T H E P U B L I C A T 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 THECARERUK THECARERUK Issue 112 THECARER UK
“Increase Overseas Recruitment” to Solve Staffing Crisis, Orders Health Secretar y
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has ordered civil servants to drastically increase overseas recruitment of NHS and social care staff before the winter In his first interview since becoming Health Secretary Mr Barclay told The Telegraph that he has ordered civil servants to work at pace on proposals which will ‘significantly’ increase overseas recruitment in the NHS and made this announcement as part of a warning that the NHS could face a ‘triple threat’ of Covid seasonal flu and the cost of living crisis this winter He said the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was in a real sprint in order to tackle very serious challenges coming down the track in the autumn
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Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!
Conservative party voters do not believe either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss will deliver on the long promised social care reform the UK desperately needs Just Group’s survey of 2019 Tory voters showed that more (40%) respondents had con fidence in Liz Truss’ potential to implement social care reform than in Rishi Sunak’s (23%)
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Sylvia Mawson
Matthew Charlene Fox Again I have been delving into the leadership cam paigns to see who will be our next Prime Minister in September and looking to see what their policies are relating to adult social care They are rather sparse to say the least It would appear that addressing the issue is the “Elephant in the Room” which is defined as “A major problem or contro versial issue which is obviously present but is avoided as a subject for discussion” It is not difficult to see why In 2017 the then Prime Minister Theresa May abandoned her proposals for a social care levy after critics denounced the proposals as a “dementia tax” There has to my mind always been a sense of injus tice surrounding the cost involved in adult social care People with dementia are not considered eligible for free continuing care under the NHS However those diagnosed with serious/fatal illness will be looked after by the NHS In simple terms access to care depends on diagnosis rather than people s needs resulting sometimes in costs for care amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds We all remember Andrew Dilnot s 2011 report which proposed to cap these costs at £35 000 a proposal accepted by the then coalition government although at a higher limit of £72 000 That of course never materialised Theresa May dropped her proposals for a social care levy, we have since seen outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s increase in National Insurance contributions which he said would go toward adult social care (but since delayed that, instead diverting funds to the NHS) Now we have two prospective leaders doing the rounds discussing what policies they would implement if they were elected yet remarkably shy when it comes to adult social care From what I have seen so far Liz Truss now opposes April s health and social care levy" NI rise of 1 25% on employers’ and employees’ contributions, for which she voted, and Mr Sunak still supports his NHS tax rise Earlier this month Ms Truss said she would “make sure we’re putting the recent fund ing we allocated the £13bn into social care but we have yet any detail In the lead up to the leadership election battle we here at The Carer are repeatedly publishing stories from industry experts and observers highlighting the pressing issues and calling on both candidates to state the case We also wrote to both candidates to see if they wanted to provide our readers with an interview or a Q&A but heard nothing back! And today (Wednesday the 17th) a new survey has revealed that almost four in 10
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In particular I remember footballer Gordon McQueen and the great Leeds United side of the early 70s Gordon s teammate the legendary Jack Charlton also suffered with dementia Gordon’s daughter is an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society’s Sport United Against Dementia (SUAD) which is campaigning to increase awareness of available dementia support make sports dementia friendly and fund and support research into any links between sport and dementia A wonderful initiative Wwe have reported over the years quite a few football stars of the 50s 60s and 70s who are suffering with dementia I’m also old enough to remember legendary footballer Jeff Astle who passed away as a result of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (a form of dementia) attributed to regularly heading the ball which in those days were made of leather and extremely heavy A very important research initiative we hope to publicise often to raise awareness, par ticularly to those at grass roots level, which may help avoid future tragic cases I would also like say thank you all the care homes who have entered our Afternoon Tea Week competition We have once again been overwhelmed with the number of entries so very well done to you all! The last day for entries is tomorrow Thursday August 18th, so there is still time and we will be picking a winner with a luxury hamper packed with goodies on its way to that lucky care home so please monitor our website and next week s CARER DIGITAL (which I hope you have all signed up for)! You can email your last minute entries to nominate@thecareruk com Please do keep your stories coming in we are delighted to publish some delightful stories from various homes around the country from birthdays to fund raising, from bak ing to growing vegetables anything you would like to share please do send it to me editor@thecareruk com
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A substantial 37% almost as many as backed Ms Truss however believe that neither candidate would have any impact on social care reform I think it is time for some hard hitting broadcasters to vociferously question both can didates on their proposals on addressing adult social care Do not let either of the hook It is one of the most pressing issues the country is facing and we deserve an answer I was also very interested to read the article on sport and the brain injuries and its links with dementia (see page 21) I suppose it is my age group that many of the sports people now suffering dementia were all stars when I was younger
Editor Peter Adams
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SHORT TERM SOLUTION “NOT SUSTAINABLE”
Martin Green added: There is a rich pool of individuals both internationally and domestically that have the potential to bolster the workforce and reduce reliance on agency staff Agency is a short term solution which has now snowballed into a long term fix for adult social care providers This is not sustainable We need a root and branch reform of how individuals enter and progress through roles within the sector Last week Care England echoed the call of the Levelling Up Housing and Communities Committee asking for equal pay rates between domestic and overseas staff and issuing a plan for overseas recruitment in line with the code of practice on global staff shortages, and for an additional £7 billion per year for social care We stand by this call to action but this must come as part of a wider review which forms part of a fully funded 10 year workforce plan COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING SECTOR
“Increase Overseas Recruitment” to Solve Staffing Crisis, Orders Health Secretar y
Mr Barclay added that his department was in a real sprint to get ready for September and a decision to hire more overseas staff could not wait until a new prime minister is selected on 5 September
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: We are committed to building and support ing our hard working NHS and social care workforces and have launched a taskforce to drive up the recruit ment of international staff into critical roles across the system
months Whilst we appreciate the DHSC and wider Government departments’ plans to aid providers ability to recruit and retain staff we remain concerned about the lack of a joined up, strategic approach The cur rent measures in place are wholly insufficient For example the £500m being generated via the Health and Social Care Levy for the workforce over the next 3 years only equates to 5 7p per hour for each sector employee; this does not begin to touch the sides of such vast workforce pressures ” Care England’s Agency Fee Survey unveiled the extent to which the Covid 19 pandemic has exacerbated the reliance on agency staff reaching a point of unsustainability for the sector The survey found that: • 78% of respondents said they are using more/significantly more agency staff compared to April 2021, with 88% saying it was more/significantly more challenging to book them 86% of respondents said the costs of agency staff have increased since April 2021 74% said they had to con tact multiple agencies to source agency staff and 77% said it became more difficult to book them There was a theme of poor quality, less experienced and inappropriately trained staff, with 73% of respondents reporting that agency staff were less reliable Agency rates were significantly greater than carer (£19 57 vs £9 90) and nurse (£27 56 vs £19 49) employee hourly rates
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He suggested more hiring for British jobs could take place in the Philippines India and Sri Lanka countries which Mr Barclay said produce more nurses than they need and also said the social care sector would benefit from hiring foreign workers who have nursing qualifications but not a high enough standard of English for front line NHS work into non nursing roles
“BUREAUCRACY STRANGLING PROCESS ”
The taskforce will work with experts across government and the NHS and social care sectors to agree actions that will boost staff numbers ahead of the challenging winter period
There are currently 105 000 job vacancies in the care sector according to government figures and a shortage of care staff is leading to delays in discharging patients from hospitals to free up beds
Mr Barclay said: “A big part of my focus has been giving a lot more ministerial time to looking at the issues on delayed discharge on social care recruitment If there s pressure on the system and that requires more beds in the community those beds need the workforce to go with them ”
Mike Padgham chair of the Independent Care Group (ICG) said: We agree with the health secretary that we need more overseas staff to ease the shortage but the truth is Home Office bureaucracy is strangling the process “Care providers are waiting months to get their application for a licence to recruit overseas workers approved and in the meantime care is suffering “So whilst we applaud the health secretary for highlighting the issue, he needs to get on to the Home Office and sort out the bottleneck otherwise a situation that is already dire will be critical this winter “THE GREATEST WORKFORCE CRISIS IN [ADULT SOCIAL CARE] HISTORY In what has been described as the greatest workforce adult social care crisis in history Care England has urgently called for Government intervention to help remedy the agency staff crisis in the sector and to address wider workforce pressures Professor Martin Green OBE Chief Executive of Care England said: The adult social care sector is facing what the Health and Social Care Committee described as the greatest workforce crisis in [its] history Vacancies in the sector have increased by 52% (55 000) over the last twelve months necessitating a costly and increasingly unsustainable reliance on agency staff The use of agency staff has been a bandage over more deep routed recruitment and retention issues, which now, expectedly, are unravelling The results of our recent survey demonstrate the severity of these issues with the usage and cost of agency staff increas ing dramatically over the last year This is not only affecting the quality and continuity of care but com pounding pressures on the NHS Without central intervention these issues will only worsen over the coming
In honour of the 2022 Grand Prix and inspired by the history of a res ident within the home Activity Organisers of Chesham Leys nursing care home of The Fremantle Trust encouraged residents to race to win in a remote controlled circuit race Presented with a circuit in the main foyer of the home residents lined up to have their turn racing the remote control cars With help from Activity Organisers Lisamarie Spain and Rebecca Watkins each person used great focus to get their car over the finish line to win the coveted first place prize a bottle of bubbly Bucks Fizz After a few races flag waving and a lot of laughs the second and third place trophies were given out to Paul Rasinsky and Hendrika Lang with the first place trophy and Bucks Fizz bottle presented to Jean Porter
And in April Alzheimer s Research UK wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister urging the Government to convene a Dementia Medicines Taskforce with a single focus on fast tracking the development and deliv ery of new medicines for diseases like Alzheimer’s
On preparing for the event, Lisamarie commented: We unintentionally have quite a few women in our care home so we wanted to put together something that our gentlemen can really get involved in Our resident John Wickham was a big inspiration for this as he has such a great history in the racing world John Wickham began his racing career in 1972 assisting the British Automobile Racing Club in organising race meetings By 1978 John was asked to run the March Formula 2 team which resulted in great success Later in life he became a Formula 1 director a manager of Audi Sport UK and oversaw Bentley Le Mans After the event had concluded the residents were still keen to keep racing; as Paul Rasinksky described: We have a good selection of things to do and this was different, I enjoyed it ”
The announcement comes after sustained campaigning from charities including Alzheimer s Research UK Since 2019 over 50 000 people across the UK have joined the charity in contacting their MPs, signing petitions, and even writing personal letters to the Prime Minster himself urging the Government to deliver on its election promise and prioritise dementia research
The Vaccine Taskforce tore up the rule book for how drug discovery drug trials and drug licensing are done With promising Phase III clinical trial results expected for a number of potential new treatments over the coming months now is the time for political will and clear leadership from the very top of Government to make sure any new and approved treatments reach people here in the UK as swiftly as possible ” Reflecting on the news Scott Mitchell Ambassador at Alzheimer s Research UK and husband of the late Dame Barbara Windsor said “As a proud Ambassador of Alzheimer’s Research UK today’s news has been an emotional one Together we have long campaigned for an increase in research funding and the fact today’s commitment has been made in Barbara s name fills me with immense pride “I really do implore everyone to join this mission to end the heartbreak dementia causes Research is vital if we re to overcome the diseases that cause dementia and by coming together we will get there sooner; for people like Barbara and the many millions lost to or living with this devastating condition ”
Boris Johnson has recommitted to doubling dementia research funding to £160m a year by 2024 as set out in the Government’s 2019 election manifesto The Prime Minister has also ringfenced £95m to boost clini cal trials using a Taskforce model similar to the one that delivered COVID 19 vaccines
Care Home Hosts ‘Explosive’ Grand Prix Event in Honour of Famous Resident
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Warmly welcoming the announcement the UK s leading dementia research charity now calls on the new Prime Minister to ensure this fund ing is met with an ambitious 10 Year Plan for dementia Hilary Evans Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “Today’s announcement marks an important step towards cementing the UK’s leadership in dementia research and ensuring the NHS can rapidly adopt and deliver new dementia treatments to the people who need them
UK Government Promises ‘Dementia Moonshot’ and Fast-Track the Development of New Treatments
A new survey has revealed that almost four in 10 Conservative party voters do not believe either leadership candidates Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss will deliver on the long promised social care reform the UK urgently needs A Just Group’s survey of 2019 Tory voters revealed that more (40%) respondents had confidence in Liz Truss potential to implement social care reform, than in Rishi Sunak s (23%) Just Group say the findings indicate a deeply divided Conservative voter base despite the settlement on social care put forward by Boris Johnson’s government which included both Truss and Sunak less than a year ago
One Third of Conser vative Voters Believe Next PM Will Not Resolve Social Care
A service user at Cardiff s Pinetree Hospital who thought she would never get the chance to wear a prom dress had her dream come true recently thanks to the staff at the specialist hospital who pulled out all the stops to make her fantasy a reality Louise, 41, who is receiving specialist rehabilitation support from the service that provides person centred care for adults with learn ing disabilities and other mental health disorders, recently shared her dream with a staff member Whilst on a therapy dog walk with Paul Sutton, one of the man agers at Ludlow Street Healthcare which runs Pinetree the pair passed a prom dress shop near the hospital and seeing the dazzling array of clothes in the window Lou confided her lifelong ambition to wear a prom dress Keen to make Lou s dream a reality, Paul shared his idea for a prom dress photoshoot with the management team who offered to purchase the dress, accessories and props needed to give her a moment she d never forget Supported by Pinetree’s Hospital Director Julie Nolloth Lou picked out a dress shoes tiara and wig Lou’s Primary Care Nurse Carol Davies was tasked with transforming a conference room into a makeshift prom venue complete with balloon arch and other props including a bicy cle with basket A photographer was also hired to capture Lou’s special day Speaking about the experience Lou said It really was the best day of my life I ve always dreamed of wearing a prom dress and I felt like an absolute princess They even printed out my pictures for me to display in my room and created a photobook for me to look back on my special day I ll forever remember it and be grateful Paul Sutton, Quality and Development Manager at Ludlow Street Healthcare said: It was our absolute pleasure to help Lou realise her dream of picking out and wearing a prom dress When Lou mentioned how she had always longed to wear a prom dress when we walked past the dress shop, I just knew we had to make it happen somehow “So many people within the company and at Pinetree have been involved in setting up the entire day so it was a real collaborative effort Our service users are at the absolute heart of everything we do and I’m so glad we were able to put such a big smile on her face and give her such lovely memories to look back on ”
Prom Dream Comes True for Cardiff Woman
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 5
The reforms proposed under a year ago by Boris Johnson, and agreed by his government broke decades of deadlock and delay around the issue of social care Stephen Lowe group communications director added They out lined a sensible workable solution that would allow families to plan their later life care look after their loved ones and put in place the necessary financial arrangements At last there was light at the end of the tunnel That over a third of the Party s own voter base do not believe either candidate can achieve the long awaited and much needed reform in the social care system is discouraging but understand able given many may be feeling a strong sense of having seen it all before “People need to feel confident in the system to plan and the new Prime Minister must not break public trust further with a change of tack We urge the leadership contest winner to commit to honouring the promises on social care they made while in gov ernment less than a year ago Matt Harrison, Public Affairs and Parliamentary Manager, added: The longer we wait the more social care users will pay the price The vast majority of working age disabled adults, including people with a learning disability will not benefit from the cap on care costs yet they continue to bear the brunt of reduced access to care and support and an understaffed undervalued social care workforce
A Surrey care home resident has just celebrated her 109th birthday with friends and family Kathleen Shaw the third oldest individual in Surrey (31st oldest in the UK) is a resident at Caring Homes’ Knowle Park Nursing Home in Cranleigh Originally from Grantham in Lincolnshire, Kathleen moved down to Surrey to become a secretary for the board of London Buses and has remained in the county ever since Kathleen spent her big day with fellow residents and long distance family and enjoyed some of her favourite foods; BBQ and cake!
More detailed analysis of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards data is available at local regional and national levels on request
Latest Figures on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards in England are Published
PAGE 6 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 For 10% discount on all woven and niron-on ametapes, add CARE2022 at the checkout! Valid to 31/10/2022
• The time taken to process applications Reasons for applications not being granted
• Demographic information about people for whom a DoLS application was made
Throughout the day Kathleen was joined by loved ones including her son and grandchildren from America, as well as a live local per former Alex Eberhard and a visit from the local vintage ice cream truck Moooh! Stating the secret to a long and healthy life is “eating broccoli and carrots Kathleen shared a few words about her birthday celebrations She said: Everyone is so very kind and what a lovely day I am having I can t believe all this is for me!!” Kathleen moved into Knowle Park Nursing Home back in July 2018 where she keeps herself busy and active She enjoys a regular walk around the gardens of the home, watching The Chase and spending time with her loved ones Caring Homes Knowle Park home manager Azaad Saumtally said Kathleen is such an ele gant and kind individual and such an inspiration to everyone! To have just turned 109 years young and to still be so independent with such a positive attitude at her age is truly incredible It just goes to show age is just a number “Throughout Kathleen s big day we were joined by several genera tions of her family and it was such a joy to have been a part of a won derful occasion From everyone at Knowle Park we wish Kathleen the happiest of birthdays ”
Care Home Resident Becomes The Third Oldest Person in Surrey As She Celebrates Her 109th Birthday
The planned and actual duration of authorisations granted by local authorities
All of NHS Digital s statistics on adult social care are available via the new Adult Social Care Data Hub which includes links to the publications dashboards and information about the data collections
New statistics show the number of applications to legally deprive a person of their liberty where they lacked the mental capacity to consent to care or treatment, in 2021 22 The statistics reveal that just one in five standard Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) applications were completed within 21 days in 2021 22, down from 24 per cent in the previous year In addition applications were completed within an average 153 days five days longer than in the previous year according to NHS Digital Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards figures for 2021 22 The report also reveals that there were an estimated 270,650 DoLS appli cations during 2021 22 This is an increase of 5 5 per cent compared to the previous year However, the growth rate per year is slowing between 2014 15 and 2019 20 this was 14 per cent each year whereas during the most recent five year period (2016 17 to 2021 22) the growth rate averaged 4 5 per cent In England all deprivations of liberty in a care home or hospital must be independently assessed and authorised by a local authority to ensure they are in the person’s best inter ests Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, 2021 22 NHS Digital report provides information on applications for DoLS3 including: How many applications were received and completed by local authorities
The booster is being offered to those at higher risk of severe illness and by taking up the booster vaccine this autumn you will increase your protection ahead of the winter months when respiratory viruses are typi cally at their peak on
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has published its advice on which vaccines should be used in this year s autumn booster pro gramme All of the available boosters provide good protection against severe illness from COVID 19 and the Committee has emphasised that getting a booster in good time before the winter season is more important for those eligible than the type of vaccine that is received The vaccines advised for use in the autumn booster programme are: For adults aged 18 years and above: Moderna mRNA (Spikevax) bivalent Omicron BA 1/Original ‘wild type’ vaccine Moderna mRNA (Spikevax) Original wild type vaccine Pfizer BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty) Original ‘wild type’ vaccine • in exceptional circumstances the Novavax Matrix M adjuvanted wild type vaccine (Nuvaxovid) may be used when no alternative clinically suitable UK approved COVID 19 vaccine is available For people aged 12 to 17 years: Pfizer BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty) Original ‘wild type’ vaccine For people aged 5 to 11 years Pfizer BioNTech mRNA (Comirnaty) Original ‘wild type’ vaccine paediatric formulation Bivalent vaccines have been developed by global manufacturers since the emergence and dominance of the Omicron variant These vaccines contain two different antigens (substances that induce an immune response) based on two different COVID 19 strains or variants The original mRNA vaccines contain one anti gen (monovalent), based on the original ‘wild type’ strain Studies indicate the Moderna bivalent vaccine produces a marginally higher immune response against some variants than the Moderna mRNA Original wild type vaccine The clinical relevance of these small differences is uncertain
The magnificent award of nearly £120 000 towards the care of our Armed Forces veterans will make a huge difference especially as the pandemic and the cost of living crisis has made life difficult for all char ities “Our new Veteran Care Village was recently completed and provides a fantastic environment for our residents With ongoing support from local and Armed Forces communities as well as organisations such as ABF The Soldiers’ Charity the future for Broughton House is very bright ”
JCVI Publishes Advice
COVID-19
Vaccines for Autumn Booster Programme
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA, said: Although cases of COVID 19 are relatively low at present we are expecting to see the virus circulating more widely during the winter months
Brigadier (Ret d) Peter Monteith Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers Charity, added: We are always proud to support Broughton House s high quality and compassionate care services We are committed to helping all elderly veterans enjoy peace comfort and dignity in their final years
Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of COVID 19 immunisation on the JCVI, said: All of the available booster vaccines offer very good protection against severe illness from COVID 19 As more vaccines continue to be developed and approved the JCVI will consider the benefits of including them in the UK pro gramme It is important that everyone who is eligible takes up a booster this autumn, whichever vaccine is on offer This will increase your protection against being severely ill from COVID 19 as we move into winter
Karen Miller Chief Executive of Broughton House Veteran Care Village said: We are extremely grateful to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity for its continued support of our veterans
Grant Awarded for Elderly Veterans Care in North West England
As part of a long standing partnership with Broughton House Veteran Care Village in Salford ABF The Soldiers’ Charity has awarded a £118 736 grant towards the charity s care for elderly Armed Forces veterans Founded in 1916, Broughton House is the only retirement and nursing home for elderly veterans in North West England The grant will enable the charity to provide high quality personal care and support to 36 Army veterans over the next 12 months and contribute to the care home costs for eight veterans Broughton House s care services focus on improving veterans’ quality of life and encompass specialist dementia support social activities to reduce loneliness and in house physiotherapy services Broughton House was recently transformed into a modern complex featuring a 64 bed care home and six retirement apartments
The committee will consider further bivalent vaccines for use in the pro gramme as they are approved by the MHRA In its latest advice the JCVI has stated that where feasible it would be prefer able for a single type of booster vaccine to be offered throughout the duration of the autumn programme for simplicity of deployment
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By Adrian Silaghi, Head of Catering Services at Nellsar (www.nellsar.com)
A special exhibition documenting the experiences of five Holocaust refugees and a survivor living at Belong Morris Feinmann care village in Didsbury has been unveiled in their home s synagogue honouring them and the millions of Jews who suffered persecution in the hands of the Nazis in World War II Frances Waldek (100) Gisela Feldman BEM (98) Frania Strauss (97) Sonja Sternberg BEM (96) Hans Rose (94) and Peter Mittler (91) have each provided their own words about life during the traumatic era and the struggles they faced Their remarkable stories, some hand written accompany poignant portraits which have been prominently displayed for posterity Angela Luckett religious and cultural coordinator at Belong Morris Feinmann spearheaded the project She said: “The Holocaust touches the lives of all of us and the foundations of our care village were borne out of our plight having been originally set up by Jewish refugee, Morris Feinmann, to help those fleeing Europe in WWII and settle here in Manchester “We’re very passionate about preserving history and that is the aim of the project to document an important part of our story and to edu cate future generations ” The initiative supported with a generous contribution from The Feinmann Trust was inspired by The Prince of Wales commissioning leading artists to paint seven Holocaust survivors for an exhibition at Buckingham Palace earlier this year
Nutrition is unquestionably a critical part of a person’s health and development Better nutrition is related to improved health stronger immune systems, lower risk of non communicable diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease) and longevity as per the World Health Organization With that in mind, the ultimate goal for any nutri tionist should be to promote optimal health while ensuring and main taining the fundamental elements of any individual s daily well being
The six classes of nutrients found in foods are carbohydrates lipids (mostly fat and oils) proteins vitamins minerals and water as per Brittanica Indeed carbohydrates lipids and proteins constitute the bulk of any person s diet though it s important to consider that every one’s diet is different Furthermore according to Otsuka Pharmaceutical a nutrient is typi cally considered essential if it must be taken in from outside the body in most cases from food Our bodies are built and powered solely by what we choose to eat and drink The structural components that make up the human body such as muscles organs and bones are also com posed of the nutrients contained in food meaning that it is not just a fundamental requirement to secure our well being, but also our sur vival As a result eating and taking in the adequate nutrients that pro vide energy and become the components of our bodily structures is essential to sustaining human life
Adrian is the Head of Catering Services at Nellsar a family run group of 13 Care Homes throughout Kent Surrey and Essex Built on strong foundations, Nellsar has worked hard to build the trusted reputation of its Homes and prides itself on being approachable accountable and empathic in its relationships with the families it supports
Contact
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Most managers don’t traditionally have this kitchen culture approach to care This is because I manage all aspects of the nourishment and care process recruiting staff mentoring mandatory work procedures and providing training which covers catering for palliative care dementia and nursing Ultimately my role is to ensure we are meeting each individual’s nutritional needs and clinical needs, but also to ensure they are happy too Additionally, there’s an expectation to implement procedures and sustainable approaches that ensure all staff are constantly learning and developing their skills In truth it’s a very complex process, though it s one I relish and truly look forward to every day If there’s one thing I ve learnt from life as a Chef in the care sector is that it’s a much more diverse and meticulous job than in a standard commercial kitchen Everything is regimented and requires great organisational skills in order to thrive Communication is another impor tant aspect of the job in a flexible and fast paced environment As is education which takes time as the mentoring process can be lengthy and require patience Everyone follows the same standard induction process though most Chefs who come to us don’t have any experience of training so it can be a challenge for them to adapt to the on the job food requirements My job has provided me with the tools and knowledge to help our catering teams find solutions and provide them with appropriate train ing specifically International Dysphagia Diet Standardised Initiative (IDDSI) It’s important that Chefs can teach and coach teams to work togeth er rather than as individuals as Chefs need to follow IDDSI guidance to ensure foods are the right consistency especially when residents have problems with biting chewing and swallowing This is to maintain resi dents safety and reduce the risk of choking or aspiration a serious requirement in Care Catering and linked specifically with IDDSI training
With regards to training in the broader sense we construct develop ment plans to discern what ongoing support each individual needs, to ensure we are always focussed on their career development We want to encourage individuals to grow and innovate both in areas where they are strong but also less experienced At Princess Christian Care Centre for example all our Catering staff have been employed without any former kitchen experience We ve taken on staff with previous experience ranging from working at a petrol station, for Coca Cola and even construction What I’m keen to showcase is that we quickly realised that we couldn t identify enough qualified staff locally, so this motivated us to cast a wider net, while solidifying our staff recruitment training and retention processes Part of this involves individual meetings regular training develop ment plans and informal coaching For me it’s very important that all staff members are able to feel respected and that Nellsar s values align with theirs too In order to progress, we have to value their free dom and expectations while tailoring Nellsar s own objectives along side these to make our staff feel proud of their achievements It’s all about ensuring the foundations are in place for our staff to succeed There are so many determining factors we have to measure to ensure success This can vary from identifying whether additional train ing or support is required, to the need for important resources, such as equipment and additional staff members This is very important for me as meeting all these expectations can only happen if everyone is work ing collectively and cohesively An example of this is one of our Chefs Andrew from St Winifreds Care Centre who is very talented and prides himself on his presentational skills As part of his development plan, he supports others by going into Homes and mentoring Chefs in funda mental areas
for more informa
Among those pho tographed by Gwen Riley Jones for the Belong exhi bition include former University of Manchester academic, Peter Mittler Aged 8, he fled Nazi occupied Austria to the UK following the devastation of Kristallnacht, ‘Night of Broken Glass’, which saw violent anti Jewish demonstrations across the continent He went on to build a distin guished career heading up the country’s first research centre for spe cial educational needs and more recently he has championed the rights of people living with dementia Angela Luckett continues: “We shared a wonderful L’chaim with family and friends for the unveiling of the portraits It was very moving and it’s important that no one forgets our past we invite everyone from the community to come and have a look The Holocaust exhibition can be viewed at Belong Morris Feinmann Members of the wider community are also invited to join in village activities including Club Thursday the Jewish social and cul tural society; coffee and kuchen; and rabbi led discussion sessions Belong Morris Feinmann on 0161 804 4200 tion
There s no doubt in my mind that there s an endless supply of talent out there What’s important to us is nurturing it, as opposed to discov ering it We had a lady who started in one of our Activity Teams but has slowly graduated to become a Well Being Champion responsible for the overall guidance of the catering operation at one of Nellsar’s flag ship Homes At another one of our Homes, Woodstock Residential Care Centre, a staff member recently opted for a career change and made the jump from Maintenance to the Kitchen, quickly progressing to becoming a Head Chef In just a short period of time he has blossomed into an out standing Chef with a vast array of skills under his belt We also have additional support from other departments as we want everyone work ing together and ensuring all staff have a job they feel comfortable in with a manageable workload Thanks to Nellsar I have unlimited resources in supporting and developing all of our catering staff Everyone is fully supported, espe cially in the areas they believe their talents are best suited Additionally we enrol all staff on a variety of useful courses, seminars and conferences including those provided by the National Association of Care Catering I’m always happy to work with anyone regardless of their experi ence I care more about someone s willingness to work passion drive and ability to adapt, as opposed to their experience It’s important for people to have empathy to be open and flexible regardless of their age It’s also important for me to see that someone cares and respects my working style Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone start from no experience and later develop into an award winning Chef Ultimately my advice for anyone with aspirations of pursuing a career in food and catering is to simply go for it Everyone deserves to find their happy place and thrive in an environment that makes them feel valued and supported When people ask me do I take pride in my job, my response remains the same: “My job is the most important job anyone could wish to pursue as every person must eat to survive and food can be one of life’s greatest pleasures ” This is why I always feel honoured and go home with a smile on my face when one of our resi dents compliments the food offering that has been specially made with nutrients and love There’s no other feeling like it!
Why Social Care Represents One Of The Most Viable Routes To Developing Skills As A Qualified Chef
Therefore it s understandable why Nellsar has placed such an emphasis on promoting positive nutrition and wellness throughout its care community
The operation of food production in a care home is very different from a standard kitchen after all There has to be detailed consideration of medical needs and how to provide and cater meal plans meticulously for each individual The beauty of this job is the capacity to provide each resident with personalised food at break fast, lunch and dinner, with a variety to what you’re producing each and every day In truth it’s quite a hard job and not one for anyone who doesn’t enjoy a challenge; every resident has a different diet while each indi vidual also needs access to all varieties of food There are many rules to follow, though fundamentally, our residents’ happiness and well being remain at the forefront of all of our policies
Holocaust Stories Exhibited at Belong Morris Feinmann
The team at Lower Meadow care home in Stratford Upon Avon were so grateful to receive such a kind gesture from the family of one of the homes’ late residents The family had worked hard to fundraise for the team in memory of their relative, Margaret who lived at Lower Meadow care home On the 11th of August, the family visited the home to present the money they had fundraised for the team which amounted to an astonishing £1000 The care team who were overjoyed by such kindness have decided to put the money towards a water feature with a personalised plaque in memo ry of Margaret They also aim to plant some forget me not flowers in the area to create a tranquil and reflective place for residents staff and Margaret s family to visit whenever they please
ICG Chair Mike Padgham said Training is vital for the social care sector as we look to develop and retain a strong workforce and the charging reforms are overdue and need to be addressed
At the same time it has begun consultation into the distribution of fund ing for adult social care charging reforms, set to come in from October 2023
The care provider organisation The Independent Care Group (ICG) says both measures are valuable but are failing to address the real issues fac ing the social care sector
But neither of these measures will tackle the crisis facing social care today
“Prior to Covid 19 there were around 120 000 vacancies but Skills for Care recently reported that the figure had grown by 55 000 in the past year What we need to see are urgent measures to get more of the Health and Social Care Levy fund to social care so that we can properly fund the sector and provide a realistic and fair wage to our staff so that we can encourage more to join the sector and ease the shortages “Even though Care Minister Gillian Keegan is saying the biggest part of the £5 4bn earmarked for social care from the fund is going to the work force, the reality is that some £2 2bn will go towards charging reform, £1 36bn on fair cost of care measures and just £500m on the workforce “That isn’t enough and if the Government is serious about making a difference to social care, its share of funding from the levy has to be looked at again and quickly
Govt Accused of ‘Tinkering’ During Care Crisis
Providers have accused the Government of tinkering with the edges rather than tackling the crisis in the care of older and vulnerable people
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Family Fundraises £1000
The 69 bed Stratford care home have recently received their ‘Good’ CQC rating and so the remainder of the gift will go towards the party the team are planning to celebrate their new and improved CQC out come The team will be celebrating with residents relatives and their local community The thoughtful ges ture is a lovely reflection of appreciation that the community have for the Lower Meadow team, for their care compassion and overall hard work Rachel Walker Home Manager at Lower Meadow commented: We are so grateful for this extremely kind gift The team and I are all so passionate about what we do and we can t believe that our community have gone above and beyond to show their thanks by raising such an astounding amount of money for the home as Thanks to the Team at Lower Meadow Care Home
The Government has announced the continuation of the Workforce Development Fund which helps care providers with the cost of training their staff
The real issues at the moment are the dire underfunding of care which is seeing providers leave the sector and the critical staffing shortages
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 11
Age UK has undertaken a sur vey of older people (aged 65+) about their priorities for our next Prime Minister A massive 14 021 older people aged over 65 responded with more than half (57 per cent) saying the restoration of the triple lock from April 2023 and help with the cost of living crisis was what they wanted to see the most followed by action on the NHS and social care (25 per cent)
“Please Listen” Urges Age UK in Letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss
When Age UK carries out research with older people it usually finds that strengthening the NHS and social care is their top priority, so the pre eminence of cost of living issues this time shows just how anxious many are about the prospects for their finances as the prices of every thing they buy continue to rise Age UK has written to the two candidates for Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister to inform them of the results from the survey urging them each to make a clear and unequivocal public statement about their commitment to restoring the triple lock and to giving emergency support with energy bills to see older people on low incomes through the autumn and winter Age UK believes it would give older people huge reassurance to hear both candidates say, on the record, that the triple lock will be rein stated in April 2023 The survey highlights how many older people are worried by rising prices and are struggling to pay bills and by all the forecasts suggesting the situation is likely to get a lot worse Energy bills for a typical household could hit £4 266 next year consultancy Cornwall Insight has warned This equates to 45 per cent of the current state pension which is a terrifying prospect for older people depend ent on it to keep going The State Pension is the largest source of income for most older people and on average pensioners receive less than £9000 a year from it Due to the suspension of the triple lock in April 2022 the State Pension rose by just 3 1% this year; however inflation is currently run ning at 9 4% and expected to rise further Before as Age UK hopes the triple lock comes back into force next April older people have to somehow get through an autumn and winter during which the cost of every essential, including utilities and food, will be high and rising putting those on low and modest incomes in an impossible position That’s why it is so important that whoever becomes Prime Minister takes determined action to protect the older people and others in our society at greatest risk After the triple lock and help with the cost of living the next impor tant priority for the older people who took part in Age UK s survey (25 per cent) was determined Government action to address deficiencies in the provision of health and social care This finding comes after a recent survey from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care (ADASS) which found that by the end of April this year more than half a million people were waiting for assessments care Direct Payments or care reviews many of them older people This represents an increase of more than a third (37%) in just six months Delayed discharges are also up, with many older people stuck in hospital beds when they are medically fit to leave simply because there is no care in the community for them The chronic shortage of home care is crippling patient flow in many hospitals up and down the land Tragically some people have waited up to nine months to be dis charged from some trusts as a result To restore their trust and confi dence we believe it is imperative that the next Government takes swift action to tackle the shortfalls in funding and personnel undermining both the NHS and social care as well as implementing the planned social care cap Caroline Abrahams Charity Director at Age UK said: “The way the cost of living keeps rising is a nightmare for us all, but especially for people on low incomes among them millions of pension ers Every day the news about inflation seems to get worse it’s no won der some older people have told us they have switched off the news because they can t bear to hear any more “Substantial numbers are struggling financially already, but if the economic forecasts are accurate many more pensioners will be plunged into serious trouble come the autumn and winter, including some who until very recently believed their position to be totally secure “With the benefit of all they have seen and experienced through their long lives older people know that this is an extraordinary situation unlike anything before They are telling us that they expect the Government of the day to take it with the same seriousness they do and to bring forward measures to protect them in response It shouldn t be too much to expect, even at a time when the governing party is involved in a leadership contest to select our new Prime Minister “This is why we have written to the two remaining leadership candi dates urging them to make some concrete commitments on the record to give older people the reassurance they desperately need I cannot overstate how upset and worried some older people are to find themselves in such a seemingly precarious financial situation; it s why it is so important that the Government keeps its promise to reinstate the triple lock from April next year “Older people and others in our society on low incomes will also need a big injection of extra financial support from the Government to see them through the autumn and winter because inflation is so rapid ly eroding the help they were given just a few months ago If this does n t happen our sincere belief is that we could see unprecedented numbers of older people dying of cold in their own homes, something we would never say lightly and that is incredibly shocking in the twenty first century Millions of older people depend on the NHS and social care to live independently and with dignity so it is deeply worrying for them and their families if they cannot rely on these essential services when they need them the most How the system is resourced for this to happen is first and foremost a matter for government but it is important that Ministers have a workable plan we can all believe in to raise the very substantial sums required The current Government has repeatedly rejected calls for a fully joined up Health and Social Care workforce strategy but surely that’s what we need I hope the next administration will take a more enlightened view “Meanwhile lots of older people are stuck in hospital beds when medically fit to go home losing physical capacity & becoming frustrat ed and despondent as their lives are put on hold It s an utterly miser able situation for everyone and it’s hard to see it improving unless and until the Government accepts that the root cause is the poverty pay in home care, and acts to give care workers a substantial pay rise None of the care plans they have announced so far address this elephant in the social care room Whoever emerges as our next Prime Minister it is essential they understand the grave situation our acutely pressurised NHS and social care services are in and that they take decisive action quickly to help turn things around ” Read the letter by going to https://tinyurl com/bdcpnwph
Commenting on Marnie’s journey, Yuhan Murros, Assistant Psychologist, said: “When Marnie first came through the doors at Kingston, you instantly knew what a creative and caring individual she was Her stroke clearly had a massive impact on her life and given the effect it had on her speech, we were determined to find another way for her to truly express herself We knew she has always had a love for art so we decided to nurture this by encouraging her to engage with it regularly It was at this moment that the real Marnie shone through and to see how much she has progressed in her rehabilitation with the help of art is just incredible Her paintings are truly beautiful and when you understand the story behind them they are that much more powerful Marnie added: Art has finally given me a real purpose and has pushed me to work even harder on my recovery I refuse to be con trolled by my stroke and have ambitions of eventually living inde pendently and travelling more I would also love to work with children again to show them how powerful art can be I recently taught my nephew how to paint and he has already taken his work to school to show all of his friends Marnie will be hosting an exhibition of her artwork at Not My Beautiful House in Kingston from the 20th 21st August where she is hoping to showcase her journey to friends family and anyone else who would like to see her art For a video of Marnie’s journey, please visit: https //vimeo com/738328295/3da7d69e7a For more information on CHD Rehabilitation, please visit: https //www chdliving co uk/care types/rehabilitation/
The Commons report paints a picture of a dire situation one in three care workers left their jobs last year 95% of care providers are struggling to recruit staff, three quarters of care workers are paid below the Real Living Wage Worse still when travel time is taken into account, many home care workers are paid below the national mini mum wage The government proudly insist they ve invested £1 billion extra a year in social care without providing a breakdown of how this was spent and still their colleagues in the Commons say it s not enough They have allowed local authorities to raise council tax but overall cuts to their budgets have been calculated at £15 billion over the last ten years It simply doesn t add up to an increase This is gaslighting on an industrial scale Social care is a notoriously fragmented system but for once every one is in agreement Without immediate action to fill 165,000 vacancies in social care the impact will be felt in hospitals and homes across the UK 85% of healthcare leaders agreed that the absence of a social care pathway is the primary cause of delayed discharges of medically fit patients, and the latest monthly data tells us that there are 12,400 of these healthy patients stuck in hospital on any given day Over half a million people are waiting for a care assessment and it is the largely female workforce in social care who will have to take time off work to look after family members who can’t get the care services they deserve The care workers who approach us for a grant can t afford to pay for fuel to support people in their community They often tell us that rela tionships are the most rewarding part of the job but that the workforce pressures are making it impossible to deliver high quality care The sector is still dealing with the emotional toll of the pandemic when many of the people who receive care lost their lives and frontline care workers are too burned out to deal with the next set of crises This all comes during a cost of living crisis which is pushing people in secure employment into poverty Citizens Advice report increasing numbers of people in negative budgets who are being referred to food banks With chronic low pay and lack of opportunities for progression care workers have no choice but to leave their rewarding jobs supporting other people to live the life they want just so they can feed their fami lies This is more than a national crisis it’s a tragedy We can’t allow experienced care workers to leave the sector for equivalent better paid roles in the NHS or low pressure better paid roles in hospitality and retail A statement from a director in the social care sector was cited in the Commons report: I dread Aldi or Lidl opening a new store near any [of our] homes because every time four to five staff leave” We are the only national charity which exists to support care work
ers who experience financial hardship and the increasing demand for our grants suggests that this workforce crisis will only get worse this winter The amount we give out in crisis grants is increasing by 55% from one month to the next, and over the last year there has been a 27% increase in care workers requesting support with daily living costs However despite this high demand and clear need for financial sup port, we are struggling to raise enough funds and have been forced to temporarily close our national crisis grant programme while we attempt to secure additional funding We need government to take action now to address the workforce crisis in social care by increasing care worker pay across all public, pri vate and not for profit providers We have written to the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Steve Barclay to request funding so our charity can continue to provide life changing grants to care workers in crisis and keep them in the sector while solutions are found And we are appealing to businesses in social care UK energy suppliers and the general public to support our cost of living crisis appeal so that care workers are not at risk of going hungry or homeless in 2022 But short term funding is only one part of the answer We want to see care workers valued for their contribution to society by achieving parity of esteem and pay with their counterparts in the NHS rewarded for length of service, and recognised for their skills via care worker reg istration Care workers need better access to training and development opportunities so that social care is seen as an exciting career for younger people with appropriate pay progression And fundamentally there must be adequate levels of funding in the system to meet levels of demand for care services Without fixing social care there will be terrifying consequences for the NHS unpaid carers and people who depend on care and support We must do all we can to keep care workers in the jobs they love and encourage new people to join the sector
Commenting on Marnie s treatment Marta Pape Physiotherapist said: “When Marnie first came to us it quickly became clear what a significant impact the stroke had on her motor function If you’d have told me back then that Marnie would now be producing the incredible artwork she is, I would have never believed you ”
PAGE 12 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
If anyone ever questioned the extent of the crisis in social care, this past few weeks you could not escape the terrifying truth
Two reports from the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, a report from the Levelling Up Committee updated workforce data from Skills for Care plus a survey of NHS Leaders published by the NHS Confederation are all raising the alarm The ravaged social care sector is experiencing the greatest workforce crisis in its history and this is having a devastating impact on quality of care NHS waiting times and patient outcomes We are hearing from heartbroken care workers who feel they have no choice but to find better paid work elsewhere as the job has become too overwhelming The independent evaluation of government policy commissioned by the Health and Social Care Committee finds that the overall response to workforce issues to date has been inadequate The Committee chaired by Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP urges the government to increase annual funding for social care by £7 billion a year The NHS Confederation insists a £10 50 minimum care worker wage is needed to address the recruitment and retention crisis But central government remain defiant no more money We know that care workers who remain in the sector are overstretched working overtime to deliver the complex care that s needed in their communities The pressures exist ed before the pandemic they were exacerbated at its height and now they re worse than ever
A Picture Paints A Thousand Words: 38-Year-Old Woman Rediscovers Her Voice Through Art After Life-Threatening Stroke
"The Workforce Gaps In Social Care Are Terrifying – And Yet We’re Being Gaslighted By Central Government"
A young woman who suffered a life threatening stroke on Christmas Eve in 2019 has “rediscovered her purpose in life” through acrylic painting following years of intense rehabilitation which she is now exhibiting, and in doing so, is continuing the legacy of her late father s work as a professional artist Marnie Johnston, a 38 year old former family liaison officer at a pri mary school in South West London suffered a serious stroke that left her paralysed on her left side with significant verbal impairment dra matically changing her life forever After three years of intense reha bilitation and emotional hardship she is now a capable artist looking to empower others in similar situations demonstrating how art can be used as a therapeutic tool Marnie’s stroke had a significant impact on her motor functionality and left her unable to move her left arm and leg as well as severely limiting her speech As a vibrant and confident lady this really affect ed Marnie as she lost the ability to fully express herself through words and could no longer work to help troubled young people a job she loved A year after her stroke, Marnie’s care team at Kingston Rehabilitation Centre a specialist rehabilitation centre purpose built for providing specialist care for complex neurological conditions, sup ported her to engage with art an activity that was meaningful to her to enhance her rehabilitation journey This instantly reignited her spark having grown up surrounded by the drawings and paintings of her late father’s work Marnie s first painting following her stroke were simple blue squig gles on a canvas which to most people would bear no meaning how ever for Marnie and her care team this symbolised a changing of the tide on her road to recovery Since those first paintings Marnie is now producing artwork fit for any gallery with an impressive collection of breathtaking seascapes and animal portraits that she proudly exhibits on the walls of her permanent residency at Kingston Rehabilitation Centre Commenting on how she has used art as a therapeutic tool in her rehabilitation journey Marnie said: Since having my stroke I have lost the ability to fully express myself through words Art has not only allowed me to find my voice again it has helped me reconnect with the person I was before Art was a massive part of my childhood and after my father passed away I was determined to carry on his legacy However when I had my stroke I honestly thought I would never paint again Thanks to the persistence of my amazing care team who encouraged me I am now painting every day Marnie continued: “When you are going through an arduous reha bilitation process like I am having a hobby and a focus is so important Art has given me joy each day through what has been the hardest time of my life I am constantly learning new techniques and the impact it’s had on my movement is just amazing Art is so special to me as there really is no rulebook It doesn t matter what you create or how good it is as long as you enjoy the process and it represents how you re feeling I have had many down days during this journey where I have felt consumed by my situation yet art always offers me a release ” Marnie is currently receiving full time specialist care from CHD Rehabilitation, a Surrey based provider that forms part of the wider care group CHD Living During her rehabilitation journey Marnie has received speech and language therapy and is receiving weekly occu pational therapy psychology and physiotherapy including hydrother apy all of which have been a vital component in maximising her speech motor function and overall wellbeing helping her adjust to life following her stroke
Article supplied by The Care Workers Charity (www thecareworkerscharity org uk)
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Reducing wait times in emergency departments is a focus of this plan, and rightly so, but after the emergency department patients might need care elsewhere in the hospital or community and without the staff to provide that care such a focus is under mined “We’re pleased that NHS England has listened to the BMA and pledged to implement a directory of services to help patients determine whether they really need to go to emergency departments but again we need a full complement of staff for the health service and patients to really reap the bene fits “Making plans this early for winter is the right thing to do It s a pivotal moment that NHS England has finally included mental health in their winter strategy but we need to see the finer detail of how this plan will work and what it means for colleagues on the frontline Frankly it remains unbelievable that a credible longer term workforce strategy some thing the BMA has repeatedly called for has failed to materialise Staff are leaving in their droves as the pressures of working in the NHS become too much, and plans that only look ahead to the next few months are unlikely to encourage more to stay The NHS is the people who work in it The Government must value them by providing compre hensive plans that deliver what is needed not just in immediate future but long after as well
says BMA
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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 13
NHS Winter Plan Shows Promise, but More Must be Done to Tackle the Workforce Crisis,
Responding to NHS England s letter on the next steps in increasing capacity and operational resilience in urgent and emergency care ahead of winter Professor Philip Banfield council chair at the BMA said: Staff across the NHS are already incredibly wor ried about what this winter will bring, so it’s impor tant that NHS England has recognised these pressures and is looking ahead at measures which may bring some relief While this six point plan is a step in the right direction it lacks detail and is miss ing many of the most fundamental measures that doctors know are needed to drive down waiting times and improve patient safety Adding more hospital beds is crucial to increas ing capacity, for example, but this promise is mean ingless without the staff to treat patients in them Likewise suggesting working more closely with social care means nothing while there are more than a million staff vacancies across that sector alone Staffing gaps in both health and social care must be properly addressed if anything is ever going to change
It is encouraging that this plan promises to recruit more call centre staff and, in general practice, social prescribing link workers and health and wellbeing coaches but that is just not enough We need more GPs and funding of staff to support them as primary care bears the brunt of hospital backlogs and patients that can t access the care they need In sec ondary care we need more doctors nurses and staff that enable patients to flow through a complex sys tem smoothly and quickly We need less barriers and red tape
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Technology is at the heart of the government's new health data strategy which includes an aim to increase digitisation in social care by 2024 But why wait? At Bupa our digital trans formation is already underway Digitisation is essential for the future Technology enables carers to spend more time on the most important part of the job; face to face quality care for residents Making processes more efficient with technology offers the opportunity to pro vide truly personalised care One example of this is in dementia care where there are many opportunities to incorporate technology For example Richmond Villages Willaston is a specialist village for people in the early stages of dementia, where they’re able to main tain a level of independence supported by homemakers At night, residents are acoustically monitored and staff are alert ed if there are unexpected noises or movement which might indicate someone is unwell or in difficulty Technology has the power to change how we work in care settings more widely Care staff have always filled out paper notes throughout their shifts including details about medication wellbeing and feedback from the residents As everyone will know it s time consuming and inefficient and reduces the time that can be spent talking to residents and building positive long term relationships But across Bupa Care Services we’ve introduced handheld devices which allow carers to record every interaction with residents in real time freeing up capacity for real high quality care It also means that staff can record more detailed, up to the minute accurate notes, with more information about each resident’s mood, what they chatted about or what activities they had been enjoying
How do you deliver your eye health ser vices in these circumstances while also keeping the patient feeling comfor table?
Compliance infection control and quality standards will always be top of the agenda Electronic medical records systems are designed to reduce the time it takes to administer medications safely and improve clin ical outcomes with a joined up service that all health professionals can access This also makes it easier to refer back to previous notes to look for patterns with residents full medical history available at the touch of a button All of our monitoring processes are also now stored in our digital quality and compliance solution which has been rolled out in each of our homes and villages It helps our home managers carry out quality moni toring and make swift changes to day to day processes if needed And regulatory partners can also be updated with the click of a button But it s not just about quality or compliance There are a wealth of games apps and tools designed to support older people while making it fun and interactive For example for those with dementia a memory game app can help enhance the time they spend with loved ones Ultimately it s the human connection that is at the heart of our digitisation journey As residents adjust to a new life and environment, or deal with dementia, it s the people caring for them that bring fun and laugh ter back into their lives Technology allows us to foster this human connection and ultimately get more out of our time together
Q. We know hygiene and safety is a top priority, par ticularly since the pandemic What precautions do you take to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the patients you visit in care homes? We take our responsibility as healthcare professionals seriously and we are conscious that Optometrists have to get very close to patients when examining their eyes We continue to wear PPE we re maintain ing Infection Prevention and Control measures and we still take a Lateral Flow Test before each care home visit Our Infection Prevention and Control policy is continually updated in line with guidance from the NHS and the College of Optometrists to ensure that we are always pro viding care in the safest and most appropriate way Care homes can be confident that we are still operating at a standard exceeding that rec ommended by the profession in order to protect them and their resi dents
Another step change is that this information can be accessed by residents families This helps build up a full picture of what life is like in the home and how their loved ones are doing day to day
How The Digital Revolution In Care Is Delivering The Best Outcomes For Residents
PAGE 14 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
There’s no doubt that we’re all getting more tech savvy and why wouldn’t we utilise it our care settings too? It s what families expect to see and increasingly it will be what our residents expect too That s why it’s so important that we lay the groundwork now But most importantly technology is helping our people get back to what they love Our people tell us they want more time to care That s why they came into this profession So it’s up to us to make this happen
Maintaining good vision is a key part of any person s quality of life but perhaps more so for care home residents because they often have limited mobility and so most of their hobbies and pastimes will involve visual tasks Sight loss can be very isolating and for those already struggling with memory problems or dementia any confusion and disorientation is exacerbated by impaired vision This can lead to a loss of engagement in social activities and sometimes increased risk of falls Providing reg ular eye care can minimise or even eliminate these issues for people living in care homes allowing them to enjoy being able to do the things they want to do
Q Can you provide a bit of a summar y of the ser vices provid ed to care homes? At Specsavers Home Visits our aim is to improve the lives of those who can’t leave home unaccompanied through better sight and hearing We serve many different types of care centre from community houses to resi dential homes to dementia specialist nursing homes and everywhere in between We provide routine sight tests using equipment similar to that in a high street store but specifically designed to be portable and for use in the home; we supply NHS and privately funded spectacles; we deliver and fit them in person and provide aftercare for all our spectacles We tailor our service to best suit each care home some prefer us to come and see two or three residents who are new to the home or have reported vision problems; others prefer us to come for a whole day and provide routine sight tests to every resident who would like one as long as they’re due We will of course attend to see just one individual who is having problems When we supply glasses to care homes we engrave each frame with the patient’s name, which can really help busy care staff to know who the glasses belong to if they are left lying around the home
Q Why is it impor tant for care home residents to maintain good vision and eye health?
“The role has changed over the years When I was first at Cliff Deane there was an age limit for people coming to live with us and they had to be a Methodist That has changed now People are also coming into care later We often have people aged 100 coming to live with us There are also more reg ulations and paperwork for us The pandemic was challenging for us Sadly we lost some residents and it was hard But we still remember them today and talk about the characters they were But despite all of this Ann would do it all again And the team at MHA Bradbury Grange often joke about which room Ann will have in the home when she finally retires Karen Slater MHA s Acting Director of Operations said: Ann s dedication and service to the people she cares for is an inspiration to all of us ”
Why Maintaining Good Vision and Eye Health is Important for Your Residents
Jason Scaife, Specsavers Home Visits director and optometrist, based in Cardiff speaks to The Carer about the services Specsavers can offer to care homes
By Rebecca Pearson, general manager for Bupa Care Services (www bupa co uk/care services)
Q. In care homes some patients have more complex needs and may str uggle to communicate, including those who suf fer with dementia
See the advert on the facing page for details
Our team of Optometrists and Optical Assistants are a wonderful group of people, dedicated to looking after the eye care needs of some of the most vulnerable and isolated individuals in society It s not only the clinical training that enables them to gather the results they need, but it s their kindness patience experience and skill that leaves patients with a smile Using objective assessment techniques which don’t rely on responses from the person being examined are a key part of providing eye care to those with communication or cognitive difficul ties and these techniques allow us to provide suitable spectacles and an assessment of the health of the eyes for everyone regardless of their ability to communicate We provide training for our staff on dementia and how to successfully communicate with those living with cognitive impairment and we always take our lead from carers who know the individuals best
Senior care worker Ann Campbell is presented with her 42 year long service award by Rosie Duffield MP Kent based care worker Ann Campbell is celebrating 42 years service at MHA Bradbury Grange in Whitstable and also holds the honour of being the longest serving employee with the national charity Ann (59) joined Methodist Homes (MHA) back in 1980 as a care worker and hasn’t looked back since Initially based at Cliff Deane in Tankerton, she moved to Bradbury Grange when residents transferred there in 2010 and is now a senior carer She was presented with a certificate to mark the occasion by Rosie Duffield, MP for Canterbury, during a visit to the home Ann also received flowers champagne and a celebratory chocolate cake to mark the occasion Ann said: “I feel very honoured to be MHA’s longest serving employee One of the best things over the years has been getting to know the people you care for having a laugh with them and solving their problems as well as getting to know their families “Being a care worker is an interesting job It is not without its challenges but it is very rewarding You have to have patience and be interested in the people you care for I always say to those joining to look at it like caring for your grandparents and how you would want to treat them
Care Worker Marks 42 Years’ Ser vice With MHA
Q How af fordable is this ser vice, par ticularly in the current cost of liv ing crisis? The main service we provide for care home residents is an NHS fund ed sight test free for those people over 60 or on state benefit who are unable to attend their opticians unaccompanied due to their mental or physical health We carry a broad range of spectacle frames to suit most shapes styles sizes and budgets from £19 and we share the same pro motions and discounts that you see at Specsavers on the high street
How Finance Technology Can Help The Care Sector Manage Purse Strings In Uncertain Times – And Help Crack Down On Out-Of-Pocket Expenses
CURRENT CARE SECTOR SPENDING
Friday s announcement by the Government that there has been a substantial increase in positive lateral flow tests in care homes has prompted Social care providers to call once more for urgent sick pay provisions for care workers affected by Covid 19 or risk seeing care providers and carers experi ence real financial peril Regulations in England mandate twice weekly lateral flow tests for carers with those testing positive forced to stay at home However the Infection Control Fund that previously met the costs of sick pay ended in the Spring meaning that care providers have been meeting the unfunded costs of sick pay directly through debt or utilising their increasingly exhausted reserves This has created an unsustainable risk to an already overstretched sector that could see workers who are already among the lowest paid in the UK dependant on the statutory sick pay of just £99 35 per week if they call in sick creating a ‘Covid Catch 22’ for those already struggling to make ends meet amid escalating living costs Social care is significantly underfunded, meaning that providers do not receive the income to offer competitive rates of pay As a result many care workers simply do not have the savings to live on Statutory Sick Pay of less than £100 a week This financial knife edge creates a real risk that care workers who test positive for Coronavirus will not declare these positive tests to ensure that they can remain in work or will choose to leave a sector that is already in the midst of a workforce crisis Community Integrated Care a charity which employs more than 5000 social care workers across the UK, has asked the government to reinstate funding for this enforced sick leave With both a moral imper ative the inequality that care workers who risked their lives during the pandemic are now facing financial risk and foodbanks for simply following rules and a social and economic one too, with the care sec tor already coping with 112 000 unfilled posts Teresa Exelby, Chief People Officer for Community Integrated Care, explains: “Social care is tragically underfunded This means that many providers simply cannot offer sick pay to their workforce and those that can do so at the expense of competitive rates of pay Every care provider is facing a perilous choice right now with a twice weekly test ing regime rightly ensuring that people who are carrying the virus do not work in care services, yet no funding to support their sick pay Clearly this is flawed and dangerous Care providers are faced with a Catch 22 of either picking up the tab for sick pay which means cuts to vital services and investments raiding limited financial reserves or seeing their workforce live on the minimal allowance of Statutory Sick Pay This enforced absence is not a small cost to bear in our charity alone the average cost of Covid related sick pay has been around £150,000 per month since March Whichever way you look at it this scenario creates risks Whether that is care providers spending money that they simply do not have, further undermining their long term viability or care workers enduring financial hardship with Statutory Sick Pay or perhaps even ignoring positive tests and still attending work ” Community Integrated Care has seen almost 50% of its workforce around 2500 staff forced to take time off with Covid in the past six months Following the cessation of funding most of the cost of sick pay has been met from the charity’s reserves at a cost of almost £1 mil lion This crisis points to a wider issue of the lack of workforce strategy and parity within the social care sector Independent research by Korn Ferry the world s leading experts in job evaluation with Community Integrated Care last year revealed that care workers earn on average 39% less a gap of more than £7000 annually compared to their equivalents in other public funded sec tors including the NHS The NHS which is funded by Central Government provides guaranteed sick pay allowances to its workers and has recently offered its workers pay increases of up to 9% However social care is funded by cash strapped local authorities who cannot provide the necessary investment for care organisations to ensure parity of pay and conditions This results in a workforce turnover of more than 34% annually more than twice the UK industry average
By Ian Johnson, SVP Market Development at Soldo (www soldo com)
MHA Communities South London set up a community kitchen gar den for members to plant and grow various vegetables which are now being used to produce soup for the lunch club The purpose of the kitchen garden is to regenerate items to eat and become a self sustainable project for the future The garden is packed full of ingredients such as peas beans kale and lettuce The space allows those who have no experience as well as gar dening lovers to contribute towards their own wellbeing and help contribute towards their community Lynette Emmanuel one of the volunteers said: I have been here for the last three months, and the space has grown massively It was initially an experiment but I do believe it has been a won derful initiative and you always see people coming back which is a good sign “The kitchen garden is open for everyone and it's a great opportunity for members of the community to get involved Personally I took some time off from work and needed something to do I was always keen on giving back to the community and I do love being outdoors so it works well Marco Galli, MHA Communities South London Manager said: Currently I am doing the cooking for the lunch club but we are looking to get members involved with the cooking The volunteers have been enjoying their time in the garden planting the vegetable seeds and to see the evolve into fully formed vegetables and then use them in the kitchen is wonderful We want to be a self sufficient and sustainable project and are keen for people to support us In the future we want to work with the community and look for ways to expand the kitchen garden and become a real force in the community ”
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The results highlighted that teams were regularly making purchases including support workers carers and office based teams like marketing finance and HR Nearly 40% of them were making purchases on a weekly or daily basis and over a quarter (27%) of these teams have a monthly budget of £1000 What these statistics signal is that there s a lot of outgoings in the care sector and in different departments and with out the tools necessary to track payments in real time, end of months could be a challenge for the finance team We understand that 46% of this spend is on catering and 30% on facilities management both areas that will continue to be affected by the cost of living crisis Therefore having visibility and control of this will be a necessity to understand what savings can be made TIME SPENT BETTER ELSEWHERE
Croydon Based Community Kitchen Garden Goes Full Circle
The past few years have put pressure on the care sector beyond the imaginable Unfortunately just as we started to see the light at the end of the tunnel it faces new challenges that have come with the rising cost of living While we have seen recent movements from the government and councils in England to increase social care budgets it s clear that many care facilities are already underfunded so these changes will only scratch the surface of what s needed to weather the storm Now more than ever while the sector awaits hoped for addi tional monetary support it is important for care facilities to have visibility and control over all outgoings Which is why it is worrying to find in a recent survey we did into care sector spending, that petty cash is used in almost two thirds (62%) of care homes Such manual methods of payments not only make it difficult for finance teams to track what has been spent, they are also time intensive to manage Time and money are the two areas it’s clear that the care sector does not have ample of but the right technology can help ease such burdens when it comes to spend management
Liz Jones, Policy Director for the NCF said: We need a funding mechanism whereby staff isolating in line with government guidance can receive a salary at their standard rate In no other sector are people expected to sacrifice their salary in order to comply with government regulations Without this, we are facing into a repeat of previous crises that ripple across all areas of society The very fact that we have to campaign for sick pay shows the lack of a coherent workforce and investment strategy for social care The government needs to invest in the sector so that it can give people the same terms that are reasonably expected within the NHS and so many other industries
Shockingly our research found over a third (36%) are paying for goods and services with their own money which of course creates paperwork, can lead to resentment regarding payback speed, and leave organisa tions open to unexpected purchases With technology like spend management platforms that have oversight of pre paid cards shared with employees such challenges need not be an issue Not only are busy employees not out of pocket they are given more freedom to make needed purchases such technology also gives finance teams more control over budgets as they can set spending rules and limits for individual cards or for teams As the care sector continues to face cost pressures it will be key for employees to be supported with the right technology so that time currently spent manually managing expenses and finances can be better placed into what they do best caring for people
Social Care Providers Caught in Covid Catch-22
With Vegetables Planted Being Used to Feed Members
It s an understatement to say that the care sector is busy With many people to look after facilities to run families to support the list is endless The last thing those working in care need to worry about is setting time aside to manually manage finances yet this is the reality for 86% of support workers and carers
Teresa Exelby adds This entire experience is representative and symptomatic of the wider workforce crisis in social care Social care is complex accountable and highly skilled yet funding dictates that it is one of the lowest paying industries in society As a result we face a constant battle to recruit and retain talent This is a false economy and an injustice The victims of this are not only care sector employees but also people who deserve high quality consistent support, delivered by the very best people Central government needs to step up to provide fair investment in social care to mirror the same pay bands and entitlements that are found in the NHS There is no justification why people who deliver comparable roles in NHS and care do not receive comparable pay This is a fundamental factor in a sector that is broken and we can see that so clearly illustrated with sick pay ”
Our survey asked care sector employees about their place of works’ monthly outgoings, what they were spending on how they managed the spend and more What we found is that the majority are still relying on outdated manual processes, making it difficult to navigate challenges like rising prices and unpredictable cash flow
A Croydon based community kitchen garden designed to improve wellbeing for its members has gone full circle by planting their own crops and turning them into soup
The National Care Forum (NCF) the leading association for not for profit care providers, has backed Community Integrated Care in the call for central Government to reinstate funding to support the ongoing provision of sick pay It warns that the problems experienced within the sector reverberate throughout the health system exacerbating bed shortages within hospitals as a result of a lack of community capacity
At the event experts from organisations including the CBI and the Welsh NHS Confederation will discuss key considerations for the sector over the coming years focusing on topics from med tech and workforce through to data protection and procurement Speakers will look at how the healthcare sector is recovering from the chal lenges of the COVID 19 pandemic including health and care inequalities capacity and resourcing challenges and workforce issues as well as the innovations and develop ments needed to make healthcare fit and sustainable for the future
The Scrumptious Scone supplement includes innovative and on trend flavour pairings such as raspberry with rosemary and blueberry with lemon alongside more traditional flavour matches such as chocolate with orange and apple with cinnamon To download the resource, and redeem the Lakeland Dairies Afternoon Tea Week offer click here https://bit ly/3cNwTio Terms and conditions apply
The team will also include employment law experts who will shed light on the challenges being faced by employers in health and social care including managing the repercussions of the pandemic years and deal ing with workforce fatigue which remains one of the biggest challenges facing all parts of healthcare Commercial lawyers from Blake Morgan's award winning procurement team will tackle the topic of healthcare procurement including how themes such as social value and net zero are becoming increas ingly important and how operators should approach supplying healthcare bodies in the post Brexit landscape
To celebrate Afternoon Tea Week, 8th 14th August, dairy experts Lakeland Dairies have been working with the leading activity charity the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA), to inspire and support Care Settings create a fun Afternoon Tea event with residents On offer from Lakeland Dairies are 50 free Cake Stand Craft Kits! The kits have been specially selected to enable residents to take part in afternoon tea preparations and include 6 x paintable DIY wooden cake stands 8 x acrylic paints, 1 x wood varnish for a food safety finish, plus 6 bowl scrapers! Claiming one of the 50 kits is simple simply upload a photo which includes a pack of Millac Gold Double with a delicious scrumptious scone creation of your choosing at their website https://bit ly/3cNwTio If you don’t have a photo you can still claim 6 free bowl scrapers Simply go to the webpage https://bit ly/3cNwTio In addition to the Cake Stand Craft Kit offer NAPA together with Lakeland Dairies have created a fabulous Afternoon Tea Resource Packed with practical ideas for Activity Co Ordinators Catering and Care Teams from event planning to quizzes, it also includes a Lakeland Dairies’ ‘Scrumptious Scone supplement which boasts delicious scone recipes featuring Millac Gold Double and Lakeland Dairies Pure Irish Butter plus fortified creamy cocktail recipes featuring Lakeland Dairies 100% Dairy Skimmed Milk Powder, specially designed to be high in protein Jean Cattanach Marketing Controller at Lakeland Dairies comments “Afternoon Tea is a fantastic tradition and in homes across the Island of Ireland guests are often welcomed with a baked scone As a farmer owned dairy co operative, we believe the secret to a great tasting scone is the quality of its dairy ingredients and that s why we created our Scrumptious Scone resource so all care caterers can join in the fun of Afternoon Tea Week ”
Experts in health and social care will come together to discuss challenges and opportunities for the sector across England and Wales at leading law firm Blake Morgan s upcomingFuture Health Conference The conference which takes place virtually from Tuesday 20 September Thursday 22 September and culminates in an in person event at the firm’s London office on Thursday 29 September will draw on the expertise of Blake Morgan s healthcare lawyers alongside specialists from across the wider industry
The firm s team based in Wales will also discuss the state of health and care in Wales and how the devolved system can continue to innovate to meet the needs of current and future generations
Blake Morgan s team including its head of healthcare Bruce Potter part ners Eve Piffaretti Paula Kathrens Joanne Thompson Claire Rawle and Meera Jenson, and lawyers Rob Jefferies Tomos Lewis, and Debra Gers will be joined by experts from across the wider sector Speakers include Jordan Cummins, healthcare programme director at the CBI; Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation; Professor Euan Hails MBE director of clinical and therapeutic governance at Adferiad Recovery; Helen Howson director at the Bevan Commission; Frank Ratliff director of industry and innovation at Wessex Academy Health Science Network; and Laurence Pearce founder and CEO at Lifelight Blake Morgan s healthcare team works closely with clients across the public and private healthcare space including the NHS, advising on issues of spanning regulatory compliance, structural change and mergers and acquisitions Eve Piffaretti, Partner at Blake Morgan says “There’s no question the health and social care sector is still reeling from the challenges of the last few years but with structural changes and new technologies on the horizon, there are opportunities ahead This conference promises to be a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge and showcase innovation and improved practice in the sector Post pandemic and with NHS and social care resources stretched like never before it is essential that we work together as a sector to drive up standards and quality of care bring in efficiencies and improve ments where we can and be bold about embracing new technologies and methods of working to benefit patients and taxpayers ” Register for the event here: https //www blakemorgan co uk/future health conference/ at Blake Morgan Conference
Chiswick House Care Home celebrate VIP Summer Garden Party Raising over £200 For Priscilla Bacon Trust
Healthcare Experts to Discuss Future of the Sector
Blake Morgan s specialist healthcare team will discuss topics including the legal structural and financial challenges of implementing new models of care including Integrated Care Systems; the future of primary care; and the emergence of med tech and what that means for the future of the sector An in person event on Thursday 29 September will focus on how higher levels of care in care homes can be achieved through collaborative working and partnerships between public and private sector organisations
Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic we ve seen the impact of lockdown and isolation period on our residents, staff and residents loved ones Whilst we ve done everything we can do to keep families up to date throughout the last two years it was never going to be the same as regular indoor visits Which is why we are incredibly proud to share the news that Chiswick House have had their first friends and family event bringing together residents their loved ones and the families of residents who passed on across the last two years This was a wonderful opportunity for our residents to spend quality time with their friends and family whilst enjoying top class entertain ment from our wonderful performers Trev Budgie Walton and his partner Karen who perform as the wonderful group Trevanion We were also treated to an amazing feast by our fantastic kitchen team with chef Caroline even coming in on her day off to provide an amazing buffet complete with dessert counter and refreshments throughout the day This was a truly special day where residents and their loved ones were able to spend time taking part in activities like boules raffles and our Guess the Number of Coffee Beans in a jar game! We were lucky enough to be donated a number of prizes for our raffle by local businesses and would like to extend our gratitude to each and every person who donated a prize All proceeds from this event will be going to the Priscilla Bacon Trust to support them in building a state of the art hospice for people throughout Norfolk liv ing with Cancer We wanted to also thank our amazing team at Chiswick House who went above and beyond to ensure that this event was an unforget table experience for our residents you always go the extra mile and we appreciate everything you do
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Lakeland Dairies Celebrate Afternoon Tea Week with Cake Stand Craft Kit Giveaway!
This is an unprecedented demonstration of the strength of feeling amongst nursing staff right now and has left the College no option but to begin preparations for a statutory ballot on industrial strike action Each of the NHS health trade unions stated their position on the offer today (Friday 12 August) at the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC), the body for collective pay bargaining for the NHS in Scotland
Importantly 63% of care home managers link much of their day to day concerns to the wear and tear stresses placed upon their teams Lack of staffing and resource also continues to be a worry for the sector, with 67% of care workers citing this as a key challenge Only 6% of care home pro fessionals said there is nothing that worries them in the day to day run ning of their care home Lack of time available to improve day to day quality of care is a clear issue When asked what aspects of their working day they would spend more time on if they could reduce the amount of paperwork, more than half (56%) of care workers say they would like to improve the standard of resident care if they had more time in their day Likewise almost half (49%) of care professionals said they would improve staff satisfaction sug gesting that reducing admin would free up more time to focus on staff morale and happiness A further 49% would like extra time in their day to be more creative with resident social events and 42% of care home pro fessionals said they would be keen to spend more time on individual care planning Ollie Brand CEO at Zupa explained: Caring for the vulnera ble and elderly is time consuming and demanding It requires special ist skills and knowledge This study highlights that care home staff are having to deal with multiple chal lenges with little resource and only so many hours in the day There is also a direct correlation between what worries care home staff day to day and the quality of care they are physically able to deliver Patchy reporting, outdated processes and a heavily reliance on manual updates, simply adds to the frustration and puts greater pressure on already stretched staff ” This latest research highlights a clear relationship between what aspects of care are being overlooked and what staff would prioritise if they had more time in their day Almost three quarters (73%) of care home professionals who said they would improve staff satisfaction if they had more time also said staff happiness is side lined A further 55% of those who would like to improve the quality of resident care with more time also said care quality is overlooked due to time wasted on outdated processes Brand added Lack of staffing and resource is still a key concern for care homes It s clear that in many cases that the adoption of automated fit for purpose technology could help alleviate many of these day to day pressures and interestingly those care professionals who said they would implement new technology if they had more time, are most likely to say that staff happiness productivity of staff and quality of care are being side lined See www zupa com for further information
Julie Lamberth Chair RCN Scotland Board said: “Members’ response to the Scottish government’s pay offer is unprece dented We are angry and frustrated that the Scottish government has yet again failed to address Scotland s nursing workforce crisis and has proposed yet another real terms pay cut for our members We are clear that this offer doesn t recognise the skill and responsibility of the job we do It does nothing to protect patient safety by addressing the chronic levels of staff shortages or help nursing staff cope with the cost of living crisis It won’t help recruit to nursing now, at a time when there are over 6 000 unfilled jobs nor keep much needed experienced nurses and nursing support workers in nursing “The Scottish government has relied on the good will of nursing staff for too long “Enough is enough In all my years in nursing I have never known such strength of determination amongst nursing staff We will be urging members to support strike action and I encourage every eligible member to use their vote when the time comes ” Colin Poolman RCN Scotland Interim Director added: “The Scottish government must do much better to demonstrate they value our nursing workforce and address the years of underinvestment
The move comes after members voted overwhelmingly to reject the Scottish Government s pay offer Over 90% said the offer of 5% for the majority of staff working in the NHS on Agenda for Change terms and conditions wasn t good enough The number of members voting on the pay offer more than doubled compared to a similar ballot last year The ballot also asked members to indicate their willingness to take part in industrial action with the majority voting in favour of taking strike action
The study also revealed that more than half (54%) of care home workers felt staff happiness was overlooked, and 44% of work ers attribute the high turnover of staff in the care industry to low levels of pay Specifically 40% of care home workers felt they couldn t provide the quality of care that they would like to due to the time they spend on admin Over half (52%) of respondents agreed that care home inspections simply add further pressure to their role and would welcome a way to improve this process
“Industrial strike action is always a last resort The Scottish government has the opportunity to act now, to come back to the table with a substantially improved offer Our members have told us this needs to be meaningful and recognise the safety critical role of our profession to ensure Scotland can retain and recruit the nursing workforce it needs RCN Scotland to Ballot NHS Members on Industrial Strike Action
Royal College of Nursing members working in NHS Scotland are to be balloted on industrial strike action
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More than a third of care home managers (32%) also said that keeping up with time intensive processes like day to day menu planning allergens management and recording resident data around nutrition and hydration worries them A further 41% were understandably concerned about the rising costs of food energy and inflation while 30% of care home workers identified supplier issues food shortages and run ning out of supplies as a growing concern
The Scottish government has been informed of RCN members overwhelming rejection of the offer The College has called for a fully funded pay rise for nursing staff of 5% above inflation An industrial strike ballot must be carried out by post and there are numerous statutory requirements that must be complied with including a 50% turnout requirement In the recent ballot on the pay offer this turnout threshold was exceeded across all of Scotland’s regional and special health boards Members work ing for the NHS in Scotland will join those in England and Wales being asked to vote in a statutory strike bal lot opening on 15 September If members support strike action it will be the first ever strike by RCN members in Scotland The College went on strike for the first time in its history in Northern Ireland in 2019
A new independent survey commissioned by eProcurement technolo gy firm Zupa has raised several concerns from care home professionals across the UK with 86% admitting that vital aspects of care provision are suffering at the hands of outdated and time consuming procedures with many staff struggling to fulfil their day to day roles
Two Thirds of UK Care Home Staff Admit Resident Quality of Care and Nutritional Needs are Being Overlooked Due to Outdated Procedures
The new data also highlights several care management challenges that need to be addressed to improve staff retention morale and the overall quality of residential care
As Birmingham bids farewell to the Commonwealth Games older people in Newcastle under Lyme are continuing its legacy with their own sports day inspired by the Queen s Baton Relay visit to their home last month Residents at Belong care village on Lower Street have been competing in a number of events including ribbon gymnastics show jumping and netball all tai lored to their various interests and abilities The state of the art gym has also been full of action with the inhouse exercise specialist leading cycling and boxing sessions culminating in a celebratory medal presentation with prizes handcrafted by the residents Emma Palin experience coordinator at Belong Newcastle under Lyme said: “Our customers were thrilled to meet the Queen’s Baton a few weeks ago and have loved following the Games on TV It s really captured their imagination and with exercise playing a key role in customers’ care planning, we thought we’d put on our own competition to keep fitness fun In the run up to the Games Belong played host to the Queen s Baton Relay which saw Potteries native Tracy Paine tour the site which includes the inte grated Belong Heritage Gallery, a local landmark documenting the area s rich history through a range of interactive reminiscence displays She was selected to represent the town after being awarded an MBE in this year’s Queen s Birthday Honours for services to dementia care having co founded the not for profit organisation and pioneering the ‘village living model approach to care Last week Belong also supported customer and avid cricket fan Francis Baylis, to watch England Women beat New Zealand Women in a group match at Edgbaston Stadium before losing out to them in the medal rounds Emma Palin continues Birmingham 2022 has been called The Games for Everyone and that really matches our ethos of helping our customers to live fulfilling and active lives It s a privilege for us to be able to support customers like Francis to do the things they want to there s always a way!
Sporting Spirit Continues in Newcastle-Under-Lyme
The study which polled hundreds of care home professionals across the country found that two thirds of care home staff (66%), admitted the quality of resident care and the ability to cater properly for dietary and nutritional needs, are some of the key areas being side lined as a result of obsolete practices
The Cabinet Secretary and his colleagues have the power to do the right thing To acknowledge the impact the nursing workforce crisis is having on patient safety and to recognise the contribution of regis tered nurses and nursing support workers
Presenter Hayley McQueen, whose dad, Gordon, the former Scotland, Manchester United and Leeds defender is living with vascular dementia welcomes the report saying: It s good to see Alzheimer s Research UK take the lead on understanding the links between sport and dementia Witnessing first hand the devastation that dementia poses to individuals, their families and friends it s about time people got around the table and worked toward greater understanding so we can act with certainty “It is also important that children, teenagers, other genders and people playing grassroots sports are included in research as scientists have shown they display different risk injury and recovery patterns to adult male athletes
Researchers have found that some ex professional sports players are at increased risk of developing dementia but there has been limited evidence to determine why this is the case whether the risk applies to other populations, and how the risk could be addressed
Dare to be Different
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 21
2 Develop a panel of biomarkers in measures including brain scanning blood and saliva to improve diag nosis and treatment of brain injuries and dementia
A new report launched by Alzheimer s Research UK and The Health Policy Partnership supported by leading UK sporting bodies including the FA, and RFU and dementia experts, outlines four research priorities to help address knowledge gaps surrounding the links between sport physical activity and long term brain injury
Priorities and Funding to Close Knowledge Gaps
Dr Susan Kohlhaas Director of Research at Alzheimer s Research UK which commissioned the report said: “While the benefits of physical exercise on brain and heart health are well known, multiple studies also show links between past traumatic brain injury and the development dementia We need to fully understand the connection and why these diseases occur in order to develop preventions
Alzheimer s Research UK will be investing £500,000 in kick starting action against the priorities, which include establishing a consortium with research teams and funders worldwide and widening research into the links beyond elite male sport players Dementia is a condition that affects nearly one million people in the UK Recently there has been a focus on individual high profile dementia cases within the sporting community
Person centred care is the ‘buzz’ word of the social and care sectors Everyone knows about it; every one supports it, and apparently everyone does it But if that’s the case then why is it not the everyday lived experience in our care culture? MCM recognises that individual well being is not an ‘individual’ matter Our relationships with the peo ple places and things that have shaped our life journey make us who we are and sustain our sense of per sonhood Engaging in moments experiences and activities that resonate with who we are and meet our needs for love attachment belonging agency occupation comfort and attachment makes life meaning ful Individual ill being occurs when these relationships are undermined and life lacks meaning and pur pose when such connections are absent in our daily lives
4 Explore traumatic brain injuries beyond elite male players to understand risk across different and underrepresented groups Alzheimer’s Research UK has invested £500k to work with other funders to develop the research priorities identified in this report as part of its current investment of £5m in dementia prevention research Working in partnership with strategic funding partners, such as the Medical Research Council, will maximise the impact of the charity’s investment and broaden the expertise brought to bear on the research priorities
Speaking about the recommendations and funding Prof Jonathan Schott Chief Medical Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “Researchers need to identify effective ways to reduce the risk of developing dementia as well as finding treatments for people living with the condition Conducting research to understand and minimise the risks associated with head impacts and how to balance these against the undoubted benefits of physical activity and exercise is challenging but essential At Alzheimer s Research UK we want to bring new and existing funders and researchers together to make the ambitions laid out in this report a reality Interest in the links between being physically active par ticipating in sport and being at risk of dementia is at an all time high It s important researchers, funders, stakeholders and custodians of sport seize the moment to deliver new coordinated research to give every person the best possible chance of living a dementia free life ”
3 Conduct long term studies that monitor different groups of people for decades to understand lifetime risks and benefits
1 Establish an international research consortium with research teams and funders around the world
Meaningful relationships make us feel secure free and able and help us to feel at home in ourselves Having a diagnosis disease cognitive or physical impairments does not take these feelings away from us it just makes these relationships matter even more Nurturing these person centred relationships is there fore key to sustaining individual well being and developing an emotionally resilient culture of care Collaboratively; we can achieve improved care cultures which are meaningful without compromising compliance and best practice A culture where people are Free to be Me Do you dare to be different? We do www meaningfulcarematters com Email : admin@meaningfulcarematters com Phone: 01273 242 335 See the advert below for further details
Sport and Brain Injur y: Charity Launches Research
This report, which is the culmination of collaboration across the sporting and research fields, sets out the most impactful steps research can take to complete the picture and we will be kick starting action on it with immediate funding
The four priorities laid out in the report are:
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Vera announces strategic collaboration with Universal Music Group, allowing its users therapeutic access to the world’s largest music catalogue Sadly Covid 19 and all its attendant issues have not gone away and as summer draws nearer to its close will we see the resultant problems occur ring again in care homes? While it s good news that booster jabs against new Omnicron variants are likely to be available to all over 50s we are seeing increased awareness and warnings regarding potential spikes in infections and the possible reintroduction of restrictions in adult social care set tings where the majority of the deaths during Covid in 2020 took place [1] Such restrictions have a very grave impact on residents and their families so is there any way of alleviating the problems? In this short article I ll consider whether the concept of ‘relational care’ offers any helpful ideas This paradigm has developed from the better known idea of person centred care which within the National Service Framework for Older People (Department of Health, 2001) was intended to eliminate dis crimination While there is no universally accepted definition of person centred care it places the emphasis on the older adult as an individual whose wishes and needs should be the guiding principle in care deci sions However there can be an inadvertent failure to recognise adequately that every individual occupies a unique place in relation to friends family carers their community and society The ‘relational care’ approach has been developed through extensive interviews and observations [2] to recognise and prioritise the evi dence that humans are born to be interdependent, and very few thrive in situations of isolation or loneliness We need to give as well as receive to be recognised as having an intrinsic value rather than as a collection of needs and demands to be met by others, and we need therefore to live in emotional and physical envi ronments where this type of mutuality is possible This leads to empowerment and acceptance So restoring autonomy wherever possible and to the most realistic degree is one of the outcomes of put ting an emphasis on mutuality and enabling contribution to the residential community How does this address the challenges of Covid restrictions? The first thing to consider is what most undermines the autonomy of older people, and in this respect two of the relevant factors in the context of Covid are: self perceptions and the attitudes of society; and the liv ing environment Last year the Anna Chaplaincy movement commissioned me to work with them on their Impact Report 2021 [3] by undertaking a qualitative survey, interviewing a small number of chaplains, care workers and older people in depth and exploring their experiences One of the most telling issues to emerge was how many older people feel invisible or even worthless Interviewees reported that feelings of invisibility and iso lation and all the tropes of ageism had been exacerbated by the pandemic as older people were instructed to hide themselves away cut off from virtually all company and were cast as highly vulnerable and frail in for example warning advertisements to the public
But finding a sense of self and purpose through two way relationships and a feeling of community partici pation were cited as transformative, indicating the value of the principles of relational care in ameliorating some effects of Covid Insofar as the environment of the residential home is concerned, good relationships between older peo ple staff and families are promoted by design that enables a choice between company and privacy Simple examples are the arrangement of seating in lounges; a variety of types of communal space (quiet activity oriented garden rooms etc ); and dining areas that favour conversation and involvement in mealtimes The benefits of this type of environment are lost if strict isolation is required While they cannot be fully restored until ‘normal life’ is resumed, some feeling of community can be maintained by carers, cleaners and other staff making sure to chat to residents during every type of task not only personal care encouraging the older person to stay engaged with the wider world Family visits should be facilitated unless strictly forbidden by regulations and communication between families and staff is vital This means seeing family members as part of the community of the care home If it has already become normal practice to involve them in for example outings meals activities (and ideally as volunteers if they live nearby) then keeping them updated and consulted during a lockdown is much easier One disturbing story I heard first hand was of a ‘window visit’ during which a resident unable to hear or touch his spouse believed her to be a ghost and needed sedation A practical example of addressing this awful situation is to have visitation pods [4] where visitor and resident sit in small mirror image lounges divid ed by a glass panel able to converse by intercom and are much less disorientated While this article can only raise a few points for thought, care staff and families are nothing if not innova tive and working together with older people are likely to come up with their own ideas on using the princi ples and basis of good relationships to inspire local adaptations to the threat of isolation
The power of personalised music to affect a significant improvement in cognitive function for people in dementia care is evidenced by interna tional scientists and neurologists, including award winning neuroscientist and best selling author, Daniel J Levitin; the late physician, best selling author and professor of neurology, Dr Oliver Sacks; and Ronald Devere, M D , director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center in Austin, Texas Vera analyses the age of the dementia affected person, where they grew up and how they react to certain music It uses these criteria to autonomously curate the right songs at the right times to effectively manage the Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) More than 80 percent of people living with dementia experience BPSD manifesting as agitation aggression depression or confusion Vera stimulates the part of the brain responsible for long term memory to help manage the impact of BPSD easing the care routine of those liv ing with dementia Listening to personally significant music all the note worthy songs from our own life is shown to effectively decrease the effects of BPSD helping to improve mood cognitive function motor functions and brain plasticity Vera curates songs from UMG s unrivalled catalogue the world s largest most diverse and culturally rich collection of blues classical country folk jazz pop R&B reggae rock ‘n’ roll soul and soundtracks The songs are autonomously curated and played directly from the Vera app via speakers or headphones With more than 20 000 hours of observation and rigorous analysis combined with research from the Global Centre for Modern Ageing con firms that Vera has a significant positive impact on the quality of life of people dealing with BPSD While not a cure, Vera is a tool that can tem porarily improve the cognitive function and mood of the person living with dementia making it easier to care for them Stephen Hunt, Music Health co founder, says, “We’ve built Vera to know and find the music that means the most and has the biggest effect for each person living with dementia It acts like a music detective, that seeks out tunes that they used to love a long time ago but may have for gotten about which their carers may have never heard of and their fami lies may not even know ” Vera is a product of Australian collabora tive innovation Music Health credits Barossa Village Dementia Australia the Australian Department of Health and the Global Centre For Modern Ageing (GCMA) for helping realise the innovation since 2019 Michael Nash, UMG s Executive Vice President of Digital Strategy says, “From rig orous workouts to peaceful meditation to restorative sleep cycles, music is deeply integrated into numerous innovations pro moting health and wellbeing Now scientists are finding that music is also a powerful tool for helping those suffering from the effects of dementia and memory loss At UMG we are working with a wide range of companies to develop therapeutical applications of music and we re proud to partner with Music Health on Vera to help improve the lives of so many around the world Barossa Village an aged care organisa tion worked with Music Health to refine the app and validate the impact Vera has on people living with dementia This included daily monitoring of the changes Vera had on the people being cared for at Barossa Village as listening sessions were integrated into the daily routine of care Findings from the studies showed an overall increase in quality of life for participants especially after using Vera for several months You can view a video of Barossa Village’s experience here “Vera provides playlists that are targeted and tailored to how each of our residents relates to their favourite songs It’s an amazing innovation And family members love it as they can participate in a shared experi ence with mum or dad grandad or nanna ” says Matt Kowald General Manager, Integrated Care at Barossa Village Vera is currently in trials with BUPA, an international healthcare com pany headquartered in the UK serving more than 31 million customers across the world, as well as several of Australia’s most innovative health and aged care providers offering hospital care, residential care and com munity services Vera is available in the U K for GBP £69 99 for a 12 month care plan Visit www veramusic com for further details
Dementia Management Tool ‘Vera’ Launches on Apple’s AppStore Deploying the World’s Largest Music Catalogue from Universal Music Group
Jenny Kartupelis started her career in public relations; in 1998 while still running her own PR business she was invited by faith leaders to help establish a regional multi faith body and for her work as its director, she was awarded the MBE for services to interfaith relations Since 2015 Jenny has given much of her time to research into and reporting on care of older people, being given access to visit and interview in a wide variety of chari table private and Local Authority care settings Her work has resulted in two books about the theory and practice of relational care and is now the subject of Open University research into the conditions that pro mote its benefits References 1 Do you wish to add a reference for this? I took it from your email 2 Described and analysed in Developing a Relational Model of Care for Older People Woodward J and Kartupelis J 2018 JKP Making Relational Care Work for Older People, Kartupelis, J 2021, Routledge 3 Anna Chaplaincy provides support to older people living in their own homes and care homes See article in The Carer issue/date [??] on their Spiritual Care Series | Anna Chaplaincy | BRF 4 For example those created by the Millennium Care Group in their Wigan properties
Music Health a Music Wellness Technology innovator has developed and launched Vera an intuitive music intervention tool designed for the care of people affected by dementia Through a strategic industry first agreement Vera App users are able to access the entire catalogue from Universal Music Group (UMG) the world s leading music based enter tainment company to develop personalised music stations specifically designed to improve the lives of people living with dementia every day As an exclusive launch partner UMG brings a diverse and comprehen sive global music catalogue to Vera users Vera is now approved by Apple for download via the AppStore in Australia Canada New Zealand the UK and the USA with the cross sec tor Music for Dementia campaign welcoming the launch to help improve the lives of people impacted by dementia The launch is the culmination of Music Health’s rigorous three year development process which involved global research and development of the underlying technology that allows Vera to curate the perfect song at the right time for every individual listener
Another Wave of Covid? Some Thoughts on Building Resilience to Isolation
By Jenny Kartupelis, author of Making Relational Care Work for Older People (https://tinyurl com/3ns4h8at)
The announcement follows the launch at Universal Music UK of the Power Of Music, a report from UK Music and Music for Dementia, which outlines a blueprint to use music to help transform communities and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing It includes a commitment from Universal Music UK to develop a dynamic online resource which will serve as a music and dementia information hub Grace Meadows campaign director, Music for Dementia, says, Research shows that music is much more impactful for people living with dementia when it holds meaning and is associated with moments from someone’s life In our recently launched Power of Music report which sets out how we can be harnessing the power of music more to support health and wellbeing we emphasised the need for a person alised approach to embedding music in health and social care and the Vera App helps carers to do that ”
The highest scoring competitors from each heat were selected by the expert judges for their clear nutritional understanding of the foods they are using and how they benefit the needs of their clientele plus their culinary flair through flavours menu balance execution presenta tion and hygiene best practice
The finalists preparing to impress the judges one more time to claim the coveted title of NACC Care Chef of the Year 2022 are: Justina Bajorinaite Vegetarian for Life Nigel Cooke Eastcote Park Cinnamon Care Collection Brian Gollan Ivybank House Care Home William Marsh Brandon Care Ltd Vasilios Mavriano Castle Hill House Alex Millichamp Chandler Court Michael Oatridge Signature Senior Lifestyle
Brian Preston Lister House, Ripon Chris Pickard Four Seasons Health Care Jade Smith Camberley Manor, TLC Group Graham Watson Lauder Lodge Care Home Sue Cawthray National Chair of the NACC said “Congratulations to the finalists of the NACC Care Chef of the Year competition 2022! The calibre of entries was incredibly high and we have seen exceptional dishes created and served by chefs across the regional heats The finalists should be very proud of their achievements so far “The national final in October is going to be a fantastic event It will showcase and celebrate the care catering sector and the exceptional talent of our chefs Delicious nutritious food and positive dining experi ences are vital to quality care I truly believe that the kitchen is at the heart of a care home and mealtime experiences really are life quality enhancing, both physically and emotionally This is why, through events like the Care Chef of the Year competition the NACC works tirelessly to raise awareness of the amazing, rewarding work and valu able contribution of chefs and caterers in the care sector I wish all the finalists the very best of luck ”
The NACC Care Chef of the Year 2022 Finalists Revealed
Residents at a Newport Pagnell based care home felt like they were taken back to their childhood following a visit from a local farm MHA Westbury Grange had some special visitors from Ark Farm a mobile educational farm specialising in delivering a hands on educational and tactile experience for children and adults of all ages The visitors included a donkey baby goats sheep Kunekune pigs and a golden and black Labrador Metal pens were set up in the middle garden at the home where residents greeted them Prior to the pandemic the home had welcomed some rabbits chickens and owls
Residents At Newport Pagnell Based Care Home “Taken Back To Childhood” Following Visit From Farm
The NACC Care Chef of the Year competition is supported by the main sponsor Unilever Food Solutions and long standing event spon sor The Worshipful Company of Cooks
The line up of talented care chefs set to compete in the national final of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) Care Chef of the Year 2022 culinary competition has been announced Throughout June and July, regional heats took place across the NACC regions Scotland North Midlands Wales South West and South East with care chefs showcasing their skills and specialist knowledge in a bid to secure their spot in the final of the prestigious event which takes place on 5th October 2022 at West Nottingham College
The residents and staff members had a really good time and it was a very enjoyable event to be a part of It was the first time we did something like this following the pandemic and I am very happy with the results”
Julie Roche, home manager said: “The visit from Ark Farm was great and the residents really enjoyed the day We had a great range of animals the animals were very pampered and it was great therapy for the residents “The feedback was great some of the residents have a lot of history with animals and I was told by some it felt like they were taken back to their childhood “I do think it's important for the home to reconnect with communities around us espe cially with things improving It gives the residents an opportunity to reconnect with the outside world and at the same time remind themselves of what they did previously “The look on their faces when the animals arrived was great, there were some families present and they all had a lot of fun
Penarth Based Care Home Raises £900 with Community Summer Fayre
Can't wait for the next edition? Read all the latest stories online at: www.TheCarerUK.com Sign up to get the latest stor ies and our WEEKLY DIGITAL EDITION delivered directly to your email at: www.thecareruk.com/signup THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 23
A Penarth based care home has raised £900 by hosting a community summer fayre MHA Morel Court set up the summer fayre within the home and invited Cllr Laura Rochefort Mayor of Penarth to open the event The home offers 36 places for residential care and will be using the amount raised to support the seize the day initiatives for residents with some potential trips already planned
The initiative encourages residents to re experience activities or events from the past or to do something they would like to do for the first time There were plenty of activities for those attending to take part in as well as a jewellery books and cake stall Hot dogs and refreshments were also available for visitors June Mansell community coordinator said: “The summer fayre was a huge suc cess and it was a brilliant day “The weather was perfect, and you could see everyone having a good time We had around 80 people turn up and there was a lot of generous support shown by those who came The money raised will go towards the seize the day initiative set up by MHA and I already have clay pigeon shooting and a hot air balloon on my list of requests
As one of the most common sources of preventa ble harm healthcare associated infections are among the leading threats to resident safety and are common costly and often fatal Good infection prevention practices are vital to keeping residents and healthcare staff safe So choosing the right equipment for human waste dis posal processes is essential to minimise the trans mission of preventable infections i THE PLANNING OF A SLUICE ROOM Planning the workspace is crucial when designing a sluice room it should be equipped with a collec tion point for soiled goods a hand washbasin a flusher disinfector and storage for clean goods These are the four cornerstones to maintain good infec tion control routines Clean hands on clean goods should be the dominant rule for all working procedures
Eliminating the need for manual cleaning, flusher disinfectors effectively empty, clean, and disinfect receptacles such as bedpans urinals and commode chair pans Automated operation features such as infra red door operation (as shown in Figure 1), to avoid contaminating the device exterior, can help to reduce the risk of cross contamination while delivering highly effective cleaning and disinfection results
Signature at The Beeches concluded Sports Week with a Celebratory BBQ
Congratulations to everyone involved and to all Commonwealth medal winners ” Your
Signature at The Beeches Brentwood have hosted a summer of celebrations to celebrate the Commonwealth Games, and given their residents the opportuni ty to compete against one another in a tournament styled competition
Efficiencies in Sluice Room Design
Dr Charlie Arber a stem cell researcher from UCL took home the winning prize for his entry ‘Bed of Rosettes’ which shows a group of stem cells, called a neural rosette becoming brain cells Charlie said: ‘Alzheimer s Society funding has allowed me to develop my work using stem cells to understand how dementia starts and I m thrilled to win the first Spotlight on Dementia competition Research offers hope across dementia diagnosis treatment and care and I hope this competition will help bring more funding opportunities and new people to the dementia research community ’ Charlie Arber s image Bed of Rosettes is available on mugs T shirts and tote bags from Alzheimer s Society’s online shop The judging panel which included Tom Whipple Science Editor at The Times and people affected by dementia, chose Charlie’s photo because they felt it added colour to an important area of dementia research trying to understand how dementia starts and how we can treat it They felt the image reminded them of Alzheimer’s Society’s iconic forget me not a symbol of remembrance
A life long Elvis fan from Wellington has declared himself “all shook up in a good way and is full of praise for the latest bio pic about his idol, Elvis Presley the King of Rock and Roll Alec Wilmott who lives at specialist dementia care home Camelot House and Lodge, was delighted to be part of a group outing to see a dementia friendly screening of the new Baz Luhrmann movie that stars Austin Butler as the young Elvis and Tom Hanks as his enigmatic manager Colonel Tom Parker Alec said: It was a great movie and the sound track really took me back I’ve had a wonderful time ” Alec and six fellow residents saw the film at the Wellesley Cinema in Wellington, at a dementia friendly screening of Elvis The Movie These special screenings feature adjustments designed to make the cinema more accessible for people with sensory sensi tivities with the volume being lower than at a standard screen ing the lights left on low and adverts and trailers removed Richard Dempslake, activities co ordinator for Camelot House and Lodge said: The Wellesley s relaxed showings of films are perfect for our residents, and especially for films like this one where they can sing and clap along to the music “It’s lovely for them to have a change of scenery in an environ ment with things like familiar music to keep them happy They had a great time “The activities we arrange for the people who live at Camelot House and Lodge are very much person centred and this outing certainly hit the sweet spot as far as Alec was concerned ” Camelot House and Lodge is run by award winning dementia care provider Camelot Care which has other homes in Bridgwater and Plymouth www camelotcare co uk
Dr Richard Oakley Associate Director of Research at Alzheimer s Society said: ‘Spotlight on Dementia brings together science and art to reveal the wonder and variety of the research we fund Each breath taking entry tells a different story about the drive and enthusiasm of our stellar researchers working across demen tia diagnosis treatment and care ‘Alzheimer’s Society is a vital source of support and a powerful force for change for people with dementia The charity only funds the most cutting edge dementia research and currently we fund over 155 projects worth £29 5m We do this because we know research will beat dementia and improve the lives of people affected by the condition Times are hard at the moment but more funding is desperately needed to help us find breakthroughs and a cure ‘Decades of underfunding mean dementia research lags about twenty years behind the progress we ve made in cancer and we re still waiting for the Government to act on its commitment over two years ago to double dementia research funding ’
On
A well planned sluice room along with a good hand hygiene programme are both key to an effective infection control program
PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
Residents, friends, family and the local community were all invited to the luxu ry care home to join the festivities, and enjoy burgers, sausages and refresh ments Later in the afternoon the residents also enjoyed cocktails at the awards ceremony Augusta Udo Activities Manager at Signature at The Beeches said: “Everyone at Signature at The Beeches have had the most wonderful sum mer of sport Whilst enjoying the brilliant Commonwealth Games we have also been enjoying our own competitive fun among residents and our fellow Signature care homes Residents and Team Members alike have enjoyed com petitive well fought contests all in good spirits!
Figure 1
In the sluice room, some additional considerations are as follows: Locate the soiled utility room close to point of care to avoid long transport routes Good vent lation is required to keep the room cool and dry, and to help remove odours Floors and walls should be made of a water resistant mater al along with surfaces which are easy to clean and disinfect • The hand washbasin should be placed close to the entrance and equipped with d spensers for soap and d sin fectant disposable paper towels and a waste paper bin The mixer tap should be easily operated touch free or with an arm / elbow Plan for sufficient power supply hot and cold water inlets and suitable drainage for the flusher disinfector sink and slop hopper (optional) Minimising caregiver exposure to human waste during its disposal in the sluice room is fundamental Caregivers can be exposed to splashes and aerosolsiv during manual cleaning of bedpans and urine bot tles or when emptying waste which can lead to caregiver illness or cross infection with residents For this reason having an efficiently designed sluice room flusher disinfector and an efficient waste management process are key to minimise the risk of cross infection References i Ahrq gov 2021 AHRQ s Healthcare Associated Infect ons Program Avai able at www ahrq gov/ha / ndex html accessed June 2022 i European Centre for D sease Prevent on and Control 2018 Healthcare associated infect ons Clostr dium diff c le infections ECDC Annual epidem o og cal report for 2016 https //www ecdc europa eu/s tes/default/fi es/documents/AER for 2016 C d ff c le 0 pdf accessed June 2022 i i Ar o Clinical Wh tepaper Flusher D sinfectors: Reduc ng the risk of cross contam nation 2019 iv Knippenberg Gordebeke G 2012 Bedpans and hea thcare assoc ated nfect ons Hospital Healthcare Europe Hosp tal Hea thcare Europe https //www hosp ta healthcare com/news/bedpans and healthcare assoc ated nfections/ accessed June 2022 © 2022 the Ar o Typhoon f usher d sinfector
A gallery of “breath taking” images and videos which shine a light on crucial dementia research have been released by Alzheimer s Society s first ever research image competition Spotlight on Dementia challenges researchers funded by the charity to show case their vital work through creative images and video Entries explored diverse topics such as detecting dementia using virtual reality the impact of young onset dementia on people s careers and the potential involvement of the brain s immune system in the processes behind dementia
Mark, Get Set, Go!
The Commonwealth Games first held in 1930 is an international multi sporting event involving athletes from the Commonwealth Nations Held every four years the popular sporting tournament was this year hosted in Birmingham the UK s second city For Signature at The Beeches, the Commonwealth Games ran alongside Signature Sports Week where residents have enjoyed inter home competitions against other care homes across the Signature Senior Lifestyle organisation Residents at The Beeches took part in penny plunking enjoyed an Egg and Spoon race which was made up of walking wheelchair scooter Zimmer frame contestants!
Ar o show ng
Alec is All Shook Up by Elvis Movie ‘Breath-taking’ Dementia Research Revealed in Alzheimer’s Society’s First Ever Research Image Competition
Signature at The Beeches Enjoys Summer of Sport
For further information see page 40
NEW FEATURE AREAS
The results show that there is no cumulative effect of cleaning from the ClO2 based disinfectant as the counts at the end of the day were no different from before or after the clean The ClO2 based disinfec tant showed approximately no efficacy overall In comparison Peracide™ showed good efficacy to begin with and an overall reduc tion prior to the next clean
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to the participants at DBTH for engaging in this trial and to the laboratory team who performed the necessary assays REFERENCES Lee, Y , Burgess, G , Rubino, M and Auras, R , 2015 React on and diffus on of chlorine d oxide gas under dark and light cond tions at d fferent temperatures Journal of Food Eng neering 144 pp 20 28
The Care Show is Dedicated to the People Who Care the Most
DISCUSSION
Introduction of Peracide™ from Sky Chemicals to Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust
INTRODUCTION In the transfer of an NHS Trust from one disinfectant to another there are many factors to con sider from ease of use to effica cy against healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) For many years Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust (DBTH) used a chlorine dioxide (ClO2) based product as their universal one application quick kill rate disinfection solu tion When the supplier announced it was to cease pro duction they had to find a replacement solution Whilst scoping the market it was found that most trusts were using chlorine based disinfectants or a different brand of ClO2 based disin fectants Most other solutions were complicated in their mechanism or required a cleaning and disinfecting clean (two stage), which would be time consuming Information was sort from the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) to see what products were commonly used throughout the country and this is where DBTH were informed about Peracide™ an in situ peracetic acid (ISPAA) based disinfectant After further discus sion with the company, it was agreed that a trial should take place to confirm the claims of the product The product was introduced to the microbiologist and Director Infection Prevention & Control (DIPC) our Facilities management team and Health and Safety advisor The process of using the product needed to meet the needs of facilities and Health and Safety and the approval of the DIPC that the product had a successful kill rate to reduce HCAIs DBTH did plate assays to ensure its efficacy and when satisfied, trialled Peracide™ on two wards to test its efficacy and ease in use In recent years, the need for rapidly efficacious, high level disinfec tants has increased as HCAIs have become a significant issue HCAIs negatively impact the patient recovery, turnover and average cost by increasing the length of patient stays increasing costs associated with care increasing pathogenic effects and increasing the risk of spread to another patient MATERIALS AND METHODS
wide range of healthcare associated pathogens including spore form ing Clostridium difficile, MRSA, Norovirus, Legionella, E Coli, Pseudomonas etc and will work to destroy established biofilms Peracide™ is both safe to use and environmentally friendly and is suit able for high level sanitising and disinfecting on porous and non porous surfaces Unlike other disinfectants Peracide™ is minimally affected by organic matter Upon breakdown Peracide™ is completely biodegradable producing carbon dioxide water and oxygen Two side rooms on the same ward were selected The occupants were of similar admissions reasons and neither of which had any alert organisms so did not occupy the room for isolation purposes
PAGE 26 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
RESULTS Cleaning had not been performed on either side room with Peracide™ prior to this test The results show that the ClO2 based disin fectant showed no effect at the intervals measured
When it comes to inflation and the rising costs of providing care the summer of dis content will all too soon become the win ter of despair Plus with 10% vacancies in the care workforce we all have to do more with much less time So here are five tips from wippet com for fighting inflation and beating the clock just pick and choose what works for you: Compare prices many suppliers will rely on their customers not looking around for the best prices But if you always do what you’ve always done you always get what you always got On Wippet we have a price comparison function Once you’ve registered and logged in at wippet com you can select a number of items to compare clearly on a page making sure you get the best available value Consolidate your buying to save time countless hours are spent dealing with many different suppliers to buy everything a care home needs: phoning one, meeting another online and offline Wippet has more than 30 suppliers and 50 000 products all in one website Each order only needs 1 basket one login and you get one invoice saving you tine that could be spent better elsewhere Save time with automatic reordering another load of time is easily wasted doing the same things week in week out With Wippet once you’ve selected the products you regularly need you can add them all to your basket in a couple of clicks to re order the next time And of course you can change quantity or cancel any items at checkout Request a quote as they say if you don t ask you don t get With Wippet s RFQ (Request for Quote) func tion you can contact any of our suppliers and ask if they can do a better price for you If you need help using it see our bonus track below! Buy bigger and less frequently Often buying larger amounts of the regular products you need but buy ing them less frequently means you can either get a better price or save on delivery costs or both! There are minimum order values for free delivery on most products on Wippet and if you don t know Bonus track find somebody to help you Wippet’s chat function is on our site to help It usually has a real person answering your queries but if nobody is available it’ll store your question until the earliest moment we can answer it We have a dedicated team of Customer Success Managers eager to help you get the best out of Wippet So, if you’re buying for a residential home and you want to see how Wippet can help you fight inflation and save valuable time, just get in touch Our Customer Success Managers can help over the phone online or may even be able to come to your home to show you first hand how to make the most of Wippet Hope to hear from you soon! www wippet com
Five Tips to Fight Inflation and Beat the Clock
Overall, it was found that the ClO2 based disinfectant was almost entirely ineffective and was not suitable for use There are many possi ble reasons for this It could be a case of error in preparation as the for mulation can be difficult to use correctly or that the solution was no longer efficacious as there is no indicative mechanism for the user It may also be an issue with the ClO2 based disinfectant in solution ClO2 exists as a gas which readily diffuses out of liquid solution with a diffu sion coefficient of 0 145cm2s 1 at room temperature (Lee, Burgess, Rubino and Auras 2015) On the other hand, Peracide™ was considerably more effective and had lasting effect in a high traffic environment Peracide™ coming in a simple tablet form is easy to use is indicative of efficacy and is sta bilised in solution This accumulates to an easy to use visibly effica cious disinfectant with cumulative effect that supports long term infection control
From this data routine cleaning CFU counts with Peracide™ can be predicted Since there were slightly fewer CFUs than the pre clean it can be predicted that Peracide™ will lead to a cumulative effect over time as shown in Figure 2 Predicted cumulative effect of daily cleaning with Peracide This emphasises the absolute importance of regular routine cleaning and shows that Peracide™ is effective both in short and long term use
Carol Scholey (RGN, BSc (hons)) Liam Grimshaw (BSc (hons) MSc by Research)
As an alternative to a ClO2 based disinfectant Peracide™ was selected Peracide™ is a broad spectrum biocide, reacting to produce peracetic acid in situ which is a high level disinfectant that boasts strong oxidizing properties Peracide™ is extremely effective against a
Getting back to mass gatherings can be overwhelming and this year the Care Show will feature a Quiet & relax room off the show floor allowing delegates to gather their thoughts and have a chance to look through the programme and floorplan in peace More networking opportunities were requested and this October the Care Show will launch the Beer and Bubbles Bar welcoming delegates to come and socialise with each other share updates or just enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbly for attending the show Why are you thankful for working in the care sector? The Care Show will feature Gratitude Wall where everyone is encouraged to write what they are grateful for Your team your manager being able to help others? All the answers will be shared after the show to show the impact each and every one is having on social care Mike Corbett Group Event Director said “The support we had at last year’s Care Show was phenomenal and we have decided to help and give back to the industry we are privileged to serve We listened to all the feedback from last October and keen to make sure we actioned all the points made, so we can offer the best experience to everyone involved” Sponsorship opportunities are still available Contact m corbett@closerstillmedia com for more details Go to https://rfg circdata com/publish/TheCare22/?source=thecarerPR to register your complimentary pass to attend the Care Show or head over to our website
On the 12 and 13 October, Care Show at the NEC Birmingham will welcome back thousands of managers, directors, c suite level and owners from home care providers, nursing homes and care homes through its’ doors One of the main focus areas at the Care Show is all about you the people Without a committed workforce without solid leadership and without those looking to improve quality of care the sector would struggle A new dedicated educational campaign has been cre ated around the people in care Covering leadership motivation self belief recruitment retention personal health and mental health across the two days the Care Show team want to let those in care know there are people and companies out there who can help improve your day to day life With people at the heart of the show the team have also decided to strengthen its partnership with The Care Workers’ Charity and will be offering A donation of £1 50 for every care provider who attends the show A further donation of £1 50 for every care provider who attends a session within the People, Workforce & Wellbeing Theatre A Care Workers’ Charity Shop Your chance to support your charity by buying “Choose our carers” t shirts and pin badges The Care Workers Charity are delighted that the Care Show is so supportive of the sector and giving back to the industry they serve We have been a long term supporter of the Care Show, the main event for care providers to attend and delighted that we have such a strong presence when carers need our help more than ever ” Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive Officer, The Care Workers’ Charity
Simply email us at nominate@thecareruk.com for your chance to win! YOUR CARE HOME’S CHANCE TO WIN A LUXURY HAMPER! Afternoon Tea Week celebrates that great British tradition of Afternoon Tea served with the most delicious delicacies, bringing a little bit of “elegance and pomp” to brighten the day! The CARER is offering one lucky care home the chance to win a luxury Hamper packed full of all those artful little extras for a truly memorable occasion. Presented in a traditional wicker hamper, this selection makes the ideal gift for any occasion that demands special attention. All you have to do is email us about how you celebrated Afternoon Tea Week with photos of your events and we will pick a lucky winner!! Afternoon Tea Week may be over - but you still have a chance to win! LAST CHANCE TO ENTER! ENTRIES CLOSE TOMORROW THURSDAY 18th AUGUST
How Your Care Home Can Benefit from a Traditional Afternoon Tea How Your Care Home Can Benefit from a Traditional Afternoon Tea
A WORLD WIDE TRADITION Now a world wide tradition taking afternoon tea is integral to British culture but you may be surprised to hear that the custom only dates back to the 1840s Originating amongst the upper social classes in England the invention of afternoon tea is widely credited to Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford and a lifelong friend of Queen Victoria Anna Maria Russell became the Duchess of Bedford in 1839 after her husband Francis Russell became the 7th Duke of Bedford While on a visit to the fifth Duke of Rutland Russell became rather lethargic and hungry, however, in the nineteenth century, it was normal to have din ner served and eaten between the hours of seven to nine at night Since this was rather late into the evening, a small meal called lun cheon was created However this too after long afternoons with no refreshment, also failed to keep the hunger pangs at bay This is when she came up with the notion of afternoon tea Tea paired with savoury sandwiches and sweet cakes became the Russell s go to midday meal She also started inviting her friends for an after noon tea session This custom was soon picked up by people from the upper and middle upper classes Today afternoon tea is enjoyed by many all over the world thanks in part to Queen Victoria, who was also a friend of Russell s, started hav ing afternoon tea Eventually having afternoon tea became a social event of sorts Members of the elite would dress up and assemble to share sumptu ous treats like finger sandwiches scones with jams and clotted cream pastries, and various cakes and teas, or share a more informal after noon tea with just close friends
From a nutrition and hydration perspective, Afternoon Tea undoubt edly supports the three meals and two snacks a day message helping with boosting calorific intake if required and it can be adapted for all groups including those with specific dietary needs texture modifica tion and eating problems Hydration refers to the drinking of adequate amounts of fluid to keep the body healthy It recognises that having an adequate fluid intake is an important part of maintaining a balanced diet and is essential for health and wellbeing In this respect, the care service implements the recommended daily intake for an adult of six to eight glasses of water or other fluids (about two litres) also recognising that most people do not drink anywhere near that amount particularly the elderly In adult social care settings severe dehydration makes frail people more vulnerable to infections, dizziness and confusion, and to falls, from which may have a lasting effect Studies in care settings where a campaign of positive encouragement to maintain hydration has been run have identified a number of positive outcomes including fewer uri nary infections and fewer falls So a wonderful opportunity to afford service providers the perfect platform to put on their own activities and events to further highlight the absolute need for fun, good nutrition and hydration, and promote the good work they are doing
Furthermore afternoon tea serves an important social and emotional role that is necessary for overall resident wellbeing, enabling those in social and health care settings who may otherwise feel isolated to interact with staff visitors and fellow residents service users or patients
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 29
A 2021 Sass & Belle survey which asked UK consumers to rank a range of popular afternoon tea treats to rank the nation’s perfect spread revealed that aside from the scone a classic component in any afternoon tea we British huge fans of chicken and mayonnaise sandwiches sausage rolls and brownies! When it comes to our favourite tier it seems we’re a nation of dessert lovers with 42% rating the cakes and sweet selection the best followed by the savoury selection and scone tier with only one in five (21%) claiming ‘the middle tier’ as the one that makes their mouth water the most
Afternoon Tea can also be a key focal point to demonstrate how this traditional occasion is ideal for promoting and improving nutrition and hydration As well as offering a number of nutritional benefits it can also be easily adapted to a wide variety of social and health care set tings care homes community meals rounds in day care settings at Luncheon Clubs during community support worker visits, and within NHS settings such as on hospital wards cafés and day rooms
Last week's Afternoon Tea Week saw venues, in particular care settings across the UK, paying tribute to the nation's favourite pastime Afternoon Tea Week was the perfect opportunity to take part in a range of activities that celebrate this won derful tradition; to meet people chat dance laugh and eat a lot of cake that is washed down with some delicious tea
HYDRATION
THE PERF EC T TE A TR EATS
Get your free POS and activity pack today: www tetleyfoodservice co uk/channels/care Sources: 1 Open Access Government (2022) Erad cating dehydration n the elderly with Aquarate openaccessgovernment org 2 Kantar World Panel No of Households Buying Dec 2019 3 Kantar World Panel L52W to April 2022 Enjoy Afternoon Tea with Cuppas That Show You Care PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 Watch your resident's eyes light up when the beautiful tea trolley arrives! Euroservice trolleys can also be used as a vending trolley or to sell personal care products to residents How about a delicious snack/pastry trolley or even a drinks trolley for that afternoon tipple? Your lovely trolley could do so much for you and your residents! Visit the website at www euroservice uk com to see the full range Ser ve Afternoon Tea in Style with Euroser vice Make Tea a Special Occasion with Bidfood's Afternoon Tea Guide Safer Drinkware and PCatering roducts for Staff and Residents
PROVIDING PRACTICAL AND ST YLISH TROLLEYS TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS
Manufac tured in the UK Euroser vice trolleys are an attrac tive and prac tical alternative to clinical aluminium trolleys given that antibacterial spray can be used freely to sanitise them Get in touch with our friendly, experienced sales team
“Afternoon tea is a great social occasion for residents, bringing them together with the opportunity of meeting others for a chat dance and singalong It can improve their nutrition and hydration as it’s a great way of getting calories and fluids into their diet Everyone loves a scone whether it s sweet or savoury! “We’ve recently created an afternoon tea guide espe cially for carehomes, complete with a tempting set of inspiring recipe ideas printable activities decoration ideas and top tips for throwing the ultimate summer cel ebration The menu builds on trend flavours into the afternoon tea occasion, with the aim of inspiring chefs with traditional dishes that have a modern twist For example katsu in a Spam Katsu Sando and sriracha in a Sriracha Prawn Vol au Vent It offers everything from bite sized snacks to substantial sandwiches and of course irresistible sweets like Lemon and Raspberry Scone with Lemon Curd Cream or our Black Forest Gateau Pots The menu works not just for the jubilee, but will bring excitement to any afternoon tea occasion You can find the guide here https://view bidfood co uk/the queens jubilee recipe guide/ We ve have also developed a range of afternoon tea inspired cocktails to go with the recipes created by our Unity Wines and Spirits team For example, Strawberries and Cream Bakewell Sour A Messy Chase and the Cucumber Martini Find them here https://www bidfood co uk/blog/4 afternoon tea inspired cocktails/ Freephone: 0800 917 7943 w w w.euroser vice uk.com sales@euroser vice uk.com the website at w w w.euros er vice uk.com to see the full range.
Visit
Who are BBP Marketing Ltd? BBP Marketing is a family owned company based in Mirfield, West Yorkshire established in 1882 BBP is recognised leader in the design and manufacture of reusable drinkware and catering products We have a large range of styles & sizes and continually expand our range in order to meet our customer s needs Why use BBP Marketing? We understand the importance of taking care of our planet which is why we take pride in our prod ucts being reusable as well as recyclable at end of life They are machine washer safe virtually unbreakable and can last a lifetime Not only are our products helping the environment they are also designed with you in mind Whether it be a bowl with easy grip handles either side for better stability or a plate with cover to keep your food fresher for longer, we strive to make products that are suitable for everyday use The benefits of using Polycarbonate over glass are endless Not only does it eliminate opportunities for injuries which can occur during glass breakages it also ensures a safer environment that we know is important within the care sector as well as the hos pitality industry Polycarbonate whilst being lightweight is also a great insulator of hot or cold liquid It serves as a thermal barrier to protect the user’s hands from hot or cold contents, whilst keeping the liquid at the desired temperature for longer You may have seen already our patient water jug designed specifically for the NHS in hospitals around the United Kingdom We worked closely with the NHS Nursing Team and in turn successful ly created a product that meets the needs of both patient and staff We always welcome the opportu nity to work with clients who hold new and exciting ideas that fill a gap in the market Branding logo printing and further bespoke work can also be implemented upon request How do we purchase? We have a reputable list of distributors across the globe who can supply our products along with other complimentary items to suit your needs Please ask your distributor for our products or email us and we will be happy to recommend a suitable distributor See the advert on the previous page for details
Watch your resident's eyes light up when the beautiful tea trolley arrives! Euroser vice trolleys can also be used as a vending trolley or to sell personal care produc ts to residents How about a delicious snack/pastr y trolley or even a drinks trolley for that afternoon tipple? Your lovely trolley could do so much for you and your residents! With lots of refreshing fruit and herbal blends as well as Orignal and decaf black tea Tetley has a solution for everyone celebrating National Afternoon Tea Week! Here at Tetley, we understand the challenge of keeping your residents hydrated and the important role a quality cuppa can play A significant 20% of care home residents are dehydrated1 which can lead to hospi tal admission This is easily preventable by keeping hydrated EVERY CUPPA COUNTS With our range, we have a tea that suits every one of your residents’ needs throughout the day As well as choice, Tetley provides a familiar feeling of comfort for residents to help them feel more relaxed and settled For the love of tea for the love of Tetley Maximise the opportunities to maintain hydration levels by offering our wide range of flavoured tea alongside black tea With tea counting towards the daily fluid intake and the recommended water intake being between 1 5L to 2L our range will help you make sure your residents stay hydrated FOR THE LOVE OF TEA Tetley is the nation s favourite tea brand2 and No1 in the foodservice sector 3 We ve been serving quali ty cuppas to the nation for the past 185 years
Operating globally we source buy and blend the finest tea leaves so you can promise residents a deliciously refreshing cuppa with every sip Whilst we are tea masters, we are also environmentally conscious and committed to operating our business in a way that supports the people and environment it touches With every Tetley cuppa you and your residents drink you re helping us in reaching our sustainability and environmental goals MORE THAN JUST TEA Designed with care professionals and caterers in mind, the Tetley Hydration Handbook and Hydration Help Sheet offer insight and advice to help keep residents hydrated in all care environments! We have a range of free POS and specially designed care activity pack materials available to encourage extra drinking opportunities have some fun at the same time
and
This is a great online tool which not only gives a refresher on IDDSI lev els for chefs who are already knowledgeable about dysphagia, but it’s also a great learning tool for those with less experience who may be new to the industry It takes you through the journey of how to adapt a range of different dishes to meet all levels within IDDSI the cooking blending and serving processes that ensure a dish is safe for residents with differ ent needs This makes dining a fun and sociable experience for those liv ing with dysphagia covering all their needs from nutritional to hydration
Nor is it a problem that is limited to the elderly dysphagia can affect people of all ages However it doesn t have to spoil mealtimes which can still be a pleasure as well as safe as long as meals are prepared and pre sented in the right way Just pureeing meals can reduce their nutritional content and the dish may end up being less appetising to the eye This is where specialist ranges of texture modified dishes can help for example Simply Puree which is available through Bidfood This range is created especially for people living with dysphagia and each dish is consistent in the nutritional content it provides, and compliant with IDDSI textures
myAko Develops Dysphagia Online Courses For Carers
Don't Let Dysphagia Ruin Your Resident's Mealtimes
It is imperative for care staff to be able to quickly and effectively screen for dysphagia as a delay in doing so may have devastating effects It is a care worker s duty to ease the struggle presented by dysphagia; not only to avoid the possibility of death but to simply ensure that a resident s later life and emotional well being is as comfortable and content as possible Visit www myako com email help@myako com or call 01202 283383 for further details
The training available on myAko com helps healthcare workers to better understand the impact of dyspha gia and how to help those in their care The nurses training helps them support Speech and Language Therapists with remote dysphagia assessments without the need for face to face visits Utilising remote teleswallowing techniques helps to reduce current NHS waiting lists and nurses and carers are able to improve early diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia MOVING FORWARD
Meals are often the highlight of the day in a care home, but when you have dysphagia and struggle to swallow the risk of choking and food or fluid entering your lungs can present a real challenge and even make the meal itself a danger In fact dysphagia is a common reason for hospital admission
DYSPHAGIA PAGE 32 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
The International IDDSI Diet Standardisation tool is a global standard providing terminology and definitions that describe the texture of modi fied food and thickened liquids used for individuals with dysphagia of all ages in all care settings and for all cultures The Simply Puree IDDSI guide is a free easy to use tool to help you understand and cater for the different IDDSI textures You can find it here https://tinyurl com/bdz2kktx
It means they can get involved with all meal occasions which is good for their wellbeing and presenting really appetising dishes will of course encourage them to eat more Many of those living with dysphagia find it difficult to consume enough calories throughout the day so you may need to fortify recipes to max imise the calorific value of each spoonful An easy way to achieve this is to switch water for full fat milk or cream, melted butter or oil sauces gravy, honey or juice for dilution It s important to ensure that dishes are visually appealing too so it helps to make up modified consistency foods sepa rately and then pipe them onto the plate while still hot so that you can serve them immediately If you are diluting or pureeing food it’s also important to use stronger flavours so that the food is still flavoursome As with any dish do a taste check before you serve to make sure it meets the same high standards you aim for with the rest of your menu When it comes to caring for those living with dysphagia its key to regu larly monitor their intake very closely with a nutritional assessment and weekly weight check to ensure they are not losing weight and are getting enough nutrition and fluids Make sure those who are preparing food are fully trained and aware of the risks associated with dysphagia as well as the correct way to prepare modified consistency foods, and to thicken flu ids for patients who need this To help with this Bidfood have put together a new e learning platform called Caterers Campus which is a fun and interactive training resource that takes the hard work out of supporting your team The modules are aimed at helping them consistently create nutritious and delicious meals that are tailored to residents individual requirements There are seven modules available which include one on Dysphagia and IDDSI as well as Fortification Hydration Dementia and Cost Control amongst others You can find more information about it here: https://www bidfood co uk/caterers campus/ Bidfood have developed the programme exclusively for their cus tomers to help their teams learn in bite sized modules in a way which works for them anytime anywhere on any device Knowledge is checked on completion of each module, and each person taking a mod ule gets a certificate of achievement for their records but if it s not a pass it s not a problem you can take it again! There are also no sign up fees for the programme
WHAT IS DYSPHAGIA? Dysphagia is the term used to describe difficulties swallowing Difficulties may range from a decrease in chewing ability to food and drinks going onto the lungs causing aspiration pneumonia and death Dysphagia is a common feature of many congenital and acquired structural and neurological difficulties It is not possible to provide accurate figures regarding the prevalence of dysphagia, as it is often unrecognised and underdiagnosed Dysphagia affects approximately 8% of the global population Although swallowing diffi culties are seen in the paediatric population, the greater incidence is in adult client group The incidence of commonly occuring elderly neurological diseases in the older population are stroke (45 78%) Parkinson s dis ease (75 100%) and Alzeimer’s disease (90%) Swallowing involves six cranial nerves and over 26 pairs of muscles, with the oesophagus opening within a fraction of a second of airway closure It is therefore unsurprising that everyone has experienced at least one incident where just a slight incoordination of the swallow has caused coughing and choking as food and drink enter the airway It is therefore to be expected that dysphagia occurs in approximately 35% of the normal aging elderly population owing to weakness in the muscles for swallowing Furthermore, it has been reported that up to 74% of residents in care homes will present with swallowing difficulties of some description AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
Swallowing difficulties are common in people residing in care homes Early identification assessment and management by care home staff may result in a decrease in the incidence of pneumonia and death Therefore, it is important for staff to be aware of the signs of dysphagia and what to do in order to prevent further deterioration in a resident s condition Dr Elizabeth Boaden is a fellow of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and has spent over 30 years working to improve the quality of life of those living with dysphagia Dr Boaden has created a set of courses on dysphagia These courses have been researched and developed for the benefit of all healthcare workers and nurses and are due to be available on myAko com
When choosing dryers it is notable that care homes are increasingly turning away from gas appliances due regulation changes and safety concerns Changes to industry requirements can necessitate considerable investment in order for gas appliances to meet the current standards
BIOFROST® Relief and the BIOFROST® Active are natural topical gels that effectively relieve pain reduce inflammation and diminish swelling without drugs and drug related side effects Safe for people of all ages including the elderly and disabled peo ple BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels work as stand alone therapeutic modalities or alongside other interventions (i e drugs physiotherapy massage etc ) providing affordable and long term cost effec tive solution to pain and discomfort BIOFROST® Relief Cold Gel contains only natural ingredients (i e ethanol, menthol, eucalyptus pep permint MSM) for instant pain relief and to activate body s own healing Benefits are better joint move ments, lasting pain relief, comfortable sleep, fewer cramps calmed nerve pain reduced joint and mus cular discomfort less muscle fatigue puffiness and swelling BIOFROST® Active is a fast acting dual action cold gel with heat sensation for relief of muscular and joint aches (i e upper and lower back pain) Enriched with 10 herbal extracts BIOFROST® Active stimulates local blood flow releases muscle tension and joint stiffness and combats chronic pain Benefits include improved joint movements, greater mobility pain relief in treated areas (i e back neck shoulders knees) discomfort free sleep less cramps and stiffness CE marked Class 1 Medical Devices the BIOFROST® gels are made in Finland by Viking Lab Oy Distributed in the UK by Win Health Medical Ltd Win Health Medical Ltd / T: 01835 864866 / E: biofrost@win health com / W: www win health com See the advert on page 5 for details
The Stair Climbing Company is one of the leading providers of powered Stair Climber solu tions which have been specifi cally designed to assist those struggling with mobility and independence issues facing people with disabilities The Stair Climbing Company offers an excellent range of compact, easy to use, powered Stair Climbers that are ideal for use in both home and commer cial settings Offering innovative designs all of the company s Stair Climbers can be separated into two pieces for safe storage and are easily transported and charged In addition all of its Stair Climber s come with a two year manu facturer s warranty The Stair Climbing Company maintains one main mission; to improve quality of life through its range of high quality and custom devices with built in seats The safety and comfort of its customers is of the utmost importance to the company and it ensures that each wheelchair car rier model is designed to cater to individual customers specific needs, and works with all stair types Furthermore, the company provides Stair Climbers for all ages making them suitable for everyone and offers a free assessment for customers If you would like to find out any more information please see the details below T 01787 379160 www thestairclimbingcompany com See the advert on page
Renray Healthcare
Forbes would generally recommend that electrical appliances should be the product of choice Miele s new heat pump commercial dryers are par ticularly highly rated for their safety functionality and energy efficiency They do not require any make up air which enables the laundry function to be installed in the basement or in a central location within the care home and saves on costly vent ducting Miele s Ecoplus technology guarantees that both energy con sumption and drying times are kept consistently low Due to the effective interaction of the Miele filter sys tem and the maintenance free heat exchanger fluff cannot clog the heat exchanger or adversely affect the exceptional drying efficiency Miele’s heat pump tumble dryers’ employ a highly efficient and economi cal filter system and heat exchanger to keep run times low and enable an energy saving of up to 60% when compared to vented dryers
How Efficient and Compliant Is Your Laundr y Operation?
Mobility furni ture has come on leaps and strides over the last few years Gone are the dreary semi functional chairs and beds of the past Today’s generation of rise and recline chairs and adjustable beds look smart, last for years and are better designed and more com fortable than ever before Even people without mobili ty problems are buying them especially when they are made to measure giving that perfect fit HOW DOES MOBILITY FURNITURE BENEFIT CARE HOME RESIDENTS? Research has found that elevating the legs one of the main features of a rise and recline chair or adjustable bed reduces swelling of stiff and painful joints and enhances healing of injuries and wounds In fact experts have found that failure to elevate a limb can actually delay healing Another advantage of mobility furniture is that it helps care home residents sleep deeply and for longer stints which we all know is crucial to quality of life both physical and emotional Why? Because it allows people access to a range of sitting and lying positions that traditional chairs and beds simply do not have WHAT ABOUT CARE HOME STAFF? Mobility furniture improves health of care home employees because it results in less lifting/weight bearing Press a button on the rise and recline chair and it supports the user to their feet Some adjustable beds have the same feature Most residents need to avoid pressure sores and again mobility furniture helps by pressing a button on the chair or bed to gently ease people into different positions The alternative is a member of staff shifting the resident to a new position at risk to their own health
Fire Doors are an imperative part of fire safety and are consider ations of the design and maintenance of any building but especially residential Article 17 RRFSO states fire safety provisions (includes fire doors) must be main tained in a suitable con dition and working order If you are the Responsible imperative you appoint a competent person to assist in meeting your duties under the fire safety order to ensure fire safety measures including fire doors are kept in working order Yeoman Shield’s Fire Door Services can help to take the guess work out of fire door maintenance by providing fire door inspections condition reports remedial work and fire door installation all carried out by FDIS and/or FIRAS accredited team members Having a good maintenance routine will dispel some needs of fire door replacement therefore being more cost effective
Some adjustable beds and rise and recline chairs even come with wheels a thoughtful touch for when residents struggle to walk between rooms And many come with wipe clean upholstery in case of unfortu nate spills All of these features reduce the workload for busy staff and improve the comfort of residents WORKING WITH EXPERTS Dr Rob Hicks popular celebrity media doctor acts as medical expert for Mobility Furniture Company “Mobility furniture can make life that little bit easier for people particularly those who struggle to do things that we often take for granted like sitting down and standing up,” Dr Hicks says “It is great to be working with a forward thinking company that celebrates improving quality of life for older individuals ”
Renray Healthcare has been producing high quality furniture for over 50 years and is one of the UK s largest and leading suppliers to the healthcare sector Whether you require a fast efficient delivery of quality furniture or a full room installation and fitting service we have the experience and resources to handle your contract We manufacture and assemble our products in our own purpose built factories in Cheshire and Europe to British Standards Hence we are able to ensure your furniture is produced to the highest quality, working with you to plan and meet your projects time sched ule and budget We understand you are purchasing furniture that is fit for purpose stylish and will continue to perform well into the future, which is why we design and build our furniture with you in mind Telephone +44 (0)1606 593456, Email info@renrayhealthcare com, www renrayhealthcare com or see the advert on page 3 for details
Forbes Professional advises care homes on all rele vant WRAS and industry requirements and helps clients ensure complete compliance with the latest regulations Many care homes would need to recon figure their entire laundry room to enable the newly requisite two metre distancing between gas appli ances and doors When such issues are coupled with safety concerns and the increasing costs of running gas appliances
ation of Yeoman Shield Fire ction products can also be nancially beneficial by halt ing impact damage from the start eliminating many repairs in the future and again will extend door lifecycles Installing Yeoman Shield door protection products such as door protection panels, door edge protectors and PVCu glazing bead units will not affect the integrity of the fire door as all products have been tested in situ, to the current standard required Vulnerable frames and architraves can also be protected from impact with Yeoman Shield to pre vent dangerous splintering and splitting as well as abolishing the time consuming repetitive need for repainting For a complete repair and protect service contact the team today frdp@yeomanshield com or visit www yeomanshield com
BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels for Drug-Free Pain Relief
Forbes Professional provides a range of options for commercial laundry equipment, including the PT 8337 and the Little Giant PT 7137 heat pump dryers All of their Miele commercial laundry is available on a pur chase rental or lease basis with access to a compre hensive service that includes installation, commissioning, user training, and a first class repair and maintenance response www forbespro co uk Telephone 0345 0702335 info@forbes professional co uk See the advert on page 19
13 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Raising the Standard of Stair Climbing Solutions Furniture That Improves Health For Residents… And Staff PAGE 34 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 Yeoman Shield Fire Door Ser vices Taking the Guess Work out of Fire Doors
AN UPBEAT APPROACH Mobility Furniture Company is one of the biggest mobility furniture companies in the UK Its wide geo graphical spread of representatives takes furniture to care homes for managers, staff and residents to assess “Care home managers, own ers and staff, know what their residents need says James Mitton Managing Director of Mobility Furniture Company When we visit care homes we always gain valuable insights about real life situations for which our company can make a difference Working with these key members of staff we find solutions for residents and care home employees that make life more comfortable for everybody involved ” Call free today on 0808 265 1373 for a free brochure or visit us at www mobilityfurniturecompany co uk/sale See the advert on page 17
Cromwell are proud to be an independent, family run group, committed to the recycling, manufacture and distribution of polythene and compostable mate rials In their aim to be the most resourceful company in plastics Cromwell has developed an anti littering promotional pack free to download and used by all developed specifically to help educate and deter lit terers
Care homes are crucial for our society so it s important to ensure they’re a safe setting to help staff carry out the best possible care With many family members and friends visiting their loved ones daily InVentry is essential to track who s entering and leaving your care home Visitors are met with a simple signing in process and their information is stored directly in the system This not only allows you to track who is onsite at any given time but it ensures an even faster sign in during repeat visits You can also ensure that the contractors you have onsite have the skills to do the job safely by asking custom questions before they sign in with options to include documents they may need to read upon arrival, ensuring health & safety and the security of your site is always maintained InVentry can even help you become CQC and Care Inspectorate Compliant as our software allows you to receive star rated feedback from those who have vis ited your care home You can store this feedback within your system and note any actions taken to improve your processes and procedures! Head to our website www inventry co uk or see the advert on page 6
Opeque can assist in reducing energy bills comply ing with legislation, managing health and safety and achieving a sustainable operation
Reduce
Hi, where are you from? Asking where someone is from is such a common opening question for a stranger and universal small talk Where we live and where we come from is fundamental to most people s sense of self identity and history and perhaps that s why it s a powerful topic in reminiscence therapy Reminiscence therapy involves simple techniques to help those with memory loss or dementia to recall their memories This can improve self esteem and provide a sense of fulfillment improve mood and reduce agita tion all of which are so valuable in the care of those living with a condition which doesn’t have positive out comes It’s where the founders of Memory Lane Games started when they decided to make games for their elderly Mums to enjoy using their favourite old photographs After quickly realising they were onto something, the Memory Lane Games app now delivers profession ally curated reminiscence and speech and language activity games across a range of topics such as music, film food, hobbies and pets All of our games are designed to be frustration free and encourage com munication and socialisation not to test SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL Beneath its simplicity the Memory Lane Games app is a powerful tool Carers, families and friends are able to enjoy inter actions generated by playing the games with those in their care and can even create personalised quizzes using old family photos and create questions such as Mum where did you go on your first holi day? or Where did you get mar ried? In addition to our popular free app (available in the usual app stores) we serve international care home groups with a SaaS platform enabling alerts based on their resi dents' game play: highlighting changes in 7 clinical data sets which are all game play related and have been established in our RCT Clinical Trial (underway) This data can be used to alert early interventions needed to address potential health issues like mini strokes or urinary tract infections for example The benefits to users and care homes are immedi ately evident Improved resident and staff wellbeing, improved quality of family visits and a differentiated care home business If you would like to create a Memory Lane Game for your residents or to find out more about us please get in touch or download the app for FREE from the usual app stores
Odorous Waste Inspired
Anti-Litter Pack
SCENTS OF SUMMER
Cash’s Labels- “The Name Behind the Name”
The Summer season is upon us with lighter nights and warmer weather No matter what season we enter waste is guaranteed and must be handled appropriately however the change in seasons should prompt us to take additional waste management steps
Helpforcarehomes@memorylanegames com See the advert on page 4 Memor y Lane Games - Reminiscence Games To Trigger Positive Memories For Those Living With Dementia PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Know What You Are Asking From Contractors Please mention THE CARER when responding to Padvertising. lease mention THE CARER when responding to advertising. THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 35
The summer season not only sees a rise in temper atures but also a potential increase in litter levels as more people venture outdoors to enjoy the warmer weather Not only is public waste emitting unpleasant smells, it can attract unwanted pests such as flies, insects, birds and vermin Whilst these pests could be a potential hazard to the public, the litter could also be a threat to local eco systems and wildlife ANTI LITTER PACKS
Chester Park Megan Allan, Activities The fact that we can upload what is relevant to the specif c Indiv dual is so meaningful for that person and I can assure you we have shed some tears being able to be part of that residents memory journey It has been an amazing addition to our care home from staff and res dents thank you Pennine NHS Trust Beech Ward we have been able to provide thera peutic activity & entertainment with ease to pat ents that are isolating To see what the Jolly Trolley® can do for you, call us for a free demonstration on 0800 093 8499 See the advert on page 1
Rising temperatures will heat waste producing pro found odours from bins The increase in temperatures and heat exposure to the waste allows bacteria to grow faster and odours to intensify Although loose waste is often affected first captured and contained rubbish will soon follow in emitting stronger odours Summer Litter
After attending some recent Care Industry Conferences it was interesting to hear how some of delegates are confident and have an understanding of the importance of Passive Fire Protection However many are still unsure of what is required and what they should be asking and expecting from a contractor We recently attended a care home; the owner had commissioned a very detailed Fire Compartmentation (Passive) report but in appointing a contractor they failed to ask vital questions When we inspected the work, it was clear to see the work was poor quality, had been incorrectly installed and large areas of work had been left incomplete Unfortunately, the owner didn t ask for a scope of works detailing what was going to be done and how It should have asked how the work was going to be recorded so that they could demonstrate if required to local authorities or assessors at future assess ments/surveys that the work had been correctly installed Also they failed to check if the contractor was UKAS third party accredited Care must be taken when appointing a contractor to complete these specialised works As a UKAS third party accredited company we will always make sure we understand your requirements and that you understand the service we are going to provide We catalogue every repair and installation, taking multi ple images of each stage The product details and how it was implemented/installed will also be recorded When the works are completed you will receive a detailed report of each and every item repaired accompanied with a certificate of confor mance UK Passive Fire Solutions work with you from start to finish Call or email today to get more information and receive your information pack; email info@ukpassivefiresolutions co uk or call: 01262 469872 or see the advert on page 9 At Cash s, we aim to capture, reinforce and communicate our clients brand equity through qual ity and innovation from design to distribution Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels woven badges care labels, branded and promo tional swing tags garment accessories packaging and barcoding Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protection to our customers' brand by assisting to combat counterfeit ing and grey market activity Our industry leading eCommerce system is designed to reduce cost improve efficiency and streamline supply chain management and will fully protect the integrity and accu racy of critical business data The order entry process is very simple meaning suppliers and vendors can spend their valuable time on tasks other than ordering apparel labelling and acces sories Visit www cashslabels com or see the advert on page 6
Safeguard Your Care Home with InVentr y
Over years Opeque has worked with various indus try sectors from tyre manufacturing to laundries schools to hotels and hospitals to care homes optimis ing their manufacturing procedures and facilities man agement Applying industrial engineering principles we address productivity, resource efficiency quality con trol health and safety and asset management bringing people utilities equipment and buildings together to realise product excellence We have worked with many care homes to provide laundry services and water hygiene and it is from these close relationships that we believe we can further assist your CARE HOME to reduce operating costs Call or Email NOW: 07831 873355, email admin@opeque com or visit www opeque com See the advert on page 23 for details Your Operating Costs!!
The Jolly Trolley® is an essential for any care establishment as t pro motes social interaction between the service users and their carers This innovative system is fully mobile and battery operated, allowing residents who may be unable to leave their rooms to also be included w th ease The Jolly Trolley® comes complete with its own videos quizzes karaoke and other content, but personal music photos and films can then be added from a USB stick to really bring out the magic! Don t just take our word for it here are just some testimonials from our very happy Health and Social Care clients:
Jolly Trolley Brings Therapeutic Activity and Entertainment
The pack consists of posters social media content and an infographic leaflet The posters and social media posts have 4 different designs all of which are targeting hotspot litter areas or problems these include dog waste Flytipping and littering in areas such as beaches and streets All the material is FREE to use and Cromwell wel comes anyone to download and use the material helping to reach their goal of a cleaner greener and more resourceful planet, this new anti litter pack is a step towards this sustainable vision View, download and share FREE from Cromwell’s website www cromwellpolythene co uk/free downloadable anti litter pack/ FREE
your
would include
order a free sample Help To Manage Your Incontinence Issues Independently CONTINENCE CARE Healthy skin is a physical barrier against the external environment The
pad Tell your
or are
on below for details Top T i ps For Healthy Skin When Living with Incontinence PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
• Tell your
your
are any changes to your
The iD range of products is available to buy from www id direct com or via Ontex See the advert
information
Note the condition of your
For people who have had a Nephrostomy and tubes are already in place our NephSys system can drastically improve their lives As well as providing a secure and sterile solution which consists of an adjustable elasticated belt; drainage bags and suspenders to secure the bag to the belt in the chosen position, the system is also comfortable and discreet
For help support and advice call 01604 595696 email helpline@manfred sauer co uk or visit www manfred sauer co uk for more about each product, or to pH balance of skin risk factor that correctly nurse if skin is wet when incontinence nurse if have eczema or psoriasis prone to other affect skin skin
you
We offer 5 types of urinary sheath to facilitate the drainage of urine away from the body into a drainage bag They are made from either latex or synthetic materials and available in a range of sizes We also offer skin friendly tapes straps and adhesives hair guards measuring tape as well as Preventox which cleans and protects the skin so you are always comfortable and have the best fit possible 2 LEGBAGS
your
COMFORTABLE AND EFFECTIVE Since 1976 Manfred Sauer have provided a range of innovative urology products to help suffer ers of urinary incontinence But unlike other providers our products are often designed and tested by both end users and healthcare professionals to ensure effective and user friendly so lutions that work This means your incontinence issues can be managed independently without worrying about frequent emptying or toilet access and do not impinge on your ability to live life to the full Read about four of our most popular product ranges, which are all available on prescription 1 SHEATHS
whilst using incontinence pads
should be between 4 5 and 5 5 to discourage bacterial growth HOW TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN A NORMAL PH BALANCE: • Prevent changes to normal skin pH by cleaning up quickly after each episode of urine loss Choose mild skin cleansers moisturisers and sealants Be aware that perspiration, in combination with continence pads and briefs creates an extra
you change your
Tell nurse if there skin This if skin becomes red, sore Tell nurse if using any ointments or creams
your
or broken •
• Don t use talcum powder on your bottom or groin area It can cause friction which may damage the skin and also affect how well your pad works Don t wear more than one pad at a time Impor tant advice Oil based barrier creams may reduce the performance of the pads If barrier creams must be used they should be applied spar ingly and only on areas that require treatment Used products should be disposed of in the appropriate manner, they cannot be flushed down the toilet
they are fitted
for skin problems DO’S AND DON’TS WHEN CARING FOR YOUR SKIN Always use the pads prescribed for you and make sure
you are
The shape of our Discreet Thigh Bag allows for it to be worn high up on the thigh area and can even be hidden under shorts skirts and even swimwear The Bendi Bag is ideal for wheelchair users who can sometimes find toilet access difficult The Comfort Leg Bag range comes in variety of materials from velvet smooth, real cotton and flock backing The Children s Bag with smaller capacity and proportions comes with a discreet and secure twist tap that will not open accidentally while moving, or out and about 3 IQ CATHETER Thousands of people across the country must perform Intermittent Self Catheterisation (ISC) to effectively empty their bladder and having some thing that is simple to use soft flexible and easy to lubricate is essential That s where our IQ Cath shines plus, new for 2022 are male/paediatric and female single use hydrophilic catheters which are immersed in saline and ready for immediate use 4 NEPHSYS
Wash your hands before and after changing your pad Don t apply ointments or creams unless prescribed by your doctor or nurse
We supply four main types of leg bags with varying capacities Perfect for being outdoors and packed full of unique features and benefits you now have a choice when it comes to managing your incontinence issues
your
Urinary incontinence affects millions of people in the UK Although a widespread problem in continence remains a taboo topic Embarrassment often stops people from talking about it let alone feeling able to access products and services that can help them So without the correct help and support, the problem often remains unsolved, which has a negative impact on people s lives
conditions that
its new Budget
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PERACIDE INCLUDING TRIALS, TRAINING AND DEMONSTRA TIONS CALL US NOW www percacide co uk info@peracide co uk 0114 278 0222 Colour Activated Disinfectant Tablets Angloplas
Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry Angloplas range of dispensers are pro duced in the world s first proven Antimicrobial PVC with silver ion technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas This helps reduce the risk of cross infec tion by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the prod uct reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA E Coli Legionella Salmonella and mould by up to 99 99% For non clinical environments
• Higher efficacy than comparable chlorine based solutions Peracide is benign; it does not present any adverse risk to the environment or the user It can be used on porous and non pours material; and suitable for use in trigger sprays buckets microfiber cloths and mops for safe disinfect ing of beds washrooms and floors surfaces & medical equipment computers & office equipment
A prominent novel feature is its built in colour indicating system that alerts the user with a change of colour of the solution when it can be used and alerts them again with a second change of colour when it cannot be used and should be discarded Other features and benefits include the following: Destroys C difficile 027 spores in 30 seconds
has recently
Remains active over 24 hours Fragrant non pungent odour Unaffected by organic soil Biodegradable, non corrosive, non toxic Superior cleaning property
the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www angloplas co uk and click ing Hospital Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL PAGE 38 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 www.percacide.co.uk info@peracide.co.uk 0114 278 0222 Win the battle on Infection Control With a new generation of disinfection technology 10 reasons to change to Peracide Kills all known microorganisma including C difficile spores, E coli, MRSA, Legionella, Norovirus, Klebsiella, Influenza and many more 2 Innovative Colour Activation System Greater oxidiser than Chlorine and Hydrogen Peroxide Clean, disinfects and deodourises in one operation Works in the presence of organic salt Environmentally friendly, biodegradable, non toxic and non corrosive Safe for use on patient mobilitiy and shared equipment Non sticky and leaves minimal residue Full microbiology test report Long lasting solution 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 MORE EFFECTIVE THAN VAPOURISED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (VHP) & UVC Available via NHS Supply Chain Product Code Peracide 3g: MFB1002 Peracide 6g: MFB1005 Peracide is an effective and rapidly stable sporicidal disin fectant tablet that tackles the transmission of C difficile and other HAI Peracide is the result of many years continuous development, testing and col laboration with Prof Peter Wilson and Dr Shanom Ali of UCHL microbiological laborato ry department The development cycle has included laboratory and on ward testing to validate effectiveness and user acceptability Peracide has been tested against C difficile spores 027 modified BSEN 13704, MRSA, Klebsiella Pneumoniae Modified BSEN 1276 and Norovirus EN 14675 among others
of products which are
PERACIDE, ward trial and Laboratory testing was performed by Environmental Laboratory at University College London Hospitals NHS foundation trust Available via NHS Supply Chain Product Code: Peracide 3g: MFB1002 or Peracide 6g MFB1005 Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Angloplas launched Range made to
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL
For more
The XP range of upright vacuum cleaners from SEBO are ideal for these health conscious times They feature independently proven filtration, hygienic dirt disposal using sealable bags and are exceptionally quiet and light to use Clearly a vacuum cleaner s number one task is to clean
The XP range harnesses the power of an on board computer to measure performance on the floor and continuously adjust the floor head to the optimum cleaning height completely automatically
uk • Hot & Cold domestic water services • Pipework flushing & disinfection • Tank cleaning & maintenance • Legionella risk, sampling, lab testing • Attention to individual apartments • Communal areas / toilets / showers • Restaurants / Cafés • And Heating System flushing Water Treatment & Legionella Specialists 01925 758995 enquiries@msbhygiene.com www.msbhygiene.com M.S.B. Hygiene M S B Hygiene Ltd has over 25 years experience in Water Treatment and operate throughout the UK Our Engineers have the skills & expertise to carry out water systems risk assessment sampling cleaning and disinfection Our samples are taken to UKAS accredited laboratories for testing Certificates of disinfection and sam pling are provided upon completion We are members of the Legionella Control Association and are CHAS (Contractors Health & Safety Assessment Scheme) accredited We provide a highly professional but friendly serv ice together with comprehensive & straightforward advice we aim to be easy to do business with We’d also like to think we are “the 4th emergency service” for your water treatment & legionella control needs 01925 758995 enquiries@msbhygiene com www msbhygiene com Please mention THE CARER when responding to Padvertising. lease mention THE CARER when responding to advertising. SEBO XP – Power with Responsibility
contact
The Health and Safety Executive states that we never assume that any dust is safe and that all uncontrolled dusts are potentially hazardous
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 39
The power ful brush action pulls the vacuum cleaner forward so that the pushing force required to manoeuvre it is close to zero helping to make it light and easy to use for extended periods but also giving deep cleaning performance The integrated wand and hose mean that cleaning above the floor and reaching into awk ward places is easy The computer can also advise when the bag needs changing or when there is a blockage and the multiple access points and cassette style brush roller make the XP easy to maintain Of course once dirt is picked up it is essential that it is retained in the vacuum cleaner and not released back into the air
Virtually all the dust and dirt which is picked up by an XP vacuum cleaner is safely trapped in the high filtra tion bag, which can be sealed and hygienically dis posed of The filtration of the XP has been independently tested by the DMT Test Institute in Germany to filter 99 97% of particles of 0 3 micron Above this particle size the filtration level is very close to 100% Many professionally cleaned facilities operate 24/7 It is therefore not always possible to vacuum when no one is around In these cases low noise levels are imperative Although there are regulations limiting the sound power level that a vacuum cleaner can reach subjectively the sound generated can still be unpleas ant, even where the vacuum cleaner meets the regula tions SEBO sound engineers have successfully muted the harsh frequencies to which the human ear is sensi tive This has the result that with any form of back ground noise, the sound from the XP virtually disappears, making it suitable in many cases for day time cleaning Indeed in any situation where low noise levels are important the XP range is ideal Last but not least at SEBO we believe that vacuum cleaners should be built to last and should be easily repairable Our vacuum cleaners are built to be durable and reliable; to have a long service life using few replacement parts Component parts are identified with the material they are made from so that they can be recycled more easily when their service life is over details commercial@sebo co
for further details A Revolutionar y Hand & Small Object
BioBax of Skelmanthorpe West Yorkshire has acquired Cheshire based Aqua Air as part of a strategic move to expand its range of environment friendly cleaning products and solutions The acquisition follows a peri od of growth for BioBax with increased demand from cus tomers looking to buy more eco friendly products including Zybax microbiological products and Meleco the magic eraser Kate Pawson and Dominic Barnes started BioBax in 2019 to develop and grow the Zybax and Meleco brands which are now 22 years old BioBax products are manufactured in house at their state of the art facil ity in a rural setting in Huddersfield “Aqua Air is the perfect partner for BioBax”, said Kate Pawson, Sales and Marketing Director, “they have very similar values to BioBax’s I am looking forward to meeting Aqua Air s customers and work ing with them over the years to come Aqua Air Ltd was founded in 1994 by Barry Bladon and latterly co owned with his son Simon Barry has obsessively developed each one of the Aqua Air products to respond to the specific cleaning challenges and needs of their clients with the result that each product offers added performance rela tive to the competition Each one of their Xtra range of cleaning solutions is designed manufac tured and bottled in the UK contains biodegradable compo nents and packaging and avoids harsh chemicals which can dam age skin and surfaces Barry Bladon said: “It has been key for us to join forces with a company who share our philosophy and passion for solving our customers cleaning BioBax already have a strong reputation for the supply of environment friendly cleaning products and expanding the Aqua Air portfolio with a range of kitchen, hospitality and janitorial solutions and cleaning machines will mean that BioBax and Aqua Air customers will now benefit from the expanded range of world class products and service For further information visit www biobax co uk or call 01484 868 970
THE PROBLEM: There are many issues with using WET or gel sanitisers and upon entry to many build ings, you are met with various sanitising options, usual ly a gel or liquid dispenser paper towels and a bin this often gets “messy” and needs regular topping up cleaning and tidying This can also be a slip hazard Most Alcohol gel sanitizers are also known to irritate the skin especially for regular users like NHS staff care workers Sufferers of eczema and other sensitive skin conditions are also well documented The real financial cost to business and public venues are sub stantial we also have to factor in the fact that staff have to maintain and replenish the current method the man hours wasted are a genuine cost The Solution: EZISAN uses a semi dry sanitizing spray mist” to help solve many of the problems, you simply place your hands into the mist rub them together and turn them over this will effectively sani tize the majority of bacteria, viruses and other germs EZISAN converts approved and certified water based sanitizers fluids into “semi dry spray mist” and there is no waste These fluids are also known to be gentle to the skin The key solution is that it is truly “NO TOUCH” unlike most other systems Environmentally friendly fluids and big savings on single use plastic bottles, we estimate Ezisan saves 85% single use bottles over Alcohol Gel and 69% in cost or £624 per year Designed and Manufactured in the UK with supply chain localised wherever possible this will reduce our carbon footprint by minimising transportation We intend to be carbon neutral by 2025 Recyclable materials are used as much as possible we also try to minimise plastic packaging and be envi ronmentally aware of every aspect of the manufactur ing process See the advert below Sanitizing
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL PAGE 40 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
System For Care Homes FOR ALL THE LATEST HYGIENE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE SOCIAL CARE SECTOR VISIT WWW.THECARERUK.COM
EZISAN have invented a “NO TOUCH” sanitizer sys tem in response the worldwide coronavirus pandemic to improve hygiene and assist the prevention from cross contamination EZISAN will help to improve the process and convenience of hand sanitizing it also reduces contamination on mobile phones keys, credit cards and other small household items that can be passed through the sanitizing mist EZISAN CAN ELIMINATE THE USE OF EXPENSIVE, MESSY AND MOSTLY IRRATATING GEL HAND SANI TIZERS
BioBax Acquire Aqua Air
Cleaning Specialists
Silent RunningTranquility in Care Homes NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 41 • Nurse Call Systems • Fire Alarm Systems • Door Access • Staff Attack • CCTV • Infection Control • Dementia Care • Electrical Contracting w w w. L C T U K . c o m 0 8 0 0 8 4 9 9 1 2 1 s a l e s @ l c t u k . c o m Designed to combat the problem of residents who are inclined to walk undetected, the Nurse Alert Mat can help protect residents especially at night that are at risk of falls and accidents When connected to a Nurse Call system or the mobile Floor Sentry Monitor it will then alert staff, sounding the alarm with a small amount of pressure thus enabling staff to investigate INCLUDES A 12 MONTH GUARANTEE Nurse Alert Mats In addition The Floor Pressure Mat has a heavy non slip backing, It comes professionally sealed so can easily be cleaned for liquid spills and is fully serviceable
Reducing noise levels is essential to create a tranquil environment for residents Pagers have been around for many years are a relatively simple and cost effective measure in reducing the levels of noise and can be added to most Nurse Call sys tems Smart Mobile Devices are now becoming more commonplace for care home staff and hold a variety of apps for care planning e medication etc Many Courtney Thorne clients are now utilising the “Go” app with their Nurse Call system With the “Go” app nurse call alarms are delivered immediately and silently straight to the handsets alerting the individual carers to all Nurse call alarms without creating any general alarm sound and rarely dis turbing the rest of the residents in the home Calmer residents ultimately means that staff are less stressed also this creates a happier workplace where morale is greatly improved, staff are retained and CQC ratings improve Clearly the positive rami fications of a quiet Care Home run deep Get in touch today to find out how we can help your home become a quieter, calmer, and more tranquil environment information email us at: info@c t co uk
A published study by the University of Stirling stated that unanswered Nurse Call (Call Bell) alarms can be one of the most common causes of stress in dementia sufferers The University recom mends “fitting call alarms which alert nurses but do not resonate throughout the whole building Alarms can be particularly disconcerting as they may encourage the person with dementia to respond or investigate what the matter is At the very least the loss of sleep will compromise a person s ability to concentrate It can affect their attention levels and capacity to cope, as well as being detrimental to their overall state of wellbeing Personal paging systems are preferable to bells and buzzers Modern Nurse Call systems can incorporate a num ber of methods to reduce their impact in a care home These include zoning whereby there are separate alarm types used depending upon the location of the call In these circumstances, demen tia sufferers and those vulnerable to noise can be located in one zone whist less vulnerable resi dents live in an alternative zone Each zone can operate different call tones, warning lights or other methods to alert when help is required
For more
Quiet and calm care homes ensure that residents are able to live in a more relaxing and pleasant home environment Similarly carers and staff find that they too benefit from reduced stress when working in a home where noise levels are kept to a minimum There are many environmental factors that can affect those sensitive to their surroundings particularly those suffering from dementia these can be fluctuations in ambient temperature light and of course noise Repetitive and high levels of noise can originate from a number of internal and external sources for example telephones ringing loud conversations in corridors and call bells sounding often one of the largest contributors to increasing the levels of stress and discomfort in residents
www.nursecallsystems.co.uk
for
-
FALL SAVERS ® WIRELESS MONITOR Eliminate all cables with our new generation falls management solutions! Upgrade your falls programme with the latest technology from Fall Savers® The NEW Fall Savers® Wireless eliminates the cord between the monitor and sensor pad This results in less work for nursing staff improved safety for patients and reduced wear and tear on sensor pads Wireless advantages include the ability to use one monitor with two sensor pads simultaneously and support for many new wireless devices Benefits include: Safer for patients; less work for staff Bed and chair pads ava l able One monitor works w th two sensor pads Integrates with most nurse call systems A variety of options ncluding Call button Pager Floor sensor mat Wireless door/window exit alerts TREADNOUGHT ®FLOOR SENSOR PAD The TreadNought® Floor Sensor Pad is built to last with a durable construction that far out lasts the competition Our anti bacterial floor sensor pad is compatible with most nurse call systems or can be used with a portable pager to sound an alert when a person steps on to the sensor pad Caregivers typically place the sensor pad at the bed side in a doorway or other locations to monitor per sons at risk for falls or wandering An optional anti slip mesh reduces the potential for slippage on hard surface floors
Features include: Connects directly to most nurse call systems High Quality ant bacterial Floor Sensor Pad Large Size Pad Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm Options (sold separately): Anti sl p mesh for hard surface floors See the advert on this page for further details or visit www fallsavers co uk
Medpage Falls Management Products
Fall Savers® are an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for over 15 years
NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING PAGE 42 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
Visit
Medpage supply a diverse range of equipment for detecting bed and chair exit There are for example simple bed alarms, chair alarms, or multiple use products for combining bed and chair monitoring to allow the per son to move from their bed to their chair There are systems that use a cabled pressure mat sensor connected to an alarm controller or pressure mat sensors with a self con tained alarm transmitter to signal a radio pager Carer alarm notifications can be by a single or multiple user pager or alarm receiver or an external alarm device You can find out more on the advert on page 13 or at www easylinkuk co uk/product/ product fall detection
Lotus Care Technology FOR ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE SOCIAL CARE SECTOR VISIT WWW.THECARERUK.COM
Fall Savers Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions Medpage T/A Easylink UK have manufactured and dis tributed fall prevention and detection products for over 25 years We specialise in prod ucts for one to one care, or small groups in a Care Home or Hospital Our systems are robust easy to set up and use and have a proven track record in helping to reduce falls in domestic and professional care establishments How can they help reduce falls? Many falls occur when a person at risk from falls leaves their bed or chair particularly during the night By detecting an exit from the bed or chair early a carer or guardian gains time to attend and help the person, usually preventing the fall WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE
The NurseAlert pres sure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls Having many years of experience in fitting and maintaining Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is dif ferent and has different needs They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into considera tion the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier www lctuk com details
Cloud Finance Software That is Helping Care Homes Thrive
Launch
– HxCare TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 43
TRUE CLOUD TECHNOLOGY WITH OPEN API True cloud technology with open API As an innovator in the cloud space, Sage Intacct’s multi tenant, true cloud foundation brings robust technology infrastructure to your organisation without the high costs of managing servers Our open API lets you connect to existing systems or those you are considering in the future This means you can leverage key data from electronic medical records payroll budget CRMs (including Salesforce) and other systems to track key performance indicators For more information on how Sage can help your business please visit: www sage com/en gb/cp/intacct carehomes/
REAL TIME VISIBILITY AND INSIGHTS Sage Intacct s real time reporting allows you to understand and measure performance for both finan cial metrics and operational outcomes Because every transaction in the system can be tagged with dimensions finance professionals can sort view filter and report on the specific information they need With greater insight our healthcare customers have reduced board budget reporting from three weeks to one hour and have improved revenues by 25% without adding additional headcount
Positive Solutions New eMAR Solution
Healthcare organisations face unique challenges from cost con tainment and multi entity reporting to new billing models and product offerings and a cloud based accounting system allows you to better understand your organisation and succeed in the future At Sage Intacct we re passionate about building accounting software that helps you better understand your business maintain compliance and succeed in the ever evolving healthcare industry BUILT FOR HEALTHCARE As healthcare grows in complexity so does your organisation You re managing multiple locations and practices navigating changing reimbursement methods and initiating cost reduction initiatives while manual processes are draining your productivity You need insight into your growing breadth of financial and operational data, and we’ve built our healthcare accounting software with you in mind We provide compliant financials with continuous con solidation across multiple offices, practices and locations Sage Intacct healthcare customers have increased profitability by 30% with better insight for informed decisions, realised 25% improvement in effi ciency gains, and taken departmental reporting from 10 days to 10 minutes
Positive Solutions are set to launch an innovative cloud based medicines management system, HxCare, which will be showcased in October at the Care Show Positive Solutions are the leading provider of PMR solutions to the community pharmacy sector For 30 years their innovative software has helped automate workflows increase efficiencies and enhance patient safety whilst many of the 2 500 pharmacy sites they support already work with care homes across the UK It is estimated that around 80% of care homes in the UK are still using paper based Medication Administration Records (MARs) to do their rounds The delivery of medication in this way is prone to error as well as being cumbersome for both care homes and community pharmacies HxCare aims to digitise workflows reduce errors and free up care providers to spend more time delivering care to their residents Designed to be truly mobile HxCare will be tablet based and has been developed with significant input from care homes around the country HxCare features will include medication and round management scanning for booking in with automated ordering linking into a full stock management system The team at Positive Solutions have given specific attention to extensive auditability at the click of a button whilst workflows have been designed to increase efficiency, remove errors and provide full traceability It will offer robust reporting which will be invaluable for both CQC and Care Inspectorate purposes
For more information on the benefits of HxCare, visit the webpage at www positive solutions co uk/hxcare/
Steve Russell Positive Solutions Chief Commercial Officer comments “Critical to the product develop ment of HxCare has been a commitment to making the user experience as intuitive and easy to use as pos sible Simple menus and navigation facilitate adoption training and roll out to care providers irrespective of their technical literacy ” HxCare also has an extensive product development roadmap and Positive Solutions are keen to involve users in shaping that roadmap with a feedback function for customer development requests HxCare will be showcased at the Care Show at the NEC in October (stand B20) where care home owners will be able to see the product first hand and register their interest sign up for the pilot or pre order for launch Steve Russell adds HxCare from Positive Solutions will raise the bar for healthcare technology in the sector and ushers in an exciting new era for the care home community Positive Solutions has led the way for the last 30 years in the design supply and management of robust patient medication record systems Bringing that expertise and pedigree to the care home sector those adopting HxCare can expect a product that delivers exceptional value per formance and enhanced compliance and safety standards ”
“Our team have worked closely with care homes across the UK for two years to ensure that HxCare offers the functionality and benefits missing elsewhere with a strong focus on intuitive user interfaces and declut tered workflows With an exciting roadmap of new developments already scheduled, HxCare is set to trans form eMAR for years to come ”
10
TIME
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE PAGE 44 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
WONDERING HOW TO GO DIGITAL? If you’re unsure of how to get started in your digital transformation AutumnCare can help! AutumnCare provides specialist digital care planning and eMAR soft ware enabling providers to migrate to a digital system and providing the foundations for outstanding care We can walk you through what is required step by step, as well as provide training and support every step of the way To realise all of the benefits above, plus many more, get in touch with us today Contact Chris Sharman Email c sharman@autumn care Call 0800 009 2121 Website uk autumn care Reasons To Go Electronic Care Medication Systems
Digital With
CONTROL Better Control Controlling paper based systems can be an onerous job It generates reams of paper that can easily be lost copied and potentially fall into the wrong hands Digital care systems are safe and accessible maintaining the security and confidentiality of your data This is difficult to achieve with paper because sensitive information must be locked away when not in use per GDPR Furthermore digital allows you to determine who can access and what via permission controls Staff only see what they need to see based on their role AutumnCare has a number of tools that assist in maintaining security and confidentiality including this lock screen func tionality for use in medication administration rounds!
PROTECTION Protect your business Social care is a highly regulated industry and going digital can help you safeguard your business With multiple regulatory bodies such as the CQC CIW, Care Inspectorate, RQIW, Local Authorities and Safeguarding Teams, not to mention families and the justice system Any of whom can make enquiries or perform inspections at any time and without notice Going digital makes it easy and efficient to evidence the quality of care you provide In addition as a digital system has a complete audit trail you can be assured the information you are providing is accurate and com plete COSTS Costs and environment
More time to care Carers never have enough time to care but going digital can provide more There are so many time consuming tasks such as writing care notes completing paper assessments filling in charts preparing handovers and countless other administrative tasks Going digital can automate many of these tasks and enable recording care interactions in real time ensuring nothing is left undocumented and saving time that can be better spent providing care
VISIBILITY Improved visibility Electronic care systems ensure that managers have real time access to notes and information to instantly understand the care provided and help identify changes that need to be made to improve the quality of care
(eMAR)
Planning and
On an electronic care system it is much easier to see what is going on if you are contacted out of hours or on the go A digital system allows you to log in remotely to see what has been happening across the entire care service at a glance AutumnCare contains a customis able Dashboard to provide Managers with a snapshot of what is occurring across the care service at any point in time USERS Happier ser vice users Last and by no means least, going digital can make your service users happier Digital systems enable you to spend more time caring and less time on administration There are benefits to happy service users including positive reviews from family and friends which may help grow your service
RETENTION Improve staf f retention Staff recruitment and retention remain long standing challenges for the care sector, and many factors contribute to the successful retention of staff Morale is a crucial factor in retaining staff Using electronic care sys tems to change the focus from the administration to the delivery of care helps stage engage more with service users Additionally providing smart tools like care planning and eMAR soft ware to reduce the administrative burden will decrease staff stress QUALITY Improved quality of care With pre built assessments covering all aspects of health you can get to know your service users intimately But it s not just health; other characteristics such as emotion likes/dis likes and how they correspond to a wide range of activities can be record ed Because any changes can be affected at the point of care updates become a true reflection of the care (rather than a delayed update at the end of a long shift) This information is then easily accessible by other system users sup porting a personalised care experience
Furthermore going digital reduces paper use and the carbon footprint of regular deliveries Therefore going digital can help you become more environmentally friendly RISK Reduced risk Manual systems carry many risks It is challenging to manage analyse and keep data and there is a lack of security Going digital with your care planning and eMAR can significantly reduce your risk Using inbuilt alerts ensures that nothing is missed whether that’s a care plan change or a fall report Using an eMAR will help reduce medication errors and ensure that the 6 Rs are always met Going digital also allows the collection of data at the point of care which can be analysed to identify trends and risks and demonstrate corrective action AutumnCare Mobile allows staff to perform clinical assessments and capture notes at the point of care for increased accuracy and care recipient involvement
EVIDENCE Demonstrate quality of care deliver y While the delivery of person centred care is paramount care providers must also provide evidence of the care they deliver and regulatory bodies actively encourage the use of technology For example the CQC states that the care provider should look to embrace technology that helps monitor care delivery During an inspec tion under the Effective key line of enquiry (KLOE) question E1 3 asks How is technology and equipment used to enhance effective care and treatment delivery and support people s independence? Digital care plans are the best way to achieve this!
The most considerable cost saving that going digital can provide is time While the amount of time saved will vary between service types and roles this alone makes going digital worthwhile Additional cost benefits include savings on printing paper stationary and confidential waste bin collection These costs all add up very quickly and are enhanced by the savings in the administrative overhead
The challenge associated with supporting and funding the care for an ageing population continues to escalate According to Age UK the num bers of people aged 85+ in England increased by almost a third over the last decade and will more than double over the next two decades And these people need care and support; by their late 80s more than one in three people will have difficulties undertaking five or more tasks of daily living unaided and between a quarter and a half of the 85+ age group are frail With current care services under extraordinary strain it is estimated that 1 in 8 people are caring for loved ones, many with increasingly com plex needs and this number will continue to increase, creating huge financial and mental stress for often geographical distant family members
Article supplied by Karantis360 (www karantis360 com)
Unlike NHS healthcare, adult social care in England isn’t free While some of our loved ones will be eligible for local authority support when they re older others won t qualify or you may feel they need more care than they re offered It s no secret that we re all living longer In 10 years time the number of people aged over 85 will have risen by nearly half in England alone and the population of 65 to 84 year olds will have increased by more than a quarter over the same period Therefore covering the cost of care for our parents or other family members is a growing concern While we can t predict what the future holds we all want those we love or even ourselves to have access to the care we need to live well in later life Being able to plan ahead for this means getting to grips with typical home care costs and nursing fees as well as understanding how local authorities assess needs As anyone who has had to navigate the social care system will already know, it’s a daunting task and isn’t always straightforward and things are set to change when a new cap on the cost of care paid over a lifetime comes into force in 2023 in turn addition al hurdles are likely to occur Helen Dempster Chief Visionary Officer and Founder of Karantis360 discusses this concerning topic further
Developed by an award winning care home in Devon our unique software for care homes provides a modern and highly effective solution for nursing homes and care organisations Delivering an all in one solution our care planning software is used by more than 30 000 carers in the UK daily A proven success in both nursing and residential home settings, we aim to help your care home deliver the best care possible efficiently simply and cost effectively Our software mod ernises your office processes and completely digitises your paperwork and care plans If you’d like to learn more about how our care management software could benefit your business please call us on 01822 738100 to speak with a member of the Care Control team and book your personalised demo today!
Predictive Technology, Can It Really Help Reduce Care Costs?
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Combine that with the implications stress has on family members quite often their health decreases and the dual cost therefore on the NHS Of course most people don t want to go into a care home; according to Age UK 97% of the population would like to receive care in their own home But the funding gap in social care predicted by the Local Government Association to reach £3 5 billion by 2025 is creating a devas tating knock on effect on the NHS with thousands of elderly patients stuck in hospital when they are well enough to go home because there is nobody to look after them With the cost of delayed discharges now at almost £290 million per year the Chief Executive of the Health Service Amanda Pritchard said that despite the delays of discharges the priority is to tackle backlogs that have inevitably built up in the face of rising Covid infections ” REAL TIME COMMUNICATION
One of the most fundamental roles that technology must play in the future is to enable carers to undertake their primary function care! This means minimising the admin burden they face and instead releasing car ers to spend more time with VIP’s This stretched resource is under huge pressure to meet escalating care needs, and yet carers are still compelled to spend upwards of 20 minutes in a 30 minute patient visit filling in man ual forms
Care Control - Care Home Software You Can Rely On
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 45
In addition to the sheer waste of essential one to one patient time, this paper based information is simply not stored in a way that enables easy sharing with other stakeholders from other carers to health providers and family members Technology has a huge role to play in improving the quality and per sonal aspect of care Imagine being armed with real time data to ask the right questions and ensure the VIP receives the right type of care on your visit Data can play a huge role in the quality of care; data insights give you historic information which helps but real time data with predictive and preventive capabilities is where we need to be aiming With the adoption of easy to use apps proven to reduce the adminis trative time spent by up to 75% Combining a simple user interface with voice recognition an app not only minimises the admin burden but also makes it easy for carers to record more personal patient information such as patient mood, important dates including birthdays or the anniver sary of a spouse s death which can then support a far more personal care experience In addition, this technology ensures the carer’s report is automatically shared not only with the local authorities and/or care agency but with the individual’s family members addressing one of the huge causes of stress for those tasked with overseeing the care of a loved one stress that often leads to time off work or ill health In this way the traditional challenges of information sharing between agencies can be overcome and ensure the most up to date medical and personal facts are always available to those who need them (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE PAGE 46 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 Predictive
The CARE is suite includes care and support care planning platform our policy app with over 200 high quality policies which are updated regularly and which also includes our supervision appraisals and train ing record apps and our audit app which templates all the essential audits and includes a record of inspection visits At Care is we can get you started on your journey from paper or another care management system with minimum fuss, plenty of support and all for what we believe to be good value for money With eMAR mandatory training and a complementary care certificate coming in 2022 there has never been a better time to get on board https://careis net
Intelligent Care Software (ICS)
Staff retention is a significant challenge in the care sector making it even harder for the existing work force to keep up with the ever growing demand Skills for Care predicted that by 2035 the care work force will need to increase by a minimum of a third, to keep up with the ageing population and demand for new carers In the same report, it was estimated that staff turnover within social care is 30 4% To put this into perspective approximately 23% of independent sector workers have a turnover rate of less than 10%
Staff Retention in the Care Industr y
High staff turnover can be incremental to an organisation s service and reputation It can lead to lower levels of patient satisfaction increase the number of risks to both employees and service users and make meeting CQC (Care Quality Commission) and Care Inspectorate standards even more challenging The care industry is extremely valuable to our economy contributing over £50 bn to the UK economy and equating to 5% of all employment It is vital for the wellbeing of our ever growing and ageing population that the high turnover rate is minimised In addition a high staff turnover means there needs to be a larger investment in recruiting training and retaining quality employees But how can technology help take some of the pressures off both providers and employees?
HOW CAN TECHNOLOGY ASSIST? Useful technology like Radar Healthcare can assist staff turnover issues by increasing efficiency and boost ing morale Radar Healthcare partner, ECL said: ‘By streamlining the compliments logging process, the number of com pliments logged rose from 9 per year to 1 500 per year! Being able to communicate this level of engagement from our service users has had a hugely positive effect on morale and encouraged our team to always strive for better performance Maintaining and tracking records of employees’ training appraisals supervisions and compliance require ments shows that an organisation values their individual workers and is invested in supporting and retaining them Technology can also significantly alleviate the daily administrative pressures faced by those working in the care sector as one partner of Radar Healthcare said Our evolution of health and safety and quality would n t have happened without Radar Healthcare We haven t grown our team yet we re doing about 60% more than we ve ever done before thanks to the software www radarhealthcare com
THE IMPACT OF STAFF TURNOVER
If you are looking for a care management system which answers all of your quality monitoring and compliance needs, then looks no further than Care is Care is provides the intelligent software solution for care home and domiciliary care managers and owners looking to roll all of their care and management functions into one electronic platform We know this to be true because unlike some other CMS s Care is was conceived designed built and is managed by nurses registered managers and care home owners
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This prominent level of shift indicates that organisations within the care sector are struggling to find and retain suitable candidates Working in care comes with many challenges and an insufficient number of workers within the industry creates problems for both service users workers and organisations Ongoing issues within the sector have meant that care providers have needed to adopt a range of new strategies to support and retain their employees Technology especially over the COVID 19 outbreak has proven to be extremely successful within the healthcare industry It has shown how embracing paperless methods can improve organisation boost work ethics and morals encourage communication and reduce the number of hours completing admin
SUPPORTIVE TECHNOLOGY If these innovative solutions are combined with IoT based sensors, the care ecosystem can be extended to provide a 24 hour safeguarding serv ice Using AI powered tools carers can track habitual behaviour and spot changes in real time allowing them to intervene when it is needed thus alleviating the burden on caregivers and families alike Its real time nature provides a platform for the complete digitisation of healthcare bringing together local authorities healthcare providers NHS Trusts ICS s general practitioners registered nurses and care homes Real time accurate information will not only make the social care model more transparent by including family members but will also enable it to become preventive as opposed to reactive And, the smart use of technology means organisations have a chance to rethink the way care is delivered, better matching care to specific patient needs Would a patient be better served by shorter daily sessions plus continuous monitoring? With a 24x7 system that monitors and picks up abnormal behaviour the care ecosystem has a chance to operate in a very different preventive and personal manner whilst alleviating the pressure of carers to be there physically CONCLUSION
From releasing beds to the pressure on carers and the extended family it s time to tackle the social care ecosystem in its entirety We cannot keep using the NHS as an expensive care home Technology is now advanced user friendly and cost effective enough to make a real differ ence People want to stay in their own home and it is widely believed they are healthier and happier in that familiar environment By leveraging tech nology carers are equipped to provide an increasingly personalised care experience and minimise the administrative burden; while family mem bers are relieved to have immediate information on their loved one s health and well being And the technology makes financial sense for local authorities enabling just a handful of individuals to remain safely and happily at home rather than in a care facility justifies the investment in new technol ogy; while for the NHS the ability to address bed availability will unleash vast resources What is truly exciting is that this is just the start; from IoT to AI we now have the chance to better understand patient activity to intervene early even predict potential problems to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and allow more patients to stay safely at home for longer Technology, Can It Really Help Reduce Care Costs?
As Violence In Healthcare Settings Surges
Daniel Waring CEO of Pinpoint said: “Over the last 30 years, we have continued to develop and enhance our systems to ensure we deliver the very best results for the workers who need it most I am incredibly proud to be able to launch the P2 System on our 30th anniversary”
Fife Firm Unveil New Staff Safety Alarms
The business which employs 43 people many at its HQ in Leven Fife is marking its 30thyear in busi ness by releasing a major upgrade to its security technology The advancements will provide even greater protection for healthcare staff working in a variety of high risk settings including hospitals men tal health facilities and correctional facilities The launch of P2 comes at a critical time for the healthcare sector A 2022 YouGov survey found that 67% of healthcare workers experienced physical abuse in the last 12 months while 20% reported being subject to violence once a week Hospital staff need advanced reliable and effective security solutions to meet their complex needs
The benefits of the new partnership include: Reduction in fall risk as more information can be collected on a person s behaviour Vayyar Care sen sors gather data not only on falls but also on behav ioural risk factors such as decreasing mobility enabling true fall prevention
More information about the new collection can be found on Pinpoint s website at www pinpointlimited com
This means carers can better advise on how to create a safe home environment and build more effective personalised care plans Minimise the risk of older people sustaining sec ondary injuries such as pressure sores as carers are alerted immediately when a fall occurs so help is sent sooner For families this adds another layer of reassurance
As with all Anthropos packages customers will be able to define the version of the rm that they need based on the care outcomes that they want to achieve
For
In these challenging times threats to care workers / healthcare professionals has increased Fuelled by frustration of not being able to have in person appointments or having to wait an eternity for a consultation attacks on staff are sadly becoming more frequent In these situations urgent assistance is critical and the systems used have to be quick secure and reli able KAM Systems have developed a range of solutions that can be easily adapted to suit GP Surgeries, Health Centres, A&E, Rehab Clinics and other Care Settings These can be quickly and easily implemented from a simple push button on the wall to a Pager with built in attack alarm & location Harpal Momi Managing Director of KAM Systems says It is a sad reflection of the current times that care staff are being threatened and in some cases attacked The solution we provide is completely wire less and can be installed quickly with minimum of dis ruption Staff using the system are reassured and have peace of mind that help is always on hand ” Anti Vandal / Anti Ligature Call Points make them suitable for mental health environments The Pager has multiple alarms push button rip cord tilt and is waterproof Once an alarm is initiated, within a few seconds a message can be discretely delivered to colleagues so that they can respond The message will contain the exact location of where assistance is required All alarm activity is logged for audit purposes Call today on 0330 321 1040, visit www kamsys tems co uk email sales@kamsystems co uk or see the advert on page 11
Peace of Mind is One Thing - Security is Another
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE PAGE 48 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
A family owned business in Fife has announced significant upgrades to its award winning staff safety systems which can be found in all NHS healthcare Trusts across the UK as well as Ireland and the US Pinpoint the leading provider of staff safety sys tems, was initially set up to address increasing rates of violence toward hospital workers which had an impact on staff morale absenteeism and retention
Connected Care Platform Anthropos has announced it will be partnering with Vayyar Care the global leader in 4D imaging to strengthen Anthropos s capabilities in pas sive fall detection Every year there are over 22 000 emergency hospital admissions resulting from falls among people over the age of 65 according to Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) Managing falls is a high priority fo p technology focuses on both fall detection and analysing potential risks of this common scenario Anthropos s Connected Care Platform uses a set of discreet passive sensors to monitor a range of daily activities of older people in their homes giving care providers the intelligence to make better informed decisions
The new Vayyar Care partnership integrates touchless radio frequency sensing tech nology enabling Anthropos customers to provide fall detection without requiring older people to put on wearable devices
• Additional intelligence to equip carers with detailed insights
Anthropos Partners With Vayyar Care To Boost Fall Detection Capabilities
However as a minimum end users are advised to have at least two Vayyar sensors deployed around their homes Stuart Barclay UK Sales Director at Vayyar Care says: rowing older population is vy and expects best in class systems to support their health well being and lifestyles Person centred care must have technology at its core including new solutions that deliver round the clock passive fall detection while maintaining dignity privacy and independence “Vayyar Care is thrilled to partner with Anthropos a company that aligns perfectly with our vision and ability to support connected data driven care ” Paul Berney CMO at Anthropos says “Market research proves there is a strong demand for passive falls detection It is often the case that people don t want to wear a device or just forget to put it on or charge it up The Vayyar Care solution provides rapid fall detection with zero involvement from the older person After completing extensive testing with Vayyar we re satisfied that together we will provide everyone with a reliable and accurate solution Anthropos takes pride in its constant innovations to deliver the best connected care including partner ships with companies such as Vayyar Our aim has always been to help older people to stay well inde pendent and happy in their own homes for longer the integration of Vayyar Care only strengthens this Vayyar Care is available to all future Anthropos customers more information please visit: https://anthropos io/our technology/
112 Skills, Knowledge, and Confidence Delivered Online W&P Training W&P Training supply comprehensive sets of CQC care policies and procedures that are personalised to your business Whether it’s Residential Care Homes, Domiciliary Homecare, Nursing Homes, Learning Disabilities or Supported Living We cover it all RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME POLICIES Are Your Current Policies Up To Date? There have been many recent changes to employment law vaccinations covid 19 guidance plus the CQC’s new strategy and regulatory approach W&P s team track these changes for you to ensure customers receive up to date CQC compliant documents DOMILICIARY HOMECARE POLICIES Over 130 comprehensive Domiciliary Care Policies and Procedures for Homecare / Domiciliary Based Services that are researched and written to meet all the CQC regulatory legislative and good practice guidance within the Health and Social Care sector CLINICAL PROCEDURES FOR NURSING HOMES CQC compliance for new and established Nursing Homes W&P s clinical procedures include 70
Covid19 reminded us all just how important the NHS and care home staff are to our soci ety We are grateful for their hard work and bravery and feel honoured to support them through our Laser Care Certificate course and CPD short courses Working in the care sector is certainly demanding, so our objec tive is to make it convenient and straightforward for workers to upskill and acquire confidence in the process The Laser Care Certificate course provides knowl edge to cover every standard included in the official Skills for Care specification Every lesson includes bespoke video tutorials specifically for the Care Certificate course as well as reading materials and good practice examples Furthermore a mandatory quiz at the end of each lesson (which requires a 100% pass mark) ensures both competence and confi dence Managers are able to create their own accounts to enrol staff on the course and track their progress All of the content is accessible remotely via comput er smartphone or tablet enabling care professionals to make progress towards the cer tificate in a way that suits their circumstances Additionally, Laser delivers CPD short courses to equip staff with highly relevant skills and knowledge so they can tackle new challenges or progress in their career Two courses in particular ‘Causes and spread of infection and ‘Infection control and pre vention’ were very popular during the pandemic Unlimited use subscriptions are available at afford able rates for organisations wishing to take advan tage of a large number of short courses Whether you are an owner manager or inde pendent learner please don t hesitate to get in touch for a free demo of the Care Certificate course plat form and/or the CPD short course offering The Laser Learning team can be contacted on info@lasersys co uk or +44 (0)1753 584 comprehensive and up to date documents for your nursing home These clinical proce dures complement our full set of Care Home Policies and Procedures SUPORTED LIVING / LEARNING DISABILITIES POLICIES Designed for Supported Living and Domiciliary providers that deliver CQC regulated activities to adults with Learning Disabilities and/ or Autism W&P’s Policies and Procedures for Supported Living Services will assist with your CQC compliance Looking for Supported living Policies with NO Personal Care?
Visit https://www wandptraining co uk/policies and proce dures/non registered care policies/ W&P’s policy and compliance team are constantly scanning and reviewing all the statutory websites and regulatory publications to track the very latest developments in the Health & Social Care Sector Policies and Procedures are updated every 4 months or immediately if there is a critical change to regulation good practice guidance case law outcomes or just feedback from customers
EDUCATION AND TRAINING PAGE 50 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
Why Train Beyond the Care Certificate?
To find out more about what we offer go to www wandptraining co uk or see the advert on page 2
It can be tempting to think that once the Care Certificate has been achieved it s the end of training The Care Certificate can demonstrate that staff have the minimum level of required training Training to Level 2 and beyond will therefore improve abilities to cope with the challenges pre sented by working in a difficult sector Obviously one of the most significant challenges was dealing with Covid but there will be new and different challenges ahead However it is the clients who will benefit from the improvement that additional training will bring Whilst these may include advances in the treatment of dementia or changes to the legislative framework there will undoubtedly be any number of other issues that will create new and complex problems that need to be dealt with So if you think the Care Certificate completes all the training it might be time to think again So why choose Step Up Training and Care? We provide training services that will build implicit trust leading to confidence by clients looking to use your services At Step Up Training and Care we know people are busy work long hours and that a set 9 5 timetable will not work for most care homes and providers We can tailor our learning programmes to meet individ ual needs time our training to meet business com mitments, working shift patterns and around family life Zoom Boom is here to stay and we can accommo date teaching and learning through blended learning such as classroom remote assessor based one to one training sessions Our trainers have personal experiences of working in the health and social care sector hence our flexible approach We empower people to learn Training beyond the Care Certificate Can you afford not to? T : 0121 794 1532 or 07384 698553 W : www stepuptrainingandcare co uk E : info@stepuptrainingandcare co uk
their
for your busi
Commenting on the research Jill Whittaker Managing Director at Connect2Care said: Since the pandemic began staff shortages have been rife across a wide range of sectors, culminating in the ‘Great Resignation of 2021 And the care sector is among the hardest hit Yet while most care operators see the value in training when it comes to attracting and retaining staff, too many believe they don’t have the time to invest in this But with the sector continuing to strug gle with staff shortages they can t afford not to “As well as playing a role in attracting and retaining valuable team members apprenticeships have always been one of the best ways to unlock skills quickly and fast track staff into positions where they can make a real impact New flexible training models under consideration by the Government are set to make this process even quicker For example, front loaded training will be invaluable in helping apprentices to hit the ground running and operate efficiently for their employers from the very beginning The study showed that most care operators are interested in flexible training options with 75% of employers in the sector saying they would consider front loaded training to help speed up the process Over 90% of employees in the field would be more willing to start an apprentice ship or training course if they could condense learning into a shorter period Connect2Care has released a toolkit answering common questions about apprenticeships with advice on how businesses can maximise them through flexible training options Find out which apprenticeship pathway will work best ness with Connect2Care’s See the Opportunity toolkit which can be downloaded for free Visit https://connect2care net/resources/see the opportunity/ apprenticeships could impacting potential relationships at its heart, with our 6 week online training programme Discover how to replace loneliness, helplessness and boredom with wellbeing, companionship, and meaningful activities, in just one hour of training a week Sign up today and join the care evolution Call today on 01626 868192 or visit www.eden alternative.co.uk
Workforce Challenge - The Eden Alternative – A Modern, Proven Model of Care for Staff and Resident Wellbeing AND TRAINING
Validated Eden Alternative associates can benefit from continuing support from our expert team WHY DO THIS? The Eden model is built on what people say they want in a Home or a workplace which therefore attracts residents and team members alike As an Eden Home builds its reputation upon the quality of life it offers to the people that reside there it follows that occupancy improves As a programme that empowers staff and focuses on their wellbe ing It follows that staff retention improves With a positive culture a motivated and dedicated workforce It fol lows that positive innovation becomes more possible sustainable and continuous
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 51 EDUCATION
Following the Great Resignation of 2021 when employees around the UK left their jobs in record numbers a new survey has revealed that 100% of care managers continue to find it hard to retain staff Yet while almost 90% believe that further training investment would help with recruitment and retention, less than 40% of care businesses offer apprenticeships to staff at all levels Over a third have been deterred from offering training opportunities for new and existing employees due to the time investment needed A further 37 5% of care managers are put off by the risk that an employee would leave after completing their training even though more than 90% of people working in the sector have said they would be more likely to stay in a role if their employer invested in their train ing from the outset
Staff-Short Care Firms Have No Time For Training Connect2Care’s latest research shows how misconceptions around
When demand for services increase it follows that viability improves As a cohesive cultural progression programme it follows that inno vation, modernisation and positivity increase The model is efficient cost effective and the training is delivered by experienced practitioners in Care Homes Homes are very busy places and the programme is therefore run on line for 1 hour per week for 6 weeks and people can do this at work or at home The 6 weekly sessions are run online with a workbook with links for further optional reading or viewing and should not be a burden to busy Homes teams and managers It is however effective You can try without obligation It is designed to make business sense to providers It is designed to enhance viability It is designed to support recruitment and retention It is designed to motivate Care teams and is open to any individual to add their CV WHAT IS IT It is a training programme which leads to accreditation and focuses in detail on 7 domains of wellbeing 10 principles and is particularly designed to address instances of loneliness, helplessness and bore dom Geoffrey Cox The Eden Alternative Call today on 01626 868192 or visit www eden alternative co uk
to fix industry wide staff retention problems At Step Up Training and Care we offer: • Tailored learning journeys and programmes • A flexible blended approach of one to one, in house, classroom, practical assignments and online assessment methods • Training that will lead to higher quality of care delivery • Training led by tutors and assessors who are specialists in health and social care • Level 3 diplomas that are accredited to Highfield Qualifications T : 0121 794 1532 or 07384 698553 W : www.stepuptrainingandcare.co.uk E : info@stepuptrainingandcare.co.uk STEP UP Training and Care An inspiring approach to care As experienced Care Home practitioners we provide training to care home teams in sustainable innovation and positive leadership that empowers people to embed companionship, partnership working and vibrancy to build enriched quality of life into care homes Develop a culture of care with wellbeing and positive
be
THEORY AND PRACTICE
Here at Care Control we are empowering customers to execute a more structured hiring process to improve efficiencies and overcome the challenges that recruitment presents By using our all in one recruitment module organisations will be able to clearly evidence to regulatory bodies their full recruitment process
JOB APPLICATION BUILDER Save time and build your own job application with Care Control s custom form builder and store templates ready for the next vacancy TALENT POOLS Fill roles faster by streamlining the hiring process of all your talent pools Become more efficient as processes are automated Gain greater visibility of available talent across all vacancies with our simple scoring system SMART SCREENING
Equipping
LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER
Having a mix of adults and young people in classrooms can change the dynamics of a course in very positive ways too You can t teach life experience and so adults regularly act as mentors to school leavers often in an ad hoc informal manner while young people without falling into stereotypes here will often help their older classmates with the digital skills that have become so important in so many roles within care homes and clients houses Recruiting adults isn t about simply filling the void in entry level jobs Instead adults will often bring with them experience from supervisory or management roles within their previous careers helping to fill skills gaps at all levels throughout the care sector
Never lose track of a candidate again! Seamlessly track candidate interaction as well as request references and complete full DBS checks all stored within your candidate’s profile
CANDIDATE AUTOMATION Automate the entire hiring journey Easy to use tools such as interview sched ules and onboarding workflows enable you to improve processes reduce time to hire and greatly enhance the candidate experience There s more! Your new employees profile will automatically be created on your Care Control hub! EASY SHARING Increase your job exposure and attract the best candidates With one click post your job on our very own integrated careers website FindMeACareJob co uk You can even share your application form on multiple job boards, social media channels and your website No more copy/pasting job specs! If you’d like to learn more about how our recruitment module could benefit your business, please call us on 01822 738100 to speak with a member of the Care Control team Control All-in-One Recruitment
Just like young people who enter college care courses straight from school adults returning to education want to give something back to their communities The pandemic has shone an even brighter spotlight on why it s important to have a strong care sector
To help address the skills gap Scotland s further education colleges with the help of Scotland s national college skills agency the College Development Network (CDN) recently developed and launched the Introduction to a Career in Social Care course which can now be studied at 18 of Scotland s 24 colleges
Why Returning Adult Learners With The Skills They Need To Enter The Social Care Sector Is The Best Solution To The Recruitment Crisis
Adults returning to education can bring a wealth of skills and experience to roles within the care sector Often they’re motivated by their own experiences of care whether it s having been cared for themselves or having seen the high quality support that relatives or friends have received
The size of the skills gap in the care sector is startling Skills Development Scotland estimates that 17,100 roles will need to be filled by 2024, while Skills for Care’s latest figures reveal that there are an average of 105,000 job vacancies on any given day in England Filling that gap means the care sector needs to cast its net far and wide to find recruits Attracting the attention and interest of school leavers, and ensuring their par ents are informed about the rewarding and potentially life long career that can be forged in caring is indeed a valuable use of resources Young people are a recognised and important stream of talent and skills for the sector However it is essential that the care sector taps into the pool of adults who are either considering or are in the process of returning to education They include people who may have left the workforce to start a family people who have been sick or injured but have now recovered or simply people who did not get the chance to study at college earlier in their lives and now want to gain the knowl edge skills and experience they need to start a new career
DEVELOPING LIFE LONG LEARNING College lecturers can walk the walk and talk the talk because they’ve usually worked within the care sector That means they have the knowledge skills and experience necessary to help to develop the courses that care providers need to train their staff at all levels throughout their careers helping businesses to “grow their own” recruits Being anchor institutions within their communities means that colleges are ideally placed to help fill the skills gap within the care sector And adults returning to education are a key part of that mission
By Jonny Rees, Head of Professional Development at the College Development Network (www cdn ac uk)
Care
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System PROFESSIONALS & RECRUITMENT PAGE 52 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
MOTIVATED BY COMPASSION
Colleges work hard to tailor their courses to fit employers’ needs Today courses include plenty of case stud ies site visits and extended work experience placements so that students understand the roles within the care sector which will help to reduce turnover and increase retention in the long run helping to address the skills gap
MIXING
JJ Recruitment has the large database of well qualified applicants with experience in the health care industry such as health care assistants senior carers and nurses from overseas We also have an expert team of solicitors for the necessary legal pro ceedings and advices WHY JJ? We have very minimal processing fees • We assist you to get a sponsorship license Qualified and experienced candidates from over seas Tel: 01704 808227 www jjcarerecruitment co uk admin@jjrecruitment co uk In Dire Need Of Experienced Health Care Assistant, Senior Carer Or A Nurse? THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112 | PAGE 53 PROFESSIONALS & RECRUITMENT Global assists clients throughout the U K who specialise in the healthcare sector to achieve their objectives of purchase development and refi nance We have organised over £1 8bn for clients in the past 30 years providing clients with competitively priced funding to refinance existing debt, ease cashflow and develop businesses further From helping clients make their first purchase through to allowing groups to grow significantly in size we assist at every stage of your business expansion Every proposal is individual and deserves to be treated that way, so we hope you will allow us to be of assistance to you and call us to chat through your plans and requirements I am sure we will be able to tailor a facility to your requirements Call us on 01242 227172 or e mail us at enquiries@globalbusinessfinance net Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance Please mention THE CARER when responding to Padvertising. lease mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.
PAGE 54 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 112
National Minimum Wage and Working Time: The Legal Issues
• at least 20 minutes when working more than six hours a day
A R E Y O U A C A R E H O M E O W N E R W I T H S T A F F V A C A N C I E S ? G E T I N T O U C H N O W ! Apply for a sponsor licence allowing you to employ foreign workers Fill your staff vacancies with skilled foreign workers Switch your part time foreign student employees into full time work permit holders Let us help you to navigate your recruitment and immigration needs We have access to skilled workers already in the UK ready to be employed by you CONTACT US : 020 8571 6889 0121 525 8899 I N F O @ G L S S O L I C I T O R S . C O . U K W W W G L S S O L I C I T O R S C O U K As recently highlighted in the media there are currently over 100 000 vacant roles in the care sector Some 78% of providers who responded to the exclu sive survey carried out by the ITV News in conjunction with the UK Homecare Association said recruiting carers is the hardest it has ever been Many describe being at a breaking point Out of the respondents 95% said they are unable to take on all the new clients in need of their help 2 years ago a relative of my friend with care homes in Lincolnshire came to see me He knew I was an immigration lawyer He was distraught and on the verge of packing it all in The issues? ’We can’t find the workers nobody wants to work full time as they will lose their tax credits’ the British workforce are just not interested nobody wants to relocate to the sticks to work for us His plea “Harjap help me” my solution? ‘have you thought about recruiting foreign workers? Or students already in the UK who are already working part time in the sector? he did it and today his staffing problems have been solved So how do we go about doing it? The UK Immigration system can be complex but with the right guidance can be navigated to benefit the care sector In order to recruit foreign skilled workers whether they are already within the UK or directly abroad your company needs to be regulated by the UKVI (UK Visas & Immigration) This involves being licenced by the UKVI so that your business can successfully recruit for eign workers without fear of being fined or breaching any immigration rules set by the UK governments stringent policies Many potential employees are already within the UK on various types of visas however and may already be working part time (20 hours a week) for you in order to work for you they would need to be successfully sponsored by your company through your sponsor licence This would involve making a complex application to the UKVI and in essence ask ing them for permission for you to employ the worker full time Once permission is granted you then have the benefit of a full time employee tied down exclusively to your com pany for at least a 5 year period This is often referred to as a ‘Work Permit If you wish to employee multiple foreign workers then we would need to convince the Home Office to grant you an appropriate allocation under the terms of your licence Under this licence you can also recruit carers and nurses from abroad The solution to current staffing crisis is clearly to recruit foreign workers and it is not as daunting as peo ple often make out There are many specialist firms of lawyers who can do the whole process for you and you can also save on hefty recruitment fees of employ ment agencies If you urgently need staff then you should definitely consider applying for a UKVI sponsor licence in order to employ qualified foreign workers and help your business grow No business should be turning away / down work due to a staffing problem which has a solu tion Harjap Singh Bhangal is a Director at Immigration Specialist firm GLS Solicitors (Global Legal Solutions) and is often seen on Sky News BBC News and is referred to as the Immigration Guru CONTACT US: 020 8571 6889 0121 525 8899 info@glssolicitors co uk www glssolicitors co uk Are You A Care Home Owner with Staff Vacancies? PROFESSIONALS & RECRUITMENT
• 11 hours uninterrupted rest per day; and 24 hours uninterrupted rest per week (or 48 hours uninterrupted rest per fortn ght) Employers must also take all reasonable steps to ensure average working time does not exceed 48 hours per week (judged over a 17 week reference period) and there are heightened obligations for night workers While employers are able to agree an opt out from the 48 hour working week if a worker is regularly working over 48 hours per week then it could cause concerns that the worker is not receiving adequate rest breaks under the WTR With workers often being asked to work longer hours due to the current labour shortage in the sector it is sensible for employers to have renewed focus on these issues
By Tom Draper, Employment Partner at Freeths (www freeths co uk) Buckle in for a whistle stop tour of some of the current employ ment law considerations business es in the care sector are grappling with including some tips on how to avoid an HMRC National Minimum Wage investigation and your obli gations to your workers in respect of their working hours With ongoing staffing shortages in care homes there is a height ened risk that workers will be working extra hours to ensure that residents and vulnerable service users cared for properly This cre ates legal risks for employers regarding payment of the national minimum wage and under the Working Time Regulations National Minimum Wage (NMW): One glance at the current news headlines is enough to see the ongoing issue of the disparity between wages and the cost of liv ing However little attention has been given to the substantial rise in the NMW which came in April or the cost and risks this may cause employers For those aged 23 & over NMW now sits at £9 50 per hour This means that the NMW does not only cause concern for employers in relation to hourly paid workers now anyone engaged on a salary of around £20 000 £24 000 who is regularly working extra hours could now pose an NMW risk Workers need to receive the NMW for each pay period they work meaning that if they are paid week ly they need to receive at least NMW for all the hours they work each week All hours worked in addition to a worker s contracted hours will be considered when calculating if NMW has been paid so it only takes a few additional hours to cause problems STEPS TO MITIGATE RISK Identify workers whose salaries are close to NMW; keep a record of hours worked for all employees, this is a legal obligation and would need to be provided if HMRC ever come calling; each pay period whether that be weekly or monthly consider the hours worked by the workers in question and calculate whether it sits above NMW include deductions made from salaries for things like un form or training as these can inadvertently reduce a worker s salary below NMW The NMW regulations are com plex so you should and always take professional advice if you are unsure about how to calculate the NMW Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR): Unhelpfully there is a dif ferent legal definition or time worked” under the NMW regula tion and working time under the WTR The key difference is that the definition of working time for WTR purposes is wider Working time for WTR includes time where the employee is at the employer s dis posal such as where a worker is on call if the worker must be at a set location such as the workplace Under the WTR employers must ensure that their workers are provided with the following rest breaks:
