The Carer Digital - Issue #123

Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!

I did mention in my comments last week how pleased I was to have been invited to the House of Lords for the launch of the Meals on Wheels initiative

We are delighted once again to cover this with some stories in this issue A report by Hertfordshire County Council reveals that the initiative makes a sig nificant difference in helping people live independent lives

This was one of the messages I took away from a speech by Baroness Pitkeathley

She emphasised just how vitally important the initia tive is in providing hot nutritious food which prevents people becoming ill through malnutrition which in turn helps prevent bed blocking

However evidence in a new research paper from the University of Hertfordshire in the peer reviewed journal Health and Social Care in the Community found that Meals on Wheels increased people s ability to cope and live independently Furthermore the caring relationships which develop over time between service beneficiaries and those delivering meals help prevent social isolation and ensure older people feel valued and cared for And following on from that is great to see Players and Management from Harrogate Town AFC joining volunteers and staff at non for profit organisation Harrogate Neighbours to deliver meals with a difference to mark National Meals on Wheels Week!

The importance of the initiative becomes even more apparent when one reads the story on page 18 that one in ten UK older people are reducing or stopping their social care or expect to do so in the coming months as they struggle with the cost of living This will have a huge impact on the NHS and will in turn have a huge impact on adult social care struggling with rising costs underfunding and critical staffing issues

So once again we are delighted to give this initiative as much coverage and support as possible If you have any stories you would like to share please do get them over to us we would be delighted to include them!

I note a call from Independent Care Group chair Mike Padgham who is urging the pub lic to mount a last ditch plea to the Government to stop vital extra funding from being denied to social care (See page 9 )

This reminded me of a meeting participated in earlier in the year We here at RBC Publishing also produce a title for the hospitality and licensed on trade CLH NEWS and speaking to one of the sectors high profile organisations I highlighted the fact that the public do not get involved enough (or at all) to support the sector

Any price rises within the industry are inevitably passed on to the paying public and while the hospitality and licensed on sector are always very vocal the public seem to lack the spirit and drive to support them

This led to an appeal in the sector and I am off on Monday at the ripe old age of 64 for my first public “demonstration” Outside the Houses of Parliament there is a demonstra tion protest against the government s lack of support for the sector

It is an urgent call to the government to take appropriate action to support a sector that is on its knees, and is open to anyone working in the hospitality sector and associat ed industries or anyone who enjoys supporting restaurants bars pubs clubs cafés and hotels asking them to show their support by joining the demo at Parliament Square

And it really is time for the public to demonstrate its support for the adult social care sector

I think the entire country would recognise that the COVID 19 pandemic shone a reveal ing light on the adult social care workforce

The recent State of health care and adult social care report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) highlighted rising vacancy rates staff burnout and the loss of adult social care workers

So I think the call for public support is long overdue If other sectors can do it so can the social care sector

In the first instance write to your MP get family and friends to write to their MPs demand a reply and if there are any petitions put your name to them There are currently at least 1 6m people are living without the care they need and there are 165,000 job vacancies in the sector

It really is a good time for the public to step up!

Again we have received some wonderful and uplifting stories from care homes around the country awards birthday celebrations fundraising sports events singing and danc ing you name it we are receiving them at the moment all feelgood stories which high light the dedication commitment and devotion staff display in every day improving the well being of the residents so well done and please do keep them coming!

However we are approaching one of the most important commemorative occasions Remembrance Day And, as we approach Remembrance Day there will once again be a national focus on ceremonies and services being held up and down the country both on Remembrance day Friday 11 November and Sunday November 13th

In recent years we have been honoured to share your celebration of this event, share and recognise residents experiences in conflict in the past so please do send any stories through to us delighted to publish them I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk com

Time for “Fundamental Change” to Professionalise Care Workers with Voluntar y Register

(CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER)

The recent CQC s State of Care report highlights the need for a registration process for care workers just like Doctors Nurses and other Health Care professionals Just as they do in other devolved nations but cur rently not in England

The organisations say that for employers, it will mean attracting and retaining team members from an early age into a profession of choice and the ability to offer a career path and for the Social Care Workforce it means professional and public recognition value and integrity with the prospect of a vocation for life For the public the organisations add it offers professional governance bringing much needed reassur ance to those in receipt of care and their families that additional checks are taking place on those providing care

RECOMMENDATION TO REGISTER CARE WORKERS IN ENGLAND

in June this year the Care Workers Charity (CWC) welcomed a long awaited publication of the report into the treatment of lower paid ethnic minority workers in health and social care by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which was released on June 9, along with a detailed set of recommendations for UK Government

The report made a recommendation to register care workers in England which it said would align with policy in the devolved nations which the CWC said would support better workforce data planning and pro

fessionalisation leading to better outcomes for all care workers recognising their valuable contribution to society

Registration they said would inevitably lead to improved understanding of employment rights and give care workers a voice, so that abuses of the kind detailed in this EHRC report are easier to monitor and address with commissioners and providers TIME FOR FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE

Liz Blacklock Director of Operations at NACAS says “The Health and Social Care workforce works tire lessly to improve the lives of the most vulnerable in our society yet are some of the most underpaid and under recognised roles

It s time for a fundamental change in the industry The population is ageing and the need for professional care services will only keep growing This is an indisputable fact We need social care to be the best it can be

Such a register could include and support training passports quicker and safer recruitment, paid job trials and much more

“We urgently need people working within the industry and those who receive Care and Support to com plete a short consultation for the proposed register it s here at https //www surveymonkey co uk/r/6KQKQF9 and will take just 3 minutes

The Consultation closes on 30th November 2022 following which it will be analysed and results reported

Braywood Gardens Care Home Constructs

Birdwatching Garden to Help Natural Ecosystem

How To Attract More Workers Into Social Care By Overcoming Language Barriers

By Joe Miller, Pocketalk general manager of the Americas and Europe (https://uk pocketalk com)

It s no secret that the UK s social care sector desperately needs to attract more staff According to a recent report from Skills for Care job vacancies have increased by 55 000 (52%) the highest level ever recorded

There are around 165 000 vacancies across social care When this number is added to the reported 132 000 vacancies in the NHS it means the UK health and social sector needs to recruit a workforce the size of Newcastle

At the same time, the number of ‘filled’ roles has dropped by around 3% equating to 50 000 between 2020/21 and 2021/22

In a social care system that is already struggling because of the impact of Covid and Brexit the shortage in the workforce is so severe that according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) it is now getting tougher and tougher to access care

As the care sector faces breaking point language barriers must be addressed to help fill vacancies and improve the level of care on the frontline in major cities

ACCESSING A POOL OF TALENT

Around one in ten people don t speak English as their first language while in large urban areas like London more than 20% of the population speak English as a second language By breaking down language barriers it could unlock a huge pool of workers to the care sector Effective communications solutions need to be adopted to reach the growing numbers of people who speak English as an additional language

GREATER NEED IN LARGER CITIES

Communicating within teams and with some care home residents can already be challenging depending on their health issues When you add another barrier of English not being many carers first language com municating can become extremely difficult Language barriers can lead to a delay in care, confusion in care delivery and also make it difficult to communicate with the patient s loved ones

The growing number of current and potential workers and patients with limited English proficiency is

concentrated around large urban areas which means the need for language support is already acute in large cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester

Barriers created by language in healthcare can mean patients and their loved ones are initially unable to explain their symptoms medical history etc Also they may not clearly understand what care and medical staff are telling them

TIME LOST IN TRANSLATION

Research conducted by Pocketalk shows that more than a third of healthcare workers agreed that lan guage barriers make it more difficult to assess a patient’s needs The research also showed that healthcare workers are losing around half a working day every week four and a half hours overcoming communica tion challenges

There is an undeniable need for interpreters but this comes with costs and is not always quick to imple ment Although social care providers can use interpreters, they must rely on the availability of one when needed and ensure consistent quality of translation to build and maintain trust and understanding

Cultural beliefs must also be considered, and social care workers may often find that patients rely on their family members and friends to act as interpreters However this can present a number of problems

TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS

The right technology can help massively That’s why last year the UK government announced an extra £5 9bn investment into healthcare £2 1bn of which will go on improving IT and digital technology within the NHS Today there are a number of tech translation solutions available that can take away some of these pain points Each different translation option comes with its advantages and disadvantages

While Google Translate is a solution that can provide instant translation between patient and carer the effectiveness of the translations isn’t consistent across all languages Alternatively real time language digi tal translation devices instantly translate a large number of languages but they do need WiFi mobile data or a hotspot Also GDPR is a requirement when seeking such devices

Ultimately social care providers must use a combination of bilingual people and translation technology to attract more staff who speak EAL and overcome communication barriers Not only can this help ease staff shortages but it can also help to improve clinical outcomes for patients

Cygnet Health Care Employee Initiative Scoops National Award

Cygnet Health Care scooped top prize at the Reward Gateway Engagement Excellence Awards 2022 in the category of ‘Most Impactful Peer To Peer Recognition Strategy for its Characters of Care scheme

The award recognised companies that have used innovative and creative ways to build a culture of appreciation and which helps reinforce the company purpose mission and values

In June 2021 Cygnet launched the Characters of Care staff recognition scheme; a peer to peer initiative that empowers employees to celebrate colleagues and reward their success Each month staff can nominate colleagues for a character that best represents a recent achievement or commendable action Staff can choose from a series of 12 fun and engaging characters which were developed by staff for staff and represent the many ways staff put values in to action every day so that they are able to deliver outstanding care

The 12 Characters of Care are Resilience Comfort Growth Passion Positivity Empathy, Fun, Support, Communication, Flexibility, Trust and Hard work

At the end of each month all nominees receive an email letting them know they have been nominated for a Character of Care award so that they can hear the pos

“Our employees are our most valuable asset and it is important that we applaud them in a way which makes them realise how much we appreciate the work they do to provide our service users with the very highest standard of care, no matter their job role

“Celebrating each other’s success is incredibly powerful and our peer recogni tion scheme not only helps employees become more engaged but it creates a culture of appreciation and collaboration Giving staff ownership of the nomination process makes the scheme especially important for those who don’t always seek the spotlight

“What matters to employees is that they feel valued and recognised for their hard work We know that peer recognition really helps to improve employee satis faction and retention and I am so proud that our Characters of Care scheme has been recognised as achieving this ”

Liverpool Care Home Helps Manchester University with Award-Winning Research

Liverpool

Oak Springs Care Home was one of four care homes to be approached by the University who wanted to interview a number of residents about what gives them a sense of purpose They also wanted to know to what extent they would like to engage in purposeful activities and the role of care staff in helping to achieve this

Dr Laura Brown is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Manchester whose research focus es on cognition, health and wellbeing in later life She said I am interested in characterising the patterns of psychological functioning that are associated with ageing and in developing interventions to help improve health and wellbeing in older populations particularly those in residential care home settings

The results of the survey showed that many residents experienced a loss of a sense of purpose when entering a care home and found it hard to make friends Care home staff are seen as integral to fostering a tailored approach to activities to help get it back

“Purposeful activities tailored to the resident’s previous life work best ” said Dr Brown “For example a res ident who was very good at sewing when she was younger would enjoy craft activities put on by an activity coordinator that encouraged that skill in others This would help to create a sense of purpose for the resi dent

“Research shows that residents who are given a ‘job’ in a care home such as gardening or DIY found that it can improve their quality of life But it has to be built into the culture of the care home as an important part of people s care

Andrea Lyon, Registered Manager of Oak Springs Care Home which has created an initia tive called ‘Project Busy’ to encourage residents to get involved in daily life activities said: “As part of our admission process our activities coordina tors chat to each new resident and complete a this is me document This captures everything from their likes and dislikes to their hobbies and interests and really informs their personalised care plan

Our team encourages residents to complete little jobs if that’s what they would like to do For example a recent resident used to run her own sweet shop so we asked her if she would like to set up and help us run a tuck shop in the home She loved it

Some residents find it hard moving from their own home into a care home but we have found that routine helps them to adjust, gives them a sense of purpose and also brings back memories

If someone says they used to enjoy popping into the pub for a pint on their way home from work we will make this happen Others might have loved going to bingo with friends every Friday night so we’ll make sure there’s always something fun going on that night It might be bingo but it could be an exercise class meditation or yoga

A provider of services for individuals with mental health needs learning disabili ties and autism is celebrating after its employee initiative was recognised at the Engagement Excellence Awards

itive feedback received from peers Fifty of the most inspiring nominations are published on the recognition page on Cygnet’s Careers website and these individ uals are awarded £30 through the staff reward portal, Reward Gateway Jenny Gibson, Cygnet Health Care’s HR Director, said: “We are so pleased to have won this award, it is a fantastic recognition of a scheme which has had a powerful and positive impact on the culture here at Cygnet Health Care

care home Oak Springs has been helping Manchester University researchers looking at the future of care

Programme to Tackle Energy Costs Launches

The NCF has been drawing attention to the grow ing energy pressures and its impact on the sector, alongside the ongoing workforce shortages for months Professor Vic Rayner OBE CEO of NCF says:

As social care providers and those they support grapple with sharply rising energy costs this winter, Community Integrated Care a member of the National Care Forum (NCF) has launched an innova tive programme to support social care workers peo ple using services and family carers

‘Taking Charge (www TakingChargeEnergy co uk) offers free interactive webinars and accessible resources specially tailored to the home life and working routines of people who work in social care and the people they support It brings together expert advice from leading energy organisations with the insights and perspectives shaped by the people it supports and their colleagues

The energy crisis has meant that many social care workers and families are struggling with escalating prices and many disabled people are paying more than double the energy bill of the average con sumer The programme offers vital support and guidance to help significantly cut energy bills and save people hundreds of pounds It is completely free to access and open to anyone

“The eye watering increases in energy costs is a very serious concern among our members even after the government capped prices through the Energy Bill Relief and Energy Price Guarantee Schemes For social care workers, the steep rises in the cost of living and energy costs alongside the continued reluctance of government to guarantee the funding for better pay terms and conditions means that the next few months will be very hard The lives and wellbeing of the people who access care and support services are also significantly impacted, and many are not enjoying the same sup port the government is giving to other households “It’s encouraging to see such an innovative co produced support programme from Community Integrated Care This will provide much needed practical support to people accessing care services and care workers However this can t be the respon sibility of providers alone, we also need more action from government We are calling for:

A guarantee that adult social care providers are defined as a vulnerable sector as part of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme following April 2023

• A guarantee that those people accessing adult social care support will be able to access the Energy Price Guarantee following April 2023

Additional immediate support for providers to reduce the pressures facing social care workers and meet other operational costs due to rising cost of living and inflation”

OF THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

WORKFORCE

The industry makes significant use of contingent, otherwise known as temporary workers In fact in recent years the sec tor has increased its reliance on this workforce 78% of inde pendent care providers state that they now use more agency staff when compared with their usage up until April 2021

Contingent workers are an incredibly useful labour force in the social care sector, as they allow care providers to grow their workforce size quickly and easily according to their needs As such providers can more easily manage costs, to ensure that resources are being utilised effectively to deliver the best quality care

The care sector s increasing reliance upon contingent workers has resulted from the staffing crisis A range of factors led to this crisis which differ depending on roles For example many events during the Covid 19 pandemic put a strain on the social care workforce An initial reliance on contingent workers in 2020 resulted in providers blocking the use of agency workers due to the spread of Covid 19 throughout various care settings Additionally many left the care workforce entirely especially given that more than 80% of jobs in the wider economy pay more than the average independent care worker wage Other markets are experiencing similar staffing concerns but there is an acute danger associated with a staffing crisis within health and care Solutions must be implemented to ensure that care quality remains high across the UK’s social care settings

By Danielle Garland, Account Director, Magnit (https://magnitglobal com/)

IMPLEMENTING WORKFORCE PLANNING TO PREVENT FUTURE CRISES

Often care providers use agency staff as a last minute solution to an urgent problem A member of per manent staff may have fallen ill and become unable to work or perhaps there is a sudden rise in patient need This response became a regular occurrence during the pandemic, as establishments had the difficult task of balancing the risks between staff and patients becoming infected with the virus Now that the sector finds itself in a more stable position, it’s time for a more permanent solution

Care providers need to build the contingent workforce into their long term workforce management strat egy When using contingent workers as a last minute fix providers experience a range of difficulties Clearly it puts significant time pressure on leaders to find the right candidate before it’s too late Furthermore care providers are likely to be forced to pay a premium to get talent at short notice When contingent workers are integrated into the overall staffing strategy care providers can both be prepared and ensure that they are better able to manage budgets

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR EFFICIENT WORKFORCE PLANNING

Integrating contingent workers into a provider’s workforce management strategy should not be a chore Providers are often squeezed for time and so setting up contingent workforce management shouldn’t be a burden to leaders

To best manage a contingent workforce, organisations typically integrate a vendor management system (VMS) A VMS centralises contingent workforce management into one digital platform This allows care providers to do everything associated with their contingent workforce in one place including initiating talent requests hiring workers compliance checking reviewing timesheets and onboarding and offboarding workers Consequently providers can ensure that they have long term visibility over their contingent work force needs

The care sector urgently needs to find solutions to its ongoing staffing crisis Evidently some aspects of the crisis are out of individual providers hands but there is always something that leaders can do to drive change Incorporating the contingent workforce into a long term workforce management strategy is essen tial to reducing pressure on hiring managers, increasing efficiencies and ensuring that great quality care is delivered every time

Remember, Remember The 5th Of November

colourful fireworks whilst in the warm and without the noise

Bianca Garcia, Deputy Manager at Ashcombe said: "It has been a huge amount of fun and residents have loved being able to enjoy the fireworks without the loud bangs and the cold air! Not every firework needs to be loud to be entertaining

The life enrichment program at Ashcombe house keeps residents active, and provides a daily choice of engaging physical mental and spiritual activities tailored to

Staff and residents at Barchesters Ashcombe House in Worting Road Basingstoke celebrated Bonfire Night with a Silent bang this November 5th when they gathered in the warmth of the home s conservatory for a fantastic firework display

Ashcombe House is situated behind the GP Vets so silent and low noise fire works were purchased so they did not distress any animals Cosied up in the warm with a hot chocolate residents and staff watched the colourful low noise fire works fill the night sky

Ivy Gibson a resident at Ashcombe house said: It was fantastic to see all the

residents interests and abilities

Severe Nursing Workforce Shortages Warns RCN

and have higher annual earnings on average than female nurses This is especially important because the loan repayment period in England has been extended to 40 years post graduation

RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive Pat Cullen said: This student loan repayment policy is another attack on nurses’ pay After a decade of real term pay cuts it will exacerbate issues we have recruiting people to our safety critical profession

A new report by the RCN shows how failure by successive UK governments to tackle the nursing workforce crisis in England has created “the greatest risk to publicly funded health and care services since their creation”

The report which presents solutions for sustain able nursing recruitment and retention outlines how past current and impending government policies are causing severe nursing workforce shortages with demand for staff vastly exceeding supply

There are record nursing vacancies in the NHS in England and the latest data shows there will be 2 000 fewer nursing students graduating from edu cation in 2025 than there are in 2024

The situation is likely to be made worse by pro posed changes to the way student loans will be repaid in England, lowering the salary threshold for the start of repayments and making them repayable over a longer time period This will disproportionate ly affect nurses who are amongst the lowest paid graduate professionals further discouraging people from pursuing a nursing career

Student loan repayments for female nurses are expected to increase by approximately 142% For male nurses it is approximately 72% This is because male nurses generally remain in employment longer

Successive UK governments have failed to acknowledge the need for urgent action on this cri sis including failing to support nursing staff with pay reflective of their level of education and expertise In short, there is still no UK government funded work force plan By refusing to pay nursing staff fairly it is patient safety that pays the highest price ”

Recent estimates show that without additional policy intervention and workforce planning the nursing workforce will grow more slowly than it is currently or will decline with a projected supply demand gap of 140 600 nurses in the NHS in England by 2030/31

Our report suggests multiple solutions, including making nursing graduates exempt from student loan changes and instead introducing a loan forgiveness scheme Alternatively there could be government funded tuition fees and living cost grants for nursing students the report says

In addition we re campaigning for a pay rise of 5% above inflation for NHS workers on Agenda for Change contracts across the UK to improve recruit ment and retention of nursing staff

Pay is the only lever available that would have an immediate impact on nurse retention ” added Pat “It is an indication of how inadequately nursing staff are valued by governments that nurses working in the NHS have seen a real terms pay cut of up to 20% in the past 10 years

WE NOW SUPPLY A WIDE RANGE OF FURNITURE

Research Shows Music and Movement Hits Right Note with Care Home Residents

A pilot study by the University of Stirling has found that music and movement can have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of care home residents and could lead to similar activities being rolled out on a wider scale

The study, conducted by researchers from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport in partnership with wellbeing arts and fitness com pany danceSing Care, followed 47 residents from 10 Balhousie Care Group homes across Scotland over a period of 12 weeks as they evoked memories and improved their mental emotional and physical wellbeing

Residents and caregivers got their toes tapping hands clapping and voices singing as they enjoyed digital music and movement resources created by the danceSing Care team in consultation with NHS health care professionals

Over the study period residents joined the online danceSing Care sessions four times per week, where they were encouraged to take part in a variety of fun and meaningful activities including everything from chair and standing fitness music and singing bespoke Memory Lane radio shows and musical concerts

The sessions proved increasingly popular as the weeks went on and a range of benefits and improvements to residents’ wellbeing have been reported

Academics looked at a number of aspects of participants’ health and wellbeing spanning anxiety and depression stress and loneliness sleep satisfaction and indications of frailty such as appetite and unin tentional weight loss The study showed improvements in a number of areas

Balhousie Care Group also reported that the collective mood of the residents was visibly improved during the sessions Even those partici pants who were demotivated at the beginning were visibly happier by the end of the session or those not actively taking part still enjoyed the benefits of being present while the session took place

The numerous benefits and joy from the danceSing Care sessions were exemplified in moments such as one resident, after being hospi talised returning to the home and immediately asking to take part in a danceSing Care session As the programme progressed residents wait ed in the lounge for the sessions to start showing enthusiasm and excitement

It was noted that residents participated more in each movement ses sion as the weeks went on with visible improvements in physical strength Staff members commented that the success of the pro

gramme was visible in the residents’ “eyes, smiles and more smiles”, and one resident described the mood boosting music sessions as being “good for the soul”

The study also identified challenges to delivering the programme such as staff time and availability of suitable technology so solutions to these can be incorporated into any future activity

One resident who particularly felt the sessions had a positive impact on their health and wellbeing was 79 year old Robert Wilson, a resi dent at Balhousie Coupar Angus Care Home

Robert has always enjoyed an active lifestyle, being a former gym member who did Tai Chi swimming and used weight machines He found that the danceSing Care sessions helped to keep him active and social

Robert said: I very much enjoyed taking part in danceSing Care exercise and music sessions I think I ve benefited a lot from taking part in the programme as the sessions have kept me active and helped to improve my wellbeing and even my fitness

I enjoyed the fitness part of it the most and have become familiar with the moves as they were easy to follow I love music and found the music part of the programme very enjoyable too

Care home staff also benefited from the injection of music and movement into their weekly routine with team members reporting improved mood physical health and job satisfaction Bonds have been strengthened even more between staff and resi

dents with the programme encouraging increased interaction between the two groups Residents with dementia were also noted as being calm content and in a happy place which in turn had a positive impact on staff wellbeing

Professor Anna Whittaker, the study lead from the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport said: The early results of the study are extremely promising in terms of the positive impact that music and movement can have on care home residents and staff alike Giving residents something to look forward to and a chance to engage with one another has visibly improved their quality of life which is exactly what we were hoping for Such good results at this stage are really promising for the future and we hope this type of programme could be implemented in care homes across the country before too long We did also identify some challenges to delivering the pro gramme in care homes which we will address in our future research ”

Karen Johnson Quality Director at Balhousie Care Group said: As a care home operator we see first hand the benefits of music and exer cise to our residents However, to have this tracked, documented and researched to such an extent is valuable both to us and the whole social care sector Our homes thoroughly enjoyed being part of this pilot project and feasibility study, and we hope to see such pro grammes extended to more care homes across the country

Natalie Garry from danceSing Care said The danceSing Care expe rience has been developed not just for people in care themselves, but for the caregivers too It can create solid change and help create a happy vibrant community with a core of wellbeing and improving fit ness We know anecdotally that our music and movement resources positively impact mental health emotional wellbeing physical condi tion and improved socialisation and were excited to team up with aca demics from the University of Stirling and Balhousie Care Group to prove this Even with the restrictions of Covid we’ve been able to launch this important research project which will positively impact the provision of music and movement resources for older people ”

The success of the novel pilot project highlights the possibility of similar activities being adapted and rolled out across the country into the future with further studies underway and in planning

A realist evaluation of the feasibility of a digital music and movement intervention for older people living in care homes study is available to view here Further analysis is expected to be conducted and published in the coming months

Studley Care Home Launch Food Bank Initiative for Local Community

The home participated in a month long food bank collection to sup port the Studley community as part of Harvest Festival which took place during the month of October

Residents, family members and the team at Four Acres arranged a harvest festival collection for the Arden Food Bank at Studley Methodist Church

Four Acres received donations of tinned items pasta cereal and non perishable items to help families in need during the Winter months

The collection was delivered to the local food bank on the 1st of

November

Wellbeing Lead for Four Acres care home Diane Wood said: We are so proud to have Four Acres care home involved in the community collection It was great to see residents thoroughly involved in the deci sion making process and we look forward to supporting many more ini tiatives in the future ”

Four Acres are committed to being an active member of the commu nity and look forward to strengthening relationships with those in the local area now and well into the future

Lakeland Dairies Festive Cocktail Competition Open For Entries

Following the success of last year s inaugural Lakeland Dairies Festive Tipples cocktail competition the contest has returned for 2022 and is now open for entries

Jean Cattanach marketing controller Lakeland Dairies comments: We had a truly fantastic response to last year s competition We were so delighted to see care homes enjoying a fun and entertaining Christmas activity using our deliciously versatile Millac Gold Double that we have bought it back for a second year In 2021 we awarded Russell Churcher Court care home first place for their beautiful drink collages and exceptional creativity and we can t wait to see what exciting ideas this year’s competition will bring ”

THE CHALLENGE

Lakeland Dairies have teamed up with wellbeing specialists NAPA, to provide an engaging festive cocktail competition for care home resi dents Together they are challenging care homes to host a cocktail party whilst at the same time encouraging residents to participate through designing their own cocktail WIN

The winning entry will receive a Lakeland Dairies activity pack, including a cocktail shaker, Relish Aqua Paint set and a case of deli cious Millac Gold Double Every entry will also receive a helpful roll of piping bags ENTER Simply

To support care caterers even further, Lakeland Dairies have also released a fortified recipe and activity resource Fortified Focus: Festive Tipples The resource demonstrates how to deliver fortified food and drink in a delicious appetising and engaging way

It is packed with delicious alcoholic and non alcoholic cocktail recipes The drinks are fortified with Lakeland Dairies 100% Dairy Skimmed Milk Powder which is full of the goodness of milk and rec ommended by dietitians for fortification because it has the ideal combi nation of protein and calories

FORTIFIED COCKTAIL RECIPES

Each recipe has been carefully created by Lakeland Dairies a regis tered dietitian, and a specialist care home chef Together they have

successfully overcome some of the enormous challenges faced by care caterers when fortifying drinks namely that of how to devise recipes which are high in protein and still delicious to consume PROTEIN

& CALORIES

Dietitian Rachael Masters who worked on the project comments: “As dietitians we promote 100% dairy skimmed milk powder for fortification because of the protein content An ideal milk powder for fortifying would have at least 50 calories and 5g protein per heaped tablespoon (15g)”

Lakeland Dairies 100% Dairy Skimmed Milk Powder exceeds dietit ian’s ideal requirement from a milk powder for fortification as it has 55kcal and 5 5 g of protein in a single heaped tablespoon

Lakeland Dairies creates professional dairy products for chefs which have been carefully crafted and treated to have great taste and to pro vide a longer life for added convenience in busy kitchens With a proud heritage in dairy farming, Lakeland Dairies is a 100% farmer owned and managed dairy co operative whose products are made from high quality milk from the lush green pastures of its 3 200 family farms Claim the free fortified recipe and activity resource here https://bit ly/3xW0ttL

Every entrant who requests the guide will receive a free roll of Millac piping bags

F lakelanddairiesfoodservice

T @lakelandFS #festivetipples

Call for Public to Stand Up for Social Care

He said there remained question marks over whether the sector would get any extra money after the Health and Social Care Levy which was to be funded through extra National Insurance payments was scrapped

At a conference in Harrogate earlier this week Mr Padgham asked delegates what social care had to do to get the attention, and the reform it has been seeking for at least 30 years

“I am always bemused why more people don’t get concerned over social care ” Mr Padgham told delegates

People campaigning for better childcare provision held a march this weekend Where are the people doing the same for better social care?

He asked whether it was time for social care supporters to stand as MPs to get the issue properly heard

The proposed reforms, including a more generous means test and a lifetime cap on care costs of £86 000 were due to come into effect in October next year But there are increasing reports that the Government is to delay the changes because of financial restraints possibly until after the next election

Mike Padgham says plans by ministers to delay measures to help people afford care are a breaking of an election manifesto pledge And he has urged people to lobby their MPs this weekend to stop it from happening

He said: It isn t too late If enough people lobby their MPs the Government might be persuaded that this is the wrong thing to do It has shown that it can perform a u turn and it must be persuaded to do one on this

This delay would be a cruel betrayal of many hundreds of thou sands of people who need care to have a decent quality of life and the 1 6m who can’t get care

Instead the Government needs to start reform by giving the sector at least the £7bn extra a year the Chancellor has previously admitted the sector needs just to stand still

Mr Padgham, who is Chair of the provider organisation The Independent Care Group said reports that a cap on care costs is being delayed until after the next election were “a fresh kick in the teeth for thousands of innocent and silent victims ”

He said: This would be an unfair and blatant breaking of a manifesto pledge to end the crisis in the care of our most vulnerable and the public can t allow it to happen

“We have been promised reform, we have been promised extra funding and yet year after year for more than 30 years it is always social care that gets put to the back of the line Well, it isn’t fair and we shouldn t put up with it

Mr Padgham added: Time and time again when we have a glimmer of hope for the future and that older and vulnerable adults might get some fair treatment that hope is snatched away by government after government and social care is left short changed

I am left wondering what has to happen before those silent victims, who are our own mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles brothers and sisters get the care they deserve

The ICG says more than 30 years of neglect and under funding has left social care on the brink of collapse with Covid 19 chronic staff shortages and the cost of living cri sis turning the situation critical Care and nursing homes are closing and homecare providers are handing back undeliverable contracts

At least 1 6m people are living without the care they need and there are 165,000 job vacancies in the sector

It has written to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor calling upon them to give social care at least an extra £7bn a year

The ICG has called for root and branch reform of the social care sector

It has launched its Five Pillars of Social Care Reform setting out what it believes are the actions required to save the sector

The five pillars are: Ring fence a percentage of GDP to be spent on providing

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

A CAMPAIGNER is urging the public to mount a last ditch plea to the Government to stop vital extra funding from being denied to social care

Charity Warns Older People Will Become Increasingly Isolated as Rising Costs Start to Bite

Increasing numbers of older people are finding themselves unable to afford transport costs to vital activities aimed at combating loneliness and isolation according to research carried out by the country s largest charitable care provider for older people

Many older people are also worried about the increasing costs of energy and food and are asking activity leaders for advice and help with bills and anxiety

Methodist Homes (MHA) runs community based services for older people across England Wales and Scotland supporting more than 11 600 people in 175 locations MHA Communities is aimed at people who live independently but who benefit from a variety of activities and events to help combat loneli ness and isolation

Now the charity is calling for Government support to enable it and others to continue to run vital lifelines for older people so their wellbeing and mental health does not decline

MHA s Chief Executive Sam Monaghan said Our schemes are a lifeline to older people who have told us that being a member gives them a greater sense of purpose widens their social network and improves their mental health wellbeing 97 percent of our members have told us we help reduce their loneliness and isola tion

However our schemes are at risk of failing to help older people because they cannot afford to continue to participate in activities designed to support and help them

Despite the savings we make to the public purse local councils are having to make tough decisions to

cut services like ours which, even though they are integral to delaying medical intervention are sadly not recognised in their true value

We urgently need support from the Government or through local councils to enable our work to continue and expand if we are to avoid the pressures experi enced by older people being compounded We are already having to fight for every penny of the grants we receive ”

The recent survey of MHA Communities showed that 94 per cent of schemes had heard members and residents express concerns about rising costs of living

Half of MHA Communities schemes have said members are concerned about increasing transport costs A number have already noticed a drop off in atten dance due to transport costs increasing as well as having members express concerns that they might not be able to afford to continue to attend activities

In addition, 46% of respondents found that members were asking for advice on how to deal with bills debt and anxiety

MHA is facing increased costs for running the schemes, including rising rents and room hire due to energy costs and grants from local authorities becoming increasingly harder to obtain as they cut back

The rising costs combined with fewer members could put some schemes in jeopardy of having to close

Sam added: “We are doing all we can to support our members but are having to look at where we can save costs such as providing meals in our lunch clubs using cheaper ingredients so members don t have price increases they can’t afford but there is a limit to what we can do without it starting to negatively impact on the work we do

“Charities like MHA are constantly having to fight for an increasingly small amount of funding while at the same time having their costs rise

Remembrance Day - Please Let Us Share Your Stories!

As we approach Remembrance Day this year there will once again be a national focus on ceremonies and services being held up and down the country both on Remembrance Sunday November 13th and also on Friday the 11th November 2022 at 11am

Remembrance Sunday is a national opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all those that have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life

We remember the Armed Forces and their families from Britain and the Commonwealth the vital role played by the emergency services and those who have lost their lives as a result of conflict or terrorism We will wear a poppy with pride and as a display of our respect for all those who have served their country and their nation to help uphold the rights, we can today sometimes take for granted

For the residents of our care homes this is of course a particularly important day of the year we have in recent years been proud and hum bled to have been able to share stories and tributes to our nation s finest! in fact last years 3 page can be seen here https //issuu com/thecarer/docs/the carer digital 77/26

Most care homes will be planning to have their own service and pay trib ute and we would be delighted to share them

What are you planning in your care home? Have you got a remembrance service planned? Do you have a resident whose story you like to share? We would love to hear about the events you have planned by sharing them, in our printed issue our weekly digital issue, on our social media, so please do send stories pictures & comments!

Please email me editor@thecareruk com

Meals on Wheels Makes a Real Difference Study Says

This Meals on Wheels week (31 October to 4 November) a new study has shown the difference Hertfordshire’s meals on wheels service makes to helping people live independent lives

Hertfordshire Independent Living Service (HILS), which is part funded by Hertfordshire County Council delivers more than half a million hot lunchtime meals every year to older residents in Hertfordshire, helping them to keep living independently in their own homes

Hertfordshire County Council spends more than £1m each year helping to ensure that older people have regular access to hot nutritious food Alongside the hot meals HILS clients can also receive extra support such as tea and breakfast packs, medication prompts, drop in visits and nutrition al boosters

But the benefits of the meals on wheels service are more than just food and nutrition as has been evidenced in a new research paper from the University of Hertfordshire The recent study published on 27 October in the peer reviewed journal Health and Social Care in the Community found that meals on wheels increased people’s ability to cope and live independently Furthermore the caring relationships which develop over time between service beneficiaries and those delivering meals, help prevent social isolation and ensure older people feel valued and cared for Whilst there is no statutory requirement for local authorities to fund the costs of food or meals directly (and a significant proportion of other local authorities have withdrawn from delivering or subsidising a meals service over the past five years) Hertfordshire County Council feels that the investment in the meals on wheels service is justified, especially when increased cost of living pressures are driving food insecurity It welcomes this new research demonstrating the additional benefits that a preventative meals on wheels services brings

“With their responsibilities for public health local authorities considering decommissioning meals on wheels services need to consider the wider benefits a Meals on Wheels service offers argues Angela Dickinson, research paper author and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire “This is the first study in the UK that has explored older people s perspectives of Meals on Wheels and shows the posi

tive public health and preventative aspects relating to food security and the advantages of such services in times of individual and societal crisis ”

Cllr Tony Kingsbury Executive Member for Adult Care Services at Hertfordshire County Council said “This week I’ve seen first hand the amazing work that Hertfordshire Independent Living Service do to help people live well and remain independent in their own homes I m delighted that the county council is funding this important service that is proven to make a real differ ence to people’s lives and is keeping older residents healthy and safe as tem peratures drop this winter ”

Lisa whose mother is a HILS client said: The team were absolutely bril liant; they went through everything with us and gave excellent advice things I hadn t thought of myself

Sarah Wren, Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Independent Living Service, adds We are so fortunate in Hertfordshire that the county council funds the largest meals on wheels serv ice in the country which is Hertfordshire Independent Living Service

“We support around 4 000 people each year with our meals on wheels service Each day we can deliv er around 1 300 hot meals to clients all over Hertfordshire making sure that they are okay looking after them, and giving them really good nutritious food The wonderful thing is that we can support people short term or long term and really tailor our service to suit their needs so that they can retain their independence and continue living at home for as long as they wish ”

During the pandemic the meals on wheels service adapted to help the council support people in times of crisis This includes operation sustain food packs, including supplying food for homeless people HILS con tinues to work flexibly to support individuals in times of acute need this includes the provision of more than 250 home from hospital packs annually These are bags given to people leaving hospital to help them cope at home containing either fresh produce or long life produce to make sure that the recipient can remain nourished hydrated and comfortable for at least 36 hours

For more information about the services Hertfordshire County Council delivers and funds to keep people safe and well this winter visit: www hertfordshire gov uk/hereforyou

Harrogate Town AFC Players “Pitch In” During National Meals on Wheels Week

ored to be able to see first hand how the service works and how important it is for so many vulnerable people living within our community

“The players really enjoyed seeing the meals being prepped meeting the volunteers and joining them on their deliveries the service users were all very excited to see Simon and the players at their door and hope our involvement helps raise awareness for this vitally important campaign

Commenting on the initiatives, CEO of Harrogate Neighbours, Sue Cawthray said

Like so many areas of the social care sector meals on wheels requires greater government funding to support older and vulnerable people living within the community, who without the dedicated volunteers who run the service would not receive a nutritionally balanced hot daily meal Harrogate Neighbours delivers on average 33,000 meals a year to and has been running the service for 10 years

Player Lewis Richards said

“I really enjoyed meeting the service users and seeing how much effort goes into preparing the meals The volunteers are amazing it was a real feel good factor

Speaking on behalf of the club, Sarah Barry, CEO of Harrogate Town AFC said, Sue and her team are doing a fantastic job of tackling the issues facing this vital service We were hon

“We’re so grateful for the support of the local community and especially the Harrogate Town AFC players who have dedicated their time to the cause

“As Chair of the National Association of Care Catering, Meals on Wheels Week is an opportunity to raise awareness of the service say thank you to the volunteers, who without, the service would not be possible and do our bit here in Yorkshire to encourage more funding to ensure the sustainabili ty of such a vital service

“Due to the rising cost of living many people are going to have to choose between eating or heating and that s just not right Malnutrition in older people is on the rise our service supports those at risk pro tects the NHS and allows our team to provide not only hot food, but a daily ‘check in’ which is vital to people s wellbeing

Winnie The Pooch Becomes A Regular Visitor At Little Bramingham Farm

Little Bramingham Farm, the Luton based residential care home run by charity Friends of the Elderly has a new furry four legged friend who regularly visits the residents for morn ings of fun games and cuddles

Winnie affectionately called Winnie The Pooch a Blue Roan coated Cockapoo, is a qualified Therapy Dog who spends every Monday morning with the Little Bramingham Farm resi dents Winnie is quite a character and loves nothing more than playing games doing her tricks for treats and snuggling up for cuddles

Martin Rodker Winnie s owner and trainer said Winnie loves coming along to Little Bramingham Farm for her weekly visits and she adores the residents just as much as they adore her

Winnie was assessed as a Pets As Therapy (PAT) dog not an Assistance Dog and meaning she brings benefits to people in a therapeutic way PAT is a national charity which is devoted to enhancing the health and wellbeing of thousands of people across the UK through striving to ensure that everyone no mat ter their circumstances has access to the companionship of an animal A stroke and a cuddle from a friendly dog goes a long way Martin added

The difference between an Assistance Dog and a Therapy Dog is that an Assistance Dog has been trained to perform a specific set of tasks and focus on a single person such as providing assistance to someone with certain medical condition or is disabled A Therapy Dog is often a pet dog belonging to a volunteer who, for example visits care homes hospitals schools or community hubs to provide comfort bring smiles interac tions and happiness

Karen Charity Little Bramingham Farm’s Activity Coordinator said: “Winnie is highly intelligent and has a wonderful loving nature and temperament which is great for a Therapy Dog Our residents all look forward to seeing her it starts their week on a really positive fun note Everyone knows when Winnie has arrived she certainly makes an entrance running up to each resident to say hello

Winnie has her routine When she first arrives, it’s straight into the Lounge for games with the residents such as ball and fetch and chewy toy tugs of war After all the exertion Winnie strolls around making sure she has time for a cuddle with everyone and of course giving her paw when asked to get her good girl treats

However Winnie doesn t stop there She s then off around the care home for her one to one visits “Some of our residents who are unable to make it to the Lounge for the group Winnie Session’ or prefer to have one to one time with her, all get their special weekly Winnie visit Nobody misses out One of our resi dents Jean Houghton especially loves spending time with Winnie as it reminds her of when she had her own dogs Jean said: I love my weekly visit Winnie is so good clever and cute she completely lights up my room every visit I mean, she s such a pretty girl and if you were feeling a bit down she could brighten anyone’s day ”

On World Heart Day in October Jean made Martin a special keepsake heart for Winnie saying how much she loved her; Jean was extremely proud of how well it turned out ” Karen added

Martin continued: “Winnie enjoys seeing all the residents They give her their undivided devotion and she loves being the centre of attention She s a real character full of enthusiasm in fact she s a little joker at times Winnie and I thoroughly enjoy coming along to see the residents each week and it s wonderful to hear all their stories of the animals they had as children growing up or as family pets Winnie is such a peo ple pleasing dog with lots of love affection and she happily gives this to everyone she meets ”

Little Bramingham Farm’s Registered Manager Emma Lawrance concluded: “It’s wonderful to see our res idents faces light up when they see Winnie her tail doesn t stop wagging from the minute she arrives until the minute she goes home A dog is said to be man’s best friend and seeing Winnie each week makes our residents so happy she greets them all like long lost friends

On Wednesday 2nd November Players and Management from Harrogate Town AFC joined volunteers and staff at non for profit organisation Harrogate Neighbours to deliver meals with a difference to mark National Meals on Wheels Week

Kayne Ramsey, George Horbury, Lewis Richards, First Team Manager and Director of Football Simon Weaver and CEO of Harrogate Town AFC Sarah Barry spent the morning at The Cuttings, Harrogate Neighbours extra care scheme learning about the vital service which sees over 100 meals prepared and delivered into the community every single day

How To Set Boundaries For People Who Work In Care

By Jess Baker and Rod Vincent are Chartered Psychologists

WHY IS SETTING BOUNDARIES DIFFICULT?

Setting personal boundaries can be a challenge Partly because they are invisible and intangible and partly because they require assertive ness to maintain them All of this is even more challenging for people who work in care One reason for this is that those you care for have a high level of need and are dependent on you It can feel like part of your duty is to put your own needs aside A second reason is that many of the kind of people who are attracted to caring professions also read ily sacrifice themselves

HOW CARERS’ BOUNDARIES GET BROKEN

There are many ways that carers’ boundaries can be broken: working beyond your paid hours; feeling responsible for the family and friends of those in your care; feeling responsible for your colleagues or man ager; experiencing rudeness or abuse at work; being exploited by the organisation you work for Perhaps you can think of others if you reflect on the challenges of your own situation

SIGNS THAT YOUR BOUNDARIES ARE BEING BROKEN

Personal

Often people don t identify their boundaries in advance; they only discover them when their internal alarm system goes off You experi ence a sense of unease exposure or wrongness You don t like some one else’s behaviour towards you You feel compromised And when that happens it’s essential to take action to protect your boundaries COMMUNICATING YOUR BOUNDARIES

If your boundaries alarm system is going off you have to learn to speak up about that To communicate clearly To say how you feel while acknowledging how others might feel too That takes courage and assertiveness If you don’t communicate your boundaries, how can

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you expect anyone else to know that they have been breached

HOW TO IDENTIFY BOUNDARIES IN ADVANCE

Choose your helping boundaries

Are you going beyond the call of duty? If as well as a caring job you’re also volunteering, looking after dependent relatives, or trying to help everyone you meet then you don t have any boundaries to your helping It s essential to consciously decide when who and how you help For example you might decide to limit most of your helping to your professional role

Know your limits

As well as listening out for your boundaries alarm system there are other signs that you ve reached your limits and need to reset your boundaries Typically signs are if you are feeling exhausted, resentful or exploited

Agree your boundaries

You don’t have to do all of this on your own Talk to the people you work with and discover what you can expect from them and what they can expect from you That’s especially important when you start a new job or join a new team Agreeing your boundaries in this way could make it easier to support each other to maintain your boundaries

Know the impor tance of looking after yourself too

If the focus of your attention is entirely on other people most of the consequences for you are negative you are the one who ends up suf fering It might help you to remember one thing: as well as your responsibilities towards those in your care and to your employer your ultimate responsibility is to yourself to looking after your own needs protecting your own boundaries and asserting your human rights Because if you aren’t doing these things who is going to?

Bow Residents Have the X Factor in Care Home Talent Competition

Audience members were up on their feet singing and dancing as ten residents from various L&Q Living schemes took the microphone to show off their vocal skills Dane Richards 36 hit all the right notes during his winning performance of self wrote rap, ‘Dance Floor’

Bolstered by coming out top of the pops and channelling his inner Eminem Dane said: “I was very happy to perform and overwhelmed with the response I got from the judges

Dane has lived at Foundry Mews an L&Q Living supported living scheme in Walthamstow for five years and attends weekly art sessions to pursue his passion for music

For runner up and first generation immigrant, Shahjahan Ali, 62, music reminds him of his life before the care home a memory made more poignant by his family s attendance Ali said “I love singing and it meant a lot that my family could be here to see me win a prize ”

too

Fortnightly music sessions led by Amber and Harvey have been running at the care home for adults with mental health issues since 2017

The benefits of music have long been known in the research community and are now gaining traction among carers in the housing sector too Less distress better state of mind increased socialising and improved communication are some of the many outcomes achieved for residents living at the East London based home

Ferdous continued: It is easy for care home residents to feel bored and isolated Rather than being slumped on sofas and watching TV, they need something engaging to occupy their minds and bodies When we have the music sessions it brightens their day and brings everyone together for a fun activity ”

Virtual Reality Technology Helps Residents Take a

From sky diving in Dubai to a tour of the Grand Canyon in Arizona Care Home Residents in the UK are living their travel dreams Residents in Advinia Health Care homes, Newcarron Court Longwood Braemount Hillview Netherton Green and Parklands, have been travelling around the world from the com fort of their armchairs thanks to Oculus a virtual reality technol ogy

The VR headset offers Residents the opportunity to visit renowned tourist sites whilst sitting comfortably in their Homes The headsets track head movements, allowing the wearer to explore a 360 degree representation of an environment just by looking around The view experienced by the headset wearer is also displayed on a tablet so Carers and family can share and chat about the content which might include places familiar to the resident or parts of the world they’ve never encountered before

Advinia Health Care (www advinia co uk) says the introduction of virtual reality tech nology is in response to the impact the pandemic has had on residents who have expressed their desire to travel around the world In response Advinia introduced

Oculus to enhance the life of the residents especially those liv ing with dementia

Dr Sanjeev Kanoria Founder and Chairman of Advinia Healthcare noted that It is wonderful to hear how these experi ences have allowed the Residents to reminisce with their fami lies and each other and enabled them to become more engaged and involved particularly during these challenging last couple of years ”

Reminiscence therapy is proving to be particularly effective for people living with dementia, and this is a fantastic example of how we can utilise modern technology to help them to unlock treasured memories and engage with others , ” he further explains

Advinia is one of the UK's largest care providers and has for some time now been engaging in groundbreaking technological advancements to provide the best care for residents With a vision to create a better everyday life for its residents Advinia contin ues to explore the ever present opportunities that technology provides to make life for the elderly more

and the authors of The Super Helper Syndrome: A Survival Guide for Compassionate People (Flint Books, available in hardback £18.99 and ebook)

An X Factor style contest came to a Tower Hamlets care home with residents singing their hearts out to songs by Neil Diamond Beyonce Westlife and many other artists

Coxley House s lounge was transformed into the global franchise s studio for the day with singers performing on a stage with black curtains and the famous X fac tor sign

In true talent show style, the care home contestants took part in rehearsals with professional musicians Amber and Harvey in the lead up to the competition

The judging panel consisted of L&Q Living’s senior management team members, Debbie Cook and Trudi Tayeg Unlike their celebrity counterparts the panel ditched the show’s theme of brutal honesty in favour of praise for all the contestants Ferdous Khanam Scheme Manager at Coxley House said: There was a real buzz at Coxley Houses during the show Seeing the residents’ faces as they enjoyed the singing was priceless and it was fabulous to see family members sharing in the fun

Shortage of Care the ‘Perfect Storm’ Charity Warns

Unpaid carers and the older and disabled people they support are facing serious difficulties getting NHS treatment and their health is deteriorating as a result new findings by charity Carers UK show

A third of carers (34%) waiting for specialist treatment or an assess ment have been waiting more than a year with a similar proportion 31% saying the person they care for has also been waiting for more than a year

It is affecting a third (32%) of carers’ attendance at work, rising to 45% of carers who have been waiting for more than 18 weeks

Two thirds of carers (67%) waiting for treatment say it is having a negative impact on their mental or physical health with many left in pain and unable to carry out their caring role

A lack of reliable support from care services in the community is seeing one in five carers (22%) tell Carers UK that their loved one’s emergency admission into hospital could have been prevented with higher quality care and support in place

Half of carers (49%) felt that NHS staff did not provide them with the information, advice and support they needed to care well and safely, putting their own health and wellbeing at risk

The findings paint a bleak picture of increasing pressure on unpaid carers as they manage worsening health compounded by the funda mental shortage of care services meaning they cannot take a break or stay in work to generate an income

Helen Walker Chief Executive of Carers UK said:

“Gridlock in hospitals and lengthy NHS waiting lists combined with a perpetual shortage in care services and the cost of living squeeze is forming the perfect storm for unpaid carers to collapse They have nowhere to turn

“The backbone of our NHS and social care systems, unpaid carers have been completely overlooked for support Without it we will only see more carers crumble and more pressure applied to our already over stretched services

“To start the NHS must prioritise carers when addressing the back log of treatments recognising the impact of waiting on their ability to care It is important that there are specific workers in place during the hospital discharge process to ensure carers are included and support ed to care safely at home

To relieve the pressure on families and hospitals it is vital that the

social care system gets the sustainable long term investment it so des perately needs and that there is dedicated funding to support carers as part of winter planning

Carers UK is also urging the new Prime Minister to uprate carer ben efits in line with inflation at the earliest opportunity so that hard pressed carers can afford to eat and heat their homes with the cost of living crisis also impacting their health

The rising costs of care services is worrying carers with a quarter (25%) saying the cost of care is too high and more than half (58%) wor ried they won’t be able to afford services or practical support in the future

Carers UK wants to see those entitled to Carer’s Allowance the main benefit for people caring unpaid for 35 hours or more each week to receive a winter top up payment of at least £500 as has been delivered in Scotland and Wales to help them manage over the com ing months Carers receiving Carer s Allowance were more likely than other carers to report bad or very bad physical and mental health

You can read the report in full at https://tinyurl com/25pvdu3m

Poole Care Home Residents Walk 14km to Raise Money for Alzheimer’s Society

Resident

Malnutrition Amongst Older Adults

with a range of long term conditions such as dysphagia (swallowing problems) cancer chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) dementia and physical disability In the short term it can also lead to a weaker immune system increased risk of pressure sores poor wound healing and muscle weakness which can lead to falls and fractures

WHAT CAN CARE HOME CATERERS DO?

Malnutrition amongst the elderly can impact on an individuals’ physical and mental health and overall quality of life in both the short and longer term Malnutrition simply means ‘poor nutrition’ and can refer to a range of nutritional concerns Usually in the con text of older people malnutrition is characterised by low body weight or weight loss suggesting that affected individuals are not eating well enough to maintain their health and wellbeing Although the negative impacts of malnutrition can start within 2 5 days of poor intake in an older adult the associated unintentional weight loss may not be noticed until weeks or even months later when that person s biological functioning has been severely nega tively impacted SIGNS

AND SYMPTOMS

Care home caterers are in a unique and advantageous position to be able to positively influence their resi dents risk of malnutrition through providing enticing and nourishing food in their menus

Create a ‘high energy high protein’ menu for those identified at risk of malnutrition which includes fortified meals snacks and drinks with added cheese milk powder butter and cream

Always use full fat foods such as milk yoghurt and cheese Make fortified milk to increase protein and energy intake by adding 4tbsp milk powder to 1pint full fat milk Use this milk in your ‘high energy high protein’ meals and in drinks for residents who have been identified as at risk of malnutrition

Consider offering a ‘lighter’ option at each mealtime for those who find large meals overwhelming and who would benefit from a little and often approach

Offer enticing snacks along with the tea trolley such as cakes and biscuits, and milky drinks and fortified smoothies

Ensure that a high energy pudding is on offer twice daily such as sponge and custard or ice cream

• Ensure that additional snacks are always available for those who may find themselves hungry between meals or overnight

jewellery becoming looser and dentures suddenly not fitting It is also associated

Typical signs of malnutrition include weight loss which may be sudden or could be more gradual It is often associated with ill health hospital admission and a general loss of interest in food Other more subtle signs include clothes

Consider a multivitamin and minerals for residents who struggle to eat well at meals

Berkshire Care Home Pays Tribute to Singer

Doris Day with an Unforgettable Performance

Residents at RMBI Care Co Home Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court in Wokingham recently had the opportunity to enjoy a touching tribute to the late American actress and singer Doris Day The care home invited Emily, a local singer, who performed some of Doris Day’s most famous tunes The Home s bistro bar area with its bright open space and comfortable armchairs became the perfect place to take in the retro vibe and reminisce

While enjoying coffee, tea and cold drinks, the residents tapped their toes waved their arms in the air and sang along Resident Angela Walmsley said: I thoroughly enjoyed it! Emily sang The Black Hills of Dakota,’ which is my favourite song She also sang lots of songs from

musicals and films ”

Resident Ann Green added It was lovely and we would very much like to see her again The songs brought happy memories of my youth ” Resident Stanley Smith agreed with resident Ann “It was very good as I remembered many songs from the past he said Sharon Fletcher Activities Coordinator at Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court was delighted with the response from the residents “They all had a fantastic time,” she said “It was so nice for them to sing together and reminisce We all talked about the songs films and hits from the past The memories even caused a few tears of happi ness! We hope to have Emily to perform for us again at Christmas ”

North East Care Boss’s Covid Contribution to be Recognised at House of Lords

Steve Massey operations manager at North East based Popular Care and Solehawk has been invited to a special event at the House of Lords in recognition of his contribution to the social care sector during the Covid pandemic

Steve is a finalist in the Social Care Covid Hero category of the Great British Care Awards and will be hosted at an afternoon tea reception by Lord Palmer of Childs Hill OBE He will join a number of other social care leaders as well as inspirational frontline staff all of whom made a signif icant contribution to ensure people were well looked after during the peak of the Pandemic

Joining Popular Care and Solehawk in March 2020 just as Covid reared its head and the UK headed in to its first lockdown Steve had a tough job on his hands, and has been described as ‘at the forefront of all Covid related issues within all the nine homes he has responsibility for In the award nomination which was composed by colleagues it said that Steve ‘is ever present for all of the managers no matter what time of day or night working tirelessly to ensure that each has the right level of support ’ Steve was praised for ‘quickly introducing systems of enhanced cleaning and PPE stock mainte nance and was forward thinking enough to understand that these would become issues He is cited as ‘ensuring that residents and families were able to keep contact by sourcing the correct IT equipment and supporting managers to make those difficult decisions that we knew families would find

hard to accept around access to their loved ones

Richard Adams HR director said “Steve has been the rock for our care homes throughout the pandemic which was an incredibly challenging time for everyone involved in the care sector

He is always there to support everyone in the team no matter their position, and is always prepared to go the extra mile to help Steve is very modest and I don t think he always realises just how valued he is by everyone at Solehawk and Popular Care

“I am delighted that he has been invited to the House of Lords in recognition of his contribution to care It s well deserved Being shortlist ed for such a prestigious award when there are so many people who did so much during the most trying times of the pandemic is an amazing achievement, but I believe he would be a very deserving winner ”

Steve said I am overwhelmed to have been invited to meet Lord Palmer at the House of Lords and to reach the final of these awards I just wish I could take every single member of our care home teams They carried out tireless work caring for our residents during what was a very worrying time

None of us had any idea what was in front of us and I am grateful for the support I received from the company, and from colleagues Now that life is returning to normal it’s fantastic to see our homes open up again family and friends visiting and lots of activities happening once again

please telephone 03301

Rachael Venditti RNutr from allmanhall (www allmanhall co uk), the leading independent food procurement specialist, highlights some of the signs of malnutrition amongst the elderly and offers nutritional advice on its prevention

and

1 in 10 Older People are Reducing or Stopping their Social Care

One in ten UK older people are reducing or stopping their social care or expect to do so in the coming months as they struggle with the cost of living, storing up big problems for the NHS

More than 1 in 5 (22%) older people are already reducing or stopping spending on medications or specialist foods or expect to do so in the coming months and 1 in 7 (15%) are skipping meals or expect to do so over the same period

To protect both older people and the NHS Age UK is calling on the new Government to restore the triple lock and raise benefits and social care funding in line with inflation at the Autumn Statement on the 17th November

Sometimes I don t take my painkillers or eye drops because they are too expensive I cannot afford them ”

I have widespread arthritis and am virtually house bound and I feel the cold If heating costs increase as predicted, along with increase in food bills I m not going to be able to pay my bills; I ll have to cut back on everything I just don’t know how I will cope”

New polling[i] from Age UK finds that 10% (1 6 million) of over 60s in the UK are already cutting back or stopping their social care, or expect to do so in the months to come because they can t afford the cost This particularly affects older people who pay for their own care, but in England even those whose care is supposedly funded by the State often have to pay ‘top ups’ to their provider so some of them are likely to be impacted too

In addition 22% (3 6 million) of older people are already reducing or stopping spending on medications or specialist foods or expect to do so in the coming months; and 15% (2 5 million) are already skipping meals or expect to do so over the same time period

Given these worrying statistics it is not surprising that the same polling found that more than half of over 60s 54% or 8 8 million people said they believed that cost of living increases would affect their health and care needs over the winter Unfortunately they are probably right

The charity believes that taken together these findings are the worst possible news for the older people affected and for the NHS because they suggest financial problems will undermine their ability to look after their health in the months to come at a time when our health services expect to be under unprecedented pressure

The polling also coincides with a new report by Age UK which asks and seeks to answer the question the charity hears from growing num bers of older people in England: “Why Can’t I Get Care?” A big part of

the explanation is that a staggering 14,000[ii] people each week are having their requests for care turned down by councils most of which are overwhelmed by growing demand and have only static or reducing resources with which to respond

Furthermore according to ADASS[iii] between November 2021 and February 2022 there was a 28% increase in the number of people awaiting assessment, care or direct payment, or a review The report highlights the vast numbers of unpaid carers who are holding up a crumbling care system providing hours of care for their loved ones, often at the expense of their own health and wellbeing And the pres sure on them is increasing and the worry is that growing numbers of unpaid carers will buckle under the strain leading to a collapse of their care arrangements, which will then have to be picked up by their local council

This new data comes after the Care and Support Alliance (CSA), of which Age UK is a member recently found that 2 6 million people aged fifty and above are now living with some form of unmet need for care in England This is the best estimate so far produced of the numbers of people in mid life, as well as above State Pension Age, who require assistance with one or more activities of daily living like washing and eating The charity says that to have so many older adults going with out the support they believe they need shows it is imperative that we expand the availability of good affordable care in England so that more people who require it can actually receive it something that cannot happen without Government action to improve the pay and conditions of care workers and to give councils more funding so they can reduce waiting times for assessments and charges for care The charity says that the Autumn Statement is an important opportunity in this respect and the Government would be wise to take it

Caroline Abrahams Charity director at Age UK said:

“It is alarming that well over a million older people are already cut ting back or stopping their social care across the UK or expect to do so in the months to come because they can t afford the cost This is potentially disastrous because if you are an older person with care needs this support is not a nice to have but essential in enabling you to stay fit and well Cutting back or stopping care in this situation threatens to pile extra pressure on the NHS our hospitals especially as it greatly increases the chances of serious ill health and injury

Our survey findings that even greater numbers of older people are cutting back or stopping medications or specialist food or expecting to

do so, or skipping meals or expecting to do so, because of money wor ries only add to our concerns

“Without the care they require, frail and unwell older people are more likely to fall, become malnourished and dehydrated fail to take their medication, and become seriously ill because an emerging health problem will not be noticed early enough to nip it in the bud Care workers are the only visitors many such older people receive each day and they play a vital role in sustaining their mental and physical health Without them, it’s inevitable that some older people will suffer, invisible and unseen, behind closed doors

“Trying to save money by deliberately missing meals or cutting back on the specialist food they require, for example because of coeliac dis ease is also likely to undermine an older person s health at a time when they need to stay strong to ward off the cold, plus all the winter bugs

“The problem is that the cost of living crisis has made everyday pur chases much more expensive and many older people living on low and modest incomes are finding it impossible to cope, with worse likely to come as they need their heating on more during the chilly weather

Rising prices are hitting care providers too and they are increasing their fees accordingly Older people without much money face really difficult choices about how to afford the basics and some are now clearly choosing to reduce or give up their care, because this seems to them like their ‘least worst’ choice, though it carries appreciable risk As one older man said to Age UK, “I’d rather be warm than clean

“It’s terrible that we have reached a position in which the best finan cial option for some older people is to forego the care and support they rely on or indeed a square meal or the pain killing gel that makes their knee pain bearable but high prices over the coming months mean we can only see many more finding themselves facing this predica ment That’s why the Government must restore the triple lock and raise both benefits and social care funding in line with inflation at next week’s Fiscal Statement There’s no doubt that not to do so would be a false economy so far as the NHS is concerned as well as severely jeopardising older people s health The new government must under stand just how high the stakes now are ”

Bromyard Care Home Resident Receives Thank You From King Charles

A

With Tessa being the same age as the Queen she feels that she shared a lot of her journey with her and has vivid memories of the coronation on a tiny televi sion

Froome Bank’s activity champion, Karen Edwards,

often helps Tessa who has been at the home for two years with her poetry She said: I was over whelmed when I read it and, without anyone know ing I sent the card to King Charles Tessa was made up when she received a card from his royal highness in the post and said that it is the most exciting thing that has happened to her In the card the King thanked Tessa for her enormously comforting” words of support

The poem in full reads as follows

God Bless the Queen In duty she gave all Ever Smiling, ever gracious,

So young to get the call

Some hidden hand was there to guide her To see her through life s trials With dignity she reigned In her own imitable style

Now she rests in peace Her work on earth is done

Borne aloft by Seraphim Safe in heaven s harbour Cradled in the presence of the holy one

Celebrating innovation: CSSA Innovation Showcase Returns

With a focus on creating the Future of Cleaning businesses and organisa tions operating throughout the industry can enter their innovations via the CSSA website by 30 November 2022 Entries are required to demonstrate innovation at their heart utilising technology to enable positive change

Prior to The Cleaning Show all entrants will be invited to present at the CSSA’s annual Innovator’s Pitch, where they will have the opportunity to appear in front of a panel of leading industry experts who will review and interview the candidates The panel will offer entrants the chance to bring their innovation to life and demonstrate their passion for the product/service Entrants will be expected to provide a concise overview of the key benefits why and how the innovation exists, together with supporting evidence or insights on its success to date Those successful will be invited to exhibit at The Cleaning Show 2023 London

Among the big trends anticipated to take the spotlight, the theme of sustainability will return to help operators minimise their impact on the planet Cobotics and the evolution of robotic technology to support the cleaning process and tackle the ongoing resources challenge will also play a key role alongside healthy buildings where the Internet of Things (IoT) enabled dynamic resource applications to transform operations For further information on submitting an entry visit https://www cssa uk co uk/

Speaking about the CSSA Innovation Showcase Paul Ashton Chairman of the CSSA said: “The CSSA Innovation Showcase represents the Future of Cleaning and provides genuine insight for our members and the wider industry into how we can use innovation to create positive change We specifically focus on high

Among those selected to appear at the 2021 CSSA Innovation Showcase was the ICE Complete Autonomous Cleaning Range which comprised of vacuum cleaners scrubber dryers and sweepers in various sizes suitable for a whole host of environments Joining them Ecobreeze Smart & Pure s IoT air care solution which showcased its ability to improve indoor air quality as well asassisting building management via a simple heat map that shows visits by time and day This, in turn, improves cleaning rotas and allows cost savings

Meanwhile the W'air Sustainable Fabric Care offered a pioneering 3 in 1 eco friendly device that cleans and protects fabrics Its patented hydrodynamic technology uses a fraction of the water energy and deter gent of conventional cleaning, so users save time, money and the environment

to

We re

back the

of

”

The CSSA Innovation

is now open for entries Registration for The Cleaning Show 2023 will open on 1st November 2022

To register your interest to attend and find out more about this year’s event visit https://cleaningshow co uk/london/

to

After a successful debut in 2018 the Cleaning & Support Services Association will once again host the CSSA Innovation Showcase at The Cleaning Show 2023 Returning to the ExCeL London from 14 16 March 2023 the showcase will celebrate the cleaning industry’s most innovative products, services and initiatives

lighting ways our membership can tackle the operational challenges being faced with the evolution of customer demands There is no doubt that technology has a key role in the future provision of safe clean envi ronments ”

Paul Sweeney Event Director The Cleaning Show added:

delighted

welcome

CSSA

host the popular Innovation Showcase which guarantees to demonstrate the next generation

innovative solutions for the cleaning industry We encourage businesses and organisations to submit their entries and look forward to seeing those who will be joining us in London next March

Showcase

care home resident at Froome Bank in Bromyard has received a thank you from King Charles after writing a moving poem marking the passing of the Queen Tessa Preece, 97, a former school secretary who also worked in the Air Ministry in Worcester in World War Two, often enjoys writing poems and was com pelled to write the poem after Queen Elizabeth s death in September

50,000 New Homes for Older People Needed Each Year to Tackle Housing and Care Crises

The Government must build 50 000 new homes for older people each year to tackle the UK s housing and social care crisis one in four of all new homes a new report published by the International Longevity Centre (ILC UK) has urged

Leading academic on ageing societies, Professor Les Mayhew, says that with the number of over 65s set to race past 17 million by 2040 the Government should initiate an accelerated programme of con structing older people’s housing with up to 50 000 new units a year on top of the meagre 7 000 currently built annually

Achieving this growth would help older people stay healthy for longer and reduce the burden on the NHS and care homes Each new home would free up housing and surplus bedrooms for younger fami lies and first time buyers making housing more affordable And new developments could play a major part in revitalising declining high streets Mayhew says

The ability of older people s housing to foster social connection is especially important given that as many as 6 2 million older people are set to live alone by 2040 half of them aged 80 and over exacerbat ing the loneliness epidemic and stretching social services to breaking point

Integrated Retirement Communities providing communal facilities and social care have a particularly important role to play New Zealand, Australia and the US are far more advanced in this regard with 10 times the number of older people living in this kind of setting as here but Mayhew says the UK needs to go much further than even these countries

Professor Mayhew, whose commission this year drew on evidence and input from over forty experts highlights the concrete steps the Government needs to take to reach the levels of older people’s hous ing required:

Launching the Older People s Housing Taskforce immediately

Reforming planning rules to make it easier to build housing suitable for later life

Putting older people s housing on a level playing field with all other developments

Cutting Stamp Duty so it is the same for last time buyers as first time buyers

Ramping up the financial advice available for older people looking to move

The Government committed to expanding housing with care for older people in a string of white papers at the end of 2021 and start of 2022, including on levelling up and social care, but is yet to act upon these commitments

The Older People’s Housing Taskforce was announced by the Government in February but has yet to launch

Professor Les Mayhew of the International Longevity Centre UK and Bayes Business School said

The UK is failing to adapt to the far reaching changes to society caused by an ageing population The growth in older people far out strips the growth in age appropriate housing with fundamental

change needed in the way we provide care and housing to those in their later years

“Our findings show that we need to aim big and hit the 50,000 mark on a yearly basis when it comes to new homes for older people If we do so, the benefits will be huge for the health and wellbeing of older people for the NHS and for younger people getting on the housing ladder

“The proposals in my review do not add to public expenditure investment is not the problem It just needs co ordinated action and the weight of Government to get behind it ”

Damian Green MP Chair of the parliamentary group on longevity said:

“Professor Mayhew’s report provides a stark illustration of the current mismatch between the needs of our ageing population and the hous ing and care options on offer

We re not just talking about a drop in the ocean in terms of the new homes needed for older people, we’re talking about tens of thousands that need building each year

The Government needs to move ahead with its cross department work to expand older people s housing, including reforms to planning and strengthening consumer protection

Natalie Reed, Interim Head of Inspection at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said:

“It has never been more important that we create a high quality social care system that meets the needs of older people and helps improve health and wellbeing

“Housing with care has an absolutely central place in achieving this mission complimenting established models of care such as homecare and care homes to improve the lives of older people

“Professor Mayhew’s report shows us a path ahead so we can create a social care system to be proud of

Bournemouth Care Home Residents Enjoy Trip to Vitality Stadium to Watch Football Match

Lucky residents at Care South’s Elizabeth House and Castle Dene care homes were treated to a trip to the Vitality Stadium thanks to tickets donated by AFC Bournemouth as a result of its on going community partnership The donated tickets were to help Care South and its residents mark ‘International Day of Older Persons in October

Residents were thrilled to join other supporters in the packed stands to watch AFC Bournemouth take on Brentford

International Day of Older Persons was created by the United Nations General Assembly back in 1990 and this year s theme explores the resilience of older people in a changing world The UN is encouraging countries to draw attention to and challenge negative stereotypes and misconceptions about older persons and ageing and to enable older people to realise their potential Over the next three decades, the number of older people worldwide is project ed to more than double reaching more than 1 5 billion in 2050

Chris Golding, Head of Marketing and PR at Care South, said:

“Many residents in our care are life long Cherries fans, so it was fantastic to be able to take them to the match and let them soak up the atmosphere It was a shame that the team couldn’t secure the win but residents were happy enough to settle for a draw The smiles on their faces at the end of the day certainly said it all!

“We celebrate International Day of Older Persons every day at Care South, but it is great to see other businesses and communities celebrate it A longer life brings with it a wealth of experience and life skills that should be celebrat ed and shared Our purpose is to ensure residents continue to live rich and ful filled lives and that means continuing to offer them opportunities to get involved be part of the community and enjoy new and favourite pastimes ”

Resident Mitzy at Queensmead at Castle Dene added:

“I enjoyed watching the football and I prefer to watch live games I mostly enjoyed it as I was able to experience a live game with my husband Ken I also enjoyed the chanting and the beating of the drums ”

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

(120kg) each) This bidet also facilitates

available for

to enable contact free flushing where required AKW’s Bidet Collection offers users an extensive

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

ment/akw bidet collection brochure/ For more information contact AKW on 01905 823298

sales@akw ltd co uk or visit www akw ltd co uk See the advert on the facing page for further details

Advinia HealthCare Chairman Writes Open Letter to Prime Minister

The new Prime Minister must pay particular atten tion to the health of the nation and should ensure pre vious pledges are honoured to increase funding of social care and also to ensure that independent social care providers receive the right fee for care This is a sector that is crying out for intervention

Over the past 30 years hospital bed capacity in England has more than halved from around 300 000 in 1988 to 140 000 in 2022 while the number of patients treated has increased significantly leaving the NHS with one of the lowest rates of hospital beds per per son among OECD countries An estimated 117,000 patients died last year waiting for medical care on the NHS and the number of patients waiting for non emer gency NHS care is at record levels about 6 5 million Many of them are people in employment who have taken sick leave reducing growth and productivity The vicious cycle of bed blocking by older people who no longer need hospital care needs to be broken for people in employment to be treated rapidly in hospitals so there is no productivity loss This simple equa tion needs to be appreciated

A properly funded social care system ensuring additional funds going to local authorities is ring fenced for independent social care providers is urgently needed Over 300,000 vulnerable older people, receive funding through local authorities and CCG and have their safety compromised because the fees are cur rently 40 per cent lower than the true cost of care It is the statutory duty of local authorities and the CCG to pay the right cost for care however their signifi cant market influence means that if a care provider insists on the right fees they simply stop placing resi dents Thus many vulnerable older people end up getting low quality care, with daily news on some safeguarding issue at a care home They blame the government for not funding them but we increasingly see that the money they receive is used to fill their own financial black holes and are not reaching inde

pendent providers

The most cost effective way to ease the burden on the NHS is to increase support to care homes so that elderly patients are not blocking hospital beds at great cost because care homes are closing down or are refusing to take them for low fees If the working age population do not get timely medical treatment due to hospital bed blocking, sicknesses, absences will continue to increase and productivity will reduce creat ing a vicious cycle of low growth

Unless social care providers are paid a minimum of £1100 per resident per week (i e circa £160 per day) which is then adjusted based on nursing needs and dependency with reassessments done regularly the vicious cycle of older people blocking the 140 000 hospital beds for the circa 65 million population of UK ( a dismal 0 2%) will not be broken

With rising staff energy costs and now interest costs and with inappropriately low fees by LA/CCG social care beds will continue to be lost £160 per day which includes 4 hours of personal/nurse care, lodg ing food laundry electricity etc will go a long way to keep social care viable and hospital beds available for patients with health needs

Providers are helplessly caught between the two pincer arms of the CQC One arm wants them to con tinuously invest in staff training and physical environment whereas the other arm the CQC Market oversight team, want independent social care providers to have enough surplus cash to ensure viability The CQC MO likely probability of failure and issuance of warning notices is a significant threat to the independent care sector Caught helplessly between the two pincer arms of the CQC and crushed by the LA/CCG with low fees where is the surplus cash to preserve where is the surplus cash to invest in staff training and in physi cal environment

This problem is further augmented by independent social care providers unable to claim back VAT limit ing their ability to fund capital expenditure to maintain properties to regulatory standards We have been forced to close 1000 operating beds in the last one year and plan to close another 200 in the next few months for we cannot operate with low fee paying LA and CCGs and meet the regulatory cost of care

A broken social care will lead to a pressurised health service which will impact the health and well being of the working age population and economic growth will be affected We hope that this simple equation is understood by key decision makers in Govt

Reptiles for Residents - “Creepy Crawlies” Pay a Visit

Residents

Deputy Manager Bianca Garcia said:

“Our residents have really enjoyed their unusual visitor’s today There s nothing more unusual for the residents than snakes and spiders they surprised me with how brave they all are!

Resident Lilian White who was one of the bravest residents handling every creepy crawly Lilian said “There s nothing to be scared of they won’t hurt you ” Lilian’s favourite creature was the stick insects so aptly named Branch and Leafy We are always looking for new activities for the residents and today we have seen the seen the enjoyment and the therapeutic influence animals can have on people

Ashcombe House care home in Basingstoke welcomed a host of creepy crawlies to the home with Ranger Jess from Zoolab

at Ashcombe were pleasantly surprised to see Giant African land snail Mr Slimy Chilean Rose Tarantula Ginny and Leopard Gecko named Lemonade to name just a few Zoolab specialises in bringing reptiles and small animals into a safe environ ment, while its trained staff educate about the different species with plenty of interesting facts

Transitioning Care from Hospitals to Homes with Technology

No matter how excellent the care received, when a person enters a healthcare facility their primary aims are to become well again and to return home But across the country 13 000 hospital beds are occupied by people who are declared well enough to go home but can t leave because of staff shortages and administra tive issues across the system The covid 19 pandemic has high lighted the unsustainability and impractically of traditional health care more than ever before The approach to modernisation needs to be delivered through co ordinated action across the whole health and care system Technology is a key enabler for change While technology should never replace the human touch it can enhance people s lives and transform the way that we provide care and treatment When embedded seamlessly into care servic es technology can help people to live happy and fulfilled lives in the comfort of their homes and communities By incorporating technology into our routine healthcare system we can increase efficiency in treatment and diagnosis by giving care workers the ability to focus on the main task at hand care

A recent study commissioned by Newcross Healthcare and carried out by YouGov emphasises a strong appetite for care to move out of hospitals into people s homes Three quarters (78%) of the public would prefer to receive care in their home over a care facility We’re also seeing a boom in wearable technology and a change in the way that people look after them selves with one in three of the UK population already using smart watches or health tracker devices These often penny sized devices can help to manage health conditions 24/7 such as diabetes, with a quick scan giving you all the data you need at your fingertips To provide enhanced healthcare services in homes requires an investment in technological infrastructure that enables all professionals delivering care to access relevant data Our survey found that 85% of the public would be willing to have their own home modified if it meant they did not have to be cared for in a hospital and 85% would be willing to use technol

By Stephen Pattrick, CEO and co founder of Newcross Healthcare (www newcrosshealthcare com)

ogy if it made healthcare more accessible

Technology opens the door to a future where people no longer need to live their lives around medical treatments like dialysis so that patients can focus on simply living their lives These views are backed up by the majority of care workers with (52%) of those surveyed stating that they believe home care is more effec tive than hospital care With AI s huge potential to identify disease patterns through machine learning and to provide more in depth and accurate insights there is new hope in effectively preventing illnesses through early diagnosis

Mobile apps are also helping to alleviate some of the burden on health care systems, by boosting a patient’s ability to live better with long term illness and providing tools for logging disease related data For those who receive care for multiple conditions this currently means using multiple apps which is where the sector would benefit from a unified approach through a single pro gramme that is secure and promotes empowerment

In the US a study has found that two thirds of outpatient appointments could be carried out in people s homes The American healthcare system is transforming its care delivery model with the aim of increasing accessibility to healthcare as well as improving health outcomes It is imperative that the government and health professionals in the UK also develop innovative interventions that promote preventative health and improve outcomes across the country especially among communities disenfranchised from traditional healthcare

There were more than 122 million outpatient appointments in 2021 22 with two thirds of these being fol low up appointments 7 8 million people didn’t attend their appointments with anxiety and financial/societal pressures being some of thereasons Procedures at home, such as blood tests, could be more comforting to anindividual and reduce strain on NHS which would lead to better clinical outcomes

After all it s people that cure people not hospitals and so the way in which we utilise medical settings needs to reflect this From introducing local clinics and more treatment and care at home to preventative health screenings in the workplace we can provide care that responds dynamically to communities evolv ing needs through leveraging existing data and assets With a record number of patients ready to leave hos pital if there’s one part of the economy which is ripe for digital transformation it’s the healthcare sector

Surrey Care Home Arranges Mobile Farm and Pony

Visit for a Resident’s 102nd Birthday

A resident of a Surrey care home has celebrated her 102nd birthday in style, with the home organising a day of fun filled surprises to mark the occasion including an extra special visit from some four legged friends and the local town mayor

Princess Christian Care Centre part of the family run Nellsar group recently arranged a very memorable day for resident Joyce Tofts aiming for it to be bigger and better than the birthday wish they made a reality for Joyce s 100th birthday back in October 2020, when Joyce joked with her carers that she hoped to receive a pony to mark the occasion Reaching out on social media for help the home arranged for a surprise pony visit to mark Joyce’s 100th birthday and the care home was determined to go one step further this year Joyce started the day with a pamper session in the home’s salon where she had her hair and make up done Joyce was then escorted to the resident lounge where she was greeted with a table of presents cards balloons and a bouquet of flowers from her fellow residents and care staff, before receiving a special visit with a differ ence Joyce was delighted to receive a visit from members of her family too

Fellow

endorphins and reduce depression and blood pressure

The excitement didn’t stop there though, with Joyce receiving a personal visit from the Mayor of Woking later that afternoon with a gigantic chocolate cake presented by the home’s Head Chef, Cosmin Cristea

Speaking of her day Joyce said: Princess Christian outdid themselves again! I feel very lucky to have so many people go above and beyond for me and could n’t be happier with how the day went ”

Storrington Care Home Residents Benefit

From Highly Interactive New Technology

Residents from Care South s Sussexdown residential care home in Storrington are benefitting from the latest Genee G Touch wireless screen which has been donated by the Friends of Sussexdown

The Friends of Sussexdown Committee is dedicated to providing facilities, extra comforts activities, trips out and support for residents of Sussexdown care home Funds are raised throughout the year by events and donations and the committee works closely with Sussexdown on a number on initiatives

Genee is a UK leading manufacturer of innovative technological solutions who supply the G Touch wireless screens The G Touch inter active screen is easy to use and an engaging resource for residents and staff It encourages residents to participate in interactive activities As soon as the touchscreen is turned on the system loads into a tablet style of multiple icons and apps which includes games such as catch ing fish in the pond and driving a bus The software also helps residents with health issues including those with dementia and Alzheimer s

The G Touch screen has durable and toughened safety glass that can be easily cleaned and is portable with a specially designed and

cally

front facing speakers and a HD video conferencing camera also pro vides for spectacular viewings of videos TV shows and movies as well as being the perfect communication tool to video call loved ones

a

Emma

We

”

Pauline Webb Chair Friends of Sussexdown added: We are delight ed to be able to continue to provide to Care South, a fantastic not for profit charity and more specifically Sussexdown care home which is greatly supported by Friends of Sussexdown We had a wonderful time at the home unveiling of the screen where we got to try the screen for ourselves alongside residents It was a wonderful day and we know the screen will provide invaluable benefits to residents in Care South’s care

simple to use interface that hosts a multitude of applications, specifi

built for residents and staff in mind The large screen with built in

Mitchell Activities Lead at Sussexdown said: This is

very exciting time for us at Sussexdown

are beyond grateful to the Friends of Sussexdown for this generous donation to provide such an important device to residents in our care The work that the Friends of Sussexdown do including to provide retirement housing for RAF veter ans and their dependents is very important and we are so pleased that our partnership is continuing to go from strength to strength

Princess Christian Care Centre welcomed a host of adorable farm animals, including Misty the Pony Del Boy the Donkey Alice the Goat Betty the Lamb, ‘Emintrude’ the Cow, ‘Soy the Piglet and ‘Erksie’ the Turkey which saw Joyce and her fellow residents hold pet and take pictures with the animals

residents came together to celebrate Joyce s special day immersing themselves amongst the animals which is known to lower anxiety and stress levels stimulate memory and

Mario Taherian General Manager at Nellsar s Princess Christian Care Centre said: “Joyce is adored by everyone throughout the home so we wanted to ensure she had a day that befit her admiration amongst her carers and residents It was a pleasure to see how she was throughout

and Alzheimer’s Society

Survey

As social care job vacancies hit a record 165,000, the group urged Government to prioritise the social care workforce providing better pay career progression and mandatory dementia training to ensure people with dementia can live the lives they want to With the number of people living with dementia in the UK set to rise to 1 6 million by 2040 from 900 000 today the pressures on the social care system are set to grow even further Alzheimer s Society said it was critical to create a workforce now which could deliver the care people with dementia need Currently people with dementia make up 70% of residents in care homes and 60% of

people who access homecare

The Workforce Matters report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia chaired by Debbie Abrahams MP and supported by Alzheimer s Society calls for a ten year People Plan to create a social care workforce that is skilled and supported to provide high quality personalised care for people living with dementia

A survey of nearly 2,000 people affected by dementia revealed less than half of people affected by dementia felt care staff had a good understanding of dementia and over a quarter of people didn t feel involved in the care received

People interviewed for the report revealed carers lack dementia training and can sometimes struggle to deal with more challenging needs

To read the report visit https://tinyurl com/34t65vv9

Ghostly Greetings as Winchester Care Homes Stage Halloween Treats for Children

The

Eight young visitors all children of team members at Abbotts Barton in Worthy Road had to navigate an array of hanging spiders cobwebs and skulls as they made their way round the home s garden

Kirsty Sawyer, Companionship Team Leader, said: Our residents and colleagues decorated the garden in advance and put in as much hocus pocus as possible

We invited the children to dress up and join us on a hunt around the gar den for witches’ hats with letters on that spelt out a spooky word to win a goody bag of treats

The children then enjoyed a hot chocolate and toffee apples with our residents For grandmother and resident Jillian Cambrook, the chance to welcome the children was especially pleasing

She moved to Abbotts Barton during the Covid pandemic at a time when visiting arrangements were restricted

Southern

Southern Contracts is one of the UK s leading suppliers of industrial laundry catering and commercial cleaning equipment

Working closely with care homes both national and family run we also supply and maintain appliances for the NHS the leisure and marine industries local authorities and schools and colleges We are very proud of our heritage and are a third generation family run business founded in 1964

Today we are honoured to also boast global clients to whom we deliver and maintain the very latest products and service being ever mindful of sustainability and keeping our carbon footprints down

We understand the importance of keeping disruption to a minimum not only in rela

It

Jillian said:

“We really got into the spirit of Halloween and I loved watching the children running around the garden and enjoying themselves

“It s something I hadn’t seen in the garden before I would love the opportu nity to welcome them again in the future

At St Catherines View Colten Care’s dedicated dementia care home in Stanmore Lane residents welcomed a Halloween visit from nearby Tops Day Nursery and Pre school

The fun included a craft session in which residents and visitors designed and decorated Halloween masks

There was also the chance to take part in games and have a run around in the garden

The children were each given flowers picked from the garden which they loved smelling and showing to the residents

member said: It was amazing to see how meeting the children lifted

made them so happy and excited Halloween provides a great form of reminis

Care Home Resident Spends Day at Former Place of Work

A resident at a Bognor Regis care home went back to her place of work and spent the afternoon on a trip down memory lane as part of a Seize the Day initiative

Kay Walker who lives at MHA Greenways spent some time at the Santander Bank site on the High Street in Bognor Regis

Kay worked as a bank manager at the site for 30 years and was the first manager when the back opened

The Seize the Day initiative encourages residents to re experience activities or events from the past or to do something they would like to do for the first time

She was accompanied to the bank by her husband Robin who she met whilst working at the bank Kay was given a tour of the bank and spotted plenty of changes since she worked there

Mr Walker said Kay had a fantastic time at the Santander Bank where she used to work as Manager

She worked at banks for over 30 years so it was lovely to reminisce about her days working there

The staff at the bank and at MHA Greenways helped to make the day a real joy and it was great to see Kay in what used to be her natural environment

I d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved in making the day happen

Cassandra Partridge community engagement champion for Santander said:

“I was approached by Joanne who told me Kay wanted to come back to ‘work’ for the afternoon and we were more than happy to oblige

“We are always looking for ways to work with the community and this was a great opportunity for us

Kay had a fantastic time and even wore red to match our uniform She was very keen to see the different systems that we use now compared to when she worked here

It was really nice to see her reminisce and one thing that really struck us was her amazing memory

She was telling us how the building and the layout was different when she worked here, and we are all very proud of having her visit us ”

Joanne Mitchell activity coordinator said: Since visiting the back it s all Kay has been talking about

“She told everyone what she did and was very happy when she came back to the home

As soon as she arrived at the bank she was taking in her surroundings and kept saying it feels like she has come back home

Whenever I do any activities she is always well organised and still refers to herself as a bank manager

It was great to see her really enjoying herself and that s what the Seize the Day initia tives are all about ”

Residents and staff at two Winchester care homes laid on games craft ses sions and ghostly garden trails as spooky treats for visiting children

bone chilling fun at Colten Care s Abbotts Barton and St Catherines View featured costumes and decorations guaranteed to give everyone goose bumps

Evie Airs Companionship Team

our residents’ moods and

cence

Resident Maggie Green said:

was wonderful to see the children They re just little rays of sunshine

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

Photographer

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

Social

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

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

PAT Testing Course

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

What equipment do you need?

As a result of the pandemic many have found

working environment has changed dramati cally

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?

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/

Safeguard Your Care Home with InVentr y

time but it ensures an even faster sign in during repeat visits

Care homes are crucial for our society so it s important to ensure they re a safe setting to help staff carry out the best possible care With many family members and friends visiting their loved ones daily InVentry is essential to track who’s entering and leaving your care home Visitors are met with a simple signing in process and their information is stored directly in the system This not only allows you to track who is onsite at any given

You can also ensure that the contractors you have onsite have the skills to do the job safely by asking custom questions before they sign in, with options to include documents they may need to read upon arrival ensuring health & safety and the security of your site is always maintained

InVentry can even help

Classic Adaptive Pants for Older and Disabled People

CareZips® Classic are patented easy dressing unisex adaptive pants especially developed for older and dis abled people experiencing problems associated with continence mobility mental function and cognition Suitable for persons living in care institutions receiving care at home or enjoying independence in their own homes CareZips® Classic serve equally well those who need assistance with dress ing and those who can dress them selves independently Comfortable and stylish, preferred by the users and favoured by their carers, the CareZips® Classic are truly transforming practical challenges posed by assisted dressing!

CareZips® Classic feature unique patented 3 zipper system which opens the front of the pants from the waist to the knees for quicker access during toileting continence pads changes cleanliness and refreshing The forward positioning of the two side zippers lessens pressure on sensitive hip areas and helps to eliminate discomfort The third zipper facili tates simple full frontal opening for faster and more dignified diaper changes catheter adjustments as well as personal cleansing and hygiene routines

CareZips® Classic have many benefits for the older and disabled users

People who can dress themselves enjoy the practical functionality and versatility of the CareZips® Classic adaptive pants day long comfort and easy care People who depend on assisted dressing appreciate the quick and easy dressing process with less stress

and greater dignity achievable with CareZips® Classic

Furthermore CareZips® Classic offer practical gains to the carers helping them provide better care whilst reducing physical efforts and time required to dress and to toilet the patients

Carers welcome the ease of dress ing facilitated by the design of the CareZips® Classic, namely the unique patented 3 zipper system that allows quick dressing and undressing as well as quick access to the crotch area during diaper changes CareZips® Classic enable the carers to dress dependent patients faster and change diapers quickly in a dignified manner that is less embarrassing and less stressful for the patients whilst less challenging and time saving for the carers

CareZips® Classic are unisex and fit both men and women perfectly Made in 6 sizes in 3 elegant yet practical colours (i e black charcoal and navy) the CareZips® Classic feature modern tapered fit at the ankles for an effortlessly tidy look CareZips® Classic adaptive pants are made from a breathable moisture wicking 4 way stretchy crease free and easy care durable fabric that guarantees practical usability smart appearance and all round user satisfaction

CareZips® Classic the perfect adaptive pants for comfort convenience functionality and style!

CareZips® Classic from Win Health Medical 01835 865866 www win health com

no longer

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

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!

See the advert on page 11

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

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

STAFF?

ABOUT CARE HOME

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 ”

Consort Claudgen launches Consort Connect app

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

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

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/

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

Renray

Anglia Crown

Adding Warmth to the Colder Months

ing for additional choice Items such as our Carrot Cake or Vanilla Cheesecake can be accompanied by whipped cream garnished with sea sonal fresh fruit

Our hot desserts are high in energy our hot portions of 170kcal and above provide energy and protein dense options and when served with custard provide over 250 kcal per serving Our cold desserts of 250 kcal and above also meet the energy guidelines in the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Nutrition and Hydration Digest (2017) requirements

VEGAN

SUITABLE CHOICES

At Anglia Crown we pride ourselves with the array of vegetarian and gluten free dishes that we offer including an impressive range of desserts This was recognised with us being named at the Vegetarian Wholesaler of the Year 2022 at the VfL Awards for Excellence in Veg n Care Catering

sugar desserts All individual Crown Advantage desserts come in packs of eighteen, whilst the Crown Choice desserts come in packs of 3 and 6 allow ing accurate portioning and cutting down on any potential waste Many of the Anglia Crown dishes can be teamed up with fresh fruit allow

All the Anglia Crown hot desserts are suitable for vegetarians Most of the Anglia Crown vegan products have been registered with the Vegan Society, including some thirteen of the dessert dishes ”

Anglia Crown are here to help take the strain out of your menus throughout the year Visit www angliacrown co uk for further details

With lots of refreshing

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 dehy drated1 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 mak ing this the perfect comforting beverage to serve as a way of keeping on top of hydration

years

and

the finest tea leaves so you can promise residents perfection with every sip

Operating

Whilst we are tea masters, we are also environmentally

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!

CATERING FOR CARE

The Positive Impact of Food and Nutrition on Alzheimer Sufferers

Alzheimer s disease is the most common form of dementia and accounts for around 60% of dementia diagnoses in the UK Alzheimer’s Research UK suggest that around 69% of care home residents have Alzheimer’s disease Studies have also found that symptoms may only start 10 years after disease onset and will gradually worsen over time Over time symptoms can have an impact on nutritional intake Those with the disease may forget to eat or drink, not recognise that they are hungry thirsty or full or struggle to remember how to swallow This can have a significant impact on the quality of life and overall physical health of a person and a common outcome is malnutrition

Care home caterers are integral in supporting residents with dementia as food and nutrition can have a positive impact on those suffering with the disease By ensuring that food is as palatable as possible appealingly presented and warm when served will encourage appetite Caterers can also respond to any difficulties in swallowing by offering appropriate tex

ture modified meals following the IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) framework

For those who have been identified by nursing staff as at risk of malnu trition’ through poor intake Rachael Venditti RNutr from allmanhall the leading independent food procurement specialist suggests the following would be of benefit:

Create a high energy, high protein’ menu for those identified at risk of malnutrition which uses fortified meals snacks and drinks with added cheese milk powder butter and cream

Use full fat foods such as milk yoghurt and cheese

Consider offering a smaller portion as an option at mealtimes for those who find large meals overwhelming and who would benefit from a little and often approach

Offer enticing snacks along with the tea trolley such as cakes and biscuits Ensure that a high energy pudding is on offer twice daily such as sponge

Can Your Homes Afford Not To Work with

Allmanhall To Mitigate Rising Food Prices?

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

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

St Martins Care

As winter approaches care homes are faced not only with the spiralling cost of food but also extraordi nary 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 allman hall’s benchmarks on food costs give average savings of 12% What s more additional categories such as jani torial and medical supplies recently showed savings of over 15%

There s currently a harsh spotlight on homes without strong procurement practices Despite chefs working tirelessly to cost recipes source the best value ingre dients manage portion control and waste some will continue 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 www allmanhall co uk

and custard or ice cream

Ensure that additional snacks are always available for those who may find themselves hungry between meals or overnight

Dementia UK has helpful hints and tips to use as a reminder regarding supporting those with the disease such as:

providing foods with different tastes smells and colours to stimulate their appetite

using plain coloured plates so they can see the food easily trying adapted cutlery for people with dementia offering a menu of finger food which can be accessed for those who struggle at mealtimes always offering a drink alongside meals to encourage fluid intake

Delicious, Nutritious, And Safe Texture Modified Meals Delivered from

Here

Made For You

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

CLEANING & HYGIENE

Partner Up for Healthcare Hygiene with GOJO at IPS 2022

their work is off site

37 Join GOJO THE INVENTORS OF PURELL™ and the hand sanitiser cate gory itself at the 14th annual Infection Prevention Society (IPS) conference stand 37 This year the event takes place at the Bournemouth International Centre from 17th 19th October 2022

At the show the team of GOJO Healthcare Support Managers will be offering support and advice on their total solution approach to infection prevention in healthcare facilities They will highlight the company’s ability to help hygiene standards across all areas and situations within hospitals and healthcare facilities GOJO will showcase its role as a specialist partner in healthcare hygiene by focussing on three areas with specific need:

• SURGICAL WARDS

Meeting key hygiene norms is of the utmost importance in these envi ronments but the harsh products used to do so can really take their toll

on hands In contrast using PURELL Advanced Hygienic Hand Rub offers a gentler way to meet EN 12791 standard

• ACUTE AND GENERAL WARDS

GOJO provides a straight ‘out of the box’ solution for hand hygiene, incorpo rating dispensers, products accessories, and signage as well as training and on boarding support It also manages instal lations thereby reducing the staffing impact of changing suppliers

• COMMUNITY & SOCIAL SERVICES: These environments often have radi cally different needs from what are tradi tionally catered for in healthcare packages GOJO takes these specificities into consideration and offers specially adapted products for example locked dispenser units and foam sanitiser so they can only be opened by trained personnel in demanding environments, for example Its ‘train the trainer’ programme allows all staff to be trained on product use, whatever shift they work Personal formats can also be supplied so healthcare pro fessionals always have products on hand when they are needed even if

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

Chris Wakefield Managing Director UK & Ireland GOJO Industries Europe Ltd comments: We know the key to increasing hand hygiene compliance is to ensure that the right products are available in the right places at the right time We are constantly innovating to keep people and places healthy This means formulating products that are not only effec tive at killing germs but that won’t irritate hands that must be repeatedly cleaned throughout a shift ‘Ensuring that the products are available when and where they are needed be that personal bottles of hygienic hand rub or dispensers positioned in optimal locations And last but not least developing solutions with the environment in mind For example from 2023 we plan to move to RPT refills; all collapsible refills will be made from recycled materials as well as being recyclable

‘Widely used in the NHS, PURELL® is a trusted brand in healthcare facilities around the world Our solutions encompass fast active, effective formulas that care for skin, state of the art dispensers, and specialist sup port such as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) accredited training mak ing us the ideal healthcare partner Come and meet the team at IPS 2022 to find out how we can support your facility ’

For a tailored effective total solution for your setting or for more infor mation on the benefits of partnering with GOJO please call +44 (0)1908 588444 email CustomerExperienceUK@GOJO com or visit www GOJO com

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

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

INTRODUCTION

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

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

MATERIALS AND METHODS

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

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

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

REFERENCES

Lee

Carol Scholey (RGN, BSc (hons)) Liam Grimshaw (BSc (hons) MSc by Research)

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

INTAKE

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

DEHYDRATION

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: www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/en/content/occd

Photo cred t: BRE

Photo

Photo credit: BRE

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Blaucomm Ltd - Telecommunications & 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

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 about Blaucomm NMS:

“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

Care technologies have advanced at an amazing rate over the past decade The digital age is a place where we all live and all use tech nology as a familiar part of our daily lives At Medpage we have har nessed these advancing technolo gies into products to support Social Care and Independent Living Medpage brand products are designed to provide affordable user friendly care support products for domestic and professional care Our new wristband activated door egress alarm is a perfect example of how advanced technologies are transformed into a system to safe guard people prone to wandering Simple to install suitable for single or multiple residents, the system allows residents to remain mobile, while providing an alert to carers if they attempt to leave the building through a monitored door Further details available at www easylinkuk co uk search Doorwatcher

Medpage have supplied Care Residential Homes and Hospitals with fall prevention and detection alarms for more than 25 years From basic bed and chair exit detection alarms to more complex cordless sensor pad systems with nurse call integration we supply quality sys tems that deliver cost effective per formance

Our new sensor pad controller the MPCSA11 has been included into numerous falls management proj ects in Hospitals and professional care establishments The system already proven to reduce care costs allows a patient with mobility to transfer from their bed to their chair or to visit their washroom, without alarm notifications to carers, providing the transfer is completed within a selectable time Failure to return within the selected time will result in alarm notification to carers, either by pager, nurse call trigger, or ward wall mounted alarm receiver

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

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

www.nursecallsystems.co.uk

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

Monika Primed to Make Care Management Simple

In

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

By Keith Hopewell, Director of Operations

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

The CAREAudits System

CAREAudits

Back

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

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

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

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

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

, TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

New Digital Right to Work Checks for British and Irish Workers

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

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 AI 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

PROFESSIONAL , TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

Key Employment Considerations For Care Home Providers

With

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

2 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

By Lee Ashwood, Employment

Director at Freeths LLP (www freeths co uk)

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 co uk admin@jjrecruitment co uk

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

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”

PROFESSIONAL , TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

Care & Nursing Staff Turnover – Eliminated! Commitment – Increased!

Imagine a situation where you would have little or no worries about staff walking away and having a team that are very committed to your organisation

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

By hiring overseas staff through the Sponsorship Licences Government Initiative (We can help you if you don t have a Sponsorship Licence yet)

WHY WOULD THE STAFF BE COMMITTED AND LOYAL?

According to the legal arrangement of their visa (right to work in the UK) all these overseas staff are obligated to stay at your organisation for 3 5 years otherwise they lose their immigration status and are liable for deportation to their country of origin

This makes them committed and legally bound to stay and work with you

PROBLEMS/SOLUTIONS

Someone might say this sounds too good to be true What happens if the staff is not happy? The reality of the matter is that a very small

percentage will not work out but that is where we come in

Firstly we preselect the staff that we feel will blend into the culture of your organisation Secondly we will supply you with the tips that ensures a better settlement procedure for overseas staff Finally we are at hand through the continual coaching and mentoring program to identify sticky areas and work with you on getting a mutually benefi cial solutions

WHY WORK WITH US?

Purer Health Care Agency has been specially designed to help reduce the high staff turnover and its associated cost and disruptions as well as help overseas candidates obtain a better economically enhanced life This way we serve a business social and economic pur pose

HOW WE DO THIS?

We have conducted a robust background screening conducting Criminal Checks Identity Checks Work Reference Checks and Family History Checks Hence all our staff have been prequalified and have

Five Things To Know About Data Breaches

Data breaches involve unautho rised access or the disclosure of sensitive, confidential or otherwise protected data This may be per sonal information, such as health or financial accounts trade secrets or intellectual property There are cur rently strict regulations in place in the UK to protect data and reduce the risk of a data breach occurring

However there are always exceptions to the rule and busi nesses should be aware of what they need to do if a data breach occurs

higher ”

the appropriate qualifications and checks that exceed the required UK standard to safely and effectively function as Nurses & Care Assistants

Here are some more advantages of working with us

No Flights/Travel Obligation

No Accommodation Obligation

1 Week induction and orientation course for all staff (The idea is that from the first day the employee comes to work ready to hit the road running )

Free continuous personal development mapping for all staff

What next

Give us the opportunity to help you eliminate your staffing issues by reaching us on:

T: 0203 287 5125

E: ukadmin@purerhealthcareagency com W: purerhealthcareagency com

WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A BREACH

James Martin advises that there are a number of things that potential defendants can do in the event of a data breach: While there are actions that businesses can take this will very much depend on whether the alleged breach is accepted or if the allegations are disputed

If there is a breach there is a right to compensation as set out within Article 82 of the UK GDPR The level of compensation will depend upon the circumstances surrounding the alleged breach and the infor mation that has been released The Court will also consider what effect if any the breach has had on the affected party For example a breach related to the sharing of medical or financial records will be regard ed as serious ”

When it comes to actions that can be taken James advises: “In all types of cases due to the complex issues involved, it would be advisable for any Defendants to obtain legal advice at an early stage Where it’s accepted that a breach has occurred, it would be beneficial to try and reach a compromise with the affected party(s) at an early stage to avoid having to incur the costs of dealing with litigation ”

HOW TO AVOID A BREACH

Aisha advises that there are a number of key initiatives that can be put in place by employers to miti gate the risk of a data breach: “Organisations must have in place physical organisational and technical security measures to ensure adequate protection There should also be an emphasis on ensuring employ ees throughout the organisation are trained on what is expected of them when handling personal data and training logs can be kept to document this

When it comes to the security measures that will enable businesses to control data and how it is shared Aisha adds: Organisations are expected to carry out regular tests of the security measures that are in place to identify any areas of weakness If an area is identified the measures should be updated accordingly

Data Breaches which is defined by Article 4 of the UK GDPR Failure to protect against this can attract maximum fines of up to 4% of the annual worldwide turnover or £17 5 million This is dependent upon which figure is

“When acting as a data controller it’s important to note that businesses will remain ultimately liable for any acts or omissions of any processors who are appointed From a due diligence perspective basic checks can be undertaken to ensure that the processor can keep the personal data protected in line with the standard set by Article 32 of the UK GDPR ”

Aisha Akhtar, a Solicitor in the Corporate and Commercial team, and James Martin, an Associate Solicitor in the Commercial Dispute Resolution team, at Blacks Solicitors (www lawblacks com), share their advice on data breaches, and what businesses need to be aware of if a data breach claim is brought against them

GDPR AND PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION

According to Aisha Article 32 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) outlines and estab lishes the minimum level of security that an organisation must have in place to protect personal data She comments Within this there is a specific emphasis on the ability to protect against Personal