The Carer Digital - Issue #6

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

THECARERUK

THECARERUK

Issue 6

Not the Time to Ease Restrictions in Care Homes Despite Fall in Death Rates

Care providers fear a spike in the number of care and nursing home deaths from coronavirus if lockdown restrictions are lifted too quickly.

In response to figures released this week by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) which reveal that deaths in care homes have fallen for the second week in a row, providers have urged caution in any easing of restrictions.

Of all deaths involving coronavirus up to May 1, some 22,873 took place in hospitals, while 10,535 were elsewhere.

Of these: • 8,314 took place in care homes • 1,562 were in private homes

• 386 occurred in hospices • 142 took place in other communal establishments • 133 happened elsewhere The Independent Care Group (ICG) said whilst some restrictions were being eased elsewhere, the battle against Covid-19 in homes was still raging.

Care homes have notified the Care Quality Commission that 8,314 people have died (in the period up to 8 May since 10 April), when the care regulator first began gathering death figures for publication by the ONS.

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT Welcome to the sixth edition of The Carer Digital “Caregiving has no second agendas or hidden motives. The care is given from love for GARY ZUKAV the joy of giving without expectation, no strings attached.”

As I write this the political football which is the care sector is currently being kicked about and heatedly debated between the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the leader of the Opposition, Sir Kier Starmer. The leader of the Opposition has been accusing the Prime Minister of misleading the House over the Government’s care home rules during Prime Minister’s Question Time. This also on the same day a TV presenter/journalist has come out and said that he would have “beaten the coronavirus” had he been Prime Minister.

Yes, he really said that! With the wonderful gift that is hindsight he would, he says, have done many differently and we Editor would not be in this crisis (oh my aching sides).

I get bombarded with politically motivated agenda driven comments for publishing several times a day. You won’t see them in our publications either in print or online, they don’t belong here! Mainstream media is, in my opinion, making a pretty good job of politicising the crisis and certainly do not need my help.

That is not to say anybody is above or exempt from criticism. Constructive criticism from credible sources is welcome. I will take this opportunity to agree completely with the Independent Care Group who have called for restraint in the easing of lockdown in the care sector.

It is heartening that deaths in care homes have fallen for the second week. Social care is the frontline in the fight against coronavirus and while it is encouraging to see weekon-week fall in care home fatalities from COVID-19, we need to continue doing all we can to protect our most elderly and vulnerable, and easing locked out at this stage would be folly .

Furthermore, the Office of National Statistics also revealed that care workers are twice as likely to die than NHS workers. I think Sally Warren, director of policy at The King’s Fund, is absolutely right when she said: “These shocking figures suggest that social care workers are being disproportionately exposed to the virus and need more protection. This is further evidence that social care is right on the front line in the battle against coronavirus, and staff need to be prioritised and protected accordingly. There is a real crisis in social care; people are dying, and more will die if the Government doesn’t give the same priority to social care as it does to the NHS.” And we have put out another media alert for industry organisations and experts for their views on how government policy should be reshaped in the future. This crisis has really highlighted how underfunded and how taken for granted the sector has been. I know that your priorities are obviously elsewhere at the moment, but we would also welcome your views!

I also put out an appeal to care homes and staff to send uplifting stories, initiatives and events for us to share and we have had some really wonderful ones these past few days.

We had some wonderful VE resident stories which we have been delighted to share on our website and digital newsletter, also initiatives regarding music, fitness, dancing, arts

Peter Adams

and crafts. It is the social interaction between staff and the people living in a care home environment that is one of the most important elements in any older person’s health and wellbeing and, of course, reassuring to families who are unable to visit during this time.

The elderly in our residential in our nursing care homes have seen and lived through war/the Blitz, rationing, recessions and are a very resilient group, sharing their stories, and sharing their positive outlook on life in adverse times is a joy and a lesson for us all here at The Carer!

Once again I would draw your attention to our Unsung Hero award this issue please see page 27. No frills, no gimmicks, no fancy award ceremony - a straightforward no-nonsense recognition award for somebody in the sector from any department who deserves to be recognised for what they have done.

It isn’t much, I know, given the current circumstances, and how we wish we could award everybody!

So please get nominating! This lockdown is not going to last forever and the hotels will be open for business soon - a luxury two night break for two people in a choice of over 300 hotels awaits! nominate@thecareruk.com Say hello to some of our previous winners:

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WEBSITE: www.thecareruk.com EDITOR Peter Adams SALES EXECUTIVES Sylvia Mawson David Bartlett Guy Stephenson TYPESETTING & DESIGN Matthew Noades PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Shelly Roche

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 3

Not the Time to Ease Restrictions in Care Homes Despite Fall in Death Rates (...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

There were 2,423 care home deaths linked to Covid-19 registered in the week ending 1 May figures from the Office for National Statistics show. That is down from almost 2,800 for the week before. It was reported that for the first time, overall care home deaths exceeded hospital deaths during that week.

Meanwhile, however, social care market analysts Carterwood has warned that Covid-19 could increase care home deaths in the over-65s in England by as many as 36,000 in the coming year, based on its research.

ICG chair, Mike Padgham said: “Whilst the figures do demonstrate a downward trend, care providers are very conscious that death and sickness from coronavirus is still very real and frightening within care and nursing homes and that we must not ease up.

“Homes have to maintain lockdown restrictions, even though it might be frustrating for relatives and friends, because we are not through this yet, not by a long way.

“We must always remember that behind every statistic is a human loss, the tragic passing of a much-loved mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or friend.

“It is good news that death rates appear to be falling and that the Government is starting to ease lockdown measures. But as far as the situation in care and nursing homes is concerned, we have to stay as we are; otherwise we will get more and more deaths.

“What we also need now is some expert guidance from the Government on how we move forward, particularly over lifting restrictions on people visiting their loved ones. We have to be extremely cautious but our residents cannot remain in lockdown for ever.”

On Monday, the Office for National Statistics revealed that 86 women and 45 men working in social care had died from Covid-19 up to 20th April. This death rate was actually higher than for those working in healthcare.

Mr Padgham said the ONS figures seemed to show that social care workers have suffered worse death rates than those working in NHS care.

“The reasons might be varied,” he added. “The age profile for those working in care is higher so that might play a part. But the quality of the protective equipment we had in the early stages and the difficulties in sourcing that PPE, may also have played a part too. It is clear that workers in social care were not as well protected in the early days as those in NHS healthcare.”

Time for Celebration is When All Staff Consistently Have the PPE They Need Responding to the Government’s announcement of new domestic PPE production for staff, Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said: “This is yet another big promise and it may well be justified but the time for celebration will be when every member of staff across health and social care has access to the protective equipment they need, when they need it. In spite of the progress that has been made we are still some way from achieving that.

“However understandable it may be, we know staff confidence has been hit by confusion over guidance, by supply difficulties and promises not being met. The urgent task now is to move from hand to mouth to constant and consistent supply. Even though the number of cases may be falling for now the rate at which these items are used is truly staggering.

“We do understand the aim of sourcing international stocks as

a nation but until there is full confidence in the national supply chain, our members and their partners will continue to rely on topping up through their own regional suppliers. We are also still waiting for an online platform which GP, community and social care services can rely on.

“This is a massive undertaking but the ambition to create a solid domestic supply is the right one, not just for now but for always. Given the costs it is unlikely we will ever be self-sufficient in normal times but planning for a future epidemic must involve the creation of a large enough home industry that can step up in an emergency if and when needed, as well as a national stockpile that is routinely refreshed and replenished.

“We also very much welcome the extension of Lord Deighton’s appointment to oversee the whole PPE process. Restoring staff confidence will take time but we seem to be heading in the right direction.”

The ICG has previously warned that care providers were being hampered in their fight against Covid-19 through a lack of PPE and insufficient testing. It has also called on the Government to provide better financial support for care providers amidst concerns that the £3.2bn pledged for local authorities to help them support social care is not getting to the front line.

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

Responding to the ONS figures, Fiona Carragher, director of Research and Influencing at Alzheimer’s Society said: “We need to know why the death toll in care homes remains so high in addition to coronavirus-reported deaths.

We now approach our third month of lockdown, still with a tragically high number of care home deaths.

“70% of care home residents have dementia and we’re deeply concerned that this indicates an increase in deaths due to dementia, caused by isolation and reduction in care workers. We need a plan to put in place safe social contact for people with dementia, so that their wellbeing and health is not irreversibly damaged by this pandemic."

Biggest Threat to Life Remains Risk of Second Peak Responding to the Government's plan to begin lifting England's coronavirus lockdown, Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said: “This plan contains welcome recognition that the biggest threat to life remains the risk of a second peak that overwhelms the healthcare system this winter, when it will be under more pressure and the NHS still needs to deliver non-urgent care.

"Now is not the time to throw away the gains made in controlling the virus.

Everyone is desperate to return to some kind of normality, but the NHS is still treating thousands of patients with COVID-19 and there is a tragedy unfolding in care homes. We have not yet cracked the PPE challenge nor access to testing, and we are not ready to roll out the test, track, trace strategy.

“However, the difference in emphasis of the message about staying at home between England and countries including Wales and Scotland is concerning.

“The greatest chance of success we have of safely beginning to lift lockdown measures and ultimately to ease social distancing must be if a clear central message is communicated across the UK and that is not the case here.

“The emphasis on face coverings rather than face masks is encouraging because NHS face mask supply must not be compromised by public demand. Mask distribution must be prioritised for health and care staff, as well as essential workers in community pharmacies and supermarkets who cannot avoid being within two metres of customers.

“The challenge facing the NHS is enormous. There is now a huge backlog of unmet demand, longer waiting lists for operations and thousands of patients who have had their treatment postposed.

“The NHS has been open for business throughout this pandemic but we know many patients have not sought help when they needed it and that is a real cause of concern."

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Understanding & Overcoming the Impact of Social Distancing on Caregiving Relationships in Dementia Care

By Luke Tanner, trainer & consultant for Meaningful Care Matters

Social distancing is the first nationwide no touch policy we have ever had. Those of us fortunate enough to be living with close friends, partners or family will continue to be close to each other, in one way or another, as we get on with our day to day lives as best we can. Many people who live alone or in care settings, however, are separated from their loved ones and being deprived of meaningful physical contact.

Contact with care workers may be the only face to face contact they have with the outside world. Those carers must now also keep their distance and refrain from engaging in any non-necessary touch. Many of these key workers will now be doing something which will feel very counter intuitive; be more caring by maintaining a distance. Many will find it very difficult to suppress their natural impulse to comfort, reassure or connect with touch. Empathy, care and touch, after all, are inti-

mately intertwined.

Reflecting on the role of touch in care may seem like it’s dwelling on minor details in the midst of a major crisis. However, social distancing places a profound barrier between caregiver and receiver because comforting touch and closeness plays such a major role in conveying a caring intent, and building the trust and affection key to consensual caregiving. When care is delivered without a sense of trust, empathy or affection, the people receiving care will end up feeling more like problems to be dealt with or tasks to be done rather than people to be met and appreciated. In dementia care, where touch and non-verbal communication plays such a significant role in shaping people’s sense of relationships, this barrier threatens to destroy trust and affection, compromising consent.

From the perspective of someone living with dementia, a carer’s attempt to assist in personal care or a daily living task may look more like being taken in for surgery by a stranger for some unknown operation. In concealing people’s facial expressions, face masks will severely undermine the person’s capacity to sense the carer’s feeling towards them, making it more difficult to assess their intentions. In these stressful situations, full of uncertainty, it can matter a lot more how someone is (their body language and tone of voice) than what they actually say.

Recognising the profound implications of social distancing, professional dementia care workers in Butterfly Care Homes in Canada and the UK are trying to overcome this barrier in some very thoughtful and creative ways, from exaggerating body language (so it speaks more loudly) to using objects and imagery to bring more comfort and joy.

The examples below aim to inspire other carers struggling to overcome the challenges posed by social distancing measures. The approaches help to demonstrate the multiplicity of ways that we can make and sustain meaningful connections: • Use props to take attention away from the mask e.g. wearing a silly hat,

mickey mouse ears, a feather, or bring comforting objects and imagery like flowers, trees, rainbows, childrens drawings, or soft toys to people.

• Exaggerate hand gestures. In addition to showing explanations, they can also convey intentions and levels of trust. For example, gestures towards your heart can indicate a heartfelt intent, and bringing your hands together can indicate a coming together, connection or resolution. Open handed gestures are softer and safer than closed fisted gestures or finger pointing.

• Sustain your eye contact for far longer than normal and let them twinkle and sparkle. Sustained eye contact is a powerful way to convey safety and trust.

• Slow down, rushing around signifies alarm and distress to someone who is relying on your body language to make sense of their situation.

• Sit down for a moment before and/or after you do any task - sitting down indicates that you have come to be with the person rather than just get something done. It shows that you care about the person more than the thing you need to get done.

Reflecting on the role of our body language actually shows how powerful each one of us already are. Our simple gestures, from our breathing to our “smiley eyes”, can shape how another person feels.

Being more aware of our body language actually means slowing down and doing a little less, so that we can communicate more effectively in a language that many people living with dementia are highly responsive to. Expressing this compassionate body language and playfulness can actually generate more comfort, ease, safety and joy within carers, as well as recipients of care. One of the joys of working in dementia care is the fact that heartfelt playfulness plays such an important role in caregiving. Many carers are showing us just how essential this heartfelt playfulness is in times of crisis.

Luke Tanner is a trainer & consultant for Meaningful Care Matters, body psychotherapist and author of “Embracing Touch in Dementia Care. A Person-Centred Approach to Touch and Relationships.”

Derbyshire Centenarian Celebrates 100th Birthday by Beating Coronavirus Margaret Hallford lives at Eckington Court care home in Derbyshire and has enjoyed a double celebration this week after recovering from coronavirus in time to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Staff at the Orchard Care Homes run residence in Penny Engine Lane, Eckington, moved Margaret to an isolation unit as soon as she showed symptoms of the virus and have now thrown her a mini-party to celebrate her landmark achievement.

Home Manager Trudy Godley headed up the unit, ably supported by some of her staff who volunteered to join her. After going home to collect personal belongings the two teams of volunteers moved into the home so that they could share the load by living in the isolation unit for 4 days at a time. Staff with children sent them to relatives so they could dedicate their days and nights to caring for their

charges.

Although Margaret is still weak she is recovering nicely and enjoyed her surprise party to celebrate her centenary. Staff arranged for Margaret’s family to be in the grounds of the home so they could applaud her and sing Happy Birthday at a safe distance, and cards were read out to her before everyone enjoyed a slice of birthday cake.

Trudy Godley acknowledged the day, saying, “Margaret is a lovely lady with a very supportive family. She was very poorly with COVID-19 but is slowly recovering. It’s a pleasure to help Margaret and her family celebrate her 100th Birthday as well as her recovery from the virus. My team have been amazing in caring for our residents in isolation and making sure other residents still receive all the care and attention they deserve.”

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Government Launches New Portal For Care Homes To Arrange Coronavirus Testing A new online portal that makes it easy for care homes to arrange deliveries of coronavirus test kits has been launched at www.gov.uk/applycoronavirus-test-care-home As the national testing capacity has increased, the government is prioritising testing for care homes and other areas with the greatest need.

All symptomatic and asymptomatic care home staff and residents in England are now eligible for testing. Testing will be prioritised for care homes that look after the over 65s.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said: “The additional testing capacity we have achieved delivers many thousands of tests a day for residents and staff in care homes.

“This new portal allows those who book tests for staff and residents to do so even more easily, and it also offers a route for the prioritisation of care homes with the greatest need.

“We will continue to grow our testing capacity, as we know the certainty and confidence that high quality testing can provide.”

Minister of State for Care, Helen Whately, said: “Care homes are on the frontline in the fight against Covid-19 and we are determined that staff have everything they need to keep themselves and their residents safe. Testing is a crucial part of this. It helps prevent

and control outbreaks and means steps can be taken to reduce the spread the virus and protect the most vulnerable. By prioritising thousands of tests for care home staff and residents, we can target our national testing capacity in the areas and care homes with the greatest need.”

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with local authority Directors of Public Health, Directors of Adult Social Services and local NHS providers to deliver this testing programme for care homes.

Tens of thousands of care home workers and residents have already been tested, either by Public Health England, or at drive-through testing sites, mobile testing units and via satellite testing kits - packages of tests sent to care homes for staff to use on residents.

Testing asymptomatic workers helps prevent and control outbreaks. It means those who test positive can be isolated, reducing the number of people who can spread the virus and protecting the most vulnerable. It also helps to build up a strategic understanding of the prevalence of the virus in local areas and the sector as a whole.

Test results for residents will be communicated to the care home managers. This information will also be provided to councils in order to help manage coronavirus outbreaks in local areas.

Social Care Sector To See Continued Economic Growth As Local Sectors Recover COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on all areas of the UK Economy, however according to data analysed by Commercial Property Specialists Instant Offices, the sectors that are least affected are mostly likely to see a faster bounce back with predictions pointing towards a slow recovery starting from July 2020 following relaxed lockdown measures.

HOW MUCH COULD COVID-19 INCREASE OR DECREASE EACH SECTORS’ GVA IN 2020?

By looking to the top sectors that are most and least impacted to overall productivity and output, the sectors that are likely to be the least and most affected are: • Education and Utilities sectors as operations have still largely been able to continue remotely.

• Due to the high demand for services, health & social care, and public admin sectors are both likely to see increased economic productivity or GVA. • Food services as well as the hotel and transport sectors are likely to see the most significant impact to overall productivity and output, resulting in lower GVA.

UK REGIONAL GVA RECOVERY IN 2021 Based on the sectoral make-up of each region, the analysis shows

London’s GVA is set to be the least affected due to its extensive service-based economy and remote workforce, with a reduction of 7.3% in 2020. However, in 2021, they will only see a slight increase at 8%. In contrast, the West Midlands is forecast to see GVA reduce by 10.1% but in 2021 this is likely to increase at 11.3% due to its sizeable automotive sector. Similarly, in the East of England, slow recovery in its large construction sector will see GVA reduce by 10% this year but will see an increase at 11.1%.

Trends in China are helping to shape predictions for future bounceback closer to home. A recent Statista survey on the impact of COVID19 on Chinese society asked 5,859 respondents aged between 18 and 60 years which industries are likely to recover the fastest after the crisis is over.

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis is pushing many of these sectors to adapt and adjust. For example: • Education has experienced a relatively low impact, as teachers and schools have made a move to virtual classrooms. Analysts are predicting that online learning will become the “new normal”.

• Commercial real estate has been significantly impacted, and companies are adapting quickly to offset this by offering virtual tours.

Of the analysis, John Williams, Head of Marketing at The Instant

Group says, “This period of uncertainty has put immense pressure on virtually every sector across the board, however, we’re also seeing unprecedented levels of innovation emerge from the crisis.

Employees are working remotely, classrooms have gone online, the property industry is doing virtual tours and alcohol companies are producing hygiene products. Our ability to adapt and future-proof is inspiring. Despite a gloomy GDP outlook for most countries, we are slowly seeing companies resume business operations in most areas of China, which is an encouraging indication.”

“The good news is the scale of recovery across most UK regions in 2021 will be similar to contractions in 2020, indicating that as most sectors start to recover, local economies could make up for lost ground. The economy is not set to return to its 2019 size until 2023, however slow bounce back is expected across the board as consumer demand increases post-COVID-19, and global economic activity starts to ramp up.”

For all the information on the analysis that Instant Offices collected around Which Industries Will Bounce Back Fastest Post-COVID-19? you can find this here: https://www.instantoffices.com/blog/instantoffices-news/industry-bounce-back-post-covid-19/

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Caring For Mental Health During A Crisis and Beyond

By Autism Wessex CEO, Siún Cranny COVID-19 has put a huge strain on every care facility in the UK, and internationally. The most vulnerable people in our communities are facing an unprecedented risk to their wellbeing, and those caring for them are in the limbo of the unknown.

Now more than ever, it is crucial that mental health and wellbeing are at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

AUTISM AND MENTAL HEALTH As a charity which cares for and supports neuro diverse people across the spectrum, many with additional difficulties, we see how diverse the day to day challenges are.

However, one issue most autistic people face is anxiety around change. Routine is key and when that normality is broken, it can be incredibly difficult for individuals to cope.

An important part of daily life for key workers within the charity is to help support clients to manage this. For those in residential homes, we needed to take measures to ensure that the home is isolated which has meant recreating familiar routines within the home environment.

For example, one team of keyworkers created a “pub” in the back garden for one resident. Part of his routine was a daily a visit to his local for soft drink and a packet of crisps. To help him deal with lockdown, the temporary pub was created in the garden’s summerhouse with a

few donated items and other spare bits they had to-hand in the house.

Familiarity helps to calm anxiety as well as encourage social skills and interaction amongst all in the home, which in turn helps to lift moods and maintain positivity.

MENTAL WELLBEING FOR STAFF The sacrifices being made by all care workers around the world have been astounding, and that includes our teams at Autism Wessex. Some have had to move out of their homes and into isolation to continue working and others are picking up double shifts to help cover absences.

With this level of responsibility during a crisis, there is a high risk of burnout. I am a believer that prevention is better than cure – the more help, guidance and support we put in early on, the quicker we can address any problems.

To help with this, we have trained up twenty members of staff to become mental health first aiders; a group of friendly and familiar faces who staff can turn to in complete confidence.

Our finance team have also evolved to be a great help during this turbulent time; they down tools for an hour every day to become our ‘touch-base team’. They check in on our 500 employees, keep us up to date with issues and answer any general questions.

It was really important to me to show our people that we are thinking of them and were there for them, even though we can’t see them face to face.

THE FUTURE

COVID-19 has turned a spotlight on the sector, and, as with any crisis or major change, this pandemic has given charities the opportunity to do things differently. For us, it has freed up some hard boundaries between departments and allowed space for inventiveness.

What’s next is to build on the strengths of our charity. I want to use this time as an example to show that carers aren’t people with low career prospects. We are putting in place new learning pathways for our keyworkers so they can develop a career structure in the charity. We had started this before COVID, but COVID has spurred us on.

We know that caring is an amazing job, but not everyone wants to move to management but unfortunately, it is the only way to progress in this field. We aim to change that. Our plan will support every keyworker with the opportunity for an expert career ladder with us, stepping away from the traditional management triangle and empowering them to achieve their aspirations.

Supporting mental wellbeing and growth won’t stop after COVID-19 and it is as central to us for our staff as it is for our client group. Our wellbeing programme and our positive approach to key working will be central to our success of the future.

Siún Cranny, CEO of Autism Wessex, joined the charity in 2017. She has a wealth of experience in the not-for-profit and public sectors having led Sargent Cancer Care for Children and a national mental health charity in Ireland. Her diverse experience includes leading the modernisation of Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Covid-19 Volunteer Testing Network Scaling Up Delivering Tests for GPs and Care Home Workers The Covid-19 Volunteer Testing Network has rapidly expanded testing capacity across the UK. The project, launched last month, helps small laboratories run critical antigen testing and identify Covid-19 cases among healthcare workers. The initiative complements the government’s centralised testing program with a distributed network of smaller, local labs.

Starting from a single lab running 100 tests/day for 10 GP surgeries, the network now has 6 labs live testing up 1000 healthcare workers each day across 50 GP surgeries. Over 20 more labs are in the pipeline and expected to go live in May and June.

Network labs are testing health workers locally, so most are able to deliver same-day results. Labs deliver swab kits to GP surgeries and care homes, then pick them up when they have been completed, reducing the need to drive long distances to a testing centre.

The network is supporting regular screening of local healthcare workers with some GP practice staff being swabbed twice per week.

“We believe that it is vital to test even asymptomatic frontline health-

care workers regularly” said Covid-19 Volunteer Testing Network founder Mike Fischer CBE. “Even people who do not show symptoms may be carriers of the virus, and transmit the infection to others.”

WHY IT IS VITAL TO TEST ASYMPTOMATIC CARE WORKERS Davis French & Associates is a private laboratory in the network which has been screening workers in four GP surgeries, a care home, and a community care provider. They are a prime example of the importance of testing asymptomatic healthcare workers.

Davis French conducted tests on the staff of a care provider which had a number of elderly customers who had been taken critically ill and subsequently hospitalised with Covid-19. The provider was concerned that their carers had been exposed to the disease, and possibly transmitted the disease as they visited different homes to provide care.

Greg French, Managing Director of Davis French & Associates, said: “We tested 20 of their carers, finding eight positives. None of them had been showing symptoms when they were tested, but had still been at

risk of shedding the virus. Our testing helped to make sure that the disease was discovered and they could isolate. This helps to keep them away from other staff and those in need of care, keeping them safe and slowing the spread of the virus.”

Healthcare workers are pressed for time and those without symptoms may not self-refer to testing centres. “We need to organise bringing tests to people rather than bringing people to the tests. It needs to be a systematic and frequent effort” said Greg French.

He continued: “The COVID-19 Volunteer Testing Network has been hugely supportive of our efforts. The funding that they have given us has been critical to us being able to keep testing. There is also great moral support. It is inspiring and reassuring to know that there are other people out there who want to do the same testing as we are doing. In the future, the network will be able to help us with resourcing, providing vital consumables like reagents. This will be very beneficial to us.” www.covid19-testing.org

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 7

Millions More Items Of PPE For Frontline Staff Thanks To New Business Partnerships

NHS and social care staff in the UK are set to receive millions of items of personal protective equipment (PPE) over the coming months thanks to new, innovative collaborations with a number of organisations, the government has announced.

Companies including Amazon, the Royal Mint, Jaguar Land Rover and eBay are supporting the government’s ongoing efforts to get PPE to the hardworking frontline staff, at no additional cost to the taxpayer.

This follows a call to action from the government for UK businesses to use their existing manufacturing power and expertise to meet the growing demand

for protective equipment.

More than 200 potential manufacturers have been identified and many have been contracted to make over 25 million items of PPE and deliver 12 million square metres of PPE fabric to produce items like gowns, gloves and aprons.

Deliveries have already started, including contracts for 2.5 million aprons and 50,000 bottles of hand sanitiser a week. Firms will be supported through the regulatory, testing and procurement process in less than a month to get PPE to the frontline as quickly as possible.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “In continuing to tackle this global pandemic we outlined the need for a great national effort to ensure our frontline NHS and social care continue to have all the equipment they need.

“The support from businesses who accepted this challenge has been phenomenal.

“International demand for PPE has never been so high, and we are now working with over 1000 businesses and establishing a British manufacturing base, which will see tens of millions of extra items of PPE delivered to the frontline in coming weeks alone.

“I want to thank Lord Deighton for his work leading this national effort, and everyone who has stepped

up to the plate.”

Lord Paul Deighton, advisor to the Secretary of State on PPE said: “It’s been fantastic to see so many companies come forward and offer their support for this vital undertaking. We are working tirelessly to look at all offers and are currently engaging with over a thousand different companies.

“However, there’s still more that can be done and I encourage any company with the capacity to step up and join the response. I look forward to seeing what future partnerships we can produce and what they can bring to the table to get healthcare workers the PPE they need.”

Examples of some of the support that has been accepted includes: • The Royal Mint will be providing over 1.9 million face visors over the next six months, with 54,000 being delivered a week; • A partnership with Amazon allows us to harness their global sourcing expertise; • eBay has provided a new platform, jointly developed with Clipper Logistics, that will allow primary, social, and community care providers to order from a range of PPE directly – the orders are then fulfilled by Clipper and shipped directly via Royal Mail; • Survitec, a survival technology company, will begin

Brunelcare Commemorates VE Day “The air raids didn’t stop them, they continued to deliver meals to the most vulnerable” Brunelcare, founded in 1941 at the height of WW2, is today commemorating VE Day (08th May). Founded during the Blitz, Brunelcare, then known as Old People’s Welfare Committee (OPWC), had three objectives during the war, “keep them warm, keep them fed, keep them alive.”

Today, nearly 80-years

later, we want to remember those who founded Brunelcare during the Blitz, and celebrate everyone who’s part of something more today. To do this, we have launched a brand new, emotive, minute-long video, diving into the charity’s archives and capturing the powerful history of Brunelcare. The video, that features many volunteers from 1941, also features nurses, carers and volunteers and the people Brunelcare currently care for, today.

Sasha Matthews, a HR Apprentice at Brunelcare, made an amazing discovery about her Great Grandmother,

producing gowns as soon as the beginning of June; • DTR Medical will be providing 1.3 million visors, with the first delivery expected next week; • Bolle, who manufacture protective eyewear, will make 6.5 million visors over the course of the pandemic; • Jaguar Land Rover is now manufacturing 14,000 visors a week for healthcare staff; • Don & Low will be manufacturing 12 million metres squared of fabric for gowns over the next six months, with the first delivery expected later this month; • Burberry is manufacturing non-surgical gowns at its factory in Castleford and sourcing masks through its supply chain. To date, the company has donated over 100,000 pieces of PPE to the NHS and healthcare charities.

• Ineos is delivering around 50,000 bottles of hand sanitiser a week to NHS hospitals The partnerships will help to bolster existing measures the government has implemented to increase the supply of PPE to the NHS and social care sector, as set out in the government’s national PPE plan published in April. This includes the creation of a PPE distribution network with the NHS, industry and armed forces, and a 24-hour NHS-run helpline to report any shortage of supplies.

Alice, who was one of the first volunteers at Brunelcare during the Blitz. She said: “During one of her deliveries in Patchway, Bristol, there was a sudden violent air raid and she ran to the nearest air raid shelter to wait for the bombings to pass.

It was a terrifying experience for her, but luckily she was unharmed. It didn’t stop her from her work, she continued to deliver meals to the families that needed them the most, showing just how selfless of a person she was.”

Finding out that her Great Grandmother was one of Brunelcare’s first volunteers during the Blitz was a heartwarming discovery for Sasha, and she says it has made her even more proud to be part of Brunelcare, nearly 80-years-later.

PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

PPE Fears - Should Employers Be Concerned About Whistleblowing Claims?

By Toyah Marshall, Principal Employment Law Adviser at Ellis Whittam (www.elliswhittam.com) Many will have read the recent news story of MP Nadia Whittome alleging she was dismissed from her volunteer care position for raising issues about PPE. Ms Whittome, who had previously worked for ExtraCare as a care assistant, returned to work as a casual worker in March. In the weeks leading up to her alleged dismissal, she had been vocal about the PPE issues facing the care sector. During one interview with BBC Newsnight, she claimed that masks in the home were limited to one per day and they were using visors that members of the public had made at home and donated. She claims that following this interview, she received an email from ExtraCare raising concerns about her speaking publicly about PPE issues in the home and, at the same time, reducing her hours to zero as her services were no longer needed.

Some might wonder what the issue with her employers’ actions are, as if her comments were indeed inaccurate or causing upset to the residents, as claimed by ExtraCare, surely they were right to let her go? And given she was also just a casual worker, surely there is no obligation on the employer to give her hours anyway?

Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple. Any worker or employee who

raises concerns with their employer about things such as health and safety or criminal activity in the workplace could be whistleblowing, and anyone whose employment is terminated as a result of this, or feels that they have been treated unfairly, can bring a claim. In this instance, whilst ExtraCare may genuinely no longer need their casual workers, the timing of this coinciding with the concerns raised about Ms Whittome’s public comments about a lack of PPE would make it easy for anyone to imply that the two matters were not mutually exclusive. However, just because Ms Whittome raised concerns about health and safety issues that may be in the public interest, it is possible that her comments to the media would not amount to a protected disclosure in any event.

Whilst an employee who makes a qualifying disclosure to their employer will likely be protected, where a qualifying disclosure is made to the media, an employee has potentially a much higher hurdle to overcome. There are several criteria an employee needs to meet in order for a disclosure made to the media to be protected: they must reasonably believe the information disclosed is true, not be making the disclosure for gain, and it must also be reasonable for them to make the disclosure. In addition, the employee is also expected to have made the disclosure to their employer first unless they reasonably believe that they will be subjected to a detriment for doing so or that the employer will destroy or conceal evidence. It is unclear whether Ms Whittome raised her concerns with ExtraCare before her BBC Newsnight interview and, if not, why she didn’t, but given her comments about being “able to afford to speak out”, it would suggest that if she did not, it was not

because she was concerned about suffering a detriment.

Whilst disciplinary action can be taken in certain circumstances where whistleblowing has occurred, caution still has to be taken. An employer’s automatic response to an employee raising concerns to a third party, where they consider those concerns to be unfounded or inaccurate, may be to discipline them for bringing the employer into disrepute, but it should be noted that an employee does not need to have raised their issues in “good faith” to be protected; they simply need to have a reasonable belief that the concern is “serious and imminent” – and how can we say COVID-19 is neither serious or imminent? The manner in which they go about raising their concerns to make a point could give an employer grounds to take disciplinary action where they view the employee’s conduct to amount to misconduct or even gross misconduct. In this case, their actions would fall outside of the protection offered by whistleblowing legislation, allowing the employer to take disciplinary action. However, even with this, an employer’s response will still need to be reasonable as any ‘over the top’ disciplinary sanction could be seen as a reaction to the employee’s whistleblowing, thereby enabling them to claim.

Ms Whittome is now encouraging employees to come forward for her support if they believe they have been treated unfairly for raising similar concerns, meaning employees’ awareness of their rights in this regard is likely to increase. With this in mind, it is vital that employers understand their rights and know how to handle these situations carefully and appropriately without leaving the door open to claims.

Care Home Resident And War Veteran Writes Poem To Celebrate VE Day A resident at Patcham Nursing Home in Brighton is leading VE Day celebrations with a poem he has written for the occasion.

Len Goldman, 103, is a published poet and served in Burma during WWII. He was asked to write a poem to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day, drawing on his memories of the time.

His poem, The Gores of War, paints a vivid picture of battle and eventual victory, and his feelings about the time he served at war.

The former history teacher was born in Weston-Super-Mare and moved to Brighton as a child. In addition to his poetry, he has published a number of books about his life growing up in Brighton, his experiences in India during the war.

Len has been a resident at Patcham Nursing Home since January and is currently keeping in touch with his wife, Rita and daughter Fleur

using FaceTime and by phone, due to visitation restrictions caused by the coronavirus.

Prior to the lockdown, Rita would visit for dates in the sun lounge with a small sherry, and Len would recite her a poem or two. As well as calls, romantic Len also sends his wife notes every day.

Pat Hurst, manager at Patcham Nursing Home, said: “Len is a fantastic resident and is always delighting us with poems. He has a lovely way with words and his VE Day poem really captures the spirit of the day and what it must have been like to be there.

“It is important to us to help all of our residents to continue the activities they enjoyed when they were younger. Exploring creative activities, such as writing helps to keep their minds active and we love seeing the amazing work they produce.

“Len’s wish is to have a laptop at the home so he can write more poetry. If anyone has a spare working laptop that they could donate to our verse-writing veteran, he would love it.”

Len said: “I am absolutely overwhelmed with the staff and care at this home and my gratitude to all the staff who go out of their way to look after me and that’s what inspired me to write the poem.”

Patcham Nursing Home is part of Wren Retirement Living and is

currently managed by Healthcare Management Solutions.

GORES OF WAR by Len Goldman Tens of millions wounded or dead Yes, the great god of war had sumptuously fed Orphans and widows grief stricken what a terrible sight We tried to console them, but the task was not light In the end the Red Army had the enemy on the run Yes, the final battle approached once it had begun The western allies triumphant from our side of the world And now the bright flag of victory was proudly unfurled What an outpouring of happiness and relief In Trafalgar Square on VE Day was beyond belief There were millions who got safely home They stayed there with their families never more to roam Wars are an abomination We should ban them forever And handling their weapons one day we will sever But let’s remember that overwhelming feeling The warmth and the joy so heartfelt and revealing

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 9

Care Homes Account For 40% Of All Coronavirus Deaths In Week Ending May 1 Care home deaths accounted for some 40% of coronavirus-related fatalities registered in England and Wales in the week ending May 1, with at least 10,535 of all deaths to date taking place outside hospitals, according to statistics released on May 12. figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that a total of 33,408 deaths involving COVID-19 were registered in England and Wales between 28 December 2019 and 1 May 2020 (year to date).

In England, including deaths that occurred up to 1 May but were registered up to 9 May, of those that have been processed so far, the number involving COVID-19 was 33,337; the comparative number of death notifications reported by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on GOV.UK was 25,282 and NHS England numbers, which are deaths in hospitals only, showed 21,647 deaths.

In Wales, including deaths that occurred up to 1 May but were registered up to 9 May, of those we have processed so far, the number involving COVID-19 was 1,641; the comparative number of death notifications reported by the DHSC on GOV.UK was 969 and Public Health

Wales (PHW) numbers, which come from the same source as the DHSC figures but are continuously updated, showed 998 deaths.

In England, the number of deaths involving COVID-19 in care homes that were registered by 1 May was 6,997, while in Wales the number of deaths was 404.

Of all deaths involving coronavirus up to May 1, some 22,873 took place in hospitals, while 10,535 were elsewhere.

Of these: • 8,312 took place in care homes • 1,562 were in private homes • 386 occurred in hospices In response to the new ONS data released today, Fiona Carragher, Director of Research and Influencing at the Alzheimer’s society said: ‘Sadly, devastation continues in care homes with more than three times the usual number of deaths than average reported clearly showing the cost of not putting social care on an equal footing with the NHS. We need to know why the death toll in care homes remains so high in addition to coronavirus-reported deaths.

70% of care home residents have dementia and we’re deeply concerned that this indicates an increase in deaths due to dementia, caused by isolation and reduction in care workers.

‘Each of these deaths is a heart-breaking loss to their friends, families and carers which is why the Government must honour their commitment to ensure care homes get testing for all residents and staff and the protective equipment they need. We now approach our third month of lockdown, still with a tragically high number of care home deaths.

‘Meanwhile, people with dementia are really struggling with the lack of visits from loved ones. We need a plan to put in place safe social contact for people with dementia, so that their wellbeing and health is not irreversibly damaged by this pandemic. The calls we receive on our Dementia Connect support line show just how worried people are about the impact of this, so we’re asking the public to support our Emergency Appeal in any way they can to raise funds to ensure people affected by dementia don’t feel abandoned.’

Cambridgeshire Care Group Calls For Change In Perceptions Of Social Care Sector During Coronavirus Crisis A Cambridgeshire care community is calling for a change in perception of the social care sector, as it expresses concern about the narrative in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, which fails to do justice to the variety of care encompassed by the industry.

Askham Village Community, a specialist rehabilitation and care group near Doddington, is calling for more nuanced messaging around social care, with much of the reporting around the care industry’s experience of the crisis failing to convey the diversity within the sector or to accurately reflect the degree to which it is coping.

Askham hopes that a fairer reflection of social care will provide vital reassurances to all residents and their family members, not to mention staff, that there are positives stories and there are some real successes to celebrate amongst these tough times.

Aliyyah Begum-Nasser, Operations Director at Askham Village Community, said: “Whilst there are people living and working in care homes who have suffered from COVID-19, there are many, many more out there continuing to enjoy peaceful, comfortable times – thanks in no small part to the staff working in social care. Much of the generic messaging however, presents care homes as places of risk, depicting them as under resourced, with residents consequently under protected.”

She continued: “The sector is full of people who are doing their very best in the face of enormous challenge. Some have been struggling and these are the ones who, understandably, are making the headlines.

However, there are many people in care homes who are continuing to live happy, fruitful, positive lives, supported by staff who care for them and who are keeping them safe. We fear though that this aspect is being lost within the wider messaging.”

She added: “At present, the biggest challenge care homes face is keeping our staff motivated and supported to stay rational, to continue to come to work, to feel valued, and to feel protected. If we do this right – the rest will fall into place. It’s fantastic to see carers included in the weekly round of applause and to see social care put on a par with health care, however some of the messaging serves to undermine this positivity, which then runs the risk of care staff feeling hopeless, emotional, undervalued and unsafe.”

Aliyyah concluded: “Of course, PPE is rightly in the spotlight and does play a huge part in reducing the threat of COVID-19, however we all have a part to play in overturning the prevalent view that care homes are places that are high risk and unsafe. My experience of the sector, not just at Askham but beyond, is that they’re places of happiness and comfort. By pulling together and recognising this, we can help our social care superheroes to keep it that way.”

PAGE 10 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

Exploring The Benefits of Direct Employment Within the Care Sector Comments from Lucy Law, senior HR manager at Hugh Jones Solicitors – England’s largest independent Court of Protection firm At the heart of care and support work is the requirement to operate with a person-centred approach. It’s vital is to focus care on the needs of the individual as opposed to the needs of the service – a commitment that puts a client’s best interests before a provider’s commercial objectives.

Direct employment – where the client is the employer and the HR team act on their behalf – is becoming more common and offers a progressive approach to working within the sector. To become part of that working relationship and be entrusted to act directly on behalf of the employer is a privileged role and one that provides the opportunity to deliver totally tailored care.

To achieve a successful working relationship, staff must be sufficiently trained in regards to their employer’s specific support needs, supported in their role to progress and develop and have a clear channel of communication with HR to maintain employee relations and working expectations. Achievement of this sets the stage for optimum performance and good practice to maintain and support the standards a carer would expect from their support team.

Direct employment offers a unique opportunity to be flexible to each

client in regards to employment matters – aside from statutory requirements and employee rights. When they’re the employer, the terms and contractual elements really can reflect their choices and needs, but it does present a number of considerations around best interests. For example, employees may also be a family member or long-term friend, which in the view of many commercial care providers, could be a conflict of interest.

However, with the correct management in place for staff in direct employment this can be handled appropriately and allows a client to have their choice in who will offer them support. Flexibility in being able to make this decision is directly linked to best interests of the client as ordinarily you would find within a more commercialised setting that such decisions are bound by policies and precedents set by HR teams. This offers little flexibility for an individual review of whether this employment set up would be viable or appropriate. What may be an appropriate policy for one may not suit the needs of the next persons support, which is a real positive to the direct employment relationship.

At present, with the challenges that have been presented owing to COVID-19, the benefits of direct employment have become even more obvious. My firm works with society’s most vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and children and adults who have suffered maximum severity brain injury or brain damage due to medical negligence or catastrophic injury. In the wake of the outbreak, we have navigated and

offered support on a variety of responses to isolation and safeguarding, all of which have been tailored to the client’s needs and what they and their family deem to be suitable. During unprecedented times such as these, it’s essential that the client feels confident that measures taken are the most effective for them. This includes putting in place temporary care contracts for those wanting to have teams isolate in their household whilst working, evidencing the requirement for furlough for those wanting to reduce the numbers of staff coming into their home, right through to supporting through legislation those employers that at this time are not wanting a care team to visit.

There are lessons to be learnt and shared in the care sector from both employment styles and with the regulations and criteria set for the commercial care sector, they by default lead the way on best practice. This offers plenty of opportunity to incorporate more structure into the direct employment relationship to ensure that the clients at the centre of the work we do receive the benefits of developments made. This is clearly in line with both best interest and that of upholding best practice in interest of managing staff teams effectively going forward. As a HR manager working so closely with care providers, my focus is on ensuring that the wishes of the client are respected and maintained in line with their best interests whilst at the same time observing employee rights. Only when this balance is struck do all parties benefit and that should be the ultimate aim of the sector as a whole.

Keeping Engaged During Lockdown: Care Homes & At Home

By Gillian Hesketh MA - MD Happy Days Dementia Workshop, Activities & Design

We all know good mental health is as important as eating a healthy diet and exercising our bodies according to our capabilities. That’s why, especially during lockdown, we have to ensure people living in residential or dementia care homes, and people at home who need care and companionship are encouraged to engage and continue to be as socially active as possible.

With care and dementia homes closed to visitors and residents missing family members, the roles for care teams may have taken on different formats, adding shifts and multitasking to ensure residents are fully cared for. We’ve seen the wonderful work care teams are adding into their daily routines by regularly creating musical occasions for the people they care for. Some care teams have been able to help residents engage with family via social media which is ideal yet may only take up a small part of the day for a person who is living in residential care or alone at home.

Activity coordinators are busier than usual with days out cancelled, visiting entertainers, fitness instructors, hairdressers, unique visitors with

hens, chicks, reptiles or pets to pat, all unavailable. For activity coordinators and life style facilitators, activities may need to be provided more often and with new options. Constantly inventing new activities can become daunting and time consuming.

So here’s a few more ideas to help care teams continue to enrich social care during these difficult times: Create a Library Trolley - Add picture books and musical bird books.

Ask around to locate original magazines from the sixties and seventies: Woman’s Own, Classic Car, Railway Magazines, Cook Books, Gardening Books … Wheel out your trolley daily - Observe resident choices for new and meaningful conversations now and in the future.

Provide each resident with a triangular plain card or thick paper.

Everyone can draw or colour - Create bunting for the corridors to cheer everyone up - Chat about celebrations.

Knitting - Put together a basket of wool, knitting needles and patterns It’s amazing to see how many people can knit and will take you up on the offer of colourful wool. Some may just enjoy looking at the knitting patterns.

Prompt stories about Make Do & Mend.

Postcards - Ask relatives to send in postcards. Create a collection for people to enjoy. Ideal for prompting conversations around holidays and family events. Some residents may enjoy writing postcards to send to their families - or write the postcards with their words.

Tool Boxes - At Happy Days, we know the gents like to remember their days at work or at home repairing, decorating and creating; being in their

shed or garden. We’ve put together ‘Fix It’ Boxes with imitation tools, sanding blocks, switches, gadgets and everyday reminders to help prompt conversations and stimulate activity.

Encourage conversations around past interests and hobbies, sports teams, clubs joined, music choices, television programmes, books, films, celebrities, holiday destinations, family interests, friends and celebrations.

Just chatting is an activity many people enjoy.

Conversation Prompt Cards can often help prompt conversations and as everyone is busy caring, we have a range of chat and engagement packs available to despatch same day.

Corridor Bingo - Each resident sits at their room’s doorway so they can see other people but remain socially distanced. Bingo callers are bound to become super-fit, calling the numbers up and down the corridors. See Happy Days Picture Bingo with large display images and large wipe-clean bingo cards.

For Home Care - Create a Bag full of washable or wipe-clean nostalgic items to help engage and reminisce with the people you care for.

Encourage board games, diaries, colouring, picture books, sorting, stacking, tidying drawers and cupboards. Maintain daily skills - share dusting, preparing food and repairs to boxes and everyday items.

We understand the need to stay safe - most of Happy Days Dementia Workshop & Activity items are washable or wipe clean for infection control.

For social activities and nostalgic games, chat prompts and themed displays - shop online at www.dementiaworkshop.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 11

Brits Avoiding Difficult Conversations About Coronavirus Wishes, Finds Survey By Older People’s Charity More than half (56%) of surveyed adults in the UK haven’t spoken to family members or friends about what their wishes would be if they became severely ill or died because of COVID-19, and don’t intend to. Moreover, fewer than a quarter (23%) have actually had this conversation already. That’s according to new polling from the older people’s charity, Independent Age. Surveying 2000 people aged 16 and over in the UK ahead of Dying Matters Week, the charity found that Brits are still unable to talk about death with their loved ones, with just under one in three (31%) saying that talking about death is always difficult, no matter the circumstances. More than one in 13 (8%) think that it has become even more difficult to talk about death in the context of coronavirus.

The most common reason given to not talk about death with family members or friends was not wanting to upset them (22%). Respondents aged 65 and over, however, were the most likely to say that nothing would stop them talking about death, with almost half (46%) agreeing.

With the number of people in the UK who have lost their lives to coronavirus continuing to rise, Independent Age believes it’s more important than ever that we speak to our friends and family about what we would want to happen if we became very ill or even died.

Corinne Sweet, psychologist, psychotherapist, author and broadcaster, commented, “Very few people find

talking about death with their nearest and dearest easy, because it raises awkward or difficult emotions such as fear, anxiety and grief. They may feel a ’taboo’ about mentioning death, as if it might make it happen somehow. Or fear their loved ones are wanting to get rid of them. People can also feel embarrassed or frightened about bringing up death with loved ones as they fear upsetting them, but the pandemic has made it even more essential for us to discuss it, no matter how difficult it feels.

“Obviously, the future is unknown right now. We can hope for the best, but discussing the worst ahead of time is a good idea. You can share and process feelings together, and make practical plans. This is especially important in lockdown, where a funeral may have to be ‘virtual’. Putting peoples’ minds at rest about death can make things easier in the long run.”

Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Independent Age, added, “The lockdown period has been difficult for all of us, but for those who have suffered a bereavement, it will have been even harder. Funeral plans may have had to change because of new restrictions, and it can be a lot harder to grieve when you’re not able to be with the rest of your family.

“Although coping with death and bereavement will always be difficult, no matter what, it can sometimes be made a little bit easier if we know what our loved one would have wanted, which can only be assured if we speak to each other.”

The charity has created a range of materials to help support older people and their families throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including starting difficult conversations and coping with bereavement.

Independent Age’s advice relating to coronavirus can be viewed at independentage.org/covid-safe-andwell

Care Home Resident, Nicknamed ‘Eddie The Eagle’, Returns Home After Beating Coronavirus The family of a former army medic who was rushed into hospital with Covid-19 symptoms say they feel blessed after he beat the virus.

Eddie Moss, 88, used to work for the Wigan Post at Martland Mill, before retiring, but enjoyed a varied career, including being a postman and railway fireman for British Rail at Wigan. He spent 10 days in the Standish Ward at Wigan Infirmary after being admitted with a cough and slight confusion, which is common in older patients, and his positive story of survival has been hailed as a beacon of hope since his discharge from hospital on Monday.

The octogenarian, who grew up in Scholes with his sister Phyllis, spent most of his life living in Leigh, but after a progressive nerve condition seriously affected his mobility, he moved into the Ash Tree House care home in Hindley, where families of the residents recently attended a surprise Clap For Carers to thank the staff.

The great grandad has been unable to see his daughter, son and grandchildren, for the last eight weeks, due to lockdown rules, and was unable to communicate with loved ones while he was being treated.

The plucky pensioner, nicknamed ‘Eddie

the Eagle’ by care staff, had already been through a difficult 12 months after developing health problems and losing his wife of 64 years, Hilda, in June.

Today, his relieved family said they were proud of how brave Eddie had been.

They praised the “caring” staff at Ash Tree House who are continuing to look after him as he recovers from the virus, and are hoping to see Eddie on a video chat from the home as soon as he is up to it.

Daughter Jan Beaumont, who performs with local band The Hats, said: “Dad is our world, he’s been through so much in the last year and we really worried about whether he would have the strength to fight off the virus. But once again he has shown his fighting spirit. We are so proud of him.”

Granddaughter Stef Hall, from Atherton, added: “We’re a very close family and in normal circumstances Grandad would have had his family at his bedside.

It was very difficult not to be able to see him during this time, especially for my children Calum and Poppy who are very close to him – and potentially not know-

ing whether we would see him again.

“It’s heart-breaking that so many other families have lost loved ones and have not been able to be with them in their final moments and we were terrified we would face the same situation.

But we should have learned by now not to underestimate him, he is a fighter!

“We can’t describe how blessed we feel that he is recovering, and even though we still can’t visit him, we know he is safe and well looked after by Ash Tree’s staff.”

Eddie, who has lived at Ash Tree House since July 2019 is pleased to be home. He said, ‘I am recovering and very happy to be back here. I’m just glad to see you all!’.

Home Manager, Chris Durnan, said, “I can’t put into words how happy we are to have ‘Steady’ (Eddie) back at Ash Tree House. He is a big character in the home and we are very glad to be able to help him get back on his feet and enjoying doing the things he loves around the home such as singing and bingo!’.

Chris adds, ‘I hope his return has given everyone the reassurance that this can be beaten.”

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 13

YouGov Poll Reveals One-In-Three Would Now Consider Working For The NHS Since Covid-19 Outbreak

A new poll by YouGov and Sheffield Hallam University has revealed that around one-in-three adults would now consider working in an NHS healthcare role due to the NHS’ response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Over a third (36 per cent) of the 2,507 respondents indicated they would be willing to work for the NHS as they have been inspired by NHS workers going above and beyond in the face of the crisis – including the thousands of undergraduate healthcare students who have joined the frontline, with some 1,500 from Sheffield Hallam; retirees returning to their former NHS roles; and the army of NHS volunteers who have stepped forward to help.

The data reveals that the younger generation has been encouraged to take steps into an NHS career, with 43 per cent of 16 to 24year olds stating that they have been inspired by the actions of the current workforce.

The YouGov survey has been commissioned by Sheffield Hallam University as part of its efforts to help the NHS capitalise on the increasing interest in professional healthcare careers and address the ongoing workforce shortages. The University is one of the largest providers of nursing, midwifery and allied health professions education in the UK. Almost a quarter of adults (24%) have said the celebration and recognition that the NHS has received from the public during the outbreak means that they would now be willing to work for the NHS. This appreciation includes the weekly national Clap for our Carers event; Captain Tom Moore’s £33m NHS fundraising efforts; and the widespread community-based NHS activities and tributes

taking place every day across the UK. The findings coincide with Sheffield Hallam experiencing a 16 per cent increase in the number of nursing and midwifery course applications in 2020 compared to the same period last year. Some of the healthcare courses that have seen an applicant uplift include: BSc Learning Disability Nursing & Social Work – 37 per cent increase BSc Midwifery – 24 per cent increase BSc Mental Health Nursing – 13 per cent increase BSc Child Nursing – 17 per cent increase BSc Radiotherapy & Oncology – 24 per cent increase Dr Christopher Low, Associate Dean for the College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Science at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “This data confirms what many of us have observed throughout the crisis – that the groundswell of support and recognition for those on the NHS frontline is becoming a clarion call to the huge number of highly motivated young people who value a career that gives them the opportunity to make a real contribution to society.

“The Government has started to recognise this by signalling their intention to fund an extra 5,000 places on university healthcare courses.

“We welcome this commitment, but want to work with the Government to be even more ambitious. This is a moment to transform the NHS; to bring together health and social care to create a truly national, high-quality regulated and integrated care system with responsibility for every aspect of the nation’s health; and to outline a long term workforce plan to achieve this transformational goal.”

Time for A Cuppa One of the things residents at Borough Care’s Bryn Haven home for older people in Brinnington are missing most during lockdown is having a cup of tea with their families.

Joanne Best, Activity Lifestyle Facilitator at Bryn Haven, says: “We are making sure there are lots of opportunities for residents to keep in touch with their families via video and telephone calls but lots of our residents say they miss having a cuppa together.

These are difficult times for everyone and I am always looking for ways to brighten the lives of our residents and help keep them connected to their families.

I have sourced some tea bag holders featuring a special message and residents have put a tea bag in to be posted to their families. They love the idea of being able to send a cup of tea to their loved ones and I’m sure their families will be delighted to receive the special gift.”

The tea bag holders Bryn Haven residents are sending to their loved ones feature the message: ‘I cannot sit and chat with you, the way I’d like to do. So brew yourself a cup of tea I’ll think of you, you think of me.’

Dr Mark Ward, CEO at Borough Care, says: “The teams at all our homes have been amazing in coming up with great ideas to keep our residents and their families connected at this difficult time. I’m sure the loved ones of residents at Bryn Haven will be touched to receive their special gift.”

Life-Long Friends Reunited At Care Home During Covid-19 Crisis Two life-long best friends have been reunited at The Chanters care home in Atherton, Greater Manchester, during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Annie Strike, 96, and May Bradbury, 98, have been best friends since the age of 14, they both attended Atherton School and went on to work together in the cutting room at the weaving shed, now known as Ena Mill.

The pair had lost touch for many years, however, now have plans to make up for lost time. Annie has lived at the home since July 2017 and May joined her in March 2020, at the beginning of the corona virus outbreak in the UK. Annie has a daughter, Susan, who is looking forward to visiting again when restrictions are lifted. May has two daughters, Pat and Sylvia, and three granddaughters Adrianna, Alex and Vicky.

Annie said: “I am really looking forward to a proper catch up about the good old days with May!”

May said: “I am enjoying my new home especially the bingo! It will be great to spend time with Annie again and have a good catch up.”

Anne Hargreaves, Home Manager at The Chanters, said: “It’s lovely to see Annie and May be reunited at The Chanters, especially during difficult times like this.

“The ladies are still the best of friends and I hope they can share some fantastic stories of years gone by with the staff at the home!”

The Chanters is part of Larchwood Care and is currently managed

by Healthcare Management Solutions. The home is currently rated ‘Good’ by the CQC. Across the Larchwood portfolio, the regulator ratings reflect the exceptionally high standards of care given and the drive of every team member to continually improve the care they give.

PAGE 14 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

Supporting People with Dementia in Care Homes during COVID19 Rishi Jawaheer, Director of the Jawa Group of care homes in South London takes a look at some of the issues arising from COVID-19 that affect people with dementia, and what care home professionals can do to help. Here, he shares how he and his team of care workers have dealt with some of the more unexpected consequences of the virus.

People who rely on care services need care no matter what is going on in the rest of the world. Providing that continuity of service and all the practical support that’s needed is our number one priority. But lockdown and coronavirus have got us all working in new ways. Here are some of the things we’ve been doing to overcome challenges.

Use technology with care To protect residents, care homes have had to close their doors to visits from friends and relatives. This is a tough call to make, and one that has undoubtedly caused heartache for many. The natural instinct is to try to bridge the gap, keeping residents in touch with friends and relatives via video calls in place of face-to-face contact. For some, this has worked well, with the use of apps, but for others, particularly those with advanced dementia, we have noticed it can do more harm than good.

Most of the people we support are from a generation when video calling wasn’t the norm, or even really imaginable. Older people with dementia are used to seeing photos or televisions, but seeing a moving image of a loved one can be extremely confusing and sometimes overwhelming.

My advice is to use your judgement on a case by case basis. Using modern technology to keep in touch isn’t going to work for all. Of course, families want to know their loved one is ok, and they will benefit from being able to see them. To get around this, our team has found that one-way video calling (so families can see their loved ones, but residents don’t see their family) has worked really well.

Shutting off from the outside world isn’t all bad

Our instinct as humans is to want freedom, the ability to go out and about, see and experience new things and be with others. However, for people living with dementia, change can be unsettling. In more ordinary times, we all need to be conscious that while the usual flow of visitors is welcome to some residents, it may be a confusing break from a normal routine for others.

While we are forced to limit face-to-face social contact with people outside of care homes, it’s important to remind ourselves, and to reassure families, that residents have staff and fellow residents for company.

They are not alone, and in fact, in many cases, residents may be calmer and more relaxed with this quiet, regular and uninterrupted routine.

However, it is of course vital to ensure that people stay connected, that family and friends can get in touch and that anyone who might feel agitated by a lack of contact is able to access devices to communicate as they wish.

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING PPE Restricting the spread of infection and protecting care workers and residents is paramount during these times. Caring, by its nature, involves close contact and, as per Government guidelines, aprons, gloves and fluid-repellent surgical masks should be worn for activities that bring care workers into close personal contact with someone who has coronavirus symptoms.

But we must remember seeing care workers wearing masks and other protective items isn’t normal for residents and can be unsettling.

They may not recognise their care worker, or they may feel confused as to why care workers are wearing masks.

A friendly smile is an important part of their daily interactions but we have to ensure people are kept safe above all else. We are keen to change talk of ‘social distancing’ to ‘physical distancing’ because now more than ever, we need social interaction. Staff across our homes are being reminded to only use masks when necessary.

Of course, it’s important to maintain a sense of normality for our residents. When wearing masks is essential, our teams have taken to simple measures like making sure they tell people who they are when entering a room, and reminding residents about why they are having to wear PPE. Staff could pin a photo of themselves to their uniforms to help residents recognise who is behind the PPE, however it is vital that there are protocols and procedures in place to prevent spread of any infection and that

these are being strictly followed.

CARING FOR CARERS At the Jawa Group, our care workers are recognised as fundamental members of the team who keep the care home running. They are valued, respected and cared for at all times, never more so than now. Our care workers are unsung heroes. Right now, it’s important we do the little things to help them, as they are doing so much for us. We must do what we can for them to show them we appreciate and value them.

We’ve taken simple measures like offering all our staff a meal every day and giving them food supplies to take home to their families. We’ve also cleared some rooms and made them available for staff to stay if they have a difficult journey to and from work. Do what you can for care workers in your home. Understand their individual needs and support them as best you can.

SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY We have been very lucky in that COVID-19 has brought out the best in our local community. We’ve had great support from our local council and supermarkets, and local restaurants have even delivered food for our staff and residents.

It’s important that we all do our bit in our communities, supporting in whatever way we can. It provides genuine support and also helps towards much-needed feeling of positivity and care.

As some care homes are struggling to staff their kitchens, we are hosting a care home foodbank from our car park, for local care homes to come along and take away cakes, soup and other easily portable food for their residents.

There are lots of practical matters that are taking our time and focus at the moment. Where we can, we should all consider the wellbeing of those in care homes, their families and all in the care community and do what we can to make this time a little more positive. There’s a lot we can do to support each other. Sharing best practices and remembering that we are all in this together is a great place to start.

Rishi Jawaheer is Director of Jawa Group Care Homes.

Email: info@care-vision.co.uk Twitter: @carevisionuk Web: www.carevisioncms.co.uk

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PAGE 16 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

Safety First Body Thermal Detection – One Small Step While Danger In Protecting Key Workers & The Public Remains

By Tim Raynor, Video Product Manager at Johnson Controls

Responding to the Prime Minister’s speech outlining the roadmap for relaxing COVID-19 restrictions, Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, said: “The words were eloquent, inspiring and reassuring, but let’s study the detail before jumping to conclusions.

“This is certainly not the moment to throw away the gains made in controlling the virus. Everyone is desperate to return to some kind of normality, but the NHS is still treating thousands of patients with COVID-19 and there is a tragedy unfolding in care homes. We have not yet cracked the PPE challenge nor access to testing, and we are not ready to roll out the test, track, trace strategy.

“As the Prime Minister made clear, these issues must be addressed before we significantly relax the lockdown.

“The sliding alert scale looks sensible, enabling controls to be ramped up as well as relaxed. For those of us concerned about the NHS, protecting the health of the nation, and making sure the health and care services can cope, are the paramount issues.

“The slight complicating factor is that as well as protecting the NHS, we need people to use it. The service is there for them if they need it. It is a real worry that so many appear reluctant to seek treatment for non-Covid conditions, and we must send out the signal that the NHS is open for business.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to everyday life. Social distancing and government lockdowns have seen the closure of all but essential organisations to limit the spread of the virus.

For many businesses, the virus has accelerated the pace at which they are embracing remote working, which will likely remain the norm for the foreseeable future. But for those working on the frontlines of the fight – in care homes as well as hospitals, supermarkets and power stations, to name just a few – remote work isn’t an option.

An outbreak in any critical facility is likely to have major consequences. Strict social distancing policies and rigorous cleaning routines are already going a long way to flattening the curve. But with the risk so huge – and the potential effects of a shutdown in some facilities catastrophic – what else can we do to limit the impact on key workers?

One key solution has emerged: body thermal detection technologies. While this technology cannot prevent the virus’ spread, it could play a part in efforts to limit it.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Body thermal detection technology was created for this very reason. Its first iteration was designed for a laboratory investigating flu viruses, which wanted to monitor the health of its staff and ensure the viruses they tested weren’t infecting people. The technology enabled their team to pick up on individuals in large spaces, such as entrances to the building and laboratories.

In practice, body thermal detection technology gives security teams a first-line filter to identify those entering premises who may have an elevated body temperature. Through facial recognition technology, it accurately measures temperature of a person, and

flags to the operator if someone’s temperature is outside normal parameters. It is then up to these teams to determine how that information is used, and the appropriate reaction.

While the technology is designed for large areas, and is able to measure up to 40 individuals at once, the current need is for organisations who have dramatically reduced the flow of people in compliance with social distancing measures, like our care homes.

In this example, a queueing system could be implemented at building entrances, where cameras scan visitors to measure their temperature, and action can be taken by security teams. If there are concerns around illness, competent medical advice and further checks should be sought.

Whether it’s residential facilities, factories, warehouses, hospitals or police stations, in buildings where key workers are doing critical work, the technology can help to identify individuals with high temperatures and take the necessary action. It has one simple goal: to play a part in limiting the spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe.

Body thermal detection, however, is not a silver bullet. While this technology is a useful tool to control the potential spread of the virus in key facilities, it’s important to emphasise that it cannot prevent the spread of the virus. It is not intended to diagnose or monitor any medical condition or illness, and should not be used as such. Rather, the technology helps to identify the people most likely to infect those around them – one small step in the many it will take to protect the public.

AN EXTENSION OF CCTV Body thermal detection systems are a dual technology, an out-of-the-box extension of a standard CCTV camera. They don’t record individuals and store their data – the systems simply measure an individual’s temperature and alert security teams to anyone with potential symptoms, to help them manage who enters their building.

The vast majority of businesses will already have CCTV systems in place, with accompanying signs to

notify shoppers of their presence. The installation of body thermal detection systems is unlikely to cause any disruption, but will require additional signage to notify customers that cameras are measuring their temperature. With the population much more savvy about their data and the way it’s used these days, it’s important to clarify how the technology works – and also explain how it’s helping to keep them safer.

Body thermal detection systems will become much more familiar to us as they’re adopted more widely. In COVID-19’s early stages, we can expect to see the technology being used where it matters most – but it is unlikely to stop there.

A WEAPON IN THE ARMOURY There is no single environment to which body thermal detection systems are best suited. Now, it plays an important role in enabling continuity in key facilities requiring a minimum level of employees to remain operational, like hospitals, supermarkets and power stations. Here, it can play a part in limiting the spread of the virus among key workers on the frontline.

Next, we can expect to see the technology adopted more widely, particularly once lockdown restrictions are lifted and our daily lives begin to return to normal. It’s likely that we’ll see high street retail stores, entertainment venues like stadiums and cinemas, and potentially ‘high-risk’ areas like gyms and swimming pools consider the technology as an additional detection method against any potential spread of the virus.

This is to safeguard both the staff working there and their customer base as much as possible.

Body thermal detection technologies won’t stop the virus spreading by themselves. What they will do is serve as an important addition to the roster of protective measures keeping care homes and other key facilities secure and key workers safe. In times like these, business leaders should be considering what role body thermal detection technology could play in their wider implementation of safety measures. While it is no silver bullet, it’s certainly an important weapon in the armoury.

Care Homes Spending At Least £38.6m A Week On Covid-19 Government must step in to bail out councils and rescue the social care sector from collapse, according to a leading care home group.

Care homes across the country, which act as an extension of the NHS and provide valuable community care, face a “three-wave tsunami” that could destroy the sector.

Calculations, based on Palms Row Health Care’s additional costs for COVID-19 in the first month it has tackled the virus, indicate that the sector is spending an additional GBP38.6m a week in tackling the pandemic and caring for residents.

In the first wave, the recommended 15% increase in funding to care homes to cope with COVID-19 has not been passed on in full by councils. In Sheffield the Council has offered just 5% uplift plus a promise to meet additional costs.

However, the additional costs incurred by Palms Row in the first four weeks it fought the pandemic indicate that anything less than 15% would be totally inadequate.

Local authorities have claimed they are not being sufficiently funded by Government and that they are in financial turmoil.

For example, a Sheffield City Council spokesperson claimed that there is a £34.5m funding gap between what is needed and what the

government has provided.

In the second wave, after June when Councils re-assess the level of beds required, lower occupancy rates due to COVID-19 casualties could see a further fall in funding which will see care homes forced to lay off dedicated staff if beds are not secured by the NHS and councils. A short term commitment of up to 3 months to cover occupancy voids will not secure viability mid-long term causing homes to collapse before looking at the wider picture of general funding. This collapse could potentially hit the sector before a second wave of COVID-19.

The final wave could be the biggest.

The Government has continually delayed publication of a social care Green Paper – going as far back as 2017. The current Secretary of State has even indicated that it may be scrapped altogether [5]. This means that front line care workers and the owners of care homes have no assurance that their vital services will be fully funded and fully resourced in the long term.

Nicola Richards, Managing Director of Palms Row Health Care said: “While care homes are fighting for residents’ lives, we are being abandoned by the authorities who have for too long seen us as a

Cinderella service.

“Councils are telling us they don’t have the funding to pass on the money needed to fight coronavirus. Providers are warning that unless beds are guaranteed in the medium-term we may see care homes close or have to lay off the staff that have shown such dedicated service during this national crisis.

“All in all, the blame must lay at the Government’s door. They have delayed their Green Paper on Social Care on countless occasions since 2017 and are still not recommending local authorities pass on the amount needed to cover the crisis. It’s come down to this; providers need uplifts of at least 15% or they will close.

“We have been operating in the dark without a long-term strategy in place. Care homes provide a vital national service and instead of being fully resourced we are facing a three-wave tsunami which could destroy the sector.

“We feel there have been failings of central and local government in relation to COVID-19 and care homes across the country. We should have been afforded the focus, support and protection like the NHS. Sadly, care homes have taken the full force of the impact of this pandemic because of government policy and this could yet get worse.”

How Compliance Management Systems Are Creating Outstanding Person-Centred Risk Assessments Tools For those assessing risk in care homes, the guidelines set out in Regulation 12 by The Care Quality Commission are clear. Risk assessments must be “completed and reviewed regularly by people with the qualifications, competence and experience to do so”, while they “should also include plans for managing risk”.

The reality is, however, that effectively assessing risk in a busy care home is no easy task. There are a myriad of risks to consider.

While the Coronavirus Pandemic has brought infection prevention risk assessments into sharp relief, health and safety hazards are everywhere.

Registered Managers must constantly assess the dangers posed by windows, bedrails and legionella, scalding and slips and trips. There are fire risks, electrical equipment hazards and ergonomic risks to consider too.

BALANCING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS AGAINST RISK A CHALLENGE

But assessing risk in adult social care is not a binary exercise. Assessors must always weigh up a person’s individual freedoms and quality of life when analysing risk. The challenge is that service users often have complex needs and so their daily routines might have to be constantly assessed.

Recruitment and retention presents another major challenge, especially if a service’s risk assessments tools are paper-based. If a skilled risk assessor

leaves a service, for instance, will the new assessor understand the systems and processes embedded by their predecessor? If not the risk to a home and those who live there are increased.

So in a busy home where staff and service user turnover is high, how do you ensure that risks are always identified, assessed, recorded and reviewed? The answer lies in the QCS Risk Assessment Module: new technology created by Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), which helps risk assessors to proactively and continuously manage hazards in real-time.

INTUITIVE DASHBOARD

Using an easy-to-read dashboard, which lists all risk plans that have been created, the control measures and the action plan, puts an assessor in control. Risks that have been finalised are labelled ‘complete.’ If risks are timesensitive, the system will notify an assessor when they need to be reviewed.

Managers can then instantly re-assess, assign or re-assign any risk assessments that need to be updated. And, if in the worst case scenario, an assessment is overdue, the system will issue a red flag.

But what really separates this system from other risk management tools is content. Anyone subscribing to QCS has access to over 350-customised policies and procedures and QCS is integrating these protocols, including its Coronavirus policies and procedures into its risk management system. This saves time, and allows professional risk assessors to build on their existing risk plans, add a greater number of control measures and, in doing so, create even more robust strategies.

ENHANCED VISIBILITY ENSURES BETTER RISK OUTCOMES

Furthermore, unlike last-generation legacy technology, the system provides multi-dimensional visibility. A click of a button takes all the factors and

dimensions into account and provides insight into potential risk outcomes.

Therefore, whenever an action has been completed, it will instantly and intuitively assess the level of risk and then categorises each individual risk as low, medium or high.

Enhanced visibility can also help when assessing risks to individual service users. With many elderly service users living with Dementia or some form of memory loss, risk assessments need to be completed frequently. For those requiring individually tailored support, that can often mean scheduling risk assessments many times a week. To ensure that the risks are constantly being assessed and managed, QCS has created a ‘timeline’ view, which showcases all of the risks, the control measures and the action plan on one screen. This not only gives a manager a ‘helicopter view’ of the most complex risks in a home, but also enables them to adjust risk assessment strategies to ensure the best outcomes for service users.

TIMELINE THAT IDENTIFIES TRENDS Finally, the timeline, which gives assessors both a ‘macro’ and ‘micro’ overview can help them to spot trends much more easily, and, in doing so, mitigate future risks.

But, such technology also provides teams with the ability to gauge how well or how poorly a service is performing in a raft of different areas.

If used correctly, in a CQC inspector’s eyes, using an enhanced visibility hub to evaluate strengths and weakness is a powerful way to evidence that a service is a Well-led organisation.

To find out more about Risk assessments and to try the new module for free, please visit qcs.co.uk/risk-assessment-module/

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 17

Dedicated App For Social Care Workers Launched A new dedicated app for the adult social care workforce in England has been launched to support staff on-the-go through the coronavirus pandemic.

The social care workforce is spread across 18,000 providers and it can often be difficult to communicate with all staff in one clear way. The Care Workforce app, developed with NHSX and NHS Business Services Authority will be introduced under the new CARE brand and will act as a single digital hub for social care workers to access relevant updates, guidance, support and discounts from their phone.

The CARE branded app comes in response to calls from the sector for a more unified and connecting brand, and can be downloaded on Apple and Android supported smartphones or accessed by browsers on any device.

New mental wellbeing guidance will soon be published to further support the care sector with bespoke advice for care workers. This guidance will be signposted on the Care Workforce app when available. The tool will be the first of its kind provided for the care workforce, and will: • Act as a single one-stop-shop providing the sector with all the latest guidance, wellbeing support and advice they need to protect themselves from COVID-19 and keep themselves well.

• Provide access to learning resources on crucial areas such as infection control as well as practical advice and support for mental wellbeing; • Show how care workers can take advantage of offers available to NHS and social care staff, including free car parking and discounts through organisations and initiatives like Discounts for Carers and the Blue Light Card; and • Signpost free access to apps like Silvercloud, Daylight and Sleepio which can help boost users’ mental wellbeing through programmes covering sleep, stress and resilience.

New mental wellbeing guidance will soon be published to further support the care sector with bespoke advice for care workers. This guidance will be signposted on the Care Workforce app when available.

It builds on a cash injection of £1.6bn for local authorities, as well as the recently launched Social Care Action planned, which set out a series of measures including ramping up testing and access to PPE. Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “Our incredible social care workforce are on the frontline day and night providing quality

care to the most vulnerable in our society during the most unprecedented time in our history. The whole country is incredibly grateful of the work they continue to do for our loved ones.

“As part of our continued work to back the care sector, we have launched a new app specifically for care workers to make sure they have the most up-to-date guidance to keep them safe, connected with their colleagues across the country which also allows them to access discounts like their NHS counterparts.”

“It’s available to download right now, and I would urge everyone in social care to do so.”

Helen Whately, Minister of State for Care, comments: “The care sector is a vital part of our health and care frontline and this pandemic has shone a light on the skills, commitment and dedication of our care workers.”

“The Care Workforce app is there to help those frontline care workers – from providing the latest news and guidance, to sharing stories to draw inspiration from in challenging times, and as a way of connecting colleagues from Cornwall to Carlisle. I hope it will help unite people working in care across the country.

“The care workforce have long asked for a single, unifying brand to connect them to each other and I am delighted that we are able today to launch this important new tool under the CARE umbrella.”

In the future, the app will act as a networking platform to bring the social care workforce together in one place to share learnings, best practice and inspiring stories from across the sector A version of the app is also under consideration for NHS workers.

This follows the launch of the Social Care Action plan which set out a range of measures to protect staff and residents living in care homes.

The workforce will be expanded by 20,000 through a new recruitment campaign, while NHS nurses and student nurses are being deployed to support social care sector where appropriate. Care homes are being supported with new ways to order PPE, with millions of items delivered so far. Care staff, alongside residents, are now eligible for testing whether or not they have symptoms and since this was announced on April 28 we have delivered over 30,000 tests.

An extra £1.6bn has also been made available to local authorities to address the additional pressures from COVID-19, with a further £1.3 billion

available to provide enhanced support for patients being discharged.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive, Care England said: “This new app will help to keep the social care workforce fully informed of all the issues in social care, and it will provide an easily accessible and portable resource for every care worker” Kathryn Smith, Chief Executive at the Social Care Institute for Excellence, says: “It’s more than welcome to see an app like this that’s specifically designed with the adult social care workforce in mind.

“That workforce has many challenges at the moment, including how to keep services running during the COVID-19 situation; but also how to ensure that issues such as safeguarding, mental capacity and rights under the Care Act are not lost. We’ve all been using technology a lot more in the last few weeks and I’m sure that this will be a really useful addition to help the workforce to provide the best care and support that they can during the current crisis.”

Vic Rayner, Executive Director, National Care Forum, said: “Care Workforce is a welcome addition to the frontline. It brings together all the important guidance and information for staff into one place – making sure the workforce have at their fingertips the information they need to deliver great care.”

Alex Fox, OBE FRSA, Chief Executive, Shared Lives Plus said: “It has never been more important for everyone working in social care to be connected with each other and well informed about the latest changes in policy. The app will help all of us with this. Shared Lives Plus is working closely with the Dept Health and Social Care through the pandemic and we encourage everyone working in Shared Lives to sign up.”

Skills for Care CEO Oonagh Smyth said: “Technology has proved to be incredibly valuable in keeping our workforce informed during this crisis and this new app specifically aimed at the social care workforce will help workers easy access to the information they need, when they need it. Hard pressed care workers now have an app that offers them access to useful resources on the move. They can get details on offers they can take up from companies recognising the great work that they are doing and information on how they can support their wellbeing during these very challenging times.”

Encore “Going The Extra Mile” With Staff Welfare AFTER going the extra mile for elderly residents, Encore Care Homes are keen to look after the welfare of its own carers and support staff across its four homes in the south. To make daily life easier during the current challenging times, they have introduced many new benefits and additional supportive measures.

These have included delivery of over 400 free food parcels to every team member, improved access to mental wellbeing support and a 10% bonus payment for the next three months. In recent weeks, Rachel Dryden CEO of Encore has also made national headlines by successfully championing better local access to coronavirus testing for the team and residents.

Encore Care Homes have also led the way in the procurement and provision of PPE equipment. Sharing their advice and experience with government departments and colleagues in the care sector.

Rachel Dryden, Chief Executive of Encore said: “We have never had a greater sense of pride of working in the social care sector and the privilege of looking after our residents. As an organisation we are fully committed to ensuring that every team member is fully supported and we provide access to emotional, financial, mental and wellbeing support.

We are so appreciative of everything they are doing, all the care and support teams across all our care homes will be receiving a 10% bonus payment for the next three months as an additional thank you.”

Rachel Dryden added: “We are beyond proud of our incredible team that range from carers, housekeeping to catering. They have been doing a fantastic job and we really do appreciate their dedication to our residents in these difficult times. We have been supporting them as much as we possibly can through many new initiatives to make life easier.”

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 19

Care Workers Charity Hits Its £1 Million Target The Care Workers’ Charity has successfully reached its 1 million pound fundraising target to support care workers in need due to coronavirus.

In just six weeks thousands of individuals and businesses have donated to The Care Workers’ Charity Coronavirus Emergency Fund, set up to support care workers who are shielding, selfisolating, or unable to work due to contracting coronavirus.

Karolina Gerlich Executive Director of The Care Workers’ Charity: “To

think only a couple of weeks ago demand for our emergency grants were surpassing our donations! I cannot put into words how happy we are to have reached this target.

“This would not have happened without the selflessness and kindness of those who donated. Without their donations many care workers would be facing a very difficult time. I would like to say a special thanks to those who donated significant sums to the Fund; Home Instead, Borough Care, Sir Nigel Broackes Trust, The Care Badge, Hallmark Foundation, Health Foundation, Barchester, Rayne Foundation, Solihull Council, The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, HC One Ltd, HC One Trust, Savills. Their donations alone helped us to approve thousands of emergency grants.”

Overwhelmed by the sheer demand for grants the Charity has now raised its target to 2 million. Having already issued over a thousand

grants to care workers self-isolating, funds will run-out if more is not raised.

Care workers are some of the lowest paid workers in the country.

Many who are self-isolating receive at best statutory sick pay, others none. Some are going into debt and others are going hungry, and all for doing the right thing.

If you’re saving on your usual commute, your takeout coffee, and work lunches and can afford to, please consider making a donation. The UK’s care workers need you to help them get back on track and back to work.

Please help The Care Workers’ Charity be there for Care Workers in need. Keep the UK caring and donate at the Coronaviruscareworkersfund Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/coronaviruscareworkersfund

VE Day 75: Sunrise Of Edgbaston Veterans Share Their WW2 Experiences As we celebrate 75 years since victory was secured for Europe in World War 2, veterans at Sunrise of Edgbaston share their stories and experiences of the war.

dictate or make you believe you should not be there.

Women helped during WW2, so you can all definitely leave your mark serving your country. Once you figure out this is for you, enjoy the experience. It will be memories you hold forever and friends for life”.

David Crofts, who is also 91, joined the Royal Navy in 1945 as was on board the HMS Mermaid during the war. David played a vital role in protecting Yugoslavia from USSR aggression, who were intent on invading the country. Thanks to David and the heroic efforts of his fellow servicemen, Yugoslavia was able to fend off the Soviet Union to eventually become an independent country.

After the war, David served in Palestine during the intense violence between the Arab and Jewish pop-

Joan Jackson, 91, served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) during WW2 for four years. At first, Joan was very home sick but, once she got comfortable in her surroundings, she grew to love her time in the WRNS. Joan says she met some amazing friends during the war and that laughter and fun was never too far away.

Asked what advice Joan can give to anyone joining the Armed Forces, Joan said: “Any female thinking of joining the forces, please make sure it is what you want to do. Don’t let men

George Bowater, 104, started his WW2 journey in the Infantry but was put in the Territorial Army once senior officers discovered he was a trained doctor.

Over the course of the War, George was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and also met his wife who he then had his daughter with.

George then applied to work in the Indian Army.

After a particularly gruelling interview with five Army Generals, George was accepted and set off to India

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David’s simple advice to those looking to join the navy would be to “obey orders and don’t get into trouble”.

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with his wife and young daughter. While in India, George spent three years in Burma (now Myanmar) where he helped prevent the Japanese from successfully invading India. He recalls how at one point, he helped stop a Japanese advance 150 miles into India.

After ten years of service, George left the Army to become a GP for the rest of his working career.

Finally, we caught up with Frank Cunniam, 92, who spent three years in the Royal Air force and seven years in the Royal Navy. Although Frank didn’t serve in WW2, he did see numerous conflicts. This includes the Malayan Emergency, which saw British troops fighting against the Malayan National Liberation Army.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 21

Academy Trust Sending Books To Care Homes To Connect Through Coronavirus Crisis An academy trust is extending its innovative reading campaign into care homes throughout the coronavirus crisis to keep its students motivated, support the elderly – and connect young and old.

The scheme will see Northern Education Trust (NET), which runs 21 academies in the north of England, send hundreds of books for care home residents that its students will also be reading, with the elderly and students then encouraged to send book reviews to one another.

Rob Tarn, the Chief Executive of the Trust, said that as well as providing books to care home residents for free at a time when they are having to stay indoors and are not allowed visitors, the move would reduce loneliness, support inter-generational socialising, and keep his students motivated while they were away from school.

NET has developed a secondary school reading programme called “Reading Routes” to help students foster a love of reading. Based on the London Underground map, there are three routes, with railway lines translated into genres of book and each station expressed as a book.

The Trust and its schools buy students the books they want to read and

each time pupils read a book they get a stamp. After three years they could have read all 90 books on the 18 routes, which connect the Trust’s schools from Bolton to Barnsley, Stockton to Sunderland, and Northumberland to Gateshead.

Now the Trust is going to buy hundreds of books to send to care homes in the areas where it has academies. Care home residents will be encouraged to write and send reviews of the books to the students, who will then use those recommendations to decide whether they will read them. The students will be encouraged to write back with their thoughts on the book, and make their own suggestions of other books the residents may want to read.

Rob Tarn, the Chief Executive of Northern Education Trust, said: “Reading Routes has been incredibly successful within our schools and we recognise that over the next three months students will be away from school and motivation may sometimes be difficult. We are of course also aware that the elderly in care homes are having to isolate and may become lonely because of the lack of social interaction.

“So we have decided to send hundreds of our books to the elderly, and then they and our students can connect with each other about which books they have read and which they would recommend.”

A number of care homes have already signed up to take part including two in Hoyland, where NET runs Kirk Balk Academy, and two in

Bolton, where NET runs Kearsley Academy, as well as in Gateshead, where students from Thorp Academy have been delivering books to Lindisfarne Care Home after disinfecting them.

Meanwhile, the Abbeyfield Society, the largest charity for older people in the UK, has of its homes involved, with over 100 elderly residents benefiting.

David McCullough, Chief Executive of The Abbeyfield Society, said: “The Abbeyfield Society was founded to help older people in our society live companionable and fulfilling lifestyles, and in these unprecedented times, with residents unable to have visits from their loved ones, combatting loneliness has never been more important. Schemes like this are a fantastic way to create new connections, keep the mind active and show the older people in our society that they have not been forgotten. We are hugely grateful to Northern Education Trust for allowing Abbeyfield and our residents to take part in this wonderful project!”

Vici Bennett, from Lindisfarne Care Home, said:“It’s been amazing. It’s brought some real smiles to residents’ faces and has made a real connection with the outside world that we are not able to get into at the moment. It’s made the residents feel very special.”

Any care homes that would like to take part should contact: Michael Robson at mrobson@northshoreacademy.org.uk and public.enquiries@northerneducationtrust.org.

Hampshire Care Provider Washes Staff Uniforms In-House To Minimise Infection Risk To Families A Hampshire care provider is washing uniforms in-house to minimise any infection risk to staff’s families during the coronavirus outbreak.

Cornerstone Healthcare operates two specialist nursing homes; South Africa Lodge in Waterlooville and Kitnocks House in Curdridge. The homes care for people with challenging behaviours associated with complex neurological, physical and mental health needs.

The laundry service has been introduced because of staff concerns.

“We know that some staff have been worried about wearing their uniforms to and from work because of the risks it may pose to their families,” said CEO, Johann van Zyl. “It’s important we respond to any concerns our staff have during this difficult period. Therefore, we’ve decided to bring in an in-house washing facility just for their uniforms.”

Scientists at De Montfort University Leicester recently advised healthcare workers not to wash their uniforms at home because of the risk of contamination and because

domestic washings machines don’t operate at high temperatures for long enough to remove micro-organisms.

Cornerstone Healthcare, which employs 261 staff, has brought in extra laundry staff to make sure uniforms are ready on time for each shift. Staff have been given iron-on name labels so uniforms can be clearly identified, and designated laundry bags in staff changing areas to make sure uniforms are washed separately to residents’ laundry.

“This isn’t just on offer to staff who provide personal care,” added Mr van Zyl. “Everyone who wears a Cornerstone Healthcare uniform can use this service.”

The company has also changed the signs outside its homes to recognise the hard work of its staff and show its appreciation of them to the wider community.

Signage at Kitnocks House and South Africa Lodge now feature the words ‘Thanks to our Heroes’ which will stay in place for the rest of the year.

“It’s a small tribute to our amazing staff but we want everyone to know how much we appreciate them,” said Mr van Zyl.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 23

Families Struggle To Know What’s Best For Older Relatives With Dementia During COVID-19 Families need more help to make quick decisions about the care their dying older relatives with dementia should receive during COVID-19, say UCL researchers, with the support of Marie Curie and the Alzheimer’s Society.

Many older people with COVID-19 will have dementia which affects 22% of people aged 85 and over1. They may experience a sudden deterioration with rapid onset of respiratory failure. Given the high death rates from COVID-19 in older people, even in hospitals, it is hard for people with dementia and their families to know what the best thing is to do about treatment and care options.

For those who lack the ability to make decisions for themselves, it may also mean that families have to make very quick decisions under stressful circumstances, for instance about resuscitation. They will also have to weigh up the pros and cons of either sending their elderly relatives to hospital for medical attention or receiving palliative care at home, where they may be more comfortable, and families will be able to maintain contact with them.

Having to make these difficult decisions can have a profound impact on the emotional well-being of family members, and lasting feelings of guilt and doubt if they made the right decision.

Researchers from the Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department and Centre for Ageing Population Studies at UCL are producing an evidence-based guide, for family carers and people with dementia to use in the management of COVID-19. It is estimated that nearly half a million people with dementia in the UK live in their own homes2. Latest available data also shows that 38% of all COVID-19 deaths occur in people aged 85 and over (up to 24 April)3.

The research team hopes that the new guide will also ease the emotional burden that families can experience and help resolve any feelings of uncertainty about the decisions they have made for their loved ones.

Tracey Lancaster, whose mum is living with dementia said: “I’m dreading the call from the care home to say that mum has coronavirus. I worry about her fighting for breath and therefore we would have to decide if she goes into hospital or what care can be provided in the home. I’m not sure that I could make that decision. So, a decision guide like this one would be invaluable for me and my family.”

The rapid project, funded by an Economic and Social Research Council COVID grant and supported by end of life care charity Marie Curie and Alzheimer’s Society, will identify factors influencing place of care and death in older people as well as the key challenges and decisions which family carers of people living with dementia are facing currently in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic brings extra challenges to those who are ‘social distancing’ from their older relatives – and means that they may also need to make quick decisions over the phone with a professional they’ve never met.

Co-lead researcher Dr Nuriye Kupeli, Senior Research Fellow at Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department, UCL Division of Psychiatry and an Alzheimer’s Society Fellow, said: “It is a difficult time for people living with dementia and their carers. Due

to measures such as social distancing, self-isolation and shielding, people living with dementia and their carers may not have access to support and guidance when making difficult decisions. This work will help us to understand better how people living with dementia and their families are managing important decisions about care during COVID-19 and how best to support them.”

Co-lead researcher Dr Nathan Davies, Senior Research Fellow at Centre for Ageing Population Studies, UCL Institute Epidemiology and Health, and Alzheimer’s Society Fellow, said: “This is such an important project and follows on work we’re doing prior to COVID-19. Many families caring for someone living with dementia will be making daily decisions on behalf of their relative with dementia. But we know many will not have discussed or planned end of life care.

“The nature of COVID-19, which can worsen rapidly, means they will be forced to make quick decisions with potentially little support or information. They may be feeling overwhelmed considering what is best for their relative. The decisions they make may have a lasting impact on their grief and wellbeing: We want to try and help support carers with decisions to ease these feelings.”

The researchers say that having early and open conversations about end of life wishes with older relatives, particularly during COVID-19, could avoid potentially futile and burdensome interventions at the end of life while ensuring that loved ones get the compassionate care they need.

Marilyn Beattie, whose husband Gordon died in 2019, following a dementia diagnosis, said: “I felt like I was shooting in the dark most of the time. I didn’t know who to turn to, or what was available. It would have changed everything if I had an aid like this – a life-changer.”

Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of Marie Curie said: “At Marie Curie, we understand the value of planning ahead for the death of a loved one.

However, when this isn’t possible, particularly during these uncertain times, it’s important that families living with dementia are properly supported to make difficult decisions and are not left with a legacy of grief and guilt because they’re not sure they made the right choice in a moment of crisis.”

Fiona Carragher, Director of Research and Influencing at Alzheimer’s Society said: “Alzheimer’s Society are proud to unite with Marie Curie to support this urgently needed research. Covid-19 has severely affected people with dementia and their carers, and our Dementia Connect support line has been flooded with thousands of calls for help. This new, evidence-based guide will help carers and people living with dementia feel informed and supported, practically and emotionally, when making important decisions about care during the pandemic including hospitalisation, treatment and Do Not Attempt CPR. “We know that the current crisis is making choices like these even more difficult which is why it’s so important Alzheimer’s Society researchers use their expertise to support people through this.”

Local Pharmacist Is Running A Marathon A Week In Fundraising Drive Rishi Bhatia, from local pharmacy chain Scorah Chemists, has pledged to run 105 miles during May, the equivalent of one marathon each week to raise money to purchase vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for key workers in 13 care homes around the Stockport area. He hopes to raise £2,500 with his efforts and 100% of the monies raised will be used to purchase essential PPE for care home key workers, his initial target of £1,000 was reached in the first few days of fundraising and so his new target is to raise £2,500.

“I felt compelled to take on this fundraising challenge after hearing about the actual death rate in care homes and also from speaking to the key workers on the ground,” says Rishi, Superintendent Pharmacist at Scorah Chemists. “Though I enjoy running distances of around 5km to 10km, I have certainly never run this kind of distance in a month! I’m looking forward to the challenge and to raising funds to help frontline key workers in the local area.”

“Rishi has been a partner and friend to Borough Care Ltd for many years. He works tirelessly to ensure that our residents have all the medication they require to keep them fighting fit.

As well as guiding us on how to improve our medication systems, during the current pandemic, he has also helped staff by providing us with supplies of toiletries for our residents,” says Val Egan, Head of Care at Borough Care.

She continues, “He has always been a great supporter and advocate for Borough Care, so we were full of admiration, but not surprised, when he announced that he intended to complete a marathon every week in the month of May to help raise funds for us and other local homes he supports. His hope is that we can all use the money raised to purchase additional and vital PPE. I am filled with pride that Rishi has taken on this challenge for the vulnerable people he cares for. He is an inspiration and I wish him great success in his endeavours.”

The PPE supplied will protect both key workers and also vulnerable patients by providing the following: face masks, gloves and gowns.

Scorah Chemists have two stores in Stockport, located in Bramhall and Hazel Grove. Through these two stores they are currently reaching hundreds of vulnerable customers by delivering prescriptions to their homes free of charge and also provide medication to 13 care homes in the area.

PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

International Nurses Day 2020: Royal Star & Garter Celebrates Nursing and Care Through The Decades Each year on May 12, celebrations take place around the world to mark International Nurses Day. The date falls on the birthday of Florence Nightingale, and carries extra significance this year as it marks the 200th anniversary of her birth. As a result, 2020 has been designated as The Year of the Nurse and Midwife by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Royal Star & Garter uses this day each year to pay tribute to the nurses and health care assistants (HCAs) who work together in their care homes providing loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia.

Staff celebrate by dressing up in the long-sleeved black dress, white apron and bonnet that are synonymous with Florence Nightingale, and making a fuss over the care team, serving drinks and delicious cakes.

Although this year, the charity will not be able to celebrate the work of its nurses and carers in the usual way, the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the bravery and dedication of its staff.

The nurses and HCAs at Royal Star & Garter’s three Homes in Solihull, Surbiton and High Wycombe play an invaluable role, providing care with love and courage to a group of people who have themselves displayed remarkable courage in their lives.

This courage has been part of the very ethos of Royal Star & Garter since it was formed in 1916 to care for injured men returning from the battlefields of the First World War. To celebrate International Nurses Day, here is a selection of black and white photos which illustrate the vital role nurses and carers have played in the charity’s long history.

taken in 1918, and just two years after the charity was formed, shows a nurse standing by and supporting Private Joseph W. Richards as he paints while holding a brush in his teeth. Private Richards was paralysed after suffering spinal injuries in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He said: “I didn’t half use a lot of brushes. I kept biting them in two.”

1933 – MATRON LAWRENCE

A portrait of Nurses Duffett, Mitchell and Porter, staff nurses of the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service (QAIMNS). They were well educated and had completed a threeyear training course in a hospital approved by the War Office. All care staff were deeply committed to their work and formed warm relationships with the residents, who showed their appreciation through letters and sketches to the nurses.

1923 – SPORTS DAY

dents at the Home in all variety of occasions. In this photo, one can be seen with residents during a visit by disabled flying ace Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, when he came to visit the Home in 1945.

1948 – ARCHERY COMPETITION

1920 – THE NURSES

Pictured above is Ida Lawrence, the first Matron of the Home, who retired in 1933 after 17 years in service, with her team of nurses. The British Red Cross Review summed up the special qualities Royal Star & Garter staff still display, when it said of her: “She possessed that wonderful gift of being able to put herself in the position of patients, who had a real friend in whom they could place their confidence and look up to for health and comfort.”

1943 – Walking Again This 1943 photo captures the dedication and perseverance displayed by the charity’s care team, as two nurses help a resident walk on the terrace of the Richmond Home. Today at Royal Star & Garter, our physiotherapists and activities teams help residents with exercise and mobility, boosting fitness and wellbeing.

A nurse shows off her adaptability while helping out in the landmark archery competition held between Royal Star & Garter and Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 1948.

The event, which was organised by the hospital’s founder Dr Ludwig Guttmann, was the forerunner to the Paralympic Games.

1975 – CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

1945 – SIR DOUGLAS BADER Care staff have always been on hand to help resi-

1918 – PRIVATE RICHARDS From its very beginning, Royal Star & Garter’s work was more than just physical care the carers used all their abilities to support men mentally too. This photo,

and female staff competed against one another in games such as the Tug-of-War, as this example from a London hospital at the time, shows.

Nurses and carers have always been at the centre of activities and events at Royal Star & Garter – whether it’s caregiving or Sports Day events! Male

Royal Star & Garter prides itself on being a family, consisting of residents, relatives, staff and volunteers.

Strong friendships develop when providing loving care, which means staff are able to share special occasions with residents. This photo shows Wally Barrett celebrating 50 years at the Home in 1975, with Chairman of the Governors, General Sir Charles Harington, Staff Nurse Downes, Matron Wadmore, and his wife Violet. Building bonds with residents

PAGE 26 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES New Guides To Supercharge Your Care Home Management Calibre Audio - Unleash the Power of Your Imagination Is continued customer satisfaction important to you? Could your communications with residents and their loved ones be improved? Does your care home's website need to be brought into the 2020's? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you will be pleased to learn about a series of free expert guides for care home managers and owners.

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

for care homes written by and for those working in the care homes sector.

UK consumer law is among the best in the world, but this also means that it can be complicated and in-depth. Care home regulations are no exception, and you may be overwhelmed by it all. These guides make it simple and straightforward so that you can avoid the regulatory pitfalls and improve your business for the good of you and your residents.

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

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CareZips™ Dignity Trousers CareZips™ are adaptive dignity trousers that preserve the privacy of people receiving care during diaper changes.

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CareZips™ feature 3 strategically positioned zips, 2 of which run from the waist to the knees on both sides of the body. The 3rd zip goes from the inside of one knee up to the crotch and down to the knee again on the inside of the other leg. This allows total opening of the trousers at the crotch for diaper changes. The

3-zip system facilitates fast and easy access to the abdomen and crotch without having to undress the patient or pull trousers down.

CareZips™ are suitable for men and women. They are available in 7 sizes for perfect fit. CareZips™ are soft and wrinkle resistant with stretch and give for extra comfort. Practical, washable and non-iron, the CareZips™ trousers are the best choice for daily use.

When worn over soft hip protectors, such as HipSaver QuickChange or OpenBottom, the CareZips™ contribute to prevention of fall-related hip fractures.

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The Oxford Up from Joerns Healthcare floor surfaces and ensures minimal exertion on the part of the caregiver.

As with all Oxford products, injury reduction, fall prevention and ergonomic principles were fundamental considerations during the Up’s development phase. Perfect positioning of both the swing-away seat pads and knee support help ensure optimum patient positioning. Adjustable leg positioning and a contoured base allow excellent access for the patient and promotes better posture and ease of use.

Contact Joerns Healthcare for more information on 0844 811 1156, send an email to info@joerns.co.uk or visit our website at www.joerns.co.uk

The Oxford Up, from Joerns Healthcare is a manual stand-aid and seated transfer device, designed to support easy, safe and efficient patient transfers. Suitable for clients who require some assistance when standing but are able to participate in the process, the Up can play a key role in patient rehabilitation and promoting on-going independence.

Manufactured from aluminium and weighing just 22.5kg, the Up is among the lightest and most nimble in its category; but don’t be fooled, a maximum safe working load of 200kg (31st) also places it among the elite. Highgrade castors offer outstanding manoeuvrability across a range of

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, email: 01484 842217 or www.zeroderma.co.uk

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Calibre Audio is a free national charity that lends audiobooks to everyone who has a print disability.

A print disability is most commonly a sight problem, dyslexia or a condition that makes it hard to hold or understand printed. Audiobooks offer a way to overcome difficulties such as these, so that you can consume books the same as others, just in a different way – audio.

Calibre Audio has thousands of audiobooks in its collection, with so many categories catering for all ages and tastes. No one needs to miss out on the pleasure of a good book. Calibre Audio’s collection There are well over 11,000 unabridged audiobooks on

Calibre’s shelves. Titles cover all fiction and non-fiction genres, including bestsellers, classic novels, modern fiction and popular non-fiction.

Calibre’s audiobooks can be streamed online, downloaded to your device or delivered straight to your door on CD and memory stick by our free postal service. Which means whether you’re listening from your favourite armchair or in your garden, unleash the power of your imagination.

‘Being a member of Calibre has given me a chance to read and enjoy books that I wouldn't have otherwise had a chance to read.’

Join and get listening! It is free

Lotus Care Technology The NurseAlert pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot.

Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for

for everyone with a print disability to join Calibre Audio.

Go online at www.calibreaudio.org.uk or call membership services on 01296 432 339 for more information.

See the advert on page 6 for details.

this at risk of falls.

Having many years of experience in fitting and maintaining Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has different needs. They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier.

Visit lctuk.com or see the advert on page 17 for details.

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/coron-

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

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

logo directly onto your chosen uniforms.

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

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

Mattress Maintenance Services In order to bring a mattress back into service after use, it needs to be completely cleaned and decontaminated to approved standards that guarantee bacterium and viruses such as C.Diff and MRSA are killed, and no cross contamination occurs.

A challenge with mattress cleaning is not only that it requires large commercial washing machines but that different mattress types also require different treatment.

The right rental and maintenance service will not only provide you with an appropriate mattress when you need it, but offer fast cleaning, repairs, and replacements, ensuring mattresses are up to the required standards. This undoubtedly saves you money in the long term, provides the best possible levels of care to your patients and residents, and reassures all stakeholders that hygiene is a top priority; a must in the current climate.

WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR? So what should you look for in a rental service – apart from a wide range of special purpose mattresses? Here are a few key pointers: • Rapid breakdown response

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

Visit www.spearheadhealthcare.com or see the advert on page 4.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 25

DO YOU KNOW THE CARER’S NEXT UNSUNG HERO? Regular readers will know we here at the Carer have been awarding an Unsung Hero each Summer and Christmas since 2016!

Now, in these unprecedented and testing times we are looking for another Unsung Hero! (How we wish we could reward you all!)

Say hello to some previous ers!

A two night luxury break for winn

Care Home urst of Cloverfield Marion Brockleh

Debbie Day of Cedars Care Home

two people in a choice of over 300 UK-wide hotels is the prize! £50 Marks & Spencer vouchers for two runners-up! e Boynes Care Centr Sam Buckley of The

Tina Higginson of Sam brook care home

A no-frills, no glitz or glamour competition - all we ask is for you to send us a paragraph or two nominating your Unsung Hero from any department with a brief description of how they've gone that extra mile and deserve to be recognised.

✓ Do you know our next Unsung Hero?

Email your nomination to us today at nominate@thecareruk.com

PAGE 28 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Handwashing Gadget Launches To Help Care Homes

A motion-sensing gadget is launching to help and encourage better hand washing habits.

Wavewash can be fitted above sinks in any business, home, or healthcare premises, reminding people to wash their hands more thoroughly and helping them to achieve a 20 second wash every time.

Wavewash is intended for use in a wide range of businesses to help staff, customers or patients to wash their hands more thoroughly and meet their obligations under government guidelines. The product can also be especially useful in healthcare premises such as care homes where hygiene is crucial.

Once activated with a wave of the hand, Wavewash begins a light-up timer to indicate how long a person should continue washing their hands.

The 20 second timer gives users a clear indication of how long they need to wash, as recommended by the NHS and the government.

Under the government’s recently published COVID-19 guidance for employers (www.gov.uk/guidance/social-distancing-in-the-workplaceduring-coronavirus-covid-19-sector-guidance), employers should advise workers to regularly wash their hands for 20 seconds and they should consider providing any additional facilities needed to do so.

To help healthcare providers such as care homes to protect patients and staff from coronavirus, 100 Wavewash units are being offered to selected organisations in the sector, free of charge.

As well as being used in healthcare premises, Wavewash can be used in the toilets of pubs, cafes and restaurants to improve hygiene and reduce the spread of germs and viruses. It can also be used by businesses involved in food processing and preparation, where hand hygiene is essential.

Health authorities around the world, including 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.

Wavewash partner, Martin Hurworth said: “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 better and helps them to do it.

“Telling people to wash their hands more thoroughly can work, but positive reinforcement, timely reminders and a little help can work so much better at nudging us into doing the right thing. I believe that Wavewash can make a real difference in getting everyone to wash their hands properly, helping to prevent the spread of germs and illnesses” The device has been designed to help all businesses, including those in healthcare to comply with governmental guidelines for hygiene and for the prevention and control of infections. As a result, Wavewash is intended to play a major role in helping businesses to prepare for life after the nationwide lockdown comes to an end, when good hand hygiene is expected to be crucial.

As part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s social distancing guidelines (www.gov.uk/guidance/social-distancing-inthe-workplace-during-coronavirus-covid-19-sector-guidance), every business is expected to advise workers to wash their hands using soap and water for 20 seconds regularly, and should consider providing additional facilities to help with this. Wavewash can help companies towards fulfill-

ing these requirements, reminding workers to wash their hands thoroughly and helping them to wash for 20 seconds every time.

Wavewash’s smart design and simple interface also makes it ideal for the home, helping parents and children to clean their hands and keep one another safe.

Wavewash has been developed by a team of British engineers who were inspired after speaking to doctors and nurses about the problems caused by people failing to properly wash their hands in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

The gadget is a simple tech solution which 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 which are included and its smooth surface avoids the build-up of dirt and germs.

While washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds is advised by the NHS (www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-towash-your-hands), Public Health England (www.gov.uk/government/news/public-information-campaign-focuseson-handwashing) and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html). Studies have shown that a 20-second hand wash with liquid soap is enough to effectively remove dirt, organic matter and most transient microorganisms which are acquired through direct contact with a person and from the environment.

Hand washing can minimise the spread of illnesses including influenza (annals.org/aim/fullarticle/744899/facemasks-hand-hygiene-preventinfluenza-transmission-households-cluster-randomized-trial), diarrhea and respiratory infections, and governments around the world recommend it as a central part of their advice to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) (www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/). Hand washing also reduces the risk of food poisoning (www.nhs.uk/livewell/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands).

However, recent studies have suggested that just 5% of people wash their hands for long enough (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23621052), with the average wash lasting only six seconds.

Wavewash is inspired by the ‘nudge theory’ of behavioural science which is widely used by governments and public health bodies. The concept is that individuals are more likely to make particular choices or behave in a certain way if they are positively encouraged and supported to make it through indirect suggestions, rather than coercion or education.

The makers of Wavewash hope that the device will lead to more people thoroughly washing their hands in future, helping to make 20 secondlong hand washing a permanent habit.

Wavewash is available for purchase now. Visit www.wavewash.co.uk for more information or call 01603 343 727.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 27

PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Free Coronavirus Awareness Face Shields In Stock Now Video by iHASCO iHASCO , a market-leading provider of workplace eLearning, have released a free Coronavirus awareness video to help offer organisations and the general public practical advice on what Coronavirus is, how to reduce the risk of the virus spreading and what to do if you’re showing symptoms. This free resource is for anyone wishing to find out more about Coronavirus and how to minimise its impact. Employers can now, in under 10 minutes, provide a short video to all of their employees, spread awareness and help them understand best hygiene practices.

Access the video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJrpfmnOnpc or visit the free resource page on the iHASCO website at www.ihasco.co.uk/blog/entry/2716/covid-19.

The free video contains information gathered from the NHS, the Direct Gov website, The World Health Organization, and it also includes a few useful tips from iHASCO’s Infection Prevention & Control course.

As a leading provider of online Health & Safety, HR and Business Compliance training, iHASCO offers quality online training courses to over 10,000 UK businesses. With this in mind iHASCO felt it their duty to share this information in a short video.

Face Shields are now in full production and available for delivery from Numatic International, home of the famous Henry vacuum.

Manufactured in the UK, the Face Shield offers a simple, comfortable and reusable solution. We are prioritising dispatch of these Face Shields to Healthcare settings, including Care Homes.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have urgently re-tasked our Design & Manufacturing Teams to deliver a Non-profit PPE initiative, supplying PPE to those that need it as quickly as possible.

For more information and to order: Call: 01460 269270 Email: PPE@numatic.co.uk Visit: www.numaticsupport.com/faceshield

“Being Health & Safety training experts, we have a duty to play our part in raising awareness to help reduce the risk of infection spread and keep people safe,” says Nathan Pitman, Director at iHASCO. “We know how to source quality information and present it in an engaging way to ensure the learner takes away the key points. Rather than focus on panic and frightening news headlines we want to provide information that is of use and provide practical steps organisations and the general public can digest, despite the uncertainty of things to come.

Visit www.ihasco.co.uk for further information.

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

Proven Technology Offers Greater Protection for Staff and Residents Against Covid-19

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

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

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

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

Once applied it stays active, providing up to 30 days protection on surfaces and 24 hours on the skin. In a

Care Home, this can dramatically reduce the chances of encountering a crisis by reducing the spread of dangerous pathogens either by hand or touch.

OneSpray’s Hand Sanitiser offers 24 hours protection with one application, contains no alcohol, is ultragentle on the skin and won’t wash off during normal daily washing. This means it is very economical to use versus alcohol-based sanitisers, given that typically one person will apply those sanitisers up to 10 times per day.

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

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

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

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

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

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 31

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

Haigh Engineering Resident and patient waste is a day to day practical matter that simply cannot become a problem for frontline carers and nursing staff.

With the raised awareness of cross infection risks, the proven reliable waste disposal systems from Haigh are recognised more than ever as being a key part of the toolkit for ensuring that human waste is effectively and efficiently removed as a source of risk, day in day out, without the risks and complications of either washing pots or manual bagging waste for collection.

The team from Haigh have been working hard to support this beyond just the manufacture of the

Incomaster and Quattro waste disposers here in the UK, but also developing innovative and safe methods to enhance the servicing provisions that are available to customers.

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

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

Reduce Cross-Infection with Dorgard

As a measure to reduce the risk of cross infection care settings may introduce increased cleaning routines, but managing this with the increased workload can be difficult and easily overlooked. Preventing cross infection amongst residents and staff in care and nursing homes has never been more important. Staff may be concerned that contact with door handles and hand plates could increase the risk of spreading the coronavirus and finding a legal solution to hold your fire door open has never been more pressing than now.

Dorgard Original and Dorgard SmartSound can offer you a quick and cost effective solution to this pressing dilemma. They can be fitted to your existing fire doors by your own handyman in around ten minutes, providing you with an effective solution to reduce the risks of cross infection. Once fitted, these fire door holders will hold

your fire door in the open position with the help of a foot plunger. The devices will constantly ‘listen’ for the sound of your fire alarm and on hearing it the Dorgard will automatically lift the plunger and allow the door closer, fitted as standard to all fire doors, to close the door, ensuring fire safety is maintained.

By holding fire doors open in this way you remove the need for your staff to touch door handles and hand plates, reducing the risk of germs and viruses spreading. You can programme the Dorgard to automatically close at night should you require this.

If you would like to know more about how Dorgard can help you meet your legal fire safety requirements and reduce the risk of cross infection, call our customer care team today 0800 612 6537 or visit www.safelincs.co.uk or see the advert on page 18.

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 influence of relative humidity (RH) on specific families of viruses,

• While coronaviruses are durable on surfaces relative 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).

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).

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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Service & Maintenance

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 33

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL How Do You Control The Spread Of Infection?

The severity of any build up of bacteria or pathogen could be fatal. At SFS Protect, high standards of hygiene are recognised and paramount to the ethos of our service.

No sprays, no wipes, just vaporised Hydrogen Peroxide. The Nocospray 2, has been carefully developed around a heating and ionising turbine that transforms and emits the Nocolyse disinfectant into a non-corrosive, non allergenic, bio degradable gas – with no residue.

mint fragrance or with essential oils, should there be a requirement to remove odours. All Nocolyse gas when evenly distributed throughout isolated areas will eliminate dangerous viruses such as MRSA, Clostridium difficile, Norovirus, CPE, Coronavirus.

In relation to the current Pandemic COVID-19 Coronavirus, our “Oxypharm One Shot” has now been fully accredited and a full copy of this declaration is available on our web site.

THE PRODUCTS The Nocospray 2 will eliminate 99.99% of all bacteria in as little time as 90 minutes. There is no requirement for the removal of electrical equipment, furniture, fixtures and fittings, just the room to be completely sealed for the gas to work effectively.

Services At SFS, we offer 2 types of service.

Curative “One Shot” Disinfection is where there is a known or recurring problem.

Preventative Decontamination Disinfection is to maintain good levels of infection control. The “Decontimination” range is also available with a mild

OUR MISSION SFS Protect are dedicated to providing a caring and discreet service. Our mission is simple, to provide a safe and comfortable environment to work, play, learn and relax without the fear of contracting harmful viruses, bacteria and fungi.

TESTIMONIAL “SFS Protect are working with us to keep our employees safe by fumigating areas in any suspected COVID-19 cases. The team deliver a professional and efficient service, provide excellent technical support and respond quickly to any fumigation requests. Callout requests are fulfilled within 24 hours, leaving areas safe to return to within 40minutes of any suspected cases.”

Book now on 07468 428530, email info@sfsprotect.co.uk or visit www.sfsprotect.co.uk

JET - A Powerful Sporicidal Disinfectant JET is a powerful sporicidal disinfectant for use on non-porous high-touch surfaces.

JET is also a powerful cleaner destroying RNA and DNA in seconds. Its cleaning efficacy meets the requirements of a medical instrument cleaner, effectively reducing levels of protein and carbohydrate.

JET is the best safeguard for residents and staff wherever the risks of infection are highest and is ideal for use in care homes.

JET is sporicidal, mycobactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal and bactericidal in one minute. It has been tested in accredited laboratories and is proven effective against a wide range of microorganisms.

DOOR FRAMES & HANDLES

JET is built upon the same core chlorine dioxide technology as the Tristel medical device disinfectant products, but specially adapted for surface disinfection where cleaning and biofilm destruction are so important.

Chlorine dioxide is widely regarded as one of the most effective disinfectants for biofilm removal and prevention. JET delivers chlorine dioxide as a foam. It creates no aerosols when used.

Efficacy with the standard wipe in EN16615 means JET can be used with any sustainably sourced wipe, avoiding the use and waste of plastic wipes.

Find out more: BIT.LY/JETCH20

CHAIRS & WORK SURFACES

BEDS & BEDSIDE TABLES

FACE SHIELDS

Clean Care Is In Your Hands 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 crosssection 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 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 IndustriesEurope 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: www.who.int/infectionprevention/campaigns/cleanhands/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 1 https://www.who.int/news-room/ fact-sheets/detail/nursing-and-midwifery

Please mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 35

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Using Workforce Management Software Through Uncertain Times

By Heidi Birkin, Head of Marketing UK & EMEA at Deputy (www.deputy.com) Staff rotas are becoming unpredictable. With fluctuating levels of resource demand and people being unavailable to work, how can you more easily manage these changes and also reduce spend on agency staff?

Workforce management apps have been used in the care sector for many years now. Such staff scheduling and time tracking software can make a difference to day-to-day operations freeing up more time (and budget) to focus on the things that really need attention.

In these turbulent times, there are four key areas where automating rota and shift management can make a real difference and drive significant operational efficiencies.

1. With staff working longer or shorter hours, and others shielding and self-isolating, workforce management software enables managers to schedule efficiently and handle fast-changing demand.

By using templates or existing shift patterns, such software allows you to create a rota in minutes. Once up and running, managers can

monitor staff availability against demand to identify where there is a need to increase or decrease the number of shifts. And if someone calls in sick, finding a replacement is fast as you can immediately advertise open shifts to all staff not already due to be working or use a shift swapping feature.

These smart scheduling capabilities mean rotas can be optimised for both your available staff and budget.

2. Ensuring staff are healthy and safe are critical for quality service.

Understanding at a glance who is where and when gives you an advantage. For example, identifying which staff are working remotely and who is self-isolating (and for how much longer) or sick.

Facial and voice recognition technologies embedded into workforce management apps are also advantageous right now. Launched in response to COVID-19, a touchless clock-in kiosk can help cut the risk of hand-to-hand contamination whilst providing an accurate picture of who’s on shift where. And checklists or specific questions can be added to clock-in or clock-out to embed hygiene procedures and monitor their completion when a team member finishes a shift.

3. Current circumstances mean that procedures and policies change frequently; a necessity to ensure alignment with evolving government and HSE guidance. Communication has never been more important both to connect with and hear from employees. And ensure critical messages have been read and acknowledged.

A newsfeed – like those we’re familiar with from social media – embedded into a workforce management app is a centralised place for staff communication. It can provide a vital workplace channel to share

WristPIT from Pinpoint

unaware that a patient had had a fall for quite some time.

Pressing the clearly labelled call button on the WristPIT notifies the personnel on duty that a patient is The WristPIT from Pinpoint,is a bespoke patient call requesting help and informs staff exactly where the transmitter designed to be worn on the wrist. patient is. The call button is recessed and surrounded This wrist-worn personal infrared transmitter by a bump guard to prevent false alarms.

(WristPIT) is easily accessible and allows patients to Pinpoint Alarm Systems are installed in thousands of activate a call for even if they are away from their bed or medical facilities throughout the UK and USA. The new a fixed call-point.

WristPIT is backward compatible and easily integrated Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology into existing Pinpoint Systems. (usually worn by staff for personal A green LED indicates the WristPIT is ‘activated’ safety) has, for the first time, been with good battery level. When the battery requires designed around patient use. The changing, the LED flashes red until the battery is WristPIT can withstand showering and changed and the device has been retested. brief submersion in water and also In addition to being water-resistant, the incorporates antimicrobial product WristPIT has been designed to withstand protection, reducing the ability for bacharsh environments and user tampering, teria to grow. meaning suitability for facilities where According to figures published by the service users may be at risk of selfNational Reporting and Learning System, harm. around 250,000 incidents where patients For more information: required assistance in hospital were reported in www.pinpointlimited.com 2015/16. In many cases, nursing staff remained

critical information to both individuals and teams. Accessing via an app on their phone, employees can confirm they understand important posts about new policies or processes so managers can be confident the message has been heard. Video can be used to reassure staff, illustrate more detailed instructions without gathering everyone together, or simply stay connected with your entire team in a more engaging manner.

4. Nobody has time for a long and complex software implementation project at the moment, but cloud-based software can be very quick, simple and cost-effective to set up and launch. By using a rota template with a list of team members, organisations can be up and running in the same day. Employees can see and manage their work schedules and key communications from their phones using a simple app.

To help automate end-to-end processes and further improve the employee experience, leading workforce management software is built with connectivity in mind and easily integrates with payroll platforms, HR systems and more. This helps improve visibility into wage costs across teams and the business, to ensure labour levels can respond to daily fluctuating demand.

This is an incredibly testing time. But all of these factors help organisations to remove the time-consuming admin overhead (and costs), freeing up resource and budget for those critical issues that really matter at the moment. Looking for easily adoptable and affordable apps that help you to make your staff’s lives that bit easier right now, as well as help you develop a brilliantly efficient business to take into the future, is a win-win.

CARE VISION – Outstanding Care is at the Heart of Everything We Do At Carevision, outstanding care truly is at the heart of everything they do. They have combined over 40 years of hands on experience running care homes and working with some of the smartest mind in tech, they have created Care Vision - An all-in-one, cloud-based system that incorporates all your care and admin in to one easy to use system. Carers can compile resident notes, health observations and EMAR. Care home managers can manage rotas, accounts, HR and housekeeping tasks and log visitors using the digital visitor book. Residents can use the system to make personal choices on meals and activities and use the app to keep in touch with family and friends.

Rishi Jawaheer, director at Care Vision says “The 100+ care homes that use our

PINPOINT WRISTPIT The WristPIT is a wrist worn Personal Infrared Transmitter designed exclusively for patient use.

The latest call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms. It is also backward compatible, allowing seamless integration into existing Pinpoint Systems.

DID YOU KNOW? Biomaster Technology is incorporated into all surface areas of the product during manufacture, inhibiting the growth of contaminating bacteria 24/7 for the lifetime of the product.

www.pinpointlimited.com

system have seen its benefits – They are saving 2-4 hours of staff hours per resident, per week and they are achieving outstanding CQC results. Carers love it, residents and relatives love it, and care home managers can’t remember how challenging managing a care home was before it.”

Of course, taking on a whole new system can seem daunting, that’s why Care Vision offer minimal investment, all round support and flexible hardware options.

They don’t feel the need for long-term contracts, Rishi says “We have total confidence, once you use Care Vision, you will love it as much as we do.”

The Care Vision team would love to talk to you about what the system can do for you. Contact at info@care-vision.co.uk or call 0208 768 9809.

PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6

TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE 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 system and required to send notifica-

tions 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 or see the advert on page 2.

Workforce Scheduling Solutions Workforce Scheduling Solutions deliver Electronic Time & Attendance systems worldwide, using the latest Face Recognition technology.

Why should care homes move from paper to electronic time sheets

The industry is under considerable financial pressures. An efficient electronic booking on/off system that will schedule, provide budgets, calculate hours worked, overtime and absence such as sickness and holiday entitlement will save Time and Money.

How is time and money saved by doing things electronically?

Collecting payroll information from paper timesheets can be slow, prone

to errors, and very labour intensive.

Staff rosters can be produced as far in advance as practical and accurate within budgeted hours. Staff book on and off-duty electronically, thus eliminating any time errors.

Wage queries are virtually eliminated and immediate checks can be made without wading through reams of paper which invariably are inaccurate, misfiled or even 'lost".

There are many systems on the market - Why facial recognition is important and how it works Some systems use tokens, which can be lost or left at home, requiring management involvement in the booking on/off procedure.

Fingerprint systems can be beaten and Social media is awash with ways

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

to copy fingerprints. Face recognition combined with a staff PIN is simple to use and manage using touch screen technology and web cams.

Staff see their image displayed immediately when booking on or off and confirms their identity visually.

It provides the best deterrent available as it builds a greater 'image knowledge’ of each employee, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Eliminates 'buddy punching' where employees can book colleagues on/off duty using someone’s tokens, swipe card or even fingerprint.

How is data protected?

With the correct security setup computer systems provide more data protection than paper-based records which can be easily removed or stolen. GDPR covers all data including paper records and therefore the chances of infringing the rules and incurring fines is greater with paper.

Visit www.wfsoftware.co.uk

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

NURSE CALL

IT’S NOT OBSOLETE UNTIL THE OPERA LADY SINGS

EDISON TELECOM LTD (IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984)

have spares, enhancements and expertise for wired and wireless systems abandoned by the original manufacturer, whoever they are.

Call us on 01252-330220 We can give most systems a new lease of life and maintain them into the future.

www.edisontelecom.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 37

TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE 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 consultations 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

Mainteno Facilities Maintenance and Management Software Whether it’s managing planned maintenance or dealing with fault repairs, Mainteno simplifies the day-to-day maintenance of almost any organisation.

Mainteno also seamlessly incorporates asset management and tracking.

Mainteno streamlines every aspect of the maintenance management process, saving your organisation time and money.

Usability made affordable Mainteno was designed with practicality in mind.

The interface is so intuitive that basic operation can be learned in minutes, and you can be a power user in one afternoon.

Elegant usability usually means a hefty price tag.

However, our pricing structure means that for small

organisations, Mainteno can cost as little as two cups of coffee a month. No set-up fees, no lengthy contracts and a free trial, all mean that the system starts paying for itself straight away.

Dr Asif Raja, Bsc MBBS Summercare Managing Director says “Facing significant challenges of ever increasing quality and compliance demands upon time and resources as well considerable economic pressures, Summercare, an award winning provider of residential care and housing related support, sought to upgrade their systems for managing the property and environmental aspects of its service delivery. After an extensive period of investigation and research Mainteno was selected as the platform of choice for the entire organization based on its ease of use, very short-term contract, quick set up and ongoing support.”

Visit www.mainteno.com, Tel: 020 8798 3713 or email sales@redro.co.uk

Facilities Maintenance and Management Software Simple to use, easy to maintain and very affordable.

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Reporting tasks and faults Asset tracking and value reporting Invoice management Add multiple images and documents Detailed analytical reporting Dashboard reporting showing live status of all tasks Management of all planned maintenance schedules Compliance testing and inspections Traffic light detailed reporting for audit purpose Audit reporting Direct allocation of work to relevant parties Can be used for help desk Supplier performance management and reporting Warranty and insurance management Can be used on any web enabled device Link tasks to calendar Create check lists for compliance purposes Contractor Quotes and Invoice Management Contractor Login upload function

www.mainteno.com 020 8798 3713 sales@redro.co.uk

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

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 39

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Covid19: Accelerating the Use of Digital Technology in Healthcare or Excel so why do many operators still use this method when invoicing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

See www.fusion4care.com for details.

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

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

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

Would you expect to check out of a hotel with an invoice and extras raised in Word

Evolving Technologies Technology moves forward at an ever increasing pace and forward thinking Care Homes are ensuring they are keeping in step with the tech.

Quieter and calmer care homes are on the horizon and embracing various technologies can help with getting there.

Smart phone and tablet technologies are a firm fixture in our everyday lives and these are translating into the Care Home landscape. Care Management plans can be developed and improved by collating data from these technologies in extraordinarily fast ways – leaving more time for staff to focus on their jobs and not painful administerial tasks. The information managers receive ensures that they can make informed decisions and keep accurate and safe records without impacting on time spent caring for residents.

Real time alerts can be delivered to mobile tech

– resulting in faster response times. Meaning peace of mind for both staff and residents.

It’s not just the mobile tech revolution that is having an impact on Care Homes. New developments in the field of Acoustic Monitoring are having dramatic impacts on staff and residents.

Acoustic Monitoring has proven capabilities of improving the nights sleep a resident may have and freeing up time for night staff. A recent investigation into the benefits of Acoustic Monitoring has shown that the technology can result in up to 60% fewer nightly disturbances for residents and up to a 70% reduction in nightly visits by care staff.

This translates to freeing up to 40% of staffs time during the night – leaving them to carry out other duties. This, in turn, can result in staff and residents having better, calmer days.

The technology can be used to determine patterns in night time activity and, when coupled with the power of Care Management Apps, provide a better understanding of a residents needs and, therefore, enable more dynamic and relevant care plans to be deployed.

For more information about solutions for care, see Courtney Thorne's advert on page 11 or visit www.c-t.co.uk

A Longer and Healthier Life Is A Goal to Be Pursued The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock addressed the AllParty Parliamentary Group to present its longer, healthier lives strategy. A positive approach to a subject that is often seen as a problem, instead of something to celebrate. Matt Hancock: “Longer life is not a problem to be tackled but a goal to be pursued. And not just for government, or even the NHS, but for each and every one of us.” A goal imminently linked to technology.

Growing older every year is an accomplishment we should be very proud of. Not only because it’s the outcome of a continuously improving care system, but also because it shows that we’re all taking our health seriously. It’s no longer a side dish: it’s the main dish.

Matt Hancock tapped into the momentum and presented the longer, healthier lives strategy: “There’s a huge prize ahead if we get this right: 5 more years of healthy life. More enjoyment out of life. More time for the things that matter most in life.” It’s an ambitious goal, but definitely one worth fighting for and, with the right knowledge, people and attention, a goal that can be achieved.

There are three things that are key to making this goal a reality: people and place, lifestyle and technology.

Technology is an ongoing and upcoming important conversation that Adaptive IT Solutions is humbled and proud to be a part of. One of our most special clients WCS Care and our CLB Acoustic Monitoring were referenced in Matt Hancocks’ speech: “Adult social care is increasingly a site of healthtech

innovation. Internet-linked devices can help people live at home for longer and stay connected to family and friends.

They can also help providers deliver smarter, more responsive care. For example, there’s a provider up in Warwickshire – WCS Care – doing great things with acoustic monitoring.”

Our CLB Acoustic Monitoring lets the care staff hear crying, moving around and breathing difficulty, just to name a few. When a sound like that is detected, it sends an alert to the night managers’ monitoring station. An important solution with big impact: it means care staff doesn’t have to knock on the residents’ doors regularly to check and see if they’re alright, ensuring the residents can have a good night sleep.

This alone reduced the amount of night-time falls at WCS Care with 34%. It also provided WCS Care with another interesting insight, Matt Hancock: “…when they analyzed the data, they found that lots of people were staying awake late into the night. This led the care home to set up a ‘wide awake club’ to support night owls and get them back into a healthier rhythm.”

ABOUT ADAPTIVE IT SOLUTIONS

Formed in 2002, awardwinning Adaptive IT Solutions provides professional IT services throughout all commercial markets, predominantly within the Healthcare, Dentistry, Education and Retail sectors.

Adaptive IT Solutions offers a vast portfolio of IT services including structured cabling, audio visual, hardware deployment and specialist digital clinical equipment. For more information about Adaptive IT Solutions: www.adaptiveit.co.uk.

For more information about CLB Acoustic Monitoring: global.clb.nl.

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 41

CATERING FOR CARE

Promoting Good Nutritional Care in Care Homes food first approach are commonly used in care homes.

IDENTIFYING NUTRITIONAL RISK IN CARE HOMES

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITIONAL CARE BAPEN estimates that 93% of malnourished individuals with or at risk of malnutrition live in community settings (1). Unfortunately, malnutrition is often unrecognised and untreated, particularly in vulnerable populations (2).

Malnutrition can affect every system in the body, leading to adverse changes in body form and function.

Physical effects include (3): • Impaired immunity • Pressure sores • Delayed wound healing • Muscle wasting • Adverse changes to the gastrointestinal structure and function • Generalised weakness • Increased risk of falls • Increased risk of bone conditions (i.e. osteoporosis) Other studies have shown that malnutrition is associated with more hospital readmissions (4), longer length of stay, increased complications and greater risk of mortality (5).

The good news is that dietary counselling given with or without oral nutritional supplements (ONS) is effective at increasing nutritional intake and weight (6).

Therefore, interventions which combine ONS and a

Nutrition risk screening is a rapid and simple way to detect those with or at risk of malnutrition, so that suitable care plans can be implemented. Nutritional screening for malnutrition is recommended in NICE clinical guideline 32 for all admissions to care homes and when there is clinical concern (7).

The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) (www.bapen.org.uk/pdfs/must/must_full.pdf) is the most frequently used screening tool in the UK. It is a five-step tool suitable for screening adults across all care settings. It is used to detect those who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.

The five steps are as follows: • Measure height and weight to determine Body Mass Index (BMI) • Calculate percentage of unplanned weight loss in the past 3-6 months • Establish acute disease effect and score • Add scores together to obtain an overall score for risk of malnutrition • Use management guidelines and/or local policy to establish treatment plan All staff involved in nutrition-risk screening should be suitably trained to meet required standards for their organisation.

PERSON-CENTRED APPROACH TO NUTRITIONAL CARE Person-centred care (www.hee.nhs.uk/ourwork/person-centred-care) means “focusing care on the needs of the individual.” It’s about ensuring that people's preferences, needs and values guide clinical decisions, whilst delivering care that is respectful of

By Harriet Smith, Registered Dietitian on behalf of AYMES International

and responsive to their needs (8).

One-size does not fit all when it comes to good nutritional care. People’s dietary preferences are highly individual due to religious, cultural and ethical factors.

Additionally, nutritional requirements may differ according to medical need.

Food provisions in care homes must be able to meet an individual’s needs.

Having a discussion with care home residents and/or their family, friends or carers to obtain further information about food preferences can be useful when delivering person-centred nutritional care. Menus should provide variety and choice, with systems in place to gather the views about food and drink from their residents, families and friends.

Every mealtime matters, and individuals should receive appropriate support and assistance to ensure optimal nutritional intake. Organisational approaches such as communal dining and protected mealtimes are useful strategies.

Oral nutrition support should be considered in patients who have inadequate oral intake of food and fluids to meet their nutritional requirements. This may include a food first approach (i.e. food fortification, extra snacks, nourishing drinks, energy-dense meals), oral nutritional supplements (ONS) and dietary counselling.

ONS products are used 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 and have been deemed to be at nutritional risk. ONS should always be given under medical supervision and must be used appropriately and in accordance with local prescribing guidelines.

Local prescribing guidelines for the treat-

ment of disease-related malnutrition often recommend powdered ONS products such as AYMES Shake (aymes.com/products/aymes-shake) as first-line interventions in care home settings. AYMES Shake is a nutritionally balanced, milkshake-style supplement, providing 383kcal and 19g protein per serving when mixed with 200ml whole milk. AYMES Shake is one of the best value powdered ONS products available (9), and is therefore a sensible choice for cost savings.

ABOUT AYMES INTERNATIONAL: AYMES International manufactures delicious, costeffective oral nutrition supplements for the dietary management of patients with, or at risk of diseaserelated malnutrition. For more information, visit https://aymes.com/ or call +44 (0) 845 680 5496.

References: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Malnutrition Task Force. Malnutrition in the UK Factsheet. Available at: http://www.malnutritiontaskforce.org.uk/resources/malnutritionfactsheet/ BAPEN Nutritional Screening Surveys in Hospitals in the UK, 2007 2011 (2014). Available at: https://www.bapen.org.uk/pdfs/nsw/bapen-nsw-uk.pdf Gandy, J. Manual of Dietetic Practice, chp. 6.2 Malnutrition (2014).

Sharma, Y. et al. (2017). ‘Malnutrition and Its Association with Readmission and Death within 7 Days and 8-180 Days Postdischarge in Older Patients: A Prospective Observational Study’.

BMJ Open.

Correia, M. et.al. (2003). ‘The Impact of Malnutrition on Morbidity, Mortality, Length of Hospital Stay and Costs Evaluated through a Multivariate Model Analysis’. Clinical Nutrition.

Baldwin, C. & Weekes, C. E. (2012) Dietary counselling with or without oral nutritional supplements in the management of malnourished patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. [Online].

NICE, ‘Nutrition support in adults: NICE guideline CG32’, 2006.

Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg32/chapter/1Guidance NHS Health Education England. Person-Centred Care. Available at: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/person-centred-care MIMS April 2020

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

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 6 | PAGE 43

CATERING FOR CARE Are You In Need Of Dysphagia Training*?

*This training is intended for healthcare professionals only.

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.

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)

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

thermometers,

waterproof colour cross-contamination combines

steel

coded colour

coded dishwasher-safe probes and stainless

solution.

storage for an ultra-hygienic food safety 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 colour-coded 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

Simply Puree

Use the camera on your phone to scan the QR code to access the elearning 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.

utes 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

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 min-

Launched in 2019, Simply Puree is a range of IDDSI compliant, nutritionally balanced, texture modified meals from levels 3-6, catering for people with dysphagia. . All made to the highest safety standards with a wide selection of choices, this range ensures you can prepare each meal safely giving you total reassurance, every time.

Each dish also has consistency in nutritional content, allowing you to easily control calorie intake. All meals come frozen and ready to serve, providing quick and convenient meals that simply need to be placed in the microwave or oven. But that’s not all, made to home-cooked standards these authentic

and tasty meals are packed full of flavour, making them perfect for any meal occa

sion throughout all day parts!

We work closely with a number of speech and language therapists so that we can ensure that we can adapt and innovate to the changing wants and needs of patients or residents with dysphagia.

Clare Park MSc MRCSLT HCPC, Speech and Language Therapist says: “As a

clinician specialising in swallowing, I have been using the Simply Puree range for many years. I would definitely recommend this texture modified meal but also for the appearance,

quality and texture. I range not only for the taste that this range has made a huge difference lives, find

to my clients’

they now enjoy their meals and I have found that many now look forward to meal times meals are quick and easy to regenerate and they maintain appear again. The and through. ance, texture

taste once cooked

“So, if you have clients who have to be on a texture modified diet following a

swallowing assessment by a speech and language therapist, due to perhaps a stroke, Dementia, Parkinson’s disease etc then I would highly recommend the Simply Puree range for them.

“The range has now been extended to include reduced portion sized meals for those with small appetites, as well as snack pots for those clients needing to up their nutritional daily intake. All options are of the same high quality and are fully IDDSI compliant – who wouldn’t enjoy an afternoon snack of level 4 tea, with a chocolate bourbon biscuit!”

Not only are we continually expanding our adult range, we’ve listened to our customers and have now launched our Simply Puree Junior range which also fully complies with paediatric IDDSI guidelines so now we can provide for all age groups.

For more information go to bidfood.co.uk/simplypuree

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