The Carer #31 Winter 2016

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WINTER 2016

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INSIDE

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ISSUE

Issue 31

FEATURE Editor's Viewpoint

Uniforms & Workwear Page 23

Nurse Call Medication Technology Systems Management & Software Page 24

Page 25

Pages 28-29

Laundry Services

Accessible Bathing

Pages 30-31

Pages 34-35

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Products & Services

27

Furniture & Fittings

37-41

Dementia Care & Training 42-45 46-47 Property, Finance & Professional

Councils Flouting New Rules on Care Home Fees

CounCils in England are flouting the rules around "top-up" fees for care homes, according to an investigation. Elderly people who have assets of less than £23,250 may be eligible for financial support from their council to pay care home fees, but families can use their own money to “top this up” enabling loved ones to enjoy extras not available under council fees.

The law states that top-up fees should only be paid voluntarily, and councils should always offer at least one care home placement that does not involve the need to pay a top-up.

However, almost half (43%) of councils who answered a Freedom of Information request are ignoring new rules intended to protect families from paying unfair care home fees for their relatives. This means families of the poorest pensioners could be subsidising the cost of essential care unnecessarily. That’s according to new research from Independent Age, the older people’s charity.

The rules around care home ‘top-up fees’ were tightened last year but a Freedom of Information request sent to every council in England by Independent Age found that for the period April to June 2015, 43% (53 out of 122 councils who responded) did not comply with at least one of the requirements to: • Have a written agreement in place for all top-up fee arrangements in their area • Carry out annual reviews of top-up agreements as a matter of course • Ensure all top-ups in their area were arranged with the involvement of the local authority Top-up fees are an option for care home residents whose fees are partly or fully paid by their local council. They are intended to be voluntary payments by relatives for ‘extras’ such as a larger room or a nicer view. It’s estimated that almost 50,000 older people in England have a ‘top-up’ paid towards their care costs by a relative, ranging from tens to hundreds of pounds every week.

“Too many care homes are charging pensioners’ families for care that should be free, and too many councils have been turning a blind eye to the practice,” said Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Independent Age. “The Care Act was intended to stamp out this abuse but it is clear from our research that it is still going on.”

The Care Act, which came into force in April 2015, tightened the rules by saying that top-up fees should always involve the informed consent of all parties, involve a written agreement and that arrangements should be reviewed regularly. Today’s research reveals that despite the introduction of the Act, poor practice is continuing among a significant minority of councils.

The new findings come as social care budgets are under pressure as never before. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services estimate that councils have faced reductions of £4.6 billion to adult social care budgets since 2009-10 – almost a third of net real terms spend. And while local councils on average pay £512 a week towards a care home place, analysts’ estimate that the real cost is between £554 and £625 a week.

Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Independent Age, said: “We understand that councils are under huge financial pressure. But in a drive to find savings to social care budgets, they must not pass the burden of this ‘secret subsidy’ on to the families of poorer pensioners.

“It is only poorer pensioners who qualify for a local authority funded care home place, and yet it is their families that are being asked to make up the shortfall in care budgets. We hear all the time from families who are willing to do anything they can to ensure their elderly relatives get decent care, even if they’re struggling financially themselves. That’s why it’s so important that there are rules to make sure they do not feel pressured into paying fees unnecessarily.

“Top-up fees must always be optional, affordable and transparent. The rules introduced by the government should ensure that is the case. So it is very worrying that so many councils are still failing to follow these basic principles.”

The findings do suggest that there has been some progress since the introduction of the Care Act. A total of 48% (58 out of 122) of local authorities have written agreements in place for all top-up fees entered into since April 2015. Whereas in 2013, only 28% even had information about all top-up fees in their area, according to previous research by Independent Age. A fifth of councils (20%) did not respond to the Freedom of Information request.

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THE CARER

WINTER 2016

VIEWPOINT WElComE to the winter 2016 issue of the Carer, and a very (slightly belated) happy new Year!

You will find in this month’s issue a complimentary 2016 year planner which includes some important calendar dates for tradeshows and seminars, and of course some very useful suppliers of products and services to the industry, and we very much hope you will find EDITOR it useful.

I was very sad to hear of the passing of Mott the Hoople drummer Dale Griffin, who died of Alzheimer’s disease. “All the Young Dudes”, is a very nostalgic song, which takes me back to my school days – a song that really captured the 1970s!

Dale was, I understand, a committed supporter of the Alzheimer’s Society, and often spoke about his own battle with dementia. Back in 2010, when he would have just turned 60, a tragically early age to contract this devastating disease, he said this: “I used to be fearless, but Alzheimer’s has stopped me in my tracks. It is my dreadful little bug and I have to fight to keep it from controlling me. Alzheimer’s has prevented me from doing a lot of the things I love – like reading and writing – but I try to keep as relaxed and easy-going as possible.’

I have often written of my own mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, and that was at a time in the 1980s when the disease was not universally recognised and people who were suffering from dementia were dismissed as “part and parcel of growing old” (yes that is what the doctor said to me in 1989).

Thankfully the world has long moved on, and while the disease certainly gets the recognition it deserves, it does not get the funding.

The disease currently costs the UK over £26 billion a year, yet only £74 million is spent in research. £30,000 a year is spent each person suffering with dementia. Yet only £90 is invested per person in research.

When I hear and read of the heartache Alzheimer’s disease brings not only to the personal suffering to the family itself I’m not in the least bit surprised. I remember that all very well, in particular the denial. I simply could not accepted at the time, and there were precious few resources for me to study which would have helped me and my family come to terms. When I read of the sad passing the Dale Griffin I read up again on the statistics. Almost 10,000,000 each year worldwide will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. That is one person every 3.2 seconds.

At The Carer we publicise fundraising events as much we can. I am a huge admirer of the many people who trek, climb mountains, bike ride and a multiple of things to raise money for research into Alzheimer’s, so please keep them coming!

Peter Adams

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WINTER 2016

THE CARER

CQC Seeks Views On Its Vision For The Future The care Quality commission (cQc) is seeking views on its plans for the next five years as it develops its approach to regulation.

CQC has changed the way it works over the past three years and in its consultation document Shaping the future, published today, it sets out a vision for the future regulation of health and social care.

The way health and social care is delivered has changed and is continuing to change, with increasing numbers of acute NHS trusts providing social care, more GP federations, and technology playing a greater role in the way services are delivered – coupled with the demographic challenge of increasing numbers of older people with needs that will be met by more than one service. In this consultation document, CQC sets out proposals that respond to these new ways of working.

A key element of these proposals is an approach called ‘implementing a single shared view of quality’, which builds on a single framework for measuring quality. This framework can be used to help providers better understand their quality of care and to share this information with CQC -information that can then be checked against what is already known about the provider, including information from inspection. The transparency that CQC’s judgements bring to quality would be even greater if the whole system looked at quality in the same way.

The key themes of the consultation are:

• Strengthening CQC’s use of data and information – CQC’s aspiration to develop even better insights into quality of care, particularly through the use of new technologies and involving more members of the public in its work than ever before.

• Implementing a single view of quality – a single shared system of measurement that supports providers to easily monitor their own quality and share information about their performance.

• Developing methods to assess quality for populations across local areas – looking at how care is coordinated to better meet people’s needs.

• Targeting and tailoring inspection activity – focusing on providers who are performing less well to encourage improvement.

• Developing a more flexible approach to registration – with greater focus on high risk providers and innovative approaches for new models of care.

• Assessing how well hospitals use resources – ensuring services are increasingly sustainable and efficient – as recommended by the Secretary of State last July.

• Moving towards a risk-based model to protect people from poor care The consultation is open until 14 March. CQC will formally respond to the feedback provided when it publishes its strategy in May this year.

You can respond to the consultation by email at strategyconsultation@cqc.org.uk. You can also tweet your thoughts at #cqcstrategy.

Tamara Juckes Wins Big At Great South East Care Awards TaMaRa JuckES, activities and Volunteers coordinator at Sunrise of Banstead, recently won the care Home activity Organiser award at the Great South East care awards, held at the Hilton Hotel in Brighton.

Tamara’s passion and tireless efforts in providing care to the elderly was rewarded by the organisers. She is known at Sunrise of Banstead for her gift for connecting with each resident in a meaningful way, making her an immense asset to all residents and staff.

Tamara’s role involves organising activities to enrich residents’ lives and she goes further, regularly exceeding the brief. For example by

encouraging a Sunrise resident who was initially confined to a wheelchair to attempt to walk again. Tamara’s generous nature also often sees her buying clothes for residents whose families may not have the means. As a result of her dedication throughout her career, winning a Care Award is hugely deserved.

Tamara said: “I had convinced myself I wasn’t going to win, and there were eight other contenders in the category – so it was a delightful surprise when I found out I won!

"I’m also thrilled that by winning in this category, I have been automatically forwarded to the nationals in April, to be held in Birmingham.”

Prevention Is Better Than Cure...

With NHS interest in prevention rather than probable eventual hospitalisation, physiotherapists in adult care and hospital trusts are recommending that care homes and families buy small hand devices for exercise to prevent hand closure and protect against skin breakdown.

Fingers bending towards the palm can be painful to move, if at all possible, and can result in skin deterioration between the fingers and in many cases total closure will lead to skin damage from nails to the palm of the hand.

It is beneficial to have a strap over the back of the hand or the thumb to secure the hand grip in place, unlike in years past

when a rolled flannel or bandage was deemed sufficient.

Hand grips are available in sheepskin, nylon, terry fabric, and velour covered micro-beads at a cost of less than £20. But sheepskin can become hard and rough after washing, nylon is often too hot causing the palms to sweat, and terry fabric takes longer to dry. Soft microbead hand grips and finger separators can also be used as ‘comforters’ in end of life care and as a diversion for individuals prone to pull at feeding or IV tubes. Micro-beads are cool and easily laundered, quick drying and very comfortable.

For more information contact MEDORIS on 01608 819 219 or look at their website – www.medoriscare.co.uk

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THE CARER

WINTER 2016

Dehydration in Older People Could Be Detected by Routine Blood Tests

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DEhYDration in older people could be accurately identified as part of routine blood testing according to new research from the university of East anglia (uEa).

Older people are particularly at risk of water-loss dehydration – which is caused by not drinking enough fluid. It can lead to poor health outcomes such as disability and even death.

The best test for diagnosing dehydration, known as a serum osmolality test, is expensive and not currently viable for wide-scale NHS screening.

But new research reveals how routine blood tests for sodium, potassium, urea and glucose could be used to screen for dehydration.

By putting the results of these tests through an ‘osmolarity equation’, health professionals can tell whether an older person is drinking enough fluid.

Lead researcher Dr Lee Hooper from UEA’s Norwich Medical School said: “Around 20 per cent of older people living in residential care are dehydrated, and that figure rises to around 40 per cent among those admitted to hospital.

“Older people often drink less than younger people for a variety of reasons. Loss of routine and fewer social contacts can reduce drinking. In some cases older people choose to drink less as getting to the toilet can be more difficult and take longer. It can be physically difficult to make, carry and drink a cup of tea when you get older – especially if you need a zimmer frame to walk about. And older people tend not to feel thirsty when they drink too little so their bodies don’t warn them to start drinking.

“On top of all that - as our kidneys get older we are less able to concentrate our urine to preserve fluid, so the body’s ability to regulate its fluid balance slowly reduces.

“Dehydration often goes unnoticed by carers, but it can lead to increased risk of hospital admission, urinary tract infections, disability and even death.

“A serum osmolality test measures the freezing point of blood serum to show how concentrated a sample of blood is. People’s blood becomes more concentrated as they become dehydrated.

“But it is an expensive and time consuming procedure – and clinical laboratories would not be able to

handle routine screening. Simpler tests such as urine measurements, which appear to work well in children and young adults, do not work in older adults.

“When our blood becomes more concentrated, as we become dehydrated, concentrations of serum sodium, potassium, urea and glucose rise. Many blood tests routinely measured in older people already check for all of these, and assess them independently.

“We wanted to test whether results from routine tests for sodium, potassium, urea and glucose could be used together to accurately screen for dehydration by using a simple mathematical equation.

“There are a number of different equations already being used, but they vary considerably from each other, and it wasn’t known which were most useful for elderly people. We wanted to find a universal equation which would be accurate for a broad range of elderly people including people with conditions such as diabetes.”

The research team studied 595 people over age 65 including those who were healthy and lived independently, frail people living in residential care, and those in hospital. The group also spanned several European countries and took into account those with poor renal function and diabetes.

They assessed the diagnostic accuracy of 39 different equations, and compared the results to directly measured serum osmolality.

They found that an osmolarity equation described

by Khajuria and Krahn had greatest universal accuracy - across healthy and frail older people, those in and out of hospital, with and without diabetes, with and without poor renal function, at all levels of dehydration and in men and women.

Dr Hooper said: “We propose that clinical laboratories use this equation to report on hydration status of older people when reporting blood test results that include sodium, potassium, urea and glucose. We hope our findings will lead to pragmatic screening in older people to allow early identification of dehydration.

This would help doctors, nurses and carers support older people to increase their fluid intake.”

‘Diagnostic accuracy of calculated serum osmolarity to predict dehydration in older people: adding value to pathology lab reports’ is published in the journal BMJ Open on October 22, 2015.

The research was led by UEA (UK), with the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (UK), Bangor University (UK), Inselspital University Hospital Bern (Switzerland), and Södersjukhuset Hospital (Sweden).

Funders included NHS England, the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and the EU’s Seventh Framework Program.

WINTER 2016

THE CARER

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New Report Highlights ‘Worrying Trends’ In Care Of The Elderly A NEW REPORT from the Patients Association called ‘Survey of medicines related care of residents with dysphagia in care homes’ has found as many as 50% of residents are affected by swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), which can make tablets difficult or even impossible to swallow.

Despite the number of people affected by swallowing problems in care homes, only 10% of the homes surveyed had a specific protocol to guide staff in administering medication to people with dysphagia and only 20% had arranged training in this important area.

The report is based on a recent survey of 30 care homes which found that on a daily basis, staff are crushing tablets and mixing them with food to make medication easier to swallow. Altering medication (not designed to be crushed) increases the likelihood of side effects, may reduce the effectiveness of the drug and subsequently compromises residents’ safety. Yet staff had limited awareness of the impact of tampering with medication in this way.

Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of the Patients

Association said: “The NHS was set up to provide health care from the cradle to the grave. Yet from our National Helpline we hear very worrying trends regarding the care of older people, care of the dying and those who are struggling to access appropriate care and treatment.

“The survey found that swallowing difficulties were a significant issue for residents, who often struggle to take medication in the form of tablets. They may chew the tablets or attempt to swallow them whole, leading to choking or coughing fits. A resident’s ability to swallow should be assessed on admission and observed on a regular basis, as the ability to swallow may deteriorate. Of particular concern are older residents and those with dementia who ‘suffer in silence’, unable to communicate and unable to swallow their much needed medicines.

“There was evidence of good practice being adopted in some of the care homes surveyed but this also highlighted the need to raise the profile of people with swallowing difficulties through better training for staff so they are able to provide more effective care to the substantial numbers of people in care homes who are affected in this way.”

Residential Care In Crisis, Says Report By ResPublica a rEport by respublica has predicted that the crisis in funding for residential care will cost the nhs £3 billion.

A study funded by the think-tank concluded that care home closures and financial cuts of over £1 billion by 2020 could result in the closure of thousands of care homes. It predicts that some 37,000 beds for elderly care home residents will be lost, meaning many will be forced to be cared for in hospitals.

George McNamara, Head of Policy at Alzheimer’s Society, says: “It is undeniable that Britain’s social care system is in crisis. Wave after wave of financial cuts are diminishing the support available to the most vulnerable people in society, leaving thousands of people with dementia, who make up 70% of those in residential care, with nowhere to turn to.

“We already know from local government that the social care funding gap is growing by £700m each year, so this report only serves to highlight further the devastating impact that these relentless financial cuts are having. We need a new settlement for residential care and one that crucially meets the care needs of an ageing population. This needs reform in the way we fund care, as well as how it is delivered. The forthcoming spending review provides a prime opportunity to address this urgent need.

“By 2021 there will be over one million people in the UK living with dementia, yet significantly fewer options for care available to them. Two-thirds of the cost of dementia is already paid for by people with dementia and their families or carers. Government-funded support is a life line to many families and the pressure will only increase if social care is cut further and ultimately, pushed to the point of collapse.”

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Corrie Stars Drop Into Lever Edge Care Home Coronation street stars put a spring into elderly residents steps when they popped into lever Edge Care home in Bolton.

Corrie favourites met the residents after the visit was arranged by kind-hearted Boltonian Mark Price, who helps to put a smile on the faces of people in need.

The visitors included Catherine Tyldesley who plays Eva Price, Brooke Vincent who plays Sophie Webster, Dean Fagan who plays Luke Britton, Tisha Merry who plays Steph Britton, and Katie McGlynn who plays Sinead Tinker.

During the meet and greet, one resident took to the floor to dance with onscreen mechanic Luke, as

others chatted and watched.

Seventeen residents were then taken by a fleet of Rolls Royce and Bentley cars to Club 3000 in Walkden, where they were treated to bingo and a silver service meal.

Lynda Johnson, manager of Lever Edge Care Home, part of the Hill Care Group, said: “The residents absolutely loved the visit from the Coronation Street stars.

Many of the residents are Coronation Street fans and they remember the old stars of the soap through to today.

“They were thrilled to see the actors who they know from the show. They really are such lovely people. They spent a long time with us at the home chatting with the residents.”

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THE CARER

WINTER 2016

Calls For 'Care Crisis' Talks With Treasury And Other Whitehall Departments FOuR LEaDING aGENcIES representing providers and commissioners across the health and social care sector have called for `urgent’ talks with Treasury and other Whitehall Departments in the face of a mounting crisis in the care of older and disabled people.

In a letter* to George Osborne (Chancellor), Jeremy Hunt (Department of Health) and Greg Clark (Communities and Local Government) ADASS, NHS Confederation, CPA and CSA state bluntly that the recent Spending Review settlement “is not sufficient to resolve the care funding crisis.

“Ultimately the package put forward for social care will not enable us to fill the current gap in funding, cover additional costs associated with the introduction of the National Living Wage, nor fully meet future growth in demand due to our ageing population.”

Equally dangerously, they warn that some of the resources are back-loaded – with Better Care Funding not reaching levels of any significance until towards the end of this Parliament. “This has significant implications in terms of the vital support needed by older and disabled people and their carers. And It also puts the delivery of the NHS Five Year Forward View – and implementation of the Care Act – at risk.”

The immediate points which, according to the letter, must be addressed, are: What happened to the £6bn originally which was earmarked for the full implementation of the Care Act? What steps can be taken to ensure that the proposed 2%

levy per year on council tax in the form of a social care precept delivers the money required to ensure the right levels of social care and does so equitably?

What steps can be taken, given the wider spending review settlement for local government, to support councils to address the shortfall?

And it concludes: “If we do not collectively address the highlighted issues relating to levels of and phasing of funding there is the potential for significant and adverse impacts, including: An increasing number of older people, disabled people and their carers without any, or without sufficient support to meet their needs; An acceleration of the failure of domiciliary, residential and nursing home providers. This is likely to accelerate fastest in those areas of the country where providers are predominantly reliant on state funded clients. These are exactly the areas of the country that additionally will raise the least areas of council tax. The impact of this will be the compounding of the number of people who do not have their needs met, or who are avoidably admitted or remain in hospital; and An increasing pressure on the NHS with more people admitted to hospital and more delays to get people home safely.

“As you made clear in your speech to parliament ‘a civilised and prosperous society like ours should support its most vulnerable and elderly citizens.’ This is a goal that we all share and we are keen to work with you and your colleagues to ensure that this becomes a reality.”

Combined 210 Years Recognised At Seale Pastures House a Swadlincote care home has two significant reasons to celebrate after two of its residents surpassed their centuries in the space of week.

The Carer is published by RBC Publishing Ltd, Suite 4, Roddis House, Old Christchurch Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset.

Contributions are welcome for consideration, however, no responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage. Views expressed within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editorial team. Whilst every care is taken when compiling this publication to ensure accuracy, the publisher will assume no responsibility for any effects, errors or omissions therefrom. All rights reserved, reproduction is forbidden unless written permission is obtained.

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Seale Pastures House residents Eva Bird and Ethel Lambert celebrated their 108th and 102ndbirthdays, respectively, at a special party held at the home.

The home, on Burton Road, Acresford, which is operated by Akari Care, specialises in residential care for up to 40 elderly residents.

Eva, who has been a resident at Seale Pastures House since 2013, enjoyed many happy years married to Thomas Arthur and also had a son, also called Thomas, who sadly passed away this year, as well as one granddaughter, Judith – daughter to Thomas and Sheila, Eva’s daughter-in-law.

She worked in an elastic factory and enjoyed singing classical and Church music, having been a member of the Baptist Church.

Ethel has been with the home since April 2015 and, like Eva, was a prominent singer, as she performed

in a Church choir for more than 20 years, and taught in a Sunday school.

Born into a family of nine children, Ethel was the eldest daughter and has three sons: Chris, Alan and Graham, as well as six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. She was married to her husband, Arthur, for 72 years, until his passing in 2011.

Councillor Neil Atkin, chairman of South Derbyshire District Council, was in attendance, together with family members of both residents.

Diane Leary, home manager at Seale Pastures House, said: “Despite their relatively short time with us, Eva and Ethel are well respected residents and are both characters around the home. It is important to recognise birthdays and it was nice of Councillor Atkin to pay the ladies a visit, as well as their family members. It was a special day and one that was enjoyed by all of our staff and residents.

“I would like to thank everyone who attended and on behalf of everyone at Seale Pastures House, wish Eva and Ethel all the very best.”

WINTER 2016

THE CARER

Care Homes ‘Improve Quality Of Life’ For Majority Of Patients THE MaJORITy of people who regularly visit a friend or a loved one in a care home believe that their stay has improved their quality of life, new data has revealed.

Findings obtained by West Yorkshire-based personal injury specialist Ramsdens Solicitors reveal that 62 per cent of respondents believe the standard of care their relative received helped to increase their wellbeing. On top of this, the majority of respondents who have family members in a care home believe standards to be of a “good” quality at the home they visit most frequently, while 60 per cent think staffing is adequate.

What’s more, figures published by the legal specialist based on findings from a recent survey reveal that 58 per cent of people are satisfied with the cleanliness in their relative or friend’s care home.

Anne Scott, a solicitor at the firm specialising in clinical negligence said: “Our latest survey findings have contradicted growing media speculation pointing to serious shortfalls in the standard of care offered to individuals in care homes.

“While it is clear that many individuals are being mistreated in care homes, and recent news stories reflect this, we are often overlooking the fantastic work that employees do to look after the unwell and vulnerable.”

The festive period in particular highlights the hard work that care home staff put in, with many employees

working antisocial hours while the majority of people are enjoying themselves with friends and family members.

“Care workers have a lot of responsibility to protect vulnerable people in the local area over the Christmas period. They are the people looking after our relatives while we are at home having Christmas dinner, or brightening the spirits of those who are not fortunate enough to be surrounded by family. Christmas can be a very lonely time of the year, and for all their hard work, care workers should be celebrated” Anne continued.

According to the data, a higher percentage of people who visit someone in a care home believe members of staff show empathy towards residents (45 per cent) compared to those who do not (35 per cent). What’s more, people who do not frequently visit care homes were also more likely to film a member of staff who they believed to be providing inadequate care, with 58 per cent claiming they would, compared to just 40 per cent of those who do visit saying the same.

Interestingly, those individuals who regularly visit care homes are more likely to be happy with the idea of sending a relative there, while more than half (60 per cent) of non visitors said they would not.

In Yorkshire, some 74 per cent of respondents said their relative’s stay in a care home had improved their quality of life, which could reflect improving standards across the region.

“There have been several high profile instances of mistreatment in Yorkshire’s care homes in recent months, which could put some people off. However, it is refreshing to see that the majority of people who have placed a family member in care had positive things to say about their experiences,” Anne remarked.

PAGE 7

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Star of the Stage Wows Stockton Care Home Residents star of the stage samantha holden performed classic songs and sang out special requests for music lovers at a stockton-on-tees care home.

Ingleby Care Home residents, relatives and staff were treated to a wideranging repertoire of 30s, 40s and 50s songs.

Samantha has enjoyed a variety of roles on the stage and was nominated for a National Operatic and Drama Award (NODA) for her performance as Maria in The Sound of Music.

She is a lead soprano for the Tees Valley Gilbert and Sullivan Society as well as performing as the guest female soloist for Billingham Synthonia Male Voice Choir.

Having previously worked as an activities coordinator in a care home, Samantha recognises the importance of music therapy and the positive impact it has on residents and those living with dementia.

She said: “Music is the key to reminiscence; it can unlock long forgotten memories as it transports people back to another place or time. This makes it a great activity for residents, as well as being something that they really enjoy.”

Carol Singleton, manager at Ingleby Care Home, on Lamb Lane, said: “The residents really enjoyed the performance.

Many of the songs they remember from their past and they have a revitalising effect on them. Many thanks to Samantha – we hope to see her again soon.”

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WINTER 2016

THE CARER

PAGE 9

Frail Older People Too Afraid To Complain About Poor Care RNHA Welcomes MPs’ Positive Comments About Care complaining would not make a difference • Less than a third of the older people surveyed could recall being offered support to make a complaint.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Julie Mellor said: "Older people are some of the most frequent and vulnerable users of health and social care services but are the silent majority when it comes to complaining.

‘Their reluctance to complain could mean that they are suffering in silence and could lead to missed opportunities to improve the service for others.

"We want older people to be confident to speak up when things go wrong to help prevent someone else from going through the same ordeal."

The report recommends that all NHS and organisations that provide social care should use ‘My Expectations for raising concerns and complaints’, which sets out what good complaint handling looks like from the perspective of patients and people that use the service, and can help those organisations measure whether the actions they are taking are making a difference to the patients’ experience.

The NHS and organisations that provide social care should make older patients aware of how to complain, point them to the support that is available to them, and make it absolutely clear that their future care will not be compromised if they complain.

The government is examining options for a new streamlined Public Service Ombudsman, which will incorporate the services currently provided by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and the Local Government Ombudsman, and make it easier for people to complain when they have been let down by a public service.

Many older people are afraid to raise the alarm when something goes wrong in their care and worry about what will happen to them if they do, according to a new report published in December.

The report, called Breaking down the Barriers, produced by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, reveals that people over the age of 75 often lack the knowledge and confidence to complain, and worry about the impact complaining might have on their future care and treatment.

The report shows that many don’t want to make a fuss and are confused about where to turn to for help, fearing that complaining will make little difference, or even make matters worse.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman sees far fewer complaints from older people than would be expected given elderly people’s high usage of NHS and social care services.

The review was based on a number of focus groups with older people and their carers organised by Independent Age, a national survey of 689 people over the age of 65, and the review of the unresolved complaints brought to the Ombudsman. It found that: • Over half (56%) of those aged 65 and over who had experienced a problem but not complained, were worried about the impact that complaining might have on their future treatment.

• Nearly one in five (18%) people over the age of 75 did not know how to raise a complaint about the NHS or a social care provider • Among those over the age of 65 who were unhappy with a service, but who didn’t complain, over a third (32%) felt that

PM Urged To Support Commission on Health and Social Care for older people when they need it, the UK will never be truly prepared for ageing. A Commission on the future of health and social care is the vital first move towards recognising that the health and care systems cannot work in isolation – only when they work effectively together can the needs of older people be met. This is a conversation we cannot avoid if we are truly committed to ensuring older people have the quality of life they deserve. We urge the Prime Minister to back this Commission.”

David Sinclair, Director of the International Longevity Centre – UK, said: “The UK is facing dramatic demographic change – in the next twenty years the number of people aged 85 and older will more than double to over three million. It is crucial that we are prepared for that change. We need to start talking now, honestly and openly, about what standards of health and care older people can expect now and in the future. Establishing this Commission would be an excellent step towards this and we hope the PM will listen to the calls being made today.”

Des Kelly OBE, Executive Director of the National Care Forum said: “Despite several attempts to agree the structure to properly integrated care and health and a long term plan for future funding, this fundamental issue remains in the ‘too difficult to do’ pile. As a consequence services in both the care and health sectors are under severe strain and quality is beginning to suffer. The NCF urges the Prime Minister to support the proposal to establish a new Commission so that we can ensure that care and health services are made fit for the 21st century.”

David cameron must be bold and hold a commission on the future of health and social care, as the uk is facing monumental demographic challenges. and the government must build a model that is fit for purpose to meet the challenges posed by an ageing society and an underfunded care system.

That’s according to an open letter to the Prime Minister signed by nearly 40 organisations including the charity Independent Age, the International Longevity Centre UK, Care England, the National Care Forum, Carers UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Anchor, Leonard Cheshire Disability, Alzheimer’s Society and the National Council for Palliative Care.

Former Care Minister Norman Lamb MP (Lib Dem) has tabled a Bill, backed by two former Health Secretaries Stephen Dorrell (Con) and Alan Milburn (Lab) calling for a cross party Commission to review the future of health and social care in England.

The open letter urges the Prime Minister to: • Make the Commission a reality • Address the monumental demographic challenges in the UK which means nearly a quarter of the population will be over the age of 65 in just over twenty years’ time³ • Recognise there is no room for complacency and ensure we have an NHS and social care system that is fit for purpose • Understand that if action isn’t taken it is the elderly, disabled people and their carers who will bear the brunt of inaction Simon Bottery, Director of Policy and External Relations at Independent Age, the older people’s charity said: “Without a robust health and care service that delivers

W & P Training offers businesses a variety of services within the Adult Care Sector specifically tailored to enhance Care Quality Commission requirements.

W & P are a family run business established in 2001 which prides itself on the quality of its products & services. We provide a professional, responsive, efficient and impartial service to providers in the Health & Social Care sector. Our team of industry professionals come from a range of backgrounds including: CQC Inspection, Local Authority Policy & Commissioning, Nursing, Social Care, Executive Board Members & Former business owners. Our products and services are up to date with the latest legislation and regulatory guidance and are competitively priced, easily accessible and written and presented in various formats to meet your business needs.

We have a comprehensive range of products and services designed specifically for Small and Medium sizes business in the Health & Social Care Sector: • Policies & Procedures (Residential, Domiciliary, Clinical) English Standards • Policies & Procedures (Domiciliary) Welsh Standards • Policies & Procedures (Domiciliary) Scottish Standards (coming soon) • Business Start-up packages • Business Form packs • Care Certificate training pack • Staff Training Packs (35 Titles) • Management of Medicines • Level 3 & 5 Diplomas • Policy update subscription service • Business Audits (post or pre CQC inspection) • Tender/Bid Preparation • CQC Compliance Workshops • Care Act 2014 awareness workshop

Care Excellence Standard (CES) The Care Quality Commission or CQC have asked a few selected bodies that specialise in care management to develop a Bespoke Standard, designed solely for the Care Sector. As a result the CES or ‘Care Excellence Standard’. Has been developed and is expected to be launched in the spring of 2016.

Providers who attain the CES will demonstrate that their service EXCEEDS the current CQC standards and will act as a Mark of Excellence against your service. CQC are planning to introduce a new ‘ratings’ initiative which will indicate the level and standard of care provided in care homes. CQC have indicated that the implementation of CES, followed by a 3rd party, independent evaluation will assist Care Providers to achieve the highest rating and will make monitoring much simpler for the provider.

The CES will be an accredited ISO Standard and it is expected that third party auditors will need to be certified to this standard in order to carry out audits against the ISO standards. W&P’s auditors will be IRCA (International Register of Certificated Auditors) trained in readiness for the introduction of this new standard.

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Homes But Condemns Minister’s Response THE REGISTERED Nursing Home association (RNHa) has welcomed what it described as the ‘many positive comments made by MPs about care homes’ in a recent debate about the state of the sector in the House of commons.

RNHA chief executive officer Frank Ursell pointed to the opening remarks by Peter Kyle, MP for Hove, who both highlighted the urgent need for extra government cash for social care and described care homes as ‘an essential part of our social care network’.

Mr Kyle told Parliament he had spoken to local independent care home managers who ‘talked with kindness, compassion and outright professionalism about the people they care for day in and day out’ and that this had left a deep impression on him.

Commented Mr Ursell: “Those of us in the care home sector were delighted to hear Peter Kyle’s positive perspective on care homes, which were echoed by other MPs who spoke in the debate. Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, called on his colleagues to celebrate what care homes do, including the innovative treatments they give.

“It was also gratifying to hear many MPs pressing the Minister for Community and Social Care, Alistair Burt, to do something about the enormous funding problems facing the sector, with many cash-starved local authorities spending well below the economic rate for publicly funded places.

“MPs were also concerned about the additional burden faced by care homes in paying the National Living Wage when it is introduced. Whilst we agree with the MPs who spoke that care home workers deserve more pay for the work they do, it is plain to see that the government has little or no intention of providing the resources needed to help fund this major increase in running costs.”

He added: “As MPs warned, it is likely that many care homes will close as a result of this. It means desperately needed residential care places will be lost, despite an ageing population and despite unprecedented pressures on NHS hospital beds. A perfect storm is brewing and it is

very much a storm of the government’s own making.

“Barbara Keeley, MP for Worsley and Eccles South, called the government’s proposals for social care ‘risky, uncertain and late’, with the much-vaunted Better Care Fund offering nothing this year and relatively little next year. She has got it spot on.”

Mr Ursell said the House of Commons debate had rightly highlighted the huge amount of money wasted on keeping older patients in hospital when there was no longer a medical need, reflecting the lack of available care home beds to discharge them to or blockages in the social care funding system.

“Keeping such a patient in hospital is costing the NHS and the taxpayer between £200 and £300 a day,” he said.

“This amounts to a weekly cost between two and three times more than the average fees being paid to care homes by local authorities for publicly funded residents. More time spent in hospital also exposes vulnerable older people to the greater infection risks associated with an acute care environment.”

As Peter Kyle pointed out to his fellow MPs, independent experts have estimated that an unfunded National Living Wage could result in the loss of up to 37,000 care home places, with a potential knock on effect of pushing up NHS costs by £3 billion if those patients end up in hospital beds.

“These scenarios should horrify the government and push it into action,” said Mr Ursell, who was critical of the Minister’s response to the debate, describing it as ‘lame and predictable’.

“Mr Burt simply came out with the tired old line that by 2019/20 there will be opportunities for a real terms increase in spending on social care,” said Mr Ursell. “We need something tangible now. Older people need something tangible now. How many will miss out on the care they need because the system simply runs out of cash?”

The RNHA says it will be writing to MPs to thank them for their helpful and supportive comments, as well as to the Minister to urge him to act on what MPs had asked him to do.

BSO Brings Music To The Ears Of Care Home Residents MuSIcIaNS from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) demonstrated the power of music to unlock memories when they visited a Dorset care home.

French horn player Kevin Pritchard and violinist Jenni Curiel entertained residents at Colten Care's dedicated dementia home, Fernhill, at Longham with a selection of music.

The one hour concert was one of 24 visits to 12 care homes across Dorset and Hampshire by the BSO musicians. For the fourth year running ‘Boost’ - the BSO’s health and wellbeing programme - is delivering a series of miniconcerts supported by Tapper Funeral Service.

Jenni and Kevin, who accompany each other on piano,

described the musical sessions as "very rewarding and highly enjoyable."

Jenni added: "We put 100 per cent energy into these performances. You never know which piece you're playing will unlock a particular memory for a person.

"They might not be able to tell you about it but you can tell from their faces that they're really enjoying the music."

Karen Grant A'Court, Fernhill's Activities Organiser, said: "Music really touches residents with dementia.

"It can change their mood to make them feel vibrant and happy.

They love to sing and dance while listening to music."

Other Colten Care homes receiving a visit from the BSO are The Aldbury in Poole and Kingfishers in New Milton.

PAGE 10

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Common Dementia Drug Found to Improve Parkinson’s Symptoms sCiEntists in Bristol have discovered that a commonly prescribed dementia drug could hold the key to helping prevent debilitating falls for people with parkinson’s. the research, published today in the lancet neurology, shows people with parkinson’s who were given the oral drug rivastigmine were 45% less likely to fall and were considerably steadier when walking, compared to those on the placebo.

Parkinson’s affects 127,000 people in the UK and approximately seven million worldwide. 70% of people with Parkinson’s will fall at least once a year, with over a third experiencing falls repeatedly, resulting in fractures, broken bones and hospital admissions.

Parkinson’s UK Research Fellow Dr Emily Henderson and principal researcher on the study, based at the University of Bristol, said: ‘With the degeneration of dopamine producing nerve cells, people with Parkinson’s often have issues with unsteadiness when walking. As part of the condition, they also have lower levels of acetylcholine, a chemical which helps us to concentrate – making it extremely difficult to pay attention to walking.

‘We already know that rivastigmine works to treat dementia by preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine,

however our study shows for the first time that it can also improve regularity of walking, speed, and balance. This is a real breakthrough in reducing the risk of falls for people with Parkinson’s.’

Dr Henderson and her team at the University of Bristol studied 130 people with Parkinson’s who had fallen in the past year. Half the group were given rivastigmine capsules and the other half a placebo for an eight month period.

Dr Arthur Roach, Director of Research at Parkinson’s UK, which funded the study said: ‘People affected by Parkinson’s, their carers, and health and social care professionals have said that preventing falls and improving balance is the biggest unmet need for people living with the condition, other than finding a cure.

‘Things that may be simple to us, such as walking upstairs or getting up in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, or go to the toilet, are much harder and more dangerous when you could easily fall. You risk breaking bones and then needing an emergency hospital admission.

‘This trial shows that there may be drugs already available, being used for other purposes, that can be tested to help treat Parkinson’s. This takes us a step closer to improving the quality of life and finding better treatments for people with Parkinson’s.’

93-Year Old Care Home Resident Waltzes to Victory KEn Williamson, a 93-year old resident at Care uK’s appleby house care home in Epsom, has won the ‘oomph! factor’ award for his impressive exercise regime.

He’s one of 40 residents regularly taking part in exercise sessions led by the specially trained team at the home, and has proven that you’re never too old to start exercising again. He won the national award for embracing his new hobby with such enthusiasm, dancing his way to victory.

Recommended guidelines state older adults should participate in at least 150 minutes of exercise a week to prevent falls, maintain independence and manage symptoms of dementia. The ‘Oomph!’ exercise sessions are designed to make exercising in older age fun again, using popular music, dance moves,

colourful props and story-telling routines.

Jacqueline Dye, activities co-ordinator at Appleby House, nominated Ken for the award. She said: “Ken is always waiting at the door for our Oomph! sessions to start. He loves exercise and used to do ballroom dancing with his wife who unfortunately can no longer dance.

“He’s so enthusiastic during the sessions and gets up to join me for a waltz. When Ken first arrived at Appleby House he used to sit in his suite and was unwilling to come out, now he is dancing his days away and is so much happier and always smiling.”

Ken said: “It takes me back to the old days. It rejuvenates me both of mind and spirit of my days as a youngster in the forces and civilian life with my dear wife of 66 years.”

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Outdoor-Fitness for Care Homes: Demographics and Dementia

In the last few years outdoor-gyms have become increasingly popular and can be found in parks and other public spaces across the UK.

Initially, these installations were simply seen as adjuncts to childrens’ playgrounds thereby allowing parents to exercise while keeping an eye on their kids at the same time.

But these trim-trails soon came to be regarded as separate facilities in their own right and used either as part of existing sporting activities (e.g. by joggers etc.) or as an incentive for the less athletically inclined to at least get some exercise.

German manufacturers playfit® were pioneers in this field: set-up in 2006, the company’s philosophy was to make attractive, high quality and, above all robust, stainless-steel "designer" equipment: functional and easy to use and to cater for a wide variety of users. playfit® soon realised that there was a potential for this type of equipment at other types of locations and

for other kinds of user groups as well – specifically, as a preventive healthcare measure particularly for senior sports and for promoting active and healthy ageing.

Of a total of more than 900 locations where playfit® equipment has been installed so far, approx.120 are to be found in residential care homes: operators consider the equipment to be a good way to upgrade existing facilities, providing an incentive for residents, staff and visitors to go outdoors e.g. into the home’s communal garden areas many of which were previously often under-used. playfit® then decided to go one step further: by participating in, and in some cases initiating, casestudies at various types of facilties and in different environments. The benefits from regular exercising on the equipment were to be explored more thoroughly and on a scientific basis.

The following projects are just a few examples in which playfit® has participated: • A three-month study in 2012 ("Exercise for Health in Old Age“) initiated by the Hesse Ministry of Social Affairs in conjunction with the Sports Medicine Department at Frankfurt University. About 50 participants aged 60-90 took part in twiceweekly exercise classes under trainer-supervision on playfit® equipment in a public park in the city of Hanau.

• A study on promoting exercises in senior-homes across Germany (2013) • Studies on the potential benefits of exercising on playfit® equipment for people suffering from dementia (2013) at a care home in the city of Darmstadt and (2015) at a care home in the city of Magdeburg in conjunction with the Institute of Sports Science at the University of Magdeburg.

• Study at a rehab facility for people suffering from depression (2014 Oberursel, Germany) The dementia studies are of particular interest

given the enormity of the problems associated with this condition taken together with the demographics of an ageing population.

The initial demantia project, lasting 3 months in 2013, was carried out at a nursing home for the elderly at the Klinikum Darmstadt in co-operation with playfit®: its aim was to record the participants’ physical abilities, their social interaction and to assess their subjective well-being when using the equipment.

Every Tuesday, weather permitting, a training session took place in the clinic’s gardens under supervison of a qualified trainer. A total of 19 participants, in groups of six people per session on average did exercises on four pieces of playfit® fitness-equipment.

The results were encouraging. For example, using a set of questions to try to assess their reactions objectively, the patients appeared to enjoy these sessions especially when operating the machines’ moving and revolving parts. As the equipment is easy to operate and accessible, people with reduced mobility could were also able to have a try.

The more recent study in a care home in Magdeburg, to be published shortly, came to the conclusion that using playfit® equipment under supervision did seem to have the effect of stabilising the patients’ physical condition even over a relatively short period.

It is, of course, well-documented that exercising in general will be beneficial for dementia patients: but in this context playfit® equipment can be seen as an important tool for care-homes to encourage patients to take part in physical activities in a novel and interesting way while, at the same time, providing a focus for group activities Last, but not least: playfit® has also developed a new indoor-series to cater for residents who are less mobile or for exercising indoors when the weather is bad (Details available on request).

For further information call +49 (0)40 375 035 19 or visit www.playfit.eu

WINTER 2016

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Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease Could Be Available By 2025 sCiEntists haVE predicted that drugs will be available to treat alzheimer’s within a decade. “i think alzheimer’s will be treatable. i hope by 2025 we will be able to slow the disease,” said professor John hardy of the institute of neurology at university College london. he added, “i think we will get to a situation where we will manage it in the way we manage diabetes now. i can see a day where dementia will not be a major issue”.

Researchers believe that potential drugs that can specifically target the progression of Alzheimer’s disease instead of just the symptoms alone could be available by 2025 to address the increasing death rate associated with it among the aging population.

One of the challenges of existing drugs for Alzheimer’s disease/dementia is that it only targets the symptoms of the disease. Scientists are now

focusing more in finding a way to stop or slow down the disease progression. The drugs currently undergoing trial fight off amyloid beta proteins that accumulates to form plaque in the brain, which are likely to trigger dementia.

So far, using this method, two drugs, which have undergone major trials, were found to show promising results in slowing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease based on its published study in 2015, US Eli Lilly’s Solanezumab reveals to decrease mental decline advancement by 34 percent. Researchers are still waiting for the results of its final trial.

Meanwhile, the second drug is from Bayer.

Currently the statistics worldwide for Alzheimer’s disease and 2015 were: • Worldwide, nearly 44 million people have Alzheimer’s or a related dementia.

(Alzheimer’s Disease International)

Respite is Vital, Carers Unanimously Agree 100% of carers agree that proper breaks away are vital in enabling carers to sustain a good relationship with those they care for, according to new research from national disabled people’s charity revitalise, released to mark Carers rights Day 2015.

Nine out of ten carers went on to say that they thought it was likely or very likely that regular respite breaks help prevent the caring relationship from breaking down.

But the new study also revealed that most carers feel guilty about handing over the care of a loved one. 80% said that guilt is a barrier preventing carers from accessing respite breaks for themselves and those they care for.

The issue of guilt is key, asserts Revitalise, since it is holding carers back from claiming vital respite opportunities and as a consequence is putting the caring relationship at risk of breakdown. To back up its assertion, the charity found that a third of carers (34%) have never had any significant time away since they started caring.

The UK’s army of unpaid carers, currently numbering around 6.5 million, is increasing at a rate of 6,000 people each day. By 2037 the number of unpaid carers in the UK is expected to have soared to nine million. According to newly-released figures from Carers UK, unpaid carers save the economy an estimated £132 billion per year, an average of £20,308 per carer.

The impact of a lack of time off on the emotional and physical wellbeing of carers was also clearly highlighted

by Revitalise’s research, which found that 6 out of 10 carers put the health of their loved one ahead of their own, a third of carers (36%) said they’d had to abandon their plans for later life and a similar number said they were very worried about the future (34%).

• Only 1-in-4 people with Alzheimer’s disease have been diagnosed.

(Alzheimer’s Disease International) • Alzheimer’s and dementia is most common in Western Europe (North America is close behind) • Alzheimer’s is least prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa. (Alzheimer’s Disease International) • Alzheimer’s and other dementias are the top cause for disabilities in later life.

(Alzheimer’s Disease International) Experts believe that a 5-year delay from Alzheimer’s can reduce its death rate by approximately 50%, which currently accounts for one-third of those between the ages of 65 years old and above, and would allow sufferers to live independently longer.

In the light of the research, Revitalise is urging social care decision makers to pay more attention to the fundamental issues of quality and choice in respite care in order to alleviate carers’ guilt at taking respite breaks from caring and help prevent the breakdown of the caring relationship.

Revitalise Chief Executive Chris Simmonds commented: “Our research clearly shows that quality in respite is an absolutely crucial issue for carers.

“We must never forget that the majority of carers do what they do out of devotion to the person they care for, but without the lifeline of regular time off, carers risk reaching breaking point and facing the very real risk of becoming sick or disabled themselves.

“So everything we can do now to sustain the caring relationship will prevent a huge cost to society if we take carers’ devotion for granted and allow relationships to collapse under the strain.

“Guilt at letting go is clearly a huge psychological barrier for carers, but we have found that carers’ fears can be eased if the focus is on providing high quality care for their loved ones, combined with a dignified, stimulating environment and the chance to enjoy the company of others.

“That’s why we will keep on repeating that access to regular, good quality respite breaks for disabled people and those who care for them should not be considered a luxury but an absolute essential in sustaining the caring relationship.”

Revitalise is a national charity providing respite holidays for disabled people and carers at three accessible centres in Chigwell in Essex, Southampton and Southport, with 24-hour nurse-led care on call, personal support and a range of accessible excursions, activities and entertainment.

People wanting more information about Revitalise respite holidays are requested to call 0303 303 0145 or visit www.revitalise.org.uk

Waiting for Ratings – NCF Quality First Supports Outstanding Services thE national Care forum is taking care provider concerns direct to the Care Quality Commission following a member survey of service ratings by the regulatory body.

The survey of NCF care organisations, providing services to thousands of vulnerable people across the UK, has found almost 60% of care services within our membership are still awaiting inspection and/or subsequent ratings from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). In addition, member comments on the process of inspection, report delays and communication failings of CQC, together with the recent proposed rise in fees, show provider confidence in the regulatory body to be worryingly low.

Des Kelly OBE, NCF Executive Director, said “Whilst NCF supports the need both for a strong regulation and ratings

system and to recognise the quality of care provision, we reiterate the importance for service users and their families, as well as care providers and commissioners, to have complete confidence in the ratings, which at present are simply too slow in coming.”

Des Kelly continued “Our members rely on the strength and influence of the National Care Forum to voice concerns at a national level. NCF will continue to represent members and share findings in our regular meetings with CQC.” On a positive note, while CQC recently reported 60% of UK services were rated ‘good’ and 34% ‘requires improvement’, our survey found NCF member services to be significantly outperforming the sector with 72% ‘good’ and higher ratings, including 4 ‘outstanding’ services – the highest

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lCt ClEanEx 2016 24- 25 april, 2016 at ascot racecourse, ascot, Berkshire, will have something for everyone. this event has grown year on year and the 2016 show will include many more laundry supplier companies giving all our laundry visitors plenty to explore.

Providing the highest level of care for your residents will be your number one priority, and key to that is hygiene and cleanliness so you can offer the very best in residential care.

Infection control and eliminating cross-contamination is particularly important for those in vulnerable health, so ensuring rooms are deep-cleaned to eradicate all possibility of germs being passed to other residents will be a priority. The new ozone products do just this and will

rating available in the new system!

NCF Quality First is the framework demonstrating commitment to continually improving services. As befits the spirit of the National Care Forum, we will be supporting all members to improve their services and to make full use of the Quality First resources in the coming year.

The Quality First logo gives people using services, care staff, regulators and the public confidence in the quality of care and support.

NCF continues to provide benchmarking opportunities and the NCF Quality First resources are freely available to organisations who have signed the commitment to continuous quality improvement.

be on show at LCT CleanEx. They cost a lot less than you might think!

The washing of bedding and personal clothing has to be carried out in the correct manner to reduce any possibility of contamination. Whether you opt for thermal or chemical disinfection, products will be on show to overcome these problems.

To accommodate the ever-growing number of exhibitors and attendees, the show is moving to the Grandstand.

Now all stands will be on the one level, making it easier for visitors to plan their time and take in everything on offer.

There will be expert advice, live demonstrations and many special ‘show only’ promotions.

From the latest innovations in machinery technology to the many and varied consumable products, launderers, care home operatives and hotels will find something to help make life a little simpler.

With FREE admission, FREE parking, FREE seminars, FREE training sessions and FREE entry in to our prize draw it is well worth taking the time to visit this growing event.

Visit: www.lctcleanex.co.uk to register for your free entry tickets or see the advert on page 9.

There are approximately 10,000,000 people over the age of 65 in the UK. People over 65 are at a higher risk of choking, with a majority of them not being able to use the standard choking protocol.

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Sky TV packages In Lounge £69.00 a week (ex VAT)

With themed movie sessions and inspirational documentaries, Sky TV brings your residents together, stimulates their senses and enhances their wellbeing.

Packages billed monthly. Sky TV minimum term is 12 months. Standard cost of the Sky Lounge Package is £299 per month(ex VAT). Standard cost of Sky In room is £40 per room, per month (ex VAT). Installation of equipment is not included, please call for more information. Charge of £50 per box (ex VAT) applies if Sky does not install your equipment. Channels available dependant on chosen package and scheduling

WINTER 2016

THE CARER

PAGE 15

for your Care Homes In Room £9.23 a week (ex VAT)

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07557 847 381

Believe in better

may be subject to change. Please visit www.sky.com/business for full channel details. Cost to call mobile number shown will vary depending on your provider. Roman Holiday, available from 5 February. TM, ® & Copyright © 1953 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved. Wild Bhutan: The Last Shangri-La, showing from 24 February. Copyright: © National Geographic Channels. Correct at the time of supply 22.01.16.

PAGE 16

THE CARER

Warning of Threat to Care and Support in Wales from Underfunded NLW folloWing thE budget announcement for spending plans in Wales, social care commissioners, providers and representative bodies are issuing a collective caution to Welsh government that the additional costs of the new national living Wage could lead to a catastrophic failure across care services, unless urgent action is taken to address continued underfunding.

The Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru (ADSSC) and National Provider Forum have written to Ministers on behalf of providers and commissioners to underline concerns around the future viability of social care provision in Wales.

Whilst the recent budget reductions in Wales are smaller than anticipated, the settlement does not reflect cost pressures faced across the sector. This comes at a time when Welsh Government looks to social care services to support an over-stretched NHS, particularly in supporting people to leave hospital promptly.

The National Provider Forum (NPF) and ADSSC welcome the general principle of increasing the financial rewards for care workers. It may go some way to assisting with the recruitment and retention of care staff who are needed to care for the growing number of people living with long term and complex conditions.

However, the care sector in Wales will be particularly hard hit by the requirements of the National Living Wage because the vast majority of care provision is paid for by the public sector, which has already seen budgets severely constrained in recent years. It is also a sector where around two-thirds of costs are based on staff costs. The National Living Wage poses serious cost pressures for both providers and commissioners of care across Wales.

Unless an immediate solution is found then there will be significant consequences across the social care market.

Vice President of the Association of Directors for Social Services Cymru (ADSSC), Dave Street, said: “Without increased funding combined with innovative solutions, the only way councils in Wales will be able to cope with increased costs from the National Living Wage is by commissioning fewer services. Fewer commissioned services will cause considerable distress for people who use care services and their families, lead to providers leaving the sector, increase pressure on NHS services and provide uncertain employment prospects for a significant number of trained and committed care workers.”

Director of Cymorth Cymru, Auriol Miller, said: “The threats posed by the National Living Wage are not just confined to the care sector. Learning disability providers are facing a very bleak future without support, but all providers offering 24-hour support services are at significant risk. Our members have warned that unless urgent action is taken, some services are at risk of collapse this year, leaving many vulnerable people and their families with nowhere to turn.”

ADSSC and the NPF have put forward a number of potential solutions. Principally, Welsh Government is urged to increase funding to reflect the importance of the sector to the people of Wales and to the wider health and care system. In addition, more should be done to assist local authorities in applying procurement practices consistently and proportionally, with uniform standards and quality thresholds for commissioning.

These suggested solutions will be essential in ensuring a stable, quality system of care provision remains in Wales.

94-Year-Old War Veteran Receives Prestigious Military Award at Ferndown Care Home staff anD residents at Care south’s fairlawn care home in ferndown celebrated as 94-year-old resident, mr. Bill howard, received the legion D’honneur (legion of honour) at the care home, accompanied by members of his family.

First established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the Legion of Honour is an award for excellent military conduct presented by the French Government. Bill Howard, formerly of the Royal Army Service Corps attached to the 6th Airborne, received the honour in recognition of his service in France and Greece during the Second World War. He is rewarded for his actions of landing on Gold Beach in Normandy and delivering essential medical and general supplies to field hospitals.

The home welcomed the Mayor of

Ferndown, Councillor Mrs Julie Robinson and Chairman of The Royal British Legion, Ferndown Branch, Grant Parrott for the presentation.

The Mayor of Ferndown presented Bill with the award, after which family, visitors and fellow residents enjoyed a buffet lunch together – prepared and served especially by the home’s own kitchen team. The award was also celebrated by the cutting of a wonderful cake provided by Bill’s family.

Commenting on the day, Bill’s brother Roy, said: “I’m very pleased that Bill, along with many others are being recognised. He’s taking the honour in his stride, he is proud that he did his bit, but like many others he seldom speaks about his experiences, but he is delighted. I looked up to Bill and my other brothers as heroes, I’m so proud that he’s been recognised.”

WINTER 2016

Nurturing Wellness and Wellbeing in Your Care Home proViDing fun and engaging activities that meet the ability of residents, from the very active to those with reduced mobility, is a key focus for care homes. Whilst maintaining the wellness and wellbeing of care home residents, beyond their immediate and long-term medical needs can be a challenge, with themed movie sessions and inspirational documentaries, sky tV can bring your residents together, stimulate their senses and enhance their wellbeing.

It is also important in a home-from-home environment to ensure that residents feel at home. Sky TV has been a regular in people’s homes for 25 years, and within the over 65s age group, Sky Sports, Sky News and Sky 1 all feature in the top ten channels, including terrestrial TV. Care home residents are therefore accustomed to the range of entertainment, sports and movies provided by Sky. Quality television can be used in innovative ways by care home staff to engage residents and create immersive, sensory experiences and facilitate group discussion and activity. These activities can stimulate residents physically, mentally and emotionally.

From the latest Premier League football

match to classic movies such as Roman Holiday, Sky’s entertainment packages have content to entertain all residents and can be a useful tool to bring people together, spark conversation and strengthen relationships in the care home environment. As a result it increases the wellbeing of everyone in the home, from residents to staff and beyond.

Top quality entertainment has always had the power to unite people and to form friendships around shared passions. Creating shared experiences can therefore not only help residents to overcome any isolation and reduce the risks of loneliness experienced by many older people.

Sky’s packages for care homes provide access to channels in communal areas and residents’ own rooms as well as WiFi services delivered via The Cloud. The functionality offered by the provision of WiFi ensures residents have easy access to the internet, and can also access it via a range of devices including tablets and smartphones.

To find out more about how Sky can help your care home, contact James Tweddle, Sales Director at Sky Business. james.tweddle@sky.uk www.business.sky.com See the adverts on pages 14-15 for further details.

Social Care: The State of The Care Home Market (England) a housE of Commons Briefing paper has been published on the state of the care home market in England. the paper includes an examination of the market structure, issues and challenges facing the sector, the outcome of the spending review, including the 2% Council tax rule and Better Care fund, and the role of local authorities and the Care Quality Commission in regulating and shaping the market.

The report is an up-to-date analysis of the sector,

including the market structure, current issues facings it, the Spending Review and provisional local authority funding settlement, and the role of local authorities and the Care Quality Commission in the market. It covers key issues facing the sector: the introduction of the National Living Wage and recent falls in local authority funding for state-funded residents. However, it does not provide conclusions on how to tackle the situation.

The full report can be found here www.researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7463#fullreport

Care Home Hosts ‘Antiques Roadshow’ Style Valuation Day a DorsEt care home hosted an ‘antiques roadshow’ style valuation day with two potentially valuable items coming to light.

The event, at Colten Care’s Amberwood House in Ferndown, led to the discovery of an early 19th century Indian ivory chess set and also an 18th century bureau bookcase.

Valuer Charles Wallrock, of Lymington-based Wick Antiques, said the chess set was of “exceptional quality” while the bureau bookcase was the most “charming piece of 18th century furniture you could wish to see.”

He added: “This really has been an interesting day with these two items coming totally out of the blue.”

The bureau bookcase, described by owner Linda Thornton as “battered and bruised”, was used to

store her nan’s buttons.

Although now missing the bookcase, Mr Wallrock said that in its original condition the item of furniture would be worth up to £5,000.

He has offered to restore the bureau bookcase, an offer which Mrs Thornton said she was likely to accept, creating a new family heirloom.

The valuation day, together with an accompanying craft market, formed part of a public open day at Amberwood House.

Maggie Tomlin, Home Manager, said: “The event was a great success, opening up our home to the local community and letting them see for themselves what residents do here.”

The event has been captured on video and can be seen on Colten Care’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/coltencare

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PAGE 18

THE CARER

BAPEN Publishes Results Of Biggest Malnutrition Survey Ever Undertaken In Care Homes BAPEN has just published its Nutrition Screening Week (NSW) Care Home Reports which cover the UK as a whole and England. The Reports contain the amalgamated data obtained from the care homes that participated in its four Nutrition Screening Weeks which took place over a five year period between 2007 and 2011, each in a different season of the year. The results suggest that ‘malnutrition’ (medium + high risk according to ‘MUST’) is common within care homes, and, with a prevalence of about 35% among residents admitted in the previous 6 months, it poses a substantial social care burden.

The four NSW surveys involved a total of 474 care homes in the UK (75-148 per survey) and 3971 adult residents (577-1610 per survey). The majority of data were provided from care homes in England and to a progressively smaller extent from those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Apart from providing a comprehensive analysis of the amalgamated data obtained from care homes the two new reports provide a variety of new information. This includes establishment of trends over time, comparisons between England and the rest of the UK, and an analysis of the extraordinarily large and variable weight changes that occur in care homes during the six months after admission.

Residents who were malnourished on admission to care were more likely to lose further weight during their residency, while ‘non-malnourished’ subjects gained weight.

Most residents who were underweight on admission remained underweight at the time of the survey.

The reports also compare weight status and its distribution between care home residents and the general public.

Underweight (BMI < 20 kg/m2) was significantly more common among care home residents than the general population and obesity less common. Underweight among care home residents increased with age, while obesity decreased with age.

Importantly the reports highlight that during the five year period there was some evidence of improvements throughout the UK in terms of awareness of ‘malnutrition’, in nutritional screening practice and the vast majority of care homes reported linking the results of screening to a care plan. In addition trend analysis of consecutive surveys indicated that the majority of care homes routinely weighed residents on admission and during their stay and that there were significant improvements in the recording of height on admission, and access to dietetic services.

However, there was room for improvement in some aspects of nutritional care, such as awareness of the existence of weighing scale standards and undertaking audits

on nutritional screening. Encouragingly the ‘Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool’ (‘MUST’) was the most commonly used screening tool being used by 90% of care homes that reported using a nutrition screening tool – in 2010 86% had reported using it. . The use of the consistent ‘MUST’ criteria within and between care homes and in multiple other care settings can facilitate continuity of nutritional care.

Prevalence The prevalence of ‘malnutrition’ did not differ significantly between countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), but it was lower (27%) in residents who had been admitted into exclusively residential care homes than all other types of care homes (38%), and it was also lower in those admitted from their own homes (30%) than from hospitals (39%) and other care homes (37%). In contrast it was found to be higher in women (38%) compared to men (30%), who were about four years younger than women, and in older than younger residents (27% in those <75 years, 39% in those 70-84 years, and 39% in those ≥85 years). It varied with disease category, and was higher in residents with cancer than those without and in those suffering from multiple rather than a single condition.

Regional Differences There were no significant differences in the prevalence of ‘malnutrition’ between countries, and no significant difference between England and other parts of the UK. Malnutrition according to type of care Home ‘Malnutrition’ was found to be significantly less common in exclusively residential homes (27%) than other types of care homes in combination (38%). This may be because residents in the other types of care homes, especially nursing homes, are expected to have more severe disease. The source of admission was another major factor that influenced the prevalence of ‘malnutrition’. It was higher among those admitted from hospital (39%) and other care homes (37%) than in those admitted from the subjects’ own homes (30%). Again this may reflect the type and severity of disease likely to predispose to or be the result of ‘malnutrition’ and vice versa.

Recommendations The reports indicate that ‘malnutrition’ in care homes is a major health and social care burden. While care homes are generally funded to provide social care, the boundaries between social and healthcare are ill defined and sometimes problematic, suggesting that more integrated health and social care strategies to combat the problems would be beneficial. The care home surveys suggest that there have been some improvements in the operational infrastructure for the management of ‘malnutrition’, but there is still room for further improvement, in line with the conclusions of the Dignity and Nutrition Inspections of care homes undertaken by the Care Quality Commission.

WINTER 2016

GMB Call On 152 English Councils To Use New Powers To Fund Social Care GMB, the union for care home staff, is calling on all 152 councils in England responsible for social care to use to the full their new powers to raise an additional £1,804m per annum on the council tax by 2019/20 to have for residential care. In addition to this an extra £1.5bn will be made available through the Better care Fund for social care by 2019/20.

In the Spending Review authorities with social care responsibilities were given the flexibility to raise council tax in their area by up to 2% above the referendum threshold for each year between 2016-17 and 2019-20, to fund adult social care services. In addition the Government announced £1,500 million additional funding for local authorities to spend on adult social care by 2019-20, to be included in an improved Better Care Fund.

Using the 2% powers each year Kent County Council can raise an additional £51.1m per annum by 2019/20, Essex can raise an additional £50.7 m per year, Birmingham can raise an additional £24.6m per year and Lancashire can raise an additional £35.9m per year by 2019/20.

For Kent there is an additional £33.7m from the Better Care Fund giving a total of £84.8m new money for social care for 2019/20. For Essex there is an additional £30.7m from the Better Care Fund giving a total of £81.4m new money for social care for 2019/20. For Birmingham there is an additional £52.4m from the Better Care Fund giving a total of £77m

new money for social care for 2019/20. For Lancashire there is an additional £40m from the Better Care Fund giving a total of £75.9m new money for social care for 2019/20.

Justin Bowden, GMB National Officer for social care, said, “GMB is calling on all councils in England responsible for social care to use to the full their new powers to raise an additional £1,804m per annum on the council tax by 2019/20 to raise desperately needed funds for residential care.

GMB has published this list of how much cash councils can raise to ensure that they immediately start to raise every pound they can under these new powers. GMB is also spelling out how much each council has been allocated from the Better Care Fund total of £1,500m by 2019/20.

If social care is going to be adequately funded in future, then increasing the tax base is an inevitable and important step along that road.

Allowing local authorities to raise council tax by 2% each year is only the start. This is because there are massive disparities in how much extra cash for care different councils will be able to generate. Some councils will be able to pay fair fees to providers, whilst others won’t come close to bridging the funding gap. Where there is a funding shortfall the government must step and fill it.

We expect councils to spend every penny of this possible new money of £3,304m for England on providing the care that our elderly and vulnerable deserve.”

Care Home Owners Can Get Back Thousands Of Pounds Tax-Free From HMRC Due To Mistakes That They Made tax Consultant howard givney says that there are thousands of pounds available to owners and operators of care or nursing homes between 1993 and 2002. this is due to a mistake that hmrC made when introducing Vat in 1993. for the next 9 years they denied owners and operators of care and nursing home to reclaim vat on purchases costing business thousands of pounds.

In 2002 Kingscrest Associates Ltd and Montecelo Ltd challenged the HMRC and eventually the case wound up in the high court where the Judges found against HMRC. The upshot is that for anyone who either owned or operated a residential home during that period you can expect a tax repayment of about £3,000 for each bed after fees and costs, some claims are more than this.

For a residential care home with 20 beds this means £60,000 extra profit. Larger homes and groups with say 250 beds can expect up to £750,000.

Even if you sold the residential care home, you might

still be able to claim so a cheque for something that you have already been paid for might be very welcome.

Of course some homes were held by a limited company and sold as part of asset transfer and for those deals the new owner has unknowingly bought a tax claim as well.

Imagine buying a residential home for £300,000 and being given a cheque a few weeks later for the purchase pricetax-free!

Tax ideas can help you to become richer, and if it can’t, we won’t charge you. In an age where everyone seems to be after your money before they do something Howard says he has a different offer. He will put the money in your bank account before he gives you his bill. It really is a norisk offer.

This scheme puts right the mistakes that the courts said HMRC made when they introduced VAT and gives you a useful amount of money tax free.

To find out more please call Howard on 01233 640985 or see the advert on the front cover of this issue.

Brotherwood WAVs Now Even More Accessible with Contract Hire from LVC Mobility For peace of mind and easy budgeting, a full maintenance package can be included in the monthly rental, eliminating any unforeseen costs and ensuring accurate and predictable cash-flow.

Disposal is simple and risk-free – at the end of the agreement, the vehicle is simply handed back, with no need to worry about part exchange value.

Local authorities in particular will benefit from the availability of Contract Hire for the new Brotherwood Envy, the UK’s only fully electric Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle to carry European Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle manufacturer Brotherwood, and Contract Type Approval. At a time when scrutiny of vehicle Hire specialist providers LVC Mobility, are emissions is at a high, many authorities are now opting for alternative fuels, their low running costs pleased to announce an exciting new further supplemented by generous financial partnership, which combines over 50 assistance from OLEV Grants. Contract Hire is years of specialist experience to offer available on the Envy, eliminating the need to tie affordable finance packages for both up capital and reducing the outlay required to run Business and Private Individuals in need of an electric vehicle down to a regular fixed high quality, wheelchair-friendly transport. payment.

For many small businesses, care homes, community transport organisations, and local authorities, the cost of purchasing a new Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) outright can often be prohibitive. LVC’s new Contract Hire package offers an affordable solution to a new WAV, with a low initial outlay and fixed, taxallowable monthly rentals all that is required to run a high quality, easy-to-use wheelchair car for an agreed period from 24 to 60 months.

Private individuals can also benefit from the partnership, especially those who do not qualify for Motability. Previously this would limit the options of the individual, leaving outright cash purchase as the main option to a new or used Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle. Now however, a small initial rental is all that is required to access a new Brotherwood WAV at a competitive monthly payment, with a choice to include full maintenance for the length of the agreement.

Brotherwood have been converting vehicle for wheelchair access since 1985, their product considered to be the highest quality available on the market today, offering superior comfort, safety, and inclusion for the wheelchair user. LVC Mobility is a trading style of LVC Central, who have over 20 years of funding expertise through the UK’s major vehicle finance lenders. Together the partnership offers unparalleled customer service and knowledge in their respective fields, providing a trusted, experienced and competitive funding alternative that can enable you to access the very best in wheelchair passenger transport.

For more information contact Brotherwood on 01935 872603 or visit www.brotherwood.com

WINTER 2016

THE CARER

PAGE 21

CQC Appoints First National Guardian for Free Seminars and Product Demonstrations at New Manchester Cleaning Show the Freedom to Speak Up Within the NHS thE CarE Quality Commission (CQC) has appointed Dame Eileen sills DBE – the Chief nurse at guy's and st thomas' nhs foundation trust – as the first national guardian for speaking up safely within the nhs.

As the National Guardian for the freedom to speak up, Dame Eileen will help to lead a cultural change, initially within NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts, so that healthcare staff always feel confident and supported to raise concerns about patient care.

Dame Eileen has been Chief Nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust since 2005. She has been a registered nurse for over 30 years (since 1983), during which time she has held a number of general management and senior nursing leadership posts. Dame Eileen was awarded a CBE in 2003 for services to nursing and a DBE in January 2015.

Among her responsibilities as the National Guardian, Dame Eileen will lead, advise and support a network of individuals within NHS trusts, appointed as ‘local freedom to speak up guardians’, who will be responsible for developing a culture of openness at trust level. She will also share good practice, report on national or common themes and identify any barriers that are preventing the NHS from having a truly safe and open culture.

As the National Guardian, Dame Eileen will be completely independent, highly visible, and will speak freely and honestly about where changes are needed among NHS trusts and foundation trusts. While she will work in partnership with CQC, NHS England and NHS Improvement to reinforce good practice, she will also take an independent stand to report on any matters of concern affecting these bodies when required.

Commenting on Dame Eileen’s appointment, David Behan, Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission, said: "Dame Eileen is a leader of exceptional quality and

so I am delighted that she will be the first National Guardian for the NHS. "We know that healthcare professionals are committed to delivering good care, day in and day out and that many organisations respond to any concerns they may have openly and transparently as a normal part of working. This results in better and safer care for patients.

"As the National Guardian, Dame Eileen will strive to ensure that this is common practice right across the NHS. By working with the local ambassadors within NHS trusts she will contribute to the change in culture that is needed."

Dame Eileen Sills, incoming National Guardian for the NHS said: "I understand what it is like to provide care on the frontline. I also understand how difficult it is for staff always to have the confidence and courage to speak out.

"In this role therefore, I will take my current experience, working with individuals and organisations to learn the lessons from reviews and investigations to date.

"I fully appreciate that this is a very big and challenging role, but with the support of the staff who work in the NHS, I have no doubt that we can make the changes together that are needed to deliver a new culture of transparency and openness."

The need for an independent National Guardian for the NHS was highlighted in Sir Robert Francis’s ‘Freedom to Speak Up’ review in February 2015, which found that patients could be put at risk of harm because vital information about mistakes and concerns was not being raised by NHS staff routinely. The review found that reporting systems were either insufficient or not used or because healthcare professionals did not feel able to speak up. The creation of the National Guardian was one of the key recommendations from this; an arrangement which the Secretary of State for Health confirmed last July.

Promote Good Health with Good Signs DuraBlE, the leading manufacturer of office products in Europe, has expanded its popular DuraframE® range with three new formats; sECuritY, notE and Custom. these new versions can accommodate a wide variety of display needs in the healthcare industry, providing a professional and convenient way to display literature, notices, posters, and healthcare information.

• Ideal for health, safety and warning signs within public spaces or hazardous areas, DURAFRAME SECURITY features three bicoloured frames that are compliant with ISO 3864-4 safety colours.

• For materials that require direct writing, DURAFRAME NOTE is a professional

frame for information notices, complete with a pen holder.

• New for 2016 is the DURAFRAME CUSTOM, which is an adaptable frame that can be branded with customised logo prints in RAL or PANTONE® colours.

Within the healthcare industry it is vital to display information clearly and professionally. As well as promoting good health and practice, displays help lift spirits and provide entertainment during short or long waiting times. It is therefore highly important that the frame is fit for frequent changes and multiple locations to showcase the right content in the best manner.

For further information about DURAFRAME and the extensive DURABLE product portfolio, please visit www.durable-uk.com

thE manChEstEr Cleaning show is a new regional spin-off event to the largest dedicated cleaning and hygiene exhibition in the uK, the Cleaning show. this is a chance for those responsible for cleaning and hygiene to meet with suppliers, test new products and attend a range of free seminars including…

• Cleaning in the healthcare sector • Illegal workers in the cleaning industry - solutions for employers

• The impact of chemicals on cleaning operatives • Case Study: Manchester leading the way • Attendance monitoring - using technology to manage a cleaning workforce • Pest management - what every cleaning contractor should know Held at Event City, Manchester from 6-7 April 2016, care home owners, cleaners, suppliers and distributors are invited to register for their free pass now at www.cleaningshow.co.uk/manchester

Incontinence UK’s Side Opening Pants Incontinence UK stocks a NEW range of ladies and men’s side opening pants? These pants open easily at the side using Velcro and have the ability to open out flat which is a great help to both the user and carer. These pants are perfect for people who have incontinence products underneath or need easy access for toileting.

Both stylish and comfortable these side opening pants are made from 100% cotton which is soft and comfortable to wear and allows the skin to breath.

The ladies side open-

ing pants come in a pack of 3 in white; while the men’s side opening pants come in a pack of 3 in grey.

As an alternative to our side opening pants we also stock a range of ladies and men’s washable incontinence pants. These look like normal pants/briefs but have a built-in incontinence pad that offers comfort and discreet support for mild urinary/bladder incontinence conditions.

For more information on Incontinence UK’s full product range please visit www.incontinenceuk.co.uk.

Carer readers please quote CARER16 for 10% discount off your first order.

Change Your Loo To Help Cope With Arthritis manY of Britain’s 9.25+million arthritis sufferers could find their daily life easier, just by changing their toilet.

Arthritis Research UK has produced guidance on using the bathroom, and maintains therein that equipment such as an automatic- or wash & dry- toilet can help.

Clos-o-Mat is the only British manufacturer of, and brand-leader in, automatic/ wash & dry toilets. A Clos-oMat toilet looks like, and can be used as, a conventional WC. In-built douching and drying mean it also washes and dries the user, so they do not have to grasp and tear toilet tissue, nor contort and grip to manually clean themselves.

The floor-mounted Palma Vita can be tailored to individual needs with alternative operating devices, support arms, seats etc; the wall-mounted Lima Lift is height adjustable so can be raised and lowered to assist the user getting on and off if they have limited mobility in hips and knees.

Rose Thom says of her Palma Vita, “I’m very pleased with it, it’s no effort to use the touch switch with my thumb. Otherwise I would be dependent on someone helping to wipe me. My husband uses the Closo-Mat too, though as a conventional toilet, so it works for both of us.”

Adds Heather O”Brien about her Lima Lift: “When it first arrived, I thought ‘what the heck do I do with this?’.

Now I think it’s fantastic, brilliant! Because the Lima Lift can be easily lowered by finger-tip control it means I can easily get on and off the toilet without help, setting it at a perfect height for me. And with my arthritis, I struggle to grasp toilet paper: the washing and drying facilities mean I know I am properly clean, again without having to get my partner to help me.”

Appreciating people may need to ‘see and feel’ to understand the concept, Clos-o-Mat has a number of demonstration units available across the UK. A fullysearchable map on its website- www.clos-o-mat.comenables people to find one most convenient to them. The website also includes a raft of information about the range of products, including specification guidance, user comments and case studies. Clients are supported by full in-house technical and after-sales support, reinforced by the family-owned company’s 50+ years’ history and over 50,000 toilets having been sold.

Contact Clos-o-Mat on Tel 0161 969 1199; www.clos-o-mat.com; e: info@clos-o-mat.com; www.facebook.com/clos-o-mat; twitter: @clos-o-mat

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WINTER 2016

Mister Uniform Ltd it's 2016 and mister uniform would like to thank all of our clients for their your loyal custom during 2015. if you haven't tried us yet (and are looking at refreshing your uniform image for 2016) why not pick up the phone and give our team a quick call?

Our uniform experts are dedicated to helping you find the right garments for you and your care team. We offer expert advice on all aspects of Healthcare Uniforms such as selecting the right uniform, adding your Care Home logo and achieving the perfect fit.

Our 2016 colour range for healthcare tunics has expanded to a massive 45

Burlington Uniforms Burlington uniforms ltd is a privately owned company which specialises in supplying corporate uniforms for all industries and business sectors and has been doing so for nearly 40 years.

We provide a one-stop shopping experience for clients engaged in any kind of activity in the private or public sectors. Our private clients include blue chip companies, wellknown private companies and professional firms. Our public sector clients include government departments and agencies, legislative and judicial bodies, local authorities, emergency services, and some of the world's most famous museums.

We provide the highest standard of service and customer

colour shades! With this number of colours to choose from we are confident you'll be able to find the perfect garments to match your Care Organisation's corporate look.

Our clients tell us that a "perfect fit" is critical to them.

To help ensure great fitting garments we offer a huge range of sizes on all of our tunic ranges. For example our ladies tunic range starts at a dress size 6 and goes up to a dress size 30.

Our brand new 2016 Uniform brochures are out now so why not give David, Louise or James a call and request one as they would love to hear from you.

Call our helpline now 0117 32 52 199 or pop us an email at sales@misteruniform.co.uk View our full range online at: www.misteruniform.co.uk

support. This combined with our commitment to research, develop and supply clothing of style and quality at competitive prices has been the key to our success since 1974.

Our head office is based in Enfield and this also serves as our distribution hub and warehouse. We also have a manufacturing and distribution centre in south Wales, where we produce our own corporate wear ranges of suiting, shirts and blouses, and accessories. We are one of the only UK based manufacturers left and this unique feature gives us a substantial advantage over our competitors in turns of having direct control over production and bespoke capabilities.

We are independently accredited with both ISO9001 (Quality Management) and ISO14001 (Environmental Management) standards, and are a Crown Commercial Service Supplier.

For further details see the advert on this page.

THE CARER

PAGE 25

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Badging Staff Meets Care Quality Commission Outcome sinCE 2010 healthcare practices regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) must meet service delivery criteria including the clear identification of individual staff members.

The guidance publication entitled Essential standards of quality and safety specifies that, for providers to achieve the required standard of care and welfare of people who use their healthcare services, their users “can be confident that, wherever possible, they will know the names and job titles of the people who provide their care, treatment and support” (part of Outcome 4C).

Compliance with this standard is simple according to Badgemaster, the UK’s leading supplier of name badges.

“Providing name badges, to customerfacing staff is a proven and very costeffective solution to the Care Quality Commission regulations” confirms John Bancroft MBE, Managing Director of Badgemaster. Dr Neil Shaw of Eyre Street Dental Practice in Clay Cross, Derbyshire agrees, commenting: “badging our team with Badgemaster’s help very quickly and painlessly satisfied this outcome for our audit”.

Nottinghamshire-based for 22 years, Badgemaster designs and manufactures ready-to-wear employee name badges for thousands of hospitals, surgeries and care homes and well understands the needs of healthcare professionals. Badgemaster’s experience suggests that its own high product and service quality is greatly valued where time and budget come under pressure.

“Badgemaster has built excellent customer loyalty by providing a wide choice of name badge styles with clothesfriendly and patient-safe fasteners and high quality logo reproduction, together with a very fast and easy ordering and delivery process, all at the most competitive prices with no minimum order” states John Bancroft. “It’s also notable that many of the customers who compliment our staff for being so friendly and helpful are in the healthcare sector” he adds.

For more information, call Badgemaster’s Customer Services team on 01623 723112 or visit either the Badgemaster website at www.badgemaster.co.uk or the Care Quality Commission website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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PAGE 24

THE CARER

WINTER 2016

Nurse Call for Dementia Care from Aid Call aiD Call’s newest nurse call solution, the touchsafe pro, has been developed in response to the changing needs of the healthcare sector and recognises the growing prevalence of alzheimers and Dementia amongst our aging population.

Our nurse call systems are designed to reduce response times to emergency calls, improve the standard of these responses by increasing the amount of information available to carers and to facilitate the care of those with more complex care needs. It encourages better communication and reassures residents, and their families, that help is always nearby.

Features such as the dementia clock and easy-to-

Alarm Radio Monitoring arm is thE uK's premier wireless nurse Call & staff alarm system designer, manufacturer, supplier and installer, offering a comprehensive range of nurse Call, staff alarm, lone Worker, fire alarm, Door access and telephony bespoke systems. With over 30 years experience in the design & development of wireless nurse Call & staff alarm/lone Worker systems, alarm radio monitoring has established itself as a key player within the wireless solutions market to the public & private healthcare sectors.

Wireless Solutions are ideal for environments that do not lend themselves to running in cables, for example listed buildings or busy environments, whereby closing as area of a building is not deemed financially viable. Wireless systems also offer the flexibility & ease for future expansion.

Lotus Care Technology TO ADVERTISE IN

THE NURSEALERT pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot. Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall sav-

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With falls in hospitals and care homes high in media focus, now would be a good time to look into viable solutions to reduce your exposure and improve patient care.

Each year, a typical nursing home with 100 beds reports 100 to 200 falls.

Many falls go unreported. Medpage Limited T/A Easylink UK is one of the leading suppliers in the UK of patient fall prevention products with over

use reminder calls can assist more vulnerable residents and an allencompassing call logging system will monitor staff performance. We also offer a silent paging system which has proven to be of huge benefit on dementia wings, where loud alarms can cause undue distress.

Additionally, the systems’ peripheral devices and assistive technology help carers to support falls management, learning difficulties and dementia.

They facilitate greater independence, provide preventative as well as reactive care and mean the system benefits those without the necessary cognitive ability to utilise a conventional nurse call system.

For more information visit www.aidcall.co.uk or contact sales@aidcall.co.uk Our new HTM 08-03 Nurse Call system is the only fully HTM 08-03 compliant wireless Nurse Call Asystem. The new wireless HTM 08-03 version of our Nurse Call system is ideal for replacing old hardwired Patient Call Systems in Hospitals with minimal disruption to both Patients & Staff.

No need to replace the whole Bed Head services, the ARM HTM 08-03 compliant wireless Nurse Call system can be fitted on to the existing Bed Head Services panel. For more information contact our sales team or click here.

Every system comes with a full 12 month manufacturer's warranty and FREE 24/7 Engineer manned telephone support, no need for an expensive maintenance contract to be taken out. Take the ongoing cost out of your operation with our unique return to base service exchange policy and low cost of ownership/leasing options.

Whether you need a combination of a Nurse Call system, Staff Alarm system, Fire Alarm system, Door Access we have a team to help design a package that will meet your requirements.

For further details see advert this page

ing devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls.

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

For a site consultation or friendly advice call them free on 0800 8499 121 or local 01822 613258.

30 years of trading experience, and currently supplying in excess of 10K systems per annum. Our range of bed and chair rise alarms offer competitive pricing without compromise on quality.

Visit our website www.easylinkuk.co.uk to view our extensive range of patient care products or see the advert on page 2.

WINTER 2016

THE CARER

PAGE 25

Care Home Operators - Winning Strategies thE CarE home sector currently faces a number of issues which will result in both winners and losers. greg palfrey, an advisory and restructuring specialist at smith & Williamson, the accountancy and investment management group, explores the behaviours which he sees in successful operators.

Background As with the UK health care industry generally, care home provision is experiencing significant difficulties. Growing regulatory requirements, rising payroll costs, public funding restrictions, expectation of improved physical facilities and increasing establishment costs are all causing a gloomy view of the care home arena.

However, for care home providers it is not all bad news!

With the UK population aged over 65 set to increase by 15% over the next 7 years1 the already significant demand for care homes will continue to grow.

There has been, and continues to be, consolidation within the sector and there is an improving appetite from funders, such as banks and equity houses, for the right business model. Although many operators and investors only want to acquire modern, purpose built homes there is still a future for the more traditional, smaller, care homes.

The key question many providers face is how to deliver a profitable business model that can satisfy the demand, balancing affordable fee levels with appropriate cost control.

How to succeed Many successful operators share the following common attributes: Consistently achieve good or outstanding Care Quality Commission (CQC) reports This is achieved by implementing and regularly reviewing operational controls for personal care, medicines, hygiene etc. It may be beneficial to seek the opinion of a specialist regulatory adviser to not only keep you apprised of changing regulations but also to act as a devil’s advocate.

As a minimum, non-compliance with regulations will result in additional staff time/resource being required to instigate corrective action. Further, as CQC reports are public, adverse reports may cause families to look elsewhere when placing relatives or local authorities to cease placing new residents with the business. Continued failure to address concerns raised by CQC may result in an embargo being placed on the business taking new residents or ultimately, an order for the closure of the care home.

Develop and retain staff Wage costs can often constitute circa 50% to 60% of care home revenue.

Rising payroll costs have had a significant impact in recent years with increases in the national minimum wage, pension auto-enrolment, additional staff training and increasing use of agency staff having caused a dramatic rise in overall expenditure. High staff turnover is not only expensive, due to related agency and training costs, but also disruptive and therefore, detrimental to the operation of the business. A practical and targeted staff development programme

may cost more in the short-term (both financially and in terms of time) but will deliver substantial long term financial benefits coupled with an increasingly motivated, efficient and technically astute workforce.

Retaining a balanced client mix A key issue for all operators is understanding the optimum mix of self-funded versus local authority funded residents. A nationwide care home business needs to consider what services to provide as well as the geographical location of their operations as local authority weekly fees vary considerably across the country.

A successful care home operator will assess and continually monitor the volume of potential residents able to fully self-fund. The higher volume of wealthier individuals able to self-fund in the South East means that many leading operators are beginning to only invest there. Given the constraints on the level of local authority fees, care homes routinely need to be cross-subsidised by charging self-funders more.

A living and relevant business plan Successful operators have a clear business plan both for the short term (often 12 months) and longer term (three to five years). This will be a formalised plan which is regularly reviewed (by owners and management), questioned and amended in the context of changing market conditions and trends. There should be no “sacred cows” but rigorous questioning of the business model as to whether it is still relevant, with changes being made based upon a realistic and objective strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis.

Key questions which care operators might consider include; • What are my unique selling points (USPs)?

• Who are my key competitors?

• What does the care sector look like now and how is it likely to change?

• Is my management and staffing structure appropriate to my current and future needs?

• Should my operation be solely elderly care or specific to physical disability or dementia services?

• What services can my business provide from its existing property?

• Based on my existing care home operation would it be feasible to develop a domiciliary care operation?

• Does the business need to make property changes or invest in new equipment?

• Should I be considering an acquisition, merger or sale?

• What funding options are available?

Strong financial control Financial key performance indicators (KPIs) should be monitored on a regular basis to enable timely action to be taken to identify and rectify problems or to maximise returns where improved results are highlighted.

KPIs will often include occupancy rates, fee rates, debt ageing and collection, income and costs compared with revenue and cost forecasts as well as margins by separate business streams.

Good business practice would include preparing and monitoring:

• A rolling 12 week cash flow forecast.

• An annual forecast consisting of monthly linked profit and loss account, cash flow and balance sheet forecasts, together with a written summary of the key assumptions upon which they are based.

• Monthly management accounts comparing actual monthly and cumulative results with the forecast, explaining material variances.

• Action plans to address material adverse variances or to maximise the benefits that can be achieved from, say, positive sales or margin variances. Names and timescales should be allocated to each action and monitored to ensure achievement.

Review purchasing strategies Purchasing strategies for material costs, such as energy, food and transport should be regularly and vigorously reviewed to ensure cost efficiency. For example, when examining energy costs the review should include not only looking at the use of purchasing groups and longer term supply agreements, but also energy saving measures such as insulation, and any available grants.

Similarly, a review of food costs might encompass looking at the quality/prices from a range of suppliers together with seeking to reduce waste.

Actively manage the relationship with your funder The provision of reliable financial and management information will give any current or potential funder confidence. Your forecasting system should enable you to predict funding shortfalls in advance and approach your funder not only with the problem but also your suggested solution. Similarly, well thought out, forward-planned capital expenditure and payback analyses are more likely to receive full consideration from funders.

Funders do not like surprises. Early identification of issues will provide both the business and the funders with greater options and is likely to result in a better solution for all concerned.

Summary Whilst care businesses increasingly appear within our financial warning criteria, there is still a very successful care sector. Success in the care sector can typically be achieved by implementing the strategies and disciplines as summarised above.

There is a multitude of issues with which care home operators must deal on a daily basis. This often makes it difficult for them to take the necessary time out to review their business model afresh and implement appropriate changes. In these circumstances, we frequently work with operators to facilitate this process, bringing a fresh pair of eyes to bear.

In the words commonly attributed to Charles Darwin: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

Greg Palfrey, partner at Smith & Williamson the accountancy and investment management group.

E: greg.palfrey@smith.williamson.co.uk T: 02380 827631 W: www.smith.williamson.co.uk

New Campaign Aims To Unite The Healthcare Community To Help Tackle The Issue Of Medication Non-Adherence omniCEll, a leading provider of medication adherence packaging and automated healthcare solutions, is launching a new campaign at this year’s pharmacy show, to throw the spotlight on the sheer scale of the waste caused by prescription or medication non-adherence. the campaign, ‘let’s take Care of it’ aims to raise awareness of the issue in the hope that it might focus the attention of all those in a position to instigate change.

Campaign activity sees the launch of a new hard-hitting media report ‘The true cost of medication non-adherence’ together with the results of a new national opinion poll (NOP) on patient attitudes to medication and adherence. NOP findings include: • One in five adults (21%) admit that they have missed a round of medication that they are meant to take every day • 12% of British adults say that they have not finished a course of medication, while only 6% say that they have informed their doctor or healthcare professional about this, suggesting that only around half of British adults are telling their healthcare professional when they fail to complete a course • Around one in three people (31%) say they have disposed of medication that they have not used, and 6% say that they have given leftover medication to ‘someone they knew’ • With any medication left over from a prescription they had not finished, only one in three people (34%) say they would take it to their local pharmacy. One in four say that they would keep it in case they needed it later (25%), or that they would throw it away (24%). – incredibly one in 20 (6%) say that they would be most likely to ‘flush it down the toilet’ • 36% of adults agree that printing the cost of the medication to the NHS on the packaging (a new proposal recently announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt) would make them more likely to take their drugs as prescribed by their doctor or healthcare professional. However, around half (49%) say that it would not have an impact on how likely they would be to adhere to their medication.

The vast costs from non-adherence are felt across the entire healthcare system, not to mention the impact on patient wellbeing and at worse, patient lives. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, recently quoted the costs of medicine wastage at a staggering annual £300 million, at least half of which is avoidable, whilst the cost to the NHS of people not taking their medicines properly and not getting the full benefits to their health is estimated at more than £500 million a year.

The consequences go far beyond what most patients envisage when they forget to take their pills; in the EU alone, nearly 200,000 deaths occur each year due to missed doses of medication.

Omnicell’s research explored the complex reasons why people don’t adhere to their medication.

Of those that have not taken their medication as prescribed over; • Two thirds (65%) say that it’s because ‘they forgot’

• A quarter (25%) claim that the side effects made them feel ill and • A further 20% say they did not feel ill and therefore did not think they needed the medication.

It goes without saying that drugs play an essential role in the ongoing management of conditions. Medication nonadherence not only leads to substantial worsening of diseases and illnesses, in many instances it causes avoidable repeat visits to GP surgeries and hospitals. This is why treatment compliance needs to be front of mind for GPs when discussing overall health with their patients and pharmacists need to support patients with adherence strategies and techniques.

Paul O’Hanlon, Managing Director of UK and Ireland at Omnicell comments; “If you look at all the major chronic illnesses every one of them needs good medication adherence in order to keep them under control. Take diabetes as an example, the eventual result of poor compliance and not controlling blood sugar levels effectively can lead to poor blood circulation and potentially, amputation of limbs. Shockingly, around 100 amputations a week are performed on the NHS due to complications from the disease and nearly 1,300 diabetic patients a year go blind due to diabetic retinopathy.”

Paul adds; “There are currently five million patients in the UK that take four or more medications, many of who require further support to take their medication correctly – above and beyond existing adherence systems. None of the reasons why patients are failing to adhere to medication are insurmountable. Better patient education, targeted use of support services by pharmacists and utilising modern technology to aid compliance would go a long way to stemming the flow of resources down the toilet – quite literally in some cases.”

The new report goes on to explore how the healthcare community can support and educate patients on the importance of adhering to medication. GPs and pharmacists need to engage patients in a conversation and advise them of ways to help keep themselves on track in order to help tackle this nationwide health issue.

However, it’s not just communication that can help improve adherence, currently, nearly one million patients already use Adherence Packs in the UK, which are designed to enable the pharmacist or care provider to deliver personalised patient medication packs. Whilst the use of these products has risen over the years, it is recognised that there are still a large number of patients who find managing their medication a challenge and that some pharmacists, GPs and care agencies are still not aware of the aides which are widely available to support and encourage medication adherence.

By highlighting the issue during a focused National Medication Adherence Week, Omnicell hope to bring together the healthcare community to work together to start to address the issue and push adherence to the top of the health agenda. They are appealing to everyone to show their support for the adherence campaign by signing up to a pledge at: www.letstakecareofit.com/pledge

Lactulose Sachets - Transforming Our Care Home Practice Constipation is a major issue in care homes and is reported to affect up to 80% of residents. ongoing treatment and medication administration creates a burden on nursing time.

“The administration of standard lactulose is a care home nightmare − with the issue of messy, sticky bottles! We decided to address this problem by piloting the use of Lactulose Sachets to see if it made a difference to the day-to-day management in our local care homes,” said Lindsay Gracey, a Ballymena pharmacist, who services 11 care homes in the local area.

One local care home currently has 45 residents, with at least 80% on routine

AquaMax- Feel the Difference- Pocket the Savings DEVElopED BY healthcare professionals in the uK, aquamax Cream has a higher moisturising lipid content than many other emollient creams, providing longer lasting emollient relief.

AquaMax Cream is formulated to create an efficient protective barrier to reduce moisture loss from the skin and to prevent irritants and microbes, which cause inflammation and itching, from entering the skin. AquaMax Cream is also specifically formulated to exclude many common allergens and irritants such as SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate), parabens and lanolin.

AquaMax Cream softens, protects and moisturises dry skin and is suitable for all ages including babies. Also

available is AquaMax Wash, which has been specifically formulated to replace soaps and shower gels for patients with eczema, psoriasis and other dry skin conditions.

Soaps and detergents are among the most frequent triggers of atopic eczema. This is because ordinary soaps and shower gels contain fragrances and detergents or other potential irritants that may make dry skin conditions worse. AquaMax Wash is a non-foaming soap substitute which cleanses, softens and moisturises dry skin but also helps prevent skin drying by restoring its normal protective function.

If you would like to receive a free tester of AquaMax please email marisam@intrapharmlabs.com or call 01628 771800 Visit the AquaMax website for more information: www.aqua-max.co.uk

lactulose. The care home manager explained, “The sachets have transformed the way we provide lactulose to our residents. It is so much easier using the simple single dose sachet − less messy and far less time consuming than measuring out the correct amount from a bottle each time.”

Another major advantage is for the weekly or monthly audit. “It saves valuable time because I can easily check off the use on the individual residents’ administration sheet versus what medication has been used from a box of sachets. With the old system I have to reconcile the amount that is left in a bottle versus the administration sheets and this is difficult when lactulose is stored in dark brown bottles. Checking the amount is not very accurate as usually I have to estimate roughly what is left in the bottle – this is a time consuming procedure.”

For more information regarding Lactulose Sachets or to receive a sample, please contact 01628 771800 or email marisam@intrapharmlabs.com, visit www.intrapharmlabs.com.

New Report Highlights Need for Medicines Training in Care Homes

a nEW report from the patients association called ‘survey of medicines related care of residents with dysphagia in care homes’ has found as many as 50% of residents are affected by swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), which can make tablets difficult or even impossible to swallow. Despite the number of people affected, only 10% of the homes surveyed had a specific protocol to guide staff in administering medication to people with dysphagia and only 20% had arranged training in

this area.

Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of the Patients Association said: ‘The survey found that swallowing difficulties were a significant issue. A resident’s ability to swallow should be assessed on admission and observed on a regular basis, as the ability to swallow may deteriorate. Better training is needed for staff so they are able to provide more effective care to people in care homes who are affected in this way.’

The Report can be downloaded at: www.patients-association.org.uk/ wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ rosemont-dysphagia-report-final.pdf

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Low Surface Temperature Heaters Consort manufaCturE a variety of low surface temperature heaters which provide a high level of safety and controllability. our stylish heaters are designed to minimise the risk of burn injuries as they have a maximum surface temperature of 43oC, complying with Department of health guidelines.

Our optional top of the range wireless controlled products are very easy to install and operate, offering efficient control of one or more heaters, six temperature settings a day, seven days a week, and

major energy savings through the reduction of energy consumption as the temperature reaches its set target.

The extensive range includes towel rails, panel and fan heaters, well suited for both commercial and domestic use. We also offer a free advisory service to help you prepare your heating scheme.

For our latest catalogue or further details, please visit our website www.consortepl.com, email enquiries@consortepl.com or contact us on 01646 692172.

Jaga LSTs Feature New Arthritic TRV Adaptors Jaga hEating products uK has announced that its industry-leading low surface temperature (lst) radiators are now available with a specialised arthritic trV adaptor.

The new arthritis-friendly adapter fits easily onto the radiator’s standard TRV head and enables better grip for those with a loss of dexterity in their hands.

“In nursing homes occupied by elderly, potentially frail residents, everything should be done to ensure that their safety is guaranteed and their comfort is maximised,” said Phil Marris, Managing Director of Jaga Heating Products UK. “Arthritis is a common condition for occupants in these premises, but we hope this new design feature will at least help residents to retain precise control over their heating comfort.”

The NHS estimates that 10 million people in the UK live with arthritis, many of whom are over the

age of 65 and live in care homes. By combining the Arthritic TRV Aid with Jaga’s safe-to-touch LST radiator technology, care home operators can ensure they have the most appropriate heating package for maximising residents’ comfort and well-being.

The arthritic TRV is compatible with the Jaga Thermostatic Head, High Level Valve and Remote Controlled Head, which are used across Jaga’s range of LST radiators. This includes the Guardian, Sentinel, Maxi, Tempo and Cocoon – each of which features Jaga’s energy-efficient Low-H O technology, which incorporates highly responsive heat emitters that are fast reacting to ensure occupant comfort and can provide energy savings of between 9-16%.

To find out more about Jaga LST radiators and the Arthritic TRV adaptor, download the Jaga LST Catalogue here or visit www.jaga.co.uk.

Products & Services The Freedom Range from Steelite International

Put Your Meals In Safe Hands

stability and helps hold the plate in place during a meal.

The curved rim catches any overspills and prevents foods from slipping off the plate.

“The coloured items in the range are designed to look like standard tableware, allowing patients to enjoy meals alongside their family and friends, without feeling isolated or excluded.

The colours are also specifically chosen to aid vision and memory stimulation for people with dementia.

The range is durable, cost-effective and comes with Steelite International’s lifetime chip warranty. Less breakages will mean that the care home will save money.

For more information, visit www.steelite.com.

EstaBlishED in 2009, Bullseye is the sole European distributor for a range of paper pulp meal trays supplied to care organisations throughout the usa and Europe for more than ten years.

thE frEEDom range from steelite international has been specially designed to be easy to use for care home residents. heather lovatt, head of marketing, steelite international, says “meal times are often one of the few independent pleasures left for those with age-restricted mobility. this range gives patients the confidence to eat unaided and removes the task of assisted feeding for the care-giver.”

The plates feature an undercut shoulder which is a clever design that helps get the food onto the fork or spoon. This enables eating without assistance. The wide food area adds

New TM2 Thermometer Caters For All noW aVailaBlE from martindale Electric, the new tm2 waterproof digital penetration thermometers combine accuracy with speed of response and durability. the rapid response and choice of colours which help to prevent cross contamination between food types make them ideal for catering applications.

Temperature control is one of the most critical factors in ensuring food quality and safety. The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 state that certain foods must be kept at temperatures either below 8°C or above 63°C to ensure they are safe to eat.

Establishments that fail to meet these standards may end up penalised – or worse still, out of business.

Featuring a strong thin probe tip, the TM2 is easy to use on all food types and ensures a fast and reliable reading with an accuracy of up to

Snug Positioning Pillows snug positioning pillows are uniquely shaped cushions designed to secure stable and comfortable body positioning in bed or when resting in armchairs. intended to improve quality of life of bedridden and chair-bound people with little or no mobility, snug positioning pillows help to redistribute and minimise pressure on vulnerable body areas, helping to prevent skin irritations, sores and painful ulcerations.

Durable, comfortable, washable and flame retardant, Snug Positioning Pillows secure stable body positioning and improve accessibility to patients during care tasks, such as washing, changing, feeding and administering medica-

0.5°C and resolution of 0.1°C. Unlike other thermometers on the market, the new TM2 from Martindale Electric includes the ability to record Min/Max values, which is a valuable feature to ensure ‘The Danger Zone’ of temperature for bacteria growth has been avoided. Another useful feature of the TM2 includes a Hold function, which ensures critical readings are never missed.

The TM2 is a waterproof thermometer which features full IP67 rating and comes supplied with a practical protective sheath for additional protection against contamination. The display can be easily set to °C or °F for personal preference and the thermometer includes a useful battery level indicator to alert the user to low battery, preventing costly downtime and missed readings.

For more information, please contact Martindale Electric on 01923 441717 or visit www.martindale-electric.co.uk or email: sales@martindale-electric.co.uk

tion.

Perfect for use in all care situations, Snug Positioning Pillows enhance patients’ alertness, self-awareness and perception of surroundings. Alertness leads to better interaction with carers and greater participation in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation, recreation and other activities for faster recoveries and better quality of life.

Snug Positioning Pillows are perfect for people in a coma after brain injuries, apallic syndrome victims, dementia sufferers, visually impaired people, hemiplegics and people with limited mobility, those at risk of pressure ulcers, frail elderly, terminally ill people and more.

Available in several shapes that meet different patients’ needs, Snug Positioning Pillows improve quality of life of the most vulnerable people and contribute to better standards of care.

Call Win Health Ltd on 01835 864866 or visit www.win-health.com See the advert on page 7.

Initially, the major focus for Bullseye was the supply of the trays into the community meals market where the unique handling capabilities (cool to the touch, even straight from the oven, and non spill) ensured the provision of healthy, hot meals in a safe environment. In addition, being manufactured from paper, the trays are kind to the environment too.

Now, many care providers have been taking

these unique meal trays to provide additional services to their residents. This includes award-winning villages with a mix of 24-hour care households, independent living apartments and a range of leisure amenities to create vibrant communities for older people and the local community in which they serve. They use Bullseye trays and sealing equipment to provide meals for residents who prefer something other than the daily menu options. This is because the Bullseye trays are not only ovenable up to 205°C and microwaveable, but can be chilled or indeed frozen to -40°C, so food can be kept in single portion sizes for that extra level of service and choice To know more about Bullseye visit www.bullseyedistributors.co.uk or see the advert on page 6.

Adaptawear Ladies and Men’s Open Back Trousers stuCK for discreetly adapted trousers? adaptawear have you covered! We stock all the clothes needed to make life that little bit easier for both the user and the carer. our men’s and ladies open back trousers confirm this as they look entirely normal but they are far easier to put on than conventional trousers.

The trousers can be easily pulled up the legs and then have 2 large flaps at the back to preserve the wearer’s dignity. They are ideal for people with continence problems, are in a wheelchair or require hoisting.

Hippychick Bed Protectors Hippychick Bed Protectors are high quality, discreet, breathable and 100% waterproof – something so practical rarely feels so luxurious and they truly have to be seen to be believed! The protectors are available in both tencel and cotton, with a wide range of sizes in fitted and flat sheet designs.

For those of you who aren’t aware, tencel is a naturally hygienic fibre made from 100% biodegradable, sustainable wood pulp cellulose. It is as cool as

Full elasticated waistband for greater comfort.

Teflon treated so are stain resistant Leg Length: 31” Available in sizes in Small – X Large in Black only Other adapted trousers we stock are the popular Easy Fit Drop Front Trousers, Size Zip Opening Trousers and the Elasticated Waist Pull-on Trousers.

For more information on Adaptawear’s Ladies and Men’s Clothing Range please visit www.adapatwear.com. Carer readers please quote CR10 for 10% discount off your first order. See ad on page 7 for details.

linen, soft as silk and even more absorbent than cotton.

Tencel’s unique moisture absorbent capacity draws away moisture and helps keep the bed cool, and without moisture the growth of bacteria is inhibited preventing unwanted mould and mites. Hippychick’s Bed Protectors take a much needed, but also much maligned product and transforms it into a comfortable, soft, undetectable piece of bedding. They are soft, breathable, absorbent and waterproof – a great natural alternative to sweaty plastic undersheets.

To see the full range and to receive 20% off your purchase with code CARER16, please visit www.hippychick.com/protectors or phone 01278 434440. See ad on page 10.

Reduce Falls by Wearing the Right Slippers EVErY YEar in the uK around one-third of people aged over 65 will fall. falls account for more than 4 million hospital bed days a year in England alone. research shows that a significant number of falls are the result of wearing slippers that don’t fit properly or don’t offer enough support.

When choosing slippers it’s important to look for ones that are supportive and secure around the heel. A strong

Velcro® fastener on the front is also recommended to ensure that it won't slip off. If someone has restricted mobility, it’s helpful if the slipper has a wide opening so that it’s easy to get the foot in and out. Cosyfeet slippers are specially designed for people with swollen or bandaged feet and fulfil all the criteria for safe indoor footwear.

Visit Cosyfeet.com to view their collection of men’s and women’s extra roomy footwear or see the advert on page 13.

WINTER 2016

Don’t Feed Listeriosis in the Care Sector

by Fiona Sinclair – Director, STS

listEriosis lEaDs to more fatalities within vulnerable groups than any other food borne illness and a number of outbreaks have been linked to the consumption of food in the care sector.

In the care sector Listeriosis is a relatively rare but still potentially life-threatening disease caused by infection from the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Traditionally associated as a threat to pregnant women, there remains less awareness to other groups that are especially vulnerable, namely the elderly and patients who are immuno-compromised due to illness, disease, or those on medication and undergoing treatment.

L. monocytogenes is widespread in the environment, meaning the bacteria can be introduced into the food chain from suppliers or within the care home. Listeriosis is found in a variety of high risk foods, most commonly associated with chilled, ready-to-eat convenience products. The most commonly implicated foods include: pre-packed sandwiches, prepared salads, cooked sliced meats, pâté, smoked salmon, shellfish and soft mould-ripened soft cheeses.

Whilst the legal requirement is to store high risk foods is at or below 8°C, remarkably the multiplication rate for L. monocytogenes doubles at 8 C compared to 5 C - it is therefore encouraged that cold chains are maintained at 5 C or below. Also unlike most other pathogenic bacteria, L. monocytogenes bacteria can grow at temperatures as low as 1 C, hence the importance of strict controls on chilled shelf life.

The care sector provides an environment for its residents that is personal and homelike. In many cases the number of residents are small in number and catering operations can be run on a semi domestic basis. Add to this the fact that visiting hours are flexible and family members are able to come and go at will, bringing tasty treats in for their loved ones as a supplement to the care home catering is cause for concern, because hygiene controls may have been lost which can put residents at risk. Food brought in by residents and/or their visitors is an area warranting review, and as such senior managers should consider their organisation’s policy for higher risk foods and determine a suitable policy if one is not already in place and implemented. All too often care homes may also be using domestic grade refrigerators that are not designed to withstand frequent opening of doors in warm environments, and can struggle to maintain effective cold storage temperatures creating further risks when storing food products.

The implementation of good practices in both kitchenettes and pantries is crucial. Here, it is not uncommon for food safety to be the responsibility of carers and/or housekeepers, rather than the catering department, who are more often

by Dr Peter Barratt, Technical Manager, Initial Washroom Hygiene

Furthermore, the NHS’s announcement that patients and their families can compare care home performances on the ‘My NHS’ portal adds pressure to institutions that already comply with strict hygiene legislation. In this article, I will explore some simple steps that care workers can take to ensure hygiene standards are kept to a high standard, minimising the risks of residents contracting these different winter germs.

Prevention is better than cure With most bacteria and 80 percent of viruses transmissible through touch , a little extra care in hand and surface hygiene goes a long way in helping to prevent common illnesses from spreading through the care home. Making sure staff and visitors implement the three tips below will also give residents and their families’ confidence in the institutions’ ability to take care of their loved ones.

1. Promote good hand hygiene standards All staff should be trained in hand decontamination procedures. It is recommended that even under normal circumstances you should wash your hands for the same length of time it takes to sing happy birthday twice (approximately 30 seconds). At critical times, when sickness bugs may have become prevalent, even more care needs to be taken on hygiene.

The golden rule for hand washing is wash, dry and sanitise. Installing hand wash stations with liquid or foam hand wash and water, as well as hand sanitisers in easily accessible areas, will help ensure that this is followed. Damp hands spread 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands, so it is a good idea to display posters with hand washing guidelines so that the correct techniques are practiced by everyone in the facility, from staff to visitors.

2. Cleaning regimes Ensure regular, thorough cleaning takes place in communal areas such as the kitchen and washroom facilities. Encourage staff to clean their own work surfaces and those of the residents they are caring for by providing antibacterial wipes and hand sanitising gels.

In the kitchen, try to avoid using shared items such as tea towels as they can be home to high levels of bacteria and are not cleaned as regularly.

Alternatives include using paper tissue or hand towel dispensers.

A deep clean should be conducted by a professional company at least twice a year. However, a deep clean becomes a necessity after any kind of outbreak at the care home (where several individuals have contracted the same illness).

3. Reduce virus spread

CleaningEquipment4U CleaningEquipment4u has been specialist suppliers of cleaning machines and products since 1991. We only supply highquality products, manufactured by the best companies in the world. We are official distributors for leading manufacturers such as sEBo, Cleenol, osprey and sprintus, and many others.

We are recognised for excellent after-sales services. Our customers know we are just a phone call away and ready to help and support them; some of

If a staff member suspects they have a virus or similar illness, they should not return to work for another 48 hours after their symptoms have disappeared to ensure they are not contagious. If you suspect a resident has contracted a virus, isolate them as far as possible for at least the same period, and ensure that the staff members attending to that resident adhere to a stricter infection control policy than usual.

Care home managers could consider air disinfection units for the building, helping to reduce airborne microorganisms. Remember, germs spread through the air as well as by direct or indirect contact. Such units can also be combined with units that emit scent, so as to minimise odours coming from malodour-producing bacteria. Carefully selected scents can also create a much greater sense of wellbeing and relaxation throughout the building.

Common illnesses in the care home There are four illnesses prevalent in the care home. The information below will help you to identify their symptoms in residents.

1. Norovirus (winter vomiting bug) Symptoms include suddenly feeling sick, projectile vomiting and diarrhoea.

Norovirus traits can appear two or three days after you have caught the virus and will typically last two or three days.

2. Flu (influenza) Flu (influenza virus) can give you a sudden fever (a temperature of 38C or above). It will come on quickly and it will usually be accompanied by muscle aches. Flu will make the infected person feel as though they cannot continue easily with their day to day activities.

3. Gastroenteritis (‘stomach bug’) The main symptoms of Gastroenteritis are feeling sick, having a high temperature and diarrhoea. Make sure that infected people have lots of water or dilute juice to drink, as it is very easy to become dehydrated while recovering.

4. Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) Signs of a C.difficile are very similar to Gastroenteritis, though patients on antibiotics can be particularly vulnerable to this. This is because some medicines can interfere with the natural balance of bacteria in the stomach that protects against infection.

Final Thoughts If a number of staff or patients have contracted one of the above then a deep clean by a specialist hygiene company is essential. One of the latest innovations in deep cleaning is ULV disinfectant fogging technology, which enables the treatment of large areas in a short space of time and with minimal disruption to residents.

In addition to the use of specialist cleaners and the latest cleaning technologies, it is important to encourage both staff and visitors to the care home to take personal responsibility for hygiene by following correct hygienic practices. Our three top tips will help to prevent the spread of illness in the care home, and a visible hygiene strategy will ensure that all visitors leave reassured that their friend or family member is being well looked after. them have been with us for over 20 years, which is a testimony to our outstanding services and products. We also offer refurbishments, repairs, parts & accessories, and have a reliable range of refurbished equipment.

If you are looking for the best machines and products on the market, provided by a company that puts its customers first and offers great services and after sales care, look no further. Get in touch now to have a chat with one of our specialists about the best products for your needs.

We cover England, Scotland and Wales and offer free non-obligation demonstrations and on-site repairs of all types of commercial cleaning equipment and some domestic machines.

Contact us on 01795 531 630 or email info@cleaningequipment4u.com

Norovirus Poses A Real Threat This Winter as thE winter months approach, nursing and residential care organisations must ensure everyone has access to hand wash facilities wherever and whenever they may be needed to minimise the threat of norovirus outbreaks.

“During the winter months, potentially life-threatening norovirus, influenza and dangerous infections spread fast and therefore extra precautions must be taken to protect those with weaker immune systems,” explains Manty Stanley, managing director at TEAL. “It’s in the interests of all but especially for those involved in nursing and residential care homes to follow hand hygiene practice to prevent the spread of infection. If it is just a question of access, TEAL has the solution.”

TEAL specialises in the design and manufacture of portable

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qualified to identify the risks and implement the appropriate controls. This can sometimes lead to control being lost, with practices, such as sandwiches and salads being left out on the side at room temperature, or squirreled away by residents into their bedside cabinets which can lead to rapid growth of L. monocytogenes bacteria to harmful levels.

This highlights the need for housekeepers, healthcare assistants and nurses to be appropriately trained and be made fully aware of and involved in L. monocytogenes control. It is a legal requirement for all food handlers to have undertaken food safety training and/or instruction and supervision at a level commensurate with their duties. It is also likely that staff in the main catering department will have received suitable training, however, at outside the main kitchen the general awareness may be lower and this is where it will be important for individuals to have appropriate training.

Healthcare facilities typically operate high standards of cleanliness through rigorous and on-going programmes of cleaning and disinfection, however, catering, housekeeping and home managers should be aware of the additional risks associated with L. monocytogenes. This bacterium is not easy to eradicate once established, regardless of the cleaning regime. The L. monocytogenes bacterium is able to build up a resilient biofilm which can persist on surfaces in the kitchen and throughout the care home for many years.

Even if a healthcare organisation takes all reasonable precautions to make sure the food they purchase is safe, it is not possible to tell by looking, tasting or smelling food whether it is contaminated by L. monocytogenes. So, one need’s to assume that it is contaminated and make sure any bacteria present does not have the opportunity to grow and multiply to harmful levels. This is where control of temperature and time (i.e. shelf life) of higher risk foods across the operation is essential.

An awareness of the serious threat of listeriosis within the care sector is essential. Healthcare organisations should ensure that appropriate food safety management and HACCP controls are in place across all food pathways, and that managers and staff and trained and supervised accordingally to prevent resident health from being jeopardised.

About STS STS is a leading provider of food safety consultancy and training services to caterers, food retailers and suppliers in the hospitality, healthcare and education sectors. The STS team is highly experienced, trusted and award-winning, providing organisations with the critical support they need to meet vital operational and compliance standards.

STS is part of the ELAS Group of companies which include: ELAS Business Support, Sound Advice, OME (Occupational Medicals Enterprise) and STS who collectively provide a full range of support and compliance services including: Food Safety, Employment Law, Health & Safety, Occupational Health, Payroll and Accredited Training.

STS holds UKAS accreditation; is a BRC Certification Body; and is registered to ISO 9001 standard. STS has strong industry links, working as Development Partners for e-learning with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, in addition to working on behalf of the FSA to address Listeriosis in healthcare organisations.

For more information visit www.elas.uk.com

Maintaining A Clean Environment In Your Care Home: Top Tips To Minimise The Spread Of Illness staff in care homes provide high levels of care for some of the most vulnerable people in the uK. in periods of colder weather, when we all spend more times indoors, we are more susceptible to illness and to cross-infection. all members of staff in the care home can make a difference to help make sure that facilities remain hygienic in busy periods. upholding such high standards can be challenging, as it is a complex task, and disruption to residents must be kept at a minimum.

THE CARER

hot water hand wash units which require no access to mains water and drainage.

Working with healthcare organisations for many years, TEAL has developed a range of units to meet the care home environment to ensure hand wash facilities are available at the point of need.

TEAL’s range includes the WashStand and PatientWash.

Fully portable, each unit can be taken directly to patients or any area most at risk. Some units will instruct users how to wash their hands using NHS guidelines.

Available for hire or purchase, units are available for delivery within 24 hours across mainland UK. For more information: W: www.tealwash.com.

T: 0121 770 0593 E: enquiries@tealwash.com

WINTER 2016

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Mobile Devices 'Still Under-Utilised' Despite the Recognised Benefits thE maJoritY of care workers are still using paper client records, despite 85% recognising that mobile technology is needed in care homes, according to a new survey from advanced health & Care (advanced). the survey of 103 care workers revealed that 79% of organisations are still using paper records and that 73% of workers are spending time at the end of their shift updating them.

Respondents to the survey came from a range of small, medium and large sized organisations, and those that reported working over their regular hours were from small (one to three care homes) or medium (four to 39 care homes) size organisations.

Despite 92% saying they would be happy to use a mobile device as part of their role and 85% saying they needed mobile technology, most care workers are still not

using mobile devices. 86% of those surveyed who do use mobiles felt that it improved their working day, cutting out unnecessary administration and freeing up more time to focus on delivering quality care.

The survey also delves into the reasoning behind the lack of uptake of mobile technology in the care sector and finds that the main considerations when choosing are training, workflow functionality and having the flexibility to manage the features of administration tasks.

Advanced Health & Care, a division of Advanced Computer Software Group, is one of the fastest growing suppliers of leading IT solutions, including mobile patient management systems and point of care solutions, for organisations in the NHS, local government, third-sector and private sector.

For further information, see the advert on this page.

Nourish: Taking Care Into The Future, Today The internet and smartphones have led to dramatic changes in the way we live our lives, allowing people to talk with friends, shop, work and play from the palm of a hand. Now Nourish is on a mission to bring some of the latest developments in design and technology to the care sector, allowing carers and managers to bring the speed and efficiency of apps and smartphones to their work in care.

Nourish enables care teams to plan, record, report and co-ordinate care securely online. Instead of creating notes on paper, staff use apps on smartphones which saves time on paperwork, improves accuracy, and makes sure records are stored safely. It also means that care staff can access the notes when and where they need to, and update

Sekoia Assisted Living More time for care Sekoia is a digital tool for the care sector designed to free up time for what is important. The solution consists of touch screens with customised apps that are installed for each resident. The screens give you access to all the information you need, right where you need it. The result is enhanced care, fewer mistakes and greater job satisfaction.

Tailored to your needs Sekoia provides you with an overview of your daily tasks and lets you manage your day, record health data, share information and report incidents, all with lightning speed at the touch of a button. We have more than 30 different apps that we put together according to your requirements, to ease your workflow and ensure care that is based on the individual needs of each resident.

user-friendliness above all Sekoia has been developed and

records in real time.

Managers and senior carers can log on to Nourish from desktop computers or laptops and access all the records and notes made by carers, giving live reporting of actions and events. Nourish also lets care teams generate custom reports quickly and accurately, saving hours in preparing for inspections. Nourish is designed with extremely high levels of security, to ensure all records are stored securely and accessed securely. Data is backed up at regular intervals giving extra peace of mind for those crucial records.

Nourishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customer base in residential and domiciliary care is growing rapidly across the UK. For more information please visit www.nourishcare.co.uk, email caring@nourishcare.co.uk or call 02380 002288. designed to ensure that everyone can use it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; without a manual and with no pre-requisite of technical know-how.

We help you to get up and running and are always on hand to provide service and support. If you are anything like our other users, you will be running everything yourselves smoothly and efficiently within a short period.

33% less time spent on administration Our customers are making huge reductions to the time their staff spends on administrative tasks. For example, one care home has reduced its paperwork by 33% and invested this time in care instead.

50% fewer mistakes Our customers all reduce the number of incidents â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by preventing loss of information at handover to colleagues and temporary staff, for example. In many places, the reduction is more than 50%. Incidents reported and logged in real time, date stamped and recorded.

Reader Enquiries - Tel: 07816 220652 Email: pmi@sekoia-care.co.uk See advert on page 11

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

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Support For Historic 4-Year Settlement And Support For Adult Social Care CommunitiEs sECrEtarY greg Clark hailed a historic settlement for town halls as he ushered in a new era of long-term financial certainty for councils, while prioritising adult social care for the nation’s ageing population.

Last month the details of a revolutionary 4-year funding package for councils in England were published, in a move which transforms the relationship between central and local government.

By the end of this decade town halls will be financed from revenues they raise locally, such as council tax and business rates, rather than central government grants.

This is something local government has spent decades campaigning for.

This move was warmly welcomed by Gary Porter, chair of the Local Government Association.

The importance of funding adult social care has been recognised with up to £3.5 billion of additional funds being made available to local government for such services by 2019 to 2020.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark said: "This is an historic settlement for local government. It makes local councils fully responsible to local people for their financing – rather than central government – something that local government has been campaigning for over a number of decades. In doing so it protects the resources available to councils over the next 4 years, puts more money into the agreed priority of caring for elderly people, and offers councils the certainty of a 4-year budget.

"This settlement has been achieved by listening to local government leaders who have had a good track record of making savings and delivering valued services over the last 5 years. The resources available, the funds for social care, and the long term reform go beyond what council leaders dared hope for even a few months ago. It is a vote of confidence in the power of devolution."

What the historic settlement includes: To give councils further financial certainty before the 100% devolution of business rates by 2020, the government has taken the unprecedented step of offering a 4year settlement to any council that wishes to plan ahead with confidence.

The Spending Review set out, that based on Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts overall local government spending would be higher in 2019 to 2020 than in 2015 to 2016 – total local government spend will increase from

£40.3 billion to £40.5 billion.

Up to £2 billion will come from a new 2% social care precept – which is the equivalent to £23 per year on an average Band D home – to provide dedicated caring for the growing elderly population. A further £1.5 billion will be available to councils to work with the NHS to ensure that care is available for older people following hospital treatment through the Better Care Fund.

Ministers are clear savings will be needed in services outside of adult social care, but at 6.7% over this Spending Review period in real terms compared to 14% announced at the Spending Review of 2010. Total funding for local councils will fall by 2.8% in 2016 to 2017, before rising again so that by 2019 to 2020 it is virtually unchanged.

The extra cost of providing services in the most sparsely populated of areas will also be recognised through a rising Rural Services Delivery grant.

In addition to keeping all business rates by 2020, the New Homes Bonus will be retained and reformed to provide greater encouragement for house building.

Keeping bills down The government will maintain the 2% council tax threshold in order to keep bills down for hardworking people (with a separate 2% dedicated precept where councils have adult social care responsibilities). Assuming all councils make use of the new precept the average bill in 2019 to 2020 will still be lower in real terms than it was in 2009 to 2010.

Chairman of the Local Government Association Lord Porter of Spalding said; "The government has listened to what councils said we need and has delivered. More independence to serve our communities, a fair financial settlement for all types of councils, more resources to help care for the elderly and the certainty of long-term budgets; things we have asked of successive governments. This settlement should mark the beginning of a new age of independence and responsibility for local councils. In local government we will make a success of it, building on the hard work of the last five years.

"Councils will be in greater control of their own destiny. It is an exciting time to be a councillor and this reform gives us all the biggest chance for a generation to serve our residents in a way that we know best."

WINTER 2016

Song Titles Inspired The Menu For Visit By Ed Sheeran When experienced chef andrew Mussett found out that he was required to produce nibbles for a visit by singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, he decided to create a rather special themed menu.

Taking inspiration from the titles of eight of Ed’s best known songs, Andrew created a range of delicious canapés which were a hit with guests at the private reception held at Care UK’s luxury Mills Meadow care home in Suffolk.

Ed Sheeran came to visit the new Mills Meadow care home in Framlingham which is not far from where he grew up and his parent still live. During the visit, he cut the ribbon on a suite at the home which has been named in his honour. The names of the suites were chosen by residents of the old home on the same site and by local people and, as one of Framlingham’s best-known sons, Sheeran suite was a popular choice.

During his visit, Ed Sheeran was happy to sit and chat with residents and their relatives at the care home, as well as posing for selfies with Care UK colleagues who work at or support the home.

Chef Andrew, who works as a senior chef for Care UK said: “It was an honour to create a menu and to lead the team cooking the food for such an important guest. To keep the theme going, in view of the upcoming film, the canapés were served on a table flanked by two piles of woolly jumpers although we drew the line at a football!”

Sue Hill, home manager at Mills Meadow, said: “We are over the moon that Ed could visit us and officially open our new ‘Sheeran Suite’. Ed is delightful, we are really grateful that he could spare the time in his busy schedule to pop in and meet us and see our wonderful new facilities here.”

Sue Hill took Ed Sheeran and his parents on a tour around the home, which was officially opened recently after undergoing a two-year redevelopment as part of a £60 million investment that Care UK has brought to Suffolk homes.

Ed told a reporter from the local paper: “It’s quite nice here. My grandfather passed away from dementia in a home like this, so it’s nice to see what they are doing here – they’re doing some good stuff. Everyone is really friendly.”

Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) Appoint New Head Of Care Quality And Compliance Quality compliance Systems (QcS) has appointed Ed Watkinson as their new Head of care Quality and compliance. Ed has experience across a variety of roles in the care sector. He has been a registered manager, area manager, care manager, and senior commissioner. He has most recently worked as a Regulation Manager for Barchester Healthcare.

Ed was central to the development of the Care Quality Commission’s new inspection methodology and the fundamental standards whilst working on secondment as part of their Policy Team last year.

Ed has also served as a Planning and Commissioning Manager for Buckinghamshire County Council and as Methodology Developer and Regulatory Inspector for the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Alan Rosenbach, chair of the QCS Quality and Compliance panel had this to say about Ed’s appointment: “We are fortunate to have Ed on the team at QCS. He has an extensive knowledge of regulation as well as a deep commitment to supporting high quality, safe care and support for people using services and their families.”

Sheila Scott OBE, Chair of the Care Providers Alliance and Care Strategy Consultant for QCS, said: “I am delighted that Ed is joining us at QCS. He brings a wealth of experience and insight into the fundamental standards which will benefit all of us including the users of the system.”

Ed will serve as part of the Senior Management team at QCS. He will lead the development of new quality assurance, compliance and care management policies and procedures.

See the advert on page 47 for further details about QCS.

Armstrong Equip Laundry For Capel House CapEl housE is a block of 34 mainly single occupancy sheltered flats in south oxhey. residents are able to live independently with some support from the manager who is on site during normal working hours and a ‘warden call’ system out of hours. the house has a large lounge and attractive outdoor area where various activities are arranged, and where residents can get together to socialise or for the occasional communal meal. among the on-site facilities is a laundry equipped by armstrong Commercial laundry systems where residents can do their washing.

The laundry, which consists of two Horizon 8kg washers and two matching tumble dryers, was installed in 2013 on the increasingly popular Armstrong fixed price hire arrangement which

covers labour and parts on any repair, and replacement when it is required. The manager of Capel House, told us that they had been very pleased with the equipment and the service. “I think we’ve only had one minor problem”, she said, “and they came out really quickly to fix it.

We had a laundry before but it was always a major problem if anything went wrong getting someone to come out and put it right. The machines are also really easy for the residents to use – simple to follow instruction posters were supplied by Armstrong.”

A weekly booking rota ensures that all the residents get a chance to use the equipment when it suits them. The laundry is spacious and bright, spotlessly clean and looks really well cared for.

For further information contact Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems, Ampere Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2AE Tel 01635 263410.

E: enquiries@armstronglaundry.com Website www.armstronglaundry.com

Forbes Professional Makes Financing New Laundry Equipment the Smart Choice inVEsting in new laundry and dishwashing equipment for your company can involve making some tough decisions. You want to equip your business with the best commercial machines, which will combine optimum efficiency with the greatest simplicity of use. however, such machines can pull on critical cashflow reserves with purchases falling outside of budgeting forecasts when existing machines suddenly fail, or repair bills become too frequent or expensive.

Forbes Professional’s Complete Care solution enables care homes to deploy the best commercial laundry and dishwashing equipment for their specific environment, without the large capital outlay and associated ongoing service costs. Our Complete Care package provides the latest premium Miele commercial equipment with a simple fixed monthly payment structure. Installation and ongoing service are fully inclusive, as is an annual preventive maintenance visit.

Kevin Herring, director for Forbes says, “If your current laundry equipment is leased or rented and is due for renewal within 2016, we would be delighted to show how your business could be using Premium Miele commercial equipment. We offer a cost calculator service for

complete transparency of package affordability and projected savings. With our Complete Care solution, care homes no longer need to compromise on the quality of their commercial laundry and dishwashing machines.”

Forbes has an expansive nationwide infrastructure and an experienced team of inhouse engineers who provide an unrivalled same day service backup. Our experienced account managers provide complimentary on-site surveys and always assume a consultative approach to ensure that clients are fully compliant with the requisite industry regulations.

Businesses are now acutely aware of the pitfalls of buying depreciating assets, and Forbes Professional offers a solution that gives access to premium brands without the financial risks, and with periodic upgrades that enable clients to keep inline with the latest technology.

Contact Forbes Professional 0845 070 2335 www.forbes-professional.co.uk

WINTER 2016

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Addition of Care Homes to NHS Comparison Site 'Positive Step' thE DECision to add care homes to an nhs service comparison website has been welcomed by a leading supplier of commercial laundry equipment to the care sector.

Following the move to make care homes available to view on My NHS, part of the NHS Choice site, users will now be able to review and compare various aspects of different facilities, including Care Quality Commission inspection ratings and food hygiene scores. Amanda Dufrane, Care Segment Manager at Electrolux Professional, has praised this step toward added transparency within the industry and hopes it will lead to further hygiene standards being introduced further down the line.

Amanda commented: “Including care homes on the My NHS tool is great news for potential care home residents and their families, as it will help them to make an informed decision on their future homes. Of course, there is more to consider than merely the criteria listed, but having this basic information now readily available is a positive step for the sector and will hopefully drive up care home standards even further.”

The news comes shortly after the publication of Infection Prevention, a white paper published by

Electrolux Professional on the role of care home laundry functions in the overall maintenance of hygiene, and Amanda is keen to stress the importance of facilities implementing stringent laundry procedures to fight against infection and ensure the safety of residents.

Amanda added: “Our research found that over a quarter of care home staff in the UK do not feel their laundry is managed in a way which completely avoids contamination, with 5% of respondents even able to recall an instance where an infection outbreak could be traceable to laundry procedures. Linen is the main vehicle for transmission of all sorts of Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs), so giving adequate attention to laundry and taking a complete view of the entire process will help to minimise the risk of infection in all facility. Through various sector specific training events and our ongoing support for some of the UK’s leading care providers, we have been working hard to help care homes to put these methods in place, and we look forward to continuing this good work in 2016.”

To download a free copy of Electrolux Professional’s industry report entitled Infection Prevention: A report on the important role of laundry cycle management in UK Care homes, visit www.electrolux.co.uk/professional.

Care Sector Research Reveals Laundry Contamination Risk oVEr a quarter of care home staff in the uK do not feel their laundry is managed in a way which completely avoids contamination, according to a recent report on the sector.

The survey of over 160 care home professionals was conducted by leading commercial laundry solutions provider, Electrolux Professional ahead of the launch of its in-depth report on the important role laundry hygiene plays in care homes across the UK and Ireland.

Infection Prevention, the white paper from Electrolux Professional, details the collective attitudes of care workers from both the public and private sectors towards how cleanliness and hygiene are managed through their laundry processes.

The results of the research has led Electrolux Professional to publish its own guide to Laundry Cycle Management – an eight-step process which ensures every element of the laundry cycle is monitored in order to significantly reduce the risk of contamination.

This validation-based system offers guidance on some of the processes which can often be forgotten by operators, such as the proper packaging and transportation of dirty laundry via dedicated routes, and the correct storing of clean linen to protect it from damage by micro-organisms.

To download a copy of Electrolux Professional’s report, Infection Prevention: A report on the important role of laundry cycle management in UK Care homes, visit www.electrolux.co.uk/professional.

LPD - Solutions in Laundry lpD arE suppliers of commercial laundry and dishwashing equipment covering the West midlands and surrounding areas, providing same day and next day call out should a break down occur.

Competitive rates from only £65.00 for a call out and our service vans are fully stocked of the most popular parts to ensure break downs are fixed promptly.

As a gas safe company we specialise in installing gas dryers and ensuring they are safe and serviced correctly to current gas regulations and fully compliant. In addition to all this we also provide low cost rentals taking the hassle out of buying new equipment just rent and maintenance free hassle no more repair bills ever.

Call our sales dept on 0333 666 2 555 for more information.

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WINTER 2016

Intelligent Pressure Distribution Monitoring From Sidhil introDuCing a ground breaking development in the fight against pressure ulcers, healthcare specialists sidhil have launched the monitor, alert, protect (m.a.p™) system, the uK's first continuous bedside pressure monitoring system. m.a.p™ can be used in conjunction with almost any mattress system to provide 24/7 data on pressure levels developing between the patient and the support surface.

Reducing the prevalence of pressure ulcers plays a vital role in improving patient outcomes and reducing the costs associated with treatment - estimated at between £1.4 and £2.1 billion per year for the NHS. Whilst developing dynamic therapy mattress systems have already made an important contribution here, nursing staff do not currently have a tool capable of distinguishing accurately between high and low pressures, or assessing the effectiveness of their interventions.

M.A.P™ changes all that. This intelligent pressure distribution monitoring system uses a pressure sensing mat to identify high and low pressure areas between the patient and the support surface. The outer layer of this mat consists of a medical grade biocompatible material which houses

thousands of sensing points capable of accurately imaging the body of the patient lying on the support surface.

This information is sent to a monitor attached to the mat, where it is displayed as a real time, colour coded high resolution image, with areas of high pressure clearly delineated in red and orange, and lower pressure areas showing as green and blue.

This real time visual ‘pressure map' gives care staff accurate detail on each individual patient, enabling them to alter the patient's position accordingly to reduce pressure and therefore reduce the potential for pressure ulcers. Micro movements can reduce pressures dramatically, which is particularly effective for patients where full body repositioning or even turning may be restricted.

The M.A.P™ pressure sensing mat is essentially flexible, which means it is suitable for use with patients of different weights and sizes, even bariatric cases. The system incorporates a simple touch screen interface to implement customised settings and audible alerts.

The M.A.P™ system is available both for sale and for rental from Sidhil. The purchase price is believed to be less than the cost of treating one Grade 1 pressure ulcer.

For a demonstration of Sidhil's M.A.P™ system, please contact:Sidhil Ltd, Sidhil Business Park, Holmfield, Halifax HX2 9TN T: 01422 233 000 W: www.sidhil.com

APEX Launch New Digital Pressure Relieving Mattress apEx medical limited are delighted to announce the launch of their new digital pressure relieving mattress replacement system, the Domus 4 is priced at just £390 excluding Vat. apEx believe that it is a significant step in the right direction in bringing high quality products to the community sector at an affordable price.

The Domus 4 can be used to help with both the prevention and cure of existing pressure ulcers up to and including stage/grade four. It has also been designed to aide with infection control and prevention as it is easy to decontaminate and has a vapour permeable top cover.

Unlike many other products available at this price point in the marketplace, with the Domus 4 you get the assurance and quality associated with the APEX brand as well as a two year warranty. It is also easy and cost effective to maintain due to its

modular cell construction.

The mattress has been designed to be as intuitive and ergonomic to use as possible, with specially calibrated weight settings to reduce the risk of the mattress being incorrectly set up by the carer. The pump controls are ergonomically designed so the care staff can easily access them without the need to bend down.

APEX Medical Limited also offer a wide range of beds, mattresses and moving and handling equipment ideal for use in both the Acute and Community sectors.

If you think this exciting new product might be of benefit to your care setting please call us on 01322 520 560 or visit our website www.apexmedicalcorp.co.uk to arrange a no obligation free trial.

Please note that the price of £390 excluding VAT is an introductory offer price and it expires on the 31st of March 2016.

For further details, see the advert on page 5.

C&S Postural Control Equipment WE at C&s are proud to have been the national supplier of postural Control Equipment for approximately 25 years.

Recognising the need for 24hour postural management we listened to our therapist’s comments and feedback and the supply of Positioning Rolls, both T Rolls and Log Rolls, evolved as a result of demand.

Further aids were added over time as requests grew

with the Alternative Positing Support, the Knee leg Supports, both of these are available in two sizes Most recently we have added an array of new fabrics and colours.

All fabrics meet the UK Flammability standards and carry a CE mark Visit our website on www.cands-seating.co.uk or call us for a brochure on 01424 853 331.

WINTER 2016

THE CARER

Care Homes Recognised For Their Commitment To Wellbeing, Dignity And Choice capel Grange community Nursing Home in Newport and Penylan House Nursing Home in cardiff have been named as two of only three nursing homes in Wales on the Eden alternative uk Register of Homes for their commitment to improving the quality of life of its residents.

Capel Grange and Penylan House are owned by Linc Cymru Housing Association Ltd and operated by Linc Care, the health and social care division of Linc Cymru.

The homes were inspected last month by a team of assessors from the Eden Alternative, with the report commending both homes for their warm, welcoming atmospheres and ability to demonstrate true companionship between staff and residents.

The Eden Alternative is a philosophy of care for older people, known as ‘elders’, based on 10 core principles around how ageing should be a continued stage of development, rather than a period of decline. It seeks to eliminate the negative emotions of loneliness, helplessness and boredom and to ensure that elders live in human habitats, not sterile medical environments.

Inspectors remarked on the close relationships between those living and working at both homes, with staff at Capel Grange visiting the home on days off to take residents on trips to the shops, the theatre or other places of interest and staff from Penylan House describing it as their second home and coming in to be with the residents even when they are not working. It was also noted how meaning had been put back into peoples’ lives, such as through activities organised at the home, including baking, gardening and making birthday cards. Staff were also praised for the way they have adapted activity plans to allow dementia sufferers to get involved and for residents to participate in their own rooms if that is what they would like.

Anne Thomas, executive director of Linc Care, said: “We couldn’t be prouder our two nursing homes have been named as two of only three care homes

in Wales to be on the Eden UK Register.

“At Linc, we are committed to delivering person-centred care and adopted the Eden philosophy for the way it focuses on providing residents with a choice in their daily lives.

Promoting wellbeing, dignity and choice are at the heart of Linc’s values and so it was a natural choice for us to strive to be on Eden’s register as its values are so closely aligned with our own.

“In addition, the Eden Alternative principles are very much in line with the aims of the Social Services and WellBeing (Wales) Act, which seeks to promote people’s independence and to give them a stronger voice and more control over how they are cared for, and the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales’ priorities of social participation and meaningful occupation to reinforce an individual’s identity. The philosophy of Eden also meets the specific requirements identified by the Older Persons Commissioner in her report on care homes in Wales – ‘A Place to Call Home.’ The key focus is understanding and respecting the individual.

Brogan Athay, a Care Team Leader at Capel Grange and one of Linc’s certified Eden associates, said: “Since adopting the Eden Alternative principles, I have seen elders with very little communication become more verbal, expressive and affectionate. The home feels more alive with activities taking place every day and everyone seems to be more confident and spontaneous.”

Stacey Sydenham, Senior Carer at Penylan House and one of Linc’s certified Eden associates, said: “Since attending Eden Alternative training, I have been involved with and seen a lot more going on at Penylan House. We have always had a programme of activities, but after the training we have realised we can do a lot more. This has made a difference, to the elders and to staff. We have created a wish tree for elders’ wishes and we are now trying to make these things happen, things that many people thought they wouldn’t be able to do any more.”

Warning Sign: Inability to Detect Sarcasm and Lies a stuDY carried out by researchers at the university of California, san francisco, shows that losing the ability to identify sarcasm and lies is an early indication of frontotemporal dementia. While doctors have long recognized that people with this form of dementia lose the capacity to recognize insincerity—they are often easy prey for con artists and scams, for instance—this is the first study to show that a lack of this ability correlates to early changes in the brain.

Participants in the study viewed videos of two actors talking with each other. One of the actors frequently lied or used sarcasm in ways that were obvious based on context and nonverbal cues. After watching the videos, the participants were asked a series of yes or no questions about the moments in the videos when lies were told or sarcastic statements were made.

Of the 175 older adults who participated in the study, more than half of them had some sort of dementia. The healthy adults had no trouble detecting insincere speech, but people with frontotemporal dementia consistently failed to notice it. People with other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease and supranuclear palsy, performed better. In normal aging without neurodegeneration, the ability to discern between sincere and insincere communication does not deteriorate.

Researchers then created detailed MRIs of the participants’ brains and found that those who could not detect

lies had lesions in the brain’s frontal lobes. In frontotemporal dementia, this part of the brain degenerates due to neuron death and the buildup of damaged proteins called tau.

Doctors may be able to use this correlation between extreme gullibility and brain degeneration to identify patients with frontotemporal dementia in the early stages of the disease. Early diagnosis is vital so that proper treatment and support can be provided.

The study’s senior researcher, neuropsychologist Katherine Rankin, and her colleague from the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, Tal Shany-Ur, presented the results of the study at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Frontotemporal dementia is the most common form of dementia in adults under the age of 60. There are three distinct varieties of this disease. In the early stages, people tend to undergo extreme personality changes or exhibit inappropriate behaviors. Frequently, these early symptoms are misinterpreted as the evidence of a severe midlife crisis or depression. As the disease progresses, however, frontotemporal dementia robs sufferers of the capacities to empathize, reason, and communicate.

Patients lose the ability to carry out both the complex activities of daily life—handling money or behaving in socially appropriate ways—and the simplest activities— such as eating and bathing.

This study offers important new insights into the earliest warning signs of this devastating condition.

New research from private client stockbroker and wealth manager Killik & Co and the Centre for Economics and Business research reveals how the cost of care continues to outpace income, forcing the need to consider alternative funding options.

Over the past 26 years, the cost of residential care has increased by 237% from £8,300 to £29,300 per year and over the same period nursing fees have risen 259% from £11,900 to £39,300. Those starting their stay in 2016 will face an average total cost of £60,700 for nursing care or £72,800 for residential care. Based on current trends, by 2035 the annual fee for care with nursing is predicted to rise to £69,500 and residential care fees to £51,800. It is important to make the distinction between residential homes, for those who have problems living independently, and nursing homes, for the elderly with long-term health conditions. The rising cost of all care fees continues to outpace inflation.

The delay in the care cap to 2020 will undoubtedly impact the industry but the introduction of the new National Living Wage (NLW), due in 2016, poses a bigger threat. Recently the UK Homecare Association highlighted the major issue of who will support the additional costs of those receiving state-funded care at home. It is predicted the industry will require £753 million from the

Care Home Creates “Cherished Moments” For Local Community Group rEsiDEnts anD staff at De Brook lodge care home in flixton put others first by opening their doors to a local community group and offering them a Christmas lunch.

De Brook Lodge, operated by Ideal Carehomes, joined forces with Cherished Moments which offers a day care service for local elderly people with various mental and physical needs. The home invited several members for a traditional Christmas lunch with mince pies for dessert.

Home Manager, Helen Johnson, said “At De Brook Lodge, we are always looking at ways to aid and integrate with the local community. We feel that providing a lunch for members of Cherished Moments is a great benefit, giving people who may otherwise be lonely at Christmas, much need company and joy. Our residents thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone and welcoming them to their home so it was a great day for everyone!”

De Brook Lodge, which prides

itself on being an integral part of the local community, also provided an afternoon of entertainment from Kim Alvord who competed in Series 4 of ‘The Voice’. Kim sang festive songs and also some old classics and plenty of guests and residents joined in with the singing and some even got up for a dance!

Arlette Naylor, Director of Cherished Moments, commented “We were thrilled to be invited to De Brook Lodge for Christmas lunch. Our members had a thoroughly good time, many were singing and dancing and it was a joy to see them smiling. We are looking forward to building on the friendships which have been made by visiting again in the New Year”.

De Brook Lodge is located in Flixton and offers residential and dementia care to 52 local older people. Through a varied programme of activities, highly nutritious food and inspirational spaces, De Brook Lodge provides residents with person-centred care, creating aspirational lifestyle choices.

North East Home Leads Culinary Excellence for Twenty Five Homes DErWEnt CarE home in low Westwood, newcastle upon tyne, is the first care home outside of Yorkshire in the orchard Care home group to be awarded a Centre for Culinary Excellence accolade as part of the group’s new award scheme that recognises and gives credit to its cooks and their kitchens.

The home will play a key role in continuing to drive up the food standards and expertise of the Group, acting as a hub for twenty five homes in the area within a thirty mile distance. The home’s four kitchen staff, led by experienced chef Carl McCullagh, will provide advice and support to the surrounding homes, acting as a centre for best practice and leadership in relationship to food and beverage.

To achieve the accolade of Centre for Culinary Excellence, each kitchen must achieve eight benchmarks.

These include FSA Food Rating – 5, Care Quality Commission (CQC) – Person centred dining experience, cooking fresh seasonal dishes from scratch, food and menu reflects the preferences of residents, HACCP – Safe and clean kitchen environment, catering with care for diversity, food themed activities for residents regularly undertaken and managing a defined monthly budget.

Comments Kim Chambers, Derwent Care Home Manager; “I am incredibly proud of the kitchen team here at Derwent.

Carl has been our Chef since the home opened in 2007 and he works exceptionally hard, creating home cooked dishes and offering our residents a varied menu, that is wholesome and tasty.”

“The team’s dedication is impressive, all are on the final stages of their Level 3 Qualification Credit Framework Diploma in Professional Cookery, and their interest in food and in their own development makes a big impact on their approach to their roles. They fully deserve this accolade.”

Derwent Care Home is a forty-five bed residential and dementia home, offering assisted living in a warm and nurturing environment.

Comments Andy Savage, Food & Beverage Manager, Orchard Care Homes; “It has been a delight working with Carl and his team and this really is an outstanding home. From homemade daily pies and scones, to a slow cooked beef stew, the attention to detail from all the team is top quality.”

“The additional training undertaken by each member of the team is definitely a positive and leading on from this we will be working with a national training provider in 2016 to give additional support and development for all of our kitchen staff across our portfolio of homes.”

The aim is to have several clusters of Centres for Culinary Excellence, each acting as a goto centre to give support and training to those homes in its vicinity.

Caring Heroes Lead the Way a CarE home group is highlighting the unsung heroes of social care who often go the extra mile to ensure the service keeps going for older people, the vulnerable and seriously ill.

Springhill Care Group says employees in the social care sector are working in an industry which is increasingly underfunded and undervalued.

Donna Briggs, managing director of Springhill Care, said: “Very often these committed, kind and caring individuals are the only people a vulnerable person may see from one day to the next. council and the NHS in the first year alone[1]. The care “There is also the support they provide for families home industry’s workforce is often low paid and mostly and friends of the people they care for as they help them over 25. Over the years to come, with the NLW to be implemented and the delay in care cap to 2020, this sector to cope with the illness or disability their loved one is will surely suffer more than others.

Pensioners’ incomes alone do not meet the cost of care, with residential care fees exceeding the average pensioners’ income by 65% however 70% of pensioners have suf- DEspitE ChallEnging market conditions, healthcare specialists sidhil achieved record ficient wealth tied up in property that could be used to sales in 2015, increasing turnover by £3m over fund an average stay in residential care but many could 2014 figures. Early indications in the shape of be forced to sell the family home to release capital. new contracts and forthcoming product launches The cost of care differs across the UK, with the East of enable the company to give a confident predicEngland the most expensive region at £33,800 and the tion that 2016 should prove equally successful. most affordable is the North East at £24,232 and then the Sidhil has been manufacturing hospital and nursing East Midlands at £26,104[2]. Scotland is an exception, procare beds for over a century. Today’s advanced, electricalviding free personal care to those assessed as being eligily operated profiling models may bear no resemblance to ble. those early products, but Sidhil has remained a major Sarah Lord, Managing Director of Killik Chartered player in this demanding, fast moving sector, and now Financial Planners, comments: sells a range of equipment to a worldwide market, from hospital beds through to “The fact that we are all living longer than ever before couches for GP surgeries and aids for indeis clearly something to celebrate but it also means that pendent living. some form of care in our old age is likely to be a reality Growth has been underpinned by increasfor many of us. The bad news is that as the cost of care ing sales into the acute hospital sector, comcontinues to rise faster than inflation it needs careful con- plementing the company’s established sideration, as part of wider family financial planning, on position as the market leader for community how it would be funded to ensure we are cared for as we and nursing care beds, whilst Sidhil has would wish to be in our twilight years” achieved significant gains in every operating

Soaring Care Home Fees Put Pensioners Under Pressure To Find Alternative Means Of Funding KilliK & Co cost of care report highlights the importance of planning ahead to fund care later in life as the new national living Wage is predicted to drive costs even higher

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battling day in day out.

“It is important that we as an industry value the care sector and its 1.48milllion employees who are committed to making life better for vulnerable people each and every day. Some even believe social care is more of a domestic service.

“The challenges faced in the health and social care sector and the need to deliver specialised and complex support means training and staff development has never been more important.”

Donna added: “We firmly believe that investing in the workers who make all this possible through training and development is the key to successfully delivering a quality care and support service.”

The group is inviting those with an interest in the issue to join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #caringheroes.

Springhill Care Group provides high quality nursing, residential, rehabilitation, dementia, day care and supported living services for adults across its network in Accrington and Skelmersdale in Lancashire and Bristol

Healthcare Specialists Sidhil Celebrate Record Year sector. Sales of the company’s latest Innov8 ward beds have boomed, winning approval from NHS Trusts across the UK, with continued expansion in the service and maintenance sector further enhancing growth, supported by the British manufacturing base, access to technical expertise and fast availability of spares.

Growth at Sidhil continues to be fuelled by innovation.

The company has an active R&D division, where investment in sophisticated computer technology has enabled fast track product development. In support of growing sales, Sidhil continues to invest in its people, expanding sales, export and customer service teams to meet fast developing demand.

“We are the only remaining UK-based volume manufacturer of hospital beds, and we are totally committed to retaining production here in the UK,” stated sales and marketing director Graham Turner. “Our UK facility means we can ramp up production to meet short lead times, and also ensures we achieve the exacting levels of quality control required by our customers in the UK and further afield.”

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THE CARER

WINTER 2016

Adapting Bathrooms To Overcome The Dementia Challenge THE BATHROOM is one of the most challenging environments for a person with dementia.

Where it might have once been a comfortable and familiar room prior to the onset of dementia, the bathroom can become a dangerous and sometimes frightening place full of hazards.

However, with the right products and know-how, existing bathrooms can be adapted to be dementia-friendly.

A dementia-friendly bathroom is one where simple but careful consideration of design in relation to the needs and limitations of the user can reduce the barriers that people with dementia face in carrying out daily living activities.

One of the first considerations when designing a dementia-friendly bathroom is user safety. The two biggest risks to safety in the average bathroom are scalding and falls, but a few simple adaptations can significantly reduce the likelihood of harm. Scalding can be prevented by installing thermostatic taps and showers as well as low surface temperature radiators or underfloor heating - and all exposed pipework should be enclosed. Falls can be avoided by removing the bath and installing a level access shower and shower seat.

Using shower curtains with a breathable fabric and choosing PET plastic shower screens instead of glass also minimise injury in the event of a fall.

A second consideration is that of memory loss. Although short-term memory loss is common, those with dementia usually retain good long-term memory, and may be more

comfortable with traditional fixtures and fittings rather than modern designs. Therefore, familiar looking tap handles and toilet flush controls should be specified instead of push-button flushes or infrared controls.

The careful thought of colours is also key. A change in floor colour can lead a person with dementia to believe there is a step up or down. To further minimise the chance of a fall, flooring that is non-shiny in appearance and is a single colour – which contrasts with the walls – should be selected. Bathroom products should also be contrasting colours to clearly define the showering and toilet areas so the user can safely and effectively locate and use them.

Adapting a bathroom to be dementia-friendly often results in significant changes, and, as a result, the person with dementia may not recognise their own bathroom. As this can lead to confusion and distress, adaptations for newly-diagnosed residents should be made as soon as possible after diagnosis to allow them to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings.

Dementia-friendly bathroom products usually don’t cost any more than those used for a standard adaptation. However, it is imperative that the right products are selected. Be sure to seek advice from a supplier such as AKW, which is the UK’s leading manufacturer of easy access showering and mobility support products for care homes.

Reader Enquiries - Tel: 01905 823 299 www.akw-ltd.co.uk

Maximise Care, Minimise Operational Costs – With The New Gentona Bath From Gainsborough Specialist Bathing PART OF the new range of power-adjustable baths from Gainsborough Specialist Bathing, the Gentona offers a higher level of care and performance.

Gainsborough has been regarded as the leader in assisted bathing for over 30 years – the new Gentona reiterates this proven heritage. The hi-lo Gentona with powered bather transfer seat is now one of the most operationally efficient specialist baths suitable for high-traffic usage within care homes and hospitals. Through an innovative keyhole bathing space and pre-depth indicators it helps to reduce bathing cycle times – allowing carers to attend to more residents whilst maintaining utmost care and dignity.

Reduced running costs are assured through optimised water and electric consumption and overall performance is heightened through streamlined

installation, cleaning and maintenance.

If care providers choose the new Gentona, the transfer and bathing experience can been enhanced for both bathers and carers alike. Pioneering ergonomics developed by the trusted experts at Gainsborough ensure moving and handling safety is maximised. With a SWL of 160kg (25 stone) the Gentona can be raised to a safe working height for care staff so the risk of back or muscle strain is minimised. The bathing space has been enlarged for greater bather comfort and pre-set TMV temperature controlled water ensures there is no risk of scalding. The Gentona encompasses a shower system as standard and is available with a range of options including Auto-fill, Hydrotherapy, Bluetooth®, Chromotherapy and Footboard.

The new Gentona from Gainsborough Specialist Bathing – ready to safeguard future care.

For details call 0800 280 0334 or visit www.gainsboroughbaths.com

WINTER 2016

Armour Plastics Limited ARMOUR PLASTICS Ltd has been manufacturing baths for over 30 years and is one of the largest in the UK. Their Renaissance range of Assisted and Easy Access baths offers bathing solutions for a wide range of people, from those who find it difficult to climb into and out of a standard bath to others whose physical condition means that they require assistance by way of powered seats to lift them into the bath or if a seat isn’t suitable by slings, cradles and hoists.

The Excel range of assisted baths offers quality, reliability and good value and

there is a model to suit both Residential Care and Nursing Homes as well as individuals in their own homes.

The recently launched range of 25mm high Shower Trays has been designed to work in both nursing and domestic premises, with the ability to sit the tray into the floor in order to make it level access for wheelchair users in particular, but also for those who find a shower enclosure with a standard height tray difficult to access.

For further details on all their products, go to www.armour-plastics.com or email sales@armour-plastics.com or Tel. 0191 534 6061

Wheelchair Shower Thresholds From Zero ZERO HAS been designing and manufacturing window and door seals and sealing systems, and is known worldwide for its acoustic ‘soundtrap’ systems. Zero Seal Systems Ltd was formed in the UK in 1997, and has rapidly become known as a reliable supplier of quality products to the architectural hardware, door and partitioning industries.

Our wheelchair shower thresholds are designed for use when a shower must be accessible to a wheelchair.

The neoprene gasket will keep water in while allowing the wheel to pass over easily.

This product is supplied with one piece of neoprene rubber which attaches to the top of the aluminium base after it has been screwed to the floor. The aluminium base needs to be bedded on silicone mastic to prevent water seepage underneath. Kiso butyl sealing strip ref 358 60 as shown here is ideal for this application and fits neatly in the screw channel in the underside of the base.

8452A 44mm wide x 7mm high wheelchair accessible shower threshold. The solid neoprene gasket is 25.4mm high overall and will retain water, while allowing wheelchair users to pass over it easily.

845253A 44mm wide x 7mm high wheelchair accessible shower threshold. The solid neoprene gasket is 12.7mm high overall and will retain water, while allowing wheelchair users to pass over it easily.

We believe service is vitally important and we have built our business on meeting and trying to exceed our customers’ requirements. Please see advert this page for further details

Please mention THE CARER when responding to advertising.

THE CARER

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THE CARER

WINTER 2016

Fresh Shades Added to New Polysafe Wood fx Collection polYflor is pleased to announce the relaunch of our popular polysafe Wood fx pur sheet vinyl safety flooring with the addition of brand new high clarity wood effect designs.

Building on the established success of the classic designs within Polyflor’s Wood fx range, a new series of six on-trend wood styles have been introduced, some featuring a wider plank format for more contemporary look.

The fresh additions to Polyflor’s enlarged collection of 12 Wood fx designs are Oiled Oak, Sun Bleached Oak, Roasted Limed Ash, Tropical Pine, Aged Oak and Nero Oak. Providing sustainable wet slip resistance in busy, public areas where there is a risk of water spillage, heavy commercial grade Wood fx is suitable for high traffic areas in the healthcare sector such as front of house entrance areas, wards, nurses stations, circulation zones, corridors, treatment and consultation rooms. Ideal for creating a homely and nurturing ambience, these wood effect designs are also suitable for use in dementia friendly environments.

The Polysafe Wood fx range features imperceptible, built-in aluminium oxide safety particles integrated through the product’s performance layer, providing virtually invisible sustainable slip resistance. With added underfoot protection to meet duty of care requirements, Wood fx is fully HSE Compliant, achieving 36+ on the Pendulum Wet Test and a low slip potential classification. As with all Polysafe products, Wood fx’s slip resistance is assured for the guaranteed life of the product, meeting the 50,000 cycles abrasion test detailed in EN 13845.

Ease of maintenance in high footfall areas is important and Wood fx’s cleanability is enhanced with Polysafe PUR, a cross-linked

and UV cured polyurethane reinforcement to achieve superior cleaning benefits, improved dirt pick up as well as optimum appearance and colour retention levels.

Suitable for hygiene critical areas, Wood fx’s flexible sheet format allows the product to be coved and welded at the seams to provide an impervious sealed finish.

Tom Rollo, Polyflor’s Marketing Manager comments, “As the UK market leading safety flooring manufacturer we ensure our collections evolve to incorporate the latest flooring trends. Polysafe Wood fx PUR continues to be one of our most popular safety flooring ranges, so by expanding the colour palette we can now offer more contemporary designs options to customers specifying for projects in the healthcare sector.”

A comprehensive brochure and shadecards are now available for the refreshed Polysafe Wood fx range.

Sampling can be ordered free of charge from the Polyflor website or by calling the Polyflor Samples Direct Hotline on 0161 767 2551.

Manufactured in the UK, Polysafe Wood fx is 100% recyclable through the Recofloor vinyl take back scheme and contains recycled material. The collection has also achieved an individually certified BRE A+ rating (ENP 145) in major use areas such as healthcare, helping to contribute points within a BREEAM Assessment for a building. Polyflor is the first flooring manufacturer to be awarded BES 6001 certification for Responsible Sourcing, notably achieving a ‘Very Good’ rating.

Further details of Polyflor’s extensive range of resilient vinyl flooring are available from Polyflor Ltd, Radcliffe New Road, Whitefield, Manchester, M45 7NR. Tel: 0161 767 1111. Fax: 0161 767 1128.

Website: www.polyflor.com Email: info@polyflor.com

Polyx -Oil 2k Pure Ideal For Retail Flooring Like No Other ®

thE ECo-friEnDlY wood and finishes expert, osmo uK, offers polyx®-oil 2K pure, a two-part hardwax oil that has been designed for professional use where surfaces are subjected to high traffic. as well as providing more robust protection, the two component system includes a hardener which rapidly reduces the drying and curing times; a major advantage for care homes and healthcare practices.

Polyx®-Oil 2K Pure is the ideal solution for high-traffic areas, due to its much tougher and hard-wearing results, where regular waxes wouldn’t provide an adequate longterm solution. Polyx®-Oil 2K Pure enhances, protects, and can even refresh the appearance

and performance of flooring, while providing an easy to clean and maintain surface.

Steve Grimwood, Managing Director at Osmo UK explains, “The Polyx®-Oil range now includes products for a variety of requirements. This two-part finish is perfect for commercial environments that require the ultimate protection without compromising on style. In addition to this, with fast-drying components, Polyx®-Oil 2K Pure is ideal for environments where downtime is limited.”

Osmo’s Polyx®-Oil 2K Pure treatment is available from Osmo UK direct or from its nationwide network of stockists. For more information please call Osmo on 01296 481220 or alternatively visit www.osmouk.com.

Get Your Teeth Into Dr Schutz Dr. sChutz, the german floor care company, offers pu sealer, an innovative solution that quickly and easily transforms tired, damaged or old floors, at a fraction of the time and cost of an entire floor replacement.

For healthcare practices, including care homes, it can be hard to find the time and money for renovations and improvements.

One of the most common surfaces requiring care is the floor as it is prone to a lot of wear and tear. Not only does this look unsightly, but if there is no longer a protection layer on the floor, medical spillages can quickly make it

look worse.

“We recognise these difficulties and have a solution that we can offer care homes and healthcare practices” explains Lothar Schutz, Managing Director of Dr. Schutz. “PU Sealer can also be completed quickly over a weekend, avoiding the need to close the doors.

Refurbishing a floor using PU Sealer also provides cost savings of up to 50 % in comparison to laying a brand new floor.”

For more information or to find your local contractor, please contact Dr. Schutz on tel 01296 437827, email Richard@dr-schutz.com or visit www.dr-schutz.com

Continued Care from Giacomini CarE-homEs arE a key market for giacomini uK who is now regularly seeing repeat business from care-home providers across the country.

The UFH supplier designed and installed 37,000m2 of underfloor heating for sheltered accommodation, carehomes and retirement villages in 2014. Most recently the company’s underfloor heating was chosen by Caewern Respite Care in Neath, West Glamorgan.

Giacomini worked alongside specialist installers Ecofit Energy Systems to provide the unique system.

Ecofit’s senior project engineer, Kieran Swift, explains why Giacomini UFH was chosen: “Giacomini is well known in the industry for not just its product

quality but also the high level of service throughout the whole project. The designs are innovative and take the considerations of the site into account. The UFH system is energy efficient and will help the care-home to reduce heating bills”.

The design of the UFH was not straightforward as the care-home is built on a slope. Using Giacomini’s experience and skillsets they were able to overcome the multilevel layout. To conquer the layout, part of the flooring had to be suspended over the lower ground floor and a floating floor panel system was installed, whilst the ground sections utilised a screeded floor build up.

For further information, visit www.giacomini.co.uk

Designing for Dementia and Older People flooring anD walling specialist altro has worked in the healthcare sector for over 60 years and understands the importance of environment, particularly in the growing area of dementia care. altro can offer guidance whether you are building, refurbishing or developing dementia-friendly communities, ensuring you select the flooring and wall cladding that will help maximise quality of life, and meet legal requirements.

Altro worked with the University of Stirling's renowned Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) when developing new shades of Altro Aquarius to ensure carers and those with dementia can

be safer in wet environments. Altro also worked with the team there when developing the colour palette for Altro Suprema. This range features solid, nonsparkle colours that can work on their own, or in conjunction with Altro Aquarius to minimise visual barriers.

Visit www.altro.co.uk/designing-fordementia for a wealth of practical tips and information, including the impact of colour, texture and light reflectance in walling and flooring choices. You’ll find guidance on choosing flooring that supports confident, safe movement and solutions for different areas within care homes and healthcare environments, all given within the context of the design principles set out in Health Building Note (HBN) 08-02.

Chairs Direct

UK

MANUFACTURERS OF CONTRACT SEATING TO THE CAREHOME MARKET SECTOR TEL; 01254 872002 EMAIL; info@chairsdirectuk.com

Prices from

Prices from

Prices from

£203.00

£145.00

£155.00

Prices from

Prices from

Prices from

£299.00

£364.00

£65.00

Prices from

Prices from

Prices from

£108.00

£135.00

£99.00

TEL; 01254 872002

EMAIL; info@chairsdirectuk.com

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Christopher Guy Interiors Bring the “Wow Factor” to Nursing & Residential Homes ChristophEr guY interiors supply all nursing home furniture, curtains, blinds, beds and soft furnishings and have a vast selection of all the latest fabrics to enhance your home with coordinating chairs, curtains and wallpapers.

There are always bargains to be had as they have in stock hundreds of Queen Anne style chairs, dining room furniture, beds and bedroom furniture ready for immediate delivery across the country.

Christopher Guy interiors are happy to supply a single chair or

bed; to refurbish your home or to furnish a complete new home. They have over 30 years’ experience in providing nursing home furniture and upholstery.

Just phone for fabric samples or for a new build they will visit you with their own show van so you can see for yourselves the quality and amazing value they offer with over 30% saving on their competitors quotes.

British handcrafted furniture with guarantees up to 5 years.

Please visit our website www.christopherguyinteriors.com or contact us on 01274 660123

FRANKled – LED Solutions for Decorative Lighting franKlitE limitED have been known for their quality of product and service in the decorative lighting market for 40 years and, over recent years, the Company has built an astonishing reputation for quality lED lighting.

The Frankled brand is designed, developed and manufactured in Franklites Buckinghamshire factory which ensures complete flexibility with the lighting options available and total quality control throughout production. Frankled products fitted with Eco-disc technology can be supplied with standard non-dimmable LEDs which offer a massive average energy saving of 37% against energy saving CFLs. Further options include dimming, emergency lighting and movement detection can further increase savings and reduce costs!

For more decorative luminaires the LED13duo is an integrated, yet replaceable, dedicated LED unit which replaces the tungsten candle lamp. Whilst not affecting

the aesthetics of the fitting, the LED13duo can offer an energy saving of up to 80% without compromising on light output. With a 5 year warranty, these units also negate the need for the constant maintenance involved with traditional tungsten lamps.

Franklite's range of quality recessed downlights can also be converted using the LED13duo technology and will offer an equivalent output to a 50W MR16 and is available in 3 beam angles with reduced glare. Remote emergency gear can also be offered with all Frankled recessed downlights. Also covered by a 5 year guarantee, switching to these units saves energy, costs, and maintenance time.

Franklite have a team of professional and knowledgeable personnel who can demonstrate Frankled technology and discuss individual requirements.

Call 01908 691818, email info@franklite.ltd.uk, visit www.franklite.net or www.frankled.com See the advert on page 39 for details.

A Trolley for Every Occasion!

WHEEL IN the trolley with all those lovely treats and everyone’s eyes will light up!

Introducing our NEW Cheetah range - affordable UK manufactured trolleys.

Whether it’s a hot drink from the tea trolley, a little tipple or a mouth-watering cream tea from the chilled dessert trolley, Euroservice has the answer.

Why not contact one of our experienced sales team to discuss your requirements? We feel sure that a Euroservice trolley will be one of your best assets, saving you time and enhancing the excellence of your service.

For more information visit: www.euroservice-uk.com or call 0800 917 7943

Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com

PM200

QZ2

B39

PO 300

B09

BZ 006

B007

WM6

Don’t Take a Blind Risk!

What would you find on the pull-cords of your blinds?

In recent years, research has focussed on the infection risk presented by the clinical environment. This is not hugely surprising, given the concern about high patient infection rates and the grim spectre of Antimicrobial Resistance meaning that we are entering an era of “bad bugs and no drugs.”

The focus is now on unrecognised fomites – items we touch without thinking.

Take a look at the blind cords, pull-cords for lights, fans or alarms in your facility – when were they last cleaned; how often are they touched?

There is abundant evidence on the efficacy of Antimicrobial Copper.

Bacteria, viruses, yeasts and

fungi all die rapidly on contact with it. Clinical studies show >80% microbial reduction on Antimicrobial Copper surfaces, between touches, between cleans.

The Sturge Group offer ball chains made from solid Antimicrobial Copper, in gold or silver appearance, the chain can be used to replace existing blind cord controls. Available in 50 or 100 metre reels, they give you longevity, performance, aesthetics... and fewer microbes.

For further information contact Sturge Industries Ltd, Blackbrook Business Park, Narrowboat Way, Dudley, West Midlands DY2 0XQ www.sturge.co.uk/ 01384 455 426 enquiries@sturge.co.uk

Knightsbridge Furniture Selected to Fit Out Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool KnightsBriDgE furniturE has provided its high-quality contract furniture to a revolutionary new children’s hospital in liverpool. appointed by nhs shared Business services, Knightsbridge developed furniture for alder hey Children’s hospital, a new £250 million, 270-bedroom hospital; which has been specially designed through the eyes of a child.

Knightsbridge manufactured a number of specially designed pieces of furniture including its bespoke Domino drop end sofa which turns into a three-foot wide bed for parents to sleep in close proximity to their child in comfort, making a crucial difference to hundreds of thousands of families each year.

In addition, Knightsbridge provided a range of mid and high back armchairs from its Cubitt collection. The fully upholstered chairs are simple and stylish in design yet offer the most up-to-date infection

control, ideal for a healthcare environment.

The old Alder Hey hospital, which has been in operation for more than 100 years, will be demolished, with 95% of the materials being recycled. The site will be transformed into a new parkland, handing back space to the community which had been used for the new hospital.

Alan Towns, Managing Director at Knightsbridge, said: “Subsequent to being chosen as the furniture manufacturer to fit out The Harbour in Blackpool by NHS Shared Business Services, it was an honour to be selected yet again for such a fantastic project. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital was a much-needed new build and is one of the most modern equipped hospitals in the UK.” An approved supplier of furniture for the NHS and SHS for more than 60 years, Knightsbridge manufactures all of its products from its factory in Bradford.

For further information, visit: www.knightsbridge-furniture.co.uk or telephone 01274 731900.

WINTER 2016

CareFlex Express Chairs noW You can get the smartseatpro as a Careflex Express Chair - outstanding Quality – despatched within five working days, sometimes as quickly as the next day* The SmartSeatPro™ with its unique, multi-adjustable back, to optimise posture, function and comfort. There is nothing else quite like it.

STANDARD FEATURES • Vapour Permeable (VP) fabric to seat,

Mattressman

MaTTRESSMaN IS one of the leading suppliers of mattresses and beds in the uk.

We have been in the mattress trade for over 10 years; this experience ensures a service of the highest quality & the lowest prices in the UK. Our dedicated trade sales team believe in putting the customer first, giving exceptional levels of customer services which is renowned among our customers.

Mattressman has the largest selection of contract mattresses, divans and beds from Britain’s leading industry brands.

All of our mattresses are made in the UK in our very own factory based in Norwich, from the simplest guest mat-

Sage Green Designs sagE grEEn DEsigns combine quality, style, ethics and craftsmanship in all of their stunning products. their tapestry wall hangings are all hand-loomed in brightly coloured wools on a jute background and are then finished with intricate embroidery.

Amanda Burchell of Sage Green Designs says ‘our highly tactile tapestries have proven to be very popular with residents at care and nursing homes up and down the country, where they can provide reminders of the past and trigger warm and pleasant memories.

back and arms • Back angle recline (BAR) • Tilt in Space (TiS) • Adjustable seat width 380 – 500 mm • Adjustable seat depth • Full width, independently elevating, channel leg rest • Integral, stowable angle adjustable footplate • Available in grey Extras: • Lever adjustment kit • Headrest and harness options available Call us free on 0800 018 6440 Email enquiries@careflex.co.uk www.careflex.co.uk tress to the highest luxury mattress; Mattressman has an extensive range of beds to suit all needs.

All of our contract mattresses comply with BS7177 fire retardant standard (Crib 5 / Source 5) which makes them ideal for businesses which require a higher standard of flame retardancy above standard domestic.

Zip & Link and special sizes beds & mattresses are also available on request.

For the Care home industry we have a Special Contract waterproof mattress.

We also have a huge range of bed frames, guest beds & accessories available on our website for fast free delivery.

Quantity discounts available, please call our contract sales team to get a quote today on 0800 567 7625 or visit our website www.mattressman.co.uk We will also be launching two new ranges to complement our existing Countryside, Nautical, Animals, Floral and Seasons collections. They are the ‘Seaside Collection’ and the ‘Fur and Feathers’ range from designer Allison Murray’.

Amanda also explains, ‘part of what makes us different is our commitment to the ethical sourcing of all our products. We work in partnership with the GoodWeave Foundation to make sure that all the weavers who produce our products are treated fairly. This partnership is integral to our business and enables us to achieve the high standards that we count as essential.

T: 01793 686516 F: 01793 250013 Email: sales@sagegreendesigns.com www.sagegreendesigns.com

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RemindMeCare remindmeCare is highly innovative software that assists the care of the elderly, those with dementia, their carers and families. remindmeCare celebrates a life, strengthens links with family and tackles agitation, depression and isolation. portable from home to dom, day and residential care, remindmeCare provides, through the use of internet content, the means to store and share life story, preferences and interests with a care circle. Carers report better

engagement, families welcome remote connectivity and businesses benefit from a suite of innovative cost saving management tools.

RemindMeCare builds a better care experience for the person and their families, whilst also achieving a return on investment for business by introducing tech to enhance person centred care. Assisting in client acquisition, care assessment, daily management, reminiscence therapy and activity planning whilst also providing family, admin and CQC reporting, RemindMeCare saves far more than it costs.

RemindMeCare is a comprehensive system designed for the big groups that is affordable for the single care home. and ideal for the independent care business.

For further details please Telephone: 0203 1089368 or visit www.remindmecare.com

Developing Knowledge and Skills thE soCial Care institute for Excellence (sCiE) is the leading improvement agency for social care.

Whatever stage you are at on your improvement journey, SCIE can help you become a better-led, effective, safer and more caring organisation.

Our work is based on evidence, co-produced with people who use, deliver and commission services, and delivered by social care experts.

Visit our website for free resources including: • Social Care TV films • eLearning • Dementia gateway • Mental Capacity Act directory • Safeguarding guides • End of life care resources • Dignity in care guide • NICE social care guidelines and quality standards • Prevention library • Care Improvement Works “SCIE’s guides and resources have been providing valuable advice to care providers for years. I welcome the development of SCIE’s practical training and consultancy services to

TO ADVERTISE IN

PLEASE CALL OUR SALES TEAM ON

01202 552333

Smell & Connect launChED this year by reminiscent, smell & Connect cards are an innovative product, which can be used by activity Coordinators and family members to help connection with older people and those with dementia. the cards carry a scent that has been selected to form topics that have happy associations, for example with holidays, hobbies and childhood.

support improvement and embed good practice.”

Martin Green, Chief Executive, Care England SCIE also offers cost-effective training and consultancy services to help you implement good practice.

SCIE consultants can help you to: • Review and improve your policies and practice • Implement key national and local policies • Develop the skills and knowledge of your staff • Meet CQC inspection standards • Implement NICE guidelines and quality standards • Evaluate the impact of your services SCIE training tailored to your needs include: • Safeguarding • The Mental Capacity Act and DoLS • Dementia awareness • Co-production with people who use services and carers • Care Act implementation Contact us: 020 7766 7373 mailto:Trainingandconsultancy@scie.org.uk www.scie.org.uk A smell sensation provides stimulation, a shared experience, something to talk about - all of which bring pleasure and inclusiveness that helps people to be more content. Comments about the memories and associations with the scents support relationship centred care, which is widely accepted as the best approach to caring for older people and those with dementia. The relevance of sensory therapy, and particularly the use of the sense of smell, to relationship centred care is that the act of sharing a scent experience automatically engages people in joint activity. Even without words, the smile that scent can bring is valuable in maintaining connected relationships, helping people to stay engaged with family and carers, and thus feel happier.

Visit www.smellandconnect.com for further information.

WINTER 2016

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N.I.C.E. GUIDELINE RECOMMENDS SINGING N.I.C.E. Guidance NG32: Older People: Independence and Mental Wellbeing published 17th December 2015, strongly recommends singing for older people and states that "the evidence demonstrates a clear benefit and strong cost effectiveness".

The Silver Song Music Box provides an inclusive activity that delivers excellent cognitive therapy and stimulates reminiscence.

The Silver Song Music Box is now being used in over 200 Dementia Units, Care Homes and Community Groups. It is available to buy or rent and once commissioned, there are NO additional costs.

The Silver Song Box can be used with either a TV or Projector.

The words of the song are projected on to the screen and are synchronised with the music, eliminating the need for song sheets.

THE SILVER SONG MUSIC BOX system has been developed by Sing For Your Life to enable Day Care Centres, Residential Care Homes and Hospitals to provide participatory singing sessions for older people. Singing brings people together and The Silver Song Music Box provides an inclusive activity that delivers excellent cognitive stimulation therapy and an effective reminiscence experience.

Because no formal musical training is required to operate the Music Box, singing can be provided whenever and as often as

required. There more than 250 songs in the library and additional songs are provided free of charge.

The Music Box system is simple to use and does not require any formal musical training to operate. It can be used by any staff member or volunteer at any time and has proved very successful in reducing incidents of challenging behaviour.

For more information go to www.singforyourlife.org.uk or call 01303 298546 for an Information Pack

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Apprenticeships are Making a Difference arE You worried about staffing your organisation? Do you need extra staff but are worried about your wage bill? hiring a young person as an apprentice is the ideal way to make sure you have enough staff in your care home whilst keeping your wage bill in check.

TRN (Train) have been assisting with the hiring and training of health and social care apprentices with great success since 2002. Using a combination of on and off the job learning and development, apprentices work alongside experienced staff gaining job-specific skills whilst building up experience and working towards their qualifications.

Currently the national minimum wage for a 1618 year old apprentice is £3.30 per hour. However we do find a lot of employers choose to pay their

Geopace Training gEopaCE training is the leading provider of phlebotomy training Courses in the uK, delivering excellence in training since 2010.

All courses are Nationally Recognised and Accredited with The Open College Network.

Corporate clients include NHS Primary Care Trusts, Colleges, Universities and Care Homes, as well as GP Surgery staff and privately funded individuals. Group rates are available for 3 or more delegates attending, or training can be carried out on-site.

Woodspeen Training TO ADVERTISE IN

PLEASE CALL OUR SALES TEAM ON

01202 552333

WE arE a long-established provider of pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship and skills programmes for both young adult and adult learners. We have operated in our local areas for over 20 years and work with some 300 employers across a range of occupational sectors. our core areas of expertise cover programmes in business, childcare, hairdressing, health and social care sectors and many more.

Our expertise is in helping learners to progress in their careers as well as assisting local employers to recruit and train

apprentices a little extra in recognition of the help and support they provide within an organisation.

The apprenticeship programme consists of a number of component parts. Through the programme an apprentice will develop and demonstrate their knowledge and skills and prove their occupational competence whilst also demonstrating that they have met the standards in functional skills such as English and maths. The remaining part of the apprenticeship is being aware of, and having an understanding of employment rights and responsibilities. Whilst these individual parts may be assessed separately, only when all parts are successfully achieved will an apprentice receive an apprenticeship certificate.

Employing an apprentice makes both sound financial and business sense. See www.trainltd.org for details.

The relax two-day Introduction to Phlebotomy course assumes no prior knowledge of phlebotomy and leads up to the point of live blood draw. Progression courses are available online and include Neonatal & Paediatric Phlebotomy and Advanced Venepuncture & Cannulation.

A Phlebotomy Refresher Course, also available online, is also available to update and renew the learner’s past accreditation.

For further details Tel: 01525 713377 Website: www.geopace.com Email: info@geopace.com local people. We have a dedicated, experienced team of advisers and trainers and, unlike many providers, we have invested in permanent centres where learners can speak to assessors, undertake study or just relax with their friends!

We have an established expertise in delivering classroom based programmes, including Entry Level 3, Level 1 and Level 2 Certificate in Employability Skills, Level 1 and Level 2 Functional Skills, and Skills for Life qualifications.

Our ethos and culture defines our organisation and our people. We strive to be personal, passionate and professional in everything we do.

We would be delighted to support you.

Please do not hesitate to us call on 01202 552333 or email us on info@woodspeentraining.co.uk for further information.

✓ Bespoke Training Packages ✓ Apprenticeship Recruitment ✓ Ambassadors in Dementia Training Qualifications available:

• Health & Social Care Level 2, Level 3, Level 5 • Manual Handling • Risk Assessment • Dementia Training • Person Centre Care • Common Induction Standards • Business Admin, Customer Service, Short Courses & more

Government Funding available*

To discuss your training needs contact our engagement team on 01202 556346

www.woodspeentraining.co.uk *Subject to availability and eligibility

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WINTER 2016

Dementia Solutions for Every Care Setting Dementiacareproducts.co.uk sources high quality specialist dementia products and daily living aids from a number of leading suppliers and makes them available online at competitive prices. these purpose designed products can improve the quality of life and prolong independence for people with dementia, whether in residential care, a nursing home, hospital or their own homes.

For example, residents with dementia or sight problems can now benefit from our range of high visibility signs that have been purpose designed for all the most important locations.

These can help them to find their own way to the toilet and bathroom or identify their own bedroom without feelings of stress. Directional and personalised signs are also available.

Memory loss is also a symptom of dementia and products such as memory boxes can aid room recognition and provide a conversation starter for care home staff. We also offer activities, games and memory cards to stimulate the brain and help people to reconnect with their past.

Eating and drinking properly is also essential but eating habits can change with dementia. Consider using purpose designed plates or cups to reduce spillage and make mealtimes a more pleasurable experience.

Visit dementiacareproducts.co.uk too see the full range.

Alzheimer’s Drugs Prescriptions Six Times Higher Than a Decade Ago thE numBEr of prescriptions dispensed in England for approved medicines to treat alzheimer’s increased from 502,000 in 2004 to 3.0 million in 2014.

The cost to the NHS of prescriptions for Alzheimer’s disease medicines dispensed in primary care stood at £45.7m in 2014. This was up from £42.8m in 2004, but down from the high point it reached in 2011 of £110.8m.

The statistics are published as part of the Focus On Dementia report from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), pulling together in one place for the first time a range of information on dementia including statistics on diagnosis, prescribing, social care, mental health and lifestyle trends. The report also shows: • The proportion of people who had a diagnosis of dementia in their GP record rose from 643 per 100,000 people in April 2014 to 755 people per 100,000 in December 2015.

• 576,000 ‘care clusters’ were assigned to adults accessing mental health and learning disability services at the end of September 2015 – one in five (19 per cent) of these was a dementia-related care cluster.

• 39 per cent of carers who looked after someone with dementia spent 100 or more hours each week doing so in 2014/15. Over half (51 per cent) of carers had been in this role for more than five years.

Responsible statistician Jonathan Hope said: “Our ageing population means that the way we diagnose, treat and care for people with dementia will be increasingly important to many of us.

“I hope that bringing statistics together from different aspects of health and care services can give us a more rounded picture of the treatment and experiences of those with dementia and their carers.”

The report can be found at: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/demfocusjan16

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Supporting Residents with Dementia a CrEatiVE national arts programme from one care home provider is helping to support residents and shine a light on inspiring individuals living in sanctuary Care homes across England.

Sanctuary Group’s Shine! project offers a range of quality experiences through specialist arts partners including movement, dance, poetry, art, music and film. Activities are fully participative and inclusive for people living with dementia and for those with disabilities.

Making a difference The delivery of activities for those living with dementia is hugely beneficial to their wellbeing. Shine! draws on residents’ interests, while allowing them to express their feelings in ways which are meaningful to them.

Sanctuary has teamed up with various arts partners for the innovative programme which is reaching out to hundreds of residents and further supporting care home staff.

The Group has been working with full mask theatre company Vamos Theatre on an interactive show created for its care homes’ residents.

Sharing Joy is part performance and part interaction, playfulness and laughter. It uses music, dance, mask, nostalgia, puppetry and general hilarity to encourage residents to celebrate life and its joys.

The performance aims to engage residents of all ages and stages of health, particularly those living with dementia. Through the use of full masks, music, dance, movement and interaction, the show finds deep connections with everyone in the home, stimulating their inclusion in activities and evoking happy memories from their past.

There have been some wonderful responses from residents engaged in the programme including one who commented, ‘it was the best time I’ve had since my wedding night!’, and another who

was able to reconnect with her childhood days telling staff, ‘I absolutely loved it – it reminded me of when I was in a play when I was younger’.

Other thought-provoking activities that have taken place involved people painting, using pictures and storytelling to remember and discuss their favourite foods.

Training for the future As well as supporting residents and providing opportunities for engagement, Shine! is helping with the further development of Sanctuary Care staff in the homes so they can deliver the principles of the programme as part of everyday care.

Through a partnership with Green Candle Dance Company, two activities leaders are currently studying for a nationally recognised diploma with the group, which will give them the skills, knowledge and confidence to lead dance classes with residents after the programme.

The dance sessions have proved particularly engaging with those in the care homes, giving them the opportunity to reconnect with their past and drive sensory stimulation through the use of music and colour.

Another staff member who has particularly benefited from the programme is Urvashi Kapur, an activities assistant at a care home in Greater London.

Urvashi commented: “The main purpose of my role is to create a tailored activities programme that engages with all our residents.

Activities often vary from animal therapy, sensory activities and table-top games but never once have we organised our own film shoot – we led on the entire process from creating our own lovely props to recording the shoot, and it was truly inspiring to be a part of. ” To find out more about the Shine! programme, visit www.sanctuary-care.co.uk/shine-arts-programme

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Nursing & Residential Home Specialist Agency

New Online Tool Will Improve Quality Of Care Delivered By Staff Emotional intelligence assessment supports employers and recruiters in selecting and retaining the best care staff!

Eddie Dribble - the best known name in the private care industry

Valuations undertaken - Nursing and Residential Homes always wanted for sale nationwide

Emanuel a Dribble 26 Arthur Road New Malden Surrey KT3 6LX Tel/Fax 020 8942 0852

Reduced commission rates for owners replying through this advertisement Reduced commission rates for RNHA members

Another Conviction â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Are Your Policies And Procedures Up To Date? a DirECtor of a Bristol homecare agency was convicted for continuously failing to provide documentation or register with the CQC earlier this year. Bristol Crown Court was told that she continued to provide care services despite not checking the suitability or skills of the people she employed or keep suitable records.

While the manager involved in the case was also refused CQC registration on grounds of a previous criminal record, the recent conviction is a stark reminder that the CQC will take legal

action against social care managers operating services without registration and proper compliance procedures in place.

Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) provide free advice for care managers seeking CQC registration and ongoing CQC compliance support in preparation for inspections against the fundamental standards. By managing your policies and compliance with QCS, you can be confident that essential policies are up to date â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so you can concentrate on providing the essential care your service users need.

Contact the QCS advice line on 0333 405 3333 for help with your CQC compliance management or visit www.ukqcs.co.uk/CR157