‘safe, caring and responsive’.

Amanda Stride, the CQC’s Head of Inspection in the South West, said: “Staff are passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives. They are knowledgeable and have the skills to care for people with varying needs. They have created a home away from home, with each area of the service thoughtfully designed and adapted to suit people’s needs and interests.”

Inspectors praised the expertise of Colten Care’s Admiral Nurse team who support and offer specialist advice to families and the wider community on living with dementia.

Community links were also highlighted in the home’s approach to providing companionship for residents. The 20-page report states: “For example, one person had a passion for classic cars, so the staff arranged for the local classic car club to visit the home with their cars. This was an event which everyone at the home and their relatives could also enjoy.”

Home Manager April King said: “You need a really strong team delivering

New Skincare and 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

exceptional care day in, day out to achieve Outstanding. We’re immensely proud that everyone’s input has been recognised in this way. The rating is very much in line with the consistently positive feedback we receive from residents, their families and fellow health professionals.”

The success at Newstone House comes just weeks after the retention of an Outstanding rating for Colten Care’s Kingfishers home in New Milton, Hampshire. It means that a third of the provider’s homes, including two offering dementia care, now have the top CQC grade.

Congratulating all at Newstone House and their operations and support team, Mark Aitchison, Colten Care Chief Executive, said: “Only four per cent of care homes nationally are currently rated Outstanding, so to have a third of our homes rated Outstanding is an amazing achievement which we are extremely proud of.

“Such an independent vote of confidence is especially pleasing because it comes as we continue to invest in nursing at a time when other providers are turning away from it due to recruitment and cost issues. With all 20 of our inspected homes rated Outstanding or Good, we can justifiably lay claim to being in a class apart.”

In another third-party endorsement, Colten Care recently became the UK’s highest rated ‘Large Care Home Group’ on Carehome.co.uk. This rating, awarded in March 2020, followed two successive years of being a ‘Top 20 Care Home Group’ on the national public review site.

Just Eat Launches The Good Deed Feed To Support Care Sector Britain’s takeaway heroes are being celebrated for going the extra mile to help their communities during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Good Deed Feed, launched by Just Eat, shines a light on the hardworking and dedicated restaurant and takeaway businesses which have stepped up to look after those in need during this unique time.

Heroes include Jay Alom, 25, owner of the Lime Pickle Indian takeaway in Birmingham, who has provided NHS workers in the local area with more than 300 free meals.

In addition, the business has been providing free meals to local care home residents and staff, with almost all residents too vulnerable to shop for themselves.

Jay, 25, winner of Best Takeaway in Britain at the 2017 British Takeaway Awards, said: “These are probably the most difficult times we’ll face in our lifetime.

“We’re just a small business trying our best to do the right thing for our community, and those that care for it.”

Clare Cam, who runs Café Pizzeria Express in Harlow, Essex has been delivering free pizzas to their local hospital on a weekly basis while also delivering hot food free of charge to the elderly, vulnerable and those who can't

afford meals.

Clare said: "We just wanted to do our little bit to show our appreciation to NHS workers and give back to the town who have given us so much."

And Fabrizo Parella, owner of Divitos Chip Shop in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, temporarily closed his business which he has run with his family for more than 20 years.

But with the help of his dedicated staff, they are still serving the local community by donating meals to his local hospital, police station, doctor’s surgery and chemist. Fabrizio said: “Although the shop is closed, we still feel like we have a part to play. We want to keep looking for different businesses around the community that we can help.”

The takeaways have been highlighted by Just Eat, which has launched the Good Deed Feed to shine a light on the restaurant and takeaway businesses across the country which are going above and beyond during the COVID-19 crisis.

With more than 35,700 restaurant partners on its platform, Just Eat is using its network to share stories of local takeaway #foodheroes in towns and cities across the nation, to champion the businesses involved and help inspire and encourage others who want to help their

communities too.

The Good Deed Feed is the latest in a series of steps Just Eat has taken to support the sector at this challenging time.

Andrew Kenny, UK managing director, Just Eat, said: “At Just Eat, we’re committed to supporting our restaurant partners, many of which are small, often family-run businesses.

“The restaurant operators we work with are some of the most hard-working individuals you’ll ever come across.

“Whether it’s feeding people on the front line or delivering groceries to the vulnerable in self-isolation, takeaways and restaurants across the country are going above and beyond to help their local communities.

“To put others first during these uncertain times, shows true dedication and we want to champion that.”

Last month, Just Eat also launched a daily discount for NHS staff, saving NHS workers and their families £250,000 in the first week alone.

Just Eat is calling on the public to recognise their local takeaway heroes too.

Send details of your favourite takeaway and the great work they’re doing to help their local community to @justeatuk with the hashtag #GoodDeedFeed.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 27

ADASS Calls on the Government to Prioritise Adult Social Care ADASS President, Julie Ogley, responding to the increasing numbers of people dying in care homes and in their own homes, has called on the Government to rebalance its approach to Covid-19 and to properly prioritise adult social care: We are extremely concerned and distressed by growing reports of the numbers of people who are dying in care homes and in their own homes, and amongst family carers and our colleagues working in social care across the country. Never before has social care been so obviously essential to the fabric of our lives, and while we focus on those infected by and dying of the virus, there are equally those with unmet needs for care and support who are suffering as a result.

We want to see a significant rebalancing of the Government’s approach to Covid-19. There are two fronts in our response to Covid19; social care colleagues and family carers are the first line of defence – protecting our communities, at huge risk to their own health and shielding the NHS from catastrophic demand that would overwhelm it.

Their work is so often overlooked, yet they are giving so much for all of us and the Government must give them the tools they need to do their vital work. There are key risks of more deaths amongst those supported by social care than people in hospital.

So we ask that government gives social care the tools that it needs to do the job. It must: • Ensure routine recognition of social care and its centrality to the Covid19 response in every statement, picture and response from Government; • Address continuing shortages in PPE and learn the lessons of the PPE roll-out; • Clearly set out what support is available to care homes and home care and ensure that primary and community services do not withdraw vital support; • Accelerate testing; • Focus on safe hospital discharge, not just rapid hospital discharge, to safe places and with honest information to carers and providers, and

respect their refusal to accept new people if it threatens the lives of those they already care for; • Enhance and enable local systems to continue to identify deaths and outbreaks of coronavirus in care homes and at home and, with CQC, to prioritise basic safety monitoring; • Respect that the Government has given councils responsibilities for service continuity and so safeguarding people needing care and support.

People working locally know their responsibilities and communities better than Whitehall. The Government must support and not undermine local systems that are working well; • Focus on everyone needing care and support – not only older people; • Fund social care to deliver in the pandemic to recruit and retain staff and to deal with additional needs arising in the community.

Those of us who rely on social care for ourselves or our families, care providers, family carers and 1.5 million people working in social care need to see clear evidence that they are being prioritised.

COVID-19 Game Raising Awareness To Promote Safe Behaviour Because COVID-19 is causing confusion and anxiety Focus Games has developed a simple online COVID-19 Game that offers the facts and challenges myths (from UK government and NHS). It's free-to-play and works on any device through a web browser. It only takes couple of minutes and there is no registration required.

The game is intended for anyone and everyone: https://games.focusgames.co.uk/coronavirus/game/ The game is being played by adults and older children and here is feedback from a teacher in Egypt: “I teach grade 8 students (14 years). My students are in COVID-19 isolation and their response to eLearning was disappointing. I needed to attract their attention.

We were exploring diseases in populations and I sent

them the COVID-19 Game. It was like magic! Within 2 hours they were sending selfies of their scores, encouraging others to play and sharing information.

The students were engaged, they learned and were entertained. Thank you.” Haidy Wael, Science Teacher, Egypt.

The game is based on similar health education games: Flu Bee Game and Dementia Awareness Game.

Both games were investigated by Queen’s University Belfast and within the NHS and they concluded that the games can and do change perceptions and behaviour.

So, it is hoped that the COVID-19 Game will have a positive effect on some members of the public. Here is

a comment regarding the Dementia Awareness Game from Dr Gillian Carter, School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen's University Belfast: “The dementia awareness game has been played over 1,000 times and research conducted by Queen's University Belfast on its impact shows that after playing the game, a person's attitudes to people living with dementia improve! This statistically significant information is being prepared for an international journal” For further information, please contact: Andy Yeoman – Director, Focus Games Ltd andy@focusgames.com +44 (0)141 554 5476 games.focusgames.co.uk/coronavirus/game/

Clean Care Is In Your Hands

midwives.”

• Infection Prevention Control Leaders: "Empower nurses and midwives in providing clean care.”

• Patients and Families: "Safer care for you, with you.”

Chris Wakefield, Vice President, European Marketing & Product Development, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd comments, ‘Nurses and midwives account for nearly 50% of the global health workforce1 and play a vital role in providing health services and meeting everyday essential health needs. At GOJO, saving lives and making life better through well-being solutions is our mission and it continues to inspire our deep commitment to improving hand hygiene. In partnership with healthcare managers, we can help implement a tailored, effective, and total solution, which promotes compliant and healthy hand hygiene behaviour.

‘We are proud and loyal supporters of the WHO’s “Save Lives – Clean Your Hands” campaign, and urge everyone in the healthcare industry to join together in support of hand hygiene improvement globally.’

Free advocacy toolkits to support the WHO Save Lives: Clean Your Hands campaign are available on the WHO website: http://www.who.int/infectionprevention/campaigns/clean-hands/en/ WHO invites everyone to use the hashtags #SupportNursesAndMidwives #HandHygiene #InfectionPrevention on social media to ensure Save Lives: Clean Your Hands posts are picked up by the campaign.

For more information, email infouk@GOJO.com or visit www.GOJO.com

Skin health and surface hygiene expert, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd, has backed the World Health Organisation’s global call to action for health workers.

The worldwide advocacy day for Hand Hygiene falls annually on 5th May, and this year its importance is even more significant, as the world battles COVID-19. As a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Private Organizations for Patient Safety group, GOJO Industries-Europe has always been a strong advocate of making hand hygiene second nature to everyone. Once again, GOJO is supporting the WHO’s annual ‘Save Lives: Clean Your Hands’ campaign and encouraging everybody in the healthcare industry to get involved.

As the World Health Assembly has designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, the campaign’s focus this year is on the central role played by nurses and midwives in achieving clean care. This includes hand hygiene best practices, as well as recognising their crucial contribution to strengthening quality health systems.

The annual campaign and advocacy day targets a cross-section of influencers in the global healthcare sector, calling them to join together in celebrating and empowering nurses and midwives in the monumental work that they do to keep patients, families, and colleagues safe, by preventing healthcare associated infections.

This year’s specific calls to action are: • Nurses: “Clean and safe care starts with you.”

• Midwives: “Your hands make all the difference for mothers and babies.”

• Policy Makers: “Increase nurse staffing levels to prevent infections and improve quality of care. Create the means to empower nurses and

1

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Heroic Support Worker Saves A Life with First Aid Actions A support worker from Pegswood has been recognised for his lifesaving first aid action earlier this year while at work supporting people with learning disabilities.

Kevin Hope works for national learning disability charity Hft at one of its day opportunities services in Morpeth, where he supports adults with learning disabilities to identify their skills and interests within their communities.

While at work in February this year, the support worker noticed that someone who regularly attends the service was choking on her lunch. The 50 year old leaped into action and performed an abdominal thrust, followed by a further two thrusts, which eventually dislodged the food. When paramedics arrived to check the individual was safe and well, they praised Kevin’s quick thinking during a very stressful situation.

The support worker set up the Happy Diggers initiative nearly three years ago and now spends his days supporting four individuals to grow seasonal produce on an accessible allotment. The group has gone from strength to strength, with members relishing the fresh air and exercise, as well as enjoying a boost in confidence thanks to their new skills.

Kevin Hope said: “I didn’t have time to hesitate when I saw someone in trouble. The first aid training course I did last year came back to me immediately and it was only afterwards that I realised the enormity of what had

happened.

“This is definitely one of the most memorable moments of the years I have spent as a support worker. This job is always rewarding – you can look back at the end of the day at all the things you’ve helped people to achieve.

There’s also a great sense of camaraderie and teamwork between members of staff.”

Rita Love, Day Services Manager at Hft, said: “Support workers like Kevin make such a difference to the people they support by providing both practical and emotional support so that they can live the best lives possible. Kevin is one in a million, both in terms of his response during an emergency and his role leading the Happy Diggers group.

We’ve been pleased to recognise his heroic actions with our staff reward scheme.”

PAGE 8 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 29

Number of Deaths in Care Homes Should Be Released Daily, says NHS Confederation Responding to the ONS figures on Covid-19 deaths outside hospital released this week, Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said: “We have consistently pointed to the immensely vulnerable position of care home residents and these figures reveal this largely hidden feature of the pandemic. The spread in care homes has largely gone under the radar because the figures are not released in the same way as the daily statistics for deaths in hospitals.

“If we are to understand the true scale of the spread, the number of deaths in care homes should be released daily in the same way as they are for

hospital deaths.

“It cannot be said often enough the NHS and social care are interdependent. What happens in one sector, affects the other. We understand why so much effort has been directed to create capacity in hospitals and the response to that call from the NHS has exceeded all expectations but ambulances, social care, GP and community services have not been given the priority they deserve and we need to put that right urgently.

“The Government made a step in the right direction on this at the weekend with its commitment to expanding testing to staff and household members in social care and other public services.”

Sunrise of Bassett Care Home Resident Celebrates 100th Birthday A resident at Sunrise of Bassett, Iris Edwards, has celebrated her 100th birthday.

Despite her birthday celebrations being cancelled due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, the team at Sunrise of Bassett ensured she had the best day.

Iris received dozens of birthday cards and flowers and the home’s talented chefs made her individual cupcakes. Although social distancing measures means visitors cannot visit the home, Sunrise provided Iris with a video-link to her daughter who lives in Texas and couldn’t be with her as planned.

The oldest of three siblings, Iris went to Central School in Southampton and joined the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF) in 1939 when she was eighteen. Iris says that joining the WRAF was one of the hardest things she had to do in her life, but says she loved it.

During the War Iris was based in Exeter and was assigned to Fighter Command as a telephonist and operated the direct line between Winston Churchill and his Generals during the D-Day Landings.

Although she already knew her future husband, Ken Edwards, in Southampton prior to the war, they met coincidentally in Bradford whilst both attending their RAF training Ken as an RAF Air Gunner and Iris as a telephone “switchboard” operator. After this

chance meeting they kept in touch - Ken was based at RAF Trincomalee in former Ceylon.

When the War finally ended, Iris joined Southampton Police for five years and during this time began her relationship with Ken. They were married at St. James’s Church, Southampton on 27th March 1952 and had their daughter Lynne in February 1954.

Iris moved to Sunrise of Bassett in 2016, she says she is glad she made the move and is very happy with her decision.

Asked what her secret to looking young is, Iris says she used natural soaps, “Pond’s” face cream and make-up products such as “Coty” and “Number 7” by Boots.

Speaking of Iris’s birthday, Santa Bukovska, Director of Community Relations at Sunrise of Bassett, said: “The Coronavirus pandemic meant that we couldn’t celebrate Iris’ birthday quite as planned.

However, I’m so grateful to all the team for pulling out all the stops to make this birthday very special for her. It was especially lovely that Iris had the video-link with her daughter Lynne in Texas.

“On behalf of all staff and residents at Sunrise of Bassett, I would like wish Iris a very happy birthday. Iris has had a truly amazing life and we look forward to making more memories

PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

Disappointing Local Government Funding Arrangements for Care Sector The National Care Forum, has responded with dismay and disbelief to the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have advice to councils in relation to the funding of care providers in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Vic Rayner their Executive Director says: “The provision of safe and effective care for communities is an essential part of the government response to Covid-19. This guidance from local government completely underestimates the very real and current pressures that care providers are under. It is woefully inadequate and provides little comfort for those providers who are working night and day to support the most vulnerable members of our communities. Care providers need the support of local government to cover the very significant additional challenges and escalating costs of workforce, PPE and sup-

Care Home Group Praises Food and PPE Supplies

Tony Stein, CEO of Healthcare Management Solutions (HCMS), a national care home management group, has today praised his network of suppliers, which have kept facilities stocked with PPE and residents and staff well nourished, throughout the period of the coronavirus crisis.

HCMS currently manages 78 care homes across the UK including Larchwood Care, Canterbury Care, Wren Retirement Living and Walden Care among others. It is collaborating with food supplier Brakes to create a food ordering service for care home staff in addition to the homes’ regular orders.

Tony said: “For our residents, mealtimes are a punctuation mark in their day and their health is dependent on nutrition. So, delivering a high quality, variety of food is vital.

“Our food supplier, Brakes, has been working side-by-side with us throughout this crisis, ensuring that not just our homes, but our staff too, have the necessities they need to be able, after a long shift, go home with the confidence that they can feed their families.”

Teams at any Healthcare Management Solutions care homes affiliated with Brakes are now able to place a personal grocery order for collection from their care home.

Employees can choose from a set number of items including tinned food, pasta, rice, milk, and other essentials. Their orders will be delivered alongside each care home's usual catering supplies and then distributed to the individuals that day.

The scheme was launched after employees expressed concerns about accessing vital grocery supplies with reduced supermarket opening hours, limited stock, and the extra demands placed on them during the current period of restricted activity.

On personal protective equipment (PPE), Tony Stein struck an equally optimistic tone, praising both Public Health England and private suppliers for working proactively to ensure homes’ needs have been met.

Tony said: “The supplies of PPE to our homes have been, at worst, spotty. But with the support of Public Health England and our supplier, Blue Leaf, we have managed to keep our stocks up.”

porting the discharge of vulnerable people from hospital into care homes and the wider community.”

Ms Rayner continues, “The Chancellor and Health Minster have made it clear that the financial support is available across all sectors to deal with the real costs of providing services within this pandemic. Care provider organisations are uniquely placed to support an integrated approach across health and care – yet whilst all eyes are on the essential development of additional acute hospital provision – local government run the risk of pushing care providers into substantial failure and collapse by not stepping up to the mark at this time of national need. We appeal to them to work responsibly with the care sector, and ensure that together we move forward from this inadequate response to one which fully addresses the real costs of care delivery.“

Are You In Need Of * Dysphagia Training ? *This training is intended for healthcare professionals only.

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

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

Reference: 1. O’Loughlin G, Shanley C. Swallowing problems in the nursing home: a novel training response. Dysphagia 1998; 13, 172-183.( https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-languagetherapy/clinical-information/dysphagia)

NUTILIS CLEAR • Transparent results • Simple to use • Amylase resistant1 • Does not continue to thicken2 • IDDSI compliant

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PAGE 34 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

Caternet, Hertfordshire Care Home Launches ‘History Hunt’ to Connect Those with Link to its Building Powered by Zupa With care plans running up to 100 printed pages, providers are increasingly turning to kitchen software to support their CQC nutrition and allergen responsibilities. With Caternet, care organisations build recipes and menus using live data from their suppliers. Going paperless means nutrition per serving is automatically calculated, with allergenic ingredients tracked and cross-referenced transforming Regulation 14 risk management.

Creating recipe cards using a bank of meal preparation steps saves a digital record, accessible to service users and care professionals alike. Organisations that share menus to apps or websites can build trust with families, removing dietary concerns around religious and cultural backgrounds. This saves time spent manually updating meal plans as menus change.

Going paperless extends to purchasing with live prices and enforcing approved buying lists. Many organisations add in their HACCP food safety analysis guidelines to use as kitchen training packs. Included are forecasting tools that promote compliance across stock management too.

Caternet is developed with operators, buyers and chefs, who have all experienced similar operational and financial challenges. It is specifically designed to help the sector remove manual processes. You will support nutrition and allergen compliance, buy more competitively, enjoy paperless financial administration, and reduce overheads.

Start saving time and money today.

023 8212 4099 www.caternet.co.uk sales@caternet.co.uk Zupa Tech Ltd. Company Registration Number: 03165847

Foxholes Care Home, near Hitchin, Hertfordshire, has launched a ‘history hunt’ to discover and share the stories and experiences held within the walls of its building, which had previously been a boarding school and maternity hospital.

From birth to education, to care, the imposing building, which was initially built in 1857, started life as a Manor House for Quaker William John Lucas and his family – there is a road named Lucas Lane after the family, just north of the care home.

The building was then converted into a maternity ward from 1939 to 1951, before being used as a Catholic boarding school for boys in the 1960s. Having also been a home for retired priests, the building became a nursing home in 1987 before being demolished in 2010, after receiving a £6.75m cash injection to transform it into a luxury residential care home that opened its doors in 2012.

Since then, the home, set in 18 acres of sprawling Hertfordshire countryside, has received many letters and emails from people in the area who have a connection to the building and want to share their stories and memories with those who are currently using it.

This gave the Foxholes team the idea of launching ‘The History of Foxholes’, which seeks to find and discover people’s special relationship with the building and connect them with others who might have a story to tell.

Neil Gandecha, Estate Manager at Foxholes, said: “We regularly get emails sent in from people in the local community who are curious to know how the building has changed since they last were here, whether that was when it was a boarding school or maternity hospital. People have actually asked to come and visit the home so they can reimagine their past. It was the sentiment behind this that gave us the idea to start a history hunt.”

The home is asking for anyone who has a connection to the building to get in touch by sending in their stories via email, or by posting them on Foxholes’ social media platforms; Facebook and Instagram.

Neil continued: “It can be an image of you, a relative or a friend in the building, or a story on your connection with it. Regardless, we’d love to hear them all! The plan

will be to create a book on the history of Foxholes and a special ‘wall of memory’ in the entrance of the home that tells everyone’s story. We have heard everything from ghost stories to rumours of a bomb being dropped on the estate during the war that never exploded!

“When the current lockdown is lifted and things settle down, we’d also love to invite everyone who has a connection to the building to come down and enjoy a tour and BBQ in the gardens. We think it’s important for people to stay connected to their past and our residents would certainly love to hear their stories!”

Anyone interested in taking part in The History of Foxholes can email their stories to info@foxholescarehome.com, or post them online via Facebook (@foxholescarehome), or Instagram (foxholescarehome).

Reinbek Care Team Support Fellow Key Workers Staff at Borough Care’s Reinbek home for older people in Davenport, Stockport, are sending support to those working in the NHS and all their fellow key workers. The Reinbek team has designed and painted a Rainbow of Hope banner, to convey their gratitude and stay safe message. The banner has been erected in the garden at Reinbek, as a mark of thanks to all key workers for the great job they are doing during the current coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Mark Ward, CEO at Borough Care, says: “The banner is a lovely gesture by our Reinbek team. Like

all key workers, the staff at each of our eleven homes across Stockport are doing an amazing job in these challenging times. Their care and support to the residents they look after is unwavering. Everyone is working tirelessly, to ensure residents are supported both emotionally and physically during this unprecedented situation. Our teams are continuing to put on lots of different activities so residents can continue living colourful and rewarding lives. I’m really grateful and proud of the continued commitment shown by everyone at Borough Care.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 33

NHS and Care Staff Need More Tests so Expansion is Welcome, says NHS Confederation Responding to this week's Downing Street briefing, Dr Layla McCay, director at the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said: “Our thanks go to the thousands of NHS staff across the country, including in primary and community care, as well as in social care, who are giving up time with their loved ones over the Easter weekend to

care for us. The very least the public can do is continue to follow the Government’s social distancing guidance in return.

“As the death toll surpasses 10,000 across the UK, we know this still does not reflect the full picture and that this will continue to rise over the coming weeks. We are growing increasingly concerned about the disproportionately high number of deaths of people from the BME community, including the at least 19 confirmed deaths of NHS workers. We need to understand why and are pressing the Government for clarity on this.

“For example, while we are hearing of improvements in access to PPE, our members, including those from primary, community and mental health services are telling us that there is a lot more to do. No one should have to work in conditions that unnecessarily compromise their own safety.

Committed Carers At Belong Warrington Secure ‘Good’ Rating Across The Board There has been heartening news for dedicated carers at the state-of-the-art community care village, Belong Warrington, which has been certified as ‘Good’ by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors, who praised its ‘passionate and committed team’.

The latest report from the independent regulator of health and social care in England, rated the Loushers Lane village as ‘Good’ in all categories, declaring it as a safe, caring, and well-led provider of care, which promotes a good quality of life and meets the needs of its residents.

Claire Bibby, General Manager at Belong Warrington, commented: “The ‘Good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the team we have here at Belong. We enjoy a great team spirit, which we’ll need more than ever in the coming weeks as we rise to the challenge of supporting our customers through the impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak.

“We’ve been really touched by the messages of support from our local community and have robust measures in place to ensure we can continue supporting older people to minimise the risks of Covid-19. Our teams are also continuing to provide creative ways of promoting wellbeing, which will prove essential through the period of social distancing or isolation that may lie ahead.”

The CQC report described how team at the not-for-profit care provider showed pride in their work, and highlighted their dedication to providing a range of activities and events that were personally special to residents.

CQC inspectors also drew attention to the village’s leadership, describing its management as one that promotes a positive and empowering culture, and ensures all team members are clear about their roles.

The report also noted that Belong Warrington continually considers how it can enhance the service it provides.

“Also, health leaders are telling us that NHS and care staff need more tests. We welcome the Government’s commitment to expand testing to staff and household members and are pleased that this will include individuals working in services other than acute hospitals.

“Health leaders have continued to work hard across their constituencies to free up their critical care bed capacity to record levels and in doing so, they have shown the NHS’s extraordinary ability to transform and innovate.

“While this is needed to deal with the global pandemic now, we should not underestimate the long term impact of this, for example with waiting lists for routine surgical procedures. The NHS will need long term investment and support from the Government once the immediate threat passes in what is likely to be an otherwise economically restrained period.”

Care Home Resident’s Ritz Wish Is Tea-Riffic

Staff at Rogers House Residential Care Home in Wigmore granted a wish that enabled resident, Edwin Hoare, to spend an afternoon in London reminiscing about his youth working in the Big Smoke.

On behalf of The Wish Appeal, staff granted a wish for their resident, Edwin Hoare, who used to work as a butler in London, to enjoy a very spe-

cial afternoon tea at The Ritz.

Boarding the train, Edwin was so excited for a day in the city, which brought back so many memories for him. In his youth, he always dreamt of being waited on at The Ritz, so it really was a dream come true.

Jackie Miles, General Manager of Rogers House said: “Edwin had a wonderful day in London, as soon as they arrived at Victoria, he was pointing out all the places he remembered and telling the carers all about it. It was a really special day to be a part of.”

The Wish Appeal is a fundraising initiative created by Rapport Housing & Care, which was developed to grant wishes for the residents living in our care homes. We recognised that as people grow older, it’s often the smaller things in life they desire, such as a day at the beach, or a trip to the theatre, but as we get older and develop complex care needs, even simple things can be more tricky to facilitate, and more costly, requiring additional staff. The Wish Appeal raises funds for us to grant our residents’ wishes.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 35

Self Care is Essential for Carers At present, there are around seven million carers in the UK, giving their love, time and support to another. This is wonderful and selfless, kind and giving. It even saves our UK economy £132 billion pounds a year – the cost of a second NHS – needed more than ever during these challenging times, but what does this mean for those doing the caring?

If you are caring, it is not only essential, but vital, to ensure your own self-care. But sadly, nearly three quarters of long term carers fall either mentally or physically unwell from the continued pressures of their role, and this is unacceptable.

I recently took a group of carers through my six-week course and over half had either fallen ill from the stress of caring or had a previous health condition worsen due to the burden of caring.

SO WHY DO SO MANY CARERS FALL ILL? If a loved one falls ill, we want to do all we can for them to ensure their safety and recovery. Our dominant focus is on their emotional, mental and physical needs. It doesn’t take any of us long to then become institutionalised with what is happening around us. So to start focusing on what you need, as a carer, can make you feel selfish, even guilty, to take time a break and enjoy quality time for yourself. But if you don’t allow yourself self-care and fall ill, who is going to look after your loved one? Furthermore, who is going to look after you?

There is no glory in being a martyr and burning out

STRIKING A BALANCE

Even if you are caring for someone who is unwell, you still need time out to ensure your own health and wellbeing. Self-care is essential for all of us. After falling ill myself whilst caring for a terminally ill husband for 13 years, I realised I needed to make changes to not only survive my caring role, but to live and care from a place of love and compassion, not only for him, but for myself.

There are a number of ways in which you can give yourself more care to help safeguard your own health: • Firstly, get clarity on your situation.

How are you feeling emotionally, mentally and physically? Most carers suppress their emotions and needs. You could either speak to a good friend or journal/write down your thoughts and feelings. Many carers find this helps to give positive results.

• Be kind to yourself.

We are often kinder to others than to ourselves. Many of us berate and judge ourselves, putting us under even more pressure. Remember, you are doing something amazing – giving to another, and caring can often keep loved ones alive for years longer. Recognise all that you do.

• Take regular breaks.

Whether it is shorter breaks during the day – between chores – and ensuring longer breaks to have quality time out. Having time away from your caring role can help you to gain clarity on what is happening and ultimately make healthier decisions. Having regular breaks with help to recharge your batteries.

• Ask for more support.

Many carers accept their fate behind closed doors, but there is so much support out there – from your local carers centre, to condition specific charities and services offered by your council. Put the feelers out by going online or calling known charities.

We all deserve good heath and wellbeing, and if you are caring for another, this is essential. In caring for yourself and filling yourself up, you will then not only be able to enjoy life more, but have more to give to your loved ones.

Written by Sara Challice, speaker and author of Who Cares? How to care for yourself whilst caring for a loved one. Available from Hammersmith Health Books, June 2020.

How Best To Assist With Limiting The Transmission Of Airborne Viruses Care homes and hospitals have been of particular focus in the news recently and how best to assist with limiting the transmission of airborne viruses within these establishments.

This is part of the greater discussion around Indoor Air Quality and how we can protect people who are working, studying or being cared for in increasingly airtight buildings for the majority of their day.

Humidity control as part of the Indoor Air Quality discussion is very much part of the debate as we try to replicate good quality fresh air in our homes and buildings irrespective of the outside air quality, whilst being conscious of energy usage which could put greater pressure on climate change.

The benefits of humidity control are well documented - creating a more comfortable condition, adding to thermal comfort and importantly reducing the transmission of bacteria and viruses.

Scientific data does show that to maintain a humidity of 50%rh will reduce the transmission of viruses by keeping the bodies defence mechanism (mucus membrane in the nose and throat) moist and able to capture airborne bacteria and virus before it enters the body. Maintaining a relative humidity (RH) between 30-60% has been shown to influence the survivorship of viruses and reduce the transmission and infectiousness of viral diseases.

More recent studies have taken aim at the influ-

to influenza viruses, survival rates are reduced at moderate RH of 50%. (Casanova et al., 2010) • The infectiousness of airborne influenza viruses was significantly reduced when RH was above 40% (Noti et al., 2013) • Humidification in homes can reduce survival of influenza and promote recovery, by improving restfulness, in sick individuals (Myatt et al., 2010) • Maintaining 40-45% RH in hospitals reduced perceived air dryness and airway symptoms of patients and hospital staff (Nordström et al., 1994).

Figure 1: Effect of pathogens, microbes, and environmental contaminants on human beings. From Sterling et al. (1985).

ence of relative humidity (RH) on specific families of viruses, like influenza and coronavirus. These studies focus on the observed survival on surfaces and in the air column, and the rates of infection under different environmental conditions. Below we outline key findings from commonly referenced or recent studies. Links to the studies are posted as well.

• Maintaining an indoor relative humidity between 40%-60% may help to limit the spread and survival of novel coronavirus. Humidification maintains hydrated and intact mucosal barriers of human occupants, resulting in an increase resistance against any microbial attack. (Dietz et al., 2020).

• While coronaviruses are durable on surfaces relative

So, where a humidity control system is not already in place in a facility, is there a practical solution to retro fit into the office, care home, classroom etc?

Mobile humidifiers can be used but they do require regular manual filling and take up floor space.

Commercial systems can be installed into the fresh air supply (AHU), but sometimes this is not possible, or such a system is not already installed into the building.

One excellent solution is to use the HomEvap, a cold water evaporative humidifier, which can be fitted to a heat recovery unit in a house or supplied with a fan to be neatly installed above a false ceiling in an office – out of the way, plumbed in, and providing excellent control automatically. Energy usage ranges between 20 -90 watts dependant on if you

require a fan or not.

A single humidifier can evaporate 5 litres of water per hour which will provide humidity control to a space with a volume of approximately 1200m3. The result is a comfortable, healthier environment for net zero energy usage (temperature can be reduced by 2⁰C when the humidity is raised from 30 – 50%rh for the same thermal comfort).

In a care home the solution is often not to put the humidifier in the day room or bedrooms but to control the humidity in corridors serving these rooms and to allow the humidity to migrate to the areas of concern. This way there is no noise issue (although very low in a bedroom a small fan can still be a nuisance) and maintenance when required does not disturb the occupant of the room.

Humidity Solutions Ltd has a wealth of experience, expertise and application knowledge in the field of humidity control please do contact us for free advice. www.humiditysolutions.co.uk info@humiditysolutions.co.uk

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Local Authority Fee Increase Guidance Issued to Councils

The Local Government Association (LGA) and Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) have issued strong recommendations to local government on fee increases for adult social care services in England.

United Kingdom Homecare Association’s Policy Director, Colin Angel, said: “The guidance from LGA and ADASS is a positive move to help urgently-needed funding reach the front line quickly, after several weeks of delay. But the success of this is entirely dependent on each council acting on the recommendations immediately.

“Regrettably, despite urgent representations from provider organisations, local government’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been based on their own short-term budgetary considerations,

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 37

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rather than on meeting the anticipated cost of care during an emergency situation.

“Many local councils appear to be willing to pass the risk of financial failure to independent and voluntary sector providers, rather than absorb the immediate costs while negotiating with central Government for additional funding. Multiple provider failure would have a devastating impact on older and disabled people who rely on care and support at home.

“In an unprecedented emergency, central Government needs to fund the full costs of community-based support and ensure that it has the powers to take direct action with those councils willing to place their provider markets at risk. Nor is central Government addressing the cost pressures on care purchased by private individuals.”

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.

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PAGE 38 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 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

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

Ultimate Comfort For Extra-Wide Swollen Feet

Do you, or a loved one, struggle to find shoes or slippremium materials, expert shoemaking and advanced pers to fit? Cosyfeet, the specialists in extra roomy foot comfort technology. It’s also why they’re recomfootwear, can help. Wider and deeper than anything on mended by over 11,000 healthcare professionals. the high street, their British designed footwear is expertThe beauty of their footwear is in its simplicity. They ly crafted to fit and flatter extra wide and swollen feet. offer a roomy, one width fitting which can be adjusted Their new spring collection includes a fabulous to fit a range of swelling, so you don’t have to worry range of fabric footwear in an array of exciting patterns about complicated foot measurements. and prints. Enjoy spot on style with their lovely polka Lots of thought goes into Cosyfeet’s designs, includdot print or explore their collection of animal prints ing minimal seams, easy openings and removable including stylish zebra, fashionable snake and on-trend footbeds so you can even wear your own orthotic. leopard. Soft yet supportive, Thanks to innovations such as these comfy styles are perfect their ‘Hidden Depth’ design, for relaxing at home. You’ll Cosyfeet fits swollen feet with STYLES FOR also find a great choice of cotease but still looks stylish and MEN & ton-rich slippers which are streamlined.

WOMEN ideal for the warmer months Cosyfeet offer VAT exempSTYLES SHOWN: Koryl, Katie, or if you suffer with hot feet. tion if you have a chronic medKama Cosyfeet’s ethos is simple. ical condition and a money-back They believe that swollen feet guarantee if their footwear should have the most comdoesn’t work for you. fortable, stylish footwear posFor more information visit sible. That’s why they cosyfeet.com or call Cosyfeet VISIT cosyfeet.com combine the latest trends with on 01458 447275.

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Fight Back Against Bacteria and Viruses If the global COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it's that good personal and environmental hygiene and a deeper understanding of cleaning procedures is of the utmost importance in controlling the spread of pathogens.

We know that having a thorough cleaning regime and the right cleaning equipment is important but how do you know which equipment is right and what a thorough clean actually is?

Understanding more about the potential pathogens is a good place to start. Firstly, do you know what the difference is between antibacterial and antimicrobial?

An antimicrobial agent protects against various types of microbes, including bacteria, viruses, mould and fungi, whereas an antibacterial specifically protects against bacteria.

Knowing which products are best to use alongside chemicals, as manual cleaning is still vital, is also key.

Some pathogens survive in different

conditions for different lengths of time and variations in temperature.

For example, did you know, MRSA can survive up to 8 weeks on a mop head and 7 months on dust?

Listeria Monocytogenes, (aka Listeria) which is known to cause fever, diarrhoea and can even affect your nervous system, is what is known as a resilient bacterium. That means it can harbour on seemingly clean surfaces and create a protective biofilm over itself that chemicals alone cannot remove. This is where the right cleaning equipment comes into play.

Using a high-quality brush alongside the correct chemicals when cleaning will allow filaments to get into the crevices where bacteria may be harbouring and clean it away, creating a hygienic surface.

For more information about the highest quality, anti-microbial brushes available for the job, visit https://bit.ly/39oRq5r or call +44 (0)17 4786 0494

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,

WristPIT from Pinpoint The WristPIT from Pinpoint,is a bespoke patient call transmitter designed to be worn on the wrist.

This wrist-worn personal infrared transmitter (WristPIT) is easily accessible and allows patients to activate a call for even if they are away from their bed or a fixed call-point.

Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology (usually worn by staff for personal safety) has, for the first time, been designed around patient use. The WristPIT can withstand showering and brief submersion in water and also incorporates antimicrobial product protection, reducing the ability for bacteria to grow.

According to figures published by the National Reporting and Learning System, around 250,000 incidents where patients required assistance in hospital were reported in 2015/16. In many cases, nursing staff remained

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. 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 requesting help and informs staff exactly where the patient is. The call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms.

Pinpoint Alarm Systems are installed in thousands of medical facilities throughout the UK and USA. The new WristPIT is backward compatible and easily integrated into existing Pinpoint Systems.

A green LED indicates the WristPIT is ‘activated’ with good battery level. When the battery requires changing, the LED flashes red until the battery is changed and the device has been retested.

In addition to being water-resistant, the WristPIT has been designed to withstand harsh environments and user tampering, meaning suitability for facilities where service users may be at risk of self-harm.

For more information: www.pinpointlimited.com

Is This The ‘New Normal’?

With the COVID-19 crisis having such an impact on everyone’s life, is working remotely set to become the new normal? Care services are facing a massive challenge with workers, managers and owners having to isolate. GPs and other health professionals are also trying to avoid unnecessary contact.

Electronic care management systems have helped services meet regulatory guidelines. However this crisis has led to many more benefits becoming apparent. With CAREis, our customers are giving remote access to GPs to review and leave notes and recommendations. Another service has their therapists working from home and carrying out consulta-

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.

tions remotely using CAREis to review and record their sessions. Managers using the system have reported that they find it reassuring to be able to remotely track and update care provision, audits and action plans. And families have been able to see what has been happening for their loved ones by logging in to the daily diary.

When choosing a new care management system it is important to check that it does everything that you need it to. Does it ensure your care and support is delivered as planned? Does it flag when things are missed? Does it allow remote access to you, your staff and selected professionals? Does it allow you to complete audits and inspection reports? Does it allow you to track and update action plans? Can you plan and track training, and carry out supervisions and appraisals on the system? CAREis does all this and more.

CAREis is easy to install and you can be up and running in a couple of weeks with or new easy start system. We can demo, install and support remotely.

If you would like more information, please email us at info@careis.net or call us on 01424 400060 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 patent-pending 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

Euroservice Trolleys Celebrating Its 40th Year Euroservice Trolleys is delighted to be celebrating its 40th year. It has been involved in the sales and manufacture of trolleys since 1980. All manufactured in Leicestershire, the trolleys offer that extra touch of class to any establishment. For the growing and competitive Care Home sector, standing out from the crowd with trolley service is important.

Euroservice offers a range of stylish and practical trolleys to add that homely feel.

Why not bring a little glamour to the service in your care home and make everyday a special occasion.

Medpage Limited Medpage Limited have manufactured quality affordable caring technologies for over 30 years. We specialise in providing bespoke design and development solutions for patient care.

We were challenged recently to develop an alarm solution for a wandering resident in a care home on a limited budget. The alarm was to operate independently from the house nurse call

Watch your residents’ eyes light up when the trolley is wheeled into the room with the cakes and that lovely cup of tea.... Style and practicality define Euroservice trolleys so call the friendly sales staff today to discuss your new trolley! All trolleys are available in any colour with a variety of styles to choose from. They look forward to your call. w: www.euroservice-uk.com e: sales@euroservice-uk.com t: 0800 917 7943 system and required to send notifications to the carer mobile phone with time and dated incident reports. This we did with 100% success. The alarm is now a mainstream product sold nationally.

Reassurance and confidence in a supplier is paramount to a successful business relationship, especially where healthcare is concerned.

You can rest assured that when you buy and use our products you are connected with a company with backbone and a passion to offer care technologies that deliver performance and quality.

Visit www.medpage-ltd.com

Infection Control Thermometers UK thermometer manufacturer, TME, explains the important role being played by food thermometers during the coronavirus.

Infection control has never been more of a priority for our hospitals, care and nursing homes keeping vulnerable people safe from the coronavirus. This critical task is obviously their number one concern. Careful food safety measures including the hygienic preparation and delivery of meals also continues to play an important supportive role.

Tom Sensier, MD: “TME Thermometers is staying operational throughout the crisis to continue manufacturing and supplying food thermometers for those who need them, and our staff are ready with help and advice.”

TME’S ULTRA HYGIENIC FOOD RANGE

TME’s CA2005 thermometer range for preventing bacterial cross-contamination combines waterproof thermometers, colour coded dishwasher-safe probes and colour coded stainless steel storage for an ultrahygienic food safety solution.

The CA2005-P thermometer with dishwasher-safe probe can be bought for as little as £65 and the CA2005-PK kit with 6 anti-cross contamination colourcoded needle probes is now just £125.

TME offers a full range of temperature test and measurement equipment for food manufacturing, catering and legionella risk prevention at its online shopping site www.tmethermometers.com or by contacting 01903 700651 sales@tmethermometers.com

TME – When temperature matters

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 3 | PAGE 37