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Increased Demand Leaving Social Care at “Crisis Point” says Report
Rising disability among working-age adults and a growth in the number of people over 65 is putting rising pressure on the adult social care system in England, with more people requesting care but fewer people receiving it. New analysis from The King’s Fund shows that the proportion of working-age adults approaching local authorities for support has risen by 4 per cent – over 23,000 people – since 2015/16. At the same time, England’s increasing older population is fuelling greater demand for services. Together, this has led to over 1.8 million requests for adult social care, up 2 per cent since 2015/16. However, nearly 13,000 fewer people are receiving
support and real-terms local authority spending on social care is £700 million below what it was in 2010/11. The figures are presented in Social care 360, which brings together, for the first time, analysis of data from all major, publicly available data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the adult social care system in England. Successive administrations have pledged to reform social care and a much-anticipated green paper, promised by the current government and expected to set out the pros and cons of the different options for reform, has no release date nearly two years after it was first announced. The new analysis finds that 18 per cent of work-
ing-age people now report a disability, up from 15 per cent in 2010/11. The proportion of disabled working age adults reporting mental health conditions has increased significantly from 24 per cent to 36 per cent in the last 5 years. This rise is mirrored by an increase in the number of working-age adults claiming disability benefits in recent years. More older people are also approaching their councils for support, fuelled by an increase in the numbers of older people in the population. But the proportion of over-65s getting long-term social care from their local council has fallen by 6 per cent.
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PAGE 2 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
VIEWPOINT Is there too much negativity in the care sector? This is not in any way to suggest that bad practice should not be exposed, but the industry seems to suffer relentless negative media reports when in fact most people receiving care received a good quality of care. According to a report by the care quality commission in October 2018 ratings showed that quality overall has been largely maintained from the previous year (2017), and in some cases improved, despite the continuing challenges that providers Editor face. Minister for Care Caroline Dinenage said: “Despite the challenges facing the sector, many social care providers are doing an incredible job, with over 80% rated as good or outstanding by CQC. Those who have turned around their rating should be especially proud and CQC is rightly sharing these lessons with the whole sector so others can improve. So, why do the media not focus on this? “Controversy Sells”. A sad but unacceptable fact in modern day media. Several years ago, I was invited into a seminar at a tradeshow where leading health figures were giving their insight, thoughts and predictions regarding the care sector. One of the speakers then started to focus on people in the audience and asked them if they had a suggestion which they felt could improve the perception of the industry. I’m never comfortable being put on the spot but on this occasion, I was, and my answer was very simple - “share the good news”. One of the real positive aspects in my job is reading the many positive press releases I receive on a daily basis (unfortunately we cannot put them all into print but check out our website), where care homes go to great lengths to improve not only the standard of care, but the happiness and well-being of the residents, which of course always reflects in the happiness and well-being of the staff, the home and residents families. Last year we celebrated our 10th Anniversary for The Carer with a “Unsung Hero of the Decade” award, where readers will probably remember that we asked homes/managers to nominate somebody working in the care home who had at some time during the past 10 years gone that extra mile in doing something which may have not been given the recognition it deserved. The prize was a two-night break for two in any one of 300 luxury hotels around the country. As previously stated, we were overwhelmed with nominations from every department making us very proud to be part of such a dedicated hard-working and caring sector. We repeated the Unsung Hero award for Christmas and again were overwhelmed with wonderfully uplifting nominations. This week we were absolutely delighted to receive a letter from our Unsung Hero of the Decade when Tina Higginson of Sambrook House care home to thank us for her award which she said was a real “highlight in her career”. Tina’s manager Neil said that the award had given the home a real sense of pride. Our Christmas winner was Wayne Phillips of Select Lifestyles, and the real irony however is that both winners chose my home city of Liverpool to enjoy their break! Tina took in the sights of Liverpool including the famous “Ferry across the Mersey”, and I’m even further delighted to report on my home city’s wonderful sense of hospitality, the hotel that she stayed at when hearing she was the winner of a care award upgraded the room to a suite overlooking the Mersey! (Thank you Liverpool)! So, in July we will be launching our summer “Unsung Hero Award”, no rules just nominate somebody who you feel deserves to be recognised in your care environment and we will do the rest!
Peter Adams
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THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 3
Increased Demand Leaving Social Care at “Crisis Point” says Report (...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) The authors suggest that this is partly due to a freeze since 2010/11 in the amount of assets people can hold and still be eligible for state-funded care. Unmet need among older people remains high, with 22 per cent saying they needed support but did not get it. The report identifies a number of other key trends. • The amount it costs councils to pay for care per week is increasing. The average per week cost of residential and nursing care for an older person now stands at £615, a real-terms increase of 6.6 per cent since 2015/16. • The number of nursing and residential care beds available for people aged over 75 has fallen from 11.3 per 1,000 to 10.1 per 1,000 since 2012. • There is a growing staffing crisis in social care, with around 8 per cent of jobs vacant at any one time. There are 1.6 million jobs in social care, up by 275,000 since 2009. But 390,000 staff leave their jobs each year. • Fewer people who care for family members are receiving support from their local authority, but more are getting help through the national benefits system. Despite the huge challenges facing social care,
those people able to access care and support services report high levels of satisfaction. In 2017/18, 90 per cent of social care users said they were either extremely or quite satisfied with their care. Simon Bottery, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund and lead author of the report, said: 'This report shows that increasing need among working-age adults, an increasing older population and high levels of existing unmet need are combining to put immense pressure on our care and support system, now and for the future. Yet there is little evidence that the government understands or is willing to act on these trends despite the impact on older and disabled people, their families and carers. 'The social care Green Paper, which still has no release date over two years after it was announced, is an opportunity to set out the fundamental reform we desperately need. But while the green paper is delayed, the government must focus on what it can do to support people now. Putting more money into the system in this autumn’s Spending Review would help people to get the help they need while longer-term reform takes effect.'
EU Workers’ Qualifications Will Be Recognised After EU Exit EU or Swiss qualified persons entering the UK after exit may have their qualifications recognised, whether we leave the EU with or without a deal. Legislation introduced on 7 March 2019 means health and social care workers with professional qualifications from EU and Swiss institutions who are currently registered can continue to practise in the UK as they do now, guaranteeing their ability to work in the NHS. This means up to 63,000 NHS staff and 104,000 social care workers who qualified in the EU or Switzerland can have their training and experience accepted by all regulatory bodies for the health and social care sectors, including: • General Medical Council • Nursing and Midwifery Council • General Pharmaceutical Council • General Dental Council • Health and Care Professions Council Employment contracts will not need to be changed if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, and staff won’t have to reapply for their current positions after exit day. The government is also encouraging EU workers to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. The scheme fully opened on 30 March and you can now apply for free. Those who have lived in the UK for 5 years or longer can apply for ‘settled status’. Those who have lived in the UK for under 5 years can apply for ‘pre-settled status’. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "Every day across the health and social care system, our EU colleagues and friends make a difference to millions of
lives, and this vital legislation means they will be able to continue work here, whatever the Brexit outcome. "My message to EU staff is clear – we all want you to feel valued and stay in the UK. Today’s announcement builds on our NHS Long Term Plan’s commitment to recruit and retain a world-class workforce over the long term. "My priority is to make sure high standards are maintained across the healthcare system and patients continue to receive the high-quality care they deserve – this legislation helps ensure that will continue to be the case." Danny Mortimer, Chief Executive of NHS Employers and Chair of the Cavendish Coalition, said: "We have been clear that we must continue to embrace the vital contribution of our talented colleagues from overseas in caring for our patients and communities. "We very much welcome the news, as will employers and staff, that the UK will recognise the qualifications of EU professionals in a no-deal situation. We would hope for similar confirmation of recognition for those with UK qualifications working in the EU." Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said: "Our EU staff make an incredible contribution to the NHS, touching the lives of patients and families as doctors, nurses, midwives, care staff, allied health professionals, porters and a whole host of other professions. "I therefore welcome this news and hope that it goes some way to reassure EU staff that your expertise and skills are valued and that you matter to us."
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What 5 Legal Questions Families Should Ask Themselves Before A Family Member Goes Into A Care Home Deciding whether a family member should move into a care home can be a huge decision for both the person going into care and the family. It can be very daunting for everyone involved. There are numerous questions families should ask themselves a loved one goes into care and here are just 5 legal questions to consider beforehand.
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1. What are the person’s financial circumstances and who will pay for the care home? PO 300
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The average cost of a residential care home in the UK in 2017/2018 was £32,344 a year. Whether they pay privately will depend on their financial circumstances. Once the family member’s care needs have been assessed, the council will carry out a financial assessment which would decide what they can pay towards the care home and if the council will pay too. If the person has over £23,250 in capital they will pay towards their own fees. If they have between £14,250 and £23,250, the local council will fund some of their fees. If their assets are below £14,250, they won’t pay for their care although their income can still be considered.
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2. Will they need to sell their home? The value of the home is taken into account unless their spouse, civil partner or another relative who is 60+ or has a disability lives there. If the home is owned jointly, the rules can be rather complex, and it would be best to seek legal advice in this case. There may be a 12-week disregard if the person has less than £23,250 in cash (not including the house) which means that the council can contribute to the cost of the care home for 12 weeks or until the property is sold, whichever is the sooner. The council may also offer a deferred payment agreement which means that the person going into care receives a loan from the council to pay for care until the house is sold. The council can charge interest on this loan.
3. Does my loved one have a Lasting Power of Attorney (“LPA”)?
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An LPA is a legal document which enables a person (“the Donor”) to give another person or persons (“the Attorneys”) the right to make decisions on their behalf. There are two types: (i) Lasting Power of Attorney for Property & Financial Affairs.
This can be used if the Donor has capacity or has lost capacity. In the case of the latter, you will realise how important this document is when a loved one needs care. (ii) Lasting Power of Attorney for Health & Welfare. This allows your Attorney to make decisions about your general health & welfare like your daily routine), medical care, moving into a care home and life sustaining treatment. This type of lasting power of attorney can only be used when the Donor has lost capacity. Both the LPA will need to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before they can be used. If an LPA has not been made and the person loses capacity, an application to the Court of Protection for a Deputyship Order must be made which can cause unnecessary delay, expense and stress for all involved.
4. Is there a chance the person could run out of money? This will need to be considered as they may be eligible for financial help from the council, but the council will have a limit on what it will pay. If the care home that your family member is living in at the time is more than this, then your loved one may be asked to move to a smaller room or to a different home which will be extremely stressful. You should read the terms of the care home contract and ensure you discuss this with the care home at the time. Also, ensure you are claiming the right benefit which can include attendance allowance and disability allowance or the daily component of personal independence payment. You or a relative may also be able to look at “topping up” the difference between what the relative can afford and what the council pay. This is referred to as “third party top-up”.
5. Are they entitled to NHS continuing healthcare funding? If your loved one has physical or mental health needs, this may be NHS funded. This is free social care arranged and is non-means-tested. It is funded solely by the NHS. The person would be assessed by a team of healthcare professionals who will consider several factors, such as what help they need and how complex their needs are. To be eligible you must have ongoing significant health needs. It depends on the assessed needs and not a particular diagnosis. It is best to seek legal advice to take you through the process if you think your loved one could be eligible. Emily Taylor is a Partner at BDB Pitmans, and specialises in tax planning, trusts, estate administration and drafting of wills and powers of attorney.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 5
Councils Urged to Champion Free Personal Care Independent Age, the older people’s charity, has called on local councillors to back the public’s call for the government to introduce free personal care for over 65s – something that is available in Scotland, but not in England. The social care system is broken, often providing poor or limited care – yet costs local government billions every year, while not meeting the needs of over 1.4 million older people[i]. The social care cap proposed by the government at the last General Election will not help 90% of older people and will do nothing to invest in the quality of care[ii]. The charity argues that free personal care will change that, for a similar cost to the cap, and address the social care challenges that local government are struggling to address by: · Providing a social care guarantee that people want and need; · Providing better value for money for the taxpayer; · Reducing the need for residential care placements, which are funded at high cost by local government; · Supporting family carers to spend more time providing emotional support; and · Enhancing the integration of health and social care. Introducing free personal care would be extremely popular. A recent YouGov poll found that 74% of adults in England aged 18-64 want free personal care for all older people, and 69% would be willing to contribute more to fund it. In addition, there is growing parliamentary support for free personal care. A recent ComRes poll for Independent Age, which surveyed 116 MPs[iii] in England, found that three quarters of them (74%)
agreed that free personal care, paid for through a social care contribution, should be provided to all older people needing it. This reinforces the recommendations of the influential Health and Social Care and Housing, Communities and Local Government select committees’ joint report setting out the case for free personal care to be introduced, paid through a social care contribution. With more than two years having passed since the government announced it would produce a Green Paper on adult social care, the charity has written to council leaders across England, calling on them, their fellow councillors and prospective council candidates, to join the growing support for the introduction of a free personal care guarantee for older people as part of the social care reforms. George McNamara, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age, commented: “The introduction of free personal care is affordable and would lead to a fairer system for older people and address many of the social care challenges with which local government is struggling. “Free personal care will increase accessibility to the support that older people want and need. It can be delivered at a similar cost to the government’s poorly targeted, high cost, cap on care costs, which will only benefit around 20,000 older people. “The growing support for free personal care by the public, health and care leaders and parliamentarians shows how this policy could deliver the transformation in social care that is desperately needed.”
Lavender Fields Care Home Becomes Film Set Greensleeves Care’s newest home, Lavender Fields in Sevenoaks, welcomed BAFTA award-winning actors Miriam Margolyes and Virginia McKenna, and an international quality film crew to the home as it was transformed into a film set that created the centre of a beautiful love story that spans across the ages. Although the plot is currently secret and under wraps, Greensleeves Care’s historic links with the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service made Lavender Fields a particularly apt filming location. During filming, residents observed the action and had the opportunity to chat to the two actors they have long admired; residents were welcomed on the film set and learnt what happens during the making of a movie. Residents even joined in a rousing sing-
song spontaneously initiated by Miriam and Virginia themselves. With many residents assuming the opportunity to be in a professionally produced movie was behind them, they were delighted to be offered the opportunity to be a star for the day and show off their acting talent as extras in the movie. The film will be completed over the coming months and will be released later this year. Carla Fraser, the Filmmaker, said:
“The care home team were fantastic and went above and beyond to make the day a success. Aside from the amazing support with the filming, I would see the cast and crew speaking to residents or organising activities for them and I was absolutely blown away by the care and dedication I witnessed – not only is this a beautiful location, the atmosphere is so incredibly welcoming and happy!” Paul Newman, Greensleeves Care’s Chief Executive, said “Lavender Fields is a lively home with a vibrant resident and staff community who jumped at the chance to contribute to such an important story. Residents look forward to seeing themselves on the silver screen and marking the film’s release with their own local red carpet premiere. Fingers crossed for a Best Supporting Actor role!”
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PAGE 6 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
How to Challenge a CQC Decision
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Katherine Millray, Director and Head of Litigation at QualitySolicitors AcklamBond, shares how health and social care providers can challenge an unfair or incorrect Care Quality Commission report. Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings can be instrumental in dictating the success of care homes. The reports provide valuable insights for care recipients and families, or those looking into care options, into the care quality standards of a home. It’s important that these reports are prepared without bias and accurately reflect the actual practices of a home. Given CQC reports carry a lot of weight, a negative report can severely damage a care home’s reputation and steer away potential clients. If the report brings to light unsafe practices, then this is a positive thing. If, though, a report incorrectly or unfairly identifies issues, then care home managers should react robustly and swiftly to challenge the inspection report. There are a few stages of action a care provider can take when protesting a poor review.
THE DRAFT REPORT The CQC will provide a draft report to the care home in question, where the provider will then have a short timeframe of just 10 working days to submit factual inaccuracy comments before the report is published. If the draft report is not challenged before the deadline, the CQC will assume all points are agreed to and publish the report on their website. Some providers choose not to address inaccuracies, whether this refers to an incompleteness in the report or they are not satisfied with the ‘facts’, because they do not want to ‘rock the boat’ or cause issues with the inspectors. Even minor concerns should be noted, though, as this stage is the only chance for care home providers to challenge the factual content of a CQC report. Failure to do so means the provider won’t have anything recorded to support any future ratings review, and there won’t be any written evidence to mount a challenge against a subsequent warning notice if it came to it. This is why it is so important to voice concerns early, whatever the circumstances are.
THE WARNING NOTICE If the quality of care is deemed to have fallen below the legal requirement, the CQC will issue a Warning Notice. Although providers are unable to appeal a notice, they can make ‘representations’ to the CQC.
Start a New Chapter
Again, care home providers have a short timeframe of just 10 working days to make representations. There are limited grounds in which a warning notice can be challenged on, including if the notice: • Contains an error; • Is based on inaccurate facts; or • Is either unfair to be published or shouldn’t have been issued in the first place. Once a representation is made, the CQC aims to respond within five working days with their decision in writing.
THE RATINGS REVIEW Once an inspection report has been published it shows the final rating the CQC has given to the care home. If the care home provider disagrees with the rating, they have five working days to request a ratings review, which cannot be done before the report is published. The full request must then be submitted to the CQC within 15 working days since the date the report was published. The CQC have five key questions they look to address in the report and provide a rating ranging from outstanding to inadequate. The questions the CQC address in the inspection report are as follows: • Are they safe? • Are they effective? • Are they caring? • Are they responsive to people’s needs? • Are they well-led? In preparing a ratings review request, it pays to be mindful that the CQC have limited any challenge to just 500 words. It is also worth knowing that although a review may lead to an increase in one or more ratings, there is also a risk they could downgrade an existing rating.
JUDICIAL REVIEW If all attempts at challenging an inspection report have failed, then an absolute and final route to consider is an application for judicial review. Any complaint or application against the CQC’s inspection report must be submitted in writing to the relevant person, such as the inspector or the CQC’s National Customer Service Centre. At this point the only complaints that are considered are administrative mistakes, unprofessional behaviour, failure to follow proper procedures or not meeting required standards. Judicial reviews should only be seen as a last-ditch attempt to correct an inaccurate or unfair report as they can be complicated and costly. Speaking with a solicitor that specialises in healthcare law can help your care home understand all available options, ensure you’re guided through the process of challenging a CQC inspection report and will help any application or representation for review be the strongest it can be. www.qualitysolicitors.com
Calibre Audio Library brings the joy of audiobooks to those unable to read print because of sight loss, dyslexia or another disability that prevents them from holding a book. This means people can read by listening to books, when this pleasure would otherwise be lost.
Audiobooks and wellbeing
Reading has many recognised health benefits; from reducing stress and helping to combat memory loss, to having a positive impact on mental health. Books provide companionship, adventure and pleasure, and audiobooks extends these benefits to include those who cannot read printed books.
Negative thoughts about a condition can effect a person’s overall wellbeing, with physical problems leading to depression and anxiety. To help counteract this, research has shown audiobooks can have a positive impact on mental health in the elderly (ref. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
Socialising with audiobooks
Audiobooks can also be a gateway to socialising; many care homes and libraries have their own book groups where members can meet others regularly and talk about the latest book they have read. This can be a vital connection for those that feel the sting of isolation and loneliness.
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A lifetime membership is just £35 (including VAT) for adults and £20 for under 16’s. Group membership packages for care homes and other organisations are also available.
Visit www.calibre.org.uk or call our membership services team on 01296 432 339 to join or for more information.
THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 7
Care Cost Cap Will Not Prevent People Losing Their Life Savings and Homes New research commissioned by the older people’s charity Independent Age shows that over half (51%) of homeowners in England over the age of 50 fear losing their savings and homes to pay for their care in the future. The results suggest that 58% of English adults and 56% of homeowners aged 50 and over worry about this, but less than a quarter (22%) are saving for their future care needs. The polling by YouGov showed that women homeowners aged 50 and over were more concerned about losing their home than men (62% v 50%). Overall, people in the Midlands were the most concerned (61%). Currently, more than 143,000 older people – more than a third of the 421,000 currently in residential care – are likely to face costs of £100,000 or more to pay for their care. Such costs are classed as ‘catastrophic’. In recent years, the government has proposed introducing a cap to prevent these catastrophic costs. However, separate research by Grant Thornton UK LLP, commissioned by Independent Age, has revealed that a cap would fail the majority of older people in care homes. Caps don’t work because: • If the cap is set at too high a level, many older people in residential care will not live long enough to reach it – the average length of stay in a care home is 22 months. • Most of the proposed caps take no account of hotel costs – food, lodging and other non-care related costs – and therefore leave many older people at risk of catastrophic hotel costs. The research shows that: • A cap set at £100,000 of care costs only affects 5% of people and is only relevant after 8.5 years in care • A £72,000 cap on care costs only affects 12% of people and is only relevant after 6.1 years in care
• A cap of £35,000 on care costs only affects 36% of people and is only relevant after 3 years in care • Even a £100,000 cap that includes both care and hotel costs only affects 34% of people in residential care and is only relevant after 3.1 years in care Independent Age is calling on the government to scrap the idea of a cap and instead introduce free personal care for older people, as enjoyed in Scotland. The charity states that this would virtually eliminate catastrophic costs (2) and give every older person the right to free personal care. The benefits would include: • A reduced cost of care to individuals, families and demand for high cost residential care • significantly reducing unmet care needs • supporting more people to be cared for in their own home • reducing pressures on the NHS • providing much needed support to family carers George McNamara, Director of Policy and Influencing at Independent Age, commented: “If the government is serious about protecting older people from having to sell their homes or lose their hard earned savings then it’s time for them to scrap the idea of a cap. “Catastrophic costs may not be a term used by many older people, but we know that many have an everpresent fear of losing their life savings or homes to pay for their care. The government has a duty and responsibility to act. “Free personal care, in contrast to the proposed caps, will end the worry of losing everything to fund care. It’s simple, fair and affordable and is the reform that the majority of people want to see.”
Care Home Residents 103 And 92 Take Part in Park Run A ‘team’ of residents from a Salisbury care home proved that age is just a number by competing in the city’s popular Park Run. Amongst the competitors from Colten Care’s Braemar Lodge was Dora Williams, 92, who was the oldest person to compete the 5k course on foot. Iris Stowell, 103, was amongst a group of four residents who tackled the course in wheelchairs. Dora practised for the popular event by borrowing a pedometer from a member of Braemar Lodge’s staff and walking regularly at Salisbury’s Victoria Park. She completed the four lap-course of Churchill Gardens in an impressive 1hr 22 minutes. Iris was supported at the event by her daughter, granddaughter and two great grandchildren. While her fellow wheelchair competitors Dennis Johnson, Betty Winter and Trish Stadward, were accompanied by 10 Braemar Lodge staff and their families. Around 500 people took part in the Park Run, which
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is staged each week and attracts runners of all ages and abilities from across the region. Race Director Jeff Hutchby said: “If anyone has ever wondered if Park Run is for them we hope they will look to the Braemar Lodge residents for inspiration. “They really are an incredible group of people and we are honoured to count them within our growing ranks.”
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PAGE 8 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
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Ombudsman Issues Good Practice Guide for Care Providers The Alzheimer’s Show 2019,
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has issued a good practice guide which shares lessons from complaints to help adult social care providers improve their services. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has issued a good practice guide which shares lessons from complaints to help adult social care providers improve their services. Based on the Ombudsman’s lengthy experience of investigating complaints about independent providers, the guide gives real-life examples of the common problems the organisation sees – and offers some ways to avoid the pitfalls. Common issues the Ombudsman sees in its complaints include a lack of clear information about fees, charges and contracts, problems with billing and invoices, ensuring people’s belongings are looked after properly, and dealing with challenging behavior from friends and relatives. Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “Since 2010 we’ve been the only independent route to redress for the thousands of people receiving care from independent providers. “In that time, we have investigated thousands of complaints, and have upheld a high proportion of those we investigate. “And although we see poor practice, we also see good examples of care providers making practical changes as a result – and it is this good practice we want to encourage. Care providers can learn a lot from the complaints we receive and resolve, and by working together
hopefully we can improve the system for everyone. “We believe caring about complaints and learning from them is a sign of a mature culture and good leadership – as well as being a cost-effective way of improving, especially when resources are under pressure.” The report also shows how the Ombudsman works in partnership with care regulator, the Care Quality Commission and includes a copy of the single complaints statement, Quality Matters, which was produced in partnership with organisations including HealthWatch England last year. The statement helps adult social care providers set out what service users, their families and representatives can expect when making a complaint. Since the Ombudsman gained the jurisdiction to investigate independent care providers, it has investigated more than 2,000 complaints and is now upholding 69% of those investigated. This is higher than the overall uphold rate for all adult social care complaints (61%). The Ombudsman remedies individual injustice and improves services. Where its investigations have found fault, the Ombudsman makes recommendations to remedy that fault. This can come in the form of, for example, an apology, a financial payment or a reassessment of services. Ombudsman recommendations may also include wider improvements to services including revisiting training, policies and procedures. The report is at www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/news/2019/ mar/ombudsman-issues-good-practice-guide-for-care-providers
Care Homes Prepare For Care Home Open Day 2019 Care homes up and down the country are preparing for Care Home Open Day on 28 June. The theme this year is art in care and www.carehomeopenday.org.uk is bursting with ideas as to how to mark the occasion. Care Home Open Day is now in its 7th year, and. encourages homes to open their doors to celebrate a different theme each year, with a few key values at its heart: friendship, making connections and celebrating older and vulnerable people Sylvie Silver, Executive Director at National Activity Providers Association (NAPA) says: “Care Home Open Day is a great opportunity to invite the local community in to homes to
share the amazing work that goes on in them. Many will routinely display visual arts but far more creative activities happen every day. Knitting groups, Poetry clubs and Fine Art discussions are just a few that I have seen recently. Lots will be happening on 28 June and I hope that the general public will make the most of this opportunity to make friends with their local home”. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, say: “Care is multifaceted and we want to encourage the therapeutic benefits of art for all those in need of care or those providing care. Now well established, Care Home Open Day, is a real marker
in the calendar. I have been so enthused by the efforts that care homes have gone to and I am really looking forward to joining in the celebrations in June”. www.carehomeopenday.org.uk provides a suite of ideas for care homes allowing them to get creative on a small or big scale. With Spring around the corner some care homes are busy making paper flowers and fluffy chickens whilst others are busily decorating cakes for Mother’s Day and some warming up their voices in their choirs. There is something for everyone.
Runny Lion Eggs Return to Care Home Menus Fifteen months on from the official change in FSA advice, care home caterers are returning runny and raw eggs to their menus, ensuring that their residents don’t miss out on popular mealtime options like scrambled eggs, boiled egg with soldiers and omelettes. The change in FSA advice confirmed that British Lion eggs are safe to be eaten runny and even raw by elderly people, as long as they have the British Lion mark. A number of care home providers, including BUPA, Anchor Trust, Care UK and Four Seasons, have all since confirmed to the British Egg Information Service that they are using Lion stamped eggs in their homes. As well as boosting protein levels, eggs also contain numerous vitamins such as vitamin D, B vitamins, iodine and
choline and can be useful in helping to cater for elderly people with dementia due to their widespread use in many classic recipes. Andrew Joret, chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, says “With eggs occupying a key place in many traditional British dishes, it is wonderful that more and more elderly people in care homes are now able to enjoy them served runny and raw. “As awareness of the change in FSA advice is beginning to seep through and research on the universal health benefits of eggs continues to be published, it is fantastic that an increasing number of care homes are taking note of the safety guarantees associated with runny and raw Lion eggs and their health benefits.”
Olympia London The UK’s leading event for dementia is on 7–8 June 2019 at Olympia London. The two-day conference and exhibition is designed to provide help, resources, information and advice, as well as showcasing the latest and best products and services. Featuring a wide range of expert speakers across three theatres, daily question time sessions, Q&A’s, practical activity workshops, professional advice clinics, interactive dementia experiences and a wide range of dementia and care exhibitors, The Alzheimer’s Show is an unmissable event for those working in the care and health sector wanting a better understanding of dementia, the challenges it can bring as well as providing access to information, new ideas and practical tools to help those living with dementia. For further information and to book tickets visit www.alzheimersshow.co.uk. Tickets cost £15 online, £20 on the door. See the advert on page 12 for further details.
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New Research Demonstrates That an Effective Onboarding Process Can Help to Drive-up Staff Retention Within Your Care Home Although recruitment within the social care industry is important in order to attract the right people run an effective care home business. Statistics by Skills for Care estimate that every year 390,000 people leave their job in social care, which equates to 1,000 per day, leaving approximately 110,000 vacancies at any one time1. Recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce, who have compatible values, can help care home organisations deliver a high quality and consistent level of care and support. Cohesion, a specialist social care recruitment company, recently surveyed care organisations on recruitment and retention. The research revealed that over half (55%) of respondents found retaining staff to be a bigger challenge than recruiting2. Here Will Shepherd, CEO at Cohesion, shares his advice on how to promote better staff retention: 1. Provide role clarity – Candidates want to know the detail and if you fail to tell them up front, things can go wrong down the line. Include daily duties of the role, information about the service and team and the benefits of how to apply. It is important to highlight how the employee can make a positive difference in the advert and throughout the recruitment process – because research tells us this is the most important reason candidates will choose to apply. 2. Induction and training – When a new recruit starts working for a care home, the onboarding process is a crucial step in making them want to stay with an organisation long-term. Delivering a good induction scheme with associated training, has proven to be better than spreading training out over the first few months. Our research found that 72% of candidates
surveyed at 12 weeks into their new role said that ‘opportunities to develop in and beyond their current role’ was important to them. Our research also found that 96% of all new starters who had been made to feel welcome by their manager described themselves as either ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ in their role. It’s important to focus on other areas apart from CQC compliance training. Make it exciting by selling your business, the team and the organisation’s culture. When a new member of staff starts, shadowing and supernumerary shifts alongside existing members of staff, can have a huge impact on their confidence and enjoyment of the role. 3. Use social media – Social media is often used to attract people into a role during recruitment, but it is now having a huge impact as an engagement tool for the retention process. However, our survey revealed that 65% of social care organisations did not use social media as part of their employee retention strategy. Utilise personnel success stories across your social media channels, encouraging people to join the organisation’s community. Social media can also be used to encourage new starter recommendations – motivate, and if possible, reward staff for making candidate introductions and referrals. Consistency is key and maintaining a social media presence can ultimately make a huge impact.
to apply within a care home, but any flexibility that you can offer in terms of shift patterns and rotas is appreciated by staff. The rewards make it worth it! 5.Listening and acting on employee feedback – By the time a member of staff is taking part in an exit interview, it is really too late to identify and solve any problems they may have faced during their period of employment. A ‘stay interview’, which takes place while an employee is still employed, provides a great opportunity to build a trusting relationship and is a chance to assess the degree of employee satisfaction and engagement. While you may not need to hold stay interviews with all employees, it’s especially important to hold them with key members of staff who might be considering a career change. Be sure to listen to your employee, take notes and action their suggestions, if they don’t feel like anything is going to change, you won’t get honest feedback.
4.Work life balance – Our survey revealed that 40% of people who said they were ‘very unhappy’ combined with the 32% who were ‘unhappy’, did not feel that the hours and shifts were suitable for their work life balance or travel arrangements. The more flexible the working environment, the wider the audience of potential applicants. We are aware that this can sometimes be hard
New £25m Veterans’ High Wycombe Care Care Home Tombola Helps Fund War Memorial Home Welcomes First Resident
The Royal Star & Garter Home in High Wycombe has welcomed its first resident. David French was greeted by Home Manager Chelle Daly as he entered the £25 million care home on Tuesday, 16 April. The state-of-the-art building has 74 bedrooms, and also features a café-bar area, activities room, in-house physiotherapy room, library, gardens and hair salon. It will care for ex-Servicemen and women and their partners living with disability or dementia. Mr French, 85, is an RAF veteran who served from 1951 to 1953. He was welcomed with a
hug and a kiss on the cheek by Home Manager Chelle Daly on his arrival. After being shown to the room and around parts of the Home, Mr French said: “It’s very impressive, I’m happy to be here.”
His daughter, Sue Couldery, said: “It’s a huge relief that Dad is here, it’s been very hard for the past few months. It means he’s going to be safe and occupied. We all feel very welcomed here.” Chelle said: “I’m so happy we’re open and it’s our privilege to welcome David to the new Home. I’m looking forward to him becoming part of The Royal Star & Garter Homes’ family.” The Home will welcome residents in small numbers so that it can adapt the care provided to each individual’s needs. It expects to reach full capacity in Spring 2020.
A NORTH East village is a step closer to installing their first war memorial after a care home fundraiser. A tombola held by Pelton Grange Care Home, in Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, raised £130 for the Pelton Parish Council’s war memorial fund. The village is planning to erect a memorial in the grounds of the Holy Trinity Church in memory of those killed in conflicts since the First World War. Pelton Parish Councillors Stephen Hann and Miriam Lonsdale-Cope were among the guests at the home’s tombola, which was held at the Co-Op on Front Street. Cllr Lonsdale-Cope, whose grandfather was a stretcher bearer killed at the Battle of the Somme in 1916, said: “Thanks to our friends in
the local area for all of their help and especially to residents, staff and family members at Pelton Grange, whose help is really appreciated.” Alongside selling tickets, carers and support staff donated their own money to the project. Christopher Hogan-Hind, home manager at Pelton Grange Care Home, said: “After the Parish Council canvassed local businesses for support to fund the memorial, we got on board straight away. “It’s been a privilege to support the project. It’s so important that we commemorate those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. “Many of our residents remember the loss of family members in the world wars and it is a comfort to them knowing their community is remembering them.”
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128,000 New Care Workers Needed Every Year, Says Study The social care sector is facing a staffing crisis with an estimate shortage of half a million workers over the next decade, reports a major new study from the trade body Care Association Alliance and law firm Royds Withy King. Charles Taylor, Steering Group member, at the Care Association Alliance said: “The UK has an aging population – by 2030 we will have 13.25m individuals aged over 65 – and our report sets out to explore the challenge providers face in employing staff as Brexit looms large. Our findings do not paint an encouraging picture.” “The sector needs to recruit 128,000 new members of staff every year to replace those that retire or leave, and to meet increasing demand. Increased demand alone means that in 10 years’ time the sector needs 500,000 new members of staff. In 2016, the latest data we have, the sector managed to recruit just 20,000. “To put that into context and based on the gender demographic of today’s care workforce where 80% is female. In 2017, 126,642 young women left secondary education. Assuming the care sector remains primarily staffed by women, it would need to recruit 102,000, or 81%, of those female school leavers every year to meet demand. That is clearly not possible, and illustrates the challenges the care sector faces.” The position becomes that much more concerning when the sector’s reliance on EU staff is considered. 33% of care sector nurses and 16% of care assistants come from the EU. In London, that increases to 65% of care assistants and a staggering 84% of nurses. It has been hoped that the Government would recognise this need when it published in December its Immigration White Paper, but it offered little consola-
tion. James Sage, employment lawyer and Head of Health & Social Care at Royds Withy King said: “The Government plans to severely restrict access to care staff from the EEA after Brexit, despite the current staffing crisis engulfing the care sector. There are no special rules for the care sector despite it being particularly reliant on European staff. To exacerbate the problem, the Government has failed to adopt a coherent strategy to address staff shortages by other means. “The study indicates that the sector has increased staff wages by up to 10% over the past five years and given that wages typically account for between 65-80% of a care providers running costs, this represents a significant increase in running costs. More significant future wage increases are unviable unless councils increase fee rates paid to providers.” The Care Association Alliance is calling for Government to reconsider its immigration proposals in light of the significant staff shortages in the care sector. Charles Taylor said: “The proposed visa that would allow low-skilled people into the UK for a 12-month period is simply not good enough. It would be costly for care employers to manage whilst further exacerbate staff turnover. “We would urge the government to introduce a social care visa which would only be available to people working in that sector. Such a model already exists for those working in the agricultural sector. If the Government cannot support the sector, care providers will be forced to close, leaving the vulnerable and elderly without sufficient care and support.” A full copy of the report is available from http://careassociationalliance.org.uk/
Tributes Paid to D-Day Troops Ahead of 75th Anniversary
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Veterans at a Solihull care home have paid tribute to the men who lost their lives on the beaches of Normandy, ahead of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. A wreath from The Royal Star & Garter Homes was laid at the memorial in the Bayeux Commonwealth Military Cemetery in France and signed on behalf of its residents. The Home cares for ex-Servicemen and women and their partners living with disability or dementia. It was placed by Charlie Wilson, Activities & Volunteers Manager at the Home, on Friday, 15 March, and included a note written by Joan, a resident who served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) – the women’s branch of the British Army – during the Second World War, and whose husband took part in the Normandy landings. It read: “On behalf of all veterans of World War II, grateful thanks to
our brave souls who gave their lives on the Normandy beaches 75 years ago to secure our freedom. We and the nation salute you.” Charlie also visited the five DDay landing beaches, Allied cemeteries and museums during her week-long trip. She said: “I come from a military family, with both my parents serving in the Navy and in the Falklands, so we’ve been brought
up with a real respect for troops and services. And working at The Royal Star & Garter Homes, I have a huge amount of respect for older Servicemen and women.” Charlie said the D-Day tour opened her eyes to the sacrifices they made: “You learn more about what they did, what they went through, and they went through hell. But they still managed to fight and they still managed to win. You truly appreciate what they did, the sacrifices they paid for our freedom, and it fills you with pride.” Along with the message written on the wreath, other residents also gave notes for Charlie to take with her to France. She said: “It was special for them that their messages and tributes could be taken to the memorial. D-Day is really special for a lot of residents, it means a lot for them. It was a lovely tribute.”
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VODG Urges Government to Resolve Confusion in Overnight Support Long-running uncertainty about payments and funding for sleep in staff has created huge uncertainty in social care for many years. Current social care funding fails to fully recognise the contribution that staff make to improving people’s lives. The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) representing charities that provide services for disabled people, today publishes a new position statement on the issue. The statement outlines the national association’s “grave concerns” over the lack of clear regulations for the payment of overnight support. VODG warns that this will drive the social care market to move in uncoordinated ways and lead to “inconsistent commissioning and provision.” VODG also calls for the government to set a new rate for sleep in payments, after full consultation with workers, employers, commissioners and other stakeholders. The latest impasse on sleep in payments relates to a Court of Appeal judgment last year (the joined cases of Mencap v Tomlinson-Blake and Shannon v Rampersad in July 2018) that overturned a previous decision.
The latest judgment meant that sleep in workers do not have to be paid the national minimum wage throughout the night. However, this could change now the Supreme Court has granted Unison leave to appeal the Court of Appeal judgment. VODG has consistently warned the government that case law is at odds with how sleep in support care is commissioned. The group is adamant that commissioners must not use the recent Court of Appeal judgment to cut fees for overnight support, particularly given the existing fragility of social care services. VODG makes several recommendations to resolve the sleep in confusion, including: • The government must consult widely with workers, employers, commissioners and other stakeholders and clarify what hard working staff are entitled to, and precisely how it, and commissioners, will fund this • Commissioners and providers must work together • A confirm from government that the current legal position means employers will not face potential HMRC retrospective action to recover underpayment
of national minimum wage for sleep in work. Commenting on VODG’s position statement Steve Scown, chair of the group said: “We recognise the uncertainty facing our members and the care workforce in the commissioning and provision of essential overnight support. We are sharing our position statement with ministers and senior officials with whom we have been working with on this matters for many years. Our asks are straightforward and we urge government to be decisive and adopt a position so that a regulated rate of pay is established, and reviewed annually, for time spent asleep. Our solution will give staff and employers, including those that self-direct their own support through personal budgets, much needed clarity. In the meantime VODG will continue to monitor the market including commissioning trends and patterns because, as we have set out, an unmanaged market risks putting essential overnight support services at risk.”
Over 15,000 People with Neurological Conditions Placed In Nursing Homes A report by charity Sue Ryder estimated that during the summer of 2018 alone, 15,000 people with neurological conditions were in care homes for the elderly. The report gives a comprehensive picture on how people with neurological conditions such as motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease and acquired brain injury are being let down by health and social services in England. Younger people like Jayne and Simon, who are both residents at Sue Ryder The Chantry Neurological Care Centre, could have ended up feeling isolated in nursing homes ill equipped to manage their neurological conditions. Research by the charity reveals that approximately 15,000 people with neurological conditions have been placed in older people’s nursing or care homes across England during summer 2018. These settings lack the specialist expertise needed to support people with complex neurological conditions and, for young people, are sociably inappropriate and can lead them to feel isolated. The research goes on to reveal that there are over 500 people in
‘out of area’ placements, forcing many people to live away from their homes, families and friends. People with neurological conditions are “invisible” to health and care systems “It’s bad enough that people living with a devastating condition have to deal with something that affects every part of their lives, but the fact that the support they need and deserve isn’t being delivered is appalling,” said Sue Ryder’s Director of Neurological Services Pamela Mackenzie. “Our research also shows that most local authorities are not routinely recording whether someone they are providing services for has a neurological condition, meaning that people in England with a neurological condition are invisible to health and care systems,” she added. “The lack of visibility, together with the lack of priority given to neurology in the health system, means that people with neurological conditions are regularly being let down.”
The Southern Care Show Farnborough - 14th May 2019 The Southern Care Show is an exciting new care event for 2019. Taking place at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre on Tuesday 14th May it is brought to you by Hampshire Care Association & sponsored by Everylife Technologies. The show will be the largest adult social care event in the South of England and aims to educate care professionals from across the sector, including Residential & Nursing Care, Homecare, Learning Disability and Mental Health. The show’s 4 seminar theatres, the Keynote Theatre, sponsored by W&P Training, the Residential & Nursing Theatre, sponsored by Benfield Fire & Safety, the Homecare Theatre sponsored by Platinum Care Solutions & the Learning Disability & Mental Health Theatre will play host to an array of big names from across the industry. Confirmed speakers include: Caroline Dinenage (Minister of State for Care), Vic Rayner (National Care Forum), Professor Paul Burstow (SCIE), Karen Morse (Skills for Care), Deborah Ivanova (CQC), Taffy
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Gatawa (Everylife Technologies), Rob & Sophie Coulthard (Judgement Index), Mei-Ling Huang (Royds Withy King), David Cozens (RCN) & Andrew Coles (Person Centred Software). As well as the seminar theatres, the show will also house 90+ exhibition stands showcasing the latest industry products & services and representing industry bodies and associations from across the sector. To find out more about the show visit: southerncareshow.co.uk Or to enquire about exhibiting, email: exhibitors@southerncareshow.com or call 023 80255794 or see the advert on page 19.
understand the extent of her concerns and her aims for her organisation, we prepared a bespoke, multi-level action plan to reduce errors. We understand that, to ensure best practice within an organisation, changes need to be made not only at care staff level, but also to the Managerial teams and to the culture of the care organisation itself.
Case Study: Medicines Errors
We recently had a Regional Manager of a care home group come to us. She was having problems in multiple homes with medicines errors. She was concerned not only by the quantity of errors occurring but that errors were not being appropriately reported and, where they were, nothing was being done to adequately resolve the underlying issues.
3
4 To help reduce medicines errors within all homes, we suggested the following:
1
How Opus Helped
Having met with the Regional Manager to fully
2
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Medicines foundation training for staff so they understood what they should be doing to administer medicines safely and competently (Safe Handling of Medicines
(Foundation) Course). This improves staff competence and confidence and reduces the chance of errors occurring. Additionally, they will understand the importance of reporting in the, now unlikely, event that errors do occur.
Managers training to understand how to properly assess staff competence and how to audit medicines errors (Assessors Workshop and Medication Management & Audit Course). These courses can be tailored to reflect particular issues experienced within the organisation and include practical exercises and case studies. Free downloadable resources including our ‘Manager’s Guide to Reducing Medicines Errors’, paper-based competency assessment tool to assess staff and our Audit Tool. These all help demonstrate compliance to the Regulator.
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PAGE 14 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
Research Shows Dementia Rates Falling By 15% Per Decade Over Last 30 Years International experts have presented research indicating that dementia incidence rates may be falling by up to 15% decade on decade. The findings will be discussed today (Wednesday 20 March) at the Alzheimer’s Research UK Conference 2019 in Harrogate. Dementia currently affects 850,000 people in the UK and the condition is now the country’s leading cause of death. While the number of people living with dementia is set to rise dramatically as the population ages, this shift may be masking more positive news on an individual level. While there haven’t been any new drug treatments for dementia in nearly 20 years, lifestyle changes could be helping to bring down dementia rates and new risk reduction strategies could further prevent or delay dementia Nearly 500 top scientists have gathered at the Harrogate Convention Centre this week for the UK’s largest annual meeting of dementia researchers. The Alzheimer’s Research UK Conference is a forum for researchers to forge collaborations and share new research findings over two days of talks. Comedian and actor, Stephen Fry welcomed scientists to the
Conference in a video message highlighting the vital importance of dementia research. Prof Albert Hofman, Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, attended the Conference to present the latest insights into how dementia rates seem to be changing over time. Analysing data from seven population-based studies in the United States and Europe, Prof Hofman and a global team of researchers set out to determine changes in the incidence of dementia between 1988 and 2015. Of 59,230 individuals included in the research, 5,133 developed dementia. The rate of new dementia cases declined by 15% per decade, a finding that was consistent across the different studies included in the analysis. The preliminary findings presented at the conference are set to be published in full later this year. Prof Hofman, said: “Looking over three decades, the incidence rate of dementia in Europe and North America seems to be declining by around 15% per decade. This finding is more pronounced in men than women and is likely to be driven by changes in cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle. “We know that recent decades have seen a radical decline in smoking rates for men. While many people may have been persuaded to stop smoking due to an increased risk of cancer or
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heart disease, it is also a key risk factor for dementia. “With other dementia risk factors such as obesity and diabetes on the rise, this apparent decline in dementia rates may not continue for long. Prof Alina Solomon, from Sweden’s largest centre of medical academic research, the Karolinska Institute, will present new findings from research into strategies that could help to ensure that dementia rates continue to fall. Her work is building on findings from the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) study. This pioneering trial provides the first evidence from a large randomised clinical trial that a multi-approach lifestyle intervention may help to prevent thinking and memory problems. Prof Alina Solomon, said: “In future, prevention strategies that combine drug treatments and lifestyle changes may be the most effective strategy to limit the impact of dementia. While new drugs take many years to develop, lifestyle changes are available to us all. “We’re working to identify diet, physical activity and brain training programmes that will be most impact on dementia risk. By testing these in different populations around the world, we’re focussed on making sure our findings will benefit the widest group of people possible.
One In 10 Care Homes Turn Away Obese Residents Due to Lack of Bariatric Facilities With one in four British adults now obese in older age, which equates to 5.8m people over 65, care homes need to look at how they can accommodate and care for residents that are obese, according to carehome.co.uk, the leading care home reviews website, which found only 41% of care home staff say they have the bariatric facilities to look after obese residents, with one in 10 care home staff (12%) having to turn them away due to lack of resources and equipment. The figures have been sourced from a survey completed by 2,803 care home owners, managers and staff. The term ‘bariatric’ relates to people who weigh more than 25 stone. Bariatric facilities can include larger, reinforced beds and baths and mechanical lifts and hoists. Sue Learner, editor of carehome.co.uk, said: “The number of obese, older people has been rising in the UK for the last couple of decades and care homes need to ensure they are inclusive and that residents who are severely overweight are treated with dignity. “Some care homes have built bariatric rooms, but over half are unprepared and have no specialist facilities. This inability to provide care for obese people who often have associated medical needs means they
are left stranded at hospital or at home. “The Government needs to be aware that care homes face higher costs if they care for bariatric residents, due to installing special equipment and needing specialist care workers who are trained in moving and handling obese people. It is much more expensive caring for morbidly obese people and care homes should receive more funding from the local authority for residents over a certain weight.” Severely obese people are more likely to suffer from complex conditions such as cardiac disease, hypertension, respiratory disease and diabetes. In addition, they often require specialist management of their skin as severely obese people have an increased risk of pressure ulcers, wounds and reduced prognosis for wound healing due to their immobility. Mike Vaughan, owner of Red Rocks Nursing Home in Wirral, Merseyside said: “I think there should be extra funding for providing care to obese patients as this currently requires specialist and expensive equipment or adaptions, without which we would be unable to provide care to this sector. “However, it is also vitally important that we do not institutionalise our equipment and functions to suit this care category
alone, which might then make clients who do not require these extra services feel as though they have to put up with a more institutional feel to their care than is absolutely necessary. I am aware this may lead to a two tier system with all that come with this.” Tracy Paine, deputy chief executive of Belong, which has nine care villages in the North West, revealed that the care provider does support people needing bariatric care. “In each situation, an assessment is made of a person’s individual care requirements, and we work with residents, their families and health and social care commissioners, to determine how we can best provide for the person’s needs and what special provisions will be necessary. Previously, this has led to investment in specialist equipment, including larger beds and aids to assist people to remain as independent as possible. “Practice development facilitators at each Belong village make sure staff have the skills and knowledge to provide bariatric care, including how to help with aspects of personal care and specialist moving and handling techniques. Staff also have an understanding of medical conditions associated with obesity, such as sleep apnoea and hypertension.”
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Oldest Man in England Celebrates His Caring Canine Daisy Is A Big Hit 111th Birthday at Brendoncare Alton Bob Weighton, the oldest man in England, celebrated his 111th Birthday on 29 March 2019. He celebrated with his friends and fellow residents at Brendoncare Alton, where a birthday party was organised for him. Children from St Lawrence CE Primary School in Alton performed some songs from 2.30pm, followed by the cutting of his birthday cake. Also, Bob officially launched his new book of poems and recited some of the poems during the party. Proceeds from the sale of his books will go to charities who work with the elderly in Alton. Bob Weighton, said, “I am very lucky to have been healthy and active throughout my life. I enjoy social activities and like to get outside every day. I have a shed in the garden at Brendoncare where I enjoy making toys and children’s furniture.” He went on to say, “It is far better to make a friend out of a possible enemy than it is to make an enemy out of a possible friend. This is something I have lived by throughout my life.” Bob was born on 29 March 1908 in Hull, Yorkshire, where he lived and studied for a degree in mechanical engineering. After his studies, he worked in marine engineering in
Northumberland. In 1933 he decided to volunteer to teach English in Taiwan. He spent six weeks on board a ship reaching Hong Kong and a further week getting to Taiwan. He initially spent two years learning Japanese, and then taught English in a school for four years, during which time he married his fiancée who came out from England in 1937. When warnings of Second World War were made in 1939, he decided to leave for England. However, on the way across the Pacific to Canada, war broke out and he lived in Canada and USA until the end of the war. During the war, he worked with the British Government, first inspecting aircraft engines for delivery to the RAF, and then translating enemy broadcasts and preparing programmes in Japanese to be broadcast to Japan under the title of the ‘Voice of Britain’. He returned to England in 1946 with his wife and three children. He became a lecturer in mechanical engineering at the City University of London, where he continued working until his retirement in 1973. He had 3 children, 10 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren and some of his family will be celebrating with him.
A new four-legged friend is bringing joy to a young woman who is in the final stages of a degenerative brain condition. Lizzie Bennett’s face lights up every time playful pooch Daisy, a 10-month old Bichon Frise, scampers into her room and jumps onto her bed at the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham. Thirty-year-old Lizzie and her two brothers, Christopher, 37, and Jonathan, 32, all have the cruel hereditary illness, Huntingdon’s Disease, which has been described as Parkinson’s Motor Neurone and Alzheimer’s all rolled into one. Lizzie and Christopher are both residents at Pendine’s Penybryn Care Home which specialises in looking after people with neurological disorders and acquired brain injury. Brother Jonathan still lives independently but will need increasing levels of care as time wears on. Diminutive Daisy, who’s just 10 inches tall, is also a massive hit with the other residents and staff, belongs to Pendine Park director
Gill Hughes. The caring canine spends every day at Penybryn while Gill works in her office or is out and about. Lizzie’s mum, Kim James, from Llay, said: “I cared for Lizzie fulltime until February 2018 when she moved into Penybryn. “She is in the final stages of the disease now unfortunately and is now unable to swallow and is fed through a feeding peg in her abdomen. She can no longer move independently. “It’s such a cruel disease. The condition is hereditary and their father carried the gene. “It’s amazing to see how Daisy just lifts Lizzie’s spirits. She gets so
excited when Daisy goes in her room. She will jump up on her bed and gently nibble her toes. It has Lizzie in fits of laughter, she just gets so excited. Gill Hughes, Pendine Park Care Organisation’s regulation and compliance manager and responsible individual, spends every day at Penybryn Neurological Centre and Care Home while Gill works away in her office. Daisy has also been a huge comfort to Gill Hughes. She explained: “After my husband passed away I was advised to get a dog if only for company. Daisy started coming to work with me every day but she was never particularly happy just sitting in my office. So, I started dropping her off with Tracey Cuthill the manager of Penybryn and she quickly made it her second home. “She’s now a firm favourite of residents, staff and relatives and spends most of the day following Tracey around Penybryn interacting with residents and relatives."
Health Plus Care Launch the Residential and Home Care Show Closerstill Media, the event organiser behind the hugely successful Health Plus Care event are pleased to announce the launch of The Residential & Home Care Show as part of the NEW Health Plus Care series. Taking place at ExCel London on 26th and 27th June, the Residential & Home Care Show is simply unmissable for care professionals, with two days of education, insight, networking and the latest products and services to support care. What’s more, delegates will still benefit from the ‘whole healthcare universe’ thanks to the co-located Healthcare Show, Digital Healthcare Show and IPC & Patient Safety Show, all part of the Health Plus Care series of events. Promising to be an event to remember, the Residential & Home Care Show conference programme includes dedicated training in vital areas including, care models, recruitment, staff development, finance and sus-
taining high quality care. Taking place over two days, and delivered by 60+ speakers, all head hunted care leaders, delegates will have the unique opportunity to learn from and network with these industry titans. Plus, over 150 key suppliers across the exhibition floor. By registering for the Residential & Home Care Show 2019 you will gain access to ‘Care Home Live’, the industry’s first purpose-built care home in the heart of the show, creating an immersive and interactive experience. Supported by some of the most well-known and respected brands, Apetito, Miele and Wissner-Bosserhoff to name just a few, delegates will see, touch, smell and even taste what it could be like to be cared for in a home, offering a unique and immersive experience Michael Corbett, Event Director, Residential & Home Care Show said: “The care sector needs an opportunity to be seen as an equal to the health market and by having its own dedicated event alongside an NHS focused event, we aim to build a voice for everyone involved. The main purpose being to help improve levels of care offered, focus on topics impacting and effecting the UK care sector, offer specialist advice to
help stabilise and grow care businesses, whilst still offering the latest case studies of care and health integration within the wider event. There is no other event in the care sector which has offered such seniority of decision makers in mass, so we are confident with the new focus and branding, we can help connect more thought leaders with specialist suppliers, serving as the platform to grow the care sector.” Register for your FREE ticket to The Residential & Home Care Show 2019 at www.residentialandhomecareshow.co.uk/thecaremag taking place at the ExCel London on 26th and 27th June 2019. For more information and show updates visit www.residentialandhomecareshow.co.uk or talk to us online using a new comment and connect feature. We look forward to welcoming you to the Residential & Home Care Show 2019. See the advert on page 16 for details.
PAGE 18 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
Carers earn up to 50% more an hour. Care Homes save money. Connecting carers and nurses with local health care companies. Launching soon.
Assistive Tech And The Legal Implications Jennifer Johnston, associate at insurance risk and commercial law firm BLM comments:
THE BACKGROUND AND THE BENEFITS
The new way to provide cover for homes and the NHS and at the same time put more money in Carers / Nurses pockets. A simple app to use as a communication tool between staff and care providers and it’s cheaper than nursing agencies for Companies and Hospitals. There’s no middle man taking a big slice of the money. The app has training at the click of a button and an accountant available for your end of year tax returns if you need help. Also included is an invoice system that updates for staff as they go. For providers continuity of care is now possible; you can directly message the staff you want when you want, subject of course, to their availability. Care Providers can search for key skills and training, so you know the staff are trained for exactly the job you are asking them to do. Check the website for more information and the latest up-dates. We are shortly testing for one month before going live.
Phone: Tom Jannone 07547 585 443 Email: info@directcarehub.co.uk
www.directcarehub.co.uk 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. All material is assumed copyright free unless otherwise advised.
Increasingly, assistive technology is being adopted to support those living with various debilitating conditions to improve their quality of life. An impressive variety of aids can be used to help with those living with dementia, ranging from everyday technologies that you can find in your smartphone, to specific medical aids. For example, those living with dementia can utilise aspects of popular technology to improve their daily lives. Phone calendars can be set with daily reminders to take medication or attend appointments, and location finder apps are a clever way to track a person’s whereabouts. There’s also a selection of new technologies created specifically for those with conditions such as dementia. These are being adopted by care providers, both in care homes and for domiciliary care. Technologies include movement sensors that play a message to remind people to perform an activity such as turn the oven off, water isolation devices that turn taps off if they’re left running, and fall mats which are placed near the bed to alert staff if a service user is out of bed.
THE POSSIBLE DRAWBACKS
Although these aids can be very helpful, they also present a whole new set of challenges for care providers. Firstly, a large number of these technologies rely on the user being able to understand and interact with them comfortably. However, more often than not, the elderly or cognitively impaired can struggle with technology, making it more of a hindrance than a help. Secondly, it’s important to properly risk assess the use of such aids. It’s possible that as more assistive technology is adopted, care providers and their insurers may see an increase in claims where people have been incorrectly assessed as being capable of using or interacting with an assistive aid. Caution should be used to ensure over reliance is not being placed on technology. And thirdly the benefits of assistive technology rely on the aids being correctly used by the care staff and the service user. For example we have dealt with a
nursing home claim where a fall sensor was being used in a resident’s bedroom to alert night staff if they got out of bed. One of the care staff unfortunately switched off the fall sensor in error, which meant that following the resident’s night time fall, care staff weren’t alerted. No matter how far technological development takes us there will always be some human involvement. Whether it’s the third party that installs the technology, the care staff who recommend its use and monitor it, or the manufacturers who create it, one of these parties could be held liable by the claimant if something goes wrong. It’s the responsibility of each of these parties to be thorough in the way the assistive tech is created, fitted and used, to ensure it will always benefit the user and the likelihood of any problems is reduced.
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
There are some steps that care providers can implement to ensure they’ve done everything in their power to prevent any issues occurring, and that if the worstcase scenario does happen, they’re not liable. The most important step is a thorough assessment. Whether using assistive technology or not, it’s essential that care providers undertake plans and risk assessments to understand the needs of those in their care. The person performing the assessment must be able to confidently say that the technology is usable and will improve quality of life in some way. With conditions such as dementia, where a person’s condition can change frequently, it’s essential that care providers constantly reassess the needs of those in their care. It’s not enough to simply review a care plan annually or bi-annually, for example. Instead, constant evaluation needs to be implemented to ensure that the best care is being given and that the most appropriate technology is being used. And it’s not just about assessing the resident to ensure optimal care, but also looking at the technologies available. There is a constant stream of innovative care aids being created and developed, and it’s the responsibility of care professionals to explore these options and keep pace with technological development to ensure they’re providing the best care possible. Ultimately, assistive technology can be hugely beneficial as an aid, but it’s essential it remains an aid, and that care professionals don’t become dependent on it or lose sight of the human touch. We must remember that human error will always be a factor. To avoid legal ramifications and ensure the best care is being provided, constant and thorough assessment of both the service user and the available technology is paramount.
THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 19
Campaigner’s Anger Over Response to Letters A campaigner who wrote to all 650 of the country’s MPs over the current crisis in adult social care is hugely disappointed and let down after receiving fewer than 10 replies. Mike Padgham says the response is a damning indictment of the way some politicians feel about the plight of the country’s oldest and most vulnerable. Mr Padgham, chair of the Independent Care Group, wrote to every MP in November, calling for action to help more than 1.4m older and vulnerable adults who are not currently getting the care they need. “I am dismayed by the response,” Mr Padgham said. “I know there are other, very serious issues facing the country at the moment – Brexit and knife crime to name only two – and I wouldn’t want to belittle the importance of those or other issues. “But as each day passes, more and more people are not getting the care they need and from the response I have had to the letters, it doesn’t look very much like some of our MPs are very concerned.” He is also angry that the proposed Green Paper on social care reform looks to have again been delayed, until the summer. “Sadly, that is another kick in the teeth to those people currently living without care,” he added. “We don’t need further delays, we need action now!” In his letter to MPs, Mr Padgham said: “Some £7bn has been cut from council social care budgets in the past eight years and without action, the sector is facing a predicted shortfall of some £2.8bn by 2019/20, or £3.5bn by 2025. “We cannot wait for the long-promised and longdelayed Green Paper on care, because even when that
is finally published it will be many months, if not years, before we see meaningful change.” He called for integration of social care with NHS care, better funding for social care and for care to be made zero rated for VAT, all of which would enable social care providers to invest, properly reward and recruit staff and be ready for a rapidly increasing demand for care. “Social care employs 1. 5m people, which is 200,000 more than the NHS, and contributes £46.2bn to the economy. With the right support, it could contribute even more, whilst providing proper, sustainable care for a rapidly ageing population,” the letter added. “Governments of all political persuasion have failed to tackle social care and we are now sleepwalking towards a greater crisis that will see hundreds of thousands more people going without care. “We have had 12 social care ministers in the past 20 years and still we are in the mess we are in today. The last 20 years have seen 12 green papers, white papers and consultations of one kind and another about social care and five independent reviews of funding. We talk the talk and set out with good intentions I am sure, but always get the same disastrous result. We never learn and as the saying goes, ‘those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it’. “What is needed now is not more analysis but a clear commitment to action to address both the immediate short term pressures and longer term sustainable funding. Today I urge you to take action to stop the crisis in social care and help hundreds of thousands of people currently denied the care they need.”
SCOOTER STORE LIMITED Scooter Store Limited is an established company with over twenty five years’ experience, which has become very popular especially with the elderly and disabled community nationwide. The concept of a small, easy to use store for securing mobility vehicles has been extremely well received by many local authorities. Housing Associations, County, City and Borough Councils as well as charitable organisations have installed Scooter Stores throughout the country with great success; whilst thousands have been exported to Europe. This has solved storage and independence issues for many people. In our experience we have found that many people who use mobility scooters find it very difficult getting their scooter in and out of their property without help or assistance. Storing them in living rooms and hallways is not always ideal as they take up a lot of room and can cause fire hazards. The scooter store itself is simple and was designed in response to a demand from the public. The standard unit is 1525mm long x 1220mm wide x 1070mm high and made of 2mm steel the store comes in a green finish. Bespoke scooter stores can be manufactured to different sizes to suit your specific mobility scooter requirements. Our Scooter Stores are delivered flat packed for installation to inaccessible places and are installed by our fully trained engineers. Our scooter stores are all push button controlled and fully lockable. A socket for charging the scooter is provided within the store. The Scooter Store requires very little maintenance.
Sunrise of Solihull Saves Local Dementia Café Sunrise of Solihull, on Worcester Way, recently started hosting a local dementia café to support those in areas who are affected by dementia and other related conditions. The dementia cafes were previously run by Alzheimer’s Society Solihull, however, due to a lack of funding, the charity had to close two local cafés. Sunrise of Solihull met with Alzheimer’s Society and asked if they could take over the sessions to ensure their hard work continued. Thanks to their support, advice and help communicating the change of venue, Sunrise of Solihull launched their first café last week and received great feedback. The first meeting was held at Sunrise on Thursday 4th April and these sessions will continue to run on the first
Thursday of every month from 10:30am until 12:30pm. The next one takes place on Thursday 2nd May, beginning at 10:30am. The dementia café is a free, friendly support service for anyone with a diagnosis of dementia, anyone experiencing memory loss and awaiting a diagnosis or those who are concerned about their memory. The café also welcomes the carer’s and family members of those living
with the condition. The café is in a welcoming, relaxed setting where people can share any fears, concerns or ask questions. The regular sessions are an important social group where those affected by dementia, and their carers, can meet in a warm environment and share experiences, receive support and, importantly, get involved with dementia focused activities. Jo Hopkins, Director of Community Relations at Sunrise of Solihull, said: “We are really pleased that we have been able to support the local Alzheimer’s Society group and host the dementia cafés at our community. These meetings are so important and really do benefit a lot of people. We look forward to welcoming all that attend – we are here to support you.”
The Scooter Store is such a marvellous alternative which is secure and theft proof, and because it is so easy to use independence can be greatly improved for mobility vehicle users.
Scooter Store Limited, Unit 11 Riverside Business Park, Cambridge Road, Harlow,Essex, CM20 2HE
Tel: 01279 453565
www.scooterstoreltd.com
TO TO ADVERTISE ADVERTISE IN IN THE THE CARER, CARER, PLEASE PLEASE CALL CALL OUR OUR SALES SALES TEAM TEAM ON ON 01202 552333
PAGE 20 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
ENERGY SOLUTIONS Compelling Case for Care Homes to Embrace Energy Saving Care homes are currently caught in a vicious vice and being squeezed by ever increasing costs while feeling the full effects of shrinking government support. Energy efficiency in care homes is a crucial consideration for managers and owners. Because care home residents are generally older or ill and feel the cold, the temperature of these facilities tends to be kept quite high. Another reason that care homes are such high energy users is that they are fundamentally 24hour facilities, with residents there and using gas and electricity for most of the day and night. In recent years, the UK’s ageing population has resulted in an evergreater need for care home places, nursing home places and residential services to support the demands of our advancing generation. With Social Care facing an projected shortfall of around £2.5bn by 2020, it is inevitable that cuts will need to be made, or finances found from somewhere, which results in other services going without in order to meet the shortfall. This is forcing care home owners, managers and operators to find ways to cut costs in ways that deliver business benefits over many years and take action to help maintain commercial margins. The main challenge remains finding ways to do this without affecting quality of service and delivery. But there is one area where it will clearly pay to take swift action. Energy and water efficiency is an often overlooked element of business strategy in the care home sector. Yet it is the simplest, most effective way to make an impact on costs that is both immediate and long-term.
WHY IMPLEMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR CARE HOMES? • Energy efficiency tactics can be incorporated into multiple aspects of the businesses, reducing both costs and environmental impact. • Energy-intensive care homes stand to make longterm savings by reducing energy consumption. • Effective energy management leads to a safer and more comfortable environment for care home residents. RISING UTILITY PRICES It is certain, and confirmed by government, that we no longer have access to cheap energy. That time is past and all the forecasts point to utility prices rising over the next decade.
Add to this the pressure on energy prices from the Government’s green levies to support renewable sources like wind and solar power. The spending target has been breached, with the National Audit Office issuing a reprimand but the effect is that bills will rise even further by 2020.
In total, the UK’s healthcare sector spends more than £400 million per year on energy. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of this is wasted, meaning that money is being wasted too.” – Carbon Trust Care homes share some similar financial issues to hospital and hotels in that they are 24/7 operations, with continual big demands on energy and water. Clearly there are differences but I think that there are positive lessons to draw from the sustainability strategies in these sectors. Care homes will benefit from the adoption of energy-saving and water management processes that have proved so successful in hospitals and hotels. We can also reference what is happening in education, another sector being hard hit by cuts. In all these sectors, there are excellent examples of large and small operations where decisive action to reduce pressure on costs has delivered savings that run into the thousands of pounds annually. This has been my company’s direct experience, working with a wide range of clients from independent owners of small hotels to large groups, hospitals and schools.
WAYS TO SAVE The solutions to rising costs do not have to be complex and overexpensive but it does pay to plan carefully, ensuring that all the rele-
vant information is gathered before making the move. An energy and water audit is strongly advised, not least because the information will be relevant and useful over the long period. This information will pinpoint where the greatest savings can be made and prioritised. Lighting – Lighting is a prime candidate for action, with LED the favoured solution and being rapidly adopted in hospitality, health, education and wider afield. Choosing the right type of LED and ensuring a quality product should reduce lighting bills by up to 85%. Allied to this, the use of smart lighting controls that ensure no area is lit when not needed, can help to further reduce energy consumption by 40-50%. Water and heating – Reducing water consumption is a priority and if metering is in place the need is even more pressing. Again, simple effective solutions include eco taps that cut consumption by 60%, eco shower heads that reduce water use by up to 50% and tap aerators for current fittings, reducing consumption by 60%. These reductions also reduce heating costs substantially as less fuel is burned in heating the water, and less energy used to pump it around the system. Associated with that, the installation of Variable Speed Drives on pumps ensures maximum efficiency, reducing costs by half in most cases with rapid return on outlay. Hand dryers – the benefits of hand dryers can be great. Replacing expensive paper towels with an eco hand dryer can reduce costs by up to 97% a year while and improving hygiene. An added benefit in all this is that care homes can make ongoing savings while cutting CO2 emissions at the same time, which will add to their green credentials. Fit Thermostatic Radiator Valves - By fitting Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) you'll be able to control the temperature in every room more accurately, keeping everyone warm, without worrying about unnecessary over-heating. And if you're still using electric heaters, moving to central heating wherever possible will dramatically reduce your running costs. Check your roof insulation - A quarter of heat is lost through the roof of an uninsulated home, so it pays to keep it topped up, especially in older buildings.
CONSULT AN EXPERT If in doubt! The easiest, and best way to reduce your care home’s energy costs is to get in touch with an energy expert. They are there to save you money!
Creating Safer Heating In The Care Sector
Despite the tight regulations laid down by the Health and Safety Executive, concern is continuing to grow around resident safety in care homes amid reports that some homes are endangering the safety of service users by not adhering to strict guidelines around safe surface temperature radiators and pipework. The recommended surface temperature for radiators and pipework in care homes is 43°C. Above this the risk of burns and scalds increases, and residents are put in danger of potentially lifechanging injuries if they are exposed to hot surfaces. The result of these injuries, however, is not only catastrophic for the resident; it can also be damaging both financially and legally for care home managers. Non-compliant homes risk warning notices or even closure and prosecution by The Care Quality Commission or The Health and Safety Executive; authority figures in the drive for improved safety measures in the care sector.
Under the threat of closure and prosecution, many care homes seek the cheapest possible solution and cover their existing, often inefficient heaters with budget radiator covers designed for decorative purposes rather than safety. These covers are typically made from inadequate materials that are susceptible to damage such as MDF, become dust traps and become a breeding ground for bacteria. This is because access for cleaning the radiator and the wall around and behind it becomes limited once they are installed as they have to be fixed to the wall. They often have sharp edges and corners which present injury risks if residents fall against them. MDF cabinets are less efficient than metal radiator covers. The solid tops absorb a large amount of the heat generated by the radiator, driving up energy costs as homes crank up the thermostat to compensate. MDF radiator covers require regular maintenance or replacement because they aren’t designed to withstand the rigours of busy care home
costs associated with heating, cleaning and maintenance.
environments where people and beds are frequently moving around. Residential homes and other supported living environments require robust solutions designed to be cost effective over the life of the building. While cheap MDF radiator cabinets may appear to be the most cost-effective option, once total heating costs, repairs, cleaning and maintenance and the potential risk of claims are considered, high quality metal radiator covers present the best value solution over the longer term.
How Can Contour Help You? Contour Heating supply a range of Low Surface Temperature Steel Radiator Covers, designed to last over ten years, relieving financial pressure on homes to frequently update radiator guards. Contour provide free on-site surveys to get accurate measurements to supply a bespoke solution for your facility. They aim to give residential care homes better control of their finances by reducing the time and
For further protection, Contour Heating partner with BioCote® to include their anti-microbial technologies in their LST radiator guards. The additives in the powder coating have been proven to reduce the bacteria on the surface of the radiator by 99.5% in two hours and is 99.99% effective against resistant bacteria such as MRSA and E.coli. Microbes such as H1N1 influenza virus, Salmonella and Streptococcus faecalis can be found on many surfaces, including radiators. BioCote® inhibits the growth of these bacteria for the lifespan of the LST radiator, reducing the risk of cross-contamination creating more hygienic spaces and proving a safer and healthier environment for service users and staff alike.
To arrange your free site survey and consultation, contact Contour on 01952 290498, email: sales@contourheating.co.uk or visit www.contourheating.co.uk Contour Heating Products Ltd The Mansions, 43 Broadway, Shifnal, Shropshire TF11 8BB
www.refreshenergy.co.uk
CARE HOME Energy Saving Scheme
ZERO COST
ZERO COST BOILERS AND LIGHTING SYSTEMS, REDUCED ENERGY CONSUMPTION, FIXED ENERGY PRICES. ALL WITH NO CAPITAL OUTLAY.
Heating & Lighting Energy Consumption is the second biggest expense for care homes next to staffing costs. Unfortunately, much of it is wasted through old inefficient heating and lighting systems.
By designing our own unique approach to energy management, Refresh Energy have combined energy contracts with energy reduction. When you renew your energy contracts using Refresh Energy, we will supply and install energy efficient equipment within your premises, without you, the business, having to find the cash. By introducing our new Energy Efficiency Service Agreements, we can assist our clients in reducing their energy consumption, carbon footprint and overall energy spend in one simple step.
Who are Refresh Energy? ✓ An Energy Management Service, established in 2015 ✓ Our vision: to proactively change the energy management & procurement industry for the greater good ✓ Our goal: to support businesses with reducing their costs & carbon emissions ✓ Our team: have strong utilities backgrounds & expertise: we are innovators & sector disruptors ✓ Proven track record with reducing costs & carbon footprint working with UK businesses, charities, local authorities & homeowners
Why choose Refresh Energy? ✓ Guaranteed to reduce your energy consumption & costs ✓ Zero capital outlay on energy saving equipment & devices ✓ Free energy saving impartial advice & FREE energy Audit ✓ Improve your company's carbon footprint ✓ We provide exceptional customer service via a dedicated account manager ✓ Free servicing for all equipment for the duration of the agreement
How Refresh Energy works with you ✓ The energy brokerage industry generates large commissions, we simply use these commissions to supply & install energy efficient equipment & maintain it for the duration of our agreement ✓ We conduct a free on-site audit (at one or multiple business sites) to identify what lighting, heating and/or renewable systems you currently have ✓ We evaluate your current systems for consumption, optimization of costs & emissions ✓ Based on your current electric & gas usages, we liaise with UK energy providers to determine available funding for project rollout ✓ We present an energy services proposal, with a full report detailing the equipment we would supply & install at NO COST including a service agreement for the duration of the term, we also highlight the full savings you will make ✓ Once approved, a date is arranged for the installation of the new energy efficient system
To book your free energy Audit & begin reducing your costs & carbon footprint, get in touch today:
0191 605 3780 • info@refreshenergy.co.uk • www.refreshenergy.co.uk
PAGE 22 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Make Infection Control a Priority- “It’s in Your Hands” For people living in care homes, infections can be serious, and in some cases, life-threatening. They can also make existing medical conditions worse. Regular contact with staff, other residents, family and friends and the shared living space all mean infection can easily be passed around. It is therefore vital to take the steps that can help prevent infection occurring. To maintain a healthy, clean environment in care homes, it is vital team members do all they can to prevent infection and respond quickly and effectively when it does occur. There are key procedures teams should follow to ensure maximum protection for all residents, but particularly those living with cognitive impairment. A comprehensive explanation of these steps comes in the NICE quick guide.
www.scie.org.uk/publications/ataglance/helping-to-preventinfection.asp
HEALTH FOR ALL – IT’S IN YOUR HANDS
As a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Private Organizations for Patient Safety group, GOJO Industries-Europe is a strong supporter of the WHO’s annual ‘Save Lives: Clean Your Hands’ campaign and is encouraging everybody in the healthcare industry to get involved. The worldwide advocacy day takes place on 5th May 2019. This year, the campaign highlights the importance that hand hygiene plays in the global movement to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), i.e. securing better health and well-being for all people at all ages. Infection Prevention and Control, including hand hygiene, is critical to accomplish UHC, being a practical and evidencebased approach, with demonstrated impact on quality of care and patient safety across all levels of the health system. The annual campaign and advocacy day targets a crosssection of influencers in the global healthcare sector. This year’s calls to action are:
Brosch Direct
• Health workers: “Champion clean care – it’s in your hands." • IPC leaders: “Monitor infection prevention and control standards – take action and improve practices.” • Health facility leaders: "Is your facility up to WHO infection control and hand hygiene standards? Take part in the WHO survey 2019 and take action!” • Ministries of health: "Does your country meet infection prevention and control standards? Monitor and act to achieve quality universal health coverage." • Patient advocacy groups: "Ask for clean care – it’s your right." Chris Wakefield, Vice President, European Marketing & Product Development, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd comments, ‘GOJO, THE INVENTORS OF PURELL™, is a trusted brand in healthcare facilities around the world. We are a strong advocate of the ‘total solution’ approach to making hand hygiene second nature to everyone in a healthcare setting, and encourage everyone to help spread the vital message about how hand hygiene can help achieve ‘Health for All’. ‘Backed by a wealth of scientific expertise, and specialist formulations, GOJO has the technology and experience to work in partnership with healthcare managers to implement effective hand and surface hygiene regimes, and promote hygienic and compliant hand hygiene behaviour.’ Free advocacy toolkits to support the WHO Save Lives: Clean Your Hands campaign are available on the WHO website: www.who.int/infection-prevention/campaigns/clean-hands/en/
range. We work hard to guarantee our prices are competitive to ensure you receive the best possible deal. Caring is at the heart
Here at Brosch Direct we have been offering high-quality, great value healthcare and janitorial supplies since 1989. Together with our partners we are dedicated to ensuring that our customers have access to the best products and services on the market. From our 34,000 sq. ft warehouse in Bourne, Lincolnshire we supply some of the UKs leading Care Home and Healthcare providers with numerous products from our extensive
of everything we do, and our team is dedicated to delivering a first class service tailored to meet your needs and make is as easy as possible for you to get the supplies you need. For us it is of great importance to hold a long-term commitment to our customers and ensure we are always available to advise and support you. We are aware that ordering the right products is vital for your business and can be stressful and time consuming which is why we take care of it all for you. To find out how we can help you visit our website at www.broschdirect.com.
Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. Although these are designed to keep the workplace tidy and uncluttered they are, more importantly, built knowing the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a priority for healthcare providers, and who are employing a combination of infection prevention and control strategies, including hand hygiene, cleaning, training and the adoption of new technologies, to tackle the problem. As a result, a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market, including antimicrobial technology. Angloplas’ range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial PVC with silver ion technology and which
is exclusive to Angloplas. This helps reduce the risk of cross infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product, reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA, E Coli, Legionella, Salmonella and mould by up to 99.99%. For non-clinical environments Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags. You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www.angloplas.co.uk and clicking Hospital, Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code.
THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 23
HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Pjama Incontinence & Bedwetting Solution for Adults and Children New Zerolon Barrier Cream ®
®
Pjama® garments are reusable and washable incontinence and bedwetting long and short pyjama pants. Unique and patented, the Pjama® are suitable for adults and children. Designed to be effective, discreet, convenient and comfortable for use at night and during resting or convalescing, the Pjama® garments are washable, reusable and environmentally friendly. Pjama® garments absorb and contain fluids, hence the Pjama® make coping with urinary incontinence and bedwetting simple and easy. There is no need to sleep on absorbent bed pads or waterproof mattress protectors, because the Pjama® pants protect the bed from wetness. There is no need to wear
underpants as the Pjama® are most effective, when worn directly on the body. After wetting accidents occur, the Pjama® pants continue to be dry on the outside, but become moist on the inside. The wetness alerts the wearer to the wetting accident and the need to change into a dry garment. Wet Pjamas® can be stored in a the waterproof Pjama® bag for hygiene until machine washing. Pjama® pants are made in 4 adult sizes and 5 children’s sizes. All fabrics are Oeko-Tex certified. Supplied by Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 - www.win-health.com or see the advert on page 7.
Spearhead Unveils New Look Platinum Plan - Complete Cleaning Solution for Care Homes Spearhead Healthcare, one of the UK’s leading suppliers to the care home sector, has unveiled a brand new look for its popular cleaning programme – the Platinum Plan – along with a number of updates and refinements to the products, training and documentation to help care homes achieve outstanding levels of hygiene while saving time and money. Spearhead’s Platinum Plan provides care homes with a complete cleaning and compliance solution designed to minimise the cost, time and risk associated with routine cleaning, infection control, paperwork and adherence to all the relevant industry standards and regulations. The Plan encompasses three core elements. First, in-depth training on COSHH regulations; second, a comprehensive documentation package that gives managers all the paperwork they need. Third, a range of high performance cleaning chemicals, specially developed for the care environment, all colour-coded and available as concentrates designed to keep costs to a minimum. The new refinements include: • Updated training based on the latest best practices in infection control.
• Redeveloped documentation to ensure that the highest possible standards of auditing and accountability. • New products such as the Multi-Surface Spray Polish to make cleaning more economical. • New product sizes such as a 5-litre High Strength Machine Dishwash and High Strength Machine Rinse Aid. • Redesigned branding and packaging, based on the colour coding scheme to indicate where and when each product should be used, and to easily locate the matching documentation. Russell Pillar, Director of Care Interiors at Spearhead says: “I’m confident that our customers will appreciate the visual makeover that we’ve given our Platinum Plan, which - in tandem with new products, expert training and updated guidance on documentation – will contribute to making cleaning and compliance an easier task to manage.” See further details of the Platinum Plan here. You can arrange for a Spearhead rep to visit your care home by emailing sales@spearheadhealthcare.com or by calling 0345 180 1800.
Resident Incontinence Waste Solved by Jalkin Have you truly considered how human waste can impact the efficient running your site, from start to finish? At Jalkin we are delighted to be launching an end to end proposition specifically tailored for the care environment, focusing particularly on immobile and incontinent residents, waste handling, cleaning protocols and processes, associated infection control management right through to drainage, treatment and disposal, where you pass the responsibility for your waste on to a third party. Whether that is the Environment Agency, your local Water Company or a Waste removal organisation, the Jalkin team bring relevant experience. This end-to-end approach has been successfully trialled with tangible metrics focused on the cleanliness of the resi-
dent’s and staff environment as well as fundamentally reducing related day to day costs. We have put this package together based on closely listening to the needs of our customers and have been pleasantly surprised by the response to date. Addressing the whole human waste path from start to finish not only brings typically unseen economical efficiencies but also supports our customers to addresses many of the environmental and compliance issues that are more and more stringent, particularly with the introduction of the 2020 drainage and discharge requirements that require prompt attention across the country. Call 01183 703 307, email: info@jalkin.co.uk or visit www.incomaster.com for details.
New Zerolon® Barrier Cream from Thornton & Ross Dermatology, is the latest addition to the Zeroderma range. Zerolon® Barrier Cream is specially formulated to prevent irritation from bodily fluids including urine, faeces and exudate. Zerolon® Barrier Cream moisturises and protects intact, damaged or inflamed skin and is suitable for use with incontinence pads. Similar in formulation to leading barrier creams, Zerolon® Barrier Cream offers cost savings of up to 29% without any compromise on patient care. Zerolon® Barrier Cream is part of the Zeroderma range of emollients and barrier creams and is listed on the Drug Tariff and Nurse Prescriber’s Formulary. For further information about Zerolon® Barrier Cream, please contact: zeroderma@thorntonross.com Call 01484 842217 / www.zeroderma.co.uk
PAGE 24 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Adaptawear’s Top 5 Adapted Trousers This Summer! The Secret To Year-Round Comfort For Swollen Feet - Discover The Wonders Of Wool
Adaptawear are pleased to announce that all of its best-selling adapted ladies and men’s trousers are in stock perfect to wear this Summer: Drop Front Trousers – available in men’s or ladies styles; these smart, stylish trousers open wide to the hips with Velcro fastenings on the waistband. Perfect for customers who struggle with limited dexterity and need help with dressing or toileting. Available in sizes Small – XX Large in choice of colours. Trouble Free Trousers – available in men’s or ladies styles, these smart tailored trousers open down to the hips with discreet zips on both sides to aid dressing and toileting. Optional elastic waistband. Available in sizes Small – XX Large in choice of colours. Tracksuit Pants with side zips - soft unisex tracksuit pants with side zips all the way down both legs. Available in Navy in sizes Small - XX Large.
Open Back Trousers – available in both men’s or ladies styles, these trousers look entirely normal but are far easier to put on than conventional trousers and are suitable for people in wheelchairs or who require hoisting. The 2 large flaps overlap to cover the lower back and tuck under the seat making changing and toileting easier and less stressful. Available in black in sizes S – XX Large. Men’s Elasticated Waist Polycotton Trousers – smart, casual lightweight all elastic pull on polycotton trousers. Great for men who don’t want zips or fastenings and don’t’ want to wear tracksuit bottoms. Available in stone in sizes Small – XX Large. For more information on Adaptawear’s Product Range please visit www.adaptawear.com. Carer readers please quote TC141 for 10% discount off your first order.
C & S Seating
Our new popular Soft Knit range of covers in a choice of 5 vibrant colours provide a softer alternative that can be fitted easily over our standard waterproof rolls. Ask our friendly sales team about our inflatable TRolls that are designed for short term use and ideal for holidays and aqua therapy aid. The inflatables also prove a valuable tool for Physio’s and OT’s during the assessment process. All fabrics meet the UK Flammability standards and carry a CE mark. We are also ISO 9001 regulated. Contact us on 01424 853331 or visit us at www.cands-seating.co.uk to download a brochure, pricelist or order form, request an individualised quotation, speak to an advisor or to place an order. See the advert on page 14 for details.
C & S Seating are proud to be the national supplier of 24 hour postural management and control products for over 25 years. Initially developed by the Company founders and a consultant specialist physiotherapist, using on-going feedback from healthcare professionals we now have a wide selection of positioning equipment available. We assemble and supply 9 different sizes of T-Rolls and Log Rolls (ranging from paediatric to adult) in a machine washable wipe-clean Titex or Soft Knit covering as standard. Our Knee supports and width adjustable APS systems are also available in 2 sizes.
Renray Healthcare Renray Healthcare has been producing high quality furniture for over 50 years and is one of the UK’s largest and leading suppliers to the healthcare sector. Whether you require a fast efficient delivery of quality furniture or a full room installation and fitting service, we have the experience and resources to handle your contract. We manufacture and assemble our products in our own purpose built factories in Cheshire and Europe to British Standards. Hence we are able to ensure your furniture is produced to the highest quality, working with you to plan and meet your projects time schedule and budget. We understand you are purchasing furniture that is fit for purpose, stylish and will continue to perform well into the future, which is why we design and build our furniture with you in mind. Telephone: +44 (0)1606 593456, Email: info@renrayhealthcare.com, www.renrayhealthcare.com or see the advert on page 3.
Euroservice Trolley Manufacturers With over 35 years of experience in the sale and manufacture of wooden trolleys for the catering trade, Euroservice trolley manufacturers have now acquired a worldwide reputation and still offer an extensive /comprehensive range of top quality wooden trolleys manufactured in the UK. Top quality is a priority in the production of all of our products and Euroservice are specialists in the manufacture of sturdy and beautiful looking trolleys which will grace any environment from the small privately owned restaurant to the splendid 3 to 5 star hotels, resorts and Residential homes. Euroservice’s excellence in the manufacture of wooden trolleys is backed by a personal, efficient and friendly service second to none. We are always busy researching the needs of the market and launch new ranges according to market demands. Whatever your needs you can be assured that Euroservice can cater for them and we look forward to your call. Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com or see the advert on page 4.
If you suffer from swollen, sensitive feet, then you’ll appreciate the importance of wearing comfortable shoes and slippers that fit. And if you live in Britain, you’ll be familiar with the unpredictability of our climate. In a bid to bring you blissfully comfy footwear that keeps you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot, Cosyfeet have launched a range of Scandinavianinspired styles made from wool. Specially designed to fit swollen feet, they have natural climate control so they’re perfect for our changeable weather. They’re also ideal if you have diabetes as they’re virtually seam-free. Wool is an excellent natural alternative to leather. Soft and stretchy, it gently moulds to your feet for an ultra-comfy fit. As well as being temperature-regulating, it’s breathable, odour-resistant and wicks moisture away from the skin so feet stay healthy, fresh and dry – and it’s brilliant for sensitive skin as it’s hypoallergenic. It’s also hardwearing and, with sheep producing a fleece a year, it’s a naturally renewable resource. Cosyfeet’s extra roomy Purewool™ slippers are beautifully soft for indoor comfort but thanks
to their rubber sole, can also be worn outside. Frieda for women and Bjorn for men have a touch-fastening strap that adjusts to fit swelling, while Donna for women is a trendy mule that’s easy to put on. And for the ultimate in foot comfort, Anna for women is lined with genuine, premium sheepskin. If it’s a shoe that you’re after, take a look at their Katarina Purewool™ style for women. With lots of underfoot comfort, it’s fantastic for swollen, sensitive feet. The rubber sole offers outdoor comfort, grip and durability while the cushioned footbed is removable so it’s ideal if you wear an orthotic. It’s even washable at 30 degrees. Cosyfeet footwear is made by craftsmen who mix traditional skills with the latest technology. As well as wool, they offer top-quality, extra roomy leather and fabric shoes for people with swollen feet. They also offer VAT exemption if you have a chronic medical condition and a money-back guarantee if Cosyfeet doesn’t work for you. Contact cosyfeet.com/01458 447275 or see the advert on page 13.
Rise To Toilet Independence One of the most common areas where people need help is to get on and off the toilet. Often, a means of support eg a grab rail is not adequate: the person has trouble with upper or lower body strength. There is a solution, that obviates the need to physically ensure another person around to help… Closomat’s Aerolet toilet lifter is in essence the WC equivalent of a riser recliner chair. Fitted over the WC, the unit replicates the natural motion of sitting down and standing up. It automatically and smoothly lowers the user over and onto the toilet and then raises them to standing, whilst ensuring their centre of gravity and thus balance remains stable. It is all controlled by the push of a button via integral arm supports, which simultaneously provide additional bracing as the resident transfers from wheelchair or frame to the toilet. The Aerolet thus eliminates the requirement for a carer to attend just to support that ADL (activity of daily living). It also eliminates exposure to risk of injury during the transfer process, for both the carer and client. Fibromyalgia and arthritis sufferer Rob Cain summarises the benefits: “I’ve not fallen once when going to the toilet since I’ve had the Closomat kit. Now I can go to the toilet safely, with dignity. The psychological impact on my mental health is amazing! And it’s given my family peace of mind that I can ‘go’, safely, even when on my own.” Closomat’s Aerolet is unique in
that it is available in both tilting and vertical lift options. The vertical version is best suited for people with limited lower body and limb strength, whereas the tilt suits people with control over their legs but limited upper body and limb strength. Closomat provides a range of options in both variants, for both conventional WCs and Closomat shower toilets, for small and large spaces, as static or mobile units. The Aerolet is part of Closomat’s brand-leading range of bathroom & toilet technology that is already enabling tens of thousands of people to live independently, in their own home, without care support. It is complimented by the Vita range of wash & dry (bidet) toilets, height-adjustable basins, changing benches, hoists, and body driers- which help create a stylish yet accessible bathroom or toilet, that can be easily and cost-effectively adapted to accommodate changing user requirements.. Closomat further provides the most comprehensive sales and after-sales support available in-house, including site survey, CAD blocks, technical and white papers for download, installation, commissioning, and repair & maintenance. The range of Closomat products is detailed on the company’s website www.clos-o-mat.com, so specifiers and users can easily see the solutions, watch videos on how the equipment works, and find out how other users have benefitted.
HYDRATION AND DYSPHAGIA Ayela Spiro, Nutrition Science Manager at the British Nutrition Foundation discusses hydration and dysphagia in the care home environment: Adequate hydration is necessary for survival. Every cell, tissue and organ requires water to function. Dehydration increases the risk of renal failure, falls, impaired mental status, constipation, urinary tract infection, respiratory infection, decreased muscle strength and pressure sores. However ensuring adequate hydration can be particularly challenging area in the care of service users with dysphagia, those with swallowing difficulties that require thickened fluids. Thickened liquids are a necessity rather than a choice for swallowing safety. The importance of fluid texture has been noted in the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework with standardised descriptors for fluids as well as foods. ( IDDSI is discussed in further detail by Sophie Murray, the deputy national chair for the National NACC later in this article) Service users drinking thickened fluids may drink less compared to those drinking regular fluids. The drinks that we consume daily without much thought, such as water, tea, coffee, juice or milk, are all fastflowing liquids. Yet these can pose a risk to safe swallowing. Thickened liquids (e.g. fluids thickened with powder or bought pre-thickened) are typically prescribed for people with dysphagia. However, dissatisfaction with, and inaccessibility to, thickened liquids can result in poor compliance. Studies have shown that
individuals required to drink thickened fluids are less likely to meet their daily fluid requirements and are more likely to be dehydrated than those receiving regular fluids.. It may well be that a combination of acceptability, taste and satiety factors affect sufficiency of intake, and further efforts are required to improve intake. So how do we try to ensure that service users with dysphagia are adequately hydrated without exposing them to the risks of choking and aspiration (liquids entering the airway)? Some steps that could be useful include:• Early identification programmes - screening programmes and early referrals to appropriate staff like speech and language therapists (SLTs) and dietitians. • A multidisciplinary team approach to care including care staff and caterers, as well as pharmacists, nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists and SLTs. For example, pharmacists can give advice with regards the optimal administration of medication, occupational therapists can provide valuable support to help users with positioning and feeding strategies and dietitians can provide valuable information on methods of increasing intake. • Keeping an eye on the next generation thickeners that may improve compliance and safety, although these may have a higher cost implication. The next generation clear gel thickeners typically result in better appearance and flavour, and more reproducible consistency and stability. SLTs will carry out a detailed assessment of the individual’s swallowing abilities and will recommend dietary and fluid modifications which are as unrestrictive as possible without reducing patient safety, thus maximising quality of life for the individual. • Oral moisture protocols can improve comfort. Mouth wetting is an important requirement to satisfy the feeling of ‘thirst’. This is thought to be a combination of increased oral moisture provided by the liquid and increase in saliva as stimulated by the liquid. Thickened
liquids, however, do not provide this ‘mouth wetting’ quality. One way to combat this is to use a water atomizer to mist the oral cavity. • Liquids can also be provided though foods such as soups, pureed fruit and yogurts. • Look for novel ways to increase fluid intake like always providing fluids with oral medications, using signs and reminders and pairing fluid intakes with a regular activity e.g. after bathing or after physiotherapy. Use of symbols, such as a water droplet logo where fluid intake needs to be maximized, can help staff identify those most in need of assistance to meet their daily fluid requirements. Management of dysphagia with thickened fluids and modified diets should always be provided in conjunc¬tion with a swallowing rehabilitation programme which focuses on improving the specific swallowing deficit (e.g. muscle weakness or delayed timing of the swallow). This rehabilitation programme is generally provided by speech and language therapists. Meeting the hydration needs of patients with dysphagia requiring thickened fluids remains challenging. While early identification and intervention are imperative in dysphagia management, more emphasis must be placed on improving patient compliance through continued efforts to make thickened liquids more palatable and accessible for individuals with dysphagia.
REDUCING MALNUTRITION AND SOCIAL ISOLATION THROUGH DINING EXPERIENCE
Helen Willis, Dietitian at apetito comments further: For someone living with dysphagia, the enjoyment of mealtimes can be completely diminished. Eating can become an uncomfortable and stressful experience and consequently those affected may avoid eating altogether. As a result, individuals living with swallowing difficulties are at higher risk of malnutrition and social isolation.
It is important for those living with dysphagia to be given the confidence to eat with company. Research has shown being part of a group is a rewarding experience and eating with others also enhances our enjoyment of food. However, case studies show dysphagia patients often choose to dine alone, as they are too ‘embarrassed’ to eat in front of family or friends. Fear of choking and coughing, or of being unable to eat their meal with dignity, leads individuals to report they avoid social dining altogether. If social dining becomes an unenjoyable experience, it can then lead to social isolation. To promote well-being, it is important dining experiences for those living with conditions such as dysphagia are made as enjoyable as possible, and people are encouraged to eat together. As well as helping them to eat amply and healthily, a social situation stimulates the mind and makes mealtimes more enjoyable. Pre-prepared texture-modified meals are a great solution to providing appealing, nutritiously-balanced meals that also reduce the risk of choking. These meals can provide residents, relatives and carers alike with the peace of mind of a safer dining experience. Suppliers, such as apetito, offer a wide range of texture-modified meals appropriate for all levels of swallowing difficulties and all dietary requirements.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 25
HYDRATION AND DYSPHAGIA (...CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)
SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE IDDSI FRAMEWORK? Sophie Murray, the deputy national chair for the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), explains the IDDSI framework further: IDDSI is a recently implemented safety and guidance framework that helps to ensure that thickened fluids (fluids and food) are safely made for those with swallowing difficulties. It was created by a team of volunteer experts from a range of disciplines to put in place a consistent and safe global language for thickening fluids and food. Drink levels are shown in the bottom triangle from levels 0 – 4. Levels 0 – 3 testing methods are established by using a simple flow test and level 4 a fork and spoon test, all of which are described on the IDDSI site (IDDSO.org). The flow test needs a slip tip syringe or specially-designed funnel, which can also be found on the IDDSI website. With safe methods to test fluids, care staff can quickly and easily ensure that residents receive the correct fluid thickness, in line with the speech and language therapist’s report. The syringe isn’t intended for use each time but for whenever there is uncertainty, such as when commencing the framework, using a new cup or using a new fluid. This flow test of liquid consistency is based on the funnels used in the food and chemicals industry, which has been adapted by IDDSI to use a commonly-available, inexpensive “funnel”. This can be formed by removing the plunger from a syringe, then setting a time limit of 10 seconds and volume of 10 ml to minimize time and wastage. The resulting test gives a scale from 0-10 which maps the full range of consistency from watery liquids to semi-solids (IDDSI Levels 0-3). The NACC was a member of the National IDDSI Reference Group. We supported by raising awareness of IDDSI implementation by April 2019 and encouraging anyone involved in care catering to work to the framework. Speech and language therapists throughout the UK indicate when each care home switches to IDDSI, based on when their assessment shifted from the old national texture descriptors to the IDDSI levels. It’s essential that all care providers and catering suppliers follow this framework – more information is available on the IDDSI website.
It’s important to be alert to the increased risks of dehydration for residents needing thickened fluids and food, especially as the weather gets warmer, and to ensure hydration is safe and promoted at every opportunity. Remain person centred and provide the hydration that will be enjoyed – even a glass of sparkling fizz can be thickened and still have the sensation of bubbles!
HotmixPro Gastro – Special Diets at your Finger Tips • Are your Dysphagia patients missing out? • Are you struggling when producing therapeutic and texture modified diets? • Are you maintaining appetising flavour and colour of fresh ingredients? Safe -The 2 litre heavy usage mixing bowl sits within a fully insulated stainless steel casing Easy to Clean – All stainless steel construction and dishwasher proof mixing bowl Self Sterilising – 24°C to 190°C Easy to Use - Operates exactly to programme at a touch of a finger Efficient -Speed range from 0 -12,500rpm allows blending, small and large amounts, to just the right texture Financial Benefits – Precise temperature setting dramatically reduces waste by maximising nutritional values as well as helping your residents to sustain their best health levels Memory - The integrated SD card can store numerous ‘Special Diet’ recipes HotmixPro Gastro is an essential support for every busy hospital and care home kitchen Limited Space or Limited Budget? HotmixHome (junior version of HotmixPro) will be YOUR answer – just ask!
apetito tel: 01225 560 463 www.apetito.co.uk NACC www.thenacc.co.uk Royal College Speech & Language Therapists www.rcslt.org Barbel Trading Company tel: 01629 705110 www.barbel.net
Special Diets at Your Finger Tips!
• Easily creates Dysphagia diet textures (A, B, C & D)
• One-piece blades: solid operating & easy cleaning • Professional standard • Affordable
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• Dishwasher proof jug
• Easily creates Dysphagia diet textures (A, B, C & D) • 0 – 145°c (Self sterilizing)
The uses its variable speeds to create different textures, from smooth puree to fork mashable consistencies, quickly and simply.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 27
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Inhouse Manager Inhouse Manager has been supporting the catering services of leading providers of healthcare, facilities management, education and local government for over 20 years. Following extensive research and customer consultation, we launched our cloud-based version of Inhouse Manager in 2013. Our aim is to bring you the highest standard of catering software, that meets your needs, is comprehensive, secure and complies with the latest data protection laws. As our software is online, there is no impact on your IT systems, it is always up-to-date and available wherever you are, either online or via our mobile app. We launched our Nutrition and Allergen analysis module in 2018, which focuses on the macronutrients. In the summer of 2019 we will be launching a revised module to include micro nutrients such as Zinc and B vitamins. We also have additional modules Ward/Group/Suite ordering and Bed/Individual/Personal ordering. With these modules you will be able to improve your residents, patients, customers and school’s dining experience.
WHY CHOOSE INHOUSE MANAGER?
Menu planning and support: The support offered by the team at Inhouse Manager is second to none – we work with you daily to support your supply and menu needs. We react to the dynamic changes your operation needs, adjusting the system as required to ensure the right supplies are delivered at the right time, whether you cook
fresh, chilled or frozen. Fixed Price Catering: Know your fixed cost per patient / pupil / resident per day. Fixing your costs enables you to budget with ease, reduces cash flow issues and enables you to provide a transparent and auditable operation. Allergen Information: All relevant Allergen Data is available from within the system, taking the hard work out of managing allergies. Nutritional Analysis: This module will take all the required data from the catering management module, cutting down on double input and improving accuracy – comprehensive range of dynamic reports available. Meal Ordering: This module enables your different sites / classes to quickly and easily input the required meals, saving on staff time collating information for the kitchen. Detailed cost allocation reports are available, and reports can be produced quickly and efficiently, enabling you to cook the right food for the right place. Single or multiple sites: Whatever your operational needs are, whether you produce food for single or multiple sites, catering at one or several kitchens, we can set up the system to cater for your needs. A range of services are available to suit your needs: Every client is different, and we know that one size doesn’t fit all. We develop flexible, innovative solutions that can be tailored to suit any situation. Inhouse Manager is responsive across multiple devices including PC’s, tablets and Smart Phones and has been built on modern cloud-based technology to provide a secure and robust system with a friendly and easy to use interface. Telephone 0333 123 6987 Web www.inhousemanager.com
Workforce Scheduling Solutions Ltd Workforce Scheduling Solutions deliver Electronic Time & Attendance systems worldwide, using the latest Face Recognition technology. Why should care homes should move from paper to electronic time sheets The industry is under considerable financial pressures. An efficient electronic booking on/off system that will schedule, provide budgets, calculate hours worked, overtime and absence such as sickness and holiday entitlement will save Time and Money. How is time and money saved by doing things electronically? Collecting payroll information from paper timesheets can be slow, prone to errors, and very labour intensive.
Staff rosters can be produced as far in advance as practical and accurate within budgeted hours. Staff book on and off-duty electronically, thus eliminating any time errors. Wage queries are virtually eliminated and immediate checks can be made without wading through reams of paper which invariably are inaccurate, misfiled or even 'lost". There are many systems on the market - Why facial recognition is important and how it works Some systems use Staff tokens, which can be lost or left at home, thus requiring management involvement in the booking on/off procedure. Fingerprint systems can be beaten and Social media is awash with ways to copy fingerprints. Face recognition combined with a staff PIN is simple to use and manage
using touch screen technology and web cams. Staff see their image displayed immediately when booking on or off and confirms their identity visually. It provides the best deterrent available as it builds a greater 'image knowledge’ of each employee, a picture is worth a thousand words. Eliminates 'buddy punching' where employees can book colleagues on/off duty using someone’s tokens, swipe card or even fingerprint. How is data protected? With the correct security setup computer systems provide more data protection than paper-based records which can be easily removed or stolen. GDPR covers all data including paper records and therefore the chances of infringing the rules and incurring fines is greater with paper. Telephone 03333 444562 or visit www.wfsoftware.co.uk
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THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 29
TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Ablyss Care Management System When it comes to care planning and recording, the options available to today’s care home owner are vast, and in a world where technology moves at lightening speed, it can be difficult to know the right way to go. The days when staff were tied to their desks with pens, papers and diaries are long gone, but how best to move with the times? The right software system should do many things. The Ablyss Care Management System provides a good example of what all homes should look out for: • Records resident admission and discharge details • Care planning and risk assessments • Complete historical trail of evaluations • Shift handover and diary reminders • Medical notes and body-map charting • Individual and home diaries • Messaging system • Accident and incident analysis • Rotas and absence tracking • Training and employee reviews • Design your own assessments and templates • Extensive security and auditing tools. There are now so many systems on
Care Vision
Shaping the future of care - with a wide range of services, Care Vision offers a spectrum of solutions that will bring all your care home needs under one roof. Only a care home manager knows just how complex and challenging care management is. Care Vision has been built on the principle, that simplifying means unifying: the many types of tasks and departments that share space under your one
the market, which should you choose? Every software manufacturer will provide a system that might appear to be similar to all the others, but all are slightly different. It is worth deciding what is important to you before starting your search. Cloud or server based system? Modular or all in one? Costs (value for money)? How simple is implementation etc..? Making the change from using a pencil and paper to using technology instead can be an advantageous move. Software systems, such as Ablyss CMS, undertake tasks that are recorded and auditable. It is complex without being complicated and provides a more efficient use of time because, in the long term, everything is securely recorded. Software systems need no longer be PC-based, but can be used on tablets and smartphones too. Technology and software has the potential to change the care process for the better if the correct system is used. To book your demonstration, or 30-day free trial, of Ablyss CMS call 01625 535685 today!
roof should also share one integrated system. From Emar to food prep, housekeeping, health & safety, HR and family visits. Care Vision is designed to save time whilst meeting and going beyond CQC requirements. Rishi Jawaheer has been a director of the Jawa Group for over 12 years. The family’s first dementia care home was established in the 1980s, in London. Consulting with carers, families and professionals Rishi has created Care Vision. A solution built from the challenges of providing care and recording required information in real situations. Care vision has been designed to meet the complex needs of individuals using the service, from the perspective and skill level of carers. The quality of the record keeping satisfies the regulators. Care Vision works with providers to create a tailormade solution that suits your service. Care notes can be entered in a few clicks at the point of service. Using icons and speech to text but also having the ability to easily edit makes this a fantastic tool for a modern-day carer. By using Care Vision, you can save up to 2-4 hours per week, per resident in staff hours. That means if you have a care home of 20 residents you can save up to 40-80 staff hours per week, 160-320 staff hours per month. That’s equivalent to 1-2 fulltime staff. To find out more, check out the film on www.carevisioncms.co.uk
You wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water! Don’t throw all your wireless call points away. They could be used with the latest touch-screen displays, call logging, pagers & other innovations. Edison can usually repair or supply additional:
CALL POINTS PAGERS MATS (wired and wireless) PORTABLE INFRA RED OUT OF BED DETECTORS & THE LATEST CENTRAL PANELS PAGING LOGGING Wired and Pre-wired systems Existing wiring is usually adequate to install a new system. New wired or wireless systems including falls mitigation, record keeping of 30 million events and other innovations are available. Tell us if you have a requirement that we have not thought of that the traditional suppliers will not entertain. Edison can also be described as traditional as we started in 1984 and have many blue chip and NHS customers. Unlike some traditional suppliers we listen to our customers and implement their requirements.
Edison Telecom Ltd Unit 20, Belle Vue Enterprise Centre, Ivy Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU12 4QW Tel. +441252 330220 Fax +441252 408277 www.edisontelecom.co.uk Company registration no: 1859500, in England.
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PAGE 30 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
NURSE CALL ALARMS Lotus Care Technology How Flexible Is Your Nurse Call System? The NurseAlert pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot. Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls. Having many years of experience in fitting and maintaining Nurse Call
Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has 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.
Fitting a nurse call system can often be disruptive, time consuming and expensive; but not with Aid Call’s wireless system. Aid Call utilise wireless technology because there is no need to install cables to any of the call points and the impact is minimal, which is reassuring at a time of increased pressure on resources and environments. Wireless systems also have lower installation and operating costs over a traditional hard-wired system, as well as being quicker and easier to install. Wireless configuration offers complete flexibility and mobility, which makes our system infinitely changeable and expandable, allowing for the constant ability to deal with ever changing priorities and demands. Our system is safe, reliable and cost-effective. It can be designed to suit individual requirements and needs and adapted to work within your budget. It also has a variety of features which can help to maximise staff efficiency and improve the overall quality of care offered to your clients and patients.
TOUCHSAFE PRO DISPLAY PANEL The Display Panel conveys a mass of important information at a glance. This includes call type, call location, patient name, nurse identity and call response time. Varying colour displays and alarm tones correspond to different call types to help staff to easily identify priority levels. All calls will display on the panel. In the event of multiple calls, automatic system triage will display the calls in order of urgency. On multiple-panel systems the panels can be set up with zones so only calls from specific areas are displayed on the panel located within that area. Now with touchscreen capabilities, your nurse call system can be operated with ease. Antimicrobial additives prevent the growth of harmful micro-organisms on all of our devices and these are guaranteed for the lifetime of the product. Visit www.aidcall.co.uk or see the adverts on pages 1 & 15 for details.
Medpage - Affordable Caring Technologies Medpage Limited have manufactured quality affordable caring technologies for over 30 years. We specialise in providing bespoke design and development solutions for patient care. We were challenged recently to develop an alarm solution for a wandering resident in a care home on a limited budget. The alarm was to operate independently from the house nurse call system and required to send notifications to the carer mobile phone with time and dated incident reports. This
we did with 100% success. The alarm is now
Nurse Call Systems from Alarm Radio Monitoring Alarm Radio Monitoring (A.R.M) is a UK based manufacturer of wireless Nurse Call and Staff Alarm systems; offering a comprehensive range of Nurse Call, Staff Alarm, Fire Alarm, and Door Access bespoke systems. With over 30 years experience in the design & development of wireless Nurse Call & Staff Alarm systems, A.R.M has established itself as a key player within the wireless solutions market to the public and private healthcare sectors. Wireless solutions are ideal for environments which do not lend themselves to run-
ning cables, for example listed buildings or busy environments. Wireless systems can be fitted while your home remains operational, so you do not have to close rooms off and they offer greater flexibility and ease for future expansion. Care Homes choose A.R.M nurse call systems because they: • Are quick and simple to install. • Make it easier for staff to identify the source of calls because they give full text descriptions. • Give management the tools they need to monitor and control best practice. The system provides a full audit trail of which buttons are pressed and response times. • Failsafe eg alerts you in the event of a sys-
a mainstream product sold nationally. Reassurance and confidence in a supplier is paramount to a successful business relationship, especially where healthcare is concerned. You can rest assured that when you buy and use our products you are connected with a company with backbone and a passion to offer care technologies that deliver performance and quality. Visit our website for further information about our products www.medpage-ltd.com or Telephone 01536 264869 to request our new catalogue. See the advert on page 2 for details. tem fault or batteries are running low. • Carry a year’s guarantee. • Are supported 24/7, 365 days a year by specialist engineers over the telephone or online. Take the ongoing cost out of your operation with our unique return to base service exchange policy and low cost of ownership along with flexible finance options. No matter how demanding your environment, A.R.M believes everyone – whether you’re a customer in a care home or team member – should be within safe reach. Whether you need a combination of a Nurse Call, Staff Alarm, Fire Alarm, Door Access system, we have a team to help design a package that will meet your requirements. For further details call 01568 610 016 or email sales@arm.uk.com
THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 31
LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Commercial Laundry and Catering Equipment Changes. Choices. Alternatives Have you been looking for an alternative supplier for your Laundry and Catering needs? Whether it is for a new build project, extension or crisis purchase for your laundry or catering equipment you can now make a cost-effective choice by selecting Washcraft to be your new supplier. Washcraft is part of the Shorrock Trichem Group and is headed up by Francis Ayscough, who is one of the most experienced commercial equipment professionals to work in the care and hospital industry. Francis and his experienced team collectively have over 100 years’ worth of experience that you can utilise to the advantage of your company. Francis and his team will create tailor-made packages to meet your every need, their knowledge is invaluable and comes with a refreshing change: no pushy sales people guaranteed, only superior knowledge and experience that you can tap into to benefit your business. There has never been a better time to change,
Washcraft stock and supply a huge variety of equipment for laundries and kitchens that meet with legislation and standards set by the CQC. They are a cost-effective alternative when it comes to choosing the right supplier for your commercial laundry and catering equipment needs. Washcraft maintains your equipment for life, so they only work with global manufactures such as Electrolux and LG. Best of all, they have their own manufacturing factory here in the UK that produces their own range of detergents specifically made for the care sector, producing a wash quality to be proud of - all at affordable prices. Washcraft provide a FREE one month’s Detergent Trial and a FREE no obligation survey. You can find out more by calling one of their experienced team members on 01942 872 999: no pushy sales pitch guaranteed. Call today! You will not be disappointed.
Specialist Design, Supply and Installation of Commercial Kitchen & Laundries to the Care Sector Qube Catering Equipment specialises in the design, supply and installation of commercial kitchens and laundry equipment nationwide. Across all sectors to specifically cater for each individual project. We are on hand for any projects that you require to be tendered for, however big or small we are able to cater for your requirements, we can also offer full extraction systems, all stainless-steel items and front and back of house serveries. With our in-house qualified cad designer, we can illustrate a proposed area to suit each individual’s exact requirements Our commitment to customer service and satisfaction ensures partnerships/relationships formed with clients are long standing for both parties. We are able to provide a service from supplying one item of equipment to installing a complete kitchen & laundry, thus enabling projects to run smoothly as the work is all dealt with by one company, and also allowing the
client to have just one point of contact. Qube provide design, supply and installation to the care home sector both public and private. Working with various different Care Home Groups, Contractors, Consultants, specialist Architects and Designers. Our services include: • CONSULTATION & SITE SURVEY: “From the very beginning to the very end” Our professional team are on hand to give the best advise on design and specification. To help make your project a success. • DESIGN WORKS: With our in house design team, Qube are able
to offer 2D/3D design on all commercial kitchen projects, helping both clients and contractors with equipment layouts and service requirements. A smooth running project leads to happy clients. • SUPPLY & INSTALLATION: Working with leading UK and overseas manufacturers, Qube are here to help you get the correct equipment to suit each individual project and budget. And our professional qualified installers are there to help your design become reality and on time. • AFTERSALES SERVICE, The dedicated team are on hand to assist with all your after sales care and support, with nationwide coverage for installations, and non warranty assistance that you may be require within the laundry and kitchen areas We are also members of CHAS, SAFE CONTRACTOR & CONSTRUCTION LINE Visit www.qubecatering.com For further details see the advert on page 17.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 33
LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Forbes Professional Advises on Laundry Regulation Compliance The laundry facility is a central process within any care home and it is vital to make the correct procurement decisions. With care homes carrying Category 5 Fluid Risk, they are deemed by the water board to pose the highest risk of contamination. Consequently, washing machines need to be fully WRAS compliant and must reach and maintain the requisite high temperatures to kill all viruses and bacteria. Domestic washing machines are unsuitable within the care sector as they do not meet the stringent hygiene requirements. As such, any care home using domestic machines would fall short of CQC guidelines and would potentially fail an inspection by water board officers. It is essential to choose a trusted service partner that will provide appropriate commercial laundry equipment in order to ensure adherence to logistical and regulation requirements. Established in 1926, Forbes Professional has a solid understanding of care sector requirements and delivers comprehensive commercial laundry solutions to care homes
across the UK. Proud partners of Miele, Maytag and Primus, our washing machines can provide both sluice and thermal disinfection as well as employing dump valves for red bag washing, to fully adhere to CQC and WRAS regulations. In order to maintain a hygienic process at all times it is also vital, for instance, to allow for areas within the laundry room that enable the segregation of clean and soiled items. Forbes Professional always provides a complimentary on site survey and applies our industry expertise in order to devise a bespoke solution for any environment. Where required, we can assist with planning and deliver CAD designs to ensure adherence to the necessary regulations. After delivery, our clients have the peace of mind afforded by being fully WRAS compliant as well as having access to a first-class, ongoing service support. www.forbes-professional.co.uk info@forbes-professional.co.uk Tel 0345 070 2335 See the advert on the facing page for details.
5 Reasons Why You Should Choose LaundryTec Chester based LaundryTec since its foundation in early 2016 has become one of Alliance Internationals major UK distributers. Founded by Jeremy Hartigan, the team of industry professionals with the backing of the Alliance Lavamac brand and supported by its service partner PDS Laundry based in Nuneaton. They supply a significant number of the UK’s leading health care operators with equipment, installation and after sale support. The LaundryTec designs offer not only washing, drying and ironing equipment but a full range of
handling, distribution, folding and identification systems, to create a fully functioning laundry complete with all items necessary for efficient operation. Every LaundryTec machine includes full installation options, including the removal and disposal of an existing machine. A training program and a minimum of 24 months part and labour warranty. The environment is at the forefront of every operator’s mind. Standard specification on a Lavamac machine includes functions that automatically weigh and control the energy input into the
machine and store the data in the machines memory. Our LS range of electric heat pump dryers require no ventilation or gas services and operates at 3kw per hour.
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE LAUNDRYTEC 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Cost Efficiency Service Design Innovation
Telephone 0151 317 3127
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Web www..laundrytec.com
0151 317 3127
www.laundrytec.com
info@laundrytec.com
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE LAUNDRYTEC 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Washer Extractors
Tumble Dryers
Cost Quality Service Design Innovation
Flatwork Ironers
Other Equipment
THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 35
FIRE SAFETY
Fire Safety Failures in Over Half of Care Homes Audited in New Brigade Report
Serious fire safety failures have been found in care homes across London by Brigade inspectors. There were 177 care homes visited to gauge the level of fire risk across the capital in a one-off series of indepth inspections. The Brigade’s findings included the following serious fire safety breaches:
• One in three premises with inadequate or poorly maintained fire doors • Widespread confusion about fire evacuation strategies • Fire risk assessments being carried out by people without the proper skills and experience • Roofs being omitted from fire risk assessments (roof voids often increase the spread and severity of a fire.) London Fire Brigade is so concerned that they have written to every care home in the capital demanding they urgently review their fire risk assessments, emergency plans and staff training. London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Dan Daly said: “Over half the care homes we inspected had to make improvements to their
fire safety arrangements despite them housing some of London’s most vulnerable residents. “My main concern is that this audit is only the tip of the iceberg. Care home owners need to urgently review their fire risk assessments and ensure their staff know how to safely evacuate their residents, especially those who are immobile. “If you were placing your loved one into the care of others, you would expect them to be safe but for too many people, the very roof they are sleeping under could put them at risk.” In 2017, two people died in a Cheshunt care home after a fire travelled through voids in the roof which allowed it to quickly engulf the entire building. Crews from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue and London Fire Brigade found residents in many rooms, many too frail too move themselves to safety. Miraculously, 33 residents were rescued. Assistant Commissioner Daly continued: “To make a proper fire risk assessment, you need to properly understand how fire can travel and develop, otherwise you’re just guessing your safety plan. You wouldn’t let an under qualified surgeon operate on you, so why allow someone without the proper experience to undertake your fire risk assessment. “We sincerely urge care homes to take note of the findings in this report, and learn lessons for future inspections.” Debbie Ivanova, the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care for the London Region, said: “It’s the responsibility of those in charge of running care homes to ensure the right fire protection measures are in place in order to keep people safe. “Where we find areas of concern, we share these with the local fire service – as the enforcer of fire safety in care homes – and include in our published inspection reports. These findings will influence whether we judge a service to be outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate. “We know that good care home providers invest in proper and regular fire training for their staff, ensure that emergency plans are kept upto-date and carry out frequent checks of premises and equipment. But as the London Fire Brigade’s findings make clear, good fire safety isn’t the norm everywhere. “I encourage all care home providers to make full use of these."
If a fire broke out in your care home would you be confident you have the right provisions in place to protect your residents and staff? Care homes are increasingly under demand for providing quality of care to the growing elderly generation. It is now been 15 years since the tragedy at the Rosepark Care Home fire that resulted in 14 deaths and an event such as that must never be repeated. Despite this, it was detailed earlier this year by London Fire Brigade that more than half of their care home inspections were told to address fire safety concerns. A comprehensive fire risk assessment, prevention and early detection of any event of fire in these premises are of vital importance to protect residents and staff. By reviewing the appropriate fire safety legislation for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland can help as a useful guideline to what is required. For example, looking at The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 for England and Wales you must first eliminate all doubt. The “Responsible Person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions he [or she/they] needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him [or her/them] by or under this Order.” – RRO 2005, Part 2, Article 9 If you are not 100% confident to perform a fire risk assessment yourself, by using a competent company that is Third Party Certificated in providing Fire Risk Assessments you can be sure you have taken the best steps to ensuring the building is safe from fire. It will also point out any actions required to prevent fire from occurring or spreading throughout the building. Essentially you must be sure that you use competent providers to fulfil all your fire safety requirements. The BAFE Fire Safety Register website offers a completely free service for end users to find competent providers. BAFE is the independent register of quality fire safety service providers, who are Third Party Certificated to ensure quality and competence to help meet your fire safety obligations. It is important that you search for a provider who is Third Party Certificated in the specific service you require. This means they have been independently checked for their competency to fulfil your requirement.
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THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 37
FIRE SAFETY (...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35)
CARE HOME FIRE SAFETY: WHEN ONLY THE BEST WILL DO Choosing the best people to carry out a fire safety assessment at your care home has never been more important. The London Fire Brigade’s recent report on care homes in the capital, referred to in the lead of this article made for sobering reading. Furthermore, it highlighted the need for experienced and qualified professionals to carry out fire risk assessments, fire safety training, and offer advice on fire safety equipment. The best people for the job are members of The Institute of Fire Safety Managers who are aware of the various legislation related to fire safety in care homes. Employing experts to help ensure your residents and staff are safe will give you peace of mind so you can get on with your day job, providing the best care possible. And, should the worst happen, you can be confident that everyone knows their role and can act swiftly to ensure the safety of residents and colleagues. Benfield Fire Safety has more than 20 years’ experience in care home fire safety and can offer you full support from fire safety assessments to policy creation and fire safety training.
Fire Protection • Specialist Maintenance
Q1 Mobile Water Mist Sprinkler
RETIRED FIREFIGHTERS DELIVER “GOLD STANDARD” IN SAFETY Do you have a “burning desire” to ensure the highest levels of fire safety for you staff and building? Tower Fire Group are Fire Safety Specialists in the Care Sector with an experienced team of retired firefighters dedicated to delivering Gold Standard Fire Safety Services. Offering Fire Strategy Documents, Fire Risk Assessments and tailored Fire Training including Care Specific Fire Evacuation, Evac Chairs, Mats and other evacuation aids and a Low Maintenance Fire Extinguishers. Every Care Home has a duty of care to their residents and staff. Using Tower Fire Group will ensure you are meeting your needs.
The Q1 Mobile Water Mist Sprinkler is a new type of easily installed, enhanced fire protection system developed for existing living environments with a heightened need for fire protection. E.g. for the elderly, vulnerable, people with dementia or physical disabilities in residential care or in their own home. The product is specifically designed to offer a fire protection system that is reliable, simple and cost effective. High pressure water mist technology offers very effective fire suppression while minimizing water damage to buildings and belongings. The Q1 requires no permanent installation allowing for low initial and running costs and minimal maintenance.
C-TEC SAFEGUARDS AWARD-WINNING CARE HOME Northern Ireland’s first ‘lifestyle inspired care home’ is being protected by CTEC’s innovative life-safety systems. Designed by Bailie Associates, installed by Turner Electrical NI and supplied and commissioned by Fire NI, the systems provide the highest levels of protection for residents and staff at Milesian Manor, an award-winning care home in Magherafelt. Employing over 50 dedicated staff, the luxurious home specialises in creating spaces designed to conjure up memories of activities residents enjoyed in the past and even features a bar, beauty and hair salon, spa bathroom, café, cinema and wellness garden. Communication between patients and staff is facilitated by a powerful Quantec addressable call system specifically tailored to meet the home’s exact requirements. Each bedroom is equipped with a call point and patients have their own tail call leads with which to call for assistance. In addition, bed and chair exit mats have been installed in day rooms, bedrooms and lounges to alert staff immediately should a patient leave their bed or chair. Door entry/exit monitoring systems are also in operation powered up by a series of C-TEC’s EN54-4 certified power supplies.
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Q1 is activated early during a fire via the Siemens detector and delays fire growth. The chance of survival for the protected person increases dramatically. For maximum The diagram below is based on fire tests reliability in differing environments the Q1 can be equipped with multiple performed by SINTEF NBL in Norway independent detectors monitoring smoke, flames and temperature rise. By delaying the fire growth the Q1 reduces the risks during rescue. The Q1 uses a programmable control system and can be connected to external alarm systems, e.g. red care phone systems, and can be equipped with a variety of additional functions. The Q1 is reconfigurable - Individually controlled nozzles can be fitted and positioned to give additional optimal protection to higher risk areas. Several rooms can be individually protected using only one Q1 unit.
Headway UK Ltd BTC Bessemer Dr, Stevenage SG1 2DX
With over 15 years of industry experience, Headway UK are able to offer installation and maintenance support in all fire protection and detection systems.
01438 221447 www.headwayuk.com
Contact us today:
THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 39
FIRE SAFETY (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37...) At the heart of the home’s fire protection system is one of C-TEC’s revolutionary ZFP 4loop addressable fire panels connected to four stylish compact controllers. With its easyto-use touchscreen-controlled interface, the panel can easily be accessed by authorised personnel if required. A SigTEL emergency voice communication/disabled refuge system has also been fitted within the stairwells so that, in an emergency, residents who cannot easily use fire escapes can call for assistance and wait until help arrives. C-TEC’s PDA103 domestic hearing loops ensure that hard of hearing residents can participate fully in the daily activities, games and entertainment hosted at the facility and a larger wall mounted PDA200E hearing loop has also been installed in reception for the benefit of residents, visitors and staff. Said Sam Keery, Director at Fire N I: “Milesian Manor is an outstanding ‘next generation’ care facility offering top-quality care for its residents. We specified C-TEC equipment as it is high-quality, reliable and ideally suited to a professional care home environment. The project ran smoothly and our client is delighted with the level of protection now in place.” C-TEC is a leading UK manufacturer of world-class life-safety systems including fire alarm systems, fire detectors, call systems, disabled refuge systems and hearing loops. Visit c-tec.com to find out more about the company’s revolutionary CAST addressable fire alarm system, new Quantec Surveyor2 data management software and Hush Pro – a trail-blazing new fire alarm solution, developed specifically to enhance fire safety in flats, apartments and other tall buildings/HMOs.
IN-ROOM FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS The Q1 from Headway is a new type of easily installed, enhanced fire protection system developed for existing living environments with a heightened need for fire protection. The product is specifically designed and fully fire tested to offer a fire protection system that
is reliable, simple and cost effective.The basic version of the Q-Fog Q1 shown in the picture offers active fire protection in a room of approx. 25m2. High pressure water mist technology offers very effective fire suppression while minimising water damage to buildings and belongings. The Q1 requires no permanent installation allowing for low installation and running costs and minimal maintenance.
ENSURING FIRE DOORS DON’T CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIAL ISOLATION Social isolation and loneliness are often associated with the elderly living alone, how then is it that some residents in care settings are feeling alone and just as isolated? Heavy fire doors, which make up an essential part of your fire safety system and are an integral part of preventing the spread of fire, can present a barrier to the free movement for residents. Having restricted mobility within the care setting can impact on the mental health of residents and lead to depression and a deterioration in their general wellbeing. Balancing these two important issues and ensuring that you are meeting all your obligations of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 can be very difficult. For many years the Dorgard fire door retainer has been providing care settings with the ability to encourage residents to freely move around their home or facility whilst also meeting all their obligations under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Now you have even more choices when deciding which Dorgard to select for your setting. Fireco, the manufacturers of the Dorgard, have developed three types of fire door holders for care settings, Dorgard, Dorgard SmartSound and Dorgard Pro. Each type of Dorgard is suited to a different environment: the original Dorgard is suitable for low noise level environment; environments which are louder will benefit from the improved sound recognition in the Dorgard SmartSound and for establishments that are large (up to 500 fire doors in one system) requiring a ‘one glance’ check that the system is functioning, the Dorgard Pro is especially suited. Dorgards are battery operated and can be fitted in under five minutes, both the original Dorgard and the SmartSound can be installed by your handyman. To ensure that the Dorgard Pro is optimised for your individual setting, a free site survey is required prior to installation by one of our trained engineers. Dorgard Pro is available from Safelincs.
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH FIRE SAFETY ONLINE With so much equipment now requiring routine testing and servicing, it is increasingly difficult to have all the paperwork, inspection certificates, LOLER certificates etc up-to date and readily available when needed. It is all too easy for these to become lost, or filed away in the wrong place. Two years ago, SCM, Southern Care Maintenance Ltd introduced a new on-line and secure customer portal, mySCM, which has been providing a real benefit to their customers. This provides, free of charge to all customers who have a service contract, a central repository which is available 24/7 and stores all this information together in one place. Copies of job sheets, certificates and invoices can easily be retrieved and printed out again should the originals become misplaced providing peace of mind. Continuing with the technological advancements of the modern day, it is now possible to upgrade an old Fire Alarm System and Nurse Call System in under a week. Gone are the days of engineers installing cables and being present on site for a number of weeks as, with the new Radio Nurse Call, a call point can be fitted in a resident’s room within a matter of minutes. Flexibility is a real benefit with the new Radio Nurse Call as units can easily be repositioned when necessary, and multiple displays can be positioned around the care home to ensure staff never miss a call which further improves efficiency. SCM have two divisions which between them cover a huge range of equipment and systems for both supply and servicing, from Hoists, Fire Alarm Systems and Nurse Call. They operate throughout the southeast, including Kent, East and West Sussex, Surrey, Essex and South London postcodes.
BAFE FIRE SAFETY REGISTER 0844 335 0897 www.bafe.org.uk C-TEC 01942 322744 www.c-tec.com BENFIELD FIRE SAFETY 0300 3033 27 www.benfieldfire.co.uk TOWER FIRE GROUP 0845 51 91 883 www.towerfire.co.uk SAFELINCS 0800 978 6287 www.safelincs.co.uk . SOUTHERN CARE MAINTENANCE 01580 890089 www.southerncare.co.uk HEADWAY 01438 221447 www.headwayuk.com PARKER BELL 01392 364933 www.parker-bell.co.uk
"We tailor our fire safety services to best suit your organisations' practices and requirements." Martyn Williams, Operations Director
Tower Fire Group are currently the UK's leading Fire Safety Specialists in the Care Sector with an experienced team of retired firefighters dedicated to delivering Gold Standard Fire Safety Services. Offering Fire Strategy Documents, Fire Risk Assessments and tailored Fire Training including:Care Specific Fire Evacuation, Evac Chairs, Mats and other evacuation aids and a Low Maintenance Fire Extinguishers.
Every Care Home has a duty of care to their residents and staff. Using Tower Fire Group will ensure you are meeting your needs.
THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 41
UNIFORMS AND WORKWEAR Grahame Gardner Ltd
Working in a care and nursing home setting demands a uniform that’s reliable, comfortable and capable of working as hard as your valued staff do. With more than 100 years’ experience working in the healthcare industry, Grahame Gardner Ltd understands this need and is proud to offer one of the largest ranges of high-quality uniforms in the UK. From head to toe, our range contains everything your staff many need – from tunics and scrubs, to trousers and shoes. No matter how tough the demands of the job are, our
hard-wearing uniforms are up to the challenge, providing your team and your patients with that all-important extra peace of mind. Choose from our extensive colour palette to create uniforms that represent your company’s identity, and make employees feel proud to be a vital part of them whenever they put their uniform on. Grahame Gardner are currently running an incredible offer for Care and Nursing Homes who can benefit from an exclusive 40% off their staff uniforms. Visit www.grahamegardner.co.uk/cnh40 for more information about our exclusive discount call 0116 255 6326 or email sales@grahamegardner.co.uk.
Badgemaster Launch Range Of Dementia Friendly Name Badges Badgemaster launched a new and modified range of Dementia Friendly name badges at the recent Dementia Care and Nursing Home Expo. Names help us connect and start conversations. They help build trust and encourage us to put confidence in one another, especially in unfamiliar circumstances or care settings like hospitals and care homes. Name badges are a familiar sight in many of these environments yet often aren’t helpful for those who need them most. For people living with dementia or who have memory loss, a name badge can improve interactions and alleviate frustration of not remembering a name. With bright colours and large font sizes to choose, we have
demonstrated that a little innovation goes a long way in a care home environment. A brightly coloured badge will help it stand out against clothing so it can be seen effortlessly. The retina can easily pick out specific colour text on a particular colour background, and so the contrast is crucial to make the badge more legible. A good example is a black text on a yellow background. White or lightyellow text on a dark background
works well too. If you’re going to great lengths to design a highly visible name badge, make sure it can easily be seen when it’s worn. It’s helpful for everyone to wear their name badge in the same place all the time too – it helps people remember where to look for it when they can’t recall a name. By taking a person-centred approach and considering the challenges a person living with dementia might face, we can understand what makes a name badge dementia-friendly. Design a dementia-friendly name badge for your care home online at www.badgemaster.co.uk or by speaking to our expert advisors on 01623723112 and working with our in-house design team.
Meltemi Specialist Uniform Suppliers Meltemi have been designing and manfacturing garments for the healthcare market for over 30 years. We are key providers to the NHS, private healthcare, GP surgeries and residential care homes market across the UK. So whether its tunics for nursing staff, blouses and suiting for administrative staff or catering or workwear uniforms we have it covered. Full control over our group owned supply chain means we can respond quickly to changing demand. Owning our own factories also means that we have complete control of our quality standards. We guarantee our garments for a minimum of two years . We are passionate about our responsibilities towards our working community and are committed to doing the right thing. We care about the health, safety
and welfare of our employees. We are full members of the Ethical Trading Initiative and have been audited to Labour Standards Assurance Scheme level 4 which is the highest level achievable. We have a full service offer which covers standard brochure garment ranges as well as having bespoke design capabilities and can manage standardisation projects for those organisations wishing to simplify their range of uniforms. We are a team of straightforward, honest and transparent people who are committed to delivering proactive customer service. For further information please contacts us – Telephone: 01603 731330 Website: www.meltemi.co.uks@meltemi.co.uk
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PAGE 42 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
BATHING AND BATHROOMS SPECIALISTS IN OUR FIELD
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• Walk-In Baths • Saniflow Pumps
Bathroom Mobility Manchester work all around the country installing bathrooms for the mobilty and non-mobility market and our highly trained plumbers and fitters are specialists in their field.
STUNNING BATHROOMS TO SUIT EVERY SPACE & EVERY BUDGET Contact us today for your no obligation quote from our friendly team
CALL ON: 01619 562995 info@bathroommobilitymanchester.co.uk www.bathroommobilitymanchester.co.uk
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Bathroom Mobility Manchester A trusted family firm with many years of experience we have grown to become the leading bathroom installer in Manchester. We pride ourselves on our excellent reputation and ensure we take the time to understand our clients requirements. Our initial, no obligation consultation lasts no longer than 45 minutes and will allow us to provide your free quotation as well as advice from our skilled team. We don’t pressure sell, our advisors are not paid commission, we want you to be totally happy with the work we undertake, so much so we provide a manufactures guarantee to ensure you have total peace of mind. We can offer a wide range of beautiful fixtures and fittings to give you the bathroom you want at a price you can afford! We work with all major manufacturers and can provide you a wide range of styles and finishes, the choice is yours. One of our advisors will
visit you to measure your bathroom and discuss what you require, we can provide bathrooms with or without accessibility features. We can offer a wide range of beautiful fixtures and fittings to give you the bathroom you want at a price you can afford! We work with all major manufacturers and can provide you a wide range of styles and finishes, the choice is yours. One of our advisors will visit you to measure your bathroom and discuss what you require, we can provide bathrooms with or without accessibility features. You can have confidence in us, we are a trusted family firm with a long standing reputation in our trade. CALL ON: 01619 562995 info@bathroommobilitymanchester.co.uk www.bathroommobilitymanchester.co.uk
AKW Launches Its New Task Focused Lighting Range AKW, one of the UK’s leading providers of accessibility solutions, continues to build on its one stop shop offering with the launch of a new task focused bathroom lighting range. Available from March, the lighting range is also accompanied by an ‘AKW Lighting Guide for Accessible Bathrooms’ that has been developed in conjunction with occupational therapists. This is available to download from www.akw-ltd.co.uk/lighting and explains how to light accessible bathrooms to promote independence and help reduce accidents. To make life easier for specifiers and installers, AKW has created a Task Focused Lighting Kit within the range, that contains just the right type and quantity of lights to illuminate an 8ft by 6ft bathroom space for those with low vision and mobility issues. The kit contains five narrow beam (30°) ceiling LED task lights: three for the bath/shower zone and two for the toilet and sink areas, two long lasting, bright (1764lm) LED ceiling lights for ambient lighting of the space and a blue pull-cord switch - ideal for those with sight loss or dementia. All of the products featured in
the AKW Task Focused Lighting Kit can also be bought separately for larger bathroom installations. In addition, the wider AKW lighting range also includes LED lights with dimming sensor and emergency functions, as well as pull cord switch, timer controlled and humidistat bathroom fans and LED bathroom light product packages. Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW comments: “For those with low vision or mobility issues, the avoidance of shadows, dark areas and glare is key to safe movement around the bathroom. To overcome this, a mix of task-specific and overall ambient lighting is needed to ensure the bathroom is sufficiently lit. By adding our new lighting range to our existing vinyl flooring, tiling and timber offerings, installers and specifiers can come to AKW for even more of the components needed for a bathroom adaptation, saving time and reducing the rik of delay for an installation.” For more information, please contact AKW on01905 823298, Email: sales@akw-ltd.co.uk or visit www.akw-ltd.co.uk
THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 43
DEMENTIA CARE AND TRAINING Skills for Care Launches New Case Study - The Rambles - Traditional French Street Guide To Help Services Improve Skills for Care has launched a new online guide, Guide to improvement, to help social care employers to identify, plan and implement improvements across their service.. The ‘Guide to improvement’ offers a comprehensive toolkit to help your organisation to deliver high quality care and support, and meet regulatory standards. The guide was created because, at the beginning of this year, 17% of regulated adult social care services in England were still delivering care that didn’t meet the CQC’s fundamental standards. These organisations need to act quickly to make sure that they meet these standards, as, when quality begins to drop, they’re much more likely to need costly interventions to turn that service around. Even when a service is already achieving the CQC’s fundamental standards, continuous improvement is a key part of achieving and maintaining a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rating. Project manager, Rob Hargreaves, knows, from working with employers, that continuous improvement is vital for any service so that they can meet the needs of the people they support. “Whether you’re responding to a negative inspection, or striving for ‘outstanding’, making improvement brings lots of benefits, no matter what your CQC rating,” says Rob. The online guide will help adult social care employers to identify where their service needs to improve, and develop an action plan to implement the required changes.
Training from Virtual College Virtual College has worked with subject matter experts to create certified statutory and mandatory training for those working in the health and social care environment, to help their organisation and employees meet their training obligations. Staff working in a healthcare environment need to ensure that they undertake statutory training to ensure they can do their job safely. Our course bundle is designed to provide effective learning for staff to ensure they understand how to work safely in a healthcare environment. At Virtual College we offer two bundles Clinical and Non–Clinical training each bundle gives you ten courses suitable for the healthcare environment. All courses are mapped to Skills for Health’s Core Skills Training Framework. As a result, they meet National Occupational Standards, GMC/NMC Standards, CQC – Essential Standards of Quality & Safety and NHS Litigation Authority Standards. Courses are all CPD certified and meet the Care Certificate standards where applicable. Our Training bundles will save you £100 compared to buying these courses individually. If you’re looking for specific training, you can purchase any of our 25 courses individually to supplement your training requirements or increase your knowledge in a specific area. Visit www.virtual-college.co.uk
Little Islands worked together with Willowbrook Care Home to create a unique activity room.
THE INITIAL MEETINGS
The initial meetings were held with the team at Willowbrook Care Home with a vision to create a unique themed activity room for the residents to enjoy.
The brief was to provide a full turnkey project and provide a scheme with detailed drawings of how Little Islands could transform an old disused kitchen into an AWARD WINNING Fabulous French inspired Street. Willowbrook is a specialist care home for people with advanced dementia or mental health problems who need personal or nursing care on a long term basis. Their philosophy is to allow their residents to have a fulfilled life, within an environment that supports and enables them to do this safely and with dignity.
TO DEVELOP A FRENCH INSPIRED INTERACTIVE ROOM
Little Islands worked closely with Barry Flanagan, Willowbrook’s
Registered Manager and Clinical Director, to develop a safe care facility with a warm and homely feel. A French Street theme was chosen because of the colourful cobblestone streets France has to offer, surrounded by beautiful flowers and painted facades. ‘The Rambles’ had to include sensory lights, music and be a stimulating environment for the residents to enjoy. Included in the design was a bespoke unit to house the coffee and cakes, bevelled safety glass doors give the illusion of looking through the window of a cosy little bistro.
“AN INSPIRATIONAL DESIGN AND FACILITY”
The area is used as a quiet retreat for the residents to go and help themselves to a coffee and a cake, while soaking up the atmosphere created by the sensory lighting and the warm, welcoming bistro surroundings. A fully working jukebox was developed and installed by Little Islands, to include a variety of tunes selecteded by the residents, with birdsong bringing soothing peace and relaxation to the room when music is not being played. The book shop in the corner is complete with books and games, enabling residents to enjoy a varied range of activities according to their mood or circumstances. "I have had the pleasure of working with the Little Islands team over several years on some extensive project work at the care home. They were excellent at listening to the areas of development the home was intending to achieve, then taking that idea to another level! Their imagination and creativity was inspiring and the level of detail and quality in their workmanship was outstanding. More importantly they always considered the client group within the home, making sure we never lost sight of the reason we were making these changes, their work is truly person centered and considered, no matter what challenges the service could throw at them. I can speak from a personal level that working day to day with the team was easy because of their professionat friendly and committed attitude to the project and the people in the home. The legacy of the work they have done for our home, is to raise the quality of the environment and create resources that make a difference to the quality of life we can bring to the clients each day, also a sense of value for the staff to work in an environment that is unique and positive, so its a big thank you to Little Islands for all the work they have done" Barry Flanagan, Registered Manager/Clinical Director
Visit www.littleislands.org for further information.
PAGE 44 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
DEMENTIA CARE & TRAINING VODG Backs Renewed Focus on Restraint Training Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) is supporting a renewed focus on restraint training by the Restraint Reduction Network (RRN), which has led the development of the national training standards. There has been a lack of quality assurance for restraint training and too often training focuses on restrictive interventions, without sufficient focus on prevention or de-escalation, says VODG. The Restraint Reduction Network (RRN) have led the development of the national training standards which VODG is pleased to have backed. The standards aim to promote culture change, not just technical skills. The standards will: • Protect people’s fundamental human rights and promote person centred, best interest and therapeutic approaches to supporting people when they are distressed
• Reduce reliance on restrictive practices by promoting positive culture and practice that focuses on prevention, de-escalation and reflective practice to minimise use of restrictive practices • Increase focus on prevention, understanding of the root causes of behaviour and recognition that many behaviours are the result of distress due to failing to meet needs • Improve staff skills and confidence in how to keep people safe in crisis and to better understand how to meet people’s needs in order to prevent crisis situations • Improve the quality of life and protect the fundamental human rights of people at risk of being restrained and those supporting them • Where required, focus on the safe use of restrictive interventions including physical restraint
Enrich Activities with Training from Alive
Enrich activities with training from Alive Alive is the UK’s leading charity enriching the lives of older people in care and training their carers. Through meaningful activity sessions, training, community engagement programmes and advocacy, we aim to put wellbeing at the heart of care. We know that meaningful engagement and outstanding activity require creativity, innovation, teamwork and a genuine love of people. Our personcentred, responsive Training and Coaching courses can support and empower your staff to provide the meaningful activity and day to day engagement your residents need.
Our courses are proven to inspire, enthuse and provide the skills needed for your staff to enrich the lives of the older people with whom they work - all day every day. We offer a variety of set in-house training courses and bespoke courses which can be delivered nationwide at any of your care settings.
• • • • • •
Engaging with people living with dementia One to one work with older people Life story work and reminiscence with older people iPads with older people Providing meaningful activities for older people Co-production
Ensure your staff have the skills and confidence they need to deliver truly outstanding activity.
To find out more or to book a course please contact Alive.
0117 377 4756 • info@aliveactivities.org www.aliveactivities.org Alive, Smeaton Road, Create Centre, Bristol BS1 6XN. Registered Charity No 1132708
There are now over 400,000 older people living in residential care in the UK. Alive is the UK’s leading charity enriching the lives of older people in care and training their carers. An ageing population is meeting dramatic changes within the social care sector, and the results are catastrophic. It's become all too familiar to see older people lined up in the living room of a care home, depressed, silent and staring at the television. Care settings are closing rapidly, for minimum wage care staff work a job that requires a vast skillset, and vulnerable older people are paying the price. As the future for adult social care hangs in the balance, care staff are stretched to breaking point. “The job that we’re expecting nursing homes to do is ever more complex and ever more difficult,” says Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector for regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Care homes must demonstrate their ability to provide meaningful activity and Alive exist to address this need, through our activity sessions and care staff training.
WHAT WE DO
Alive is one of the leading practitioners in the UK of meaningful activity for older people in care. We provide fun and dynamic activity sessions to encourage creativity, celebrate life stories and get the circulation going. We're different to other activity providers because we enable older people to shape the content and direction of Alive sessions, which include the use of new technology, guided reminiscence, creative, energising and physical activities. We entertain but we're more than entertainers. We engage older people in meaningful ways using a variety of tools and techniques tried and tested over the last 10 years. Alive activity sessions are proven to impact positively on older people in the expression of personal identity, enabling of personal choice, interaction with others and general well-being. Their training and mentoring is found to have contributed to positive changes in the culture of care and practice within the care settings. To find out more or to book a course please contact Alive on 0117 377 4756 or visit www.aliveactivities.org
Helping Care Teams Engage by Gillian Hesketh of Happy Days Dementia Workshop & Design Alongside healthy eating and exercise, social engagement is paramount for overall wellbeing. That’s why at Happy Days Dementia Workshop, we are passionate about helping care teams enrich social care for residents, patients, people at home and people living with dementia. Everyone reminisces, no matter what age; remembering school days, a holiday, a concert, previous job or life experience. Reminiscence can colour our stories, comfort us and is especially useful when caring elderly and people living with dementia. It’s important for care teams to have varied collection of reminiscence materials available to help initiate meaningful social interaction. 'Care Teams become very enthusiastic once they have reminiscence materials to engage with’ states Gillian Hesketh MA, of Happy
Days Dementia Workshop & Design. We are all different: some of us may enjoy afternoon craft sessions, watching a film, or a trip out but for others, just a few moments chatting may be enough. Using Happy Days ‘Time to Chat’ prompts, reading newspaper headlines or employing nostalgic games like Jacks, Beetle Drive or Snakes & Ladders can be extremely beneficial. We don’t stop here, Happy Days has a range of meaningful wall art and nostalgic murals to expand interaction, encourage eating, instigate exercise and generate conversations. Our replica shops can bring carers, residents and visitors together creating a sense of community which everyone can enjoy. Save time searching and sourcing - Shop online at www.dementiaworkshop.co.uk or see the advert on page 1.
Curve Learning and Development WHY CHOOSE CURVE?
Our team has over thirty years’ experience in designing and delivering top courses. We know that the more our trainees enjoy the training, the more easily they take in and retain the material. Smaller private companies, large multi-site organisations and local authorities all have something in common; teams learn best when they’re truly engaged in the process. To make things as easy for you as possible, we come to you and train your team on its own, familiar site. If you’d rather that we trained your team at our West Yorkshire-based training centre, drop us a line and we’ll tell you which courses we can deliver here. With Curve Learning, your team will be totally absorbed!
TRAIN THE TRAINER
Our range of train the trainer courses will equip your training team with the skills, knowledge and materials required to deliver all your mandatory training courses. Most of our courses in this area comprise of two day’s training with the first day spent developing delegate’s practical training skills and awareness of training theory. The second day focuses on the specific subject that you would like to deliver. The Level 3, CPD accredited training skills day of each course covers the following: • The training cycle • Effective presentation skills • Managing group dynamics • An introduction to learning styles • Effective questioning skills
• Designing inspiring training material • Evaluating your training delivery. The second day is specific to your chosen subject and will take you through our Level 3 accredited front line course.
FACE TO FACE
We are able to deliver training direct to your staff on site at your premises at any location in the UK, or here in West Yorkshire within our fully equipped training room. By taking this approach you leave us to worry about the development of your staff while your time and resources are spent elsewhere. We are able to provide over 40 CPD Accredited courses ranging from Moving & Handling, The Mental Capacity Act & DOLS, Infection Control, Medication Awareness etc. to more specialised training such as Positive Behaviour Intervention with Physical Interventions, Pressure Area Care, Epilepsy Awareness and Diabetes Awareness. Almost all of our courses can be delivered in a halfday format which allows you to maximise your investment by having two different courses in the same day, training up to 30 people.
E-LEARNING
We offer a suite of Level 2 CPD accredited online training courses. All courses are designed to help you meet your developmental requirements in a cost effective, easy to use way. For more info call us on 01924 842787 or visit www.curvelearning.org.uk or see the advert on the following page.
THE CARER | SPRING 2019 | PAGE 45
DEMENTIA CARE AND TRAINING
“Prescribe Dementia Patients Playlists NOT Pills” Says Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock speaking at a recent conference Singing is an inclusive activity that
BENEFITS
delivers excellent cognitive stimulation therapy and is an effective reminiscence
Research has revealed that singing stimulates the release of endorphins which restores memory and comprehension; it helps restore balance and strengthens the facial muscles of those who have Parkinson’s Disease or are affected by stroke, and it helps those who have respiratory diseases (COPD).
experience. The Secretary of State was encouraging medical professionals to refer patients living with age related long term conditions, including Alzheimers,
But above all it is an enjoyable activity which fights social isolation and loneliness.
Parkinsons, Dementia, Stroke and COPD, to community singing groups. This recommendation is supported by
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.
Contacts: pip@singforyourlife.co.uk
NICE Guidance NG32 Older People: Independence and Mental Wellbeing and Quality Statement QS137 and published research. Regular participatory singing stimulates memory and comprehension as well as reducing loneliness and social isolation. The Silver Song Music Box system has been developed to enable Activities Organisors to provide participatory singing sessions whenever and as often as required, without the support of a trained musician. Some
Hampshire, Thames Valley East Anglia heather@activitiesforhealth.co.uk South West England carolyn@sightgroup.com Wessex stuart@singforyourlife.org.uk All other areas
For more information call 07709 625487 email info@singforyourlife.org.uk or go to www.singforyourlife.org.uk
care homes provide singing every day!
A SONG EACH DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY More than 300 systems, are being used in residential care homes, hospital dementia units and by community support groups. The Music Box, which is connected to a TV or projector, is preloaded with over 200 popular songs, hymns, and Christmas carols, which have been arranged and recorded to suit older people. The Silver Song Music Box System costs £750 and there are no further costs.
A Skills for Care endorsed provider, Curve Learning offer accredited training in over 40 subject areas. For a full list of subjects available please visit our website at www.curvelearning.org.uk or call us for a chat on 01924 842787. We provide classroom training that is CPD Accredited to Level 2 or 3; Level 3 Train the Trainer programmes or Level 2 eLearning courses. We are able to deliver training anywhere in the UK, but also have a number of external events planned in addition to courses at our head office in West Yorkshire. eLearning: 28 accredited courses available with annual or monthly payment options. Prices are extremely competitive for this flexible solution. Staff can simply print their own certificate after completion of each course. Upcoming Level 3 Train the Trainer events: • 21st – 24th May, London • 10th – 14th June, Manchester • 8th – 12th July, Durham • 13- 15 August, Leicester • 17 – 19 September, Milton Keynes
SPECIAL OFFER: Level 3 Safeguarding for Managers Only £50 + VAT per person 31st May, Wakefield
Courses to be covered include M&H, First Aid, Safeguarding, Medication, Infection Control & Food Hygiene. We also have a number of events planned at our training centre each month. For more info visit our website at www.curvelearning.org.uk/course-calendar
For more info call us on 01924 842787 or visit www.curvelearning.org.uk
PAGE 46 | THE CARER | SPRING 2019
PROPERTY AND PROFESSIONAL Immigration – Settlement Scheme Are you an EU citizen residing in the UK? If so, you’re probably more than a little concerned about how Brexit will affect you and your family in the coming weeks. With Brexit ever looming, the United Kingdom is bracing itself for a tumultuous year ahead. There is so much uncertainty about how the UK will cope with severe staff shortages, particularly in the health and social care sector, which has suffered a steady decline over the recent years. Since the referendum in June 2016, the industry has struggled to retain much needed and cherished EU staff, many of whom have left our shores for a more secure future on the continent. At present, there is an estimated staff shortfall of approximately 100,000 staff within the sector. Industry heads are scrambling to hire qualified staff to meet ever increasing demands in the sector and the pressure seems to feel even more intense than ever before. It is further compounded by the fact that we are simply not producing enough homegrown healthcare professionals to keep up with demand.
It’s not all doom and gloom for EU nationals however. You and your family may be entitled to apply for the new EU settlement Scheme which has been introduced by the Government to allow you to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021 under ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status if your application is successful. WHAT IS THE EU SETTLEMENT SCHEME? The EU Settlement Scheme was opened to applicants on 30 March 2019 to allow EU migrants living in the UK to continue doing so after the deadline on 30 June 2021. As of 1 July 2021, it will be mandatory for all EU citizens to hold UK immigration status in order to remain in the country and the scheme allows EU migrants and their families to apply for permanent residence in the UK. If your application is successful, you will be granted an Indefinite Leave to Remain status. WHO CAN APPLY? EU citizens who have lived in the UK for 5 consecutive years are entitled to apply for the Settlement Scheme. If you have lived in the UK for less than 5 years, you may still apply for ‘presettled’ status. You will then be
Global Business Finance Global Business Finance was established over 29 years ago by the firm’s present senior partner, Mark Widdows, and since then has arranged over £1.8bn in loans for healthcare clients. The firm works exclusively in the care sector providing a very personalised service, as the firm knows every client is individual with individual requirements. Mark and his team spend time getting to know each of their clients in order that they can ensure all needs are met and the loan facility tailored to their client’s individual requirements. Global offers national coverage and with the sup-
able to make a settlement application once you have reached 5 years in the UK. Your immediate family members may also apply for the Settlement scheme if they have also lived in the UK for 5 consecutive years. Children under the age of 21 do not need to have lived in the UK for 5 consecutive years if their parent(s) are granted settled status. Aston Brooke Solicitors are leading specialists in Care home and Immigration matters. Our dedicated teams of solicitors are on hand to offer you the best advice regarding your settlement application. Give our team a call on 020 3475 4321 for more information about the EU Settlement Scheme or see the advert on the facing page.
port of email, fax, regular telephone conversations and face to face meetings the firm are able to put together a professional and comprehensive bank application. The bank managers that Global work with are all specialist healthcare managers who have extensive knowledge within the sector and fully understand the requirements of the clients that Global introduce. With over £1.8bn in completed care home loans you should strongly consider Global Business Finance to represent you for your next loan application. Reader Enquiries - Tel: 01242 227172 Email: enquiries@globalbusinessfinance.com
Signature Senior Lifestyle – Land Wanted Signature Senior Lifestyle is one of the leading providers of quality care home accommodation in the UK. Operating within the south east Signature currently own and operate 12 care homes, providing nearly 1,000 suites for its residents and employing over 1,300 staff members. As both developer and operator of its care homes, Signature has a long-term commitment to its sites and is dedicated to being a good neighbour and making a positive contribution to the local community and with the majority of Signature residents and staff coming from the local area around each home, there are benefits for the local economy and local housing supply, as exist-
ing family homes are released back onto the market. Due to our homes being registered with CQC (Care Quality Commission) we fall under Use Class C2 of the Town and Country Planning Act which dismisses us from making affordable housing contributions or provision. As a result of this, coupled with our high-density homes and low parking requirements we are able to offer generous land prices.
Keeping Care Compliant Helping care providers navigate their way through the numerous compliance requirements, the National Care Forum and Quality Compliance Systems have announced a new partnership. Quality Compliance Systems (QCS) is the leading expert in Compliance, quality assurance and care management. The organisation supports registered social care, dental and GP services to deliver outstanding care through the provision of bespoke, service specific management systems that meets all ongoing regulatory requirements. CEO of QCS Mat Whittingham said: “We are really excited about this partnership to help care providers stay compliant. Over 2,700 dedicated pages are reviewed and updated regularly in line with legislative and regulatory requirements, and Best Practice guidelines, by our team of experts. Furthermore, our Compliance Tools reflect the CQC`s changes to their Key Lines of Enquiries (KLOEs), enabling Social Care Providers to stay up to date with current CQC thinking and inspection frameworks. We also help care providers with operating effi-
We currently have a significant requirement for additional development land within the south east and would welcome exploring opportunities with land owners. We have a dedicated and experienced development team, capable of developing a variety of sites that most others wouldn’t, whilst generating high land values for owners. Should you be aware of an opportunity we would be delighted to talk to you and rest assured all correspondence will be dealt with in a friendly, professional and confidential manner. Visit us at signature-carehomes.co.uk/site-acquisition or see the advert on this page.
ciently, such as creating systems that allows secure logins with different access permissions for staff; for instance, restricted access maybe needed for staff training purposes such as learning a new procedure. Our systems bespoke policies, procedures and management toolkits cover all areas of running a provider of care services.” NCF Executive Director, Vic Rayner said: “Ensuring Compliancy is probably one of the most time consuming aspects of running a care service for many of our members, and we are delighted to have partnered with QCS to help our members in this area. Reducing the time spent on paperwork and using systems that make procedures more efficient will free up manager and staff time to do what they do best – that is supporting the people that use the service. We are very much looking forward to working with QCS to share its knowledge and expertise with the NCF membership.” NCF members will have a great opportunity to meet QCS at the NCF Annual Conference 2019 – ‘Shaping the Agenda for Great Care’ on 5 June at The Tower Hotel, London. Non-NCF Members welcome. Book your place at www.nationalcareforum.org.uk