The Carer Digital - Issue #117

Government Sets Out Funding Plan to Bolster Social Care Over Winter

EDITOR'S

Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!

This week the question many in the adult social care sector and political pundits generally will be asking is “How much of a difference will the 'Plan for Patients unveiled by Therese Coffey really make to the NHS adult social care crisis? “

Any observer worth their salt will confirm that the NHS and adult social care have been operating in most difficult circumstances for years

Editor Peter Adams

The Health Secretary's big opening announcement last Thursday (September 22) was what she described as The first step in the government s journey of addressing the challenges facing both the health and adult care services It followed her priorities of ABCDD ambulances backlog care doctors and dentists with new measures on each

The most significant part of the “package of meas ures announced is the £500 million adult social care discharge fund which is designed to help move patients who are medically fit for dis charge but have nonetheless ended up ‘bed blocking’ in hospital because no suitable care package can be found

I was staggered that around 1 in 7 beds in hospital are presently taken up by some one who is medically ready to go home but cannot be discharged, including due to a lack of available care package Analysis by the charity Age UK revealed that that the average excess bed day (the cost of a patient remaining in a hospital bed after their treatment has ended) costs £346

Since the discharge to assess model reduces delayed discharges and additional bed days it has been a proven cost effective policy

However as some sector leaders pointed out it is not enough with one sector leader liking it to “a sticking plaster over a gaping wound”

Some of the comments we have received highlight the elephant in the room Does the additional funding provide for an influx of additional adult social care staff to pro vide care in care homes and at home? The sector is experiencing huge staffing prob lems and is struggling to get staff for these packages of care

Some care homes are simply unable to take complex cases due to staffing issues So I think the arguments that the funding is not enough and additional funding is urgently needed is more than justified!

Another story which caught my interest was that a trial of a new Alzheimer’s treat ment for slowing down memory decline has completed a successful phase 3 trial

I had given up hope! At a seminar about 10 years ago I listened to a very prominent

Professor discussing Alzheimer’s saying that big pharmaceutical companies had all but given up funding research into Alzheimer’s and there had been no new advances in years He said no drug in 20 years had ever passed the second stage and there were no in his words silver bullets on the horizon regarding Alzheimer s disease He was very pessimistic about any future treatment

Regular readers may know that my own mother suffered a very aggressive form of Alzheimer s in the mid 1980s when the condition was relatively unknown to the wider public and she passed away in a care home in 1992

Since then I have I have taken a keen interest in research into Alzheimer’s and this is very encouraging

Again we have received some wonderful and uplifting stories from care homes around the country, awards, birthday celebrations, fundraising, sports events, singing and dancing you name it we are receiving them at the moment all feelgood stories which highlight 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

Charlene Fox

Government Sets Out Funding Plan to Bolster Social Care Over Winter

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

This includes extending retirement flexibilities to allow retired and partially retired staff to continue to return to work or increase their working commitments without having payment of their pension bene fits reduced or suspended and fixing the unintended impacts of infla tion so senior clinicians aren t taxed more than is necessary

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Thérèse Coffey said:

“Patients and those who draw on care and support are my top priori ty and we will help them receive care as quickly and conveniently as possible ”

“That is why we are publishing ‘Our plan for patients’, which will help empower and inform people to live healthier lives, while boosting the NHS’ performance and productivity ”

“It sets out a range of commitments for our health service ensuring we create smoother pathways for patients in all parts of health and care

“NATIONAL ENDEAVOUR’ TO SUPPORT THE NHS

Alongside the government s plan to ensure patients get the best possible care the Health and Social Care Secretary called for a nation al endeavour’ to support the NHS This includes encouraging more vol unteering across the health service as well as exploring strengthening how we use volunteers, such as supporting NHS ambulances in the areas of greatest need

Local health and care partners will be able to decide how best to use the social care funding to improve hospital discharge, and to retain and recruit social care staff

Funding of £15 million this year will help increase international recruitment of care workers The funding will enable local areas to support care providers with activities such as visa processing accom modation and pastoral support for international recruits This will com plement a national domestic recruitment campaign which will launch shortly

The Health and Social Care Secretary acknowledged the scale of the challenges facing the NHS in the wake of the pandemic and the plan for patients builds on the NHS Winter Plan including the rollout of COVID boosters and flu jabs already underway to help protect the most vulnerable The plan sets out actions to ensure the best possible care for patients under each of her A B C and D priority areas ambu lances backlogs care and doctors and dentists

“CARE SYSTEM ON A FIRM FOOTING”

Prime Minister Liz Truss said: On the steps of Downing Street this month I pledged that one of my earliest priorities as Prime Minister would be to put our health and care system on a firm footing

These measures are the first part of that plan and will help the coun try through the winter and beyond Ultimately my mission in govern ment is to grow our economy because that is the best way to support the NHS and social care system and ensure patients are receiving the frontline services they deserve

WELCOME STEP TO REBALANCE FUNDING

Care England has welcomed the new measures: Professor Martin

Green OBE Chief Executive of Care England says: The £500m of addi tional funding allocated as part of the plan represents much needed investment ahead of what will be a challenging winter period The Government has rightly recognised the need to address hospital dis charge issues and the role that the care sector plays in doing so The social care workforce undoubtedly our most valuable asset needs recognition and support in this difficult time The announcement of fur ther efforts to boost recruitment both domestic and international is positive However what is now needed is a focus on a long term solu tion to these underlying issues that puts social care on an equal footing with the NHS and delivers investment that matches the scale and severity of current problems Care England is eager to work closely with the Government to develop this forward thinking strategy

The reverse to the 1 25 percentage point rise in National Insurance is positive for both care workers and providers given the significant sums in increased National Insurance contributions were not offset by Government putting financial sustainability of care providers under fur ther strain The approximated impact upon the sector for both employ ers and employees was circa £600m per annum This was at odds with the NHS where employer contributions were being recompensed by Government This indeed is a welcome step to rebalancing the funding between health and social care What is vital now is for a greater pro portion of the £13bn that was due to be generated through the Levy to be diverted directly to adult social care providers

“STICKING PLASTER ON A GAPING WOUND”

Independent Care Group chair Mike Padgham dismissed the addi tional funding as “woefully underestimated”

“Of course, every penny that gets to social care is welcome but real ly this sum is a little derisory,” he said

“The Government has woefully under estimated the depth of the cri sis in social care and announcing this £500m as if it were the answer to our prayers is insulting ”

“This is a sticking plaster put on a gaping wound by a doctor that doesn’t see how sick the patient is

“Now that the Health and Social Care Levy is to be scrapped where is extra funding for social care £13bn pledged by the Prime Minister during the leadership election going to come from?”

“What we have today is more tinkering at the edges, a tiny sum of money thrown at social care in the short term hope of alleviating prob lems,” Mr Padgham added

“It is time for a fresh, bold new start on tackling the crisis in social care

“There is plenty of expertise available in social care ready and willing to work in partnership with the Government to solve the problems and we urge the new administration to work with us, urgently, to find solu tions

“We need total root and branch reform to provide a properly funded, sustainable social care service for everyone and proper funding to recognise and reward care staff and to tackle the critical staff short ages that are crippling the delivery of care

“Unless we get that proper funding and reform there will be no

homecarers to look after people when they are discharged from hospi tal or care and nursing homes for those who need round the clock care

“REARRANGING THE DECKCHAIRS ON THE TITANIC”

the British Medical Association (BMA) have said that the Health Secretary’s plan and more patients and more NHS staff leaving Professor Philip Banfield BMA council chair said:

If this is the Government s grand plan for rescuing our collapsing NHS and social care system then at best it lacks detail and at worst secures the fate of these services meaning more patients suffering and more staff leaving

“There are lofty ambitions and admirable principles within the plan but little to no concrete detail on how anything will be achieved Much of what is in here has already been announced including repetition of the questionable claims about new hospital buildings And the plan fails to outline how exactly such initiatives will be staffed

“New phone lines are all well and good, but who is supposed to answer these calls?

While the Secretary of State duly notes that clinicians should be the ones making clinical decisions and prioritising the plan is full of targets The much lauded promise that of a GP appointment within two weeks for all patients is already being watered down by the Secretary of State as an expectation’ Put simply it is a headline grabbing soundbite that will only increase animosity against hard working staff when it is not achieved

The NHS doesn t need more targets it needs staff Pledges to increase capacity, such as 7,000 extra beds, fall flat if there are no doc tors, nurses or other colleagues to care for the patients in them

“Despite the Secretary of State saying that one of her four priorities is doctors there was a distinct lack of any further detail on workforce planning to ensure there are enough doctors to meet patients needs

“The pledges around pensions may provide relief for some doctors and show that the Government is finally starting to sit up and take notice of the threat that absurd taxation rules pose to the sustainability of the NHS and patient care something the BMA has been warning for years However they fall short of the long term solutions that we have been calling for Consequently these measures will not prevent doctors being left with little option but to reduce hours or retire early

“That the Government sees increased use of the private sector and reliance on volunteers as the answer to the current workforce crisis is an admission that the system is broken that ministers are failing patients and not properly valuing doctors and their colleagues working in the NHS

“There is absolutely no mention of pay across the board namely correcting the more than decade long fall in real terms income for doctors which continues to crush morale and is once again driving col leagues towards the possibility of industrial action

The whole system is sinking and staff are sending out distress sig nals; this plan is unconvincing and amounts to little more than rear ranging the deckchairs on the Titanic ”

Support After A Dementia Diagnosis

During World Alzheimer s Month 2022 The Alzheimer s Society is focussing on post diagnostic support I thought I d share some of our tips, ideas and approaches from Royal Star & Garter, to add to the excellent information coming from their ‘Know dementia know Alzheimer s’ campaign

LIVING WELL WITH DEMENTIA

I have been passionate about delivering the best dementia care since I joined Royal Star & Garter over 20 years ago

Increasing numbers of our resi dents were living with dementia and I began to research models of care to see how we could best support them

Since then we have received many awards and recognition for our outstanding care including the 2021 Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Hero Awards for Professional Excellence However we will never rest on our laurels and will always look to adapt develop and challenge ourselves to provide exceptional care every day

With almost forty per cent of our residents living with dementia we support every individual and their relatives after they have received their diagnosis in our care This is an emotional and incredibly tough time for both the resident and their loved ones and it never fails to move me

However it is very possible to live well with dementia I see it every day in our Homes

Your GP or specialist consultant will signpost additional support therapies and medical interventions, but I d like to offer some ideas on

a more personal day to day level to help during this difficult transi tional period

ADAPTING YOUR APPROACH IN DEMENTIA CARE

Everyone’s experience of dementia is unique but it may help you to think about the journey ahead Imagine this journey as your loved one gradually crossing a bridge, it is important to understand that you can accompany them but they cannot come back to your side of the bridge It will help you to enter into their reality, taking things at their pace empathising and being patient calm and good humoured how ever hard it is Join them in their moment and acknowledge that things may be confusing It takes time and emotional intelligence to bring your loved one back to feeling secure again especially if they have just had a diagnosis

You may start to see differences in their behaviour our staff often do with the residents they know so well Memory loss is a symptom and you may notice that early memories remain while more recent ones slip away This isn t the only consideration: your loved one may lose interest in something they previously cared about become repeti tive, behave uncharacteristically or experience mood swings They may also begin to struggle with everyday processes such as getting dressed or making a cuppa Sleeping and eating can be affected All these factors can make them stressed and defensive BRINGING PURPOSE TO EVERYDAY LIFE

Try to keep your loved one engaged with daily life by asking them to help with chores such as shopping, washing up or gardening, just as we do in our Homes This will help them to feel more in control and boost their self esteem

You can use memory aids such as a large weekly diary to be kept by the phone or kettle, places they gravitate to Put labels on cup boards or a sign on the toilet door to help everyday processes Check their environment is comfortable and inviting, and use technology, such as timers and automatic switches to simplify chores such as turn ing on heating or lights

Food plays an important part in life in our Homes both for health and

wellbeing Asking your loved one to help you prepare food empowers them It also stimulates their appetite when they may otherwise forget to eat or fail to recognise their hunger and thirst Allow plenty of time to prepare and eat meals Consider trying smaller portions finger food or frequent snacks rather than a big meal Eating with your loved one gives them the opportunity to mirror your actions if needed and makes their mealtime a sociable occasion rather than a necessity

At Royal Star & Garter we provide daily activities and outings to keep life stimulating You could try social visits where possible which helps people living with dementia to retain their skills and boosts memory function Reminiscing is an important tool in dementia care, and we use memory boxes (literally colourful shoeboxes full of little prompts such as old fashioned sweets to share old scent bottles postcards shells vintage photographs and beloved trinkets) We find that they stimulate conversation and aid re connection

Music can have a very powerful soothing effect on people living with dementia Our residents love listening to a favourite piece and it can distract them from something that is agitating or upsetting them and create a shared experience to talk about afterwards Similarly gentle exercise is empowering and can provide an important boost to wellbeing

SUPPORT FOR CARERS

I know that supporting someone living with dementia can feel very lonely difficult and heart breaking Remember that you are not alone Do seek help and support from your GP, a Memory Clinic and the Alzheimer’s Society As a carer you need to be mindful of your own health take breaks ask friends and family for support and reach out to share your experiences You may even be able to help someone else who’s going through the same thing

Here are some support resources:

www alzheimers org uk

https://www nhs uk/conditions/dementia/ https://www carersuk org/forum

Staff Honoured at Powys Care Home

Staff at a care home in Llandrindod Wells have been commend ed for their long service at a recent event

Wylesfield care home operated by Shaw healthcare on behalf of Powys County Council brought together members of the local community to recognise the achievements of its staff who together totaled over 200 years of combined service

To mark the occasion Russell Brown Shaw healthcare s chief executive officer, and board member, Helen Coombes, attended The Mayor of Llandrindod Wells councillor Lawrence Weerdmeester Price and councillor Josie Ewing were also present for the ceremony MP Faye Jones also sent all long serving staff a handwritten thank you for their dedication to the home

Wylesfield’s staff were presented with certificates and choco lates while residents and families enjoyed a selection of hot drinks and homemade cakes

Support worker Colin Layton who first joined the care home in December 1976 is Wylesfield’s longest serving staff member with over 46 years of service

Jeanette Stedman manager of Wylesfield said:

“Colin revels in his role supporting the older residents of the home While he has spent much of his time as a favorite at Wylesfield, he is also a huge admirer of the outside, often spending his time tending to his garden and taking in the Welsh countryside Russell Brown chief executive officer for Shaw healthcare said: “This is a deserved moment of acknowledgement for all of the hardworking staff at Wylesfield

“I think it’s clear that everyone in the community is proud to be associated with such devoted people here at Wylesfield

Charity Dementia UK Launches New Admiral

Nurse Clinic to Support Chinese Families

Dementia UK the dementia specialist nurse charity has launched a first of its kind Admiral Nurse Clinic to specifically support families living with dementia from the London Chinese commu nities across the five London boroughs of Barnet Brent Camden Tower Hamlets and Westminster

The pilot service has been delivered in collabo ration with the Chinese Welfare Trust a charity dedicated to meeting the needs of elderly Chinese people living in the UK It will be available to people living with dementia and their carers who are of Chinese or South East Asian origin and are experiencing complex needs relating to dementia

Dementia UK is the only charity dedicated to helping families face dementia through their specialist dementia nurses, called Admiral Nurses, who provide life changing support and guidance for families affected by all forms of dementia

It is estimated that there are 25,000 people currently living with dementia from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups which includes the Chinese community in England and Wales 1 Getting the best support can sometimes be more challenging for families living with dementia from the Chinese community because of the stigma surrounding the condition and the lack of culturally appropriate dementia resources and services

Dr Hilda Hayo Chief Admiral Nurse and Chief Executive at Dementia UK said:

We are thrilled to be partnering with the Chinese Welfare Trust to deliver this landmark Admiral Nurse Clinics service We know that people from the Chinese community continue to face barriers when accessing support and are more likely to be in crisis when they do

“The last few years have placed increasing pressure on local dementia services leaving many struggling and unable to cope It is critical that we have more Admiral Nurses that understand the unique challenges experienced by families with dementia to support families from underserved communities

“We are pleased to welcome Emily Ka Hei Lui to the Admiral Nurse team and look forward to watching her excel in this role

Admiral Nurse Emily Ka Hei Lui, who is leading the new Clinics service, has experience of supporting fam ilies living with dementia from the Chinese community in Hong Kong She can speak Cantonese and Mandarin and will be able to offer tailored health advice and emotional support to families

Emily Ka Hei Lui Clinics Admiral Nurse said:

I m proud to be taking on the role of Clinics Admiral Nurse to deliver Dementia UK s first specialist dementia service to support an ethnic minority in the UK There is a real taboo around dementia in Chinese and South East Asian cultures I want to tackle the stigma and help families living with dementia understand that there is a lot that we can do through specialist dementia care which can help families take back con trol

Eddie Chan, Co Chair at Chinese Welfare Trust, said:

We re pleased to collaborate with Dementia UK and work with Admiral Nurse Emily to support families living with dementia from the Chinese community Through this service we hope that a better future for the Chinese community in the UK will be created ”

To mark World Alzheimer’s Month, Royal Star & Gar ter’s Director of Care, Pauline Shaw OBE, of fers some tips and ideas to suppor t your loved one after their diagnosis

(Photo credit: YinYang/iStock)

16% NHS and Social Care Workers Plan to Leave Care Sur vey Reveals

New research has revealed 43% of workers are considering a job change due to the pressures of their current job with nearly a fifth (16%) planning to leave the industry completely

A study of over 1 000 health and social care work

ers conducted by Florence the tech platform providing health & social care workers access to available shifts, found that almost a third of healthcare work ers (28%) admit to feeling overwhelmed at least once a week with 17% feeling burnt out every day A staggering 97% believe the cost of living crisis has caused further stress or burnout among healthcare professionals

It comes after more than half of healthcare work ers (56%) admit to working more than 2 3 times a week over their contracted hours with 7% working overtime everyday Not having enough staff is caus ing the most pressure in their role (50%) followed by low pay (39%) and high workload (35%)

The study reveals nine in 10 (89%) NHS and social care workers state chronic staff shortages are affect ing the quality of care Analysing this deeper, three quarters (76%) stated quality of care is already being ‘severely’ impacted as high vacancy rates sweep across the industry

With A&E wait times at the highest levels they have been in over a decade and over 6 5 million people on the waiting list for hospital treatment there are clear concerns about the ability for the sector to cope with the demand for treatment

However, research suggests that things are set to get a lot worse with nearly nine in 10 (85%) health and social care workers expecting wait times to increase over the rest of 2022 Shockingly health workers mostly expect wait times to double this year

(25%) while a further one in five (19%) expect times to more than double the cur rent records

A reduction in wait time is important to mitigate quality of care being further impact ed The study shows that to reduce wait times a third (30%) believe the govern ment needs to put an increased focus on recruitment on hiring over a quarter (27%) are calling for the whole system to be overhauled and over one in five (22%) feel the gov ernment needs to do encourage more people into the sector early on (e g at school or college)

Fiona Millington Chief Nurse at Florence has long argued that vacancy rates are a big problem within the sector: The biggest challenge for the industry at the moment is, without a doubt, staffing There are more nurses leaving the industry than joining at a time when the demand for nurses is increasing The number of vacancies still sits above 105 000 and remains much higher than the overall unemploy ment rate The lack of support on the ground is lead ing to mass burnout across the workforce leading many to question their futures in the profession The NHS is plugging vacancies with resources from other countries and areas but it has become just a con stant cycle of crisis management without develop ing long term solutions to the problem ”

Dr Charles Armitage Former NHS doctor and CEO and Founder of Florence added: If you ve got fewer people there on shift to look after people, the quali ty of care decreases because the people that are there are overstretched they’re trying to do too many things and are suffering from severe burnout As a result mistakes are made as they re not able to just spend as much time with people and provide that really important patient centred care

PROVIDING PRACTICAL AND ST YLISH TROLLEYS TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS

Safeguarding Employees Rights Within Care

By Toby Pochron, Employment Director at Freeths (www.freeths.co.uk)

In this article we briefly explore the areas of Health and Safety Working Time Regulations 1998 and employ ee’s rights to take time off to provide care for a family member

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSW) is the key regulation policing health and safety The Act enforces the employer’s health and safety obligations so far as reason ably practicable’ This means that employers must balance real risks against control of risk in terms of cost and trouble Employees duties are followed by a similar principle which is to take reasonable care to protect their own safety and any other person who may be affected

The Act does not provide employers with a step by step guidance on how to effectively manage health and safety but instead gives the employer discretion Whilst there are no approaches set in stone the below is a good starting point

• Risk Identification: This can be achieved by simply walking around the workplace and identifying what could reasonably cause harm Additionally communicating and asking staff members

Risk Assessment: The next step is to carry out a risk assessment of the risks identified This is a process of identifying the potential harm a risk can cause and the likelihood of it

Controls: Once the risk has been assessed, it is the employer’s duty to implement measures to minimise the risks

Training: The final step in this process is to raise awareness The pur pose of training is to raise awareness of the risks identified and teach ing employees how they can overcome these risks and effectively manage health and safety at work

WORKING TIME REGULATIONS

The Working Time Regulations 1998 governs employees patterns of work holidays, rest period and working time Whilst it covers a large proportion of rules and regulations in the care sector the following areas are considered to be of importance:

Rest: Employees must receive at least 20 minutes of break when work ing more than six hours a day, 11 hours of uninterrupted rest per day and 24 hours of uninterrupted rest per week

Working time Employers must ensure that the average working time does not exceed 48 hours per week (17 week reference period)

Employees are able to opt out of the 48 hour working week but employers must ensure adequate rest and breaks are given Night workers Night time is usually defined as period of work between 11pm and 6 am If an employee regularly works at least three hours during night time, they will be considered a night worker A night work er should not work for more than 8 hours in each 24 hour period

Holidays: The WTR entitles employees (whether full time or part time) to a minimum of 5 6 weeks holiday The employer ensure the employ ees receives the right amount of holiday leave and pay depending on their contract and hours worked A recent Supreme Court case ruled that the common 12 07% method of calculating holiday accrual is no

longer legal This can cause problems if the employee is working irreg ular hours and it is recommended to seek legal advice if your business uses this calculation method

TIME OFF TO PROVIDE CARE

An employee has a statutory right to take time off from work to help someone who depends on them regardless of their length of service

The law does not specify how long much time can be taken off or how many occasions but it states that the time off should be reasonable Employers should be flexible in this regard and consider each employ ee s situation on a case by case basis

The following persons are considered a ‘dependant :

• Spouse partner or civil partner

Parent

• Child

A household member (not tenant or lodgers)

• A person who depends on them for help in the event of an emergency such as an old neighbour

Employers are not obliged to pay for time off but may chose to do so and implement it as a policy Employers must also be aware of overlapping policies for this type of leave For example, if your compa ny has implemented a compassionate leave policy this may overlap with the statutory right to take time off for family and dependants

CONCLUSION

This article is merely the tip of the iceberg; nursing homes are bound by far more rules and regulations The purpose of this article is to guide you in the right direction if you are new in the sector but for those who are experienced, we hope this has served as a refresher

Care Home Residents Welcome Lord Mayor of Exeter and Pay Tribute to Late Queen Elizabeth II

Residents and staff at RMBI Care Co Home Cadogan Court, in Exeter have recently welcomed the city’s Lord Mayor Councillor Yolonda Henson Accompanied by John Davies Exeter s Senior Mace Sergeant the Mayor brought a book of condolences for everyone to sign and remember the late Queen Elizabeth II

During her visit, the Mayor stated: “It is a privilege to visit Cadogan Court and other Homes in Exeter It’s so important for everyone in our communities to have the opportunity to come together at this historic time of great national sadness ”

Residents and staff wrote messages to thank Her Majesty the Queen for her service throughout her 70 year reign Words such as ‘dedication’ and inspiration filled the pages of the book Clare Walker Home Manager at Cadogan Court said: Residents greatly appreciated the chance to write in the book of condolences here in their own Home especially those who are not able to visit the city regularly So many of them have followed the Queen and her family throughout her life and reign and some have even served in the British Armed Forces!”

Plan for Growth Without Plan for Health Investment ‘Not Worth the Paper it’s Written on’, says BMA

Responding to the Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng s speech on the Government s plan for growth, Professor Philip Banfield chair of council at the BMA said:

It s clear from the Chancellor s speech that the NHS has no place in the Government s plan to turn a ‘vicious cycle of stagnation into a virtuous cycle of growth

“The Government has offered precisely nothing to doctors leaving due to pay erosion and nothing further to yesterday’s sticking plasters to address the broken pension tax rules that are forcing doctors into early retirement It is the Government s continual failure to address both issues adequately which is driving the workforce emergency in the NHS

The Chancellor was scathing in his criticism that ‘militant trade unions’ should be prevented from disrupting lives

It’s beyond disappointing that he cannot see that years of real term pay cuts have led public sector workers across the country to take steps towards

industrial action While we await more detail on the Government’s proposed changes to trade union legisla tion anything that prevents unions from acting in the inter ests of members will be strong ly resisted

While it s good that the NHS and social care services did not feature among the Government’s barrage of tax cuts maintaining funding at existing levels is little consola tion to patients on mammoth waiting lists or the staff provid ing their care With sky high inflation and the soaring cost of living eroding the NHS’s budg et more funding is desperately needed to fill the gaping black hole in NHS finances

“A healthy population with timely access to essential healthcare services is critical for economic recovery Investment in health is an investment in economic growth Investment in our expert work force is an investment in the future of our NHS A plan for growth without a plan for health investment is not worth the paper it is written on ”

WE NOW SUPPLY A WIDE RANGE OF FURNITURE

Issues Facing Care Providers Cannot be Ignored

CAMPAIGNERS say a frightening list of the major concerns facing social care providers cannot be ignored if people are to continue get ting the care they need

The Independent Care Group (ICG) today welcomed a new report on the current social care market which reveals that care providers are most concerned about the workforce, energy prices, inflation and return on operation/capital investment

The ICG has praised the Care Provider Alliance (CPA) for creating a report that lays bare the challenges facing the sector

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said this latest evidence of a sector facing frightening challenges could not be ignored

“We see time and time again evidence that the social care sector is in crisis and facing very real existential challenges that place the deliv

ery of care to many thousands of older and vulnerable people in jeop ardy,” he said

“Here, the CPA very plainly and clearly shows that the level of staff vacancies, the struggle to recruit staff and the rocketing costs of ener gy, food and insurance amongst other issues, are creating a very diffi cult playing field upon which to deliver good, sustainable care

“The Government cannot ignore these issues and hope they will go away ”

The evidence provided by the CPA is to go to local councils for them to consider as they finalise their Market Sustainability Plans

“It is an excellent report by the CPA but makes very difficult reading It does however give local councils vital ammunition to go to the Government and say in realistic terms what they need to deliver social

Mayor Joins Care Home to Open New ‘Jubilee Suite’

A Nuneaton care home recently celebrated the opening of its new Jubilee Suite during a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Nuneaton Councillor Jeff Clarke

Guests joined Coun Clarke at Caring Homes Gildawood Court for the event on Thursday 8th September which saw them tour the suite’s newly refurbished 27 rooms and enjoy afternoon tea themed refreshments

In the run up to the opening, local school children were asked to create a piece of artwork to be displayed in the main living area of the suite as well as help settling on its name

The winning picture was created by four year old Darcie Wileman from Battling Brook Primary School who chose the name Jubilee Suite

Gildawood Court is a 60 bedroom home with beautiful out side space The new suite s 27 bedrooms the majority of which look out onto the private gardens are spread across two floors and there is also a lounge and dining area

Coun Jeff Clarke, Mayor of Nuneaton, said: “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to open the Jubilee Suite here at

Gildawood Court Given recent events the name takes on a new poignancy but it is a beautiful suite and is very welcomed; it is just the type of facility we need in the area I m very impressed with the layout of the communal area and its design and decoration I m sure many people will be enjoying the fantastic facilities and views on offer at the Jubilee Suite for many years to come ”

The opening of the Jubilee Suite follows a successful summer for staff and residents at Gildawood Court which also recently cel ebrated the results of its latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) review as the home received an overall rating of Good Caring Homes Gildawood Court Home Manager Hayley Rix said: We are so pleased that people from the local community including the Mayor were able to join us today for the launch of our new suite The Jubilee was a time of celebration and that is how we feel about this new opening it’s an incredibly exciting time for us especially as it follows the fantastic news of our recent CQC rating We can’t wait to welcome future residents to come and stay with us in our stunning new suite ”

care in the current economic climate,” Mr Padgham added

After surveying providers the CPA found amongst other things that staff vacancies are up 52%; that 60% of providers are having to increase carer pay in addition to their annual pay uplift due to the cost of living crisis and that recruitment costs are up 127% in the last 2 years

It found that even after the introduction of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and the introduction of a cap, energy prices for providers are 3 4 times what they were 12 months ago

Food inflation is over 15% of total costs currently for care home providers and insurance premiums can be 400% higher than pre pan demic levels

Raising the standard of stair climbing solutions

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 commercial 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 manufacturer’s warranty

UK Healthcare Workers Less Likely to Enter

Industr y Compared to Global Counterparts

Lack of focus on mental health support along with a mounting pressure on resources mean that health care workers in the UK would be the least likely to embark on the same career path if they had to join their profession again now a global survey has found

Having borne the brunt of the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic from a healthcare perspective, only 35 percent of practitioners in the UK would still train as healthcare professionals if joining the industry now as opposed to 90 percent in India, 85 percent in Nigeria, and 76 percent in Saudi Arabia

The study by YouGov on behalf of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) revealed that 59 per cent of healthcare workers in the UK said that a higher workload has been one of the biggest changes they have experienced since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic

This indicates one of the factors contributing to a lack of motivation for healthcare practitioners, with oth ers linked to the UK ranking lowest globally when considering trends they predicted to be prevalent in their industry over the next five years:

Only 17 percent thought that an increased investment into research and development would be a trend compared with those in India (60 percent), Nigeria (57 percent), Saudi Arabia (38 percent), Brazil (33 percent), and the US (25 percent)

Only a quarter (25 percent) highlighted education and training of junior members of the team, compared with peers in Nigeria (57 percent) India (53 percent) and Saudi Arabia (46 percent)

41 percent saw attention on mental health and diagnosis as a developing trend; less than peers in India (59 percent) Brazil (54 percent) and Saudi Arabia (52 percent)

In addition 70 percent the highest number recorded thought that a pressure on resources in the industry would remain a trend in the coming years This was much higher than their colleagues in Brazil (27 percent), Nigeria (28 percent), India (31 percent), Saudi Arabia (38 percent) and the US (57 percent)

“These findings point to the frailty of the UK s health system and demand urgent corrective action through increased investment in workforce training and development as well as a sharpened focus on mental health support and advocacy to ensure staff retention The challenges highlighted mean that governments policy makers and industry leaders still have a lot to learn from the lessons of the ongoing pandemic We urge them to accelerate efforts to address the concerns of healthcare practitioners and develop effective mecha nisms to tackle the issues that are negatively impacting the national health system s ability to keep commu nities protected against future health emergencies,” said Sultana Afdhal, CEO of WISH

The survey, which included healthcare professionals from the UK, US Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India, and Brazil aimed to gain insights into the impacts of dealing with COVID 19 on healthcare workers’ lives shine a light on their experiences as well as explore what the future of healthcare might look like according to those serving on the frontline of care delivery

Fundraising Ball Raises Over £400,000

The third annual Care Sector Fundraising Ball was back with a bang on Saturday, raising £401,942 for the Alzheimer’s Society and the Care Workers Charity more than double the proceeds from the last Ball

The Care Sector Fundraising Ball returned on 24th September for the first time since the COVID 19 pandemic with over 500 guests coming together at the Grosvenor House Hotel Park Lane to support two incredible organisations that are integral to the social care sector

Chair of the Championing Social Care charitable initiative and Hallmark Care Homes Foundation Chair, Avnish Goyal CBE, who founded the Care Sector Fundraising Ball said: It has been fantastic to bring the Care Sector Fundraising Ball back this year and raise record sums for two incredible charities! The evening truly sparkled as we came together and celebrated the social care sector reminding us that together we can have such a positive impact

Chair of the Care Sector Fundraising Ball Committee Anita Goyal MBE said: ‘The Ball is always a magical night and this year was better than ever! I am so proud to see such huge support for our two charities this year and am very excited that people are already asking how to join

us in 2023

The event brought to life the spirit of the social care sector, with fantastic entertainment from KSpark and Old Men Grooving followed by Magic FM DJ Neev Spencer Guests also experienced a beautiful Indian banquet while BBC London s Asad Ahmad led the night as the Ball s host and auctioneer Charlie Ross persuaded so many guests to bid and pledge support

Jonathan Freeman MBE CEO of the CareTech Foundation and Vice Chair of the Care Sector Fundraising Ball Organising Committee, said: Alzhiemer s

We are very grateful to our guests who gave so generously on the night We know that the work of both the Care Workers Charity and Alzheimer s Society is essential Charities need our support more than ever as we head into the cost of living crisis and as they continue to provide essential services to vulnerable people We look forward to seeing what both charities achieve with this record donation from the Ball We know these funds will make a huge difference to the charities

Caring For Mental Health: The Impact Of Feeling Unsafe At Work

By Naz Dossa, Peoplesafe CEO (www peoplesafe co uk) and British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Chair of the Lone Working Group

The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Day on 10th October every year and this year’s theme set by the World Federation for Mental Health is Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority

World Mental Health Day offers a valuable opportunity to talk more about mental health at work but for UK health care employers, it may also raise the question “Are we mak ing mental health a priority for our own staff?

For the workers who earn a living out of caring, the men tal health of others is something they may deal with on a day to day basis It s therefore all the more important that they feel able to speak openly about their own mental health and seek support when they need it But are employers in the care sector providing the environment, opportunity and communication channels to make this pos sible?

behaviour towards carers Staff should be effectively trained to work with potentially violent and aggressive patients for example being able to recognise triggers Carers should also be encouraged to document and share information about patients and there should be appropriate systems in place to deal with any inci dents

According to research by Deloitte, 28% of UK employees across all sectors either left their job in 2021 or they are planning to leave it in 2022, with 61% of respondents saying this was due to poor mental health With recruitment problems caused by low pay, Brexit and increased competition for employees in the post lockdown economy filling health and care workers roles is already challenging without the added pressure of poor mental health

Aside from an employer s ethical duty of care for their staff there is a commercial case for focussing on this widespread and worrying issue Deloitte s survey also found that post pandemic the collective cost to employers of poor mental health has increased from £45 billion in 2019 to up to £56 billion in 2020 21

Whether work is directly causing the mental health issue or aggravating it HSE guidelines dictate that all employers have a legal responsibility to help their employees Work related mental health issues should be assessed properly and where a risk is identified steps should be taken to remove it or reduce the trigger as far as is reasonably practicable

If they re not they should be

A GMB report revealed that 75% of care workers found that their work during the COVID 19 pandemic has had a serious negative impact on their mental health with care workers’ anxiety levels 44% per cent higher) than anxiety levels experienced by employees in the wider economy

Research conducted during Carers Week found that 72% of carers have suffered mental ill health, includ ing stress anxiety and depression Additionally a quarter of healthcare workers worry about their personal safety at least once a week

There are a number of precautions that employers can take to help prevent and control challenging

As it stands mental health remains a taboo subject for too many of us Too often health and care workers will be too embarrassed to speak with their manager and continue to suffer in silence By raising awareness, educating their people and putting the right resources in place to encourage open conversations forward thinking employers can proactively challenge this unhelpful culture

At a time when recruiting and retaining staff is critical for the healthcare sector the need to implement a wellbeing strategy is even more obvious Now really is the time to prioritise this issue and take much better care of our minds

Finalists Announced for Care Sector’s Got Talent!

Finalist Jean Higgins said: “I feel privileged to have been chosen to take part as a finalist which by I ll do my best to make it memorable for the event ”

Care Sector s Got Talent first established last year seeks to showcase the amazing hidden talents of the social care sector Whether it is singing, come dy dancing or magic Care Sector s Got Talent looks to celebrate all in their national talent extravaganza

The winner will be awarded £500 in Love2Shop Vouchers and be invited to perform at the Care Show on 12th October

Rebecca Woolley of Championing Social Care said “We know that care workers are incredibly talented at providing exceptional care but it is outstanding to see what incredible

Finalist Ashik Suleiman said I feel grateful to be a part of such a big event Being a finalist in such a prestigious event has given me more confidence in myself and I believe this confidence and the enormous support from Shire Hall is motivating me to perform my best for the finals ” Watch the video to see all the finalists at https://www youtube com/watch?v=F3RQ8csVXaY

To register for free virtual or in person tickets to the grand final on Tuesday 4th October https://championingsocialcare org uk/care sectors got talent/

Kent Care Home Mesmerises Residents with “Enchanted forest” Event

To add interaction to the event the care home staff organised for many living woodland animals to join the event including hedgehogs bunnies frogs snakes and sheep The animals charmed the residents whilst the keeper engaged all by holding talks on each animal allowing the residents to learn many interesting facts

Forest fairies hung from trees, haybales lay scattered across the lawns and sprinkled petals lead the way through to the stunning land scaped gardens of the home Logs flowers and birdcages all accom panied in creating the enchanted woodland scenery and truly transported those present into a mystical wonderland

All who attended dined on a woodland themed picnic prepared by in house chef Elia After all you can t go to the woodlands without one! Also on offer was an ice cream cart to keep everyone cool

These fabulous events are held every new season at Birchwood House with the residents at the forefront of all the plans The home has

Birchwood House the Tunbridge Wells based care home has held a “mesmerising and magical” event for its residents and staff as it cele brated an autumn ‘Enchanted Forest’ event

Following on from its recent carnival themed summer event which included fairground games, food and live music, the care home staff have this time planned a captivating woodland event which allowed the residents to relax in their seats whilst enjoying the beautiful scenery and wildlife

The enchanted forest theme was chosen by staff at the care home as it lends itself to a truly immersive experience for all involved As always the gardens were transformed with stunning scenery to accompany the theme which included rich rusty décor and autumnal colours alongside home crafted table props created by the residents in the run up to the event Wishing wells, giant toadstools and earthy green elegance all dressed the gardens

continued to successfully run these events throughout the pandemic which have included a 1940s Tea Dance and Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

At Birchwood House we really enjoy planning our seasonal events for our residents and team, and we know how popular they are We like to go all out with our décor to ensure a truly magical and immer sive experience for everyone involved ” comments Claire Tye deputy manager of Birchwood House

Claire adds We work really hard to plan these events and are so proud to have yet again created such a beautiful themed event Autumn is such a colorful season and we really wanted to bring the woodland themed event to life by using our fabulous gardens and cre ating a magical backdrop It s great to see the residents sitting and socialising and having such a lovely time together and the animals in particular were popular The theme really worked well with the beauti ful autumn sunshine and again we will take away some special memo ries from today’s event ’”

The finalists have been announced for Championing Social Care initiative Care Sector’s Got Talent!

Eight gifted care workers and residents from care homes across the coun try have been selected to perform at the grand final on Tuesday 4th October at The Blue Orange Theatre in Birmingham Ashik Suleiman Aiysha Rastall Hannah Chambers Carol Paulsen Yull Jean Higgins and Boguslaw (Bob) Wyderka Rakesh Bhaskaran and Robert Speker have been recognised for their singing abilities whilst Sarabdeep Singh has been shortlisted for his dancing skills

performers and entertainers we have across the sector too We are so excited to see them perform at the final and wish all the contestants the best of luck!” Care Sector s Got Talent Host and Majesticare COO said: It is such an hon our to celebrate the amazing talents within the care sector and even more so at our very first live final! We are on a fabulous journey and I cannot wait to share the day with everyone!”

New Hope as Alzheimer’s Drug Slows Memor y Decline in Phase 3 Trial

The pharmaceutical company, Eisai, has reported positive results from its successful phase 3 clinical trial of the Alzheimer s drug lecanemab The results show the drug was able to slow the rate of decline in peo ple’s memory and thinking as well as function over 18 months, and also helped people with day to day activities

The trial known as Clarity AD included 1 795 people with early stage Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer s who received a bi weekly infusion of either lecanemab or a dummy drug (placebo)

Dr Susan Kohlhaas Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK said

This is a historic moment for dementia research as this is the first phase 3 trial of an Alzheimer s drug in a generation to successfully slow cognitive decline These results show that lecanemab slows the progression of memory and thinking problems in people with early Alzheimer s demonstrating a major breakthrough in dementia research This is the first drug that’s been shown to not only remove the build up of a protein called amyloid in the brain but to have a small but statistically significant impact on cognitive decline in people with early stage disease The drug can also cause substantial side effects which will need to be con sidered These top line results announced by the pharmaceutical company that make the drug Eisai offer new hope to people affected by this cruel and devastating disease

“Before a drug is made available regulators in different parts of the world, including the UK, will still need to assess the full data to determine whether lecanemab is safe and effective enough to be used in people with Alzheimer s If the drug is approved, it is essential that it gets to the people who may benefit from it as quickly as possible Now is the time to be making sure that our health system is set up to deliver life chang ing treatments In preparation for this it s vital that the Government’s new Dementia Mission focuses on ensuring the NHS is ready to roll out new licenced therapies as quickly as possible right now only 1 in 3 psychiatry services would be ready to deliver a new treatment within a year

“Today’s results were only possible because of the volunteers who took part in this trial, previous studies of this drug and wider dementia research across the world Eisai is now recruiting people with a high risk of Alzheimer’s who have not yet developed symptoms to take part in further trials, to determine whether the drug slows the disease when given at an even earlier stage People can register their interest to take part in

studies like these by signing up to Join Dementia Research by calling 0300 111 5 111

This drug has only been tested for people in the early stages of Alzheimer s and won t be a silver bullet for all causes of dementia At Alzheimer’s Research UK we will keep working to bring about more break throughs for people with all forms of dementia including those in the later stages of disease We hope today s news will spark renewed investment in dementia research across the globe and political leadership to deliver the funding and infrastructure needed to make life changing new treatments a reality

Lecanemab previously known as BAN2410 is a drug designed to target and clear amyloid one of the hallmark proteins that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s at an early stage of the disease

CLARITY AD recruited participants who had amyloid present in their brains For those receiving the drug treatment effects were seen as early as six months in Of the people who experienced side effects, the most common were headaches and swelling in the brain known as amyloid related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) These were experienced by 17% of those who received lecanemab

Regulators will still need to assess the full data to determine whether lecanemab is safe and effective enough to be used in people with Alzheimer’s in different parts of the world The drug maker Esai aims to file for approval in the US before Japan and Europe later next year However Alzheimer’s Research UK sup porter Alison Littleford from Wolverhampton whose husband Frank was diagnosed with Alzheimer s dis ease in 2020, welcomed the news:

This is very welcome news and although we don t yet know if this is a drug that will be beneficial to Frank or if and when he would be able to be prescribed it, it is so important to us to see that research is making progress

“It has been so difficult to see a once articulate confident outgoing and sociable man become afraid confused embarrassed and dependant on me in such a short period of time

But it is a great comfort to us as it will be for so many families affected by Alzheimer s that there is hope that new treatments are on the horizon

For Frank and me and all people in our situation we need to see all avenues being explored to find suc cessful treatments and then get them to the people who so desperately need them ”

Whitstable Care Home Brings in HUG Dolls for Residents to Increase Comfort and Replicate Human Touch

ered what the benefits were

“During the sessions I was cuddling one of the dolls and I was very impressed with what they did

MHA Bradbury Grange has brought in five HUG dolls following training sessions on how to use them

The purpose of the dolls is to help comfort residents and replicate the same feelings they would get from hugging a relative or loved one

The product is designed to be cuddled and has a beating heart within its soft body and they can also play music of your choice to intensify com fort levels

Tim Bailey deputy manager said:

“We had the initial training session on how to use the dolls and we cov

“The dolls are weighted around the arm which gives you a strong hold and it genuinely feels like you are hugging someone

“We have tried some of the dolls with residents and they do find them quite comforting and soothing

“We are aiming to distribute the dolls across the home and will see where they get most use

Even though they re aimed at those residents who are living with dementia we will not restrict usage just to them, they are available for any of the residents to use

A Whitstable based care home has introduced a new initiative to help residents living with cognitive impairment dementia and those in end of life care

When An Inspector Calls...

Practice makes perfect and this philosophy is advisable to achieve a top performance when industry regulator inspectors scrutinise a care home

To achieve an outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) a home s leadership planning legal compli ance care and procedures need to be excellent not only in deed but also backed up by meticulous documentation

To overcome any doubts about its quality of care a home should arrange regular mock audits of its operations and records

Homes that don t feel confident about identifying any deficien cies themselves can always seek help from independent external experts to point them in the right direction

This will help identify, enact on and embed factors essential to providing successful and person centric care and services

The reputational and commercial damage to a home given a poor rating by the CQC can be devastating

It can lead to a fall in demand for its care from potential new resi dents and current occupants and their families considering alternative accommodation, which will impact on its financial viability

A good reputation is hard won, but can quickly and easily be lost, through sloppy practices and proce dures if a home s owner or managers take their eye off the ball

Care homes striving to retain an outstanding ranking or to improve on a below par performance should operate as if there is an inspector on the premises every day

CQC inspections usually are unannounced Therefore those homes that continually concentrate on meet ing the regulator’s criteria and conditions are less likely to be given a low rating

There are three key aspects to the performance of a care home these are:

Quality care The effective care of people that ensures that residents are living their best lives

• Financial performance A care home must be sound financially and be able to attract and retain the high est calibre of staff

• Management of risk Reducing risks in care health and safety and financially are essential for the long term well being of residents and the care home

By Kevin Groombridge, Chief executive, Independent Care Inspections (www.careinspections.co.uk)

The most successful care homes in terms of high regulator ratings take a positive approach to inspection with robust systems a high degree of preparedness and staff being positive about the inspection process

The preparation and availability of complete records especially care plans is essential for an inspector to locate and see evidence of strong and effective practice

Checklist for Inspection Factors to consider

There are four main factors in preparing for, and achieving better inspection outcomes:

1 Clear understanding of standards, regulations, and best practice:

Communication is key Staff should be aware of and apply all relevant standards regulations and best prac tice

Regular and effective training and supervision is essential for employees so they are confident and able to demonstrate competency

2 Records and documentation:

It is not enough to be seen by residents and their families to be doing the right thing Detailed up to date and accurate documentation must be in place to prove this is happening and that the correct procedures sys tems and methodologies are in place and being closely followed

3 Staff are briefed and confident

When staff are more relaxed and natural then residents are also Inspection can create pressure but confident staff are better at explaining and demonstrating good care and in people interactions This ensures that the inspector can observe a more normal process

To improve practice it is vital that staff are trained properly briefed and their confidence is boosted to partici pate positively in inspections

4 Quality assurance and continuous improvement

A care home that has confidence in its quality assurance system will be constantly reviewing practice to min imise weaknesses and build on strengths

This process is very effective if there are internal and external elements in auditing the home

The CQC inspector is independent of the home and is applying standards that are well known but not just specifically what the care home company has contained within its policies Inspectors will also be seeking evidence that a care home can act on deficiencies that are identified

The most effective care homes and care home groups utilise fully independent inspection systems to ensure that they can achieve higher ratings

“National Emergency”: Addressing the Challenges in Social Care in Wales

for the patient

3 Provide sufficient ring fenced funding and longer term investment to transform out of hospital care and allow and long term service development

4 Publish locality based delayed discharge data so there is clear information and evidence of the cur rent issues in providing packages of care to people leaving hospital

However social care services are facing significant challenges including vulnerabilities in funding and market stability, growing unmet need and high levels of staff vacancies The impact of these challenges means people are missing out on vital care and support leaving them less independent and more likely to rely on healthcare services

This crisis is impacting every single part of the NHS from ambulance services and emergency depart ments to elective care diagnostics GPs mental health services and community care

NHS leaders in Wales stand in support of their social care colleagues and are urging the government to increase investment in care services

Along with increases in pay almost nine in ten healthcare leaders supported an increase in investment to expand overall social care capacity and improve career profession opportunities to boost recruitment and retention 93 per cent said this would be the most effective action that could be taken with 95 per cent of leaders surveyed felt it would be ‘very or ‘quite’ effective to have better integration between health and care services

They say failure to act will leave more and more vulnerable people without the care and support they need as well as adding further pressure on frontline NHS services

Actions are being taken in partnership to mitigate pressures across Wales but without real system change existing efforts cannot go far enough

The Welsh NHS Confederation is calling on the Welsh Government to

1 Provide sustainable funding for social care with a fully funded pay rise to enable recruitment and retention alongside greater overall investment and career progression opportunities

2 Support better integration between health and social services to achieve seamless care and support

5 Introduce performance measures that focus on quality based outcomes prevention community services and whole system collaboration

Darren Hughes director of the Welsh NHS Confederation said: This isn t just about the NHS and social care This is about empowering people to live the best lives they can

“If we don’t want the system to fall over this winter we need immediate short term intervention as well as a sustainable plan and funding model in the long term Decisive action is needed now to commit to making it attractive to work in social care and increase the numbers of social care staff

“This is not a new problem, but one that has snowballed over the years to the point of crisis We know steps are being taken to alleviate pressures, but these are not having a great enough impact

“Of course, this not the only challenge the NHS is dealing with but working together to improve patient flow and ultimately giving more patients the care they need and deserve is the top priority for NHS lead ers

Without immediate action both the NHS and social care could face an endless winter where people are being failed by the very systems that should be there to support them at their most vulnerable

Jonathan Griffiths President ADSS Cymru commented:

All leaders across health and social care will need to work very hard this winter to find additional capacity in the system

However delayed discharge is just one symptom within a wider set of challenges in the integration of health and social care support for people and as such it cannot be considered in isolation We must con sider other factors and variables, including inappropriate hospital admissions, risk managed decision mak ing and crucially workforce supply ”

Keeping Eyesight Healthy for People Living with Dementia

Maintaining good eyesight can be a really important lifeline for people living with dementia and can help support the people who care for them

Zetun Arif, an ophthalmic director for Specsavers Home Visits in the Greater Manchester area, speaks to The Carer about how important eye tests are in helping people live well with the condition and about the service the teams offer to people living in care homes

Q Why is maintaining good eyesight so impor tant for people living in care homes, whether they are living with dementia or not?

Maintaining good vision really matters for all of us but it s especially important for care home residents because they are more likely to have limited mobility and may be at a higher risk of falls

Many of the things they may enjoy doing will involve good vision like watching television or doing puzzles or craft activities

Q. So that’s why regular eye tests are so impor tant for care home resi dents?

Sight loss can lead to people feeling really isolated and if a person is also living with dementia it can make them feel more confused

Regular eye tests allow changes in vision to be tackled quickly and can also detect other eye conditions (such as glaucoma or cataracts) which may need further treatment at an early stage

Q How can Specsavers Home Visits help?

Our home visits teams are trained to support people living with dementia and the people who support them They ll work with to deliver a personalised service to your residents delivered with kindness patience and a smile

Our optometrists use objective assessment techniques which don’t require responses from the person being tested, which means we can offer full support to people living with dementia even if they face chal lenges in communicating with us

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 does your ser vice work?

We ll come to all types of care centre from community houses to residential homes to dementia special ist nursing homes and everywhere in between

In some services we’ll visit for a whole day and provide full routine free NHS eye tests to everyone who lives there while in others we ll visit new residents to give them a check up or see a single resident who is having particular issues with their vision

We supply NHS and private funded spectacles which we deliver and fit in person, and which are engraved with the person’s name so you can easily find their glasses when you need to Glasses start from £19 and the same offers apply as would in store To find out more visit www specsavers co uk/home eye tests

A recent Welsh NHS Confederation survey of over 50 NHS leaders in Wales throws up stark results, painting a picture of a social care system struggling to cope with demand and a pressing need for a long term pay and funding strategy for the sector

Social care services play a crucial role in care pathways caring for people at home keeping people well for longer outside of hospital and enabling faster safer discharges home The sector plays a critical part in protecting NHS capacity and its ability to deliver high quality safe care

Secretar y of State Announces New Health and Social Care Plans: What Does This Mean for Lincolnshire?

Health and Social Care Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Thérèse Coffey’s Our Plan for Patients has been announced this week The plan sets out to improve care for patients this winter and beyond Sector leaders for Lincolnshire are consid ering what the plans will mean for the county and to what extent the interven tions set out within the plan will alleviate the current and anticipated pressures impacting health and social care delivery

A new £500 million Adult Social Care Discharge Fund has been announced as part of the plans to assist patients through the hospital

discharge process and into social care support Efforts to retain staff in a stretched workforce will include changes to pension rules, so that senior clinicians will be encouraged to stay In addition the plan also relies heavily on recruiting a sizeable volunteer pool to support the health and social care sector through this winter with the intention of echoing the surge of volunteers who came forward during the early days of the COVID 19 crisis

According to Melanie Weatherley MBE chair of LinCA the plans are “welcomed”, yet Mrs Weatherley cautions that more details are required and emphasises that it is difficult to know what the impact will be without them”

She went on to say We welcome the Secretary of State s recogni tion of the importance of social care Social care professionals provide a vital service to our community improving quality of life and maintain ing independence with dignity for people with complex needs and support for their families

We are looking forward to working with colleagues to make the most of the additional investment to support during what will be a dif ficult winter We also hold hope that the £500 million gesture of sup port set out within the UK government’s plan will be the beginning of a journey Social care has been suffering from chronic underfunding which will require a long term sustained plan of investment to recover from We hope to see a continued commitment to this goal from the Health and Social Care Secretary into 2023 ”

Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA) represents care and support providers in both the independent and voluntary sectors The UK adult social care sector supports some of the most vulnerable people in society and LinCA works closely alongside care providers across Lincolnshire by supporting their delivery of effective services and ensuring a sustainable choice of quality care provisions

Find out more about LinCA at: www linca org uk

Tributes Paid To 101-Year-Old Signature at Westbourne Resident who ‘Loved An Audience’

Tributes have been paid to a care home resident whose career saw him rub shoulders with television and music stars and become a staple of community life in Bournemouth

Tom Ellarby, a resident at Signature at Westbourne who passed away aged 101 earlier this month was an integral part of life in the area through his youth work and involvement in sport and local politics

Tom and his late wife Margaret worked with 9th Bournemouth Scout Group beginning a long lasting association which saw him serve as Chairman, and the pair become key fundraisers which would even tually lead to the building of the group’s own scout hall some of it built by Tom and Margaret’s own hands

This resulted in Tom receiving a Thanks Badge from the Scouts marking his more than 30 years of service His commitment to supporting the local youth extended to Saint Thomas’ Parish Church Ensbury Park Bournemouth which had started a fledgling football team

Tom eventually managed the team which went on for many years with success He was able to organ ise overseas matches for the team at a time when teams needed special permission from the Football Association to play abroad

In retirement Tom joined the local Conservative club where he would eventually become Chairman and Life President

At home in front of an audience Tom also came to national prominence when he was among one of the first people in the country to be offered their first dose of the COVID 19 vaccination in a care home setting on Christmas Eve in 2020

His career was equally sprinkled with stardust where he worked for Hoover and EMI Group Limited which prior to its break up in 2012, was the fourth largest business group and record label conglomerate in the music industry and regarded as one of the Big Four record companies

This resulted in meetings with among others BBC presenter Pete Murray comedian Arthur Askey and actress Wendy Craig Tom s work in the music industry also saw him frequently visit the famous Abbey Road Studios in St John’s Wood

Tom leaves his two sons six grandchildren and four great grandchildren with stories and adventures his family say will always bring a smile

Tom s son Keith Ellarby spoke of his father s love of socialising and supporting others

He said When my father became a widower 40 years ago, and not long afterwards retired, we were concerned on what he would do We should have known better because he was so at home socially and working in the community

He took up golf bowls and in each he always underplayed his age We always smiled when he talked about organising trips for the elderly members of the club, many as such were younger than him

This continued well into later life where he drove until the age of 97 and continuing his social life dur ing this time not many sons have to tick off their Dad in his nineties for staying out late ”

Keith concluded: My father always liked an audience if you needed someone to stand up and say thanks promote your cause or just deliver he was your man ”

Wendy Blow Client Liaison Manager at Signature at Westbourne said: Tom was a very respected and loved member of our Signature family He loved to chat to the ladies and was always incredibly interesting

“Whenever we did something unusual he would be the first to volunteer to take part as can be wit nessed in his TV and Radio interviews on being the first care home resident in Dorset to receive the COVID vaccination

He is sorely missed but has imparted a bit of his magic on us all We are privileged to meet people like Tom with great tales and wisdom who enrich the lives of our staff and residents We are very lucky to do what we do

Redcot Residents Share Special Birthday Celebrations

Prior to the sad passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II the care team at Redcot Friends of the Elderly s residential care home in Haslemere Surrey pulled out all the stops to ensure two residents had a wonderful day celebrating their joint birthday Christine Freeman and Zena Gay 100 and 93 respectfully share the same birthday although seven years apart but both had an amazing day full of fun and surprises

Christine and Zena have been residents at Redcot for three years and are both firm favourites with their friends and the care team The ladies started their special days opening gifts and cards, but as their birthdays fell on 21st August Christine had one very special delivery her 100th Birthday Card from the late, HM The Queen

Christine who was born and raised in Acton West London said: “Reaching 100 is quite an achievement I don’t feel this age at all I ve lived a lovely life with a wonderful family At school my favourite subject was Geography as I loved hear ing about all the far and distant countries However when I was a child travelling abroad wasn’t as easy as it is today so it was nice to picture different places I was born in 1922 which was quite a year The Wimbledon Tennis Championships began as the Centre Court was officially opened, Tutankhamen s Tomb was discov ered and believe it or not the BBC was formed

“I was a young lady when World War II started and I wanted to do my bit for ‘King and Country I remem ber that King George VI remained at Buckingham Palace for most of the war he was an inspiration to his people I worked in a munitions factory which might sound grim but it’s where I met my husband Samuel so it wasn’t all bad ”

I was born back in 1929 and I was in good company as it s the same year that actresses Joan Plowright Audrey Hepburn, Jane Powell and Grace Kelly were born,” added Zena

Zena is originally from Brentwood but moved to Haslemere when she married her husband Michael in

1952 There she raised their two children Nigel and Vivienne and she is now a proud Grandmother to three grandchildren Christopher Robbie Katherine

During her school years, Zena was quite the opposite of Christine I went to a convent in Brentwood where my favourite teacher was a young nun called Mother Peter I enjoyed all the lessons apart from Geography she said Both ladies enjoy the activities at Redcot with Christine preferring the arts and craft sessions and sing along musical afternoons with Zena liking nothing more than taking part in one of the many quizzes

To continue their birthday celebrations Christine along with some of her care home friends, went on an outing to Southsea Pier for a tasty fish and chip lunch This was fol lowed by a garden party at her Daughter’s house Zena spent her special day enjoying a wonderful time celebrating with her family

Jan Daly the Registered Manager at Redcot said: “Christine and Zena are wonderful ladies and are both very popular residents at Redcot Their birthdays are not all they share as each has a good sense of humour and an infectious smile

We are all wanted them to have fabulous birthdays and we are so glad they each enjoyed their day as they are both special ladies and we wanted to show them how much they means to us ”

When asked what piece of advice they would give to a younger person today Christine said: Be kind to people ” with Zena adding: “And stay away from drugs!”

However both Christine and Zena agreed if they gave their younger selves advice for the future it would be to get on with things don t take any notice of what other people are doing and most importantly be happy,’ which they certainly are

For World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month 2022 Friends of the Elderly’s Dementia Champions Talk ‘Knowing Dementia’

Elderly’s Chief Operating Officer Mark Wilson said: Our Programme, which has been rooted and adopted through out the charity at all levels is an ongoing inclusive educa tion programme It not only educates our team members, but also builds on their exist ing knowledge base and skills, expands their capabilities and heightens their proficiency ”

At Friends of the Elderly’s Bournemouth residential and dementia care home, The Retired Nurses National Home (RNNH) the charity has a dedicated dementia unit which provides care and support for each individual liv ing with dementia

Nearly 55 million people are now living with dementia worldwide with research showing that this number is expected to increase to 78 million in 2030 and 139 million by 2050 Currently more than 850,000 people in the UK are living with dementia In support of this year s

World Alzheimer’s Month, Friends of the Elderly s Dementia Champions are talking Knowing Dementia

In the UK, one in 14 people over the age of 65 have dementia, with the condition affecting one in six people over 80 After the age of 65 the likelihood of developing dementia roughly doubles every five years Friends of the Elderly recognised this and took action Through working in partnership with the University of Worcester s highly regard ed Association for Dementia Studies and Professor Dawn Brooker MBE (who has since retired) the charity created its Dementia Education Programme

Through its Dementia Education Programme Friends of the Elderly now has trained Dementia Champions who work in its care homes and day care centres and they are on hand to support residents clients and their families All the charity s Dementia Champions are exceptionally passionate about their work and strive to demystify dementia to help those who are either living with or supporting a loved one who is living with dementia

The charity s Dementia Champions focus on encouraging independ ence giving reassurance supporting and helping inspiring communi cation creativity interactions and providing high quality bespoke care with dignity that meets each person s individual needs

Talking about the Dementia Education Programme, Friends of the

RNNH’s Dementia Champion Ruth Arnold said “I have worked in care for over 40 years 33½ of those with Friends of the Elderly I have always enjoyed looking after people and making sure they are healthy safe and that their wellbeing is well catered for I believe that through supporting each of my residents who are living with dementia I can help them to enjoy and live their lives in the best way they possibly can through providing an exceptional level of personalised care

Melissa Nutsford, who is the Dementia Champion at The Old Vicarage the charity s residential and dementia care home in Wallingford Oxfordshire added: I am dedicated to providing care that honours and supports our residents to live full joyful happy and inde pendent lives and live really well with dementia I have tremendous respect, regard and appreciation for our residents and work hard to ensure they receive meaningful personal connections and that every interaction, regardless of the context, is bespoke and tailored to their needs

“Through my work I make sure that each resident feels that they are understood important respected and loved that The Old Vicarage is their home and they are safe and secure I work closely with the care home’s Activities Coordinator on compiling a wide range of activities that engage entertain and stimulate our residents No day is ever the same Everyone is different and has their own way of thinking and understanding and I m here to make sure they have activities tailored to what they want to do when they want to do it ”

At Friends of the Elderly in Malvern Worcestershire there are three dedicated homes and a day care service which specialise in residential

nursing and dementia care Davenham, Bradbury Court Perrins House and Malvern Day Care Adrian Tyrer, the Dementia Champion at Malvern said: I have tremendous respect regard and appreciation for our residents and work hard to ensure they receive meaningful personal connections and that every interaction regardless of the context is bespoke and tailored to their needs

I have been with Friends of the Elderly for over nine years and as a Dementia Champion I regularly host Namaste afternoons

“The Namaste sessions are a sensory experience in a calm and relaxing atmos phere Namaste is an expression of appreciation and respect towards another person which resonates with seeing dementia care in different light and from the resident s point of view This is key to everything I deliver every day Taking time to listen and talk to the residents is very important Giving them reassurance support and encouragement with a friendly smile goes a long way One of the best things about my job is being able to put a smile on somebody s face every day

Lana Boneva, Dementia Champion at Redcot residential care home in Haslemere Surrey said: The word dementia is a daunting one To be faced with the loss of your memory, thinking ability, your language and problem solving skills is an awful thing to go though as your daily life will never be the same

“I’ve worked for Friends of the Elderly at Redcot for two years and what motivates me is knowing that even the smallest things I can do make a real difference in providing person centred care I try to intro duce familiar comforting routines as these can help and benefit those people living with dementia, but every day is different as it depends on what our residents want to do and when they want to do it Lana added

In closing Mark said: “We want everyone using our care homes and day care services to have the best experience we can possibly provide which is why our Dementia Education Programme has been actioned by the whole charity

“Our Dementia Champions know how imperative it is to focus on what they know about a person living with dementia and what that per son is confident in If they are engaged motivated and inspired even for a little while they are cheerful and content and that time is quality time

Vale View Heights Appoints Award-winning Director of Development, Paul Courtney, as Care Home Manager

Vale View Heights a 50 bed care home in Sidmouth East Devon has appointed Paul Courtney as care home manager An award winning direc tor of development[1] dementia specialist and nursing home manager Paul brings with him nearly three decades of experience of working within the care home sector

Paul is passionate about driving positive change within care homes and was an instrumental part of the first nursing group in England to achieve an overall outstanding CQC rating Previous experience includes leader ship roles at both Barchester and Southern Healthcare as well as estab lishing his own care home consultancy

Paul’s successful, and proven approach to running outstanding care homes is to turn the traditional medical led model on its head to focus on improving the daily lived experience of residents As part of delivering top quality care Paul prioritises providing nutritious high quality fresh

food and delivering interesting and engaging activities for residents Paul will also ensure that family members are welcomed and seen as partners in each resident s care plan

Paul Courtney said, “I am delighted to have this opportunity to lead Vale View Heights into an exciting new chapter and I am highly ambitious with my vision for the home As well as benefitting from the care of Vale View’s dedicated staff I want to ensure that all residents are stimulated and able to find things that give them joy each day

“I have already hired an experienced chef to enhance the mealtime experience of residents and we will transform the home environment to create exciting new social areas such as a bistro café, a private dining room a cinema and a bar I am passionate about making every day matter for residents at Vale View Heights and I am looking forward to working with the team here to achieve this

AKW Extends its Range of Bidets to Meet Market Needs

Managing toilet hygiene independently is one of the key concerns of those who need carers and for many, using the toilet safely is one of the most important things they do each day That is why AKW a leading provider of bathroom accessibility solu tions has extended its bidet range to ensure even more end users’ clinical and finan cial needs are met

Seat like attachment bidet AKW offers the Side Entry Bidet that has been designed for installation on existing toilet pans and features an external side entry water feed This flexibility means the bidet can be easily removed and re installed on another pan if required in the future However for a longer term seat attachment bidet solution AKW also offers its Bottom Entry Bidet that has been designed specifically for use with select pieces of sanitaryware from AKW s Navlin and Navlin Doc M collec tions and has a bottom entry water feed

Flexible fitted bidet AKW has designed a flexible height Rise & Fall bidet The height of the pan can be set to meet everyone’s needs, promoting toileting independ ence The easily adjustable toilet pan seat height (410mm 610mm height range from

finished floor level to top of bidet) can accommodate users of different heights, needs and ages, and the fold up arms allow for ease of access (that support up to 18 8st (120kg) each) This bidet also facilitates wheelchair transfers and can help users safely navigate around the bathroom

Ergonomic and contact free flushing The AKW Bidet Collection also includes a wide ergonomic bidet seat for optimum comfort An infrared sensor flush addition is also available for use with AKW s Navlin and Livenza Plus raised push button flush cis terns to enable contact free flushing where required AKW s Bidet Collection offers users an extensive range of competitively priced high quality bidet options that provide modern discreet toileting solutions

To find out more download AKW s latest bidet range visit www akw ltd co uk/docu ment/akw bidet collection brochure/

For more information contact AKW on 01905 823298 Email: sales@akw ltd co uk or visit www akw ltd co uk

See the advert on page 19 for further details

More Support Needed for ‘Unseen’ Medical HR Professionals

Around half of NHS staff who support doctors, nurses and the dental workforce with their pay, contracts and rota generation have said they are not satisfied at work and three quarters have raised concerns about their workloads

These are the key findings from a report from NHS Employers out today (Monday 26 September) which explores the challenges faced by people working in the medical staffing profession and how they can be better supported

They come as the NHS continues to face a staffing crisis’ with 132 000 vacancies across the country and as services grapple with staff burnout rising care backlogs and the threat of a very challenging winter

The medical staffing profession provide operational HR support to the medical and dental workforce and mostly sit within the HR function of NHS organisations Around a 1,000 people work in these roles across the NHS

They play a key role in supporting staff working across the NHS with contracts, pay, rota generation and workforce provision This includes managing the August changeover the largest annual rotation of doctors and dentists in training involving more than 40 000 people

Although many people in the medical staffing workforce felt they worked in a supportive team and were making a valuable contribution to the NHS nearly half of them surveyed did not feel satisfied with their job role

This was felt most strongly among staff such as rota coordinators who are on lower salary bands com pared to people in management positions

Furthermore over half of people in the medical staffing profession believed that they did not have any dedicated time for training and development with the main reasons cited being workload pressures time constraints and managing tight deadlines

Increased workload resource and capacity constraints are the key challenges facing the medical staffing workforce the NHS Employers report found In the absence of any action which also addresses the visibility of the role and enhances career development retention will continue to be an issue which will exacerbate

existing staff shortages across the NHS

In response NHS Employers is calling on national bodies and system leaders to better meet the needs of people working in the medical staffing workforce and stands ready to support any action that is taken for ward

Paul Wallace, director of employment relations & reward at NHS Employers (part of the NHS Confederation) said:

“Staff working in the medical staffing workforce feel ‘unseen’ overlooked over worked and unsupported They play a key role in supporting staff working across the NHS which has been particularly challenging during Covid as vacancies and staff absences increased The NHS is facing a staffing crisis and it s impor tant that their views are listened to or we risk exacerbating existing workforce shortages across the NHS

We hope this report will help provide the framework for discussions on how to work in a more collabora tive way and look forward to hearing from colleagues across the system on how to make changes that cre ate new and more effective ways of working supporting the medical staffing profession to deliver their best for doctors the needs of the service and patients ”

The report identifies a number of themes that national bodies and system leaders can take forward to address the challenges faced by people working in the medical staffing workforce and provides a frame work for shared learning and good practice

Themes identified from the report s research include improving the visibility of the role more support for people working in the medical staffing workforce, both in and across HR teams, and better workload and developmental opportunities to improve retention

The survey was carried out between January and May 2022 and received over 550 responses with a num ber of focus group sessions taking place to further explore the views of around 80 people working in med ical staffing profession

It is the first survey of its kind and was sent to medical staffing personnel their managers and HR direc tors in all NHS trusts across England

Cornerstone Healthcare Celebrates 4-year Anniversar

Cornerstone Healthcare, a highly specialised care provider based in Hampshire is celebrating four years in business marked with a number of high level accomplishments

Founders Johann van Zyl and Dara Ní Ghadhra s aim was to fill the void in adult social care by providing a safe place for adults of all ages with challenging behaviours associated with complex neu rological conditions and a mental health diagnosis They embarked on their journey with business partners Ignite Growth who believed in their vision and supported them financially in a buy and build pro gram to create a 350 bed company

In the early days Cornerstone operated 150 beds in the Southeast of England and has since grown to 204 by adding a new service in Surrey With another two services under construction in Somerset and Bristol that are due to open next year the group’s total bed numbers will hit 358

A number of industry leaders recognised Cornerstone s high quality care provision and amongst others the organisation was two years consecutively named Best Complex Care Provider of the Year by HealthInvestors magazine and twice awarded Alantra’s Best Neurobehavioral Specialist in the Country

title

We started this company to make a difference to a sector that needed the expertise to deal with vulnerable people with com plex needs and I believe we have made a difference said Johann van Zyl CEO of Cornerstone Healthcare "We have reached this milestone thanks to fantastic hardworking and loyal staff Van Zyl continued

Dara Ní Ghadhra the Group s Chief Operating Officer added: Although Cornerstone Healthcare has expanded over the four years, we have remained true to our company vision, to deliver the best care possible to our residents and provide the best qual ity training to our teams We have a duty to the relatives that entrusted us with their loved ones to be the best

As part of the celebrations Cornerstone Healthcare has donated 160 meals prepared by the Harbour Hotel in Southampton to the Society of St James who support people that are experiencing homeless ness problematic substance use and mental health problems

All Cornerstone staff were recognised with a £100 shopping voucher as a special thank you

Alzheimer’s and Down Syndrome – Raising

Awareness for the 60% Before 60

MORE than two thirds of people in the UK with a Down Syndrome diagnosis will develop Alzheimer s disease by the age of 60 However despite such significant numbers of people being affected the differ ent symptoms experienced by those with Down Syndrome are not as widely known leading to delayed diagnosis and more importantly delayed support

This September marks World Alzheimer s Month with the theme ‘Know dementia know Alzheimer's’ focusing on post diagnosis support The symptoms of Alzheimer s in those with Down Syndrome can mani fest as deteriorating mobility, reduced interest in socialising and not wanting to do usual activities which differ from the commonly recog nised symptom of memory loss

Leading provider of care and support services National Care Group has trained its colleagues to have a cross diagnosis awareness ensur ing they can spot the signs of additional needs the people they support might have In the case of Graham who is a 56 year old resident at a National Care Group service in Norfolk this knowledge was vital to his support plan

Rachel Marriott, a registered manager at National Care Group, said Within our service we ve supported Graham in managing his Down Syndrome for nine years In late 2021 our team noticed he’d lost his passion for activities he usually enjoyed and was becoming more with drawn This, paired with his decreased mobility, led to a diagnosis of early onset dementia

“Being educated in the correlation between Down Syndrome and

Alzheimer's and the key signs has meant we can put in place a sup port action plan This includes prescribing the right medications to ensure Graham continues to reach his potential at our service

Since developing early onset dementia Graham has been supported to follow his interests, enjoy socialising with other people at the service, and building a strong relationship with his support worker, Hannah

Overland

Hannah said We re so proud of Graham s progress and how the team has adapted the support with his evolving needs It s so important that we constantly reevaluate what support people may need and ensure we re flexible so that they continue to thrive Graham is a prime example of how a few small but significant changes have had such an impact ”

A lifelong Disney fan, Graham’s bedroom at the service was redeco rated last year with Graham involved throughout the entire design process It now includes some of his favourite characters including Minnie Mouse and Goofy Day to day he still enjoys shopping walking on the beach and learning how to cook all with the support of the National Care Group team

James Allen chief executive of National Care Group said:

“Alzheimer's is a disease that almost two thirds of people with Down Syndrome will experience, and knowing how to identify potential symptoms means we can act quickly and effectively in managing the impacts for the people we support

Our values as a business are rooted in providing person centred support We wanted to highlight Graham s story as it exemplifies how well trained and passionate colleagues are the key to ensuring people have the support they need for such important yet unknown conditions as early onset dementia ”

For more information, visit https://nationalcaregroup com/

Lower Meadow Care Home Reflects On Their

Best Moments About Working In Care

The care team at Lower Meadow care home in Stratford upon Avon, spent the afternoon reflecting on their best moments in care and what makes them proud to be a carer at Runwood Homes

Team members were given plaques and tasked with writing an inspiring message about their journey into care and why they choose to work in the industry

After a challenging few years and many unprecedented circum stances affecting the social care sector the care team gave some par ticularly inspiring answers on their experience so far

Deputy Manager Jasmine wrote: I want to make a positive impact to the lives of those we care for at Lower Meadow care home ”

Domestic Assistant, Michael, said: “I want to make a difference to

people’s lives and to provide support for people when they need it ”

Home Manager at Lower Meadow care home Rachel Walker said: “The answers our team members gave were truly inspiring and remind us that we are here for a purpose We feel it is important that each day we remind ourselves why we are here as at times it can be stressful and mentally challenging but ultimately we love what we do

At Lower Meadow care home the health and wellbeing of residents are a top priority The Runwood Homes friendly and professional team offers different types of care to meet a variety of needs including resi dential care, dementia care and respite care or short stay care breaks

Nature Gives Life to Dulux’s Colour of the Year 2023

Dulux is celebrating two decades of Colour of the Year and has just launched its colour for 2023: Wild Wonder™ and four complementary versatile colour palettes that can be used to create stunning spaces across all sectors

Wild Wonder™ a soft gold with hints of green inspired by fresh seed pods and harvest grain is Dulux’s Colour of the Year 2023 Its upbeat glow connects us with nature, creating a sense of energy and positivity

As people search for support connection inspiration and balance in the world today, they re diving into the wonders of the natural world to find it Extensive research conducted by Dulux colour experts and inter national design professionals found that even with so many challenges ahead there was hope at the heart of global social design and con sumer trends

Marianne Shillingford Creative Director of Dulux UK says: Our rela tionship with the natural world feels more precious and precarious than ever As well as understanding the value of nature more keenly with climate change becoming a reality for all of us, we also feel the urgency of reconnecting with nature and the necessity of working with rather than against it

“The earth and its materials have been inspiring humanity for cen turies Now is the time to put them centre stage and bring the outside in

We re re evaluating our relationship with nature and sensing the importance of learning from it not just about it We re understanding afresh that nature is the source of everything bringing us solace inspi ration materials and a myriad of blueprints for living That s why this year we’ve put the wonder of nature at the heart of our colour story ”

“Wild Wonder™ speaks to us in a language we instinctively under stand says Heleen van Gent Creative Director of AkzoNobel s Global Aesthetic Centre which chooses the colour Nature is what inspires us

and makes us feel better in our lives and in our homes That s why for the first time in 20 years our entire colour palette is inspired by the rhythms of nature ”

The name Wild Wonder™ was created on the basis that wild con jures up the freedom of nature and ‘wonder’ conveys the natural magic we see all around us Wild WonderTM is a positive natural tone that by connecting us with the natural world, can help us feel better in our homes

Four decorative paint colour palettes have been designed around Wild Wonder™:

Lush Colours beautiful forest hues that are inspired by the plant filled habitats of gardens and woodlands

Buzz Colours upbeat tones of pinks and ochres that capture the bustling biodiversity of a wildflower field or grassland Raw Colours harvest shades that mimic nature s raw materials

Flow Colours warm neutrals and deeper seashore tones that bring a sense of fluidity and momentum

Lisa Pilley, Dulux Trade Commercial Colour Consultant, adds: “Wild Wonder™ and its four versatile colour palettes reflect the natural world and intuitively connect with nature s supply of substrates and materials

whether structural or aesthetic As the world strives to re use rescue and build sustainably within commercial design programmes, placing humanity and environment at the heart of design is becoming increas ingly essential

“Colour can be transformational and guide occupants’ feelings and emotions This year’s Colour of the Year and associated palettes open opportunities to connect the natural world with our everyday lives in the built environment ”

The year 2023 brings two major milestones to the Global Aesthetic Centre Its ColourFutures™ trend forecast will celebrate its 20th anniversary while the team also reaches three decades of trend analy sis colour research colour design and art direction at AkzoNobel

The launch of Wild Wonder™ is supported by the Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2023 Specifier brochure designed to inspire commercial design professionals working in all sectors from hospitality to health care

This brochure is part of Dulux Trade’s ongoing dedication to support ing specifiers with their latest projects and is part of a wider package of ColourFutures™ content The package includes design mood boards and advice videos that can be harnessed by professionals looking to create the perfect space in any setting using Wild Wonder™

To download the Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2023 Specifier Brochure and for more information visit

www duluxtrade co uk/COTY23 and follow #CF23 on social media

Dulux Trade Colour of the Year 2023 Wild Wonder™ and the palettes are available to specify from 13 September 2022

What Regulator y Changes to the CQC Will Mean For The Care Sector

The last few years have been extremely challenging for the social care sector Not only have we lived through and been on the frontline of a global pandemic, we have seen enormous shifts in the government s policy toward social care

The reform agenda which was so long awaited, has not turned out to be the panacea that we hoped would deliver a long term and sustainable future for the care sector

Occupancy levels and there fore income are also at an all time low and we have huge problems both recruiting and retaining the dedicated staff that we need to deliver high quality care

Social care also faces enormous challenges because it is a regulated sector and one that is predominantly a monopsony due to local and central government This means that we have little flexibility when it comes to reducing costs because we have to deliver high quality care and the regulator requires us to prove how we do this

Another significant problem is that we also cannot recover the extra costs that you would normally pass to customers Unfortunately for care providers the biggest customer is the government, and it simply will not pay fees that reflect the enormous cost increases that we have sustained over the last few years

Ironically because of staffing pressures the CQC is changing the way in which it regulates care services and they are hoping that they

will gain more efficiencies and cover more services with fewer people In the future CQC will rely much more on the data the care providers can give them about the quality of their services

This will mean that the CQC inspectors will be visiting care services far less but will be increasingly relying on care providers to be accountable and prove the quality of their services through the deliv ery of a set of data It is hoped that this data will reassure the CQC that services are of high quality and deliver clear outcomes for the people who use them

In 2023 the CQC will be rolling out the new data driven approach to ensuring quality in both health and social care settings This is a major change in the way in which the regulator works and care providers must be ready to ensure they have the correct data set to satisfy the regulator that services deliver high quality care and support people to live well

The CQC s objective in developing this new approach is to provide a much clearer definition of what good looks like, and also identify serv ices that are failing so that remedial action can be taken

The approach is also very much based on risk assessments, which will be part of a range of data sets that care providers will be required to deliver There are also some triggers such as feedback from resi dents families and staff which will also be used to decide whether a further investigation by the CQC needs to take place on the quality of the service

With all these changes care homes need to be able to be assured of issues such as cleanliness, hygiene, and infection control because these will also be monitored by the CQC because they are important drivers of quality

It also should be remembered how important hygiene infection con trol and the feeling of cleanliness is when people are making decisions about whether or not they will move to a particular service It is for

these as well as regulatory reasons that care providers focus on clean liness and hygiene as one of their top priorities

P&G Professional provides a range of really respected and scientifi cally proven products, to meet the more specific needs of care busi nesses Not only are brands such as Ariel Professional familiar and trusted by residents and their families but they are also proven to work at low temperatures

Energy usage has been brought into sharp focus recently by astro nomical increases in utility costs and this is placing an enormous bur den on the care sector Care providers can be assured that P&G products, even when used at low temperatures and in short cycle washes are proven to give the highest levels of hygiene saving care providers money on energy costs while at the same time giving assur ance of quality is a significant help to care services

The fact that P&G Professional products are familiar is very comfort ing but what is even more important is the knowledge that they are proven and scientifically tested to work The familiarity of the products and the ease of use are also greatly appreciated by cleaning staff who are under enormous pressure since the pandemic, and even more so now they have to prove to the regulator that their services are cleaned to the highest level and that there is a real focus on infection control One of the things that is often said to me is that P&G Professional prod ucts are respected and known to work the first time so the time and energy put into cleaning can be assured to deliver real results

There are so many things that cause care providers concern around this new approach to regulation but what they can be assured of is that if they use tried and tested P&G Professional products, they can be absolutely confident that their hygiene and infection control regimes are the best they can possibly be

Care Home Residents Visited by Therapy Pets

General Manager Jane Shea said: All our residents are fascinated by animals so we were delighted that Cherry and Boo were able to visit It was brilliant to be able to ask Kelly questions about working with the animals and what it is like to look after them We loved hearing all about their different personalities

QCS Enhances Dementia Centre to Improve the Lives of People Living with Dementia

Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) a leading SaaS platform serving over 4 000 social and primary care providers has today released major enhancements to QCS Dementia Centre that significantly advance care for service users living with dementia Customers can now capture store and review PAL cognitive assess ments within the QCS system and benefit from new resources that guide care givers on how to deliver the best possible care

QCS Dementia Centre now fully incorporates QCS PAL Instrument which is the brainchild of Jackie Pool a world renowned dementia specialist and is a reliable and validated tool for assessing cognitive ability A PAL cognitive assessment identifies individuals at a Planned Exploratory Sensory or a Reflex level and pro vides care givers with the appropriate help and guidance on how to best support the service user based on their assessment level An individual s assessment result and the associated guide can also be downloaded and shared with other systems or with the service user's family

Using the PAL Assessments dashboard care managers can improve the man agement of their teams their budgets and their recruitment strategies They can schedule assessments, see when they are due or overdue and review the history of all assessments by service user care team, or location By understanding both progression and signs of regression they can better coordinate and resource activities in the care environment, such as getting service users dressed in a timely manner and efficiently managing mealtimes In addition, many new resources have been added that will help with the training and development of staff who are caring for service users living with dementia

Jackie Pool, QCS s Dementia Care Champion, said, “With PAL cognitive assess ments fully integrated into QCS Dementia Centre, along with all of the innovative resources that link to it, QCS is transforming how service users living with demen

tia can be cared for This demonstrates the invaluable role that technology plays in supporting and evidencing excellence in dementia care

Damaris Daniels QCS s Director of Content and Operations added We are delighted to launch the new release of QCS Dementia Centre which is the culmi nation of many months of close collaborative work between Jackie and our tech nology team As the care sector moves away

https://www qcs

QCS

Centre

Apetito

https://www qcs co uk/free webinar dementia friendly dining/ ABOUT QCS

centre/

Quality Compliance System (QCS) is the leading compliance management sys tem for the care sector QCS provides over 140 000 care professionals with access to the most comprehensive set of customised policies, procedures and compliance toolkits, enabling users to stay compliant with the latest regulatory requirements With over 350 customised policies, procedures and compliance toolkits, QCS customers can be safe in the knowledge that they will always be up to date with any changes to legislation, regulation and best practice, whatev er happens

For more information, visit www qcs co uk or call 0333 405 33 33 or email sales@qcs co uk

Professor Martin Green OBE is an Expert Advisory Council member for P&G Professional and the Chief Executive of Care England

To mark Alzheimer s Awareness Month staff and resi dents at Barchester’s Hugh Myddelton House care home in Southgate were treated to a visit from some beautiful thera py pets Animals have a wonderful calming effect and the residents love to stroke them talk to them and play with them

The home was visited by two cute 4 weeks old Toy Poodle puppies Cherry and Boo who caused a great deal of excitement All of the residents enjoyed the visit, they pet ted them and played with the puppies who seemed to appreciate meeting their new friends

Kelly from Performing Pets says: The puppies have had a wonderful afternoon! I don t think they have ever had so much attention! It was lovely to see the residents getting so much pleasure from the visit, I think it is fair to say Cherry and Boo have a new fan club!

Record Year for Alzheimer’s Research

UK as Income Reaches £42.2m

Alzheimer s Research UK is celebrating a year that has seen it bounce back from one of the most challenging periods to date to invest more in research than ever before

Overall the UK s leading dementia research charity reached an income for 2021/22 of £42 2m with an incredible £39 2m of that coming from donations As a result the Cambridgeshire based charity was able to invest £28 6m in its charitable activi ties including £23 6m in pioneering dementia research

This record financial performance follows a challenging year for the charity due to COVID 19 During the pandemic

Alzheimer’s Research UK was forced to put much of its usual activity on hold labs were hit by closures and restrictions and fundraising activities were cancelled or curtailed But 2021/22 saw the charity emerge stronger and more determined to help bring about life changing treatments for people affected by dementia

“We were always open and vocal about the challenges we faced due to the pandemic and we are hum

bled that our supporters rallied around us and have continued to as per sonal finances become more squeezed than ever We had always pledged to redouble our efforts as soon as we were able to and thanks to all those who continued to donate fundraise and volunteer their time we ve been able to do just that We’re privileged to have such an amazing community of people standing with us in our mission to bring about life changing treatments for dementia, the need has never been greater

We re proud to have been able to continue our work to support early career researchers, launching new long term initiatives to keep these sci entists working on dementia and supporting them to become future lead ers These last two years have been particularly hard for all those affected by dementia a condition that remains one of our leading causes of death and still has no treatments available in the UK that can stop or slow the underlying disease We re making incredible progress and we are hugely grateful to all those who have made this progress possible we’ll keep working to transform the lives of everyone affected by dementia

AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust Team Visit Parkstone Care Home

Care South’s Alexandra House care home in Parkstone was delighted to open its home for a special family fun day with the AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust team

Residents welcomed lots of family members and friends, including many of their children and grandchildren for a fun day of sports in the garden Everyone took part in football themed activi ties including football skittles football skills tests and throwing competitions Many of the children donned AFC Bournemouth kits, and the team rewarded those attending with lots of goodies including branded scarves football shirts and AFCB clocks

“It was such a great day which residents in our care loved Seeing all their family members enjoying themselves and particularly seeing their grandchildren and great grandchildren running around and hav ing so much fun really meant the world to residents For us, it’s always about trying to enrich residents lives and days like this are just so enjoyable for everyone and really help build lasting memories for resi

dents in our care which is really rewarding for our team ”

It was fantastic to see everyone come together and socialize and just have lots of fun There was a real family feel and we were delighted to see so many residents getting involved There are so many physical and mental benefits to keeping active and we really enjoy seeing the benefits during our weekly visits to Care South’s homes ”

The visit from the community sports team was thanks to the ongoing partnership between AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust and Care South, which began in 2014 The partner ship allows residents, home care clients and staff to get involved in a variety of activities including meeting players coffee mornings walking football and visits to the Vitality Stadium

Wellington Care Home Leads the Way in End-of-Life Care

A specialist dementia care home in Wellington has been recognised by a national standards body as an exemplar in the quality of palliative care they provide for residents scoring full marks in its recent inspection, and now qualifies as a finalist in October’s national awards for Care Home of the Year

It is the fourth successive occasion that Camelot House and Lodge part of the Camelot Care group has been recognised under the Gold Standards Framework (GSF) whose role is to enable delivery of the very best end of life care

Paul Teasdale director of Camelot Care said:

At previous inspections in 2013 2016 and 2019 the home also passed with flying colours, and we were awarded the top grade at the last inspection as well as this one

This fourth accreditation is evidence of an exceedingly strong long term commitment and genuine dedication and is such a reassurance for the families of our residents about the quality of the care we provide

“Huge congratulations to our home manager Sam Paddon and her team we are so

proud of them ”

The GSF inspector said:

Our visit clearly demonstrated the dedication from all members of staff in the home to use GSF as their guiding framework throughout the pandemic to give the best care that they could for the residents and the families, whilst also supporting staff through an incredibly difficult time

They come back to the framework and reflect and ask themselves again and again what is the aim of the framework and how can we keep providing excellent care for our residents not only at end of life but their quality of life as well for every resident in the home ”

The report especially highlighted Camelot House and Lodge s strong and supportive leadership at management level their strong teamwork the long service records of staff members and the excellent team communication and support they demonstrate

Former Neighbours Tie the Knot After Reconnecting at a Surrey Care Home

Church bells are ringing out for a pair of former neighbours after tying the knot at a Surrey care home where they reconnected years later as residents

Originally hailing from Farnham 55 year old Simon John Fisher and 63 year old Tina Dawn Clark reconnected after moving into CHD Living s Crest Lodge in Hindhead a care home that specialis es in supporting those with mental health needs

Finding themselves living in close quarters for the second time in their lives, the duo who previously lived just four doors down from one another bonded through hours of late night chats organised activities and excursions before Simon romantically bent the knee on Christmas Day

Simon said We already knew each other and got even closer whilst living at Crest Lodge where we met eight to nine years ago

I decided I wanted to marry Tina so proposed about three years ago on our favourite day of the year, Christmas Day She responded by saying she’d think about it, but in reality she d already bought my engagement ring six months prior and was waiting for me to catch up! With the support of staff at Crest Lodge, the loved up couple recently tied the knot at Guildford Register Office following a heartfelt reception ceremony at the care home

Showcasing the deep rooted family ethos inherent throughout the CHD Living services, Simon and Tina selected Crest Lodge wellbeing coordinator Christopher Edwards to be their best man

In addition fellow wellbeing coordinator Donna Paul and home manager Krasi Petrova were chosen as witnesses to the couple s matrimony with the wider team helping to create the fairy tale wedding of dreams

Reflecting on the beauty of the day newlywed Tina said We ve had a marvellous time and have been so fortunate to have a lovely car a lovely service and beautiful colourful decorations A huge thank you to all the team at Crest Lodge for helping make this hap pen it s been a dream come true

Alan Walton Harrod Mental Health Specialist Nurse at Crest Lodge said: “This is the first time ever in my 48 years of psychiatry that two residents or clients have got married and it s wonderful and very encouraging I wish Simon and Tina all the very best for the future ”

Shaleeza Hasham Head of Hospitality and Communications at CHD Living added: We are over the moon that we were able to provide Simon and Tina with their very own fairy tale wedding

Shirley Cramer Interim Chief Executive of Alzheimer s Research UK said

Lauren Taylor Home Manager at Alexandra House commented:

Steve Cuss Head of AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust commented:

time for Action!

The war in the Ukraine has, amongst other things, highlighted our overdependence on fossil fuels With uncer tainty around fuel supply and mounting energy costs we find ourselves in a global energy crisis

Yet, in the midst of all this uncer tainty, it s clear there exists a momentous oppor tunity An oppor tunity to embrace and accelerate the deployment of clean technologies to help achieve energy security and ultimately arrive at net zero

The Challenge Facing the Care Sector

When it comes to climate change and the continued burning of fossil fuels business as usual is no longer an option Nursing homes and care homes provide a critical service ensuring patients and residents are cared for in a comfor table and warm environment The majority of facilities provide heating and hot water from fossil fuel boiler systems the fact is this must change As with ever y sector of society the care sector must become more sustainable But, when it comes to decarbonizing buildings and in par ticular heat there are significant challenges facing the care sector How do you decarbonise buildings rapidly cost ef fectively and without disrupting the critical service of caring for patients?

Enter the ActionZero EscoPod

The EscoPod Decarbonising Heat Rapidly & Without Disruption

The EscoPod is a patented, high temperature heat pump technology designed to replace traditional heating systems with a high ef ficiency and fossil fuel free alternative The EscoPod AZH ActionZero s dedicated heat pump system for the healthcare industr y, has been designed specifically to deliver heating (and cooling) to non domestic buildings in the healthcare sector including hospitals nursing and care homes

Not only does this technology replace the need for fossil fuels but it also produces multifunctional outputs that can be used for heating cooling and domestic hot water The EscoPod AZH also of fers significant energy ef ficiencies with savings of up to 70% and cost savings ranging up to 65%

Amongst the many benefits of this technology is the fact that it can be installed with minimal disruption i e , there is no need for costly building fabric or mechanical system upgrades which are typically required with conventional heat pumps This of fers many organisations a lifeline a realistic pathway to decarbonise their operations without enormous cost and business interruption

ActionZero describes themselves as a one stop shop They will manage a clients decarbonisation journey from end to end providing an af tercare package that includes Operations & Maintenance as well as ongoing per formance validation via data analytics

The EscoPod in action

Earlier this year ActionZero announced a par tnership with the Bons Secours Health System, the largest private hospital network in Ireland The ActionZero EscoPod AZH is currently being installed at the Bons Secours Hospital Tralee Co Kerr y with plans to expand the roll out of the technology across six other sites in the healthcare group

We are thrilled to partner with Bon Secours; an organisation that are showing commitment to climate change and taking definitive action to reduce their carbon emissions

The EscoPod AZH solution enables healthcare organisations to address the very significant challenge that is decarbonising heat and it does so while putting money in our customers pockets a win/win where commercial opportunity meets social good ’ said ActionZero CEO Denis Collins former global executive with IBM and previous chairman of IDA Ireland Regional Development

The Future is green

According to ActionZero COO Cormac Murphy ‘The EscoPod is coming to market at a time when companies are struggling to meet the increasing demands to decarbonise existing facilities We are excited to be part of the solution, supporting these businesses in their transition to zero emissions in a cost effective manner ’

To suppor t the ongoing development and expansion of its EscoPod product range, ActionZero opened an Irish manufacturing and research & development centre in May 2022 From here the company will design and manufacture their heat pumps before expor ting them to clients internationally This site will create at least 50 high value engineering and manufacturing jobs locally With plans to invest €3m in the company over the coming three years, ActionZero projects sales growth of €50m over the next two years

Act onZero Senior Leadership Team at Townhal Summ t in the Sky Suite Penrose Of fices Cork Photographer: David Keane

Photographer

Re-engage and Parkinson’s UK Join Forces

Re engage the charity dedicated to ending loneliness and isolation among older people is partnering with Parkinson s UK for a call befriending service

The programme will launch next week (Oct 3) when Re engage will start to match volunteers with people living with Parkinson s or their carers for regu lar phone calls

Re engage is aiming to help around 150 people aged 60 and over referred from Parkinson’s UK over the next twelve months To deliver this, it is recruit ing new volunteers who will undergo Parkinson s related training to under stand the condition but will not be required to provide specific advice

The charity already runs a call companions service for older people which was launched during the Covid pandemic and award winning rainbow call companions for older members of the LGBT+ community which launched ear lier this year

Meryl Davies, CEO of Re engage said:

Re engage s call companion service has been connecting people for more than two years and is has had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of older people

Telephone befriending is a simple but hugely effective way of ensuring that vulnerable people maintain a link with the outside world and regularly have a recognisable friendly voice at the end of the phone

“We are delighted that we can expand call companions by partnering with Parkinson’s UK recruiting and training volunteers to work with people affected by the condition and playing our part in supporting the

School

Evermore Care has this week joined forces with local school chil dren to put together a time capsule commemorating 2022 to be placed in its new care home due to open in Chorley early next year

The idea of putting a time capsule in the new home came after the success of the Queen’s Jubilee event hosted in June at their Ashton Manor home in Lancaster At the Jubilee event residents and their families celebrated Queen Elizabeth s 70 years on the throne by bringing together memorabilia of times past With the construction of their new home well underway the team at Evermore Care felt it was the perfect opportunity to bring together local school children to cre ate a time capsule To mark the event, children from St Peter’s Church of England school in Chorley were invited to bring their own items that represent the here and now

Parkinson s community

“As Parkinson’s progresses a gradual loss of movement and impaired bal ance make social interaction a daily challenge People affected by Parkinson s including carers can feel isolated and cut off from the world and we are delighted that this partnership will mean we can be part of supporting them

Caroline Rassell, Chief Executive of Parkinson’s UK, said:

Living with Parkinson s or caring for someone with the condition can be isolating and lonely For some it’s motor symptoms that make it difficult to get out to see people whilst others struggle with the mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression

“At Parkinson’s UK we’re aiming to support everyone affected by Parkinson s throughout their life with the condition Our free and confidential helpline continues to provide incredible insight and advice on everything from medication to benefits, but through this partnership with Re engage we re now able to offer companionship

“We’re so grateful to the volunteers who will be befriending members of our community, offering them someone to talk to about their lives including everything outside of their Parkinson s We are looking for ward to learning from the first year of this partnership with a hope to expand this offering in the future ”

If you’d like to volunteer as a call companion for this new service please contact Re engage at: www reengage org uk/volunteer or call: 020 7240 0630

in

This exciting event took place on Thursday 22nd September on the new Astley View site where the children were treated to an exciting walk through the construction site and enjoyed a talk about the care home which is the first to be built in Chorley in over 10 years Helping the children to learn more about the building process, whilst on site they built a small section of brick wall and were able to draw pictures on the steel structure to leave an enduring secret and special marker

of their visit

School teacher Sarah Casey says “We’re honoured to be invited to the new site and be part of this moment for the local community and the children It’s great for the kids to learn and reflect on the what’s happening in the world today and capture that moment for future res idents They were really excited to bring their items along and it was such a treat for them to sign the capsule and help to place it in the building Having a go at building a wall was also a unique experience!

The team at Evermore Care believe that marking moments like these with the local community are extremely important in bringing generations together

Care Home Director Gaye Clark says We value the opportunity to bring people in our community together These moments are pre cious and they bring joy to everyone involved ”

I m really proud of the work we do here at Evermore and I m excit ed to watch our vision for Astley View emerge from the construction site We know from our experience at Ashton Manor that this home will help transform the lives of the future residents ”

NHS Delivers 2.1 Million Covid Autumn Boosters

The NHS Covid vaccination programme has delivered 2 1 million autumn boosters just over a fortnight and 1 35 million last week alone

NHS chiefs are urging people to get vaccinated without delay ahead of a potential twindemic of Covid 19 and flu this winter

Chelsea Pensioners are among those who have had their protection topped up ahead of winter when Covid flu and other viruses circulate

NHS teams have delivered boosters at 3 800 care homes as well as vaccination centres pharmacies and GP practices

So far 2 1 million people have been boosted with a further 1 7 million booked in to receive their jab over the coming month

The NHS Covid vaccination programme the biggest and most suc cessful in health service history, is offering appointments at a record 3 100 sites this autumn including more than 1 680 community pharma cies with over 200 walk in sites operating as well

Sites include a DIY store in Shepton Mallett to a converted bus station in Towton services have ensured getting the latest jab as convenient as possible with nearby sites listed on the online walk in finder

The autumn booster campaign is among a package of NHS measures to prepare for winter as the health service continues to face record demand on its urgent and emergency care services including by ramping up bed capacity, increasing the number of 999 and NHS 111 staff, and working with colleagues in social care to ensure patients can be discharged in a timely manner

NHS director of vaccinations and screening, Steve Russell, said:

The NHS Covid 19 booster programme is off to a flying start with over two million people topping up their protection ahead of winter

But with experts warning that Covid and flu could combine in a ‘twindemic there is no room for compla cency

“We are still seeing hundreds of patients with Covid being admitted to hospital every day and getting an autumn booster could save your life

“So, I urge anyone eligible who is yet to get their vaccine, to come forward and book a jab online through the NHS website or by calling 119 as soon as possible if you haven t yet sorted an appointment

Public Health and Mental Health Minister Dr Caroline Johnson said:

This is a very encouraging start to the autumn booster programme with thanks to the NHS staff for their continued hard work and those who have come forward to get their vaccines

We know Covid and flu will be circulating at the same time this win ter, so it is vital all those eligible continue to come forward for both jabs as we ensure to protect our most vulnerable

“Keeping this progress up is essential please do not hesitate to come forward when invited

Health and social care workers people with a weakened immune system pregnant women and others at greater risk from the virus can already get their jab along with all over 65s

The latest booster jab comes as the national NHS vaccination lead warned that there is no time for complacency in the fight against coron avirus

In line with JCVI guidance the autumn booster will be offered to around 26 million people across England over the coming weeks including those aged 50 and over, as well as other clinically at risk groups with over 65s the immunosuppressed and frontline health and care workers already encouraged to come for ward to get their vaccination

It is particularly important for people with a weakened immune system to top up their protection and they do not need to wait to be invited by their GP they can book an appointment on NBS or attend a walk in site

80 hospital hubs have also joined the latest booster drive delivering the jab to members of the public as well as their own staff and administering the flu vaccine where possible

As with previous campaigns people who are most vulnerable will be called forward first with people able to book in online or through 119 as long as it has been three months since their last dose

This month the NHS is also rolling out this year’s flu vaccine with eligible people able to get their flu and COVID jab at the same time depending on local system arrangements

Cygnet Health Care Heading for a Greener Future

A UK healthcare company has launched its sustainability strat egy and is making significant headway in its green develop ments

Cygnet Health Care an independent provider of services for individuals with mental health needs learning disabilities and autism has procured 100% renewable energy across all its serv ices since 2021 and has now set out its ambitions to achieve net zero carbon for direct and indirect emissions by 2035 and net zero carbon emissions in its supply chain by 2045

Gordon Bailey, Procurement Director at Cygnet Health Care, explained: All of Cygnet Health Care is committed to having a positive impact on the environment and we take our responsibili ty to contribute to a greener society very seriously We are proud of the role we play in our communities and we are committed to having a positive impact on the environment

But taking care of the environment isn t just about a strategy Everyone at Cygnet has a responsibility and the power to make small changes and contribute to a greener planet for all ”

A number of measures have been taken to demonstrate Cygnet s green credentials It has removed black plastic from its food supplies and used cooking oil is recycled In addition, all new builds or fit outs are completed to high environmental standards with sustainability at the top of the property team s agen da including solar energy generation LED lighting high efficiency boilers full insulation and double glaz ing All light fittings in existing sites are replaced with suitable LED units when they reach end of life and high efficiency condensing boilers are installed when heating boilers need to be replaced

“The team recently carried out substantial earthworks at Sherwood Hospital, our new service in Mansfield with over 2 000 lorry loads of earth removed off site 100% of which was recycled for reuse Gordon added “They used intelligent digging, allowing us to increase productivity and efficiency, and reduce waste helping lower our carbon footprint compared with other traditional methods

In further evidence of its green ambitions, Cygnet will be installing solar panels across its portfolio with the top 20 electricity using sites installed over the next 12 months at a cost of £1 7m The aim is for return on investment within 5 years and that the panels will supply 13% of the organisation s electricity and 25% of each respective site’s electricity

When it needs to change or upgrade any of vehicles, they will be replaced with electric vehicles where possible, to ensure its large fleet is increasingly environmentally friendly It is hoped that 100% of the vehi cle fleet will be electric by 2032

This year, Cygnet also launched its’ co sustain initiative to empower service users and staff to take sus tainability into their own hands Led by the Procurement and Experts by Experience teams, co sustain uses the principles of coproduction to raise awareness and educate individuals on meaningful changes they can make to have a positive impact on the environment One of the first projects it launched is a new bin signage pilot across six services The pilot will educate people on the different types of waste streams and how to dispose of materials correctly

Gordon explained: “Cygnet will be working closely with service users, residents and staff to raise aware ness of environmental issues take action and explore creative ways of reducing our carbon footprint across our services

“Sustainability is an extremely important topic and coproduction is the perfect match when considering partnership working to get that buy in across the board Our Procurement team have been working tire lessly in the background to ensure we are doing everything we can to support this important agenda

“During the pilot we saw a positive change with recycling rates going up and general waste rates going down

“This is a truly exciting time at Cygnet as we begin our journey toward a sustainable future Sustainability isn t just a hot topic it s a way for us to work together with our service users and colleagues to ensure we give future generations a happy healthy and greener future ”

Cygnet Health Care’s five year Strategic Plan can be accessed at https://www cygnethealth co uk/about/strategic plan 2022 2027/

For The Cuppas That Show You Care

With lots of refreshing fruit and herbal blends as well as Original and black tea, Tetley has a solution for everyone when it comes to having a cuppa

Here at Tetley we understand the challenge of keeping your residents hydrated and the important role a quality cuppa can play

A significant 20% of care home residents are dehydrated1 which can lead to hospital admission This is easily preventable by keeping hydrated EVERY CUPPA COUNTS

It can be hard to make sure your residents are drinking up to 8 glasses of water a day Tea counts towards the recommended daily water intake 2 making this the perfect comforting beverage to serve as a way of keeping on top of hydration

Whilst black tea remains a firm favourite among tea drinkers 3 having a range of tea blends including fruit and herbal options is important and goes a long way in keeping your residents hydrated This way you can maximise the opportunities to maintain hydration levels throughout the day by catering to different dayparts

As the nation s favourite 4 by serving Tetley to your residents, you will be bringing to them a familiar taste helping them relax and settle For the love of tea for the love of Tetley

FOR THE LOVE OF TEA

Tetley is

We’ve been serving quality cuppas to the nation for the past 185

years

Operating globally, we source, buy and blend the finest tea leaves so you can promise residents per fection with every sip

Whilst we are tea masters we are also environ mentally conscious and committed to operating our business in a way that supports the people and envi ronment it touches With every Tetley cuppa that you and your residents drink, you’re helping us in reaching our sustainability and environmental goals MORE THAN JUST TEA

Designed with care professionals and caterers in mind the Tetley Hydration Handbook and Hydration Help Sheet offer insight and advice to help keep residents hydrated in all care environments!

We have a range of free POS and merchandising

reassure residents

serve the much loved taste of Tetley while having physical drink prompt reminders for staff Sources:

Access Government

dehydration

1

elderly

Hassle -and Stress- Free Bath Adaptations - Without Delay

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 intimate 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 provide 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

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

Jolly Trolley Brings Therapeutic Activity and Entertainment to Patients That Are Isolating

The Jolly Trolley® is an essential for any care establishment as it pro motes social interaction between the service users and their carers This innovative system is fully mobile and battery operated allow ing residents who may be unable to leave their rooms to also be includ ed w th ease The Jolly Trolley® comes complete with its own videos quizzes karaoke and other content but personal music photos and films can then be added from a USB stick to really bring out the mag c!

Don t just take our word for it here are just some testimonials from our very happy Health and Social Care clients: Chester Park Megan Allan

to provide correct postural support stabilisation and abduction wherever else required for daily life The Aqua Liberty system stows compactly away freeing 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/

Activities The fact that we can upload what s relevant to the spe c fic Individual is so meaningful for that person and I can assure you we have shed some tears being able to be part of that res dents memory journey It has been an amazing add tion to our care home from staff and res dents thank you

Pennine NHS Trust Beech Ward we have been able to pro vide therapeut c activity & enterta n ment w th 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 the front cover

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels for Drug-Free Pain Relief

BIOFROST®

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 people

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy

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

marked Class

health

Medical Devices, the BIOFROST®

the advert on page

Ambassador Textiles

We pride ourselves on the quality of our Taiwanese Anti piI fleece and the range of over 50 colours we offer We have been in the fabric trade for over 50 years and manufac turing our fleece blankets for over 20 years

High volumes of our quality cosy fleece blankets are sold to the hospi tality nursery and pet sector This is due to the cost effectiveness of fleece along with the durability and washability The anti pil brushed sur face of the fabric lessens the bob ble effect found on many fleece fabrics of inferior quality

Co ordination to a theme is

mally achievable due to

a variety of sizes we currently have several clearance fleece options available in our two most popular sizes

In keeping with our mission of the last 50 years along with all our other fabrics Ambassador Fleece Blankets offer great value for money backed up with the quality assurance and good service we have always offered Please contact a member of our helpful experienced sales team on 0161 624 4167 or info@ambassador

Yeoman Shield Fire Door Ser vices Taking the Guess Work out of Fire Doors

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

For a complete repair and protect service contact the team today frdp@yeomanshield com or visit www yeomanshield com or see the advert page 10

Free Online PAT Testing Course

Everyone can benefit from free train ing! Parker Bell offers a free online PAT Testing course which is ideal Care Home Managers and maintenance staff It gives you all the information about your legal obligations and responsibilities It also covers practicalities such as:

Equipment needed

Full visual Inspect on How to do a PAT Test

What records to keep

As a result of the pandemic many have found their working environment has changed dramatically You may no longer allow people/contractors on your premises PAT Testing is straightforward to do and can be easily managed in house Our free course will show you how you can PAT Test, and what’s more the HSE say any competent person can do it!

How do you access the free PAT Testing Course?

It s simple, just go to www onlinepattestingcourse co uk Here you will be able to access the course, you just need an email address to sign up The course is made up of short modules and is simple to follow Who should do the course?

Probably everyone should do the course as it shows you basic electrical equipment safety; which given the

amount of electrical equipment we now have in our homes makes sense Both employers and employees are responsible for inspecting and main taining electrical equipment in the work place So you should encourage all staff to do the course

What equipment do you need?

Any competent person can PAT Test however you will need to use a PAT Tester that give you and outcome Pass or Fail It’s great if the PAT Tester has readings as well but they are not essential

How often should I PAT Test?

Frequency of PAT Testing is dependent on your Risk Assessment You need to include the routine inspec tion & maintenance of electrical equipment in your Risk Assessment and the risk should determine the fre quency Factors affecting the frequency include What the electrical equipment is

How often ts’ used

• Where its used

• Who uses it Want to discuss further?

You can call us on 01392 364933 or email sales@parker bell co uk We are always happy to help!

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Renray Healthcare

Consort Claudgen launches Consort Connect app

Renray

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

Raising the Standard of Stair Climbing Solutions

The Stair Climbing Company is one of the leading providers of powered Stair Climber solu tions which have been specifi cally designed to assist those struggling with mobility and independence issues facing people with disabilities

The Stair Climbing Company offers an excellent range of compact easy to use powered Stair Climbers that are ideal for use in both home and commer cial settings Offering innovative designs all of the company’s Stair Climbers can be separated into two pieces for safe storage and are easily transported and charged In addition all of its Stair Climber’s come with a two year manu facturer’s warranty

The Stair Climbing Company maintains one main

mission; to improve quality of life through its range of high quality and custom devices with built in seats The safety and comfort of its customers is of the utmost importance to the company and it ensures that each wheelchair car rier model is designed to cater to individual customers specific needs and works with all stair types Furthermore the company provides Stair Climbers for all ages making them suitable for everyone and offers a free assessment for customers

If you would like to find out any more information please see the details below:

Furniture That Improves Health

For Residents… And Staff

Mobility furni ture has come on leaps and strides over the last few years Gone are the dreary semi functional chairs and beds of the past Today’s generation of rise and recline chairs and adjustable beds look smart, last for years and are better designed and more com fortable than ever before Even people without mobili ty problems are buying them especially when they are made to measure giving that perfect fit

HOW DOES MOBILITY FURNITURE BENEFIT CARE HOME RESIDENTS?

Research has found that elevating the legs one of the main features of a rise and recline chair or adjustable bed reduces swelling of stiff and painful joints and enhances healing of injuries and wounds In fact experts have found that failure to elevate a limb can actually delay healing

Another advantage of mobility furniture is that it helps care home residents sleep deeply and for longer stints which we all know is crucial to quality of life both physical and emotional Why? Because it allows people access to a range of sitting and lying positions that traditional chairs and beds simply do not have WHAT ABOUT CARE HOME STAFF?

Mobility furniture improves health of care home employees because it results in less lifting/weight bearing Press a button on the rise and recline chair and it supports the user to their feet Some adjustable beds have the same feature

Most residents need to avoid pressure sores and again mobility furniture helps by pressing a button on the chair or bed to gently ease people into different positions The alternative is a member of staff shifting the resident to a new position at risk to their own health

Some adjustable beds and rise and recline chairs

even come with wheels a thoughtful touch for when residents struggle to walk between rooms And many come with wipe clean upholstery in case of unfortu nate spills

All of these features reduce the workload for busy staff and improve the comfort of residents WORKING WITH EXPERTS

Dr Rob Hicks popular celebrity media doctor acts as medical expert for Mobility Furniture Company

Mobility furniture can make life that little bit easier for people particularly those who struggle to do things that we often take for granted like sitting down and standing up Dr Hicks says It is great to be working with a forward thinking company that celebrates improving quality of life for older individuals AN UPBEAT APPROACH

Mobility Furniture Company is one of the biggest mobility furniture companies in the UK Its wide geo graphical spread of representatives takes furniture to care homes for managers staff and residents to assess

Care home managers 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

Consort Claudgen have launched Consort Connect app which allows users to have complete control over their heat ing remotely via their smartphone or tablet The app is free and downloadable from Google Play or Apple Store It can control Consort’s Wi Fi enabled heaters and SL heaters connected to an SLPBWIFI wireless controller It gives quick access to four operating modes and provides a 7 day timer with twenty four heating peri ods per day It is easy to set up and users can configure the settings of all connected heaters on

the app Users can also view the energy consumption statistics Other features include a lock function open window tracking and response capability, and custom automations There is a self learning control ability utilising occupan cy and temperature sensors however this is only available on the SLPBWIFI controller and Consort heaters with Wi Fi and occupancy sensor For more information, contact our sales at 01646 692172 or visit www consortepl com or see the advert on page 6

50 Years of Design Excellence. 50 Years of Skopos

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 fabrics Many of our fabrics are antimicrobial com ing under the umbrella of Skopos ProtectPlus

Skopos offer a full range of fabrics including upholsteries plus made to measure curtains bed ding 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, serv ice and best performance Our full service or fabric only option provides choice for our customers, with expertise in design, make up (curtains, cushions and bedding), fitting and installation

Sustainable & Cost-Effective Hot Water For Care Homes

Care facilities typically exhibit significant but varied hot water and heating usage patterns which con tributes to the current 40% tally of UK greenhouse gas emissions generated by the built environment

To help achieve climate neutral building stock by 2050 the industry is being challenged to reduce opera tional energy use over all other measures By increas ing the use of renewable energy supply and prioritising on site renewable energy sources the hope it to reduce both carbon and bills

Sustainability comes with a cost Whether in the form of new build projects or and far more likely the refurbishment of existing yet ageing facilities under standing the necessary capital investment operational savings and payback periods is going to be key

Addressing the efficiency of domestic hot water (DHW) systems whether through the implementation of heat pumps solar thermal direct electric water heating or even simple modernisation of existing gas appliances helps care facilities meet sustainability goals in a practical and cost effective manner It also delivers improved year round conditions for staff and clients in care providing access to spaces better suit ed to delivering medical care and assisted living

For buildings already on gas and that rely on large amounts of DHW a large proportion of current UK care and nursing home properties solar preheat is the preferable option For new build properties the expec

Alliance Online

Here at Alliance Online we are a com pany that have been operating in the care home and wider cater ing sector for over 23 years, we stock over a total of 20,000 products we understand the demands and needs for a care home especially in the upcoming Winter As the care home sector starts to stock up for the upcoming winter we believe that we can deliver certain necessities that will help cover and enhance the care home experience that many will be going through CHURCHILL SIMPLE MEASURES MUG

Preventing dehydration and accurately measuring the amount required An example of an essential that a care home should be considering is the Churchill Simple Measures Mug that is designed to help care workers with being able to judge the perfect amount

tation is for specification to default to a mixture of heat pumps and direct electric afterheat New system approaches including prefabricated packaged plant rooms also provide for better use of the spaces that already exist without the need to undertake expensive and disruptive building projects This is especially valid as demands for beds continue to increase, placing new demands on care facilities

Adveco can help achieve emission reduction targets With more than 50 years of specialised expertise in designing, supplying, and servicing hot water systems to the nursing and care industry, Adveco is the single resource you need for independent expert technical guidance on choosing and developing bespoke sus tainable applications today to get you on the right path towards net zero operation

https://adveco co/sectors/healthcare/

that is needed rather than trying to accurately meas ure by eye It doesn t need to be said the potential issues this can cause in terms of dehydration and precise drinking amounts

PAPER HYGIENE

From janitorial to paper hygiene and all in between Alliance Online can help any commercial care home with providing the necessary tools and appliances for the upcoming Winter It has happened on numerous occasions where a care home will run out of something they didn’t even know they were short on; this is why it is crucial that correctly restock ing the appropriate aspects of a care home are achieved in due time One of these sectors that will often be understocked is paper hygiene Toilet paper hand towels or facial tissues are used in abundance in the care home sector and need regular restocking

For more information on our product lines or to see how we can help you and your business contact us on 01270 252 333 email us at hello@allianceon

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 contempo rary design production techniques The evolved designs will be developed in line with current trends for use within contract interiors today Each month

CATERING FOR CARE

Dysphagia is a Difficult Diagnosis to Swallow

By Carla Bartlett, Director of Speech and Language Therapy (Social Care) at Cygnet Health Care and Dominique St Clair Miller Director of Speech and Language Therapy (Health Care) at Cygnet Health Care (www cygnethealth co uk)

The majority of us enjoy snacks, meals and drinks without much thought or effort, for some people living with dysphagia this can be a difficult and frightening experience with potentially significant conse quences on health and quality of life

Imagine that every time you are invited out for a meal you have to think about whether you will be able to chew and safely swallow the food on the menu Imagine that you are told it is not safe for you to eat your favourite food anymore as it is considered high risk for choking

Imagine that every time you are faced with eating food you feel tense and fearful you are terrified you might choke You barely have an appetite anymore and over time you lose weight when you don t mean to Imagine that every time you take a drink you cough and splutter so you avoid drinking to the extent that you become dehydrat ed and experience frequent urine infections This can be the reality for people living with dysphagia This is the reality for 560 million people worldwide At Cygnet Health Care Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) assess diagnose and formulate management plans to support individuals with different aspects of eating drinking feeding and/or swallowing difficulties The ultimate aim is to ensure safer swallowing whilst balancing quality of life with individ uals preferences and beliefs Our SLTs will seek support from other health care professionals where necessary They will also make recommendations based upon the difficulties an individual is experiencing Sometimes this will include positioning advice adaptive equipment specific oral motor / sensory exercises or swallow tech niques and food and fluid texture modification However for others simply managing the speed at which they eat or prompting them to take smaller mouthfuls and chewing for longer can be enough

There are also lots of things you can do to create an environment that is safer for eating and drinking Simple strategies like sitting upright, creating a calm environment, switching off the radio or TV and limiting conversation can make the difference for many individuals who require support

It is important that we raise awareness of this life altering condition and are alert to its signs and symptoms to ensure those diagnosed with dysphagia are able to continue living a full and fulfilling life FIVE FACT BOXES

1 What is Dysphagia?

Dysphagia is the medical name for difficulties in swallowing Dyshagia puts a person at risk negative health consequences such as aspiration asphyxiation and/or choking malnutrition and dehydration which can all be life threatening If these risks are not managed appropriately people are at high risk of poor health hospital admissions and reduced quality of life

Dysphagia is secondary to a primary condition such as neurological disorders e g stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Wilson’s Disease, head injury; head and neck cancer e g laryngeal cancer; disorders associated with the elderly disorders associated with trauma e g smoke inhalation; tracheostomy; ventilator dependent individuals; and learning disability to name a few Dysphagia can also be drug induced e g side effects of medication, and arise as a result from the treatment of diseases e g radiotherapy

Swallowing may become difficult because the muscles and nerves used for chewing and swallowing become weak or uncoordinated Food or drink can go down the wrong way into the lungs instead of the stomach This could lead to serious conditions such as recurrent chest infections and aspiration pneumonia

2 Signs, Symptoms and Characteristics

Dysphagia is associated with an increased morbidity, increased mortality and a reduced quality of life People may experience the following signs, symptoms and characteristics which carry serious consequences:

• Coughing, throat clearing and/or choking when eating or drinking

• Repeated chest infections or those that requ re multiple treatments to clear

• Difficulty managing specific foods textures or drinks e g excessive chew ing spitting food out losing food from the mouth food and drink remain ing in the mouth after attempted swallows

Refusal of food and drink

Anxiety around mealtimes food drink or when eating and drinking

Malnutrition e g losing weight weak skin hair loss

Dehydration E g Constipation strong urine UTI s

Reporting difficulties with swallowing med cation

3 Statistics

Dysphagia can occur in all age groups Swallowing difficulties can occur as a result of a wide range of conditions

However in the adult population dysphagia affects

95% of people with Motor Neurone Disease

65% of people who have had a stroke

50% of people with Parkinson s Disease

68% of people with dementia living in care homes

15% of people with a learning disability

Up to 19% of people with mental health illness where there is a link between dysphagia and side effects of med ication

4. Top 10 Safe Swallowing Tips:

1 Sit upright when eating and drinking

2 Reduce distractions whilst eating and drinking

3 Avoid talking with food in your mouth

4 Eat slowly

5 Take small mouthfuls of food and fluid

6 Pause between mouthfuls of food and fluid

7 Avoid high risk foods

8 Swallow twice on every mouthful

9 Have small more regular meals

10 Stay upright for at least 30mins after eating and drinking

5 High Risk Foods to avoid:

There are certain food textures which can be harder to manage if you have dysphagia As part of the assess ment process Speech and Language Therapists will provide specific guidance on how to make eating and drink ing enjoyable but safe experiences They will advise of any foods that may carry greater risks these may include:

Crunchy Foods: Crunchy Toast Flaky pastry Dry biscuits Crisps

Crumbly Items Bread crusts Pie crusts Crumble Dry or flaky biscuits

Hard Foods Boiled or chewy sweets, toffees nuts, seeds, large pieces of tough/chewy meat

Husks and Bread: Sweetcorn Bread crusts, Granary bread, Baguettes

Stringy, Fibrous Texture: Raw vegetables and salad items, on ons raw hard fru t, melted cheese, Pickled vegeta bles, Bacon fat sausages

• Vegetable and Fruit Skins: Orange segments, grapes, tomatoes, apple peppers, potatoes, beans, potato skins

• Mixed Consistency Foods: Cereals that do not blend with milk mince with thin gravy, soup with lumps soaked bread

CATERING FOR CARE

Can Your Homes Afford Not To Work with Allmanhall To Mitigate Rising Food Prices?

As winter approaches care homes are faced not only with the spiralling cost of food but also extraordinary energy price increases Heating and eating will be very real challenges faced by many allmanhall are able to ease some of the pressure faced by care homes Through negotiations, tendering and supplier management on behalf of care caterers, allmanhall are delivering value and support allmanhall s benchmarks on food costs give average savings of 12%

What s more additional categories such as janitorial and medical supplies recently showed savings of over 15%

The support goes further than that allmanhall provide advice on how to maximise catering budgets It s so important for care caterers to have information regard ing which products are stable and which are volatile when it comes to price movement allmanhall do exactly this For example having a greater proportion of stable products making up your residents menus will make it easier to manage the impact of rising prices

The mobilisation of the new catering suppliers and the transfer of existing ones to allmanhall was smoothly managed and supported expertly allmanhall s approach provides my team with reassurance and peace of mind ”

St Martins Care

There’s currently a harsh spotlight on homes without

Anglia Crown

strong procurement practices Despite chefs working tirelessly to cost recipes source the best value ingredi ents manage portion control and waste some will con tinue to struggle to produce food at a low cost without the experience of a procurement team to manage and negotiate price increases for them

allmanhall also reduce the pressure on finance resources by consolidating billing and providing admin efficiencies and further savings

Why not visit the allmanhall team on stand 8 at the NACC TDF to find out more?

www allmanhall co uk

Delicious, Nutritious, And Safe Texture Modified Meals Delivered from It’s Made For You

Here at It’s Made For You Softer Foods, we believe that everyone should look forward to tasty, safe, and nutritious texture modified meals The It’s Made For You range is designed for the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework standards and includes valuable nutrition

Our range of meals have also been developed to ensure the nutritional content will meet the nutritional needs of your patients whilst they follow a texture modified diet Research has shown that up to 50% of people with dysphagia are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition There could be numerous reasons for this including a reduced appetite or the inability to consume large quantities of food in one sitting Our range of classic and mini meals can help to ensure your patients are getting the most nutritional value from the food they consume The use of pre prepared It’s Made For You meals can also be a practical time saver and bring peace of mind to the person with dysphagia

The range includes over 80 tasty dishes including

chicken beef lamb fish and vegetarian recipes We also offer a tasty selection of lighter bites desserts and breakfast options as well as mini meals for those with smaller appetites

At It s Made For You we offer a delivery service that cares making it easy and convenient for our customers to eat delicious meals which can be delivered directly and safely to their homes This helps them if they cannot leave the house or go to the shops Plus people love to use our service as they can rely on a regular delivery of good quality and safe meals directly to their door by a friendly local Oakhouse Foods delivery driver Find out more at www Itsmadeforyou co uk

– Offering You The Complete Package

The summer of 2022 will be long remembered as a hot one For many espe cially in the care sector perhaps it was a little too hot! As we are now moving towards autumn our thoughts are turning once again to those warming meals and the feeling of comfort that only good, wholesome food can bring Our current range includes Crown Choice and Crown Advantage meals avail able frozen with Crown Choice also available as chilled products We are always looking to keep our dishes current and reflecting current trends which is why we are now offering more vegetarian and vegan dishes than ever before The company now offers over 70 vegan and vegetarian dishes many have been accredited with the Vegan Society This approach led to the company being named a Veggie Wholesaler of the Year

We recognise that everyone is busy so we have crafted a menu cycle that can be readily adopted by any care setting with the knowledge that the menu is nutritionally balanced and has been approved by a professional dietitian

The two week cycle offers something for everyone Where a bulk service is required for resident dining we have it covered a similar menu using Crown Advantage dishes can be similarly employed The specially designed menu is cost effective, as it has already considered the financial balancing that is required in our sector and just as importantly it also helps with any staffing issues that you might encounter allowing properly trained Care Assistants to help with the complete delivery of the meals to your residents

Mary Wedge Business Development Manager at Anglia Crown comments; “As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we are proud to be a trusted partner with the care sector providing quality nutritious food 365 days a year We will con tinue to review our menus adapting to your needs whilst maintaining our vision of driving excellence in residential and care home catering The current range is now available Visit www angliacrown co uk for further details or contact us on sales@angliacrown co uk

With soaring energy costs

Cash’s Labels- “The Name Behind the Name”

At Cash s, we aim to capture, reinforce and communicate our clients brand equity through quality and innovation from design to distribution

Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels woven badges care labels branded and promo tional swing tags garment accessories packaging and bar coding Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protection to our customers brand by assist

ing to combat counterfeiting and grey market activity

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

Visit www cashslabels com or see the advert on this page

Laundr yTec - Innovation and Support as Standard

In these times of uncertainty with everyone facing ever increas ing energy costs do you really know how much it costs to operate your laundry dryers? Energy effi ciency has advanced enormously of the past few years and our Lavamac LDR350 has a connect load of 26 4 kWh

Many older dryers are rated at a minimum of 36kwh

Replacement of two of older machines can offer a hourly saving of a minimum of 20kwh which based of a 8 hour working day of 160kWh daily!

Recently we supplied 3 x LDR490 24 kg dyers and

replaced 3 x 37kg dyers and reduced the energy consumption from 210kwh to 90kwh!

This was a extreme case but when the laundry door is shut are you really aware what your dryers are costing you to operate?

Our LDR dryers can offer a return on investment that would make your head spin faster than on of our washers!

We can complete a free of charge energy survey

Can you afford not to investi gate what your laundry is costing? See the advert below for fur ther information

CLEANING & HYGIENE

How to Improve Confidence in the Care Sector

The effects of Covid 19 are still being felt across the care sector In recent months we have seen significant increases in the levels of Covid infection and despite that the rest of society seems to have moved on social care services are still on the front line of a global pandemic

Recent data suggests that the care home population has reduced by about 8% and this is due to many factors but the consequence is reduced occupancy and reduced income The tragic loss of so many residents in the first stages of the Covid 19 pandemic has been exacerbated by the quarantine requirements of the Government It is vital that the care sector starts to think strategically about how it builds confidence to re establish positive relationships with the public and the people who will be future residents

The rise in Covid 19 cases over the last few months has further undermined people s confidence in the sector and care homes now have to do even more to reconnect with the public and improve confidence in our services Covid 19 also put a very clear focus on the issue of hygiene and infection control and people who are considering residential care are starting to ask more questions about cleaning and hygiene regimes

The cost of living crisis is also having a big impact on care services, and it is important that care homes look at their cleaning regimes and establish what products deliver the best outcomes whilst at the same time are the best value for money People often say that

Countering Unseen Fire and Water Risks

Behind the scenes in a care setting the safety and wellbeing of service users partly depends on expert clean ing of kitchen and laundry ductwork as well as clean, safe water, ad Gary Nicholls, MD or duct cleaning and legionella risk experts Swiftclean, explains

No matter how healthy your kitchen kitchen extract ductwork must be regularly cleaned in order to remove the grease deposits that arise from cooking People often think that this grease layer must be really thick in order to pose a fire risk However the specification TR19® Grease which governs kitchen extract hygiene issued by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) requires for grease layer to be controlled with in an average of 200 microns This is about half the thickness of an average business card Anything more than this thin layer represents a significant fire risk The only solution to this problem is a reg ular complete removal of the grease layer by specialist TR19® Grease cleaning

A second frequently overlooked fire safety cleaning task is for removal of dust fibre and lint from laundry extract ductwork Tumble dryer fires are surprisingly frequent especially in their extract ductwork The drying process resulting a significant buildup of ductwork deposits which are highly flammable and should be regu larly removed to eliminate the fire risk Cleaning in accordance with TR19® also issued by BESA it s the most

if they see familiar products and recognise familiar smells when they go into a care home this gives them confidence in the cleaning regime and also a sense of homeliness

P&G Professional is well known and respected and has a range of notably superior cleaning and sanitising products for the health and care sector In recent years, the focus has been on Covid 19, but we must not forget there is a range of other viruses Norovirus and the flu virus have all been significant challenges for care homes but products such as Flash Professional Disinfecting Multi Surface Cleaner have been proven to kill these viruses as well as COVID 19

However there are many challenges facing the care sector Energy costs are soaring in the UK and this is of course having a massive impact on care providers Helping mitigate the effects P&G Professional products are formulated to provide an outstanding clean even in one wash on a short cycle or indeed when the temperature of the wash has been reduced

In order to rebuild confidence after a global pandemic we have to ensure that we do things efficiently but above all we have to make sure that our services are hygienic and free from infection

Visit https://pgpro co uk/en gb/ to see P&G Professional's full range

effective way to remove these

If you have a mechanical ventilation system you will almost certainly have fire dampeners installed where the ductwork passes from a side room to a corridor to reinstate the compartmentalisation provided by an internal fire resistant wall Fire dampness comprise a set of steel louvres which normally remain open to allow the flow of air through the ventilation system but which automatically close in the event of a fire to delay it spread These must be 'dropped tested' at least every twelve months, in accordance with BS: 9999, to ensure that they will close if needed Any that fail must be repaired and re tested

Ductwork cleaning and fire dampness testing a specialist task and should be conducted by technicians with appropriate competence and training

TR19® Grease contains advice that property manager should choose as a member of BESA's Vent Hygiene Elite (VHE) scheme to provide these specialist services VHE members like Swiftclean can also provide post clean certificate certification which insurers are increasingly expecting to see, especially in the event of a fire, to demonstrate the property owners or managers compliance with the regulations

Care must also be taken in ensuring that the water system is free from Legionella bacteria

The elderly and those with underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to Legionnaire s Disease the potentially fatal disease caused by Legionella You are legally required to always have a current Legionella risk assessment, which must be updated if there are any changes at all to the water system, owner ship of the property or designated Responsible Person

The water system must be managed in accordance with L8 the approved code of practice issued by the HSE If you need any assistance which with legionella control you should choose a certified member of the legionella control Association to help you

Visit www swiftclean co uk for further information and advice

Professor Martin Green OBE is an Expert Advisory Council member for P&G Professional (https://pgpro co uk/en gb/) and the Chief Executive of Care England

CLEANING & HYGIENE

Introduction of Peracide™ from Sky Chemicals to Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust

Liam Grimshaw (BSc (hons) MSc by Research)

INTRODUCTION

In the transfer of an NHS Trust from one disinfectant to another there are many factors to con sider from ease of use to effica cy against healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) For many years, Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust (DBTH) used a chlorine dioxide (ClO2) based product as their universal one application quick kill rate disinfection solu tion When the supplier announced it was to cease pro duction they had to find a replacement solution Whilst scoping the market it was found that most trusts were using chlorine based disinfectants or a different brand of ClO2 based disin fectants Most other solutions were complicated in their mechanism or required a cleaning and disinfecting clean (two stage), which would be time consuming Information was sort from the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) to see what products were commonly used throughout the country and this is where DBTH were informed about Peracide™ an in situ peracetic acid (ISPAA) based disinfectant After further discus sion with the company, it was agreed that a trial should take place to confirm the claims of the product The product was introduced to the microbiologist and Director Infection Prevention & Control (DIPC) our Facilities management team and Health and Safety advisor The process of using the product needed to meet the needs of facilities and Health and Safety and the approval of the DIPC that the product had a successful kill rate to reduce HCAIs DBTH did plate assays to ensure its efficacy and when satisfied trialled Peracide on two wards to test its efficacy and ease in use

In recent years, the need for rapidly efficacious high level disinfec tants has increased as HCAIs have become a significant issue HCAIs negatively impact the patient recovery, turnover and average cost by increasing the length of patient stays increasing costs associated with care increasing pathogenic effects and increasing the risk of spread to another patient MATERIALS AND METHODS

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

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

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 DISCUSSION

Overall it was found that the ClO2 based disinfectant was almost entirely ineffective and was not suitable for use There are many possi ble reasons for this It could be a case of error in preparation as the for mulation can be difficult to use correctly, or that the solution was no longer efficacious as there is no indicative mechanism for the user It may also be an issue with the ClO2 based disinfectant in solution ClO2 exists as a gas which readily diffuses out of liquid solution with a diffu sion coefficient of 0 145cm2s 1 at room temperature (Lee Burgess Rubino and Auras, 2015)

On the other hand Peracide™ was considerably more effective and had lasting effect in a high traffic environment Peracide™ coming in a simple tablet form is easy to use is indicative of efficacy and is sta bilised in solution This accumulates to an easy to use visibly effica cious disinfectant with cumulative effect that supports long term infection control

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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

Angloplas

Thank you to the participants at DBTH for engaging in this trial and to the laboratory team who performed the necessary assays REFERENCES

Lee Y Burgess G Rubino M and Auras R 2015 Reaction and diffusion of chlorine dioxide gas under dark and light condit ons at different temperatures Journal of Food Engineering 144 pp 20 28

For further information see the facing page

technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas This helps reduce the risk of cross infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA E Coli Legionella

Salmonella and mould by up to 99 99%

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

directly from its web site

order Angloplas

angloplas

and clicking Hospital Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code

A New Frontier for Control of Winter Bugs

It s important to protect your residents from the rising rate of infections during the winter season and Peracide is the ideal solu tion

Peracide is a colour activated in situ per acetic acid disinfectant tested to over 70 EN BS EN and ASTM standards It s even tested to kill COVID 19 at 1000ppm in only 30 sec onds in soiled conditions

It was developed with the help of Prof Peter Wilson and Dr Shanom Ali of UCLH microbiological laboratory and has been tested to kill all known pathogens including:

Pseudomonas

Norovirus

E coli Legionella Streptococcus Pneumoniae

C Difficile

Peracide is a powerful dual action oxidising agent that tar gets proteins, peptides and amino acids of all pathogens, whilst surfactants clean and remove soil, making it perfect for cleaning and disinfecting in 1 easy process This versatility means it can replace other products and be safely used any

where including washrooms kitchens and on any surface including stainless steel and fabrics Peracide is also recommended for use on equipment such as commodes bed frames and mobility aides It produces no toxic by products so it s safe for both your users and the environment

Peracide s innovative colour change sys tem makes it easy for users to see when it is active The solution turns purple to show peracetic acid is being generated pink when the solution is ready to use and clear when ready to be disposed of This ensures no solution is wasted or used while inactive

Here are two of our satisfied customers:

“The staff are very happy with it!” Jayne, Ravenstone Care Home

“The colour system works really well ” Nikki, Aucklands Rest Home Available via NHS Supply Chain Product Code: Peracide 3g: MFB1002 or Peracide 6g: MFB1005 and via Bunzl

TRIALS TRAINING

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Carol Scholey (RGN, BSc (hons))

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 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

CONTINENCE CARE

Top Tips for Managing Incontinence

FLUID INTAKE

Drinking sufficient fluids each day is

bladder will become overly sensitive You

each

DRINKS TO AVOID

such

If

try

DEHYDRATION

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

RECOMMENDATION: Keep a Bladder Diar y

It is advisable to avoid certain types

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

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

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

Help To Manage Your Incontinence Issues Independently

Urinary incontinence affects millions of people in the UK Although a wide spread 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

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 issues

The shape of our Discreet Thigh Bag allows for it to be worn high

Revealed: How to Create Dementia-Friendly Documents, Posters and Signage DEMENTIA CARE

Dementia causes the loss of cognitive functions such as memory and reasoning It affects more than 55 million people worldwide with almost 10 million new cases each year Living with dementia can be extremely difficult given that its effects can vary by nature and severity from person to person

Alzheimer s disease, the most common form of dementia, is thought to contribute to 60 70% of cases worldwide Though researchers are working tirelessly for a cure it continues to evade them However there are plenty of ways that we can make life easier and more comfortable for people liv ing with dementia

Print specialists Solopress have taken a look at how you can improve your inclusivity by ensuring your documents posters and signage are optimised for people living with Alzheimer s

KEY FINDINGS:

• Reseach shows that the use of colours can help enhance the memory of people living with Alzheimer’s

Therefore bold contrasting colours can help to properly convey a mes sage but intricate patterns and colours can be confusing

Associating different shapes with different deas concepts or decisions within your design can make your message easier for people living with dementia to understand

• Sans serif fonts like Arial in size 14 and above are easiest to read block capitals are not recommended as these can be difficult to differentiate between

Pictures can be helpful to ensure your message cuts through Photographs are preferred to drawings or artists versions

Avoid making your signage using reflective materials reflections can be confusing to people with dementia

• By using durable materials you can ensure the long term efficacy of your sign

COLOURS

Known to be one of the most powerful tools of communication colour

has a huge effect on the human brain and has the potential to trigger emotions and memories In fact academic research has shown that the right colours can help enhance the memory of those living with Alzheimer’s one of the most common forms of dementia

Dementia can affect how a person views colours particularly how they differentiate between certain colours As a result, colours with a high level of contrast are easiest for people living with dementia to digest; for exam ple implementing bright or bold colours throughout the home can help separate objects

With this thought in mind use bold bright contrasting text when designing dementia friendly documents Ease of access comes first so avoid loud patterns and stripes; these designs can be confusing and dis orienting Think simple vivid colour combinations SHAPES

Dementia affects people in different ways and can even cause halluci nations If your signage or text must differentiate between two distinct ideas choices or options shapes can be a good way to highlight the dif ference between the two concepts

Changing the overall shape of your signage is a subtle but effective way to create dementia friendly print Shapes associated with positive or negative feelings were found to reduce confusion amongst people with dementia, preventing them from becoming confused or lost in hallways containing those shapes

TEXT

Given that dementia can affect one’s vision and ability to understand text any message used in your document must be as easy to read as pos sible Font sizes are crucial to ensure your work is easily readable with at least size 14 recommended If your content contains a lot of information, break it up into reasonably sized chunks so that it is simpler to digest

Dementia experts in the NHS warn against using block capitals as these can be more difficult to read particularly as dementia can cause visual impairments Both upper and lower case letters should be used for read ability as some people living with dementia will be able to recognise the

shape of a word before actually understanding its meaning

Think about how your document will be viewed Alzheimer s Society recommends using sans serif fonts for websites or digital content as they are deemed more readable on screen Staying consistent with your fonts is also helpful multiple fonts can make the interface and content confus ing for someone living with dementia

PICTURES

Pictures can play a vital role in helping dementia patients to communi cate more effectively by encouraging further memory retention Looking at photo albums and family pictures has been proven to play a vital role in engagement for people with dementia reducing feelings of isolation and helping strengthen personal relationships

As a result implementing pictures throughout your work or signage can be a great way to stimulate readers brain functions ensuring that your message cuts through Pictures can be particularly helpful for people with late stage dementia given that word based communication may not be possible Dementia can strip people of the ability to properly read and speak so the use of pictures and images where possible can really help consolidate your messages

Glen Eckett Head of Marketing at Solopress (www solopress com)

comments: “Dementia is an awfully cruel syndrome one which has the potential to strip people of their dig nity and personality However inclu sive design practices can go some way towards helping people living with dementia maintain some of their dignity With the above tips, any company can ensure that its resources are accessible and under standable for people living with dementia

Memor y Lane Games - Reminiscence Games To Trigger Positive Memories For Those Living With Dementia

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 tech niques 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 agitation all of which are so valuable in the care of those living with a condition which doesn’t have positive outcomes 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 professionally 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 communication 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 interactions generated by playing the games with those in their care and can even create person alised quizzes using old family photos and create questions such as “Mum where did you go on your first holiday?" or “Where did you get married?”

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 residents game play: highlighting changes in 7 clin ical 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 immediately 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

Encouraging the Independence of Dementia Patients Through Colour and Design

colours make doors easier to see against the neutral tones on the walls In contrast staff areas and supply cupboards should be painted in the same colour as the walls so that they blend in and become less obvious helping to avoid any unauthorised access

Calming colours

For many, dementia can affect a patients’ ‘biological clock’ which means they often get confused when determining the time of day This means they can struggle to understand when it is appropriate to go to bed Incorporating calmer colours in the bedroom area, using blackout blinds, and adding softer golden lighting helps to instil a sense of calm and relaxation and encourages a more stable sleep routine that they can initiate themselves

Hazard perception

Implementing strategic design techniques can heighten the awareness of potential hazards and reduce occupant risk For example, if items such as radiators are designed using stronger colours that contrast against the walls, it will make them more noticeable and reduce the chance of them being walked into or leant against and in turn, minimise burn risk Features such as light switches and signage can also be more easily identified if a coloured border is painted around them

Promoting independence in individuals is essential to instilling a sense of self worth, and the colour and design of a room can play a significant role Here, Dawn Scott at Dulux Trade delves into how care home managers can best plan living spaces to make sure they are as effective and enjoyable as possible for those occupying them

According to the Alzheimer ’s Society, 70% of care home residents are thought to have dementia or severe memory problems It is therefore crucial that care home managers understand how colour and design can support those with the disease and place residents’ needs at the centre of interior designs

occupants’ wellbeing, care and crucially independence Here s how:

Consider colour and contrast to aid navigation

Up to 75% of people over the age of 75 have vision problems As we get older, our eyes become more opaque and this makes it more difficult to differentiate between hues It is therefore essential that contrasting colours are utilised in living spaces as they act as visual cues and ensure there are clear visual differences between surfaces

The Dementia Friendly Colour Palette advises that soft tones are used for main walls, with only small hints of colour to create a sense of calm (think 60YY 83/062, 70YR 75/075, 30YY 68/024 and 70RR 64/034) For feature walls like the front of the living room and kitchen serving areas make sure more saturated colours such as yellows (43YY 74/339), muted purples (70RR 43/104), muted oranges (38YR 40/290) and teals (50BG 19/144)are used to contrast with the lighter main walls as this makes them stand out and draws the eye for maximum visibility

When it comes to doors that lead to regularly used rooms like bathrooms and living spaces, bolder shades should be considered such as navies (52BB 08/128), sage greens (90GY 29/121) and burgundies (54RR 09/276) These

To aid wayfinding further, it’s important to avoid high sheen flooring as this can appear wet or slippery to dementia patients, meaning they may not feel comfortable walking across it Similarly, dark flooring can often be perceived as a hole, and bold patterns or stripes can give the illusion that the floor is not flat or unstable, creating a sense of anxiety amongst those using these spaces The best option is to keep floors plain and ensure that they contrast with the walls and skirting to keep all surfaces easily identifiable

Upholding their autonomy is key, but with so many complex needs, knowing how to sustain dementia patients’ independence can be challenging To help, Dulux Trade together with the British Research Establishment created a Dementia Friendly Colour Palette which aims to bring colour to every room both figuratively and literally

The palette was born out of years of experience in design and a wealth of dementia research and knowledge with partners from Loughborough University and the Halsall Lloyd Partnership also involved in its conception The evidence based design principles it is founded upon assure designers that it is optimised to create an environment that champions

Keeping memories alive

Arguably the most important way of allowing a dementia patient to retain their independence is through involving them in the process It is vital that their living spaces are a reflection of them by surrounding them with décor that inspires a sense of homeliness and nostalgia

We recommend using familiar or favoured colours For example, to recreate the front door of a childhood home by painting their bedroom door the same colour It is also important to include some personal items on shelving near the entrance, such as an old house number, family photographs or ornaments from their home so the resident can quickly identify it as theirs

For more ways to design living spaces for those with dementia, and to find out more about Dulux Trade’s offering for aged care and Dementia, visit:

aged care

Photo

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Blaucomm LtdTelecommunications & Networks

Blaucomm s Nurse Call Mes i S i (NMS) i the market leading solution to remove the dependency on noisy nurse call panels and pagers through its intel ligent software which deliv ers the alerts straight to the care staff who need them

Care homes are rapidly introducing smartphones for digital care planning and eMar now, the same devices can be used to receive the nurse call alerts they need for the residents under their care

Furthermore Blaucomm NMS is deeply linked into Person Centred Software MCM, so call bell data is linked straight to care plans This unlocks a huge ben efit to care homes to enhance the staff performance with how they accept and respond to residents which ultimately promotes better response times and visibili ty for management to audit their performance

The best part is that Blaucomm NMS links into your existing nurse call system we work with all major brands such as Aidcall ARM Courtney Thorne C TEC

about Blaucomm NMS:

ENS Intercall Medicare SAS and TeleAlarm Care operators are con stantly recognising Blaucomm NMS for its relia bility and dependability to their care operations which is why we’ve been chosen time and time again over other solutions

Head of IT Trudi Harrow at WCS Care had this to say

“We find Blaucomm is a genuinely fantastic compa ny with a reliable product

We have a range of nurse call systems at different sites and the NMS system integrates to them and allows us to compare response times between sites In addition the integration to Person Centred Software is revolutionary We would highly recommend this to anybody who wants to replace expensive pagers and silence those annoyingly loud nurse call screens!

To find out more about Blaucomm NMS visit www blaucomm co uk/healthcare

Medpage Falls Management Products

Medpage T/A Easylink UK have manufactured and distributed fall prevention and detection products for over 25 years We specialise in products 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 pro fessional care establishments

How can they help reduce falls?

Many falls occur when a person at risk from falls leaves their bed or chair particularly during the night By detecting an exit from the bed or chair early a carer or guardian gains time to attend and help the person, usually preventing the fall WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE

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 combin ing bed and chair monitoring, to allow the person to move from their bed to their chair There are sys tems that use a cabled pressure mat sensor connected to an alarm controller or pressure mat sensors with a self contained 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 2 or at www easylinkuk co uk/product/ product fall detection

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Silent Running - Tranquility in Care Homes

Quiet and calm care homes ensure that resi dents 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 surround ings particularly those suffering from dementia these can be fluctua tions in ambient temperature, light, and of course noise Repetitive and high levels of noise can originate from a number of internal and exter nal sources for example telephones ringing loud conversations in cor ridors and call bells sounding often one of the largest contributors to increasing the levels of stress and discomfort in residents

A published study by the University of Stirling stated that unan swered Nurse Call (Call Bell) alarms can be one of the most common causes of stress in dementia sufferers The University recommends “fit ting 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 per

son’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 number 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 dementia suffer ers and those vulnerable to noise can be located in one zone whist less vulnerable residents 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 envi ronment 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 systems 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 sys tem With the Go app nurse call alarms are delivered imme diately and silently straight to the handsets alerting the individual carers to all Nurse call alarms without creating any general alarm sound and rarely disturbing the rest of the resi dents in the home

Calmer residents ultimately means that staff are less

Lotus Care Technology

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

Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls Having many years of experience in fitting and maintaining

Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has differ ent needs They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier Visit www lctuk com for details

stressed also this creates a happier workplace where morale is greatly improved staff are retained and CQC ratings improve Clearly the posi tive ramifications 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

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

NURSE

CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions

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 tech nology 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 simul taneously and support for many new wireless devices

Benefits include:

Safer for patients; less work for staff Bed and chair pads ava lable

two

Wireless door/window

alerts

TREADNOUGHT ®FLOOR

PAD

The TreadNought® Floor Sensor Pad is built to last with a durable construction that far out lasts the compe tition

anti bacterial floor sensor pad is compatible with most nurse call systems

be used with a portable pager to sound

alert when

person steps on to the sensor pad Caregivers typically place the sensor pad at the bedside in

doorway

for

tions to monitor persons at

One monitor works

pads

with most

wandering

optional anti slip mesh reduces the potential for slippage on hard

Features include:

Southern Care Maintenance Ltd – New Partnerships

As Southern Care Maintenance Ltd (SCM) mark their 35th anniver sary this year they contin ue to build upon their success with some excit ing new partnerships

As a specialist inde pendent company SCM offer supply, service and maintenance of a large range of systems and equipment across two Divisions Fire Alarms and Nursing Equipment throughout the south east of England

Always looking to offer their customers the best solutions leveraging the most reliable technologies at competitive prices they are delighted to have recently partnered with Vayyar the world s most advanced care solu tion Vayyar Care provides touchless fall detection and rich activity data that enables personalised

predictive care Arquella offering AIDA Assist an app based nurse call system the tool of choice for forward thinking care services

Person Centred Software the first fully mobile easy to use and market leading digital care management system with the ability to evidence over 50 care notes per resident per day

Priding themselves on their quality of service and first class customer experience SCM is delighted to be partnered with companies who share the same passion and enthusiasm to deliver the very best solutions, solutions which make pro viding care the focus and priority See the advert on this page for further details or visit www southerncare co uk

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

How The Digital Revolution In Care Is Delivering The Best Outcomes For Residents

Technology is at the heart of the government s new health data strate gy which includes an aim to increase digitisation in social care by 2024 But why wait? At Bupa our digital transformation is already underway

Digitisation is essential for the future Technology enables carers to spend more time on the most important part of the job; face to face qual ity care for residents Making processes more efficient with technology offers the opportunity to provide truly personalised care

One example of this is in dementia care where there are many opportu nities to incorporate technology For example Richmond Villages Willaston is a specialist village for people in the early stages of dementia where they re able to maintain a level of independence supported by homemakers At night residents are acoustically monitored and staff are alerted if there are unexpected noises or movement which might indicate someone is unwell or in difficulty

Technology has the power to change how we work in care settings more widely Care staff have always filled out paper notes throughout their shifts including details about medication wellbeing and feedback from the res idents As everyone will know it’s time consuming and inefficient and reduces the time that can be spent talking to residents and building positive long term relationships

But across Bupa Care Services we’ve introduced handheld devices which allow carers to record every interac tion with residents in real time freeing up capacity for real high quality care

It also means that staff can record more detailed up to the minute accurate notes with more information about each resident s mood what they chatted about or what activities they had been enjoying

G-Touch Wireless Care Home Solution

Genee is a UK leading manufacturer of innovative technological solutions Genee plays an integral role across all major industries including health care to support patients residents and staff

Having supported Care Homes through the pandemic The G Touch Wireless Care Home Solution is one of Genee s most impactful solutions yet The solution includes; the G Touch Interactive Screen Electric Mobile Trolley and a Wireless Battery Pack Its portability specially designed and simple to use interface as well as its multitude of applications are specifically built for residents and staff in mind

The G Touch Interactive Screen is an engaging resource for residents and staff Available in 55 ’ 65’’ and 75’ the touchscreen itself has durable and toughened safety glass that can be easily cleaned The large screen provides for spectacular viewings of videos TV shows and movies In addition the size of the screen encour ages residents to participate in interactive activities

With built in 2x15w front facing speakers and an HD video conferencing camera provides the perfect com munication tool to video call families, friends, and other care homes With the built in PC and Android 8 0 operating system, the user interface software is easy to use As soon as the touchscreen is turned on, the sys tem loads into a tablet style of multiple icons containing the software and Apps used daily without the need for a PC style login The included software also helps residents with health issues including Dementia and Alzheimer’s

A solution that benefits all! The Electric Mobile Trolley is better suited than a traditional wall mount or trol

By Rebecca Pearson, general manager for Bupa Care Services (www bupa co uk/care services)

Another step change is that this information can be accessed by residents’ families This helps build up a full picture of what life is like in the home and how their loved ones are doing day to day

There s no doubt that we re all getting more tech savvy, and why wouldn t we utilise it our care settings too?

It s what families expect to see and increasingly it will be what our residents expect too

That s why it s so important that we lay the groundwork now But most importantly technology is helping our people get back to what they love Our people tell us they want more time to care That s why they came into this profession So it s up to us to make this happen

Compliance infection control and quality standards will always be top of the agenda Electronic medical records systems are designed to reduce the time it takes to administer medications safely and improve clinical outcomes with a joined up service that all health professionals can access This also makes it easier to refer back to previous notes to look for patterns with residents full medical history available at the touch of a button

All of our monitoring processes are also now stored in our digital quality and compliance solution which has been rolled out in each of our homes and villages It helps our home managers carry out quality monitoring and make swift changes to day to day processes if needed And regulatory partners can also be updated with the click of a button

But it s not just about quality or compliance There are a wealth of games apps and tools designed to support older people while making it fun and interactive For example for those with dementia a memory game app can help enhance the time they spend with loved ones

Ultimately it s the human connection that is at the heart of our digitisation journey As residents adjust to a new life and environment or deal with dementia it’s the people caring for them that bring fun and laughter back into their lives Technology allows us to foster this human connection and ultimately get more out of our time together

ley The mobile trolley can be electronically adjusted by height and offers 90 degree angle adjustment from horizontal to vertical ensuring easy accessibility at different chairs and wheelchair height The four lightweight and strong steel integrated castors include locking brakes for safety

The Wireless Battery Pack removes trip hazards and provides a helpful portable solution Simply add the lightweight battery pack to the trolley and easily move the touchscreen from room to room

The G Touch Wireless Care Home Solution comes with 5 years’ on site warranty as standard with no additional costs Our dedi cated team will bring the equipment to the care home assemble and install the solution and test everything on site We will also support you with free online training to ensure your Care Home gets maximum use of this incredible solution

Get in touch via: +44 (0)1902 390 862 sales@genee group com www genee group com

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Monika Primed to Make Care Management Simple

By Keith Hopewell, Director of Operations UK & Europe, Monika (www monika com/solutions/monikaprime/)

In a care or medical setting staff have to juggle caring for residents and patients with proper hygiene checks medication management, and ensuring up to date records

With over 30 years’ experience, Monika is the expert in connecting teams and equipment Their flagship service, MonikaPrime, is a complete safety hygiene, and compliance management system which eliminates the need for manual paperwork

Monika’s innovative temperature monitoring equipment simulates the temperature of the perishable goods and vaccines as opposed to simply recording the tempera ture of the air in the cooling unit providing greater accuracy for peace of mind Regulations require certain substances to be stored at specific temperatures such as insulin antibiotic liquids and eyedrops Outside the required 2 8 degrees Celsius these medications can lose integrity making them ineffective and potentially harm ful; so having reliable and accurate temperature monitoring equipment is essential Staff can be nominated to receive alerts if the product moves outside a pre set safe temperature range so

medication can be relocated before it loses integrity or be identified for destruction if it has become harmful This can also help identify faulty equipment, preventing the need for expensive repairs Alerts can be sent to any desktop, mobile, or Monika smart handheld PA device, all of which can access Monika’s cloud connected system offsite This is ideal for managers overseeing multiple care homes as it enables comparison between the location helping identify potential staff training opportunities for maxi mum safety

As well as ongoing temperature recording Monika s system can be programmed to send audio and visual hygiene task reminders to staff These tasks are fully auditable with the system recording who has done what and when reducing the risk of human error and miscommunication Staff can therefore spend less time in administration and more time caring for patients

Visit www monika com/solutions/monikaprime for further details or see the advert on the facing page

Cloud Finance Software That is Helping Care Homes Thrive

Healthcare organisations face unique challenges from cost containment and multi entity reporting to new billing models and product offerings and a cloud based accounting system allows you to better understand your organ isation 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 suc ceed in the ever evolving healthcare industry

BUILT FOR HEALTHCARE

As healthcare grows in complexity so does your organisation You’re man aging 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 consolidation 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 efficiency gains and taken departmen

Intelligent Care Software (ICS)

tal reporting from 10 days to 10 minutes

REAL TIME VISIBILITY AND INSIGHTS

Sage Intacct’s real time reporting allows you to understand and measure performance for both financial 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

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 man aging 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/

Care is was conceived designed built and is managed by nurses registered managers and care home owners

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 training record apps and our audit app which templates all the essential audits and includes a record of inspection visits

At Care is we can get you started on your journey from paper or another care management system with minimum fuss plenty of support and all for what we believe to be good value for money

With eMAR mandatory training and a complementary care certificate coming in 2022 there has never been a better time to get on board https://careis net or see the advert on the facing page

AND

The CAREAudits System

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 THE CAREAUDITS SYSTEM

The CAREAudits app and Web Portal Auditing Tool is now being used throughout the UK and Ireland by all

and Safety

and now Corona Virus

Steve Smith regional manager at Care Homes

from CQC

Maintenance as well as service users quality and

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

call Ken Newlove

email apps@careaudits

01482 238887

director

Fill 100% of Your Staffing Needs with Care Hires

Training

says

able

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

10 Reasons To Go Digital With Electronic Care Planning and Medication (eMAR) Systems

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!

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

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

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

For example, the CQC states that the care provider should look to embrace technology that helps monitor care delivery During an inspec tion under the Effective key line of enquiry (KLOE) question E1 3 asks

How is technology and equipment used to enhance effective care and treatment delivery and support people s independence?

Digital care plans are the best way to achieve this!

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

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 serv ice at a glance

AutumnCare contains a customis able Dashboard to provide Managers with a snapshot of what is occurring across the care service at any point in time

USERS

Happier ser vice users

Last and by no means least going digital can make your service users happier

Digital systems enable you to spend more time caring and less time on administration

There are benefits to happy service users including positive reviews from family and friends, which may help grow your service

WONDERING HOW TO GO DIGITAL?

If you re unsure of how to get started in your digital transformation AutumnCare can help!

AutumnCare provides specialist digital care planning and eMAR soft ware enabling providers to migrate to a digital system and providing the foundations for outstanding care We can walk you through what is required step by step as well as provide training and support every step of the way

To realise all of the benefits above plus many more get in touch with us today

Contact Chris Sharman

Email c sharman@autumn care

Call 0800 009 2121

New Digital Right to Work Checks for British and Irish Workers PROFESSIONAL , TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

Employers will from 1 October 2022 need to adopt new digital right to work checks for British and Irish nationals or revert to cumbersome manual in person checks

It will says Gavin Webster at Vialto Partners (www vialto com) no longer be possible for employers to rely on virtual right to work checks introduced by the Home Office under its Covid 19 concessions for these individuals

The likelihood of inadvertently employing an undocumented worker is very low but the impact could be high If procedures are not properly fol lowed employers have no statutory excuse against employing an illegal worker and could face substantial fines and other sanctions

The Home Office’s right to work guidance was altered in April 2022 to allow digital identification verification for pre employment checks Back then, it felt slightly academic as the government had not certified any providers to conduct those checks Whilst digital certification isn’t mandato ry and indeed it is still possible to conduct physical in person checks the move is designed to give the Home Office and employers the reassurance that checks are well managed

Right to work checks reduce the risk of employing a person who does not have the right to work in the UK for instance where an earlier work visa has expired They are conducted in good time before or on the first day of employment and repeated when work permission is due to expire for example after three years of a Skilled Worker visa When conducted properly and in line with the Home Office s prescribed checks they also give employers a statutory excuse against a civil penalty of up to £20 000 per illegal worker in the event they are found to be employing someone illegal Without them an employer can be fined even if they had no chance of spotting that for instance a UK passport was a fake

While the risk of employing an illegal worker may be no higher for the care sector than others, the risk of detection probably is even where an employer had no chance of spotting a fake document The care sector has always been of interest to the Home Office, more so than other health providers and some other sectors Historically, these checks have typically been undertaken manually and in person imagine being sat with HR

AI TECHNOLOGY

on day one of employment handing over a passport so they can check your face against the photo and then take a dated and certified copy

The global pandemic and resulting changing working patterns have seen right to work checks change Manual checks are no longer available for peo ple with biometric residence permits biometric residence cards or an e visa for example those with pre settled status or a frontier worker permit That means the vast majority of people who are neither British or Irish pass port holders need to be checked against the Home Office online service normally using a share code provided by the prospective employee

For UK and Irish nationals employers are currently still relying on the temporary ‘COVID 19 adjusted right to work checks which allow checks to be conducted via video call as opposed to in person, with original docu ments

That will change from 1st October 2022 however when it will no longer be possible to rely on this concession and the Home Office wishes employ ers to conduct these checks via an authorised Identification Service Provider with accredited Identification Documentation Verification Technology

Since April several government certified technology providers have emerged including our own right to work app Many of these platforms use AI technology to scan and read documents together with selfie digital photo graphs of new employees and will automatically record the name and date of birth of the individual pictures and the date of the check Checks can easily be conducted from anywhere in the country Whilst the Government would encourage employers to use an authorised Identification Service Provider with accredited Identification Documentation Verification Technology it is not essential Manual in person checks can continue but for large employers working across multiple locations that will prove cumbersome and time consuming

The use of this technology does require the human touch Employers must satisfy themselves that a compli ant check was conducted, that the person in the selfie is not an imposter, and if names differ, they must establish why for example a recent marriage Checks must be retained for the length of employment plus two years

The Importance of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the Care Sector

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, knowl edge, and confidence to carry out their role safely and provide the best possible care Having gained qualifica tions 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

experts

adults

sector

learning

2

PROFESSIONAL , TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

Key Employment Considerations For Care Home Providers

By Lee Ashwood, Employment Director at Freeths LLP (www freeths co uk)

With over a decade s experience of providing employment law advice to care home providers Lee Ashwood of Freeths sets out his five common employment law pitfalls

1 NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE

Care homes are often inadvertently paying their staff less than the National Minimum Wage and so leaving themselves at risk of claims for compensation by their staff and of being fined

Whilst the principle of the National Minimum Wage is a simple one that someone who works for one hour is not paid less than a set amount for that hour s work the calculation for determining whether or not someone is paid the National Minimum Wage is complex The issue is compounded as care homes commonly provide their junior staff with an hourly rate of pay equal to or only a little above the National Minimum Wage

The calculation requires an understanding of precisely what constitutes time spent working This can be far more than simply the time someone is rostered on shift and may include for example time spent handing over before or after a shift working while on a sleep in or while receiving training

An understanding of what payments a member of staff is required to make that will reduce their pay when cal culating whether or not they are paid the National Minimum Wage is also required Here payments by staff for their uniforms or training fees for example need to be considered

WHISTLE BLOWERS

All care home providers work hard to encourage their staff to make it known when they have identified health and safety issues, have suspicions of neglect or abuse or have any other concerns about the provision of care at their care home

Having made their concerns known and so blown the whistle’, it is widely known that the law states that the staff member may not be subjected to any detrimental treatment as a result of them blowing the whistle’ However, commonly care home providers leave themselves at risk of such a claim as they fail to ensure that the whistle blower s colleagues who may well have taken umbrage do not stop treating their colleague fairly and

People – Our Greatest Asset!

By Amanda Bewert OT (Australia) | Managing Director, Meaningful Care Matters

I hear all too often about the shortage of skilled staff working within the health and social care sector All too often experienced and well thought of team mem bers burnout and leave the service or care sector com pletely This is felt more keenly as it is more than just needing to replace a staff member but it is the loss of that person’s skills abilities knowledge of the organisa tion systems and processes and knowledge about the individual needs of the people who are being support ed and cared for

When organizations and businesses consider their assists usually they list their tangible or fixed assets such as buildings and equipment but it is the human assets (people) that are the most important part of any

with respect

3 FOREIGN LANGUAGES

As care home workforces become more and more diverse, the likelihood of a language other than English being spoken in a care home increases Care home providers want the best for their residents in terms of com fort and safety of course

Sometimes this leads to an enforced requirement by a provider that English is spoken at all times by their care home staff or at least in certain circumstances However the law against discrimination is wide ranging and bans on speaking a language other than English in the workplace can often fall foul of it

4 POOR PERFORMERS

With care homes struggling to recruit and retain staff and care home managers already busy it is often easier to overlook a poorly performing member of staff than it is to deal with them Setting aside the potential risk to the health and safety of residents failing to deal with a poor performer can greatly affect the morale of their col leagues with them possibly leaving as well leading to allegations of there being a difference in treatment and so discrimination

However as employment law does not prevent poor performance being dealt with swiftly and efficiently care home providers have no reason not to act, having first taken advice

5 PART TIME EMPLOYEES

Time and again it is overlooked by care home providers that the law states that part time employees must not be treated less favourably than their full time colleagues because they are part time

This issue comes to light when, for example, care home providers reward their full time employees with addi tional time off, the right to refuse overtime or even the opportunity to choose their shifts In doing so, care home providers put themselves at risk of a successful claim for compensation from a disgruntled part time member of staff

GET IN TOUCH FOR ADVICE

As a specialist lawyer for the Care sector, Lee supports individuals as well as businesses of all sizes including many small medium or well known organisations He is an experienced litigator and provides pragmatic advice based on the objectives of his clients

organisation particularly when considering the health and social care sector

WHY ARE PEOPLE THE GREATEST ASSET OF ANY SERVICE OR ORGANISATION?

They are the face of the service Ultimately people within your team are responsible the for the provision of care and services to the people you support They are integral to meeting not only regulatory compliance requirements but are also the face of your service and organisation

Engagement = Productivity The more engaged team members are the more productive they are too People who are satisfied challenged and motivated are far more likely to be engaged and committed helping the service and organisation to achieve their purpose and objectives

Skills and knowledge While all team members must possess specific competencies and skills related to their role some skills and knowledge are irreplaceable or take many years to develop This includes knowl edge of specific people being cared for and understanding of organisations’ cultures, systems, and work pro cedures

The message of being valued and respected doesn t come from memos sent to staff They watch to see if the leadership walks the talk Lip service can only go so far; management can t just say they value their work ers They must show it in real terms

If we understand that people are our greatest asset then we must ensure that we invest in their health and well being too In turn people who feel valued and appreciated will go the extra mile for the people we care and support, and the organisation

See the advert on this page for further information

PROFESSIONAL , TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

Workforce Challenge - The Eden Alternative – A Modern, Proven Model of Care for Staff and Resident Wellbeing

WHY DO THIS?

The Eden model is built on what people say they want, in a Home or a workplace, which therefore attracts residents and team members alike

As an Eden Home builds its reputation upon the quality of life it offers to the people that reside there it follows that occupancy improves

As a programme that empowers staff and focuses on their wellbeing It follows that staff retention improves

With a positive culture a motivated and dedicated workforce It follows that positive innovation becomes more possible sustainable and continuous

When demand for services increase it follows that viability improves

As a cohesive cultural progression programme it follows that innovation modernisation and positivity increase

The model is efficient cost effective and the training is delivered by experienced practitioners in Care Homes

Homes are very busy places, and the programme is therefore run on line for 1 hour per week for 6 weeks

and people can do this at work or at home

The 6 weekly sessions are run online with a work book with links for further optional reading or viewing and should not be a burden to busy Homes, teams and managers

It is however effective You can try without obligation

It is designed to make business sense to providers

It is designed to enhance viability

It is designed to support recruitment and retention

It is designed to motivate Care teams and is open to any individual to add their CV

WHAT IS IT

It is a training programme which leads to accredita tion and focuses in detail on 7 domains of wellbeing 10 principles and is particularly designed to address instances of loneliness helplessness and boredom

Geoffrey Cox

The Eden Alternative Call today on 01626 868192 or visit www eden alternative co uk

In Dire Need Of Experienced Health Care Assistant, Senior Carer Or A Nurse?

JJ Recruitment has the large database of well qualified applicants with experience in the health care industry such as health care assistants, sen ior carers and nurses from overseas We also have an expert team of solicitors for the necessary legal proceedings and advices

WHY JJ?

We have very minimal processing fees

We assist you to get a sponsorship license

Qualified and experi enced candidates from overseas Tel: 01704 808227

www jjcarerecruitment

admin@jjrecruitment

An inspiring approach to care

As experienced Care Home practitioners we provide training to care home teams in sustainable innovation and positive leadership that empowers people to embed companionship, partnership working and vibrancy to build enriched quality of life into care homes

Develop a culture of care with wellbeing and positive 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

Validated Eden Alternative associates can benefit from continuing support from our expert team

Sign up today and join the care evolution

Call today on 01626 868192 or visit www.eden alternative.co.uk

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

PROFESSIONAL,

Are You A Care Home Owner with Staff Vacancies?

As recently highlighted in the media there are current ly over 100 000 vacant roles in the care sector

Some 78% of providers who responded to the exclusive survey car r ed out by the ITV News in conjunction with the UK Homecare Associat on sa d recruit ng carers is the hard est 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 L ncolnshire came to see me He knew I was an immigra tion lawyer He was distraught and on the verge of pack ng 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 Brit sh work force are ust 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 h s staffing problems have been solved

So how do we go about doing it?

The UK Imm gration 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 compa ny needs to be regulated by the UKVI (UK Visas & Immigration) This nvolves being licenced by the UKVI so that your business can successfully recruit foreign work ers without fear of being fined or breaching any immigra tion rules set by the UK governments stringent pol cies

Many potential employees are already w thin 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 spon sored by your company through your sponsor licence

Th s would involve mak ng a complex application to the UKVI and in essence asking them for permiss on for you to employ the worker full time Once permission s grant ed, you then have the benefit of a full time employee tied down exclusively to your company for at least a 5 year per od This is often referred to as a Work Permit If you wish to employee multiple foreign workers then we would need to conv nce the Home Office to grant you an appropriate allocation under the terms of your licence

Under th s licence you can also recruit carers and nurses from abroad

The solution to current staffing cr s s is clearly to recruit foreign workers and it is not as daunt ng as people often make out There are many special st firms of lawyers who can do the whole process for you and you can also save on hefty recruitment fees of employment agencies

If you urgently need staff then you should definitely consider applying for a UKVI sponsor licence n 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 solut on Harjap S ngh 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

Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance