Grant people living in care settings utility bill rebates Help domiciliary providers tackle huge fuel costs Urgently move money from the Health and Social Care levy to support care and nursing homes and homecare providers
Carry out root and branch reform of social care for the 1 6m who can t get care at the moment
Sector Urges Liz Truss to Act Fast as Previous Reforms “Will Not and Cannot Fix Social Care”
ON PAGE 3...)
CAMPAIGNERS have urged the new Prime Minister Liz Truss to make the crisis in the care of the country s oldest and most vulnerable people a top priority The reforms, that Boris Johnson previously announced, will not and cannot ‘fix social care because they don t improve the quality and availability of care sec tor leaders say, adding that the new Prime Minister must go further The Independent Care Group (ICG) has sent an urgent letter to Liz Truss call ing on her to take emergency measures to save the social care sector which has been battered by Covid 19 a severe staffing shortage and now the cost of living crisis
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 115 THECARER UK
Provide better pay and opportunities for care staff to tackle the current staffing crisis Utilise the expertise available in the social care sector to tackle the crisis (CONTINUED
The ICG wants the new Prime Minister to Include care and nursing homes in the price cap for energy prices
Published by EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT PUBLISHED BY RBC Publishing Ltd Roddis House, Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH1 1LG TELEPHONE: 01202 552333 (6 lines) Fax: 01202 552666 Email: sales@thecareruk com WEBSITE: www thecareruk com EDITOR Peter Adams SALES EXECUTIVES Sylvia Mawson David Bar tlett Guy Stephenson PRODUCTION & DESIGN Matthew Noades PRODUCTION & WEB ADMIN
Around four million people who are at highest risk including the over 75s and those with weakened immune systems are eligible to book a vaccine through the National Booking Service next week, with the first appointments available later this month
Again we have received some wonderful and uplifting stories from care homes around the country, awards, birthday celebrations, fundraising, sports events, singing and danc ing you name it we are receiving them at the moment, all feelgood stories which high light the dedication commitment and devotion staff display in every day improving the well being of the residents so well done and please do keep them coming! I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk com
The autumn booster rollout began this week with England s care home residents staff and people who are housebound first in line to receive their top up ahead of winter
Editor Peter Adams Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital! The Carer is pub ished by RBC Publishing Ltd, Su te 4 Roddis House , Old Christchurch Rd Bournemouth Dorset Contr butions are welcome for consideration however no responsibil ty wi l be accepted for loss or damage Views expressed w th n th s pub l cation are not necessar ly those of the publ sher or the editor a team Whilst ever y care is taken when compi ing this publicat on to ensure accuracy the publ sher wil assume no respons bi ity for any effects, errors or om ssions therefrom Al r ghts reser ved reproduct on s forbidden unless written perm ssion is obta ned A l material is assumed copyright free un ess otherw se adv sed PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
The NHS will visit hundreds of care homes in the first week with thousands more planned throughout September and October!
Charlene Fox
I note several media outlets today have been fact checking” our ex Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leav ing speech and the claims he made In particular that he reformed social care The critics are lining up care homes, residents and families have challenged the former Prime Minister s claim, which has been called “a final insult from the outgoing Prime Minister to the millions of people who are being left without the support they need ” It is a crass proclamation I have sat in this chair edit ing what I would like to think is the sector s leading res idential and nursing care publication for a number of years and can say with confidence that the sector is far from reformed! Even the cap on social care fees welcome though it is, has been delayed and not yet implemented! There is no doubt that the incoming minister Liz Truss has her work cut out The country is in turmoil with energy costs affecting every sector and we are seeing industry unrest These problems may be short term We will no doubt see a reduction in energy costs once the crisis in Ukraine is resolved and industrial disputes eventually work themselves out The crisis in the adult social care sector is however long term and requires long term solutions Unless Ms Truss has been working in the background with leading economists and sector leaders (which I doubt) then any proposed solution announced this week will be akin to a sticking plaster on a broken leg The sector needs root and branch reform Sooner or later someone maybe Ms Truss will recognise that NHS care and adult social care needs to be merged, with a fixed per centage of our GDP dedicated to social care and the reforming of taxation particularly VAT A concerning factor is Ms Truss s announcement that she is reversing Boris Johnson s National Insurance increase In August, then prime ministerial hopeful Ms Truss insisted that she could meet the cost of funding the NHS and social care while at the same time scrapping the rise in national insurance that was introduced to pay for it As we all know Ministers last year announced the introduction of the health and social care levy to raise £12bn a year In the first three years of the new tax Boris Johnson said at the time the money would mainly go on clearing backlogs in the NHS built up during the pandemic before being transferred to fund an overhaul of the social care system Ms Truss said in August that she would scrap the levy to help people deal with the cost of living crisis as part of her £30bn package of tax cuts which her rival Rishi Sunak says is “unfunded”
However she said she would still fund the NHS and social care through taxes while also cutting public sector debt, suggesting she could cut spending in other policy areas So now is the time to deliver, and I would strongly urge Ms Truss to reach out to the sector consult with them and bring them on board! We would also draw your attention to a story appearing on page 9 where care providers are warning to prepare for the possibility of a winter spike in Covid 19 cases urging everyone eligible to have the vaccine booster
The years of lack of investment means the scale of the challenge is huge and demands urgent action now The millions of older and disabled people putting up with inadequate services if they get any service at all need the incoming PM to get a grip of the problem and aim for transforma tion through proper reform but as it stands it is never going to be possible with the meagre funding allocated by the government up to now ”
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 3
UNMET CARE NEEDS
LONG TERM LACK OF FUNDING
NEXT 10 DAYS WILL BE “PIVOTAL” Professor Vic Rayner OBE CEO of the NCF said: The announcement of Liz Truss as Prime Minister comes at a time when multiple crises are fac ing the country due to the cost of living crisis amongst a myriad of other challenges Her resounding assertion to be the leader that delivers will be immediately put to the test as it is vitally important for the most vul nerable people in our society who find themselves facing a catastrophe if action is not taken urgently “We need her government to deliver an immediate solution to the energy crisis which encompasses the impact on the many adult social care and support providers who are facing eye watering increases in costs in excess of 400% with many services right now considering their sustainability We need her government to deliver on the care workforce and for an immediate need to increase the funding to adult social care to make sure it can offer staff the terms and conditions that recognise the vital life changing work they do We cannot run the risk that they cannot afford to work in care Care is the backbone of communities up and down the country and they are the lifeblood of its delivery We need her government to deliver on reform and drive forward the necessary reform plans at pace We know that the current £5 4bn ear marked is simply not enough to address the challenges facing the sector “Never mind the next 100 days, the next 10 days will be pivotal, not only in her premiership but also for the many millions of people who work, use and operate adult social care across this country ”
“Will Not and Cannot Fix Social Care”
The local authorities that are responsible for funding social care are facing severe financial pressures due to a long term lack of funding from central government Social care providers are facing increased costs and skilled low paid carers are leaving the profession in droves often to work in retail or the NHS where terms and conditions are more favourable Unfortunately at the same time people who need care are paying more but often receiving less some have had their care pack ages reduced or cut altogether, and thousands of others are still waiting to be assessed by their local council Jackie O Sullivan Communication Director of Mencap and Co Chair of the Care and Support Alliance said: These figures are shocking enough but with the increasing staff shortages these numbers are only going to increase unless the Government takes bold and urgent action to getting social care the funding it needs “We need an urgent cash injection from the Government to address all these ongoing pressures on the system caused by the pandemic and in the longer term need funding targeted at supporting decent pay rises for our hard working care workforce This is the only way the sector can get back on an even keel
(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)
TIME FOR “TOUGH DECISIVE ACTION” Deborah Auty, Head of Communications at Revitalise, said: "After a summer in which the country has been left without strong leadership, it is vital that Liz Truss acts without delay to tackle the crisis in social care
Sector Urges Liz Truss to Act Fast as Previous Reforms
ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: We have sent a clear message to the Prime Minister elect that social care has to be a top priority for her new Government “Others before her have promised and failed but tackling this crisis cannot wait and offers her an opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives straight away “We know that there will be many things in her in tray, but we do appeal to her to tackle social care ” In a letter to the new Prime Minister Mr Padgham writes: “As I wrote during the leadership race we have been warning for more than 30 years that social care was not being funded properly to provide a good sus tainable service for people who need that care every day to help them live a full life Those years of under funding left social care in a perilous state and Covid 19 then hit it hard Now the sector finds itself facing a massive staffing shortage and huge increases in costs including rocketing fuel and utility prices There is a very real risk of significant provider failure with a subse quent loss of care provision Failure in social care would hit NHS care too as it is one of the bedrocks on which the health service is built There are already huge delays in hospital discharges because there are no packages of social care available to look after people when they leave hospital This is only going to get worse ”
As the energy crisis continues to impact new analysis by Age UK for the Care and Support Alliance (CSA) has found that a massive 2 6 million people aged fifty and above are living with some form of unmet need for care in England This is the best estimate so far produced for the num bers of people in mid life, as well as of above State Pension Age, who require assistance with one or more activities of daily living like washing and eating The 2 5 million over 50s in this position are equivalent to 12% or one in eight of the entire same age population in this country In response to this shocking statistic the CSA is calling for an urgent cash injection to address the increasing pressures on the care system caused by a shortage of money and staff Social care is chronically underfunded and many local councils struggle to meet the care needs of their communities An ageing population as well as a growing number of disabled people of working age means problems are escalating with central Government funding not keeping pace with the consequent growing demand for care Unfortunately, the pandemic made an already bad situation even worse Latest data by Age UK and the Care and Support Alliance show that • 70% (1 8 million) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty dressing 18% (450 000) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty walk ing across a room 47% (1 2 million) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty bathing or showering 12% (320 000) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty eating 36% (930,000) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty getting in and out of bed • 23% (600 000) of those with an unmet need for care have difficulty using the toilet 7% of people in their 50s have an unmet need for care 12% in their 60s 15% in their 70s 21% in their 80s and older 21% (540 000) of people with an unmet need for care are often lonely compared to 6% of people who have no need for care and 12% of people who have a need for care which is met Age UK analysis of data from wave 9 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, scaled up to the population of England using data from the 2021 Census )
There is no time to waste The cost of living crisis rising inflation and soaring energy bills are all putting a huge strain on already stretched healthcare budgets taking them to breaking point Boris Johnson promised to fix the crisis in social care once and for all without properly budgeting for how this was going to happen In her election campaign Liz Truss pledged to divert £13 billion of NHS funding into social care without revealing what impact these cuts will have on the NHS itself We all know that we cannot fix the problems in the NHS without tackling the crisis in social care but we cannot simply move pre cious funds around without consequence "The Covid pandemic had a disproportionate impact on disabled peo ple and their carers Carers are already reporting exceptionally high lev els of fatigue and stress, while disabled people and those who care for them are finding it even harder to access respite breaks or other essen tial support This Government has shown it can find the money to tackle issues such as the Covid pandemic when it needs to Social care needs to be properly funded so everyone who needs to can access vital social care services and local authorities must have the funding to cope with soar ing demand "Now is the time for tough decisive action We hope that Liz Truss is the person who can deliver it otherwise the consequences for so many could be devastating "
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Sponsorship Opens
Doors to EU Workers
The act of sponsorship is as easy as clicking a button and paying a fee to the government But before that, you are making sure their job is skilled, they are paid enough (normally £20 480pa for a care worker) they speak English and several other considerations You can’t bluff this get it wrong and the Home Office will take your licence away and fine you There are also more serious criminal sanctions
The visa application follows This is largely administrative but there are complexities so again care is needed Right now the government takes about a month to process an application, but priority services are some times available depending on application location Cost is a bigger issue for the visa application You should assume around £1,300 in government fees if you re a small or medium sized business sponsoring a single person for three years rising to around £3 200 if you are a larger employer Social care providers will probably follow this route via the health and care worker visa It is available for nurses and care workers and to employers in the NHS NHS suppliers or adult social care It is pretty com prehensive, but if you miss out, the regular Skilled Worker visa should suit It is, however, just a bit more expensive
Obtaining a sponsor licence and sponsoring EU works is not rocket science, but it needs to be taken seri ously The care sector has always been scrutinised by the Home Office more so than most sectors so don t leave anything to chance It isn’t difficult to get things right but it will take time and careful consideration
To sponsor an EU employee you will need a licence
ROUTE TO SPONSORSHIP
There must be a degree of irony in that whilst the new Prime Minister first opposed Brexit and is now its champion in chief labour shortages in the social care sector have been exacerbated following the end of the free movement of people from across the EU This taskforce is, however, to be welcomed Government and the sector should always recruit locally first, but the immigration system exists to plug any gaps Before the UK decided to leave the EU EU recruitment was easy If a provider had a vacancy and a European candidate they could recruit with little or no restrictions Today you need to plan and spend more but it is still possible to tap into EU workers Here s how Firstly the rules haven’t changed for Irish passport holders They are treated the same as UK nationals and are free to take employment here There is often an easy process for Europeans If they were here before 11pm on 31 December 2020 they should have pre settled or settled status That means they have a right to work in the UK If they are entitled but haven’t applied for status, then they may still be able to work but will need to make an application to the Home Office It is complex and often benefits from legal advice but is achievable If EU staff arrived since 2021 they will probably need sponsorship and a Skilled Worker visa Sponsorship is essentially a contract between an employer and the government letting you bring in a worker and ensur ing compliance with the rules There are serious sanctions for getting it wrong so learn the law or get advice and take it seriously
The government in August announced a new taskforce to boost over seas recruitment of frontline staff into the social care sector With a tough winter predicted for the health and social care sector making it easier to recruit overseas staff will be top of the new Prime Minister’s in tray, says Gavin Webster
This means con vincing the government you are a legitimate employer and will follow the rules You can assume a three to five month lead in to compile an appli cation and receive a decision but it can be quicker Once you have a sponsor licence, you can then sponsor EU nationals
By Gavin Webster, Vialto Partners (www
vialto com)
Lois Matthews care assistant at Brendoncare Park Road attended the out ing with the residents on her day off She said: “I thought it went really well It was really nice to get the residents out especially since they really liked the trains I thought it would be really nice to come even on my day off because I know that they love it so much and I know that the people that went really wanted to visit It wasn’t a problem for me to come and it was nice to be able to do something that the residents really liked “I enjoy working at Park Road A memorable moment was when I was with a resident and they told me that I was like a daughter to them It was really nice and it really sticks with me it s nice to know that you have that kind of effect on someone Day Out to the Watercress Line for Brendoncare Park Road Residents
So of course I had to have a ride on them and eventually the chance came to go and have a ride on the Alton track I am very happy that older people like me who have made these things can have a ride ”
Residents from Brendoncare Park Road have enjoyed a day out to the Watercress Line The day started the day at Alresford Station and ended their journey on the Watercress Line at Alton They enjoyed a picnic on the train and had a tour around various stations, speaking to staff members on board and learn ing interesting facts from volunteers Bob, resident at Brendoncare Park Road, is a train enthusiast and was one of the residents who went on the trip A former model locomotive builder Bob has made ten model engines in total and was eager to visit the railway line so the caring staff at Brendoncare Park Road made it happen He said: I ve known of the Watercress Line because I used to go past in my caravan to see this train chuffing above our heads as we went through We found out later that there was a railway track there so we often stopped at the convenient toilet near Alton and spent a long time watching the engines going by
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 5
Vicky
Healthcare Application Rates Cause Concern as Winter Months Approach
TV personality author and podcast host Vicky Pattison was among hundreds who completed an epic 26 mile trek around Stonehenge for Alzheimer’s Society on 3 September 2022 The previously crowned Queen of the Jungle Vicky Pattison strapped on her walking boots alongside fiancé Ercan Ramadan to honour her beloved grandad David who sadly died from dementia aged 92 in February Every three minutes someone develops dementia and it s estimat ed that by 2040 1 6 million people in the UK will have the condition In an emotional Instagram tribute Vicky described her granddad as the life and soul of the party adding I don t know if I quite got your stamina' Following the trek Vicky said: 'I’ll admit it, my legs are tired, but I think I did my granddad proud out there today! As each step got harder I felt more determined to channel his fighting spirit and finish the course ' My heart is so full from seeing all the other Alzheimer’s Society sup porters trekking alongside me united by one mission to raise as much money and awareness as possible to help people with dementia I was blown away by the gorgeous views around Stonehenge and the camaraderie among people who were trekking for, or in memory of, their loved ones We got each other through it and had a total blast 'Alzheimer’s Society s Trek26 events are just one of the many ways you can support the charity If you re looking to walk fewer miles plen ty of shorter Memory Walks are happening this Autumn 'I’d really encourage everyone to sign up for an event I can’t bring my granddad back but being able to honour him like this has brought me a lot of comfort ' Pattison and Trek 26-Miles
in Memor y of Grandad with Dementia
The healthcare sector continues to fall short of job applicants with recent data showing a 42% decline in people applying for vacancies between June 2022 and July 2022 complicating preparations for a potential Covid 19 surge during the colder months That s according to recent research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) The data provided by the world s largest network of job boards Broadbean Technology also shows that yearly applications plunged 51% when comparing July 2022 to the same period in 2021 While part of this decline can be attributed to the 14% month on month drop in vacancies the sheer scale of decline in appli cation numbers is cause for concern for an already skill short sector A key contributor to this decline in applicants is likely to be the underwhelming pay increases that staff in the sector are experiencing with year on year salaries only rising 3% at a time when inflation rates are expected to reach 13% by the end of the year The regional picture for 2022 reveals that Greater London has had by far the highest number of job vacancies for medical and nursing roles in 2022 so far, with 10 072 vacancies in the months leading up to July The capital is followed by the West Midlands (3 614) West Yorkshire (2 214) Greater Manchester (2 180) Surrey (2 142) and Essex (2 081 ) Concerningly when analysing Application per Vacancy (APV) rates Greater London didn’t even rank in the top 10 with an APV of just 9 applications submitted for every role Out of the top 10 Surrey had the highest APV with a moderate 11 followed by Greater London West Yorkshire (7) West Midlands (7) and Kent (6) Ann Swain CEO of APSCo comments: “The sudden notable drop in healthcare application numbers from June to July 2022 will be a worry for recruiters and employers alike While it’s abundantly clear that more needs to be done to entice people into the sector, what could be of more concern are the number of people leaving the sector due to burnout or less than satisfactory pay rises With salary showing just a 3% yearly increase and staff shortages amplified by Brexit, the sector is facing an incredibly tough time For this reason, the Government may need to re evaluate and step in to aid recruitment and retention within the sector ”
Fiancé Ercan
A key finding revealed that the residents displayed improved signs of memory recall after playing the keyboard and producing a recognisable song a statement that was supported by 79 per cent of music therapists and 64 per cent of care home staff In addition, 95 per cent of music therapists and 71 per cent of care home staff were in agreement that playing the keyboard increased or enhanced opportu nities for social interaction for the residents with staff and relatives
Playing a Musical Instrument Shines Light on a Wide Range of Benefits for People Living with Dementia, New Study Reveals
PAGE 6 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 For 10% discount on all woven and niron-on ametapes, add CARE2022 at the checkout! Valid to 31/10/2022
Furthermore 95 per cent of the residents who participated reported that they were elated or felt happy after completing a song on the key board a statement backed up by 86 per cent of music therapists The sessions clearly enhanced the residents’ wellbeing Neil Evans Head of Casio EMI com mented: “We are pleased to announce the results of this important research project and proud to see how our key boards have played a vital role in pro viding access to music therapy for care home residents living with dementia We re passionate about the role of music in care and hopeful that the research and learnings we are reveal ing today can be used as a springboard to accelerate and improve the accessi bility of music and music therapy for those living with dementia and those who care for them across the nation and worldwide It s clearly evident that the power of music can significantly enrich the quality of life for those living with dementia and their carers ” Grace Meadows Campaign Director at Music for Dementia added: "When Casio first approached us, we were thrilled with their passion to get involved with the work we are doing at Music for Dementia to raise awareness of the importance of music as an integral part of care for those living with dementia The incredible results from the Light Up My Life’ report really speak for themselves and further cements previous research on the unlimited power that music has to enhance the lives of those living with dementia and beyond It s innovative creative initia tives such as ‘Light Up My Life’ which demonstrate how easy it can be for carers to make music a part of good dementia care We would like to see this programme rolled out nationwide as a way of supporting carers to provide the best possible personalised care for those living with dementia " Dr Ming Hung Hsu previous Music Therapy Lead at MHA now Senior Research Fellow at ARU said: Whilst working at MHA I was truly delighted to have been involved in this exciting project with Casio right from the very beginning The value of this innovative partnership was clear from the start and I was excited to bring MHA on board Although I am now in a new job role with Anglia Ruskin University I continue to champion the ‘Light Up My Life’ vision ” Clare Barone Music Therapy Lead at MHA added We know from our work at MHA how important music is to the wellbeing of people liv ing with dementia and this research with Casio and Music for Dementia has reinforced that What we now need is for others caring for people with dementia to embrace tools such as the Casio light up key key boards to give more people the best life possible Specifically chosen for the study, Casio provided its lighting key key board the LK S250 bundled with an adjustable stand and headphones Easy to use the LK S250 was carefully selected due to its fun light up key fea ture which provides heightened stimu lation resulting in the pleasure and satisfaction of anyone being able to play music independently Perfect for begin ners, the keyboard is lightweight and compact making it easy to carry and take anywhere thanks to its unique design To read the full report please visit www casio co uk/emi/lightupmylife
ment on a number of wellbeing and physical factors impacting the par ticipants
The Light Up My Life’ campaign follows on from the release of the Power of Music Report co authored by Music for Dementia and UK Music earlier this year which sets out a framework for how we can har ness the power of music to support health and wellbeing, particularly for those living with dementia
Results from a new study have revealed that care home residents living with dementia displayed signs of memory recall after playing the keyboard as well as experiencing many other wellbeing benefits The research, by Casio Music UK one of the world’s most renowned pro ducers of electronic keyboards and digital pianos in partnership with Music For Dementia and charitable care provider Methodist Homes (MHA) placed keyboards in homes for residents to use as part of its ‘Light Up My Life’ research initiative a study exploring how music can positively impact people living with dementia
The research project took place in some of MHA s specialist demen tia care homes nationwide over a six month period Casio provided lighting key keyboards to care homes to use in music therapy and music activity sessions that engaged over 100 residents living with dementia to improve music participation and ultimately enhance their quality of life The sessions that took place were a mix of one to one sessions and group sessions dependent on the structure of the care home The key lighting technology meant that participants were able to simply follow the lights on the keyboard which would guide them to the correct notes without any prior musical knowledge or previous piano playing experience A range of well known pieces of music were preloaded into the keyboards for residents to enjoy This unique key lighting technology was fundamental to the overall core element of the Light Up My Life campaign Upon completion of the music therapy or music activity sessions over the six month period research was conducted in which 185 peo ple including residents living with dementia music therapists and care home staff were questioned on whether there was any clear improve
A key goal of the ‘Light Up My Life’ research project was to gain a better understanding and insight into how the musical instruments as part of a musical care plan, can better help those living with dementia at various stages of the condition and the direct impact of the key boards on the residents wellbeing was clearly evident Over 70 per cent of music therapists saw a reduction in anxiety and depression amongst the residents further supporting the evidence base that music therapy reduces the need for medication in 67 per cent* of peo ple living with dementia Care home staff who spend the most time with the residents reported a notable increase in the residents’ sense of fulfilment and achievement as well as noting significant improvement in other areas such as calmness agitation confidence and willingness to participate in these music therapy or music activity sessions
• The extension of the £400 energy rebate to vulnerable people in care and supported housing introducing par ity in the way they are treated compared with those living in their own homes • The removal of VAT and the Green Levy on energy bills Professor Green continues: “The care sector potentially faces the grimmest Winter in years, which is damning for any Government Enough is enough Despite this scandal Care England is here to offer advice and work collaboratively with Government With a new Prime Minister in place, the longevity of a sustainable energy supply and social care sector can now be addressed against the manifesto promise to fix social care
An MHA volunteer will be taking part in the Great Northern Run to raise funds for a Blackpool care home Tom Seal will be participating in the event to raise funds for MHA Pennystone Court The home is hoping to raise £500 for a caravan that has already been purchased and convert it into a tearoom for residents to take their visitors for afternoon teas and other activities A JustGiving page has been set up and so far, more than £300 has been raised The Great North Run is the second largest half marathon in the world taking place annually in Northeast England each September This is the first time Tom will be taking part in The Great Northern Run and wanted it to be for a worthy cause so when Jan Chebrika regional fundraiser for MHA told him about MHA Pennystone Court he was more than happy to help He said: I started running around a year ago and was on the lookout for a good cause to support “Jan got in touch with me and mentioned Pennystone Court and I was happy to support “I have been training for the event and due to the work and sometimes the weather I go for runs in the evening as it works better for me “I am looking forward to the event hopefully we can smash the target and the home has plenty of funds to do what they need to do Marcia Sowe, deputy manager at the home said:” We sourced a caravan for the residents for them to reminisce and enjoy the company of their families and guests “Now for us to move forward we need some help and through the funds we raise we will be able to turn the caravan into a nice tearoom “The garden area will be tidied and we want to replicate a tearoom with a pleasant view “We are aiming to get this done by next spring and wish Tom all the best for this run and I hope we raise the funds we need
Prices
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 7
The introduction of a per bed energy price cap equivalent to the proposed domestic energy price cap or the reimbursement of providers for the increased energy costs incurred by other means
High Electricity “A National Scandal” says Care England
Care England has expressed its dismay by the UK Government and OFGEMs failings to oversee the actions of the National Grid and its approach to electricity generation Professor Martin Green OBE said: This report presents a national scandal that has impacted all sectors as well as all UK households For the National Grid to be exporting electricity generated by coal the costliest and most environmentally harmful source whilst generating billions rather than ensuring prices are kept as low as possible for UK consumers is outrageous to the extreme The adult social care sector is bear ing the brunt of this storm, with care providers suffering from increases in their energy costs of over 600% with no support from Government Unlike other businesses, care providers cannot reduce opening hours turn off the lights or switch off the heating or cooling they house and care for some of society’s most vulnerable and we are already seeing 45% of providers considering exiting the market due to the current financial unsustainability in the sector Focus Energy Services a respected partner of Care England revealed that throughout May August 2022 the UK unnecessarily burnt coal to produce electricity whilst exporting electricity to France Exporting electricity has led to double the costs of electricity for consumers in the UK and the National Grid recently warned that the energy crisis could last up to three years Earlier this week Care England wrote to the new Prime Minister with a blueprint of practical solutions that the Government must implement to provide some energy stability to the care sector, including:
Volunteer to Take Part in Great Northern Run to Raise Funds for Blackpool Care Home
The government is aware that some have taxpayers faced issues or felt misled when using agents that specialise in claiming tax refunds from HMRC HMRC has received complaints about a few companies relat ing to matters such as how transparent they are over their fees and how the relationship between the cus tomer and the agent works THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN CLAIMING TAX RELIEF 1 Check GOV UK to see if you are eligible to claim tax relief on work related expenses 2 When you are ready to make a claim the quickest and easiest way to do so is directly with HMRC 3 If you do choose to use a repayment agent to make a claim do your research and check the terms of the service and what fees you will be charged Don t be caught out HELP FOR HOUSEHOLDS It s not just work related expenses that people are missing out on The government is offering help for households as a result of the increased cost of living pressures Check GOV UK to find out what cost of liv ing support you could be eligible for The most unlikely heroes of the pandemic live in Edinburgh Zoo and eat eucalyptus leaves Three koalas Tanami Inala and Kalari became celebrities in Fernlea House Care Home after they kept a resident enter tained during lockdown Nina Christie watched the zoo’s live camera daily as she was interest ed to find out what happens in their lives Her wish was to see the koalas in person once restrictions ended Staff recently took her and another resident to the zoo where they had a lovely day with the animals They saw all manner of exotic crea tures from across the globe including lions tigers and giraffes Fernlea House which is part of the Holmes Care group arranges reg ular activities as part of a weekly programme The events provide resi dents with opportunities to stay happy and healthy Nina Christie resident at Fernlea House Care Home said: I was always fond of koalas but they gained a special place in my heart during the pandemic Watching them go about their lives bright ened my day ” Diane Cathcart, Activities Manager at Fernlea House Care Home said: “The pandemic was a difficult time for everyone and Nina was a rock for the other residents Her good spirits lifted everyone in the care home so we have an immense gratitude for the cuddly creatures
Depending on the company these can be up to 50% of the refund and could also include an administration charge This can take a significant chunk out of any money you eventually receive The information you give these companies to apply for your refund is almost always the same you will give HMRC if you apply yourself We would always recommend taking the time to look into applying yourself before committing to a repayment agent as you then get to keep all of the money you claim
Healthcare work can involve long stressful hours Busy people who are short on free time may find themselves drawn to the many advertisements often seen online and on social media, offering a quick and easy rebate from HMRC, all handled by a third party company to save you the trouble These companies are known as repayment agents The ease of leaving everything to someone else can be very appeal ing, but it’s vital that you look into the company carefully and are fully aware of the specific terms and conditions involved Most importantly there is always a fee involved in using an agent
Would you like some good news? Healthcare professionals can claim tax relief on their work related expenses And did you know that the quickest simplest and most financially rewarding way to make a claim is via HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) online portal on GOV UK?
The rising cost of living means many families and households are feeling the pinch Every penny counts and it’s never been more impor tant for workers to claim all the money that they re entitled to WHAT YOU CAN CLAIM FOR Employees may be able to get tax relief on uniforms and work clothing buying equipment professional fees and subscriptions • using their own vehicles for work travel (this doesn’t mean their journey from home to work) • working from home HOW TO CLAIM
PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 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 ATTENTION HEALTHCARE WORKERS: The Best Way to Claim a Tax Refund - What Can You Claim and How Much Are You Missing Out On?
Koalas Reunited with their Pandemic Admirer
Some people are reluctant to claim tax relief for themselves because they think it s time consuming chal lenging or difficult but in fact it s quick and easy to do The best way to claim is to apply to HMRC directly for your own tax relief You can check your eligibility online and find out more useful information about claiming tax relief on work related expenses on GOV UK Making this check will only take you about five minutes If you can make a claim and already have access to your Government Gateway account you can go straight ahead and make the claim there If you don t already have an account, it is straightforward to set one up Once you’ve submitted the claim HMRC will contact you if they need written confirmation of the pay ments you’ve made or if there’s anything else they need to check ISN’T IT EASIER TO USE A COMPANY INSTEAD OF DOING IT MYSELF?
Hats off to
Providers Welcome Covid-19 Booster
Notting Hill Carnival
Care providers have warned that the country needs to be wary of a winter spike in Covid 19 cases and urged everyone eligible to have the vaccine booster The Independent Care Group (ICG) says the country may have been lulled into a false sense of security over Covid 19 and has welcomed the start of autumn Covid booster jabs ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: “As Covid 19 figures are falling there is a tempta tion to think that the dangers of the pandemic are past us but we should not lapse into such a false sense of security Covid 19 still poses a danger to older and vulner able people especially those with underlying health concerns We warmly welcome the autumn booster pro gramme and are grateful to the Government and the NHS for making care and nursing home residents and staff a priority “Covid 19 wreaked havoc in care settings during the past two and a half years we can t let it get any sort of foothold again I urge everyone who is eligible to have the boost er to have it as soon as they are able and keep Covid 19 at bay ”
The residents had a lot of fun making their hats as bright and decorative as they could adding feathers and sequins so they really stood out Once they had finished they proudly showed off their imaginative creations to one another ”
In celebration of the annual Caribbean festival residents of Rogers House Residential Care Home in Wigmore fashioned some hats and masks fit for a parade After a two year hiatus London s biggest street party returned this week with plenty of spectacu lar costumes presented alongside a festival of music and celebration Inspired by the exceptional creativity and colours on display residents of the Drewery Drive care home decided to have a go at making their own costumes including hats and masks Using plenty of bright colours patterns and prints the residents crafted their most extravagant headwear hats and masks that wouldn’t have looked out of place at the carnival Jackie Miles, Home Manager of Rogers House said:
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Runwood Homes Hosts Successful Summer Kids Club at Waterfield House
The incoming Prime Minister will urgently need to grip the crisis facing the NHS ahead of winter by providing the extra support that hospitals ambulances mental health and GP services need to deal with the intense and rising pressure they are under NHS leaders say the Prime Minister will inherit an NHS in the most challenging state it has been in for decades, with front line services facing up to lengthening waiting times and other pressures which are undermining the NHS being the best it can be for our patients Despite everything that NHS leaders and their staff are continuing to do to respond to high demand for care they are calling for the next Prime Minister to make this a ‘top three’ priority for the country or risk a health service crisis this winter
“It’s vital that the incoming Prime Minister and their team act quickly and deci sively to support the NHS and social care throughout the turbulent weeks ahead That means taking immediate action that helps to mitigate the consider able risks we are facing in the short term ahead of winter And then in the medi um term taking the steps needed to ensure the NHS is not put in this position going into next winter and beyond “The next Prime Minister must use their anticipated emergency budget in September to tackle this crisis head on Otherwise they will put NHS leaders in the position of being forced to make impossible choices about which services to cut back over the coming months and years ahead choices that many are already facing We need a clear and coherent plan that addresses this situation for health and social care before it becomes a full scale emergency ”
The stakes are high with the NHS carrying over 132 000 staff vacancies not including primary care this is contributing to overcrowded emergency depart ments, spiralling ambulance handover delays and a growing waiting list for elec tive care that now stands at 6 7 million people This is being compounded by a profound deterioration in available social care support, which means around one in seven hospital beds are occupied by patients who are medically fit to be discharged but can not be moved because of a lack of an available care package in the community Meanwhile demand for mental health and primary and community care services is also soaring despite a diminishing workforce
On top of this the NHS budget is being eroded by soaring inflation which means health leaders are being left to grapple with a real terms funding cut of up to £9 4 billion this year
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 11
NHS leaders want to see the next Prime Minister and their government priori tise providing capital investment a funded workforce plan and a proper support package for social care to help mitigate the risks Matthew Taylor chief executive of the NHS Confederation said: Despite huge progress and the best efforts of NHS leaders and their staff the NHS is in the grip of a crisis that we haven’t seen for decades
We ve been experiencing winter levels of demand in summer and we are almost certain that the situation will become even tougher when we hit winter In many ways the situation is as if not more challenging than the one we faced at the height of the Covid pandemic
Waterfield House care home in Hadleigh, Ipswich, were overjoyed by the turn out in the community at their summer kids club in August The home is operated by Runwood Homes Senior Living and is rated Good by the Care Quality Commission The team hosted weekly afternoon activity sessions for children to spend time with the residents at Waterfield House such as games arts crafts and messy play The summer kids club was introduced to the community to chil dren of all ages as an opportunity to come together but also an opportunity to nurture the relationship between the young and the elderly Facilitating the connections between young and old makes a huge difference to residents in care at Runwood Homes The summer kids club at Waterfield House has helped to develop the positive inter generational relationships and provided a place for families to watch their children explore their creativity with a different generation David father of two sons at the kid’s club said: It was amazing to have something free for the children to attend in the summer holidays My boys looked forward to going every Tuesday and were very excited to come here ” Amanda Thackery, Home Manager at Waterfield House, said: “We have absolutely loved hosting the weekly activity sessions with the kids and it was wonderful to see the smiles on the resi dent s faces It has been lovely watching the residents connect with the younger generation and reminisce together The residents felt young at heart; it was beneficial for their wellbeing and gave them purpose to teach and interact with the children An overall positive experience and we welcome any community initiatives like this in the future
Liz Truss Will Inherit an NHS in its Most Challenging State for Decades, Warn NHS Leaders
Research has also suggested that the areas of the brain where musi cal memories are stored are not generally affected by dementia The reaction I see during music is the proof I need including seeing Members smiling singing dancing and truly engaged Often members say “thank you so much for the beautiful music” or “I loved hearing my favourite song Here’s how to positively communicate with a resident living with dementia according to Lottie s Will Donnelly Every person's experience with dementia is unique and there is no one way to communicate with someone living with dementia However there are some small steps you can take to help ease any difficulties residents may experience with their speech and communication
PAGE 12 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 Bath time it should be relaxing but if a client needs care support it is fraught with risk unless a major adaptation is undertaken AAT GB has developed a unique solution, that can eliminate the need for that major adaptation of replacing the bath and all the cost delay and disruption that entails It can be in place within 10 working days (subject to T&Cs) Aqua Liberty provides a safe supportive pressure free option It forms perfectly and exactly round the bather, to hold and support them safely There is no need for the carer to try and support them to suspend them safely during the execution of inti mate hygiene care The core Aqua Liberty system uses suction technology to firmly attach to ANY bath Waterproof infinitely mouldable vacuum posture cushions are attached to pro vide shaped support, abduction and stabilisation exactly where needed head, torso, hips seat In this way the carer s hands are freed to safely concentrate on intimate care whilst minimising risk from stretching and weight bearing over the bath
To raise awareness of communication difficulties many of those liv ing with dementia experience Loveday&Co (London s only senior living members club and dementia care specialists) share how they support their members living with dementia through activities that encourage communication Robert Speker Head of Member Lifestyle and Activities at Loveday&Co shares “our activities are always adapting to the mem bers individual needs and circumstances Music plays an important role for people living with dementia
The benefits include providing emotional and behavioural support helping with speech and language enhancing cognitive memory func tioning and improving the general well being of the individual Music can enhance the quality of life and has the added bonus of having a positive impact on carers and other staff as well as the members
1. MAKE SURE THEY ARE COMFORT ABLE
Before starting a conversation check to see if they are comfortable in their environment Busy and noisy locations can not only be overwhelm ing it can also make it difficult for someone with dementia to concen trate A quiet and calm room with minimal distractions is an ideal place to chat to your loved one with dementia and it can help to chat to them at the times of the day where they are generally more alert or settled Remember to check in to make sure their personal needs are met before starting a conversation for example make sure they re not tired, hungry or in pain Family members of those part of the Loveday community are delighted with the support their loved ones receive on a daily basis “We felt extremely fortunate to find Loveday Chelsea Court Place Its professional connections with cutting edge Alzheimer's and dementia care are impressive and interweave seamlessly with the caring attitudes of all members of staff Every attempt is made to help maintain the individual identity and integrity of its residents ”
Try to slow down the rate you speak at and talk loud and clearly Whilst it may seem strange or frustrating if you have to adapt your communication style making it as easy as possible them to understand you will help you both to be better able to communicate with each other
2. COMMUNICATE CLEARLY AND CALMLY Dementia affects someone s ability to process information try using short and simple sentences this can make it easier for someone living with dementia to process and understand what you are saying Be patient and allow your loved one some time to respond to any ques tions
3. PACE THE CONVERSATION
Alzheimer’s Month 2022: Here’s How to Communicate with a Loved One Living with Dementia
Hassle -and Stress- Free Bath Adaptations - Without Delay
We noticed that one of our members who normally is quiet, doesn't speak and has her eyes closed awoke to the sound of the music and the singer's voice She said she enjoyed the music very much and said the singer should come back to sing for them again
Importantly the Aqua Liberty system is easily removed from the bath to allow its use by everyone else in the household The cushions themselves can be removed from the base to provide correct postural support stabilisation and abduction wher ever else required for daily life The Aqua Liberty system stows compactly away free ing up often restricted space in the bathroom for other users Says Peter Wingrave AAT Director: “Aqua Liberty is a game changer for supported bathing At a fraction of the cost and with none of the delay and disruption of replacing a standard bath for a specialist design, Aqua Liberty provides a safe, supported, stable answer for client and carer alike Adds Jane Turton Mencap home manager: “Aqua Liberty has been the ideal answer for us as a care team The resident who needs it is now relaxed in the bath It is quick and easy to fit and remove It stows away compactly too That is really helpful in a bathroom that is used by other people, and already includes a raft of assistive equipment We still have room to move Find out more about Aqua Liberty and book your free, no obligation assessment here: https://www aatgb com/aqua liberty/
If you re finding it difficult to communicate, you’re not alone it s very common for the way you communicate with a loved one living with dementia to change as their condition pro gresses” shares Will Donnelly Co Founder and Care Expert at Lottie It s no surprise we ve seen a surge in carers turning to Google for support with com municating with a loved one living with dementia almost 1 million people in the UK are living with dementia and this is only expected to increase over the next few years
To mark this year s Alzheimer s Month (September) new research by Lottie (www lottie org) has found over the last 12 months, more carers than ever before are seeking dementia communication sup port and advice online: • 100% increase in online searches for ‘communication care plan for dementia • 40% increase in online searches for ‘caring for someone with alzheimers 22% increase in online searches for ‘communication difficulties in dementia 22% increase in online searches for ‘how to talk to someone with dementia Good communication is a crucial part of living well after a dementia diagnosis and it can make it easier for both you and your loved one liv ing with dementia to understand how to communicate with each other However, sometimes it can be difficult to know how to change your communication style to be better able to to talk to someone living with dementia That s why the team at Lottie have shared their advice alongside the experts at Loveday&Co on how best to communicate with your loved one who has dementia
Try to have an open and conversational chat with residents and avoid asking too many questions at one time this may feel quite tiring or irritating Alexandra Carer at Loveday Chelsea Court Place says she allows members to lead conversations using activities to help stimulate their responses During 1 1 activities R M enjoyed a YouTube movie about Montenegro she remembered her home native tongue and childhood She remembered the games she played with her neighbours Let them finish their own sentences don’t be too quick to try and assume you know what they are thinking this can lead to misunder standings Allow them time to process the information and communi cate a response 4 BE AWARE OF YOUR BODY LANGUAGE Body language can help you to communicate a message especial ly a resident finds it difficult to process information For example movement and prompts such as pointing to photos or signs can help to convey a message Stand or sit near your loved one when talking to them and remain at eye level this can help you to keep eye contact and body language open and relaxed Cynthia Lifestyle & Activities Manager at Loveday Chelsea Court Place shares how she uses body lan guage to communicate with their members “Member H although a very loving, caring and generous lady has some not so good days While I was doing art with the other members she became upset I invited her over to sit with me and gave her a paintbrush and a clean canvas She began painting using different strokes and different colours While painting she said I m so sorry I didn’t mean what I said but I am ok now that I am relaxing while I paint ” 5 REMEMBER TO LISTEN A key part of communication is lis tening Offer encouragement both ver bally and non verbally for example by making eye contact and nodding Take the conversation at a slower pace if you haven’t fully understood what the person has said ask them to repeat it If you are still unclear, rephrase their answer to check your understanding of what they meant This is called ‘active listening’ can help improve communication If a resident living with dementia has difficulty finding the right word or finishing a sentence ask them to explain it in a different way If they cannot find the word for a particular object ask them to describe it instead Claudine Rudall Lifestyle & Activities Manager for Loveday Abbey Road, explains how she listens and remembers each conversation she has with Loveday&Co members and this has helped her to build strong connections “Member ‘I always gives me a cheery wave on arrival I am a quali fied nail technician and she loves to have her nails painted whilst lis tening to her favourite jazz music Member R’ loves all manner of music and when she hears our live music events or music in our exer cise classes, she is always the first on her feet ready to dance At times when we are living with Dementia making new memories is not an option but we can help to make exceptional happy moments ” 6 ENCOURAGE THEM TO COMMUNICATE Try to involve residents to join conversations with others this can help them to feel more confident in their ability to communicate Being included can also help them to feel valued and supported and reduce any feelings of loneliness or isolation Residence Artist at Loveday&Co Grace Halliday celebrates the “the pleasure of designing and delivering a series of arts projects and work shops to encourage communication and community across Loveday Chelsea Court Place and Kensington Grace explains art activities at Loveday&Co are designed to invite immersive and sensory experiences, nurture both individual imagina tion and a sense of creative community and to structure environments that are equally enabling and exciting for all members to create special moments ” Milarnie Carer for Loveday Chelsea Court Place says music helps many of their members with dementia to communicate “the activities department organised a cruise ship singer to perform for the members
Claudine Rudall Lifestyle & Activities Manager for Loveday Abbey Road, shares “the care team and I are constantly communicating with our members to ensure we know as much about their loves and likes enabling us to create activities and excursions specifically for them ”
Dementia affects someone s ability to process information meaning conversations can become delayed, they may become confused easily, are unable to follow a conversation or communicate their needs If you’re struggling to communicate with your loved one, it can be helpful to seek support to help ease any difficulties your loved one may expe rience with their speech and communication ”
PM Liz
of
Raising the standard of stair climbing solutions
Thérèse Coffey becomes England’s third health and social care secretary within two months promis ing to bring an ABCD focus to her new job by solving the prob lems of ambulances backlogs care doc tors and dentists She replaces Steve Barclay who was in post for just three months after succeeding previous incumbent Sajid Javid Coffey has been Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions for the past three years and previously was Minister of State at the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs between July and September 2019 and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs from July 2016 to July 2019 Ms Coffey served as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons from May 2015 until July 2016 and served on the Culture Media and Sport Committee until she was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Fallon, Minister for Business and Energy In an opening address to staff at the Department of Health and Social Care Ms Coffey said that the gov ernment would make sure that we are delivering for patients and that her top priority was how we can make best use of our departments and of course the NHS in order to achieve the best outcomes Asked whether she is ready for strikes she said: I think we ve got to be ready for patients and that s my top priority and how we can make best use of our department and of course the NHS in order to achieve the best outcomes for them” And asked what her message is to potentially demoralised NHS staff, Ms Coffey she recognised “they’ve done excellent work” and repeated her pri orities
for
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Thérèse Coffey as New Health Secretar y
and
Responding to the appointment Matthew Taylor chief executive of the NHS Confederation said: We congratulate Rt Hon Therese Coffey on her appoint ment as the new Secretary of State for health and social care Having gone through four health secre taries over the last five years, health leaders will hope this will signal a period of stability in this office and a razor sharp focus on the challenges facing the NHS Our new Prime Minister has set out the NHS as one of her top three priorities and so alongside the coupling of the health secretary post with the deputy prime minister position all eyes will be on whether we have a Government that finally delivers for the NHS and the communities it serves This is crucial because our 23rd health secretary has inherited an NHS and social care system in a worst state than in living memory “GP appointments cancer treatments and diag nostic tests are all above pre pandemic levels, and patients who had waited the longest for an elective procedure have now received one However demand for frontline care is through the roof waiting time standards are deteriorating despite the heroic efforts of its staff and winter seems set to be the busiest on record “These concerns are made significantly more worrying by the cost of living crisis and so like the rest of the country we are eager to understand the detail of the Government s promised intervention this week “Immediate support is needed for the NHS but with over 130,000 vacancies and a real terms fund ing cut that could stretch to £9 4bn this year, there is no quick or easy way out of these deep rooted problems Health leaders need a Government that is ready to listen and ready to act for the long term We will not have an NHS that is fit for the future without investment in capital, in its workforce, and in our bro ken social care system There is no time to delay ” Truss Appoints
PAGE 14 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
Home Experiences
Residents might need fewer hospital visits or out patient appointments which can prove disruptive and can instead be cared for safely and effectively in their care homes Meanwhile technology also helps relieve pressures on staff through improved connections with profes sional colleagues reduced duplication and effort compared to manual processes as well as improved access to shared data Furthermore the digitally empowered care home keeps friends and family connected and informed every step along the way so they can rest assured that their loved ones are in the best hands
Jason Scaife, Specsavers Home Visits director and optometrist, based in Cardiff speaks to The Carer about the services Specsavers can offer to care homes
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 promotions and discounts that you see at Specsavers on the high street
Health is Important for Your Residents
As a result we themed three key lessons around digital uptake in this environment to help us consider next steps to better support care homes 1 People an effective change programme engages key stake holders throughout, establishing commitment to new ways of work ing and processes so the changes will more likely succeed A people centred approach to change helps an organisation truly understand the issues they are trying to solve It is essential to harness insights from residents their families friends and staff to understand their needs these can be used to change practices or implement new processes that address real issues
Digital transformation across our health and care sector is possible but only when we invest in bringing people (residents staff friends and family) along the change journey We must work with them to truly understand their problems and use the “people process and technolo gy” lessons learnt to implement effective solutions that will define the new normal Care Through Digital Transformation
Creating Quality
Care homes are a crucial part of our health and care sector Whether delivering step down, intermediate or long term care, we place trust in these facilities to pro vide safe environments for our most vulnerable family members and friends when they need it most Any disruption to a stable and homely care home environment inevitably causes stress for resi dents employees and visitors hence the consequences of COVID 19 were significant Nevertheless the fast adoption of all things digi tal” became key to protecting resi dents and staff whilst maintaining timely and accessible health and care services, as well as keeping people connected throughout lock downs So, despite its disastrous nature, the pandemic provided an unparal leled and important opportunity for care homes to embrace digital transformation and create quality experiences: but how? At CGI we believe that you must put people first You must prioritise their experi ences when engaging with services and work to understand their needs to create meaningful change
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 guid ance from the NHS and the College of Optometrists to ensure that we are always providing care in the safest and most appropriate way Care homes can be confident that we are still operating at a standard exceeding that recommended by the profession in order to protect them and their residents
How do you deliver your eye health ser vices in these circumstances while also keeping the patient feeling comfor table?
There was a mixed picture in the availability of and access to wi fi for residents and staff • Staff engagement with their digital champion was mixed
This engagement will also help to build commitment to the new changes or ways of working so they will more likely succeed In a regional or national context it is valuable to establish change champi ons who have a vested interest in supporting and enabling the change They can also help share learnings and insights as the change is imple mented to further enable success 2 Process applying effective technology is not enough, clear processes that meet everyone’s needs are essential for successful digital inclusion
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 difficulties and these techniques allow us to provide suitable specta cles 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 Q. How af fordable is this ser vice, par ticularly in the current cost of living crisis?
Whilst this provided almost every care home in Scotland with vital access to a device that could help support connections with friends and family during lockdowns uptake was lower than anticipated With the pandemic being the catalyst for this rapid change pro gramme it was recognised that a more robust service design process to fully engage stakeholders was just not possible and given sufficient time a different outcome might have been achieved Retrospectively, CGI therefore applied user research and human centred design meth ods to discuss with residents, their friends and family, and staff the issues they were experiencing after the rollout It became clear that the simple provision of devices was not enough to meet the three main challenges facing digital inclusion in care homes Approximately one third of internet connections were not used by resi dents
By Lynne Huckerby, CGI (www.cgi.com). To find out more about CGI’s Health and Care Advisory practice email lynne.huckerby@cgi.com
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 engage ment in social activities and sometimes increased risk of falls Providing regular 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 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?
Digital uptake lessons learnt Whilst the pandemic presented a clear opportunity for change, digi tal transformation isn’t simple That’s why CGI helped the Scottish Centre for Voluntary Organisations’ (SCVO) “Connecting Scotland” pro gramme through a discovery phase to better understand the barriers to digital uptake in care homes Aiming to support digital inclusion and connectivity Connecting Scotland was an emergency response to the first wave of the pandem ic issuing more than 1 800 iPad devices mobile wi fi 700 internet con nections and staff training across over 1 000 care homes by June 2021
Trying to simply apply technologies into an existing process or path way (or even a newly established one) will not work! It is essential to map out the current “as is” pathway against the “to be” future state This enables you to identify any pitfalls and establish robust processes, pathways and service models that will enable successful digital trans formation that addresses everyone’s needs 3 Technology when implemented properly and considering both people and processes, digital transformation has the potential to rev olutionise the health and care sector Technology can make a real difference with regards to improving efficiencies reducing duplication and thereby transforming the experi ences of residents families and staff Although the right technology is available to make a difference it must be complemented by both peo ple and processes to effectively create quality experiences
Digitally transformed experiences
Impactful digital transformation projects start by getting the basics right It is key to tackle the basic infrastructure and network access to allow people to properly engage with technology, and robust support, data compliance and cyber security must be embedded throughout That basic infrastructure then empowers an effective transformation journey For example your care home’s digital revolution might include: Voice recognition devices (such as Alexa) to help make employees work easier such as by providing medication reminders residents self help advice or entertainment options Non intrusive remote monitoring to support frail elderly residents or respiratory care pathways providing confidence to effectively manage care without needing a transfer to hospital • Magic tables and virtual reality headsets to provide residents with interactive experiences that prove beneficial for physical and mental wellbeing prompting conversations reminiscences and feelings of calm These technologies and many more, provide significant benefits
Q In care homes some patients have more complex needs and may str uggle to communicate, including those who suf fer with dementia
At Specsavers Home Visits our aim is to improve the lives of those who can t leave home unac companied through better sight and hearing We serve many different types of care centre from com munity houses to residential 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?
Q Can you provide a bit of a summar y of the ser vices provided to care homes?
The catalyst for a digital revolution With almost 600 million people infected and 6 million deaths the COVID 19 pandemic caused upheaval to everyday lives across the world Mention COVID 19 and many images come to mind from panic buying and deserted public places to mask wearing and hand sanitisa tion But when we think about countless loved ones separated and frontline health and care workers working tirelessly to save lives and protect the spread of the virus, it is clear that at the heart of the pan demic was our health and care sector Despite its horrors, the pandemic inspired alternative thinking across the industry; how could we better engage with service users and staff and build on the many existing pilots to break down existing organisa tional barriers and deliver meaningful and sustainable change? The time to transform traditional health and care service delivery was now and the pandemic forced us towards modernised fit for purpose serv ices that could better meet everyone s needs long into the future Digital technology played a key role in driving these changes From the introduction of basic digital solutions such as video based consul tations to provide safe and effective means of continuing care to self service portals helping individuals recognise signs and symptoms and make the right choices for their own needs These new pathways and processes thereby introduced new channels for engagement, data sharing and collaboration which could in turn improve stakeholder experiences and relieve pressure on health and care workers
See the advert on the facing page for details
Why Maintaining Good Vision and Eye
Loneliness can occur when someone is feeling socially isolated excluded or misunderstood Unfortunately loneliness is a huge public health challenge and is something that many people experience daily including NHS staff healthcare workers, and their patients
OUTSIDE EATING AREAS
The performance on 13 September will be for health and social care staff only with further dates for the general public to be announced in due course
If you would like to attend you can register here: https://TellingTheCareHomeStory eventbrite com
How to Combat Loneliness in the Healthcare Sector
PLANTS
A bespoke Siddur (prayer book) designed to meet the needs of older Jewish people residing at Belong Morris Feinmann has been unveiled at a special Sabbath service, marking the culmination of years of collaboration between the Didsbury care village s chaplain and community volunteers
It is important that healthcare professionals make the most of their breaks away from work in order to recharge and relax before continuing on in a stress ful environment
The new version distils hundreds of pages of a traditional prayer book into a focused large print version making it easier for Belong s customers including those living with dementia, to follow and take part in the monthly services Countless hours of meticulous translation transliteration and proof reading has brought the prayer book to fruition thanks to generous support of Belong Morris Feinmann chaplain Rabbi Perez and community volun teers Alex Crawford and Elaine Newman
Fewer than half (44%) of NHS staff in England report that their employer takes positive action on health and wellbeing Maintaining and tracking records of workers training appraisals and compliance require ments actively show that an organisation values and supports its workers
SUPPORTIVE AND COMFORTABLE SPACES As well as providing larger break rooms, it is also important for healthcare workers to have additional spaces that contain access to comfortable furniture relaxing lighting or views of the outside world These comfortable environments will provide more of a relaxing zone for healthcare workers to unwind and where healthcare professionals can provide emotional support to one another
Offering healthcare workers a larger space for enhanced communication will allow those working unso ciable and long hours together the space to communicate and unwind while having breaks from work It is also beneficial if break rooms have access to windows that can be opened in order to let fresh air and sunlight in during long and overnight shifts
From the outset, it was known that COVID 19 presented a disproportionately high risk of serious illness and death to older people with the UK s 400 000 care home residents many living with multiple health conditions at even greater risk This play is the care home story not from the perspective of the Government or the local authority or the NHS but from the people who fought to protect and save our older generations from this virus and sacrificed so much during the Pandemic It documents the true and sometimes uncomfortable story of care home staff residents and their families in their words and highlights primary evidence about the impact of Government decisions, a breakdown of discharge systems, lack of access to PPE, inadequate access to testing and the emotional impact of the situation
The book is dedicated to the late Tom Einstein funder of the prayer book and son of a co founder of the original Morris Feinmann Home set up during World War II to support Jewish refugees settling in Manchester Today it is run by not for profit dementia specialist Belong having opened the state of the art care village on the former Palatine Road site to continue caring primarily for the Jewish community
Leeds Care Association And Pluto Play Productions Present
The performance will be followed by a post show talk featuring a panel of experts
Bespoke Prayer Book Created for Care Village
In addition storing this information in a single system ensures that your workforce is well informed reduces errors and duplication and encourages better communication https://radarhealthcare com/product/workforce compliance/
On Tuesday 13 September at 2pm at The Carriageworks in Leeds Leeds Care Association and Pluto Play Productions will present the first performance of ‘Unforgettable: Telling the Care Home Story’ Commissioned by Leeds Care Association and written by Pluto Play Productions founder Brian Daniels ‘Unforgettable’ is a new play which puts the experiences of staff and care home residents during the Covid 19 pandemic centre stage In March 2020 as the nation went into lockdown, staff working in care homes or providing home care found themselves on the frontline to protect the most vulnerable in our community Working with con stantly changing guidelines and a lack of PPE care home staff worked to ensure that those they were working with continued to feel safe and cared for during the pandemic Michelle Atkinson Chief Officer Leeds Care Association said: “It’s critical everyone hears the story about what actually happened during the Pandemic in care homes and the impact it has had on care home residents, their families and the staff There were a lot of misconceptions about what was happening in care homes at the time of the pandemic and what staff and residents were experiencing We feel it’s vital that we bring the stories of those in care homes to the forefront of the Covid story ” To capture those deeply personal stories Daniels spoke to staff in the sector, as well as care home residents and their families which helped him to understand the reality behind the headlines and the challenges faced by those working in the sector Brian Daniels said: “I have written and researched 22 plays about care and health issues over the last 15 years Telling the Care Home Story was harrowing to research and I spoke to many inconsolable family members who had lost the person they most loved during the pandemic What came across most strong ly though was the compassion, care and love demonstrated without fail by the care home staff I met:
‘Unforgettable: Telling The Care Home Stor y’
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They are not residents they are Mary Joe and Hilda They were our family too resonated so strongly I have nothing but the utmost respect for those I interviewed and who felt able to share something of their pain and loss sometimes with humour through the tears I hope the play is a true representation of the range of emotions I encountered ” Sharon Earnshaw General Manager of Headingey Hall Care Home and Retirement Apartments was one of the first people to volunteer to chat to Brian She had met him at the opening of Westward Care s Garden of Reflection which is a space created in their garden for staff residents and families to pause take a breath and reflect on everything that hap pened over the past few years Peter Hodkinson Chair of Leeds Care Association and Managing Director of Westward Care said “Everyone working on the frontline of Covid faced significant challenges, but it is also well documented that the care home experience was particularly traumatic and often overlooked
Adding to the special nature of the occasion was the 80th Bar Mitzvah anniversary of resident Harold Franks who read the Va etchanan haftorah portion of the service A beautiful Kiddush provided by the Feinmann Social Committee followed in the on site Bistro for customers and their families to enjoy Angela Luckett, religious and cultural coordinator at Belong Morris Feinmann said: A lot of effort has gone into creating this book and our customers have been expressing how much more they are enjoying the services with our personalised Siddur making it easier for them to partici pate We are very grateful to The Feinmann Trust and all those involved for their generosity and their thoughtfulness
Long term loneliness can have a huge impact on physical and mental health with some studies suggesting it can increase the likelihood of early death by as much as 26% It is therefore vital that healthcare workers and nurses across all settings can recognise the telltale signs of loneliness both in their patients and co workers and that they are suitably skilled with the knowledge and resources to offer the best support and treatment possible Bearing this in mind the patient safety and compliance experts at Radar Healthcare have compiled a list of some of the different yet vital ways those working in the healthcare sector can look to combat loneliness within themselves and their peers
LARGER BREAK ROOMS FOR ENHANCED COMMUNICATION
One way healthcare workers can combat loneliness and improve their social interactions whilst in a working environment is to spend more time socialising outdoors Eating a meal or having a picnic outside with co workers is a beneficial way to take in the much needed fresh air and also remove themselves from the normal work setting
MANAGE COMPLIMENTS, NOT JUST COMPLAINTS
Boosting staff morale is essential for building a solid and happy workforce Radar Healthcare’s software allows healthcare organisations to log or track all types of events including compliments and positive feed back to see the measurable impact an individual has on your team WORKFORCE COMPLIANCE: INVEST IN YOUR EMPLOYEES
The cast for ‘Unforgettable’ includes Brian Daniels, Martina McClements and Gill McVey
Studies have indicated that biophilic design (the presence of indoor plants) can improve concentration and productivity (by up to 15%) reduce stress levels and boost your mood This is why healthcare professionals should implement lots of greenery into their social spaces whilst at work in order to enhance their mood and reduce stress whilst taking a break from their busy and often long working hours
The project was the brainchild of Helen Lister, Trustee of The Feinmann Trust which works closely with the Belong village to provide a Jewish cul tural and religious input She said "The goal was to produce a prayer book that was easier for Belong s customers to handle and find their way around We are delighted that we can finally share the finished version with everyone and we are happy that it has been so well received
The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is an evidence based, systematic approach to formalising best practice through improv ing the organisation and co ordination of care for all people in the final year months and days of life To qualify for the GSF Quality Hallmark Award St Mary s Court undertook an extensive GSF training programme over more than six months then embedded this into the home over several months
The NHS will also being rolling out the flu vaccine and encouraging eligible people to take up the offer from the first of the month where possible Eligible individuals may be offered the flu and COVID jab at the same time with the doses approved to be co administered
Braintree Nursing Care Home Scores Top Marks in National Accreditation
A Braintree care home has been shortlisted for national Care Home of the Year after receiving top marks in its latest Gold Standard Framework (GSF) accreditation St Mary’s Court Care Home in Bocking is one of six homes across the country on the shortlist after scoring 60 out of 60 and achieving Platinum Accreditation from the GSF, which recognises quality of end of life care leadership quality and the dignity and respect afforded to residents
Runwood Homes Receives Special Visit From Local Guide Dogs Association On International Dog Day
A staff member at a Cheshire based care home has celebrated her 30 year work anniversary and says she is not even considering retirement Suzanne Hitch started working as a kitchen assistant at MHA Handsworth in 1992 and to celebrate her achievement the home manager presented her with a certificate and some flowers Suzanne says she will continue to work for as long as she can and the friendly atmos phere of the home is what keeps her going She added: “I wouldn't have stayed if I weren’t happy, and I can't believe it's been 30 years since I started It s a challenge but one I love and the job satisfaction is something that keeps me wanting to come back “I don't think I have ever thought about leaving and I really enjoy working here “I get on well with everyone, from staff through to residents and everyone is friendly and approachable “It was a nice surprise when the team called me in and presented me with my award, and it was a bit of a shock Retirement is the last thing on my mind for now I am really enjoying my time at work and will continue to do so ”
The 90 bed St Mary s Court Care Home part of Sonnet Care provides specialist residential care for people with dementia and those who require nursing and end of life care Joan Sirett Matron and clinical lead at Sonnet Care said: “I am so proud that all of the hard work the team puts into pro viding dignified end of life care for our residents has been recog nised by this latest accreditation We do all we can to ensure the family is looked after as well as their loved one who is receiving end of life care ”
Staff Member 30-Year Work Anniversar y and is Last Thing on Mind”
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The NHS has become the first healthcare system in the world to use the next generation bivalent COVID vaccine as it kickstarts the autumn booster rollout in early September Following the updated advice from the JCVI the NHS has now set out plans for the next phase of the COVID 19 vaccination programme the largest and fastest vaccine drive in health service history Starting today 5 September NHS staff will begin vaccinating care home residents and people who are housebound As with previous campaigns the oldest and most vulnerable will be called forward first with people able to book in online or through 119 for as long as it has been three months since their last dose The NHS will continue to advise local sites to allow immunosuppressed patients to self declare and attend walk ins to make getting the extra protection as easy as possible Around 26 million people across England will be eligible for an autumn booster in line with guidance set out by the JCVI As many as 3,000 sites are expected to be part of the rollout, including GP practices and community phar macies with new sites joining the programme all of the time The autumn booster campaign is among a package of NHS measures to prepare for winter including ramping up bed capacity and increasing the number of 999 and NHS 111 staff to deal with any additional pressure More than 126 million COVID vaccines have been administered by NHS staff and volunteers since the first COIVD 19 jab was delivered outside of clinical trials to Maggie Keenan in Coventry in December 2020 NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: The NHS was the first healthcare system in the world to deliver a COIVD 19 vaccine outside of clinical tri als and will now be the first to deliver the new variant busting vaccine when the rollout begins at the start of September Our fantastic NHS staff have worked incredibly hard to deliver 126 million doses to date and behind the scenes they have once again been preparing to deliver the latest phase with the same speed and precision as we have had throughout the rollout
“We know that our GPs and community pharmacies have been integral to the success of the NHS Vaccination Programme due to their locations and relationships with local communities and so it is fantastic that so many have opted to be part of the latest phase of the campaign
The final stage was a rigorous accreditation process called Going for Gold Sue Richards, Gold Standards Framework CIC said: St Mary s Courthas demonstrated not only a commitment to care for its residents according to their wishes right up until the end of their lives but also put in place all of the measures required to ensure that it can actually provide that personalised compassionate care St Mary s Court should be congratulated for putting Platinum quality care at the heart of what it does for all its residents ”
Local systems will roll the flu jab out in a way that works best for them Health and social care staff will also be eligible to get the autumn booster in line with JCVI guidance and in order to ensure NHS staff are protected, all providers are being asked to ensure their staff are offered the autumn jab co administering with the flu jab where possible
says “Retirement
The NHS will offer people the new next generation bivalent vaccine where appropriate and subject to sufficient supply being made available to the NHS
The NHS will contact people when it is their turn to book in for the vaccine you do not need to contact the NHS
NHS Roll Out Booster Jab with Care Residents a Priority
The JCVI and MHRA have stressed that the original vaccines also con tinue to provide great protection and people should come forward regard less of vaccine offered NHS director for vaccinations and screening Steve Russell said: “This winter will be the first time we see the real effects of both COVID and flu in full circulation as we go about life as normal and so it is vital that those most susceptible to serious illness from these viruses come for ward for the latest jab in order to protect themselves
Julia Ronan home manager said: Suzanne is a lovely lady and a huge asset to the home “She is always there for everyone and has a beautiful personality, Some staff members call her Aunty and that s because when you spend time with her you realise how much care and affection she has “I am very proud to have staff like Suzanne here and she really is an amazing person ”
Celebrates
“I would strongly encourage anyone who is invited to take up both an autumn booster and flu jab to do so as quickly as possible it will give you maximum protection this winter”
Residents family and team members at Lower Meadow care home in Stratford upon Avon operated by Runwood Homes received a spe cial visit from The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association on International Dog Day The session was hosted by representatives from the charity who brought their local guide dog, Zelda, to meet the residents During the highly informative session residents learnt the history of guide dogs and how the association can assist clients who are visually impaired At Runwood Homes, the month of August celebrated the positive and therapeutic value of animals with numerous visits from a variety of different animals, across multiple sites Deputy Manager at Lower Meadow Jasmine commented on the day: “We are very lucky at Lower Meadow that we have the facilities to host and support local charities The residents thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions and fuss over Zelda at the end of the session The residents were each given a couple of pounds to pop into the donation box to support The Guide Dogs Association ”
The NHS will contact you when it is your turn to get an autumn booster and will be inviting the first peo ple outside of a care home to book in ahead of the formal rollout in early September please book in as quickly as possible when invited to give yourself protection this winter”
Longueville Court Care Home was full of ani mal mischief on Friday 26th August, 2022 when a pair of Shetland ponies came to visit the home Lindsey and her team from ‘Pixie & Pickles Adventures brought two of their rescue Shetland ponies; ‘Charlie & Pickles’ to meet our residents These two beautiful therapy ponies were an absolute delight allowing us all to give them both lots of cuddles; they even came into the residents bedrooms!
Knowing the positive power animals can have on peoples wellbeing our Head of Activities; Michaella reached out to the local Facebook group ‘Horsepoo Cambridgeshire’ to ask if any one would like to bring their horse or pony to visit our residents Amazingly we had numerous offers and have had a regular hack of equestrian visitors ever since Our residents absolutely adore their new four legged friends roaming the grounds, and trotting through the home Not only did we have the ponies come to visit us but we also had a guest from BBC s Look East’ reporter; Katherine who recorded their visit to showcase our unusual activities and wanted to learn more about the benefits of therapy ponies on our residents We all look forward to seeing the interview aired in the coming weeks!
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 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 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
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
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
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
Five Tips to Fight Inflation and Beat the Clock Pony Power! Residents at Care Home are Visited by Rescue Ponies
Two Thirds of UK Care Home Staff Admit Resident Quality of Care and Nutritional Needs are Being Overlooked Due to Outdated Procedures
General Manager Constantin Ulian said: “Our residents have really enjoyed their visitors today We knew that having the ponies here would be a bit of fun for all and the BBC Look East recording was a bonus We are always looking for new activities for the residents and today we have seen the enjoyment and therapeutic influence animals can have on people We highly recommend the positive effects of ‘Pony Power!’”
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 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
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
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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?
The funding is part of the pioneering TAPPI project (Technology for our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation) which aims to improve the way technology is used in housing and care for older people through ten prac tical principles Led by the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (Housing LIN), the TEC Services Association (TSA) and funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust the TAPPI project will co produce new tech tools with people who have lived experience over a 12 15 month period Each care and housing organisation will engage a diverse range of older people to test different devices apps and systems across a variety of housing settings Residents will be given shared responsibility alongside staff to make decisions about which digital support services to develop It is hoped that this approach will help Bield Housing & Care Haringey Council Platform Housing Group Pobl Group, Southend Care and Wiltshire Council to create digital services across England, Scotland and Wales that are determined by their residents alongside the professionals and staff that support them Dr Lynne Douglas CEO Bield Housing & Care said: ‘We are very excited to be the Scottish testbed for TAPPI2 This has huge potential to shift thinking on how housing can be integral to new models of delivery in the integration agenda Most importantly it will be delivered together with older people to improve the outcomes that matter to them ’ Caroline Humphrey transformation project lead London Borough of Haringey said: ‘Our homes should be places where we feel happy and safe, but as our needs change they need to adapt with us and that can be hard We believe that technology can play a key role in supporting people in living their best lives independently at home and we are excited to be part of the TAPPI2 Project Marion Duffy chief operating officer at Platform Housing Group said We are a proud partner in phase 2 of the TAPPI journey and are looking forward to playing a key role in helping to drive innovation and digital change that will improve the lives of older and vulnerable people
Victoria Hiscocks head of research and development at Pobl Group which is based in Newport Wales said: ‘We look forward to working with sector leading partners and contribut ing to this important programme of work We have a strong track record in learning, innovation and collaboration and will use our experience to ensure we bring real value to this partnership
Bield Housing & Care Haringey Council Platform Housing Group Pobl Group, Southend Care and Wiltshire Council will each receive between £65k £75k in funding so they can involve their older residents in shaping new digital services
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
Stephen Unsworth, director of operations at Southend Care said This is a golden opportunity to collaborate with our technology partner Amba Southend City Council and tenants to test the impact of deploying technology augmented care in people’s homes This important work will determine how people s independence can be maintained or enhanced and in turn support Southend Care’s progress in becoming a technology enabled company Cllr Jane Davies, cabinet member for adult social care, SEND, transition and inclusion at Wiltshire Council said It is important that older people who need support are given the opportunity to live their lives fully and independently Harnessing the benefits of modern technology so they can enjoy this independence for longer is going to be a key part of all our plans for the future Testing this new technology at one of our extra care homes is an exciting development which will help us understand more of how we can use tech nology enabled care to help people for the future Professor Roy Sandbach OBE, TAPPI Chair and former Director of the National Innovation Centre for Ageing at Newcastle University said: The TAPPI principles will only be of value if they are applied in practice, and I m thrilled that many hous ing and care organisations applied to become TAPPI testbeds Those chosen will provide insights from a range of settings and most importantly will put users at the heart of this work We’ll use the TAPPI princi ples and a co production approach to develop digital services that address real life problems of older peo ple I m very excited to work with our six new testbed sites
Dare to be Different
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
Six Care and Housing Providers Awarded £440k to Co-Produce Tech Ser vices with Older Residents
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 21
Police officers have paid a visit to Signature at Elton House to brain storm ways the community can support the force
A BBQ and some summer punch were on the menu for lunch while activities includ ed a conga and traditional line dancing Alison Newton Operations Manager at the 74 bedroom home said: This was the first time we have hosted a hoedown and it will definitely not be the last! Everyone involved had an enjoyable afternoon and it was a real pleasure seeing so many happy faces
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Music loving pensioners at an Edinburgh care home were treated to a hoedown themed afternoon to celebrate the end of summer with a performance from local musicians The dedicated lifestyle team at Cramond Residence strapped on their cowboy boots and organised a country western party which saw the home’s residents enjoying some themed dancing, snacks and music courtesy of local guitar players
Plans are already well underway between the two groups with several police officers from Borehamwood Police Station attending an afternoon tea party with residents at Cheslyn House and gardens to celebrate World Alzheimer s Day on the 21st September
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 rigorous workouts to peaceful meditation to restorative sleep cycles music is deeply integrated into numerous innovations pro moting health and wellbeing Now scien tists 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 therapeuti cal 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 experience 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 compa ny 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 community 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
Community
The visit is the latest example collaboration between a care home in Bushey and Borehamwood Police Station Elton House hosted Daniel and Alexandra for lunch and tea before tackling topics related to day to day challenges faced by officers These included approaches to combating bicycle theft, aiding and abetting a criminal wheel clamping and what crimes which are most prevalent in the county Residents at the care home were also able to learn more about the vital contribution the force makes to the community with Elton House being particularly keen to break down barriers often associated with the police
Dementia Management Tool ‘Vera’ Launches on Apple’s AppStore Deploying the World’s Largest Music Catalogue from Universal Music Group
announces strategic collaboration with Universal Music Group, allowing its users therapeutic access to the world’s largest music catalogue
Vera
Care Home Hosts Hoedown Throwdown Extravaganza
“It was great to have local musicians playing some country classics from across the decades giving residents musical stimulation while helping them to reminisce and socialise with others
Police Force Visit Signature at Elton House as Part of Crime Prevention Brainstorm
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 entertain ment 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 comprehensive 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 indi vidual listener 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
The residents absolutely love when they come in and talk about so many fascinating topics I plan on maintaining what I see as an invaluable relationship with our local police Often you only hear neg ative comments about the police and I feel we should be celebrating the great work our police officers do in what are very challenging times Speaking about the visit, Sybil Saffar, a 100 year old resident at Elton House said: “I loved having the police officers here for lunch It’s fascinating and insightful to get first hand accounts of what our wonderful police force face and deal with on a day to day basis ”
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 personalised approach to embedding music in health and social care and the Vera App helps carers to do that 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 man age 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 stimu lates the part of the brain responsible for long term memory to help man age the impact of BPSD, easing the care routine of those living with dementia Listening to personally significant music all the noteworthy 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 ”
Discussing the motivation behind the visit, Karen Fleming, Client Liaison Manager at Signature at Elton House said
PROVIDING PRACTICAL AND ST YLISH TROLLEYS TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS
Residents had a brilliant time learning about different breeds and their characteristics remi niscing about pets and find ing out fascinating facts about dogs and puppies Staff and residents held a Dog Show in the Gardens of Bushey House Residents and team members were joined by their family and friends as their family pets took centre stage The dogs paraded around the gardens and the residents at Bushey House voted for their favourite The Winners inners included First place Noodles a lovely poodle cross and is a furry mem ber of The Cywan s family Second place Nelson an American bulldog and belongs to Archie son of senior carer at Bushey House Joint third Laghi a cross breed rescue from Cyprus and is part of The Peter's family Joint third Dexter a Yorkshire terrier cross and belongs to The Parrinis family General Manager, Mary Jane Bague said: “Our residents love animals and lots of them have owned dogs in the past It was so lovely to see so many of their families show off their lovely pets
Celebrate National
Care
Staff and residents at Barchester s Bushey House Beaumont care home in Bushey got up close and personal with some furry friends when they celebrated all the wonderful things about man’s best friend on National Dog Day August 26th National Dog Day is an annual event to raise awareness of the number of dogs in rescue centres and to encourage people to adopt dogs from shelters and dog homes
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
The residents had such fun choosing their favourites it was a very difficult job!” Our varied life enrichment pro gramme keeps resi dents active and provides a daily choice of engaging physical mental and spiritual activities tailored to residents’ interests and abilities Bushey House Beaumont is run by Barchester Healthcare one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to deliver ing high quality care across its care homes and hospitals Bushey House Beaumont provides nursing care, residential care, respite care and Independent living y Dog Has Its Day - Home Residents Dog Day
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 23 Freephone: 0800 917 7943 w w w.euroser vice-uk.com sales@euroser vice uk.com Visit the website at w w w.euros er vice uk.com to see the full range. 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
Ever
“They are having to cope with the burden of knowing they haven’t been able to do their best while worrying about how they can heat their homes feed their families and find the money to travel to work Many simply can’t afford to be a nurse any longer There remain over 6 000 unfilled jobs across NHS Scotland and spending on agency staff continues to rocket Paying nursing staff fairly for the safety critical work that they do would be a simple step to retain and recruit nursing staff In the coming weeks we will be balloting our members on industrial action Our members are clear that something has to change for their concerns over patient safety and staff well being to be heard
Crisis Through Increased Investment
RCN Scotland is calling for the Scottish government’s Programme for Government to set out plans for increased investment in health and social care to tackle the nursing workforce crisis The call comes as the latest NHS Scotland workforce statistics published today (Tuesday 6 September 2022) show that at the end of June there were still over 6 000 nursing and midwifery vacancies across NHS Scotland up from 4 845 in June 2021 a 24% increase Scotland’s nursing staff are facing unprecedented pressures at work and at home as the cost of living crisis bites Colin Poolman, RCN Scotland Interim Director said Our members are telling us that enough is enough Every day they are seeing patient care compromised because there simply aren’t enough nursing staff to go round Patients and staff are suffering
“The Programme for Government must set out an investment plan that addresses the nursing workforce crisis and invests in the future of Scotland’s health and care services ”
Programme for Government Must Address the Nursing Workforce
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!
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
A well planned sluice room, along with a good hand hygiene programme, are both key to an effective infection control program 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
Rising energy prices for laundries could cause massive problems for whole UK economy In an open letter to the new Prime Minister the Textile Services Association (TSA) has called on Liz Truss to urgently consider immediate measures to help the commercial laundry industry as part of the emergency budget to deal with the crisis being caused by rising energy costs
Without laundries sectors like hospitality healthcare and many others would n t be able to operate says David Stevens CEO of the TSA At the start of the year energy costs represented 10% of a commercial laundry s overheads but we are looking at increases of several orders of magnitude of that The TSA is concerned that without decisive action there is a risk of companies going out of business which could have cascading effects as sectors that rely on laundry services are unable to access them “The increased costs would have to be passed on to customers, and at that level it would generate inflationary pres sures,” says Stevens “Laundry tends to be a business that works behind the scenes so most people don’t realise we’re there Without laundry, hospitality would have to shut down within a day The healthcare sector would last two days The damage that would be caused by not supporting the laundry industry would be catastrophic for the UKPLC as a whole
“'Healthcare Sector Would Shut Within Two Days' Without Commercial Laundries”
Recruitment to
Dementia Trials Lags
Official figures reveal shockingly low participation in late stage dementia trials compared to other major health conditions This is despite there currently being no approved treatments in the UK that can slow or halt the progression of the diseases that cause dementia
Behind Other Major Health Conditions
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 Assoc ated Infections Program Ava lable at www ahrq gov/ha / ndex html accessed June 2022 i European Centre for D sease Prevent on and Control 2018 Healthcare associated infections Clostr d um diff c le nfections ECDC Annual epidem o og cal report for 2016 https //www ecdc europa eu/s tes/default/fi es/documents/AER for 2016 C diff c le 0 pdf accessed June 2022 i Arjo Cl n cal Wh tepaper Flusher D sinfectors Reduc ng the risk of cross contam nation 2019 iv Knippenberg Gordebeke G 2012 Bedpans and healthcare associated infect ons Hospital Hea thcare Europe Hosp ta Hea thcare Europe https://www hosp talhealthcare com/news/bedpans and healthcare assoc ated nfect ons/ accessed June 2022
Bluebell House Westward Ho! North Devon is one of 11 care homes owned and operated by the long established Stonehaven Care Group and Stone Family Bluebell House Manager Kathryn Southouse and her care team were thrilled to organise a very special 100th Birthday Celebration for popular resi dent Betty Bull who enjoyed celebrating her Birthday with her family The Birthday celebrations continued and on Monday 29th August residents’ and staff watched Betty during a momentous occasion receive a birthday card from Her Majesty the Queen, specially presented to her by Northam Town Councilor and Mayor Nick Laws In her youth, Betty walked the boards as a model for L’Oréal and Wella and when not treading the boards had a real passion for drawing ladies in glam ourous, fashionable clothes Betty was born in Wood Green, London She was married to her husband Eric for 50 years and had a son called Christopher After her husband’s death
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK the situation illustrates the urgent need for leadership to prioritise investment in late stage dementia research Just 61 participants were recruited to late stage dementia drug trials supported by the NIHR Clinical Research Network in England last year around 100 times fewer than for cancer and around 10 times fewer than for either stroke or coronary heart disease This is despite the growing number of potential dementia treatments in trials across the world with twice as many disease modifying treat ments for dementia being studied in phase III trials than in 2014 and more than two thirds of people in the UK reporting a willingness to get involved in dementia research Releasing the figures to coincide with World Alzheimer’s Month Alzheimer’s Research UK argues that there is a unique opportunity for the new Prime Minister to join up clinical research and dementia diag noses in the NHS, leading to greater awareness from clinicians and people living with dementia of the opportunities to take part in research, and help attract more clinical trials to the UK Right now fewer than two in five people diagnosed with dementia in England and Wales have a documented discussion about taking part in research4 while just 2% of people with dementia are registered with Join Dementia Research, the service which matches people to demen tia studies in the UK At the same time the charity highlights that, with more than a third of people over 65 living with dementia undiagnosed in England current dementia services are not able to routinely offer the range of tests needed to make an accurate and early diagnosis This means that for many people living with dementia their condition is too advanced for them to be eligible for suitable research studies Samantha Benham Hermetz Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Alzheimer s Research UK said: Recruitment into late stage dementia trials has been lagging behind cancer consistently since 2012 It s vital that more people with dementia are offered the chance to take part in clinical trials helping researchers to understand more about this dev astating condition and potentially providing access to experimental new treatments that are only available through trials While recruiting people to clinical trials for Alzheimer s is more chal lenging than for other diseases it’s shocking that there are almost one million people living with dementia in the UK yet only 61 individuals were recruited to late stage drug trials in England last year At a time when we’re seeing almost 150 drugs in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s’ disease, we need investment and leadership across research and the NHS to make sure we have more people taking part in trials overall, and especially those from diverse backgrounds ” There has been significant progress made in dementia research over the last decade both in terms of investment and the establishment of world leading initiatives such as the UK Dementia Research Institute and Dementias Platform UK Together this has helped build an ecosys tem that is ripe for the translation of scientific discoveries into new treatments However Alzheimer’s Research UK warns that if the nation is to realise Government ambitions to be a ‘science superpower’ in the aftermath of the COVID 19 pandemic it must do more to remain com petitive against its European counterparts Since 2020, the number of active phase III dementia drug trials has grown in Germany France and Italy, but has consistently fallen in the UK The number now stands at 25 a figure which is matched by Spain The charity is now calling on the new Prime Minister to take five key steps to improve the speed and likelihood of finding treatments that will benefit people living with dementia in the UK Samantha Benham Hermetz continued: Boris Johnson s recent announcement of a new Dementia Mission presents a critical opportunity for the new Prime Minister to take for ward these commitments and ensure the UK s share of recruitment to clinical trials grows The UK has a proud history of innovation, and by overcoming these barriers to clinical trials we can make the biggest difference to the lives of people affected by dementia in the future ” Alzheimer s Research UK is urging anyone who is interested in taking part in research to register through Join Dementia Research online or by calling 0300 111 5 111
THE PLANNING OF A SLUICE ROOM Planning the workspace is crucial when design ing a sluice room, it should be equipped with a col lection point for soiled goods, a hand washbasin, a flusher disinfector, and storage for clean goods These are the four cornerstones to maintain good infection control routines Clean hands on clean goods should be the dominant rule for all working proce dures
receptacles such as bedpans urinals and commode chair pans
Former L’Oréal Model, Betty Bull at Bluebell House, Stonehaven Care Group Celebrates Her 100th Birthday
Betty moved down to Devon Betty has lived at Bluebell House happily for 3 years and enjoys spending time doing arts and crafts and when not creating loves to socialise with her fellow residents joining them on trips out and about on the Stonehaven minibus, called the Wanderer Home Manager Kathryn Southhouse said: Betty is a lovely lady always smiling and happy to chat to everyone The staff and residents at Bluebell wish her a very happy 100th Birthday and look forward to continuing to spend many more happy years with her Betty feels at home at Bluebell House and continues to enjoy the compan ionship of other residents and staff and looks forward to tucking into her favourite dishes delicious roast dinner cooked breakfast and the infamous Bluebell homemade cake and hocking s ice cream It must be her secret to having so much energy
PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
The commercial laundry sector plays a key role in the UK economy but one that was overlooked during the Covid 19 pandemic by the government and denied assistance because it falls between the definitions of various primary and secondary sectors The TSA recently surveyed its members asking them about the kind of changes in energy prices they are seeing All responding companies reported significant increases with rises of anything from 300% to 1500% being forecast over the coming months
Efficiencies in Sluice Room Design
Eliminating the need for manual cleaning flusher disinfectors effectively empty clean and disinfect
F gure 1 © 2022 Arjo show ng the Arjo Typhoon flusher d s nfector
Good ventilation is required to keep the room cool and dry and to help remove odours
Floors and walls should be made of a water resistant material along with surfaces which are easy to clean and d s nfect The hand washbasin should be placed close to the entrance and equipped with d spensers for soap and d s n fectant disposable paper towels and a waste paper bin The mixer tap should be easily operated touch free or w th an arm / elbow Plan for sufficient power supply hot and cold water inlets and su table drainage for the flusher disinfector sink and slop hopper (optional)
As one of the most common sources of prevent able 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 disposal processes is essential to minimise the transmission of preventable infections
Minimising caregiver exposure to human waste during its disposal in the sluice room is fundamental
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
With only 6 weeks to go our excitement for The Care Show is at an all time high and we want to make your Care Show 2022 experi ence even better As the conference programme is now live we wanted to help you in selecting the programme that may be most interesting to you Register for free today you ll discover these and many other exciting and insightful sessions to help you develop your business and plan for the future on 12 13 October at the NEC Birmingham
Journal of Food Eng neering 144 pp 20 28 For further information see page 40
A pen pal who wrote and received letters from resi dents at a Penarth based care home finally got to put faces to names when she visited the home for the first time Elaine Davies contacted staff at MHA Morel Court and wanted to keep residents entertained during the pan demic Over the course of two years Elaine and the residents wrote letters and postcards to one another The exchanges are usually monthly and the home kept all the correspondence since the start and showed it to Elaine on the day June Mansell community coordinator said: It was the first time Elaine visited the home since being a pen pal for the residents “Elaine contacted me just over two years ago and wanted to befriend residents through letters “The residents were very happy to see her and spent a lot of time just talking or listening to her “On the day of her visit she went around the home asking residents their names and would then speak to them based on what they spoke about in the letters “She was very impressed when we showed her all the correspondence and said it was a lovely surprise “Hopefully now things are improving we will try and organise another visit for her and I am sure it will be just as nice as this one
Pen Pal Visits Residents for the First Time Despite
Thank you to the participants at DBTH for engaging in this trial and to the laboratory team who performed the necessary assays
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
The Care Show
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)
Writing Letters for More than Two Years
COMMUNITY BUILDING Carl Roberts Care Home Open Week Championing Social Care, Vishal Shah, Banyan Care and Palvi Dodhia, COO/ Co founder Serene Care explore how care facilities may build communities and capitalise on these relationships
INTRODUCTION
Introduction of Peracide™ from Sky Chemicals to Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust
DISCUSSION
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LIVES Sanghamitra Chakravarty Founder and CEO of InvicctlQ Daniel Casson MD of Casson Consulting (London) Katie Thorn Project Lead of Digital Social Care and Adam Purnell Caring View Host and Director of Social Care IHSCM analyses data migration to prepare social care for the future by correctly utilising these treasure troves SPEAK OUT! HOW TO MAKE AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION IN COMMUNICATION
DATA CHANGES
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 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 RESULTS
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
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
Duncan Lewis, Eaglei's Communication Trainer, shares how to build your confidence to speak out and be your authentic self As we count down the weeks before the Care Show, we hope you are as excited as we are for two days of insight networking and fun Visit www careshow co uk for further information -
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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
Carol Scholey (RGN, BSc (hons)) Liam Grimshaw (BSc (hons) MSc by Research)
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
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Keith Milton Group Chief Executive Officer St Martins Care St Martins Care will soon benefit from expert management of both their food and catering related procurement and, shortly, their medical consumable procurement too allmanhall are providing this care group with a fully managed solution and maximum savings and support Expert in supply chain management and negotiations allmanhall mitigate the current price increases and risk associated with food infla tion and support care home catering teams with practical advice and with their food purchasing Now more than ever as demonstrated by the case with St Martins Care, this full support is an essential partner ship on which care providers can depend
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Stafford Based Care Home Raises More than £500 Following Car Boot Fundraiser
Procurement Expert allmanhall Delivers Between 8% and 16% Cost Savings and Provides Full Support in Care Sector
A Stafford based care home raised more than £500 following a car boot fundraiser MHA Weston and Queensway managed to raise the amount through a mixture of donations and sales with staff and relatives donating items to sell Items such as clothing crockery and ornaments were some of the sought after items at the Stafford Car Boot Sale Collectively £515 00 was raised with the funds going towards the home s ameni ty fund which is used to arrange trips or events for residents Bruce Eastwood catering manager who was there on the day said It was an amazing day people were full of enthusiasm and very supportive When they realised the money was going towards a charitable cause they were rounding up the pennies to pounds and it was to see the community supporting us Tess Turner activity coordinator said: The car boot fundraiser was a huge suc cess and we are very happy with the outcome The amount raised will allow us to arrange activities for residents and I already have a few ideas in the pipeline I want to thank everyone who got involved it was a great effort by all and we are very pleased with the outcome We are aiming to arrange another car boot sale later on this month to get rid of the remaining items we have and hopefully that will give us another push
• Janitorial Personal hygiene A follow up review was conducted starting in December 2021 focused more specifically on sanitary items This saw a 15 9% saving St Martins Care have asked allmanhall to mobilise these categories too a fully supported process which is currently underway “Thanks for the regular updates on food inflation The more this goes on, the more I feel we made the right decision to move to allmanhall or we’d be trying to negotiate it all ourselves which would be impossible ”
The objectives were similar: to provide sustainable and demonstra ble cost savings with a partner who could adapt to changing require ments and a consolidated group procurement framework with a software platform showing cost visibility allmanhall’s first benchmark for St Martins Care was in September 2021 and resulted in an 8 42% saving The categories covered were Catering Medical Equipment (catering and medical)
St Martins Care benefits from allmanhall s negotiation expertise in the procurement of both their food and catering procurement allman hall are currently providing a fully supported mobilisation to also man age the procurement of St Martins Care’s medical consumables Demonstrating significant cost savings for each allmanhall has not only delivered value but also provided expert support to the homes in truly challenging times St Martins Care comprises six care homes with a total of 444 resi dents They initially engaged allmanhall to look after their food pro curement The principal challenges St Martins care faced were achieving visibility and savings across the homes and requiring support managing suppliers, negotiations and procurement administration They were concerned about change and wanted reassurance that the mobilisation process would be fully supported and expertly managed minimum disruption but maximum ongoing benefit achieved “The mobilisation of the new catering suppliers and the transfer of existing ones to allmanhall was and continues to be smoothly man aged and supported expertly by the allmanhall team We are always kept informed throughout the process and all stakeholders are con sulted proactively The on boarding of the Saffron catering controls platform was delivered on time and our team all received robust train ing and continue to be supported with day to day queries Change can cause some apprehension however allmanhall s approach provides my team with reassurance and peace of mind at each stage Keith Milton Group Chief Executive Officer St Martins Care With over 15 years of bringing efficiencies support control and cost savings through procurement expertise and with its proven experience in supporting change management when mobilising suppliers in resi dential care allmanhall has been able to provide the required solution In 2021 they became a Premier Partner of the National Association for Care Catering (NACC) indicative of their commitment and support offered, to the care sector over the past few years allmanhall’s mobilisation process involves a project plan agreed by all stakeholders including managing supplier and systems integration with all suppliers independently selected by allmanhall but with the final decision to work with each supplier sitting with St Martins Care Ensuring a smooth mobilisation process requires a dedicated and pro fessional team and a strong working relationship allmanhall s client relationship team are experienced caterers able to provide a top level of service and offer care homes practical advice As part of a commit ment to continued expansion of its team for the benefit of clients and an ongoing focus on relationships and support when others are making cutbacks in this area allmanhall has recently appointed a new Senior Client Relationship Manager Following this successful mobilisation and delivery of food procure ment and supply chain management to St Martins Care, allmanhall was invited to address the same challenges for their medical consumable purchases Again, allmanhall was well placed to help, having been involved with helping clients explore and achieve cost savings when it comes to cleaning and medical supplies
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 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
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
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 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 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
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
Don't Let Dysphagia Ruin Your Resident's Mealtimes
myAko Develops Dysphagia Online Courses For Carers
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
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
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 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
DYSPHAGIA PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
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 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
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
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 13
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Raising the Standard of Stair Climbing Solutions Furniture That Improves Health For Residents… And Staff PAGE 32 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 Yeoman Shield Fire Door Ser vices Taking the Guess Work out of Fire Doors
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 owners 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 differ ence Working with these key members of staff we find solutions for residents and care home employ ees that make life more comfortable for everybody involved ” Call free today on 0800 810 8726 for a free brochure or visit us at www mobilityfurniturecompany co uk/sale
All of these features reduce the workload for busy staff and improve the comfort of residents WORKING WITH EXPERTS
HOW DOES MOBILITY FURNITURE BENEFIT CARE HOME RESIDENTS?
Renray Healthcare
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
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
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
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
For a complete repair and protect service contact the team today frdp@yeomanshield com or visit www yeomanshield com
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
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
Cold
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 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
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 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
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
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
Drug-Free
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
How Efficient and Compliant Is Your Laundr y Operation?
BIOFROST® Therapy Gels for Pain Relief
AN UPBEAT APPROACH
Safeguard Your Care Home with InVentr y
fabrics Many
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
Reduce Your Operating Costs!!
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 Helpforcarehomes@memorylanegames com See the advert on page 4
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
Chester Park Megan Allan, Activities The fact that we can upload what is relevant to the spec fic Individual is so mean ngful for that person and I can assure you we have shed some tears be ng able to be part of that res dents memory ourney It has been an amaz ng addition to our care home from staff and residents thank you Pennine NHS Trust Beech Ward we have been able to provide thera peut c act v ty & entertainment with ease to patients 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
costs Call
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 115 | PAGE 33
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
The Jolly Trolley® is an essential for any care establishment as it pro motes social interaction between the serv ce 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 with ease
2022 marks the celebration of 50 years for Skopos fabrics! As a tribute to this milestone throughout this year we will be looking back at some of our favourite designs over this half century The 50th Anniversary Collection will see some of these authentic landmark designs reborn using contemporary design production techniques The evolved designs will be developed in line with current trends for use within contract interi ors today Each month these ‘new’ designs will be brought to life as prints perfect for Care Interiors available on a wide choice of Skopos base cloths As with all Skopos prints, customers will be able to order the Anniversary’ designs across base cloths for upholstery, curtains and bedding Qualities include waterproof upholsteries, velvets, drapery linen effect qualities and blackout/dimout of our fabrics are antimicrobial com ing under the umbrella of Skopos ProtectPlus offer a full range of fabrics including uphol steries plus made to measure curtains bedding and cushions for Care Interiors To request a quote for new curtains bed throws and cushions for Care please contact our sales team 01924 436666 For free samples of our Anniversary Designs please log onto our website: www skoposfabrics com Skopos Fabrics Ltd are dedicated to design service and best performance full service or fabric only option provides choice for our customers with expert ise in design, 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 or Email NOW: 07831 873355, email admin@opeque com or visit www opeque com See the advert on page 23 for details
Cash’s Labels- “The Name Behind the Name”
Skopos
Our
Jolly Trolley Brings Therapeutic Activity and Entertainment
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
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 cl ents:
make up (curtains, cushions and bed ding) fitting and installation 50 Years of Design Excellence. 50 Years of Skopos Opeque can assist in reducing energy bills comply ing with legislation managing health and safety and achieving a sustainable operation 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
Top tips for Managing Incontinence
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 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 information about each product, or to order a free sample To Manage Your Incontinence Issues
There are a number of health risks associated with smoking A ‘smokers cough’ can place extra pressure on the muscles of the pelvic floor increasing your chances of experiencing stress incontinence
Help
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 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 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
FLUID INTAKE Drinking sufficient fluids each day is essential for maintaining a healthy bladder If you don’t drink enough your bladder will become overly sensitive You should try to consume at least 1 5 2 litres (or 6 8 glasses) of fluids each day DRINKS TO AVOID It is advisable to avoid certain types of drinks such as tea coffee cola and chocolate as they contain caf feine which can irritate the bladder An irritated bladder becomes overactive which makes you feel as though you need to empty your bladder when it is not full HEALTHY EATING Your diet should be balanced not too high in fat with plenty of fibre and contain at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day Healthy eating is also important because being overweight can make bladder problems worse SMOKING
Independently
RECOMMENDATION: Keep a Bladder Diar y Maintain a record of every time you experience bladder weakness Note the activity you were performing at the time the types of beverages and the quantity you consumed beforehand, as well as the extent of the leakage Limiting fluid intake may actually increase the frequency of incontinence Drinking a total of 6 to 8 glasses of water throughout the day is recommended Unless advised to do so by your health professional never restrict fluids to control incontinence The iD range of products is available to buy from www id direct com or www ontex com
issues
PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
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
DEHYDRATION
CONTINENCE CARE
If you don t drink enough your bladder will become more sensitive to smaller amounts of urine which means you will go to the toilet more frequently INFORM YOUR GP It is a good idea to notify your GP if you are experiencing bladder weakness for the first time or if you already have blad der weakness and it has become worse
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 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 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 Remains active over 24 hours Fragrant non pungent odour Unaffected by organic soil Biodegradable, non corrosive, non toxic Superior cleaning property • 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 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 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 Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of 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 Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www angloplas co uk and click ing Hospital Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL
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 For more details contact commercial@sebo co uk
THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 37
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 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 The Health and Safety Executive states that we never assume that any dust is safe and that all uncontrolled dusts are potentially hazardous 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
• 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
& INFECTION CONTROL PAGE 38 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
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
BioBax Acquire Aqua Air HYGIENE
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
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 for further details
A Revolutionar y Hand & Small Object Sanitizing System For Care Homes FOR ALL THE LATEST HYGIENE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE SOCIAL CARE SECTOR VISIT WWW.THECARERUK.COM
Cleaning Specialists
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
t co uk Silent RunningTranquility in Care Homes NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 39 • 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
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 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 For more information email us at: info@c
NURSE
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
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
WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE
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
PAGE 40 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 Medpage
Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions CALL AND FALLS MONITORING
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
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 Visit www lctuk com for details
Lotus Care Technology FOR ALL THE LATEST PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE SOCIAL CARE SECTOR VISIT WWW.THECARERUK.COM
Fall Savers® are an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for over 15 years 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
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
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
Positive Solutions Launch New eMAR Solution HxCare TECHNOLOGY
AND SOFTWARE THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 41
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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/
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 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 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 ” For more information on the benefits of HxCare, visit the webpage at www positive solutions co uk/hxcare/
REAL TIME VISIBILITY AND INSIGHTS
Cloud Finance Software That is Helping Care Homes Thrive
WONDERING HOW TO GO DIGITAL?
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?
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
Digital care plans are the best way to achieve this! 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
TIME 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 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!
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 Go
There are benefits to happy service users including positive reviews from family and friends which may help grow your service
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 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 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 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 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
10 Reasons To
Digital With Electronic Care Planning and Medication (eMAR) Systems TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE PAGE 42 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
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Costs? Article supplied by Karantis360 (www karantis360 com) TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 43
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 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 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
Predictive Help Reduce Care
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
Care Control - Care Home Software You Can Rely On
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
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!
Technology, Can It Really
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% 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
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
Intelligent Care Software (ICS)
THE IMPACT OF STAFF TURNOVER
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
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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
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE PAGE 44 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 Predictive Technology, Can
Staff Retention in the Care Industr y
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 It Really Help Reduce Care Costs?
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
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
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 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 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” More information about the new collection can be found on Pinpoint s website at www pinpointlimited com
Peace of Mind is One Thing - Security is Another TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE
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 • Additional intelligence to equip carers with detailed insights 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 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 For more information please visit: https://anthropos io/our technology/
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
Fife Firm Unveil New Staff Safety Alarms As Violence In Healthcare Settings Surges
Anthropos Partners With Vayyar Care To Boost Fall Detection Capabilities
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The CAREAudits System
The CAREAudits app and Web Portal Auditing Tool is now being used throughout the UK and Ireland by all care service providers in numerous locations There are thousands of carers checking everything from CQC Compliance and Safety to Medication Audits Training and Maintenance as well as service users quality and wellbeing and now Corona Virus Steve Smith regional manager at Care Homes UK says We were able to implement the system ourselves and are now benefitting from management having all the information we need at our fingertips in real time wherever we are” The system allows care providers to audit or check just about everything and manage areas requiring actions (or non compli ances) in it s Web Portal Encrypted date and time stamped evi dence including photos is seamlessly auto attached and recorded in the system Natalie Lawrence at Yorkare Homes says It s a paperless sys tem that runs alongside our existing client records system helping to make our whole operation paperless ” CAREAudits ensures management and staff are aware at all times of what needs check ing that it s been checked, actions required by whom, by when including full resolution management Each CAREAudit also scores the answers so management can monitor improvement Steven Tegart from Talbot Group likes reporting and says “I wish all my other systems were as easy to extract data for management reports as the CAREAudits’ Excel links ” The system has over 120 example audits to select from CAREAudits apps are extremely easy to use and care providers can easily add or edit their own audits in minutes ensuring simple management of ever changing requirements App auditors can use CAREAudits with virtually no training it s that simple The Care Auditor s Hands Free Operation guides the user through each audit each question and answer with it s own help text standard answers and standard actions required ensuring that the least skilled operative becomes the care provider s expert Users can download the app for a free trial and be up and running with the full system in min utes CAREAudits apps are a part of the Care Plus Innovation Group Priory Park Hull HU4 7DY Info: visit www careaudits co uk email apps@careaudits co uk or call Ken Newlove operations director on 01482 238887
CAREAudits apps and systems evolved via an associated company Kern Systems were Ken Newlove director and founding member had been developing and deploy ing paperless systems for EPoS and Finance in the private and public sectors since 1999 Back in 2014 the team had more than 50 years experience in IT and software devel opment as well as having been heavily involved in the third sector with a trustee of three charities, a director of a business directly involved in the care market and a con sultant in a £10 million turnover charity and interim CEO and Chair at an adult hospice Working in the Care Sector the team recognised in 2014 the sector was becoming overwhelmed with adminis tration driven by ever increasing legislative compliance requirements and controls and pressurised by ever increasing costs The CAREAudits apps evolved from their desire to give something back to the Care Sector; to develop systems that genuinely reduce costs and increase efficiency as well as improving accountability and quality And above all a system that would be easy to install and use by everyone
Care Hires was founded to help Care Providers solve their staffing problems by making it easier to work with Staffing Agencies Now the Care Hires platform is in use all over the UK helping Care Providers to reach: Complete control over agency spend 100% Shift fulfilment 100% Staff compliance Reduced administration costs And much more The Care Hires system is a neutral vendor platform where we source and manage agen cies on your behalf to make sure whenever you need you can find fully qualified profes sionals with just a few clicks No more calling multiple agencies sending out a flurry of emails and having to coordinate the responses Just post your vacancy and your bespoke selection of agencies put forward pre vetted workers meeting your requirements The hours saved on hiring are matched by significant reductions in admin time including Consolidated invoices instead of pay ng dozens of agency invoices covering each service or shift make one payment to Care Hires • More accessible communications by providing agency staff with our free mobile app they can easily access their work rota and be updated in real time about changes to their hours
Although we focus on delivering quality rather than solely looking for direct savings because we help streamline the rates your agencies charge and save your office team so much time we can still deliver huge returns: An average of over £8 000 saved per site on adm nistration Over £1 2 million saved so far on agency spend For just one customer we identified over £500 000 of annual agency savings on top of efficiency improvements Can you afford to miss out on this amount of money? Contact Care Hires for a free demo and in as little as 12 weeks from contract you could eliminate all the headaches that come from being under staffed Visit www carehires com or see
• Easier timesheet management using the Care Hires app staff can clock in and out and send their timesheets for approval without the delays and bureaucracy of paper based solu tions Better cash flow for agencies because of the easier and faster timesheet management, hours worked can be processed and billed to the client more quickly helping your cash flow We make finding staff and running your business more straightforward but what else?
the advert on the facing page Fill 100% of Your Staffing Needs with Care Hires TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE PAGE 48 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
THE CAREAUDITS SYSTEM
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
CQC compliance for new and established Nursing Homes W&P s clinical procedures include 70 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
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 Beyond the
Care Certificate? EDUCATION AND TRAINING PAGE 50 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
Upskilling and staying on top of best practice and techniques is essential in the Care sector as it directly impacts on safety and standards When you invest in CPD you’re ensuring care workers have the skills knowledge and confidence to carry out their role safely and provide the best possible care Having gained qualifications and landed a job in the care industry should be the start of the learning journey rather than the end of it There is a strong link between CPD and staff retention and motivation CPD is mentioned in the NHS Long Term Plan as a strategy to motivate staff to stay in role and equip them with the skills to advance their professional practice Skills for Care found that 94% of employers with a low staff turnover cited ‘investing in learning and development as one of the main activities contributing to workforce retention Online learning is now the expectation for learning and development at work and an affordable and accessible alterna tive to in person training When you’re looking for online resources, it’s advisable to seek out a reputable provider with endorsements from leading organisations in the sector Laser Learning is a Skills for Care endorsed provider of online CPD short courses and The Care Certificate course Our course materials are written by industry experts (including care home managers) and cover the knowledge needed for every standard in the Care Certificate and a wide range of CPD top ics such as Infection control and prevention Dementia and communication and Supporting adults with learning disabilities Whether you are an owner, manager, or independ ent learner, please don t hesitate to get in touch for a free demo of the Care Certificate course and our CPD short courses The Laser Learning team can be con tacted on info@lasersys co uk or +44 (0)1753 584 112
Looking for Supported living Policies with NO Personal Care?
W&P Training
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
Continuing Professional
Why Train
The Importance of Development (CPD) in the Care Sector
CLINICAL PROCEDURES FOR NURSING HOMES
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
Training
When demand for services increase it follows that viability improves
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 for your busi ness with Connect2Care’s See the Opportunity toolkit which can be downloaded for free Visit https://connect2care net/resources/see the opportunity/ UP and
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
Care
An inspiring approach to care
As a cohesive cultural progression programme it follows that inno vation, modernisation and positivity increase
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
A Modern, Proven Model of Care for Staff and Resident Wellbeing THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115 | PAGE 51 EDUCATION AND TRAINING
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
Workforce Challenge - The Eden Alternative
Staff-Short Care Firms Have No Time For Training Connect2Care’s latest research shows how misconceptions around apprenticeships could be impacting their potential 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
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
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 –
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
Validated Eden Alternative associates can benefit from continuing support from our expert team WHY DO THIS?
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
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 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
MIXING THEORY AND PRACTICE 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
Care Control - All-in-One Recruitment System
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
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
Why Equipping
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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 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 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
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
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
PAGE 52 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 115
MOTIVATED BY COMPASSION
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
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 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
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 Returning Adult Learners With The Skills They Need To Enter The Social Care Sector Is The Best Solution To The Recruitment Crisis
CANDIDATE AUTOMATION
PROFESSIONALS & RECRUITMENT
By Jonny Rees, Head of Professional Development at the College Development Network (www
Call
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Global assists clients throughout the U K who specialise in the healthcare sector to achieve their objectives of purchase development refi 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 assist at every stage of your business expansion 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 am sure we will be able to tailor a facility to your requirements us on 01242 227172 e mail us at enquiries@globalbusinessfinance
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net Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance Please mention THE CARER when responding to Padvertising. lease mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.
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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 115 | PAGE 53 PROFESSIONALS & RECRUITMENT
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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
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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 You A Owner with Staff
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
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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
• 11 hours uninterrupted rest per day; and 24 hours uninterrupted rest per week (or 48 hours uninterrupted rest per fortn ght)
• at least 20 minutes when working more than six hours a day
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
By Tom Draper, Employment Partner at Freeths (www freeths co uk)
National Minimum Wage and Working Time: The Legal Issues
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:
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
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