The Carer #46 Autumn 2019

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Staffing Risk Creating ‘Perfect Storm’ says CQC Report

The Care Quality Commission’s annual assessment of the state of health and social care in England have revealed that quality ratings in the sector have been maintained overall , however, people’s experience of care is determined by whether they can access good care when they need it.

The report warns that the quality of care provided by mental health and learning disability services has deteriorated in past last year with the regulator warning that growing pressures on services alongside chronic staffing issues risk creating a ‘perfect storm’ for patients using mental health and learning disability services.

The report reveals that 10% of learning disability inpatient services and 8% of acute mental health units and psychiatric intensive care units are now rated as ‘inadequate’, compared with just 1% and 2% respectively last year.

Providing the right access to the right care at the right time is increasingly key to the sustainability of

health and social care as services struggle to cope with increased demand. When people can’t access the services they need, the risk is that they are pushed into inappropriate care settings – ending up in emergency departments because they can’t access the care they need outside hospital, or in crisis because they can’t access community based mental health and learning disability services.

Difficulties in accessing the right care can mean that people with a learning disability or autism end up detained in unsuitable hospitals. CQC’s ongoing thematic review, which begun in 2018, highlighted the prolonged use of segregation for people with severe and complex problems who should instead be receiving specialist care from staff with highly specialised skills.

This year’s State of Care considers the pressures faced by health and social care as a whole – but focuses particularly on inpatient mental health and learning disability services, the area where CQC is seeing an

impact on quality.

While the overall quality picture for the mental health sector, which includes community mental health services, remains stable, this masks a real deterioration in some specialist inpatient services which has continued after 31 July 2019, the cut-off point for the data included in the report.

Although inspectors have seen much good and some outstanding care, they have also seen too many people using mental health and learning disability services being looked after by staff who lack the skills, training, experience or support from clinical staff to care for people with complex needs. In the majority of mental health inpatient services rated inadequate or requires improvement, a lack of appropriately skilled staff was identified as an issue in the inspection report.

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

VIEWPOINT Welcome to the Autumn edition of The Carer.

We were exhibitors and media partners at the recent Care Show at the NEC in Birmingham earlier this month, and one of the great benefits in exhibiting this industry feedback.

I am pleased to say that we were probably one of the exhibition’s busiest stands, which gave us a great opportunity to interact with frontline care workers, managers and care nursing homeowners.

Editor I am always enthused with the optimism people working in the sector have. A genuine warmth and desire to help with that greatest attribute of all, a wonderful sense of humour!

That said, there are huge concerns surrounding funding, in particular the impact cuts and social care is having on quality of care and staffing.

I always ask the question “how do you think social care should be funded in the future”? I made a specific point of asking this question since the Labour Party has pledged free personal care for over 65 in England, should they win the next general election.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell announced plans for a national care service, which would double the number of people getting state funded help in old age.

And as we are all well aware, the problems in adult social care continue grow: rising need has not been matched by funding. Responsibility, as stated above, has shifted away from the state towards individuals and their families; and there are serious challenges with care home providers themselves facing financial problems, and ongoing staffing issues plaguing the sector which is often characterised by low pay, long and stressful hours, and high turnover.

The general feedback I got was that people would be prepared to see an increase in National Insurance contributions as a national solution to a national problem.

Another issue, however, which was often raised was responsibility over our own health. People I spoke to were generally pragmatic around this issue, with some quite emphatic that we should begin to take responsibility for our own health and make better choices. I think most people I spoke to recognised that by adopting healthier lifestyles, people would significantly reduce over-dependency and social care and would significantly reduce costs.

Fortunately, that seems to be being adopted without the intervention of the “Nanny State”, with the millennial age group, those born in the 80s and 90s adopting healthier eating, significantly smoking less and reducing alcohol consumption.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock triggered a row last year when he said we need to take more responsibility for our own health, but I have to say the feedback I got from those at the “coalface” of care would agree.

I would also take this opportunity to draw your attention to our Christmas ‘Unsung Hero’ Award. Our Summer award was a fantastic success, and we had great feedback at the Care Show. We had many wonderfully uplifting nominations during the Summer, and we are doing it all again, drawing a winner on Friday, December 20th. Once again, a luxury two-night break for two in a choice of over 300 hotels in the UK so please get nominating!!!!!!

Peter Adams

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Staffing Risk Creating ‘Perfect Storm’ says CQC Report (...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) Access and staffing are presenting challenges across all care settings, with geographic disparities – as highlighted in last year’s State of Care – presenting particular barriers in some parts of the country. People sharing their experiences with CQC have described having to ‘chase’ care in order to receive basic services, or experiencing worsening health as they move from service to service, unable to access the care they need.

In adult social care, issues around workforce – including a lack of qualified staff – and funding continue to contribute to the fragility of the sector. 2018/19 saw providers continuing to exit the market and in 2018, CQC twice exercised its legal duty to notify local authorities that there was a credible risk of service disruption because of provider business failure. These were the first notifications of this type CQC has issued in four years of running its Market Oversight scheme.

Ian Trenholm, Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said: “In this year’s State of Care, we have highlighted mental health and learning disability inpatient services because that’s where we are starting to see an impact on quality – and on people. There has been a deterioration in ratings in these services – and our inspection reports highlight staff shortages, or care delivered by staff who aren’t trained or supported to look after people with complex needs, as a reason for this.

“Increased demand combined with challenges

around workforce and access risk creating a perfect storm – meaning people who need support from mental health, learning disability or autism services may receive poor care, have to wait until they are at crisis point to get the help they need, be detained in unsuitable services far from home, or be unable to access care at all.

“We are strengthening our approach to how we look at these services, and how we use the information that people share with us, so that we can act more quickly to spot and act on poor care. But having the right staff to deliver good care is crucial to turning the tide – as are better integrated community services to prevent people ending up in the wrong place. We’ve seen some excellent care where services collaborate and we want to see more local services working together.

“While we’ll continue to call out staffing issues at provider level when these have an impact on care, we’re also calling for system-wide action on workforce planning which encourages more flexible and collaborative approaches to staff skills and career paths. The ambitious plans to expand the mental health workforce to meet an increase in demand must be accelerated.

“We’ll continue to celebrate the providers – like those highlighted in this report – who are thinking beyond barriers to work together in new ways that not only improve quality but give their teams more development opportunities and flexibility to work across different settings, supporting them to deliver great care.”

Smokers Develop Social Care Needs A Decade Earlier Than Non-Smokers

The average age at which smokers develop a social care need for the first time is 62, compared to 72 for never-smokers, according to a research report published by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

The report, Social care costs: Going up in smoke, also found that the cost of smoking-related social care to local authorities is £720 million a year and the cost of smokingrelated social care to individuals who pay for their own care is £160 million a year.

Last year, smoking killed 78,000 people in England alone. But the costs of smoking don’t stop there – for every person killed by smoking, at least 30 people live with a serious smoking-related illness.

670,000 people over 50 have care needs as a result of smoking and though 55% of these adults receive the support they need, 45% (300,000) have unmet care needs.

Informal carers, friends and family members who help with tasks at no cost, provide care for 345,000 of the total due to smoking which would

cost an additional £10.6 billion if it were provided by paid carers.

The report findings are based on multi-wave analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

by Landman Economics for ASH. Of respondents over 50, one in four (23.5%) current smokers need help with at least one of six activities of daily living (ADLs), compared to never smokers, who were almost half as likely (12.1%) to need help.

Ciaran Osborne, Director of Policy at ASH said: “Disease and disability caused by smoking leads people to need social care a whole decade sooner than if they had never smoked. Not only is this severely detrimental to their quality of life, it also puts avoidable strains on England’s creaking social care system. Local authorities should support smokers in their communities to make an annual quit attempt as stopping smoking will help them maintain their quality of life as they age.”

Smokers who quit by 30 can avoid almost all the long-term health consequences of smoking,

as well as reducing the likelihood they’ll need social care.

Key recommendations: Local authorities should set a local smoking prevalence target and work to reduce prevalence rates locally by: • Denormalising smoking • Promoting an annual quit attempt • Providing diverse stop smoking support Central Government should commit to extending and enhancing tobacco industry regulation to ensure delivery of its ambition of ending smoking by 2030 to include: • Imposing a ‘polluter pays’ charge on the tobacco manufacturers to fund tobacco control including anti-smoking campaigns, enforcement and targeted support for smokers to quit.

• Stricter regulation of tobacco marketing including, for example, requiring retailers to have a licence, raising the age of sale and requiring pack inserts which promote quitting.

PAGE 4 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

Sex-Specific Tests Improve Diagnosis What Technology Can Reveal About Your Care Home and How it Can Help of Early Memory Problems Ensure it Meets CQC Standards

Researchers in the US have found that using sexspecific memory test scores could improve the diagnosis of early memory and thinking problems, known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). When using sexspecific scoring, researchers diagnosed more women and fewer men with MCI. The study was published 0n 9 October 2019 in the journal Neurology.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) describes early memory and thinking changes commonly seen in older people. Although MCI is not a disease itself, it can be an early warning sign of the diseases that cause dementia, most commonly Alzheimer’s disease.

In this new study looking at MCI diagnoses, researchers used memory test scores based on sex instead of averages for both men and women.

A group of volunteers, 453 women and 532 men, aged between 55-90 who were either healthy or had MCI took a verbal memory test. The researchers then compared each person’s score to typical scores based on the average for both men and women, and the sex-specific average to determine who had MCI. When researchers used sex-specific averages, as well as other typical characteristics including age and education level, they found that 10 percent more women and 10 percent fewer men had a diagnosis

of MCI. These diagnoses were also more accurately linked to Alzheimer’s disease-related brain changes.

Dr James Connell, Research Manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Previous research suggests women outperform men on tests of verbal memory, and this could mask the early stages of memory and thinking problems in women, delaying a diagnosis.

“In this new study, a sex-specific approach for testing verbal memory helped avoid an incorrect diagnosis in men and improved the timely detection of thinking and memory problems in women. Further long-term studies with more people will confirm these results. Findings like this could improve diagnosis methods, making it easier to spot people who are at risk of developing diseases like Alzheimer’s.

“It’s important to refine diagnosis methods to ensure that people with mild memory and thinking problems are not slipping through the net. A timely and accurate diagnosis allows people access to the support and information they need, as well as the opportunity to enter future clinical trials at a time when they are most likely to benefit from any new treatments. Preventing incorrect diagnosis of healthy individuals is also critical to stop exposure to undue stress and unnecessary treatment.”

Changes to the PIR or Provider Information Return only came into force in August, but they herald an important seachange in the inspection process. In a climate of austerity, where everyone – including the CQC – has to do more with less, Ed Watkinson, a consultant advisor to QCS says that “the newly designed annual PIR is designed to embed a culture of continuous

monitoring”.

“It aims to achieves this,” he adds, “by making the provider responsible for evidencing to the CQC their understanding of the quality of the service”.

Mr Watkinson, who has over 25 years’ experience in social care, says that the PIR, “is not a document that care providers should fear or dread. Instead, it’s an opportunity for a care home to proactively demonstrate that it’s delivering outstanding care that is Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led”.

But with over 70 questions asked, and a lot of them requiring a detailed written response not exceeding 500 words, how do you know which evidence to prioritise? And with questions heavily weighted towards three key areas – staffing (10), complaints (8) and improvement (8), how can you be sure that the culture you’ve built in your organisation measures up to CQC standards – both on paper and in reality?

The solution for many large care providers he says is “to throw resources into trying to provide a comprehensive and detailed response. But he adds that “not every care home has the budget to do so”.

Instead, an increasing number of care providers – both large and small – are turning to compliance management systems for answers. So how can they help a care provider to fill out the PIR? Ed who is a Regulation and Inspection consultant for Quality Compliance Systems, one of the UK’s largest care management providers, (QCS) says, “While compliance management systems are only as good as the people using them, the best ones can help a care manager get to the nub of what the CQC is looking for. That is the ability to provide outcomefocused and person-centred evidence to support each KLOE.” In this respect, the QCS system offers care professionals an invaluable set of customised tools – including a full range of policies and procedures, risk assessments, surveys, and mock inspection toolkits.

If used and applied in the right way, Mr Watkinson

says that QCS’s compliance management system “can lay the foundations for outstanding service delivery while, at the same time, providing the evidence for the PIR which mirrors it.”

But how can the QCS toolkit empower a provider to deliver visible service improvements in line with CQC standards?

According to Mr Watkinson, a key theme in the PIR is being able “to demonstrate a culture of ‘continuous improvement’ by working with other stakeholders”.

Ed, who has been supporting QCS for over four years, says that to provide a better standard of service, care homes must be able to identify weaknesses before rectifying them.

He notes that “adopting an approach based upon co-production and capturing the views of people that use the service is something that the CQC looks favourably upon, and that the QCS system supports”.

He says, “We’ve developed a range of surveys, each one based on key questions and KLOEs, which care managers can send to residents, to stakeholders, to staff, and to relatives. When surveys are returned providers can work on the issues that are important to others, as opposed to focusing on challenges that senior management thinks are important.”

He continues, “The second step is to work on weaknesses. The QCS system has a full suite of action-plans and training tools to ensure that staff understand training, and are following through on it.”

With care managers able to add the evidence gathered to the PIR, Ed says the final step, “is for care managers to continue surveying and to utilise the mock inspection toolkit”.

He adds, “As it’s based on CQC methodology, both tools pose the same questions to care practitioners as a CQC inspector would do. The mock inspection process has also been specially designed to ensure that policies and procedures are being correctly implemented by staff on the front lines.”

If during that mock inspection process, it transpires that the necessary improvements are not being made, Ed states that the QCS system makes “action and improvement plans available”.

He says, “These plans, coupled with a robust reporting system, and a cyclical approach to mock inspections, helps care managers to check progress and aids care homes in delivering positive change”.

Ed concludes, “Compliance management systems, which conform to CQC regulations, provide a care manager with the evidenced-based content for a PIR, and serves to illustrate to staff, residents and relatives that the home is providing a good quality service. Most of all though such a system, if used properly, puts care home managers and their staff on the front foot, giving them the power to shape their own destiny, and that of the residents who live there. That is very empowering.”

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 5

UK Must Prepare for The “Daunting But Not Insurmountable” Challenge Of Ageing In a new report for the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC), global academic thought leaders Prof. David Bloom (Harvard) and Prof. Andrew Scott (London Business School) argue that the UK’s unprecedented population ageing poses a set of daunting, yet not insurmountable, challenges for policymakers, institutions and healthcare providers to design better solutions fit for an ageing society.

The UK’s population is ageing more rapidly than ever before with the share of people aged 65+ projected to reach 1 in 4 within the next two decades. With today’s 65-year-olds expected to live, on average, 20 years beyond state pension age, the UK’s ageing population is placing considerable strain on government pension and social security systems. Moreover, as retirees come to outnumber new entrants to the workforce, labour shortages could lead to economic growth slowdowns. Finally, already over-stretched and underfunded health and social care systems will need to adapt to growing demand as they prepare to cater for an ever-growing share of the population.

The UK has seen promising developments on ageing policy, including the recent establishment of the UK Longevity Council and the inclusion of ageing as one of the Government’s Grand Challenges. However, Scott and Bloom argue that policymakers need to go further to

redesign policy and institutions that truly support a shift in the population’s age structure.

Prof. Bloom argues that key to this are programmes to enable older workers to remain in the labour market for longer through retraining opportunities and more flexible working patterns; health policy reforms that focus on preventing, rather than curing disease to enable people to stay active and healthy for longer; as well as a renewed debate on the state pension age.

The authors moreover highlight the pivotal role innovation could play, including, for instance, robotics to help fill production demands for manual labour, or better housing and transport design to facilitate independence and continued employment for older people.

Prof. Andrew Scott, London Business School, commented: “Not only are people living longer but also differently and this means our social and economic infrastructure needs to follow suit.”

“We need a broad and clear set of policies which focus on maximising the opportunities that come from longer, healthier lives while minimising in a dignified way the costs of an ageing society. The demographic factors behind an ageing society represent one of society’s greatest achievements. Making sure that we turn it to our advantage will hopefully be our next.”

The Carer’s Summer Unsung Hero is… …Marion Brocklehurst at Cloverfield Care Home!

We here at The Carer are delighted to announce The Summer 2019 Carer Unsung Hero is Marion Brocklehurst, activities coordinator at in Shropshire. Marion has worked at Cloverfields Care since 2002, and for the last 15+ years she has been dedicated to making the lives of those less fortunate worth living.

Director Philip Morris who nominated Marion said: “There is a special selfless something about Marion which is hard to put into words, her eccentricity and conscientious inclusivity really brings the residents and staff in the home together as a family. It’s a really big deal, considering that some residents often have no family left.”

“In her time at Cloverfield’s Marion has enthusiastically raised many thousands of pounds towards the resident comfort and activities fund.

Money which has she has then spent on further improving the lives her resident family, buying materials for craft, games, trips, special meals and entertainment.”

Such a difficult task that once again we added two runners-up prizes of £50 each in Marks and Spencer’s gift vouchers.

And, it gives us great pleasure to recognise the hard work Paula Mackie a support worker at Sahara Lodge and Gardens in Forest Gate.

Our second runner-up is Beverley Healy who is a kitchen assistant at Autumn Lodge in Hove East Sussex.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who put forward nominations we had a wonderful response and it was very difficult indeed to pick an outright winner, it may sound tired old cliché but it is not meant to be, when we say, that in our eyes “every nomination was a winner” and we are just sorry we cannot give an award to everybody!

This is been a truly uplifting and inspiring exercise so much so are you ready for our “Christmas 2019 Unsung Hero Award”? Yes, we want to do it all over again and pick a worthy and deserving Christmas winner, with a luxury two night break for two the prize! Same rules apply (there are none)! We simply invite those in the residential and nursing care sector to nominate somebody from any department they feel has gone that extra mile and deserves an to be recognised as an “Unsung Hero”!

So please send your nominations to nominate@thecareruk.com

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PAGE 6 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

Can Body Cameras Reduce Violence and Aggression in the Care Industry?

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A staggering 71% of care home workers have faced violence and aggression in their workplace, with the most common type of abuse being verbal. In the UK alone, police recorded 1200 assaults between residents living at care homes between 2014 and 2016.

Able Training Support (ABS) found that Kicking, hair pulling, biting, swearing, hitting and spitting are not uncommon occurrences in care homes, with care workers often at the receiving end.

According to ABS as many as 71 per cent of care workers claim to have faced both verbal and physical aggression in their jobs. They said that the anger, confusion and fear that people with dementia experience can sometimes result in aggressive and violent behaviour, which puts care workers at risk.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, believes the industry needs to find ways to deal with rising aggression towards staff: "As we see more people with different types of dementias and exhibiting more challenging behaviours, we have to have a system that's ready to respond to that."

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), which monitors and regulates care homes in England, said that the responsibility lies not only with the industry as a whole, but specifically with the provider to create a safe environment for staff and residents. A statement from the CQC said "People living in care homes should feel safe and be protected from harm - and it is the responsibility of those who are in charge of running these services to ensure this happens.”

Care homes are not alone in facing a growing number of attacks and violence. The NHS is experiencing a similar epidemic of aggression. The NHSBA Physical Assaults on Staff Report revealed that since 2010 there has been a 24% increase in the number of incidents against staff.

The most recent NHS Staff survey showed that more than 15% of NHS employees have experienced violence from patients, their relatives or the public in the last 12 months – the highest figure for 5 years.

As a result, The NHS Violence Reduction Strategy was launched in October last year, demonstrating that the challenges are being taken seriously, and steps are being introduced to better protect nursing staff whilst also improving quality of care.

The Strategy includes £2m dedicated to programmes around reducing violence, bullying and harassment against NHS staff. With this backing, Trusts around the country are looking to introduce specialist body cameras as a tool to address the rising challenges.

Body cameras have already proven themselves to be an effective deterrent of aggression and false complaints within policing, with every police force in the UK now routinely utilising the technology. But it’s not just police who could benefit from them being used.

The NHS have demonstrated that it is feasible to roll out the technology in an inpatient, care focused set-

ting. In a published study, body cameras were shown to reduce the level of violent incidents and instances of use of emergency restraint at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT).

Compared to the same period the previous year the need for emergency restraints (where there was a high or immediate risk of harm) went down from 41 incidents to 18. There were also no complaints regarding restraints during the study period compared to two, in the same period a year earlier.

These results are particularly interesting as the Violence Reduction Strategy includes a strong emphasis on a “No Force First” approach, aimed at finding alternatives to physical restraints as a means of supporting people who become distressed.

During the study at Berrywood Hospital, 12 cameras were worn by 60 staff from the Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression team and nurses on five psychiatric inpatient wards over a period of 3 months.

Soon after the study, the Trust won the HSJ Patient Safety Award for Best Product/Innovation for Patient Safety specifically for their use of body cameras on wards. This was followed closely by being named Trust of the Year, with judges noting the innovation helping to combat violence and aggression.

Andres Patino, assistant director of adult mental health services (south) at NHFT, explained that informing a patient they were behaving unsafely and that a recording was about to start was often enough to change behaviour positively. “As soon as that button is pressed what you then see is a de-escalation.” He said.

The cameras used in the study featured a unique front facing screen that let patients see that they were being recorded. Studies show that when people know they are being recorded it can help calm them down and avoid confl¬ict, and that’s just what the cameras achieved. The screen made it crystal clear what was going on whilst being open and honest about what was being recording.

Beyond keeping staff physically safe, Lindsay Bennett, NHFT’s prevention and management of violence and aggression manager has also spoken about the benefits of learning from footage captured on the body cameras.

She said “We wanted to learn from the camera footage and see if we could get better at helping people who are in crisis, because we need to get better – everybody needs to improve,” “If we watch an incident, can we learn from that and make it safer for everybody? That’s been the thing all the way through for us. We want to keep everybody safe. Violence and restraint does happen in the NHS. We know there is an issue because the statistics show us. But we can get better at stopping it getting to a point where we have to restrain, by learning trigger signs.”

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 7

Elderly Should Consider Residential Care Before A ‘Health Crisis’ Very old people would feel more in control of their lives if they thought about a future move to assisted accommodation or residential care before health problems force them to – according to new research from the University of East Anglia and the University of Cambridge.

Most older people want to continue living at home for as long as they can. But in many cases, a health crisis means they need to transition to a new home closer to their families or to long-term residential care.

New research published today shows that older people are rarely involved in decisions about moving due to the urgency of their health crisis or cognitive decline.

The research team say that thinking about future moves earlier would help older people have more involvement in decision-making and could lead to better outcomes for all involved.

The research team studied interviews with a rare cohort of participants who were all aged over 95, most with some level of cognitive impairment, and their families.

Dr Morag Farquhar, from UEA’s School of Health Sciences, said: “A minority of older people choose to move to age friendly housing before the onset of disability – but the majority prefer to grow old in their own homes and put off moving until a health crisis forces them to.

“We know that in some cases the decision to move an elderly person is made by others who may override the older person’s views and preferences – or even without their full consent.

“While family members usually prioritise safety and security, older people may well strive to maintain their own independence.

“We wanted to find out more about the decision making process when very old people move – either into a care home or to live with family.

“The likelihood of moving involuntarily increases with age and those over 80 are in the high risk bracket.

Moves at this time of life are often driven by incidents like serious injury from a fall, hospitalisation or the death of a spouse who has been acting as a carer.

“We focused on a rarely studied group of ‘older old’ people – aged over 95 who had moved in later life – and their families.”

The researchers worked with 42 surviving participants of the Cambridge City over-75s Cohort Study – a long-term study of older people that started in 1985 from a survey of more than 2,600 men and women aged over 75.

They identified 26 who had moved after turning 95 and interviewed 20 of them. Six were too frail to take part. The oldest interviewee was 101.

Most of those who had relocated had some level of cognitive impairment and so key carers, usually a close relative, also took part in the interview process.

Dr Farquhar said: “What we found was that when people move at such an old age – they are usually not making the decision themselves because they lack capacity due to poor health or cognitive decline.

“Usually the decision is made by other family members or health and social care professionals – and relatives reported being traumatised by events leading up to the move.

“While some older people were philosophical about their move and considered it a part of the aging process, many thought a decision had been made for them, some felt resentment, and later regretted their move.

“Relatives need much more support to discuss moving and housing options at timely junctures before a health crisis – so that older people can participate in the decision making process.”

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“Littlish Allsorts” Visit Prideaux Lodge Great times had by all at the first meeting between the Littlish Allsorts and residents at Prideaux Lodge It may not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, but research has proven that these interactions can have fantastic benefits for each generation.

The little ones brought a new sense of vibrancy and fun to Prideaux Lodge, and the focus was no longer on watching time pass but on living in the moment.

Manager Denise Argent said “We have found that people living with dementia have a higher level of positive engagement when interacting with children and days after this event the residents are still talking about the children’s visit and when they are coming next.

We feel this has had a positive impact on the home and the joy this has brought to the residents and I feel other homes should get involved as much as they can with their local community especially schools and nurseries.”

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THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 9

Social Care Exodus: One in Three Social Carers Plan to Leave Sector New research has revealed that one in three (37%) social carers are looking to leave the sector within the next five years in a social care exodus This equates to over half a million workers potentially leaving social care. This research by Totaljobs sheds further light on the state of the UK’s social care sector, considered to be in crisis according to three quarters (76%) of MPs in a recent independent poll.

These staff shortages may arrive sooner, as one fifth (20%) of social carers are already actively looking for roles outside the sector, considering taking their transferable skills to careers in healthcare (51%), retail (43%) and hospitality (24%). One in five (19%) plan to leave social care within the next two years, and this figure increases to over half (57%) expecting to exit the sector within the next decade.

Concerningly, the UK will need a further 650,000 workers by 2035 to meet the increased need for care services as a result of the country’s ageing population, which will see one in five people over the age of 65 by 2030. This means the sector may face a staffing deficit of over 1.2 million workers by the middle of the next decade, begging the question: how is the UK going to care for those that need it?

Over 170,000 applications were made to social care roles on Totaljobs in the first half of 2019, with an average of 12 applications for each role advertised. In fact, applications have risen by 13% compared to last year, a clear silver lining. However, we cannot ignore the bigger picture that shows the sector is still facing an increasing shortage of workers.

A LACK OF NEW TALENT

The demand for social carers is not being met, partly due to a lack of entry-level talent. Most of Gen Z (56% of 16-25-year olds) wouldn’t consider a career in the sector. This could be due to a lack of awareness, as over half (53%) of Gen Z reported that teachers, parents or friends have never spoken to them about a career in social care.

More widely, the research revealed that Brits overwhelmingly respect and value social workers with 90% believing that social carers are essential in society. However, two-thirds of people (67%) have stated that they wouldn’t ever consider a career in social care, citing concerns over low pay (42%), emotionally challenging work (41%) and perceptions of unappealing work (29%).

For those in the sector, 70% of social carers believe colleagues are leaving the sector due to their working environment, and 80% argue that they are leaving due to pay. The latter suggests a need for greater transparency around career and salary progression, for those inside as well as outside of social care, to increase awareness of the opportunities available.

It’s essential that employers take steps to successfully attract, recruit and retain social carers, to secure the future of social care and ensure people get the support they need.

A SECTOR IN NEED OF CHANGE

Despite the number of social carers looking to leave the sector, nearly seven out of 10 (68%) would recommend a career in social care, making it clear that they value their work. This passion means many social carers would be keen to stay if improvements are on the horizon. Social carers are proud of the work they do (81%), naming the best bits about working in the sector as building relationships with those they care for (60%) and being able to give back to society (58%).

While the challenges the social care sector faces are multi-faceted, employers can offer solutions to support their workforce and retain staff.

Social carers outlined the following actions that could enhance their careers: 1. Feeling more valued by their employer (59%) 2. An increase in salary (51%) 3. Greater support from management (46%) 4. Strong leadership (42%) 5. Greater career progression (41%) 6. More training and development opportunities (40%) 7. More flexible working hours (37%) 8. Reduced stress (35%) 9. Job security and stability (31%) 10.Funded qualification (28%) Alexandra Sydney, Director at Totaljobs commented: “Totaljobs has seen a growing interest in social care roles, with applications up 13% compared to August 2018. However, our research highlights that there is more to be done to protect a sector in demand.

“Despite the challenges they face, the vast majority of social carers would still recommend a career in social care. With this, 81% of those who plan to stay in the sector say they’re proud of the work they do. Employers should promote this passion to attract entry-level talent into the sector. Generation Z is known for being driven by careers with purpose, but very few have considered a career in social care.

“By building awareness and consideration among those entering the workforce, employers have the opportunity to tap into a goldmine of talent, future-proof the sector and ensure people get the care they need.”

Care UK’s Director of HR, Leah Queripel said: “This is a very thought-provoking piece of research and many of the findings back up what we have heard from potential recruits in the past.

Using this knowledge, we have, in the past few years, put a great deal of investment into making us the employer of choice for people who want to work in social care. In particular, our focus on allowing each colleague to develop new skills and creating an environment where everyone has the opportunity to work their way up a career ladder if they so choose.

“As a result, we have many examples of senior colleagues including home managers and regional directors who started as carers and, after taking advantage of the leadership training on offer, have moved into wellpaid senior positions with us.

“And, we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that social care isn’t just about care workers – we also have opportunities for people to work in areas such as maintenance, IT, catering and hospitality. Each with its own rewards, career structure and opportunities for talented people to learn and develop. I hope today’s survey makes more people of all ages realise just how fulfilling the social care sector can be.”

Coventry Care Home Residents Get Their Very Own Pub Residents at MHA Abbey Park in Coventry can now enjoy a tipple down at their ‘local’, after the care home transformed one of its lounge areas into a traditional pub.

‘The Abbey Arms’ provides a space for residents to meet and socialise on a weekly basis, while taking part in the home’s regular schedule of activities. A Gentleman’s Club, Ladies Club and dominos tournaments are all held at the pub.

While the bar is not licensed to serve alcohol, staff co-ordinate when weekly activities are taking place to ensure drinks are brought in and the authentic pub atmosphere comes to life.

The home will also be using the space to build closer links with the local community by opening their dominos tourna-

ments up to other care homes in the surrounding area.

Home Manager, Tina Thompson, said: “We initially wanted to create a new environment for residents to enjoy, which would give them a change of scene and a place to meet up. Having asked both residents and staff for their thoughts, the idea of the pub progressed from there.

“The pub is proving a fantastic addition to our home and has become a real focal point for everyone. We’re really pleased with the positive feedback we’ve had.”

Resident Jack Payne said: “It brings me back to my time in the Navy – when the Gentleman’s Club is on, we all sit around having a pint and a chat while playing dominos and cards.”

W&P Launch NEW Products in 2019!

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NEW Learning Disability Policies and procedures. Divided into 3 categories (Direct Care, Managing Care and Staffing) the set provides a full suite of Policies aimed at Supported Living and Domiciliary LD care providers. They are clearly written and easy to use and there are EASY READ versions available for key titles.

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THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 11

Younger People Would Consider Changing to A Career in Adult Social Care Younger people in England aged 18-34 are the most likely to consider applying for a job in adult social care, according to new figures from the Department of Health and Social Care.

The survey comes as part of the next phase of the Department’s ‘When you care, every day makes a difference’ adult social care recruitment campaign, which aims to attract people with the right values to help fill the 122,000 vacancies across the sector to support some of the most vulnerable in society.

The interest from younger people who will form the next generation of adult social care workers has been welcomed. The average age of those working in the sector is 45 years old, and around 385,000 jobs are held by people aged 55 years old who are likely to retire in the next ten years.

The campaign will continue to target 20-39 year olds, to help capitalise on interest and raise awareness of the variety, benefits and progression offered by a career in care.

Minister for Care Caroline Dinenage said: “A career in adult social care offers the rewarding opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in society– a sentiment 96% of current care workers on the ground agree with.

“We have over a million brilliant people working in the sector, but we urgently need new talent to ensure we can continue to provide support for those who need it.“I hope our ‘When you care, every day makes a difference’ campaign will draw more people with the right values to forge fulfilling careers and help them realise how diverse, worthwhile and often flexible jobs in social care can be. I urge anyone considering a career in care to apply today.” The survey of 2,020 adults shows: • 64% of 18-34 year olds would consider a career in adult social care.

• Over half of people aged 18-24 (57%) and 25-34 (56%) would consider changing career for a job that helps or supports others.

• More than one in ten people aged 18-24 (13%) and 25-34 (14%) are dissatisfied with their current job.

• 59 would consider moving roles to a job which offers more personal fulfilment.

• 65% of parents with dependent children would consider a role in adult social care.

Nearly 1.5 million people work in the sector, but an ageing population means that social care workers are more in demand than ever before, with an additional 580,000 workers needed by 2035.

The campaign was launched in February aiming to attract new people with the right values to the sector and increase interest in adult social care as a vocation.

The first phase of the campaign has already generated a 14% increase in clicks on the apply button for care-related roles on DWP Find a Job and 97% more searches for jobs containing ‘care’ or ‘care worker’ during the

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campaign period. One in four (26%) care employers surveyed after the first phase saw an increase in either enquiries, applications, interviews or vacancies filled. Care work requires specialist skills and on the job training is provided with opportunities to gain qualifications and progress within the sector. Roles are varied and include working with adults of all ages in a variety of locations and with different needs, for example: • a care or nursing home as a care worker • your local community as an activities co-ordinator • a hospital as an occupational therapist • someone’s home as a personal assistant Nathan Rhodes, manager at Look Ahead said: “If you want to help people and have a positive impact on their lives, adult social care is the right place for you … It’s the best decision I’ve made.”

“People come to the service needing support in multiple different areas.

You see those people leaving two or three years later with skills, confidence and the ability to access support if they need it. The difference is tangible and the results of your work are very clear.”

Skills for Care Interim CEO, Andy Tilden, said: “With only 19% of our workforce currently aged under 30 this campaign is very timely, especially as we know we need to fill around 122,000 job vacancies across our sector on any given day.

“I’m really encouraged by this survey that shows young people would seriously consider a career in adult social care that we know offers huge personal and professional rewards. I would encourage anyone who thinks they have the right values to make a real difference in their community to take a look at the many different job roles available and see which would best suit their talents.”

Julie Ogley, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) said: “People of any age can work in social care and make a real difference to the lives of so many who need it.

“There’s a wealth of highly rewarding career opportunities for everyone, from providing vital care and support as a care worker or personal assistant or to roles in the local community and beyond with the opportunity to go further. There are careers to be had in social care – our own members, all of whom are Directors, and their direct line reports, are a prime example of this.

“We want to see a social care workforce that is diverse and well representative of our society and we hope that this campaign we help us to achieve that.”

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ents are already starting to realise the benefits of working in adult social care with 65% of those with dependent children at home saying they would consider such a role.

The campaign will put a spotlight on the range and variety of social care roles available in the sector. This will include mental health and complex needs, domiciliary care, rural care opportunities, individual employers and personal assistants, shared lives schemes and supporting people with learning disabilities. It will also highlight the potential for progression in a career in care, with on the job training and the chance to gain new qualifications and skills.

Adult social care roles are all about offering personal and practical support to help people live independently, from adults with disabilities to older people or those with mental or physical conditions.

A day in the life of a carer is hugely varied, and roles can include anything from supporting people to participate in social activities in the community to enabling someone to go to work every day and assist with personal care such as getting dressed. Workers can be based in the community, in care homes, hospitals or people’s homes.

PAGE 12 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 13

The Benefits Of Practising Mindfulness In Care In recent years mindfulness has become a hot topic, becoming increasingly popular as mental health awareness grows.

The reported benefits of practicing mindfulness range from improved mental and physical health, to reducing chronic pain, to facilitating recovery from illness.

A study has found that depression and anxiety affects 1 in 5 people, with mental health being even more common in later life, so it's vital that the invisible disease is recognised and treated as though it were a physical one.

Brunelcare is a Bristol based charity which has been providing housing, care and support for older people in the South West for over 75 years. Karolina Nowadczy has been working with the charity for 12 years and has trained to become a counsellor, obtaining a level 4 qualification in Humanistic Counselling, a therapy that focuses on a person's individual needs and a level 5 in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a therapy that can change a person’s mental health problems by altering the way they think and behave. Since 2017, she has been helping residents, colleagues and families of residents learn mindful techniques to help bolster their mental health and well-being while in care.

HOW TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS IN CARE

Using mindfulness with residents on a one-to-one basis is extremely beneficial and Karolina has seen first-hand how it can minimise stress levels and promote well being. Going back to basics with simple breathing techniques, one resident who had advanced dementia found that mindfulness was quite a release. Karolina said: “I was helping her with breathing exercises so she could relax and

reduce her anxiety, she continued to practice this on her own and we saw a real change in her well-being.”

Another project had a huge focus on residents who are living with anxiety. The goal here was to minimise their use of antipsychotic medication, drugs used to manage psychosis, schizophrenia and bipolar. To do this Karolina did a number of activities, one was bringing in animals for the residents to meet. It’s been scientifically proven that animals can help with depression, anxiety, and stress as well as providing great companionship. Following the session a reduction of stress levels and anxiety was noticeable in the care home.

Touch is also very important for residents who are living with dementia yet are cognitively impaired. Karolina would offer soothing hand and foot massages to relax and ease the residents that were not able to hear her mindfulness teaching.

Another group previously ran by Karolina is a Cognitive Stimulation Therapy session. This session helps people with mild dementia and stimulates engagement. This is a therapy that focuses on a different topic each week for several weeks to help improve the mental abilities and memory of residents with dementia. Karolina said: “After seven weeks of running this session a resident with dementia was able to remember what he needed from the shops for the first time in 12 years. It was truly fascinating.”

She is also passionate about training staff to manage their own well being, stress and workload, so they feel happier in the workplace.

Karolina said: “It’s important to teach them to look after themselves while they look after others.”

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Practising mindfulness techniques such as Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, one-to-one breathing sessions alongside socialisation has helped alleviate anxiety and stress and promote the well-being of residents. Mindfulness has helped Brunelcare residents minimise the use of antipsychotic medication and helped the residents living with dementia remain calm and relaxed. It’s estimated that 85% of older people (65 years old and above) receive no help at all for mental illness, something that needs to be addressed in care.

Fulham Players Surprise Ex-Soldier Cared for at Veterans’ Home A disabled soldier who was injured in Iraq was surprised by a visit from two Fulham footballers.

Midfielder Kevin McDonald and defender Cyrus Christie dropped in to meet die-hard Fulham fan Stephen Vause, 32, at The Royal Star & Garter Home in Surbiton.

The visit was organised by staff at the Home, who form close friendships with the residents and love to arrange treats and surprises for them.

Stephen was presented with a Fulham shirt signed by the squad, and a signed book featuring press cuttings from Fulham matches over the years. He was also promised two tickets to a match of his choice this season.

The players were also taken to the Physiotherapy room where Stephen regularly works out.

Stephen was just 19 and on his first tour in

Iraq, serving with the 4th Battalion The Rifles, when he suffered brain injuries in a mortar explosion near Basra. The attack left him severely disabled.

The Royal Star & Garter Homes cares for ex-Servicemen and women and their part-

ners living with disability or dementia. The Charity has been caring for Stephen since 2015.

Following the visit, Stephen said: “I had no idea they were going to turn up. I’m feeling very grateful. It was amazing.”

Scotland international McDonald spoke of his admiration of the Home and Stephen. He said: “Every day we get a lot of kicks that cause a bit of pain, but then we meet guys who put their lives on the line for their country. It puts everything into perspective to meet people like this. When you consider what Stephen’s been through it’s an honour to meet him.”

Cyrus Christie’s brother was in the Army for 10 years and served in Afghanistan. The Irish international said it was “humbling” to meet Stephen and added: “He’s a true inspiration.”

Little Sign of Care in Queen’s Speech The care of our oldest and most vulnerable has again been kicked into the long grass with little mention of social care in the Queen’s Speech, says The Independent care Group.

The Independent Care Group, which represents care providers, had hoped there would be legislation set out to tackle a crisis which has left 1.4m without the care they need.

But the group’s chair, Mike Padgham says on the face of it another opportunity has gone by.

“By the looks of it, the Queen’s Speech was disappointing for social care. All we heard once again was a promise that proposals will be brought forward to reform social care to ensure dignity in old age,” he said.

“Isn’t that what we have been told now for years, as the social care Green Paper got kicked further and further down the road?”

He said the 1.4m people currently going without care deserved better than vague promises.

“We have had too many promises from

government after government in the past and we need to have some concrete action,” he added.

“We deserve to have proper legislation set out for social care, as Boris Johnson promised when he was made Prime Minister, when he said he would solve social care once and for all. A General Election is almost certainly o the horizon and we need to hear proper proposals for social care now so that we can hold the political parties to account on delivering them.”

Alcohol Intake Linked to Dementia Risk

Researchers in the US have revealed that alcohol intake in later life is linked with dementia risk. The findings are published in the journal JAMA. Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “There’s a wellestablished link between heavy drinking and the risk of dementia, but it is difficult to say whether moderate alcohol intake has any impact on brain health when compared to not drinking at all.

“Some non-drinkers may have a history of heavy alcohol use, and this makes it difficult to untangle links between drinking habits and health.

“This study only looked at people’s drinking in later life, and we don’t know about their drinking habits in their earlier years. Research suggests

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“Dementia is caused by physical diseases of the brain, but there are things we can do to reduce the risk of developing dementia. The best current evidence indicates that as well as only drinking within the recommended guidelines, staying physically and mentally active, eating a healthy balanced diet, not smoking, and keeping weight, cholesterol and blood pressure in check are all good ways to keep the brain healthy as we age.

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PAGE 14 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

Inequalities in Social Care Exist In Health Outcomes for LGBT Communities The Women and Equalities Committee has revealed the extent of inequalities for LGBT people in health and social care in a report published in October.

A report revealed that LGBT people are being let down in health and social care, by structures and services that are not inclusive or designed with them in mind, and by a lack of leadership in Government, NHS and social services.

The Women and Equalities Committee has found that too often LGBT people are expected to fit into systems that assume they are straight and cisgender. But the Committee has found that deep inequalities exist in health outcomes for these communities and that treating them “the same” as non-LGBT people will not address these poor outcomes.

Maria Miller MP, Chair of the Committee, said: “We found a lot of good will in health and social care services to make them LGBT inclusive, and examples of good practice that must be shared and embedded in our services. But unfortunately, the best will in the world won’t change the systemic failings in areas such as data-collection and training that are leading to poorer experience when accessing services, and to poorer health outcomes for LGBT people.

Care Village Recognised at Local Hospice Awards Not-for-profit care village, Belong Atherton, has been recognised in Wigan and Leigh Hospice’s annual Hospice in Your Care Home Awards, winning two categories including, for the fourth year running, the Family Nominated Staff Member of the Year, which once again has gone to the organisation’s lead senior support worker, Julia Cross.

Belong also took home a partnership plaque for its on-going engagement with Wigan and Leigh Hospice’s nursing training programme, which gives nursing home staff the practical skills and knowledge to provide sensitive and compassionate end-of-life and palliative care.

Five more staff members from Belong Atherton were also nominated for awards, including Olivia McCall, David Porter, Janet Tomlinson, Sam Pitchford and Sharon Parker.

Commenting on the success, Belong support manager, Nicola Johnstone said: “We are delighted to have been recognised in the awards. We always strive to seek development opportunities to provide class-leading care and are proud to have completed four years with the nursing training programme at Wigan and Leigh Hospice.”

“This can never be acceptable. LGBT-specific services play an essential role in the health and social care services for the moment and must be maintained as long as that’s necessary, but mainstream services must move now ensure that they are inclusive and are effectively identifying and taking into account the needs of the LGBT communities. We must eliminate the unacceptable inequalities in health outcomes that glare out wherever you look.”

While LGBT people do generally have the same health and social care needs as the rest of the population for the majority of the time, the evidence shows that they do not always receive the same level of service as non-LGBT people and that they have poorer health outcomes across many areas, for example, in levels of smoking and smoking cessation, alcohol abuse, and even cancer outcomes.

While some of the disparities have been uncovered, many of the inequalities remain hidden, as data collection is poor and patchy across health and social care services. This is not acceptable: the NHS cannot formulate strategies to tackle inequalities if it does not know where to find them. The Committee therefore recommends that sexual orientation and gender identity monitoring should be made mandatory by the NHS and

Care Sourcer Launches Free Health and Wellbeing Support for Over 800,000 UK Care Workers

Care Sourcer, the UK’s first comparison and matching site for elderly care, has announced that it is launching a free Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to all UK care provider employees. The free programme, provided through Health Assured and initially funded by Legal & General, is available to employees of both care homes and care-at-home providers.

Care Sourcer’s EAP will provide a complete support network that offers expert advice and compassionate guidance 24/7, covering a wide range of issues including mental or physical stress, bereavement of residents they have formed close bonds with, money worries, and general low morale. Stress, depression, anxiety and sickness are highly prevalent amongst care workers and can force them to take extended time off work. In many cases, it leads to high turnover of staff.

EAPs provide invaluable support to help people taking time off work to deal with mental and physical stress and can even get them to return

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social care sector within the next 12 months.

The Committee also found that the NHS Long Term Plan is too generic to work effectively for LGBT people, who should be considered explicitly as part of health commissioning. The Government admits this as part of the LGBT Action Plan published in 2018, but the two plans are not working together and there is no read-across. The Committee says the Equalities Office and DHSC should formulate and publish a list of the key inequalities in LGBT health that the NHS needs to be accountable for. This should then be included in the LGBT Action Plan, and both authorities should report back to the Committee annually on progress they are making in eliminating the identified inequalities.

The Committee found that, while there is a lot of good will in health and social care services to make them LGBT-inclusive, the work is driven by committed individuals in a piecemeal fashion rather than by senior leaders in the NHS, councils or the Government. There is little joined-up thinking and LGBT health is tacked on to existing policies, rather than be integrated into health and social care systems.

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to work sooner. Care Sourcer estimates that around 800,000 care workers, many of whom face daily challenges such as stress and depression, will benefit from their EAP. Care Sourcer is free for people seeking care and searches thousands of registered care providers across the UK to bring a tailored list of local care providers to users within 48 hours.

Legal & General will fund the EAP for the first 12 months of its operation. Last year, the FTSE100 financial services company announced it was investing £6m in Care Sourcer, before launching its care-focused Retirement Living Solutions division earlier this year.

Care providers can register for the free EAP at caresourcer.com/behind-every-care-worker Andrew Parfery, CEO, Care Sourcer: “Care workers are local heroes; they dedicate their lives to caring for others but often there is no one to care for them in their time of need.

Stress and depression, a lack of confidence and anxiety are all big challenges facing people in the care workforce.

“At Care Sourcer, our goal is to use technology to help create a fairer care system that is easier for those seeking support to find the care their loved ones need, but we also want to get behind the UK’s care workers. Many often go above and beyond to help the people they are looking after and we’re proud to offer our support by providing this free EAP that can help those working in the care sector in their own time of need.

“Improving the retention of staff is central to creating a better care system. Our EAP will sup-

port providers to better the work-life balance of their caring staff, supporting them in their time of need, and ultimately help care homes and at home care companies to build sustainable, quality-driven businesses.”

Steve Ellis, CEO, Legal & General Retirement Living Solutions: “We invested in Care Sourcer as we want to help transform the care sector by making it better for both those in need of care and the care workers that work so hard to support thousands of people across the UK. “Our Group Protection business has long supported EAPs as an effective initiative to tackle stress and depression amongst employees and ultimately help them return to work sooner. For Legal & General, supporting Care Sourcer’s EAP launch is another positive step towards our long-term aim of building a better, fairer society for all.”

Richard Muncaster, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity, offered his support for the EAP, saying: “Our own research shows that care workers often face challenges with finances, mental health, care needs at home, and not feeling valued, so news of a free employee assistance helpline for the sector is very welcome. Now all care organisations, regardless of budget, can offer care workers professional support to talk through any personal challenges, and provide guidance on how to get further help.”

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Adult Social Care’s Economic Contribution Increases To £40.5 Billion

The new figure was revealed in Skills for Care’s annual ‘The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, 2019’ report using data from the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set supplied by thousands of employers.

The huge contribution the sector makes to the country’s wellbeing is underlined in the report with an estimated 18,500 organisations involved in providing or organising adult social care in England. Those services were delivered in an estimated 39,000 establishments embedded in their communities.

The report also showed that around 237,000 adults, older people and carers received direct payments from council’s social services departments in 2017/2018, and it is estimated that approximately 31% (75,000) of these recipients were employing their own staff.

Skills for Care Interim CEO Andy Tilden said: “This report using solid data supplied by employers shows that adult social care must now be factored into workforce and economic planning at a national, regional and local level.

“We know the outstanding work our workforce does in our communities day in, day out, but their £40.5 billion contribution means our growing sector is now a key driving force in the national economy. If we continue to deliver social care in the same way it is projected we may need to fill another 580,000 job roles by 2035 and that means our sector is only going to get bigger

as demand for high quality care services continues to increase.”

Other key findings include: • The number of adult social care jobs was estimated to have increased by around 1.2% (19,000 jobs) between 2017 and 2018.

• Since 2009 the number of adult social care jobs has increased by 22% (290,000 jobs).

• The adult social care workforce was found to be 83% female, compared to 47% of the economically active population identifying as female.

• Skills for Care estimates that the staff turnover rate of directly employed staff working in the adult social care sector was 30.8% in 2018/19. This equates to approximately 440,000 people leaving their jobs over the course of the year.

• The majority (91%) of the adult social care workforce were employed on permanent contracts. Approximately half of the workforce (48%) worked on a full-time basis, 40% were part-time and the remaining 12% had no fixed hours.

• Skills for Care estimates that 7.8% of roles in adult social care were vacant, equivalent to 122,000 vacancies at any one time.

• Around 115,000 roles (8% of all jobs) were held by people with an EU nationality.

• The number of jobs in care homes with nursing services increased between 2009 and 2018 up 26%, (or 60,000 jobs).

War Veteran, 97, Meets Charles After Parachute Jump A 97-year-old Second World War veteran who parachuted out over the Dutch city of Arnhem where he was captured in 75 years ago has been congratulated by the Prince of Wales.

A crowd of thousands applauded Sandy Cortmann, from Fairrview House in Aberdeen, as he tandem dropped with the Red Devils on to Ginkel Heath, near Arnhem in the Netherlands, on Saturday.

He was just 22 years old when he parachuted on to the same drop zone in September 1944.

The Prince of Wales, the Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment, accompanied by Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands, met veterans of the operation on Saturday, to mark its 75th anniversary.

After landing Mr Cortmann, still wearing his red flight suit and returning to the area for the first time

since the war, waved to onlookers and a mass of cameras from his wheelchair as he took his place for a memorial service on the heath.

The Prince of Wales, wearing a multi-terrain patterned shirt and trousers and maroon beret of the Parachute Regiment, laid a wreath during the service bearing the handwritten message: “In everlasting remembrance, Charles.”

He later shook Mr Cortmann’s hand as he met several of the last band of surviving veterans from Operation Market Garden.

After speaking to the Prince of

Wales, Mr Cortmann described his jump as “thoroughly terrifying”, adding: “When the door opened I thought, Christ, what a way down.”

But he said it was “absolutely wonderful to see the ground so far below, my God”.

Asked if the parachute drop had been like the one he made more than seven decades before, he said: “I can’t remember much about the jump in 1944, we were just a bunch of young lads out for a good time if you like, but it turned out rather terrifying in the end with the guns and mortars and things opened up. They were all aimed at us.”

Arlene Campbell, General Manager for Fairview House said: “We are all so proud of Sandy for being brave enough to do the jump again.

He’s a wonderful man with such an incredible story, and we’re honoured to know him.”

If you have any interesting news articles that would be of interest to our readers please fax us your edit on 01202 552666 or email sales@thecareruk.com

PAGE 18 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

Staffing Shortages is the Number One Problem for Care Home Operators Only One in Five Councils Have Separate Average staff costs have increased 50% over the last decade due to the rise in the National Living Wage. Combined with the difficulty in attracting qualified nurses and carers at competitive rates in the UK this has led to many operators becoming increasingly reliant on agency staff to deliver care, often at extra cost.

The extra costs are directly impacting the bottom line, with average profit margins down 0.9%, and nearly 5% over the last 10 years.

The Knight Frank care home index, which collects data from corporate care home providers across the UK, reveals that the average weekly care home fee has risen 8% in the last 12 months, adding to the trend seen in the last decade. This is due to extra staff costs as well as increasing medical costs as elderly people continue to enter care later and with more intensive medical needs.

Julian Evans, Head of Healthcare, Knight Frank, said: “Demand for elderly care beds remains robust in the UK, however staffing continues to be the main issue of concern in the industry, with many providers affected by the social care funding crisis.

“The shortage of nurses is a huge concern, given the demand for spe-

cialised nursing care, such as dementia, has never been greater. A comprehensive solution is needed to address this and increase the number of registered nurses available to the care sector.”

Last year’s report highlighted how a lack of capex was a concern for the UK market given the age of stock. Encouragingly, data this year reveals that many corporate operators are now investing more heavily in upgrading their facilities. Average capex increased 15% to reach £1,644 per bed in 2018/19, compared to £1,430 per bed in 2017/2018.

Julian Evans continued: “Despite the challenges the sector is facing, the future for care homes is promising. The elderly population is projected to continue rising and this is already leading to the growth of the private pay market and luxury care homes. The senior living property market is one of the fastest growing residential markets in the UK. The sector could prove to be a vital in improving health and well-being for the over 65’s and allow for a smoother transition from family home to full residential care. We expect to see greater synergies between the senior living and care home sector as operators look to provide residents with both low-acuity assisted living and high-acuity care on the same site.”

The NACC Appoints New National Chair The National Association of Care Catering (NACC) has appointed Sue Cawthray, Chief Executive Officer of Harrogate Neighbours Housing Association, as its new National Chair.

Sue officially took s the reins Friday 11 October from Neel Radia, the NACC’s longest-serving National Chair, who steps down after a six-year tenure.

With a career in the elderly care sector spanning over 30 years, Sue’s expertise and knowledge in care and care catering makes her more than qualified for the role. She’s experienced in hands on support and

care, business management, strategic planning, marketing and fundraising. Good nutrition and hydration have always been her priority, as well as promoting the importance of wellbeing and the prevention of social isolation.

Sue says on her appointment: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be National Chair of the NACC again, particularly at a time when care has so many challenges. More than ever, we must be innovative and creative in delivering nutrition and hydration into care homes, meals on wheels services and other related services for those who are

vulnerable and socially isolated. Neel Radia has done a fantastic job, achieving many things over the past six years, and I look forward to continuing his good work.

“Care catering professionals are fundamental in all areas of older people services and supporting those on the frontline with training and guidance will remain a priority for the NACC. It’s also important that we continue to engage with other organisations that provide services to older people across the UK, so that everyone has the best opportunities and quality of life wherever they may live.”

Neel Radia comments: “After what’s been an incredible six years as National Chair of the NACC, I pass the baton onto Sue with pride and confidence. Sue’s care catering expertise is second to none and I know that she’ll continue to drive the association forward as the voice of the sector and in its objective to raise awareness of and standards in care catering.”

Sunrise of Eastbourne Carers Trek the Great Wall of China and Raise £110k for Charity Two carers from Sunrise of Eastbourne took part in a 72-mile trek along the Great Wall of China in order to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society.

Rosie Camara and Jayne Stevenson both work in the Memory Care Neighbourhood at Sunrise of Eastbourne and wanted to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society due to their passion for dementia care. They joined a team of 28 people on the eight-day trek which consisted of 72-mile walk along The Great Wall of China.

Rosie and Jayne worked tirelessly raising money through bake sales, car boot sales and coffee mornings ahead of the trek. As part of the trekking

group, they raised a combined £110k that will be used to fund a support line for the families and carers of those living with dementia.

Jayne Stevenson, carer at Sunrise of Eastbourne, said: “It was physically so much harder than we thought, we were not prepared for it to be quite so steep in parts, but were in a team of 28 amazing and inspiring people who kept us going.

We pulled together and supported each other to the end.

“It was the most fantastic experience, one we will never forget and we are so proud of the money raised.”

Social Care Appeals Process, Says Charity Fewer than one in five local authorities have a dedicated appeals process for social care, according to new research by Independent Age, the older people’s charity. This means the only option many people have is to make a complaint – a process that can be slow, stressful and leave them living with inadequate care or unfair costs.

Meanwhile, three in five (60%) complaints about assessments and care planning were upheld by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in 2018/19, and almost three-quarters (73%) of complaints about charging were upheld. This suggests that issues are not being dealt with effectively through local authority complaints processes.

In a new Independent Age report, Reviewing the case: the right to appeal in adult social care, the charity investigates how people can challenge decisions about the care and support they receive, an oftenneglected aspect of social care.

The report found that most councils use a complaints procedure, rather than a separate social care appeals process. This can mean that people could be waiting as much as six months for their complaint to be resolved, or even longer if an extension is applied. Calls to the Independent Age Helpline also suggest that using the word “complaint” can be off-putting for some older people.

Of those local authorities who did have an appeals process, the most common appeal requests were in relation to changes to care packages (25%), outcomes of care needs assessments (20%), and eligibility (16%).

Independent Age is calling on the government to introduce a statutory appeals process for adult social care. As a minimum, the process should: Be distinct from complaints, with its own separate timelines and process.

Include clear provision for the role of an independent reviewer.

Stipulate that during an appeals process, the individual’s current level of care is upheld and maintained until the case has been resolved.

Be clearly explained to individuals receiving care, at all stages, so that they know access to an appeals process is something they are entitled to. Clear information should be given about what an appeal is and how to start the process.

Have assigned timescales, which individuals are kept informed of at all stages. Any delays must also be communicated clearly.

Include requirements for local authorities to collect data in a consistent way, so that patterns can be identified and lessons learned.

Be adequately resourced so that it can be properly staffed and administered. There will need to be adequate funding from central government to enable this system to be introduced.

Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive of Independent Age, said, “Having to make a complaint is hard enough for many older people and their families, without the added complications of not knowing how to do it, or how long it will take.

“The one in five councils who do have a process are actually going above and beyond what it expected of them. Although this is brilliant, there needs to be a statutory appeals process so that no matter where you live, the way to appeal a decision will be the same.

“The government has previously acknowledged the need for this and even consulted on it in 2015, but they never published a response and nothing has moved forward.

That’s why we’ve published our report today: too many people are being left without the support they need, and with no idea about how to take control of their own care, and that needs to end.”

When Are Covert Recordings Deemed Acceptable? view to using evidence gathered this way during an employment tribunal or appeal.

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PROTECTED BY LEGISLATION

Tina Chander is a partner and head of the Employment team at leading Midlands law firm, Wright Hassall Over the last decade, the issue of covert recording within the workplace has become a serious problem for organisations, as the availability of technology has enabled employees to secretly capture conversations without consent.

While using underhand methods to record conversations would usually be considered a serious breach of privacy, a recent judgement handed down by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has clarified that it may be acceptable in the most pressing of circumstances.

WHAT WAS THE JUDGEMENT?

Within the EAT’s judgement, it was agreed that making a covert recording at work would normally be classed as misconduct.

If an individual intends to record a conversation, then they should inform all parties first, making them aware that communications are on the record.

This judgment was held in relation to the case Phoenix House v Stockman, whereby the claimant disclosed a covert recording she had made during her employment.

However, the nature of the recording was deemed too important to ignore and was accepted, despite the employer contending that her compensation should be reduced.

THE CONTEXT OF COVERT RECORDINGS

When it comes to covert recordings, there are two common scenarios that most employers are faced with.

The first is proving misconduct by others, where an employee will record a conversation to try and catch the culprit red-handed.

Such evidence will often be used to prove accusations of inappropriate behaviour, and although the employer may not condone the covert nature of the recording, its substance cannot be overlooked, particularly if the allegations are serious.

The other scenario is where an individual has secretly recorded internal management processes, with a

Recording a conversation would likely constitute the collection of ‘personal data’ under the new General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR).

However, it remains unclear whether an individual would face strict penalties for a breach, whereas an employer could expect substantial fines for not handling data appropriately.

Meanwhile, the subject of the recording may claim that their right to a private life under the Human Rights Act has been infringed.

Despite these legislative implications, employment tribunals have the discretion to decide whether a covert recording should be admitted as evidence.

BREACH OF CONTRACT

From a contractual perspective, making a covert recording can have serious implications if it’s in direct violation of pre-established principles.

Within most workplaces there is an obligation of trust and confidence between employees and employers, and secretly recording colleagues could qualify as a serious breach of contract.

For this reason, most employers openly express prohibition on such practices, creating policies that warn staff and make such actions a disciplinary offence.

TAKING THE NECESSARY STEPS

There are some clear practical steps that should be taken to strengthen an employer’s position should a covert recording be made.

Firstly, it’s important to make people aware that covert recordings will seriously undermine trust between individuals, making it clear that dismissal could be the ultimate consequence for breaking that trust.

While implementing such a policy will improve transparency throughout the business, it should be worded carefully, bearing in mind the practicality of gaining consent during informal social settings with colleagues.

It’s also advisable to remind managers of their responsibilities, encouraging them to avoid saying anything which may suggest bad faith.

Protecting your business…

Whether you like it or not, the availability of technology has given people the opportunity to secretly record conversations at will.

Although it is difficult to prevent entirely, steps can be taken to prevent covert recordings unsettling your wider team, but these should be balanced against the defence of ‘pressing circumstances’, where a recording’s content is too serious to ignore.

If you’re unsure about the best course of action to take regarding covert recordings, then contact an experienced team of lawyers for advice.

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 19

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THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 21

Challenging Picture of Care Complaints Played Out in Ombudsman’s Review The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found problems in nearly two out of every three adult social care complaints it has investigated in the past year.

The Ombudsman’s Annual Review of Adult Social Care Complaints has revealed it is investigating a greater proportion of complaints than previous years – and finding fault on average in 66% of cases.

In some casework areas – including those about fees and charging for care – the Ombudsman has upheld nearly three-quarters of investigations (73%).

The Ombudsman can investigate complaints about all adult social care in England, and has had the responsibility of investigating complaints about privately funded care, since 2010. In that time, the uphold rate has increased from 43% to 66%.

Despite this, the volume of complaints the Ombudsman received from people who pay for their care is still lower than we would expect. And there is yet more the independent sector can do to highlight people’s rights to complain to the Ombudsman.

Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“The challenging picture we see played out in the media on an almost weekly basis is very much reflected in the types and seriousness of the complaints we receive and the faults our investigations put right.

“Many of the issues we see appear to be driven by attempts to ration scarce resources, and we received and upheld more complaints about fees and charging this year than in previous years. While I recognise the challenging environment both commissioners and providers are operating within, any attempts to reduce costs must also properly consider the impact on the rights and dignity of people who use services, and must comply with both the letter and the spirit of the Care Act 2014.

“I am also concerned the volume of complaints from people who pay or arrange for their care privately has remained static, despite the area already being underrepresented in the work we do. It is vitally important care providers let people know about their rights to bring their complaints to us.

“Despite the pressures, council and care providers’ responses to our investigations remain positive. This year, as well as the number of complaints received and

Surbiton Home Receives Coveted Award for End of Life Care

Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton has received recognition for the quality of its end of life care.

It has been awarded the coveted ‘Six Steps to Success in End of Life Care Programme for Care Homes’ after staff demonstrated great knowledge and practice of end of life care at the Home.

The Six Steps course was delivered by Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, and is endorsed

by Skills for Care. It aims to enhance end of life care through facilitating a whole organisational approach and supporting and educating staff to develop their roles around their involvement in end of life care.

Lead Nurse Sylwia Pisarczyk and Lead Healthcare assistant Frency Diaz attended the workshops and successfully demonstrated the Home to be embracing and implementing the Six Steps programme.

The Six Steps programme is a holistic approach to providing care for people who are thought to have less than 12 months to live. It starts with discussions and

care planning with the patients as end of life approaches, before moving on to coordination and delivery of high-quality care. It ends with care in the last days of life and care after death.

Pauline Shaw, Director of Care at the charity, said: “Supporting residents at the end of their lives is incredibly important and I know staff feel it is a real privilege to consider the residents’ well-being at this time and to work closely with their families, providing sensitive, co-ordinated, loving care. I’m delighted our Surbiton Home has received the Six Steps award.”

Princess Alice Hospice said: “We are delighted that Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton is the first care home to successfully complete the Six Steps to Success in the End of Life Care programme at Princess Alice Hospice. The Six Steps programme is based on the National End of Life Care Strategy 2008 and has allowed Royal Star & Garter to develop training and systems to enable residents to feel supported and experience their last years, months, weeks and days in the best possible way.”

the decisions we have made, we are also publishing a new set of remedy and compliance data; I’m pleased to say that in all but one of the cases we investigated the council or care provider agreed to put in place the recommendations we made.”

Kate Terroni, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission said: “It’s vital everybody involved in the provision and commissioning of social care services listens and acts when complaints or concerns are raised. We know that when people raise a concern they have a genuine desire to improve the service for themselves and others. We also know that the majority of services appreciate feedback and use it to enact positive change.

“This year we launched our “Declare Your Care” campaign to encourage people to speak up about their experiences of care. Everyone can play a part in improving standards by directly giving feedback to services, or by sharing information and experiences with us so that we can take action where we find poor care.

“We are also working alongside the CMA (Competition & Markets Authority) and Trading

Rebuilding Lives with Doll Therapy A care home in Leeds is helping many of its residents with dementia to take part in daily activities, rebuild their sense of purpose and create opportunities for meaningful conversations with the help of doll therapy.

Residents at Paisley Lodge, an Orchard Care Home based in Armley, now benefit from a specialist doll therapy area, thanks to the ongoing support of a partnership with Nestlé Professional, which enhances the 45bed home’s specialist dementia care.

A form of reminiscence therapy, doll therapy is designed to revive memories of parental responsibility in those living with dementia. As many as 60-90% of older people experience the distressing symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia, and therapy dolls have been shown to be extremely effective in helping to reduce this.

All too often, people with dementia become isolated in their own world and don’t recognise their loved ones, which is distressing for everyone. Doll therapy can offer a chance for them to regain a sense of purpose, caring for their charges and chatting to fellow residents and staff about their daily routines.

It can also provide comfort and safe-

ty for residents experiencing grief from a loss of their partner. Pat notes: “One of our residents lost her husband, and the doll helped her to go through the grieving stages.”

Caregivers sometimes report that when a loved one is holding a doll they are able to more easily provide care to their family member or resident because of the distraction and comfort the doll provides.

Additionally, doll therapy is a nonpharmacologic way to address challenging emotions and behaviours that may develop in dementia. There are no

Why Technology Is A Care Manager’s Best Friend It's a recurring worry born out of the responsibility of running a care home. As a care manager, how do you ensure that policies and procedures are up-to-date and are being followed by your staff on the ground? Do you take on the responsibility of compliance yourself?

Perhaps a better question is how long would it take you to develop, customise and update the policies and procedures in your care home?

Well, experts at Quality Compliance Systems (QCS), one of the UK’s

Standards to act on the recommendations given in the CMA’S recent Care Home Market Study. We will publish information for the public and providers that clearly sets out people’s rights as consumers, their right to raise complaints and how they should be acted upon” This year, the Ombudsman received 3,070 complaints and enquiries about adult social care with 435 of those from people who fund their own care, and carried out 1,220 investigations.

The Ombudsman made 1,279 recommendations to remedy people’s personal injustices. These recommendations ranged from a simple apology to having charges reduced or removed, reassessments or case reviews.

The Ombudsman also has the power to make recommendations to improve services for many more than the people who made the original complaint – in the past year it made 559 of these, including recommendations to review policies and procedures, change practices and train staff.

largest content management providers, spend over 15,000 hours each year producing 8,500 pages of content for its clients.

Over 4,000 care homes and agencies providing domiciliary care use QCS’s leading-edge compliance management systems, which enables managers to always relay the right policy to the right person at the right time.

In the care sector too, where policies and procedures can sometimes change daily, it’s essential that carers have access to up-to-the-second guidance. Thanks to QCS, which notifies care managers the second a policy is updated, front line staff never have to worry about being caught behind the regulatory curve.

medication side effects or drug interactions with doll therapy, and no cost to the NHS for medication.

Pat Woellner, who has worked in the care sector for over 30 years, is passionate about the benefits that doll therapy brings to people living with dementia. “People with dementia are often anxious about their surroundings, the people with whom they interact and their own abilities. This can often result in agitation, poor appetite, loneliness and boredom.

We have seen the dramatic changes that this therapy brings to our residents. In one case a lady who had been receiving treatment by specialist mental health services for challenging behaviour was discharged by her consultant after just 3 months because the doll therapy had made such a positive change to her behaviour.

All the staff bought into the initiative and went out of their way to ensure they spent time with residents when they had their dolls, listening to them and sharing memories of their own family lives.

Pat concluded “We now have 15 dolls in the home that are being used by residents and each doll is unique, to suit various individual’s needs. We have changing stations, pushchairs, feeding equipment and highchairs.”

QCS has also invested many thousands of hours producing carefully curated content, which is jargon-free and can be accessed in hundreds of different languages.

Presentation of content is another key differentiator. To this end, QCS has spent thousands of hours linking related policy areas together. This means that care managers and their staff don't have to carry out separate searches, which can be very time consuming.

But QCS isn’t just there to help you stay on top of compliance, it also provides care managers with access to a suite of innovative learning aids spread over a range of different medias. From blogs, to webinars, to a video-based help centre, QCS training tools are as varied as they are comprehensive. But most important of all, they ensure that you and your team are able to provide outstanding care which meets CQC standards.

If you'd like to find out more about QCS or about its compliance management system, then why not give us a call on 0333 405 33 33.

See the advert on the back cover for details.

WW2 at 80: Inspirational Men and Women from the Second World War Cared for at The Royal Star & Garter Homes The Royal Star & Garter Home has been caring for the nation’s military since 1916. The Charity was formed to care for severely injured young men returning from the Battlegrounds of the First World War. Just 21 years after the end of that conflict, the world descended into battle again, and once more, The Royal Star & Garter Homes was there to provide care to the nation’s injured troops.

Now, as the country prepare to mark 80 years since the beginning of the Second World War, Royal Star & Garter Home look back and remember some of the men and women they cared for – past and present – who served in the 1939-1945 conflict with courage and distinction.

Here are their stories.

DENIS HILLS

In 1997, The Spectator described Denis Hills as ‘that Hero of our time’.

He was best known as the man condemned to death by Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin. In 1975, whilst he was teaching in Uganda, Hills spoke out against Amin’s human rights record in his book The White Pumpkin. He was arrested, tried and sentenced to death.

Only an intervention from The Queen and then Foreign Secretary James Callaghan saved him. Hills had an extraordinary Second World War record. Serving with the King’s Own Royal Regiment, he saw action in Iraq, Palestine and at Monte Cassino.

In 1945, Hills, who spoke Polish, was involved in liaising to avoid the repatriation of 10,000 Ukrainian PoWs who would have been sentenced to death under Stalin.

In 1946 he went on to invent a new classification system which allowed 8,000 Russian PoWs to escape Stalin.

NANCY WAKE

Nancy fought in the French Resistance in the Second World War, helping British soldiers to escape occupied France.

She was nicknamed ‘The White Mouse’ by

BEVIS SHERGOLD

the Gestapo for her elusiveness. Back in England, she joined the Special Operations Executive and parachuted back into France in 1944 to fight with French Resistance Fighters against the Nazis.

Nancy was one of the most decorated women of the Second World War.

Bevis Shergold came to the Richmond Home in 1996.

Bevis was a member of the Intelligence Corps in the Second World War, one of the first women to be posted overseas to work in interrogation Centres across Egypt, Algeria and Italy. There she met and married an MI6 Officer.

Her athletic ability saw her compete in the 1948 London Olympics, throwing the discus and shot. Her medals were bequeathed to the Charity and are on display at the National Army Museum.

NORMAN JEWELL

Norman was one of the most famous submarine commanders of the Second World War. He led his crew through depth-charge attacks and sank enemy craft, but his most famous exploit involved launching a corpse, dressed as a Royal Marines officer and carrying false invasion plans, on to the Spanish coast. This mission fooled the enemy and saves thousands of Allied lives.

CHARLIE HANKINS

Charlie Hankins, BEM, epitomised the spirit of the Charity.

He was wounded in North Africa, whilst serving with the Black Watch, losing an eye and both legs, and suffered gun shots to the chest. In spite of his injuries and later ill health, Charlie remained an active man and raised thousands of pounds for the Charity through fundraising events such as parachuting and paddling up the Thames from County Hall to Richmond on his adapted tricycle.

Perhaps most famously, Charlie undertook to push himself from John O’ Groats to Land’s End in 1986 on his Second World War tricycle. Charlie went on to do the reverse journey in 1990.

ARTHUR OGDEN

While the residents listed above have all sadly passed away, the Charity still provides exceptional care to a number of men and women who served during the Second World War. Among them is Arthur Ogden.

In 2018, he was awarded France’s highest decoration – the Legion d’honneur – for his contribution to the liberation of the country.

Arthur joined the Army in 1939 and served as a driver in the Signal Unit for the 1st Armoured Brigade. His regiment was attached to the Royal Dragoons and served in Europe and North Africa.

In July 1944 Arthur’s regiment crossed the English Channel to France. The regiment moved across France into Belgium, Holland and then Germany where Arthur was involved with the Allied crossing of the Rhine.

Arthur remains extremely humble about his contribution to the liberation of France and says: “I didn’t do anything extraordinary, I just got my feet wet! I was simply doing what needed to get done… What happened to me happened to hundreds of others and there is nothing special about my life in the Army – I was just a very ordinary soldier who was very lucky!”

PAGE 22 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

HYGIENE AND INFECTION CONTROL How Do You Control The Spread Of Infection?

How do you control the spread of infection? How do you provide wellbeing for your staff who ultimately maintain continuous resident care?

We all know, the elderly are fragile and susceptible to the slightest infection.

The severity of any build up of bacteria, virus and pathogen could be fatal. At SFS Protect, high standards of hygiene are recognised and paramount to the ethos of our service.

No sprays, no wipes, just vaporised Hydrogen Peroxide. The Nocospray 2, has been carefully developed around a

heating and ionising turbine that transforms and emits the Nocolyse disinfectant into a non-corrosive, non allergenic, bio degradable gas – with no residue.

THE PRODUCTS

The Nocospray 2 will eliminate 99.99% of all bacteria in as little time as 90 minutes. There is no requirement for the removal of electrical equipment or furniture, just the resident/staff as the room has to be completely sealed for the gas to work effectively. There is no costly downtime and we can work within and around

your daily/nightly routines.

Nocolyse Food is a dual action bio disinfectant and deodoriser for surfaces and coming into contact with food. It has a validated efficacy on all types of microorganisms as a frequent use, preventative or curative process against bactericidal, sporicidal virucidal and fungucidal spread.

We offer 2 types of Disinfestation OXPY containing Peremethrin and OXPY+ containing Pyrethrin for the eradication of bed bugs and their larvae.

SERVICES

At SFS, we offer 2 types of service. Curative “One Shot” Disinfection is where there is a known or recurring problem. The Nocolyse “One Shot” will eliminate Clostridium Difficile, Bacillus Subtilis, Staphylococcus Aureus to name a few. Preventative Decontamination Disinfection

is to maintain good levels of infection control. The “Decontimination” range is also available with a mild mint fragrance or with essential oils, should there be a requirement to remove odours. All Nocolyse gas when evenly distributed throughout isolated areas will eliminate dangerous viruses such as MRSA, Clostridium difficile, Norovirus, CPE.

OUR MISSION

SFS Protect are dedicated to providing a caring and discreet service. Our mission is simple, to provide a safe and comfortable environment to work, play, learn and relax without the fear of contracting harmful viruses, bacteria and fungi.

A huge “Thank You” to all of you who took the time to visit us at the Care Show 2019 in Birmingham, For further information see the advert on the facing page,

We Know What Clean Really Means Cleaning and hygiene is essential in the care sector. Poor hygiene is not only a turn off for residents and their families alike, but bacterial contamination can also cause serious illness and result in a visit from the environmental health officer, possible prosecution and shut down of your business. It pays to make cleaning and hygiene your top priority.

With a range of over three-thousand products and distribution partners in over 90 countries, Hillbrush is the largest UK manufacturer of brushware and hygienic cleaning tools, selling to a global customer base.

Setting the benchmark for quality and innovation, the mission for continuous development and outstanding service is as

prominent now as it was when the company was founded in 1922.

Hillbrush is at the forefront of technology-led cleaning equipment and has developed the most advanced hygienic cleaning tools available. Our Anti-Microbial cleaning tools are designed to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria, fungi and moulds. Our products are designed in such a way that bacteria can't survive on the surface. Our hygienic range of products are Biomaster protected and have been developed to minimise microbial crosscontamination risks.

For further information, visit info.hillbrush.com/care-homes or call +44 (0)1747 860494 See the advert below for more details.

‘Clean Hands for All’ This Global Handwashing Day Skin and surface hygiene specialist, GOJO Industries-Europe Ltd, advocates making hand hygiene second nature to everyone Handwashing is an effective and affordable way to prevent infection and save lives. As a skin and surface hygiene expert, GOJO IndustriesEurope is a great supporter of Global Handwashing Day (Tuesday 15 October 2019).

This annual, worldwide advocacy day is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing. The campaign ultimately helps to influence behaviour change and encourage healthy hand hygiene. This year’s theme reminds us that we must be inclusive when addressing handwashing. Inequalities in handwashing facilities can put individuals at higher risk to diseases that impact their health, education, and economic outcomes.

Chris Wakefield, Vice President, European Marketing & Product Development, GOJO

Industries-Europe Ltd comments, ‘GOJO, THE INVENTORS OF PURELL™, is a trusted brand in skin and surface hygiene around the world. We are a strong advocate of the ‘total solution’ approach to making hand hygiene second nature to everyone. By educating about the importance of hand hygiene, and teaching best practice techniques, we can help reduce diseases and save lives. “Clean Hands for All” will help achieve “Health for All”.’

Backed by a wealth of scientific expertise, and specialist formulations, GOJO has the technology and experience to help implement effective hand and surface hygiene regimes in a range of different settings. They can supply products, dispensers, and eye-catching signage suitable for healthcare, education, catering, hospitality, leisure and corporate facilities.

For more information, call +44 (0)1908 588444, email infouk@GOJO.com, or visit www.GOJO.com

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 23

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

PAGE 24 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

FURNITURE AND FITTINGS Gerflor Floorings Complete Hospice Transformation When the ACCORD Hospice in Paisley, Scotland, needed to modernise its Inpatient Unit, which offers specialist palliative and end-of-life care for people with complex needs along with support facilities for their families, the uppermost driving factors were infection control, comfort and aesthetics.

The resulting £1.1m refurbishment project has transformed and upgraded the facility bringing a fresh, contemporary feel to what was an outdated 20th century building. This was achieved by implementing thoughtful, holistic design processes and utilising products that both enhance the building and promote patient well-being.

Amongst the high-performance products chosen was Gerflor’s Taralay Impression Control vinyl safety flooring which added an attractive appearance, hygienic qualities and carpet-like

impression to the main corridor, lounge, offices and circulation areas, whilst 19db Taralay Impression Comfort provided extra sound insulation within the bedrooms.

Rather than re-build the Hospice, the building was re-configured within the existing walls and refurbished internally. The new ACCORD Hospice Inpatient Unit now comprises eight single rooms with en-suite wet rooms and space for families staying overnight.

Previously some rooms were shared-occupancy and none had en-suite facilities. The rooms also have patios opening to communal gardens which maximise natural light and unite indoor and outdoor areas. Most importantly, the nurses’ station has been repositioned to an improved, central location.

For further information, contact: Tel: 01926 622600 Email: contractuk@gerflor.com Website: www.gerflor.co.uk

Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com

Chairs Direct UK - Manufacturers of Quality Chairs & Sofas items are made to order we hold many goods in stock to fulfil urgent needs. We have over 50 years of experience in supplying our covered sectors and pride ourselves in our ability to fulfil our customers requirements.

For further details see advert on the facing page or visit www.chairsdirectuk.com

•Orthopaedic Chairs •High Back Chairs• Dining Chairs •Tub Chairs •High Seat Chairs for the Elderly We are suppliers of furnishings to the household market, care industry and hospitality sectors. All of our goods are manufactured inside the EU with most of them being UK Manufactured. Although most of our

Euroservice Trolleys for Care Exhibiting at the 2019 Care Show at the NEC this year proved a real success for EUROSERVICE TROLLEY MANUFACTURERS attracting many visitors. Smart attractive trolleys seemed to be a real eye opener for many in the care sector. The drinks trolley and the chilled trolley were the centre of attraction.

Why not bring a little glamour to the service in your care home and make

everyday a special occasion. Watch your residents’ eyes light up when the trolley is wheeled into the room with the cakes and that lovely cup of tea.... Style and practicality define Euroservice trolleys so call our friendly sales staff today to discuss your new trolley ! We look forward to your call.

Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com

Bringing People Together During End Of Life Care PM200

CHC01

EBONY

PO 300

B39

WM6

B007

BZ 006

The team at Benmor say they have recently been touched by the remarkable fundraising efforts of a gentleman raising money to purchase an Aurum+ bed for Oakhaven Hospice in Lymington.

The fundraising was inspired by his own experience of spending quality time with his late wife at the hospice, with the hope of making a difference to future patients and their loved ones.

When care staff organised for a larger bed to be installed in the room, the couple were greatly appreciative of being able to watch films together and listen to music. The bed even had some space for their beloved guinea pigs.

Staff at the hospice recognised the difference when the larger bed was installed and identified that it would also benefit future patients, they were therefore in full support of the need to purchase a larger bed.

The Aurum+ was selected as a suitable option for the hospice due to its ability to expand in width from 36” – 48” (3ft – 4ft). At its smallest size, it is the same width as a standard medical bed however when expanded it is wide enough to accommodate two people.

To read more about what brilliant work the hospice carries out please visit www.oakhavenhospice.co.uk.

Find out more about Benmor by visiting www.benmormedical.co.uk or see the advert on page 13.

Mipolam Symbioz A Sustainable Future Proof Flooring For Hardworking Places ™

GLOBAL ART For Your Refurbishment

With over 35 years of experience, Global Art Gallery offers artworks by a number of diverse artists and pieces from selected private collections from around the world.

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You won't find lots of prints in expensive frames at Global just lots of original art at realistic prices.

Further information is available from James Hartey on 07894 555107

The market for sustainable flooring is growing and international flooring specialist Gerflor are leading a green revolution with the manufacture of aesthetically pleasing products that meet these ecochallenges by using increased renewable organic raw materials.

The Mipolam Symbioz™ homogenous range is the company’s first flooring to contain a 100% bio-based plasticiser made of corn and wheat. The range now includes 38 stunning colours overall, with 14 brand new colours supple-

menting Mipolam Symbioz™ and a further 7 added to the new Mipolam Symbioz™ Nova collection.

Nav Dhillon, Marketing Manager,

Gerflor UK commented, “the refreshed palette of colours now on offer with Mipolam Symbioz™ and the new Mipolam Symbioz™ Nova collection is aimed at giving designers more freedom to creatively express themselves, whilst at the same time delivering outstanding performance that is synonymous with our Mipolam range of products.”

For further information, contact: Tel: 01926 622600 Email: contractuk@gerflor.com Website: www.gerflor.co.uk

Hassle-Free Refurbishment: Care Interiors at the Cowdray Club Dwayne Cook, Head of Projects at Spearhead “There’s a problem with the roof.” It’s probably one of the worst sentences a home-owner could hear.

Expensive repairs, extensive disruption; it’s not a situation anyone would want to find themselves in. Yet, for Renaissance Care, it was exactly the situation that arose at their Cowdray Club Care Home, situated in Ferryhill area of Aberdeen.

The listed 19th century building, which once housed an exclusive Gentlemen’s Club, required significant refurbishment after many years of service.

Renaissance Care used a local construction company for the structural work, and came to Spearhead’s Care Interiors to refurbish the interior of the home.

Revitalising Cowdray Club had some significant challenges for the Care Interiors team. The building is home to many elderly residents who would have been disrupted by closure, so it was vitally important that the building remained fully functional throughout the project. To keep residents enjoying their environment, we undertook a phased refurbishment plan, fully completing one floor before moving onto the

next. In order to ensure that the work was completed as quickly as possible, we undertook end-to-end project management, which is an optional part of the Care Interiors service. By appointing a dedicated lead, we can handle the stress of tweaking designs, ordering furniture, arranging delivery days and ensuring correct placement in every room.

Another challenge with the Cowdray Club was balancing the need for a modern care environment with the stately character of the building. Light colours on the walls help to enhance the original wood panels and cornices, brightening the building. This is essential for those with visual impairments. The lounge in particular pays tribute to the building’s history as a Gentlemen’s Club with traditional chairs and a custom-made bar. Although they look traditional, the chairs include modern features essential for the care environment; they are made from wipeable fabrics, making cleaning easy for care home staff.

Reader enquiries - Tel: 0345 180 1800 or visit www.spearheadhealthcare.com See the advert on page 17 for details.

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 25

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL MANUFACTURERS OF CONTRACT SEATING TO THE CAREHOME MARKET SECTOR

See our website for the full range, with prices from £96.00

TEL; 01254 383181 EMAIL; info@chairsdirectuk.com

www.chairsdirectuk.com

PAGE 26 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Technology In Care Homes This makes me so happy!”

ACHIEVE OUTSTANDING WITH FUSION CARE PLANNING

If a care or nursing home is being established or upgraded, it is worth considering the contribution technology, and the clever use of data, can make to improve the care and support of residents with dementia living in the care or nursing home, says the social care institute for Excellence (SCIE) Technology can offer a timely, efficient and useful way to capture and record care notes. For example, handheld mobile devices with appropriate software, can allow staff to update ‘in real time’ the care given or information they want to note about a person rather than adding it to the paper notes at the end of a shift.

The software could be configured to know what an individual’s normal day routine is, so can ask staff applicable questions, and offer a range of quick answers, at the right time, to speed up data entry. It increases what is recorded about the person so that staff and managers have a broader picture of a resident’s health and care. This system can also provide a gateway for relatives, so family members can log in from a distance to read information about their loved one’s day.

Acoustic listening devices can be installed in the resident’s room. With the person’s agreement, it can be switched on at night allowing staff to ‘keep an ear’ on noises in any particular bedroom rather than having to patrol rooms, potentially disturbing people’s sleep.

Staff can check on a person if they hear an unusual sound is. A similar system of cameras can be installed if deemed appropriate and with the person’s consent.

RECORD KEEPING

Digital records are held centrally so managers can analyse the information entered by staff to confirm, for example, that a person has received medication. They

can also check when incidents such as falls tend to occur and change staffing patterns if deemed helpful.

The data collected should be used creatively and cleverly to maximise potential of the system. It has to be linked and integrated, creating a full picture of an individual such as identifying changes in mobility, sleeping, drinking, using the toilet or a physical system such as blood pressure or heart rate. The automated highlighting of anomalies needs to be carefully planned, so an alert is only raised when a trend is noticed, rather than for each individual instance of concern.

Technology can streamline business systems such as staff-rostering, text messaging of staff in different parts of the home and automatic scheduling of meetings between staff and management in response to complaints and incidents.

Digitised locking systems can be installed instead of using keys and locks. This ensures parts of the home can be kept secure, when necessary, and access is limited or controlled where necessary.

Access to tech-enabled health and care services such as telehealth, telecare, telemedicine and telecoaching help residents and care staff to manage long-term conditions without having to leave the home. Video consultations with local hospitals and consultants can be a useful way to access specialist care and advice between clinical appointments.

Helping to prepare for CQC inspection. Care homes are inspected every two years against the Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOES). To be rated as Outstanding, a care home must demonstrate innovative facilities and solutions which using technology can demonstrate if relevant evidence is provided.

FREE UP TIME

Market research conducted by the Professional division of Miele at Health Plus Care revealed that the majority of care home managers believe their residents would get greater benefit if they spent more time focusing on management and back office responsibilities. Over half of respondents said they felt they spend too much time personally carrying out care rather than managing the business.

The survey sample was taken from care home managers who attended this year’s Health Plus Care show at ExCeL London. Participants were asked how highly they rate their business skills, and where they think their time is best spent. 44% of respondents said they don’t spend enough time managing the business. In fact, 6% said they spend most of their time caring for residents, and 38% said their time is spent 50/50 between the two.

DIGITAL CARE PLANNING: LIKE Q TO 007

In the last years, a lot of new tech has been released into the care home sector. One of these new additions is called Sekoia. They do digital care planning, supporting services recording their care delivery, staying compliant, and making sure that paperwork is handled fast and safely in their app.

We’ve asked Morten, Co-founder and CMO, a few questions about Sekoia to understand how his company helps positively influence the care sector.

“We see ourselves as Q to the 007s that are the frontline staff. We believe they are heroes in their own right, and as such, they need a bulletproof toolkit. Like the one that Q provides James Bond with. A tech that’s perhaps less engineered, but frees up their time for care, away from the piles of paperwork”

Acacia Lodge (Avery) achieved an overall Outstanding rating from CQC with the use of Fusion Care Planning in the home: Commenting of the Fusion care Planning in the Home the CQC said: “Plans of care were extremely person centred and the details gave staff the information they needed to deliver individualised care … The care plans were person centred, highlighted people’s needs and included information and advice from healthcare professionals.There was a failsafe system for staff and managers to review and update the plans.”

“People could make comments via the electronic system to inform staff of their care needs and any other wishes such as activities” “Residents were encouraged to complete their own diary entry by talking into the innovative electronic care plan system. This demonstrated an inclusive person centred approach”

347 NIGHTS WITH CLIENTS

Ultimately, the main purpose of Sekoia is to enable care. And without understanding the context of the care workers using their technology, Morten and his team didn’t feel like this was achievable.

“That's why we bring all new members of our team to a care home to see how Sekoia is actually used and which problems we help solve. It’s part of our DNA and even though it must be more today, we always say that we’ve spent 347 nights with our clients. The reason is that we cover all shifts on the day of a Sekoia go live.

Just to make sure that no one feels left behind. Even at night.”

1,5 HOURS PER CARER PER SHIFT

The results speak for themselves if you ask Morten.

A variety of services use Sekoia today, from learning disability to dementia care.

“If there is one effect of digital care planning, I would want to emphasise it must be the time saved on paperwork. In both Kent and Warwickshire, providers have carried out their own baseline measurements stating that they independently saved 1,5 hours per care worker per shift. And more for their nurses! I couldn’t believe it when the first result was repeated.

“Plans of care were developed on a computer based system which was easy to access, showed they were person centred and gave managers a good oversight of when they needed updating” “Staff had to respond on the system that tasks had been completed and this ensured there was a clear communication trail” “Staff completed a range of specific diary entries which evidenced person centred care” “We saw in the plans of care that a great deal of information was gained on a person’s past history, their likes and dislikes, interests and hobbies. The person’s views on their gender, sexuality, religion or spirituality and age was recorded and action taken to ensure their wishes were fulfilled” “We saw the registered manager made comments to care staff on the system to improve the plans of care” Congratulations Acacia Lodge!

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THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 27

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE NEW PATIENT CALL ALARM FROM PINPOINT

The new WristPIT from Pinpoint is a bespoke patient call transmitter designed to be worn on the wrist.

This wrist-worn personal infrared transmitter (WristPIT) is easily accessible and allows patients to activate a call for assistance even if they are away from their bed or a fixed call-point.

Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology (usually worn by staff for personal safety) has, for the first time, been designed around patient use. The WristPIT can withstand showering and brief submersion in water and also incorporates antimicrobial product protection, reducing the ability for bacteria to grow.

Pressing the clearly labelled call button on the WristPIT notifies the personnel on duty that a patient is requesting help and informs staff exactly where the patient is. The call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms.

Pinpoint Alarm systems are installed in thousands of medical/care facilities throughout the UK and USA. The new WristPIT is backward compatible and easily integrated into existing Pinpoint Systems.

In addition to being water-resistant, the WristPIT has been designed to withstand harsh environments and user tampering, meaning suitability for facilities where service users may be at risk of self-harm.

MAINTENO IS A COMPLETE, COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FOR FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT

Whether it’s managing planned maintenance or dealing with fault repairs, Mainteno simplifies the day-to-day maintenance of almost any organisation.

Our award-winning software keeps everyone in the loop and archives all your communication and documentation in one place. For total control of your organisation’s assets, Mainteno also seamlessly incorporates asset management and tracking.

Mainteno streamlines every aspect of the maintenance management process, saving your organisation time and money.

USABILITY MADE AFFORDABLE

Mainteno was designed with practicality in mind. The interface is so intuitive that basic operation can be learned in minutes, and you can be a power user in one afternoon.

Elegant usability usually means a hefty price tag.

However, our pricing structure means that for small

organisations, Mainteno can cost as little as two cups of coffee a month. No set-up fees, no lengthy contracts and a free trial, all mean that the system starts paying for itself straight away.

This what Dr Asif Raja, Bsc MBBS Summercare Managing Director had to say about the system.

Facing significant challenges of ever increasing quality and compliance demands upon time and resources as well considerable economic pressures, Summercare, an award winning provider of residential care and housing related support, sought to upgrade their systems for managing the property and environmental aspects of its service delivery After an extensive period of investigation and research Mainteno was selected as the platform of choice for the entire organisation based on its ease of use, very short-term contract, quick set up and ongoing support.

The organisation uses our comprehensive software solution to streamline the management of its property and environment. This has achieved greater efficiency for the company.

The Mainteno system was the obvious choice based on it being easy to deploy and operate and with an extensive range of inbuilt processes and reports that meant we could start realising benefits very quickly.

We are confident the system will provide us with improved accessibility and communication across the organisation and will improve the efficiency and quality for frontline care services.

Dr Asif Raja, Bsc MBBS Summercare Managing Director

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 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.

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Facilities Maintenance and Management Software Simple to use, easy to maintain and very affordable.

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Reporting tasks and faults Asset tracking and value reporting Invoice management Add multiple images and documents Detailed analytical reporting Dashboard reporting showing live status of all tasks Management of all planned maintenance schedules Compliance testing and inspections Traffic light detailed reporting for audit purpose Audit reporting Direct allocation of work to relevant parties Can be used for help desk Supplier performance management and reporting Warranty and insurance management Can be used on any web enabled device Link tasks to calendar Create check lists for compliance purposes Contractor Quotes and Invoice Management Contractor Login upload function

www.mainteno.com 020 8798 3713 sales@redro.co.uk

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

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 29

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE (...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27) 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 roof should also share one integrated system. From E-mar 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 tailor-made 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.

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 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!

LOTUS CARE TECHNOLOGY

HOW FLEXIBLE IS YOUR NURSE CALL SYSTEM?

CARE VISION - SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CARE

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 environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier.

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

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.

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PAGE 30 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE (...CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

NURSE CALL

IT’S NOT OBSOLETE UNTIL THE OPERA LADY SINGS

EDISON TELECOM LTD (IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984)

have spares, enhancements and expertise for wired and wireless systems abandoned by the original manufacturer, whoever they are.

Call us on 01252-330220 We can give most systems a new lease of life and maintain them into the future.

www.edisontelecom.co.uk Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

EDISON TELECOM- EXTENDING THE LIFE OF YOUR EXISTING SYSTEM

Edison Telecom Ltd have been providing specialist solutions to your call system requirements tailor-made to each customers’ need for over 25 years. Is your current Nurse Call “legacy”, obsolete, so full of software bugs or commercially not viable for your current supplier/maintainer to maintain?

We may have just the part and expertise that you are looking for to give your nurse call a further extension to life.

Edison will treat your nurse call with the same compassion that you give to those in your care. There will come a time when your equipment is beyond repair but Edison are experts in extending the life of obsolete systems.

So talk to Edison – especially about wireless nurse call systems where we have product which can support existing systems that are over 20 years old.

PANDORA CARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

For care home software to be truly effective and essential, it needs to be able to bring all aspects of running a care home together.

There is absolutely no point in having software for nursing records, then different software for finance and then completely different software for Human Resources; you get the picture? It sounds like more trouble than its worth. However, Pandora have designed and created care home software that has all the essential elements in ONE place Human resources All employee records are easily accessed at the touch of a button. No rummaging through filing cabinets and archives.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Audits are easily completed when all the data is easily accessible. With our care home software all you need to complete audits and reviews is in one place.

FINANCE

The software includes a finance module which not only manages all the purchase orders, budgets and other payments. It also links to rotas so you can be absolutely sure employees are paid according to the shifts they have completed.

NURSING TEAM

Let's be honest, nurses are always busy. Always. So this module is absolutely essential to the smooth running of the care home. All service user information can be accessed from one area. All notes can be updated easily, and all care staff can see care plans, reports and records.

OPERATIONS

The operations element of the care home software is so valuable. Therefore it keeps everything else running smoothly.

MAINTENANCE

We know that when running a care home, there is always something to fix or repair. With this module you can log each maintenance request and set a priority and deadline. You can then see the status and monitor to see where resources are being taken up.

Put very simply, Pandora will benefit all areas of your care home business.

KAM SYSTEMS LIMITED

Nurse call systems play a vital role in a care facility. Often it is the primary way a resident or patient can communicate with care staff.

Technology can help provide better solutions that can monitor residents more closely and help care staff to be more responsive as well as provide management with valuable data.

Assistive technology can help monitor a resident trying to get out of bed or up off a chair or even trying to leave through a fire exit. The use of sympathetic sounds and clear colour coded messages help keep staff informed with the exact details of the alert so that they can respond appropriately. Ultimately, this can help prevent a fall or a resident wandering off the premises.

The data collected by the system can highlight response times and the most demanding times of day or even the most demanding residents. This data can also help plan staffing levels for various shifts.

‘Our wireless nurse call solutions have been designed with valuable feedback from care staff and management and years of experience of working in the care sector’, explains Harpal Momi Managing Director of KAM Systems Limited.

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PAGE 32 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE (...CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

LEECARE - WE DELIVER MORE THAN SOFTWARE

At Leecare, we start each day with a purpose and a mission — to help our customers be the best they can be, so your residents can experience the best possible quality of life.

Leecare’s industry leading care software and EHR platform, Platium 5, improves care delivery, which makes you stronger.

Deliver the highest quality of care, improve your business performance, and simplify the complex processes related to regulatory compliance.

Be connected to your care network. Ensure that your team has the right information at the right time, and that the intelligence of the health record follows each resident.

“I highly recommend Leecare Solution as a one stop shop in as far as Health and Social Care Management systems go mainly because one can use any handheld, palm or desktop device seamlessly.

In my previous and current roles in Health and Social Care as a Regional Manager and Consultant respectively, I am familiar with and have used a fair number of Health and Social Care Management systems and currently support over 60 Health and Social Care service provision organisations across the UK also using different Health and Social Care Management systems, most of which are cloud based and good, but are however, in one way or another somehow limited in their robustness and interface capabilities.

Leecare Solution is one of the best Health and Social Care Management systems out there, which give you a single solution for all your clinical, medication, HR and Accounting management needs giving you an all encompassing single solution to be CQC and professionally compliant.

I unreservedly recommend Leecare Solutions..”

Gwin Masaka / Trend House, Dallow Rd, Luton The decision to implement a senior care platform or switch from an existing system may feel like a daunting process. Let us put you at ease. As the definitive leader, we have the unparalleled expertise to help you make an informed choice without any unnecessary pressure.

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

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 running 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 system 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.

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TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE (...CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE) NETWORK COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Network Communication Systems Ltd ( NCS ) was established in 1992 and from the outset has provided Telecare and Security Products and Services, primarily to Local Government (Housing) and Housing Associations. Today we have many accreditations to our name including ISO 9001 Quality Management which ensures the company meets its quality commitments The company offers a full range of services encompassing Consultancy, Design, Project Management Installation and Maintenance The company supplies both 3rd party and own brand products for individual and grouped living.

Grouped Living encompassing Sheltered Housing, Extra Care and Nursing Homes The Company offers maintenance on any make and model of Telecare and Security Products/Systems, including system upgrades, partial and full, for better operation with the new digital telephone system being phased in by 2025. Maintenance can be offered on an ad-hoc basis or contractually via various packaged service agreements, depending on customer requirements Recently the company has just completed a design and installation project for Central Bedfordshire Council comprising over 50 CCTV cameras, some of which offer auto-tracking to get the best possible close up high quality image, Recording Equipment, Security Doors including Door Entry and Access Control and Automatic Swing Door Operators. All delivered to the client’s satisfaction

WORKFORCE SCHEDULING SOLUTIONS LTD Workforce Scheduling Solutions deliver Electronic Time & Attendance systems worldwide, using the latest Face Recognition technology.

Why should care homes move from paper to electronic time sheets The industry is under considerable financial pressures. An efficient electronic booking on/off

www.medpage-ltd.com www.aidcall.co.uk www.pandoracare.co.uk www.lctuk.com www.pinpointlimited.com www.carevisioncms.co.uk www.ablyss.co.uk

Grouped Alarms - Fully Integrated Telecare and Security

• 2 System types available depending on requirements • Door Entry panels and standalone fob readers • Telecare room units with choice of peripherals • On-site / Local Offsite / Off-site operation • BS8521 protocol for remote Off-site monitoring

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 tokens, which can be lost or left at home, 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 paperbased 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.

www.edisontelecom.com www.leecare.co.uk www.sekoia-care.co.uk www.kamsystems.co.uk www.mainteno.com www.wfsoftware.co.uk

Door Entry and Access Control

• High quality robust stainless steel panel • Panels and readers can be inter-connected • Cloud based remote management option • Well specified - Will meet your requirements • High reliability and fault tolerant • DDA compliant • Parts availability - 15 years • Low cost

Carephones and Peripherals

• Tele-care for individual properties • High quality product • Available in various models (PSTN or GSM) • Allows connection of multiple peripherals • The only product in the marketplace that offers wireless remote speech stations and voice pendants • Compatible with most Alarm Receiving Centres • Low Cost

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 33

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 35

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Forbes Helps Care Providers Establish A Highly Efficient Ware-Washing Process When planning a kitchen it is important to make the right procurement decisions for your dishwasher so that it can be accommodated within the design. There are a number of factors to consider including the plumbing and electrical supply, the physical space available and the specific hygiene requirements. If you decide to go for a pass-through dishwasher which are designed for straight through or corner operation you will need to allow for sufficient space to load and unload the machine. When considering the work area, it is also essential to give thought to whether or not you will require an external water softener, and to where chemicals will be stored.

Forbes Professional always conducts a comprehensive site survey and we can work with clients to ensure that the right decisions are made at each stage of the process. For a care environment, our tank dish-

washers enable an impressively fast through put of up to 72 baskets per hour which is invaluable within a busy kitchen. Where a specialist hygiene dishwasher is required, our Miele hygiene freshwater dishwashers deliver a particularly high temperature final rinse that is maintained for 5 minutes to ensure the ultimate hygienic clean. Our Miele dishwashers are all fully WRAS compliant and comply with all the necessary industry regulations.

Our experienced account managers provide all the necessary advice and guide clients through the planning stages to ensure adherence to the relevant operating parameters. Under our Complete Care package, clients also have the peace of mind afforded by our first-class engineer response service, at no extra cost for the duration of the contract.

See the advert on the facing page, call 0345 070 2335 or visit www.forbes-professional.co.uk

Fowler Revolution – Commercial Laundry and Catering Equipment Fowler UK is now backed by large PLC Photo-Me and has been rebranded to Fowler Revolution to coincide with Photo-Me’s highly successful launch of their Commercial Laundry ‘Revolution’ division'.

Fowler Revolution' is expanding with plans to double the number of engineers over the next 12 months. They are investing in a new CRM systems to ensure the quality of service is always maintained.

A new website has also been launched to coincide with the re-brand.

Four Key services Fowler Revolution offer; 1. Laundry: Supply, Install, Service, Repair and Maintain all commercial Washers, Dryers, Sluice machines and Ironers 2. Catering: Supply, Install, Service, Repair and Maintain all commercial Catering equipment from Mixers to

Combi Ovens 3. Rental: No upfront costs. Long term solution with no bills ever! All repairs and maintenance included in the small monthly fee 4. Solutions: Servicing, Repairs, Maintenance Contracts, Duct Cleaning, TR19 Kitchen Canopy/Appliance Cleaning, CP42 Gas Checks Meet our new Northern UK Account Manager Chloe Smith: Chloe has been with the company in various roles for the past six years and has a great understanding of all areas of the business. We are pleased to announce her new appointment as Northern UK Account Manager; her main role will be guiding customers through the process of replacing commercial Laundry/Catering appliances from delivery only through to full new build installations. fowleruk.com Tel: 01200 444430

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

PAGE 36 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES The Right Solution For Your Bedroom Doors Adaptawear Iona Shoulder & Open Back Nightie!

Building regulations for residential care home – Part of approved document ‘B’ indicate that ‘the specification of door closing devices for fire doors should take in to account the needs of residents.’

Critically designed to support the integral passive fire protection within a care home - Exidor’s Guardian door closer is the only electromagnetic closer specifically designed to meet the needs of residential care facilities. An innovative advancement from traditional swing free closers the Guardian offers two unique features aimed to improve the physical safety of residents and staff as well as the passive fire safety of the

care facility itself.

Anti-Slam: Whether accidental, deliberate or caused by a draught, doors can slam shut posing a real risk to residents and staff. The Guardian has been specifically developed with an anti-slam function which controls

and slows the motion of the door.

Drift Resistance: Unbalanced doors or draughts cause doors to swing open or closed, often resulting in residents wedging doors open and invalidating them as fire doors.

Exidor's Guardian offers a low level control on the door, which stops it from drifting from its open position, at the same time as allowing it to operate freely to the user.

As they are linked to the fire alarm system, they only close when you need them to.

Exidor contact details: Sales Office: 01543 578661 Email: sales@exidor.co.uk www.exidor.co.uk or see the advert on page 20.

C & S Seating Postural Management C & S Seating has been providing postural control equipment to hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and medical equipment services nationwide since 1991.

With 9 different sizes of T-Rolls and Log Rolls in a removable and machine washable, waterproof Titex or Soft Knit material. These rolls are used to control posture and position of the body in either supine or side lying. Our Knee & Leg support wedges are available in 2 sizes.

C & S Seating is the sole manufacturer of the Alternative Positioning Support (APS) system.

Ideal when more control of the abducted lower limb is required (See photo) which has removable

side cushions and middle pommel; this is available in small or large.

Our popular range of Soft Knit covers in a choice of 5 vibrant colours provide a softer alternative that fit easily over our standard waterproof rolls.

It is recommended you seek professional advice to select the correct product depending on your needs.

Contact us on 01424 853331 or visit us at www.candsseating.co.uk to request or 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 6.

Dorgard from Safelincs Every care facility wants to encourage independent mobility of their residents but heavy, cumbersome fire doors restrict free movement. By law fire doors should not be wedged open.

It is, however, all too tempting to do just that, wedge the fire door open to allow residents and visitors to move around with ease. This practice is illegal and will allow a fire to spread quickly through a care home, endangering the lives of residents, staff and visitors.

Dorgard solves this age-old dilemma. Fitted to a fire door, a Dorgard will hold it open legally. The Dorgard ‘listens’ for the fire alarm and, on hearing it, releases the door and allows it to close.

Fitting Dorgard to existing fire doors could not be easier since it is a battery powered unit, so no messy wiring is required. Your Handyman will be able to install a Dorgard in under 10 minutes.

To help your residents, who have a disability or impaired movement, simply fit Dorgard to your fire doors.

The use of Dorgard ensures that you will not be prosecuted for breach of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which could otherwise lead to a heavy fine or even imprisonment. www.safelincs.co.uk Tel: 0800 612 6287 See the advert on page 16 for details.

How To Deliver Care Support Four People For The Cost Of Helping One… Social care funding can be four times more effective, where appropriate, by employing living aids in place of support workers.

Independent research has highlighted that the capital cost of a Closomat Palma Vita wash & dry WC, that enables someone to go to the toilet without care support/ intervention, is just a quarter of the cost of providing care workers to perform the same function for a year(1).

The living aid is a ‘one off’ cost, that delivers independence for years. The financial analysis does not include the hidden cost benefits in the recipient’s improved mental health & wellbeing at being empowered to undertake a very private task unaided, and at being able to remain in their own home.

“The ability to go to the toilet is one of the five key ADLs in assessing a person’s need for care intervention, particularly under the Person Environment Occupation (PEO) Model,” observes Robin Tuffley, Closomat marketing manager.

“Surely it makes good financial sense to make best use of available funds by providing relevant equipment where appropriate, to release care staff where they are most needed, where equipment is not the solution?

If you do the maths, this approach can potentially help four times as many people to retain their dignity and independence, to remain in their own homes.”

Beyond the financial implications, the provision of enabling equipment further enhances the recipient’s mental health and wellbeing, thus having a positive impact in PROM(2) and HRQoL(3) terms. It can improve hygiene, reducing incidence of skin complaints. It eliminates manual handling, with all the associated positive benefits for the care recipient, and care staff.

Looking like, and capable of being used as, a conventional WC, the Palma Vita toilet has built in douching and drying. It therefore effectively and hygienically cleans the user without the need for manual wiping, nor the motor and cognitive skills involved in that process.

Closomat’s Palma Vita is the only wash & dry toilet developed specifically for disabled people, and the brand leader. Its success is due to its cleaning performance, and unique ability to be tailored to individual needs, initially and retrospectively as needs change. Details of the shower toilet, and accessories available, can be found on Closomat’s website www.closomat.co.uk.

Closomat is further unique in offering initial commissioning, and in-house service & maintenance, as part of its commitment to enable dignified and hygienic intimate care.

It also offers full UK-based pre- and post-sales support, including site survey, design advice, supply.

Adaptawear are pleased to announce that its best-selling Ladies Iona Shoulder & Open Back Nightie is back in stock in all sizes and colours!

Small – XX Large (10 – 26).

This pretty feminine nightie is designed for ladies unable to wear a traditional 'over the head' nightdress due to a variety of medical conditions.

It is also ideal for sufferers of stroke, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and post viral fatigue syndrome sufferers.

Iona's Special Features: • Generous overlap at the back ensures dignity

• Soft cotton rich seersucker fabric • Shoulder opening, ideal if upper body movement is limited • Can be put on without the need to disconnect medical equipment • 4 button neck opening, providing access for medical procedures • Choice of colours: Pink or Blue 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.

See the advert on page 7 for details.

CareZips™ Incontinence Dignity Trousers CareZips™ are adaptive trousers that preserve the dignity of incontinent people, whilst helping the caregivers to deliver better care.

Fitted with unique 3-zip fastening system, the CareZips™ make changing of incontinence diapers more dignified and comfortable for the patients and easier and faster for the caregivers.

CareZips™ feature 3 strategically positioned zips, 2 of which run from the waist to the knees on both sides of the body. The 3rd zip goes from the inside of one knee all the way up and down to the inside of the other knee, thus entirely opening the trousers at the crotch, when needed. The 3-zip system enables access to the abdomen and crotch for fast and easy dia-

per changes without the need to undress the patient or pull the CareZips™ trousers down.

CareZips™ are unisex and available in 7 sizes for good fit. CareZips™ fabric is soft and wrinkle resistant with stretch for extra comfort. Washable and non-iron, the CareZips™ are perfect for daily use.

When worn over hip protectors, such as HipSaver QuickChange, HipSaver OpenBottom or HipSaver EasyFit, the CareZips™ help to prevent fall-related hip fractures.

CareZips™ Trousers improve lives of vulnerable people and aid their caregivers!

Contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 - www.win-health.com See the advert on page 7 for details.

The Care Annex Company

modules which are delivered to site ready built and craned into position, offering a quick and cost effective solution to the family care, care home, public and hotel sectors.

The design and size is flexible and built to a client’s requirement and budget. Features can include an optional integral personal care hoist, which can lift up to 450kg, air conditioning, a fully accessible wet room, kitchen and carer’s bedroom if required.

This flexible design enables modules to be bolted together to provide a quick solution for multiple bedroom extensions to existing care facilities; the lightweight construction does not require traditional foundations therefore saving time, disruption and expense.

For more details visit www.careannexcompany.com or see the advert on page 19.

The Care Annex Company has launched a new generation of modular care accommodation, which it recently exhibited at the NEC Care Show.

This innovative modular design is the creation of Commercial Development Surveyor, Mark Fitzsimmons and Steel Fabricator, Mike Kearney who between them have over 45 years experience in the construction sector. They recognized an opportunity to bring together the strengths of factory built modular steel construction to meet the growing demand of the care and senior living sector.

The company’s mission is to manufacture factory built care

Eco-Friendly Gloves Provide Additional Benefits To Eczema Sufferers Bamboo is one of nature’s most sustainable resources with plants growing around 15 metres tall in only 6 months.

It’s ability to be processed into fibres allows it to be used in the production of gloves that provide various benefits in comparison to cotton, nylon or polyester alternatives.

Glove usage for eczema Eczema is a frustrating and sometimes debilitating form of dermatitis. Sufferers face an ongoing battle with itching and inflammation of the skin that can occur anywhere on the body. Eczema is very common and persistent scratching causing the skin to break can lead to bacteria entering the wound, resulting in infection. A common solution to prevent harsh scratching is to apply a pair of soft gloves. By wearing gloves, the skin is less likely to break when scratching occurs as the fingernails are covered. Those with eczema on hands will often apply cream and use gloves as a way of keeping the cream in place on the affected areas of the hands.

The most common gloves purchased by eczema sufferers are made from cotton. Although cotton is a biodegradable natural substance, it is a difficult crop to farm and is particularly vulnerable to pest attacks.

Because of this, farmers will use pesticides on a large scale with smallholder cotton farmers spending up to 60% of their annual income on pesticides. Although cotton crop covers just 2.4% of the world’s cultivated land, it uses 6% of the world’s pesticides and 16% of insecticides, more than any other single major crop.1 The use of pesticides has a devastating effect on the health of those around it and it is estimated that almost 1000 people die every day from acute pesticide poisoning. Cancer, neurological diseases and birth defects are also linked to cotton farm pesticides.

The natural and health-friendly alternative

As opposed to cotton, bamboo is grown without any pesticides or chemicals and is a naturally regenerative resource. Gloves made with bamboo offer substantial benefits to eczema sufferers compared to their cotton, nylon or polyester counterparts.

Bamboo gloves are lighter and softer than cotton making them easy to don and extremely comfortable to wear. They are 2-3 degrees cooler than cotton or synthetic gloves and breathable.

Bamboo is four times more absorbent as cotton. Small micro-holes help prevent build-up of moisture and improve ventilation to the hands. Unlike cotton, bamboo fibres will not generate bad odours or contribute to the growth of fungi, even in moist conditions.

Sian Gomersall, Head of Business Development at JustGloves, a major online retailer of gloves in the UK, states: “We are seeing a rise in the sales of eco-friendly gloves due to the increased awareness of the devastating effects that chemical usage and pollution is having on our environment. Our customers are looking for gloves that perform just as well, or better than their current glove choices, but cause less damage to the environment. Because of this, we are constantly sourcing environmentally friendly gloves and looking at the latest advancements to add to our extensive product range. This ensures we can meet the needs of our customers and assist the efforts being made to save our planet.

“Bamboo gloves are just one of the eco-friendly glove options available on our website. The gloves offer superior comfort to wearers and can be machine washed at 60 degrees without any reduction in quality or fit.”

To find out more about the range of environmentally friendly gloves currently available, visit www.justgloves.co.uk/biodegradable.

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 37

DYPHAGIA AND NUTRITION Dysphagia – Hard to Swallow

By Ayela Spiro Nutrition Science Manager British Nutrition Foundation

Dysphagia from the Greek words dys (difficulty) and phagia (to eat) is the term for swallowing difficulties. It is usually caused by a condition that affects the nervous system, such as a stroke, Parkinson’s disease or dementia, or by cancers and their treatment that affect the head, neck and throat. The risk of living with one or more of such conditions increases with age, and in an increasingly ageing population, this means an increased number living with dysphagia. Age and frailty are also associated with physiological changes in swallowing making the older person more susceptible.

Dysphagia can markedly impact health and quality of life. Serious complications include pulmonary aspiration (food and fluid going into the lungs) which may lead to chest infections, and increased risk of choking.

Early identification and treatment is important in reducing adverse outcomes. For example, guidelines recommend that stroke patients should be screened within 24 hours and before oral intake to reduce dysphagia related complications. Staff should have sufficient training to be aware of the symptoms of dysphagia (e.g. identification of overt symptoms like coughing after food and drink, pocketing of food and wet gurgly voice), and to make appropriate referrals for detailed assessment and evaluation.

Communication within a multidisciplinary team (heath care professionals including dietitians and speech and language therapists, care staff, management, catering and family members) can facilitate more effective implementation of person-centred care plans and management strategies aimed at minimising dysphagic risks and optimising safety, nutrient intake and quality of life. Such strategies may involve a range of therapies offered regularly including environmental modifications, postural advice, exercises, safe swallowing advice and appropriate dietary modification. Any approach should consider the client/patient and their carers wherever possible as part of the team involved in decision making processes.

An impaired swallow has many nutritional implications and dysphagia is associated with higher risk of malnutrition. An individual with dysphagia may be unable to eat sufficient food to maintain weight or unable to drink sufficient fluid to maintain hydration. As dysphagia can make eating slow, difficult and tiring, it can reduce both the quantity and variety of foods consumed. In addition to hydration and nutrition needs, consideration should be given to the impact on quality of life. Dysphagia can be associated with emotional and psychological problems and these should not be underestimated, although they are often not recognised. Fear of choking can cause food aversions or anxiety around meal times. Embarrassment (e.g. about drooling) and loss of enjoyment of food as a social function may encourage isolation.

Key to safe swallowing, reduced choking risk and adequate nutrition and hydration is the appropriate texture of food and fluids. Texture modification (e.g. the use of thickeners to help achieve the desired consistency of pureed foods, thickened fluids) is thus the mainstay of oral nutrition management in dysphagia.

To improve patient safety and to enable consistent communication, efforts have been made to standardise food and liquid texture modifications. The most recent notable example is the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative, IDDSI, a standard framework consisting of 8 texture levels with distinct coloured and number label (https://iddsi.org/). Simple tests have been developed by IDDSI to allow patients, professionals and caregivers to assess the appropriate consistency of liquids and foods. Manufacturers and health care settings were set to be fully IDDSI compliant by April 2019.

Whilst it is clearly important that the texture is safe, meals offered should be varied, balanced and acceptable in taste. Unfortunately, texture modified foods and drinks are commonly associated with unpleasant changes in appearance, flavour and mouthfeel, and with decreased food intake and food refusal. Using liquids in preparation to achieve modified textures can also dilute calorie and nutrient content. Although the focus is often on texture modified foods, the importance of hydration should not be overlooked. A lack of willingness to drink thickened fluids is common, increasing the risk of dehydration.

As well as advances in food technology, exciting areas of clinical practice lie within restorative and rehabilitative skill and strength techniques aimed at improving swallowing function. There may also be a focus on further individualising treatment. The advance in wearable technology may become increasingly potentially useful, but barriers particularly with regards costs will need to be addressed. Research though should not only be reactive i.e. in patients already with dysphagia, but also focus on prevention. Another area for improvement is in increasing the knowledge of professionals involved in the care of people living with

dysphagia. As mentioned, dysphagia benefits from a multidisciplinary approach not only for care, but by allowing a wider range of professionals to serve as important advocates of a condition that affects millions worldwide who may struggle to get their voices heard.

DINING WITH DIGNITY An estimated 22 per cent (4.4 million) of the UK population over the age of 50 live with some form of dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) at one point or another. While dysphagia can affect people of all ages, it is more common in the older population – an age group most likely to experience the underlying causes of dysphagia such as stroke, dementia and motor neurone disease. The condition can also be caused by the muscles used for swallowing becoming weaker with age.

Not only is dysphagia life-threatening, but it has a significant impact on quality of life. Common symptoms of the condition include swallowing difficulties, coughing or choking when eating or drinking, being unable to chew food properly.

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PAGE 38 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

DYPHAGIA AND NUTRITION Premier Foods. “Retro adverts are a great way of doing so, put them up where patients will be eating, try and get hold of retro tins that patients can hold as well as see. These will get patients talking about fond memories of food which could in turn lead to other discussions” “Use strong and familiar flavours in dishes, food is a great way of causing nostalgia and our portfolio of products is ideal for this, having been around for many years and having become such well-known and trusted brands that patients will recognise and love as soon as they taste them” “Presentation is important, we eat with our eyes and as loss of appetite is a key part of dementia, making food look appealing in the first instance is vital, use interesting layouts on plates as well as food of distinctive colours or shapes” “Those who tend to be more active but have a lack of concentration as a result of dementia require grab and go, snack style foods that they can consume throughout the day. Finger food recipes are ideal for this; we’ve included our Paxo Crustless Quiche recipe below to provide you with some inspiration.”

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TOP TIPS

In most cases, dysphagia can be managed through dietary changes to both fluid and food consistencies.

However, when caring for a resident with dysphagia it is important to also consider the role dining experience plays in resident wellbeing. When preparing a texture modified diet for those living with dysphagia, which aims to reduce the risk of malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration and choking, the visual presentation and taste of the food offered should never be overlooked. Maintaining visual appeal of a meal, especially when looking to feed someone with eating difficulties, is a vital first step.

Food should therefore reflect the appearance of its non-modified state, by blending each component separately and using food moulds to reshape or buying meals already shaped.

Care homes can overcome the issues dysphagia presents by providing residents with moulded, IDDSIcompliant texture modified foods, such as those produced by apetito.

Created using innovative technology, each component is blended and moulded separately to resemble the

individual components in their original form. Plus, the food holds its shape after cooking, so it looks appetising, and thanks to a team of dedicated talented chefs, flavour is not compromised.

By using a pre-prepared solution, care homes can see a reduction in preparation time, plus as they are pre-blended there’s no bacterial risk from blending equipment and handling. These ready-made options are also IDDSI compliant, reducing the need to test texture and consistency of meals against the IDDSI guidelines. These meals are both calorie and protein dense and are developed by dedicated dietitians to meet BDA standards. This ensures even those with a reduced appetite continue to receive all the nutrients they need.

DYSPHAGIA AND THE “EATING ENVIRONMENT” With the eating environment having an incremental effect on a dementia patient it is important for caterers to think of ways in which to enhance this, says Mark Taylor Foodservice Customer Controller at

• The environment in which the dysphagia patient eats in has a big role to play in making them feel relaxed which can impact how much someone will eat. Ensure the area is homely, the room is well lit and the eating environment is calm and relaxing • We eat with our eyes and it’s no different for those with dysphagia. Use utensils such as piping bags, food moulds and shaped cutters to help present soft textured foods. Techniques such as quenelles and layering can also help when presenting food • When creating dysphagia foods, consider the individual components of the dish and whether they can be modified separately. This will ensure the taste and presentation of the dish is as close to the original as possible • Season food throughout the cooking process to aid the flavour profile of different foods. Good seasoning is hard to achieve after cooking, particularly if foods have been diluted with liquids • Never serve your patients or residents food that you are not prepared to eat yourself, maintaining a high quality is key

Dysphagia is an area that perhaps tests the link between care and catering more than most, as the consequences of poor practice could result in fatality, says Neel Radia who until this month was the national chair at the national Association of care catering (NACC) Neel says “there are many areas of knowledge and practice that care homes and suppliers need to ensure that the teams are aware of and understand. These range from understanding dysphagia and the risks, to understanding the IDD SI framework and applying it to deliver safe food and support at mealtimes, and for snacks and drinks in between. A holistic approach is recommended, involve chefs, those that support at mealtimes and carers, as well as the residents and their families, at every touch point.

IDD SI and dysphagia champions for example are a great idea to maintain focus and consistency in this crucial area” Neel adds “maintaining a strong link between care and catering is key to the safe implementation of a texture modified diet to support residents with dyspha-

gia. And ongoing training of all team members is a must to ensure there are always clear of the role”

INTRODUCING SIMPLY FOOD SOLUTIONS Simply Food Solutions is Bidfood’s new extensive range of quality food solutions for the health sector.

From delicious individually plated meals ready for an a-la-carte menu, to pre-prepared meals that are texture modified to support those with dysphagia, Now rebranded as Simply Food Solutions, with several sub-brands offering meal solutions across a wide range of cuisines, including both Halal and Kosher options.

The new brand offers customers consistently high standard products on all of the crucial aspects of product performance that are important to diners: taste, appearance, nutritional value and specific dietary requirements such as allergens and dysphagia.

The range is compliant with the IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) framework, which provides a common terminology to describe food textures and drink thickness. Dishes in the range have a consistent nutritional content, which allows calorie and nutrition to be tracked easily, giving peace of mind to patients and care providers alike.

Already shortlisted for two Caterer Product Excellence Awards, Simply Puree offers home-cooked standard tasty meals packed with flavour and appropriate for all day-parts – all pre-prepared and ready to plate!

NUTRIENT RICH DRINKS FROM NUVU LIFE It is well-known in the care sector that malnutrition affecting the senior population is an ever-growing concern. Indeed, it is common-knowledge that underweight residents require higher levels of care and are much more likely to be hospitalised.

Unfortunately, catering to people who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition can be a challenge.

At NuVu Life, we are strong advocates of the Food First Approach, however, we understand the difficulties of providing sufficient macro and micronutrients to people with reduced appetites via conventional food alone.

Our Liqui-Life shake has been developed specifically for residents who struggle to maintain a healthy weight. It can be made by any member of staff and takes minimal preparation.

Supplementation of the Liqui-Life shake alongside the Food First Approach will ensure that vulnerable residents are getting the vital nutrients that they need.

One shake per day (made with 200ml of whole milk) will provide 399kcal, 24g of protein, 24g of fat and 100% RI of 14 essential vitamins and minerals.

The ongoing battle against malnutrition in the Care Sector is daunting. It is our mission to alleviate some of this pressure by developing products that are effective, economical, require minimal labour and most importantly are enjoyable to consume.

www.nuvulife.com www.thenacc.co.uk www.apetito.co.uk www.nutrition.org.uk www.foodafactoflife.org.uk www.bidfood.co.uk www.barbel.net

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 41

BATHING AND BATHROOMS A New Bathing Range Designed Improved Design Helps Overcome Staff Challenges To Meet Individual Needs Making sure you find the right bathroom equipment to suit the needs of your care home residents and staff can be a daunting task.

However, two well-known faces in the sector have joined forces to create a new range of height adjustable and fixed height assisted baths for the care home market, which have been designed to meet the needs of each individual resident.

With more than 60 years’ experience in design, manufacturing and customer service between them, Ray Metcalf and Dennis Goodes have launched a unique range of baths for the assisted bathing market. “I have enjoyed redesigning a range that specifically suits care homes, upgrading the mechanical parts and incorporating soft curves to protect delicate skin as well as being aesthetically pleasing,” explains Metcalf. “We both have the same enthusiasm now as we had 20 years ago,” he adds.

The range includes a number of baths that

With increasing demands on care home staff, it makes sense that the building that they work in should help reduce some of the pressures in their day-to-day jobs, not make them worse.

However, the design of many care homes is far from ideal and can, in some cases, increase the duty of care placed on staff.

are either height adjustable or fixed height in a unique ‘Art Deco’ style. Each one is built by hand in the UK using traditional methods to meet the highest standards and incorporating the latest ‘one touch’ technology. “We are proud of the fact that our baths are designed and made in the UK,” says Goodes. “We are also as proud of what’s underneath the bath as what’s on top. Our ‘fit and forget’ motto is the standard we build to.”

Individually tested and dispatched direct to site and ready to go, trained teams are available to install, commission and service the baths throughout mainland UK. The baths are bespoke with numerous options that can be incorporated to suit individual needs and are built to order.

“Our aim is to provide a top quality product at a really good price,” says Goodes. “I design to make other peoples’ lives better,” Ray Metcalf concludes.

The Assisted Bathing Company SO41 8LW T: (Sales) +44 (0)1590 647 479 T: (Technical) +44 (0)1590 647 478 F: +44 (0)1590 610 080 See the advert on the facing page for details.

USING GOOD DESIGN TO HELP TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF

According to recent research , care home providers perceive that one of the biggest challenges that they are facing at this present time is to do with their staff. This, combined with the shift towards personal care only operators and the increasing care needs of residents is placing even more pressure on staff. Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, comments on these challenges and how improved design in public and private spaces can help reduce some of the pressures on staff during the day-to-day running of a care home.

INCREASED STAFFING PRESSURES

Staffing in the care home environment is facing unprecedented challenges, such as difficulty in recruiting staff with the appropriate nursing skills and the uncertainties that Brexit is having on recruitment. In addition, some nursing care home operators are closing nursing beds and moving to offering personal care only, due to the challenge of finding nurses to staff them. In addition, the demands from residents is also increasing, as more enter care homes when their needs are higher and conditions more advanced.

Single Handed Care- New Guidance Published Single handed care options are widening, with advances in technology balanced alongside care budgets, outcomes advised by healthcare professionals, and the desires of the client.

With regard to the toilet, such technology not only enables single handed care to be achieved in reducing care support to one person, it can go as far as empowering the client to address their intimate care singlehandedly, without any support or care intervention.

To help professionals involved in the provision of toilet adaptation equipment, be it in domestic or residential care settings, efficiently assess and specify the most appropriate solution, Closomat has commissioned an Occupational Therapy- led guidance document.

Closomat’s guidance- ‘Single Handed Care- Toilet Guidance for Professionals’- applies the PEO (Person Environment Occupation) model to address how to change the environment from disabling to enabling. It tabulates how use of appropriate technology- from hoists to wash & dry toilets- can reduce, or potentially eliminate- the need for care intervention.

Explains Robin Tuffley, Closomat marketing manager, “On average we go to the toilet eight times a day. It is one of the five key ADL (activities of daily living) criteria. Choice of appropriate equipment can make a huge difference in enabling someone to deal with a very intimate activity with little- or no- help from another person, be it a family member or care worker. ”Our guidance aims at providing an easy to use tool for anyone involved in delivery of care packages- in domestic or residential care environments- to get the best practical solu-

tion, balancing cost of care and the client’s health & wellbeing.”

The guidance is available for free download from Closomat’s website, www.closomat.co.uk, under the resources section.

Closomat is Britain’s leading provider of enabling toilet solutions. Its Palma Vita wash & dry toilet is the brand leader, the only one of its kind developed specifically for disabled people, and the only one that can be accessorised retrospectively to address changing circumstances.

Closomat was the first company to introduce the concept of shower toilets into the UK, (over 55 years ago,) and has now sold in excess of 50,000 such toilets. It manufactures a complete range of optionsfloor mounted, wall-hung and automatically height adjustable. Full details of each version, plus operating systems, technical specifications etc can be found at Closomat’s website (www.closomat.co.uk).

Uniquely, Closomat is a British company, with its head office, sales, service and support teams based in Manchester; it also uniquely offers social care & housing providers- public and private sector- a project management service whereby it can- in houseoffer design and specification advice, supply, install, commission, and subsequently service of assistive toilet (and bathroom) solutions.

It is also unique in offering a commissioning visit as standard, to ensure that the WC is not only correctly and safely fitted, but that it is set up to suit the user, and they understand how it works, helping ensure stress-free delivery of independent living.

TO TO ADVERTISE ADVERTISE IN IN THE THE CARER, CARER, PLEASE PLEASE CALL CALL OUR OUR SALES SALES TEAM TEAM ON ON 01202 552333

A well designed care home can help promote resident safety, reducing the risks of falls. Ideally, good care home design is about getting environmental conditions right from the start. However, refurbishments, upgrades and redecoration are also all ideal times to review design. Here are some things to think about, based on NHS Derbyshire County’s ‘Managing Falls In Care Homes’, to promote resident safety and take the pressure off of staff: • Plan pedestrian and traffic routes to avoid overcrowding or mixing of conflicting activities. More guidance on this can be obtained from charities such as The Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE) and the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB).

• Carry out a risk assessment of the building to identify hazards. The HSE’s ‘health and safety in care homes’ has more information on this.

• Pay attention to the flooring to reduce slip hazards in both public and private spaces. Use non-slip vinyl safety flooring that has a Pendulum Test Value (PTV) rating of greater than or equal to 36 in bathrooms. Also ensure that anti-slip protection continues from the flooring to any bath or shower tray.

For example, AKW’s Braddan level access shower tray can be recessed into the floor and comes with a slip resistance surface.

• Use colour contrast to avoid slips and falls for those with sight loss, mobil-

ity issues or dementia. For example, excellent colour contrast can be achieved with magnolia coloured walls and AKW’s Cerulean blue cut-to-order, anti-slip, vinyl safety flooring.

• Avoid shadows, dark areas and glare by using well placed lighting to promote safe movement for residents around a space. In the bathroom space use a mix of task-specific lighting and overall ambient lighting to ensure good light levels for showering, washing and moving safely around the space. AKW has created a bathroom lighting pack that contains everything needed to light a standard UK bathroom (with additional products that can be purchased separately for larger spaces).

• Build routine checks into housekeeping to help control hazards. Encourage the regular checking of floors, fixtures and fittings and set up a resident’s room checklist that includes obstructions and objects that are left lying around.

Although care home providers have little power over the wider issues impacting staffing, improved design in both public and private spaces can help reduce some of the pressures on the home’s day-to-day running.

For more information on good bathroom design, AKW has a range of free guides available on the subjects of dementia, visual impairment and lighting at www.akw-ltd.co.uk For more information, please contact AKW on01905 823298, Email: sales@akw-ltd.co.uk or visit www.akw-ltd.co.uk

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 43

MEDICATION MANAGEMENT Practical Advice For Managing Medicines In Care Homes The Patients Association has recently published an excellent Care Home Charter for medicines (link: http://bit.ly/2p1H76b). A key theme of the charter is medicines safety, says Steve Turner a nurse prescriber, head of medicines and prescribing for www.medicinegov.org, information governance lead for CareMeds Ltd.

Steve’s advice about MDS vs OPD is that if you are being lobbied to change to original pack dispensing, is to consider the questions set out below:

ENSURING YOUR MEDICINES POLICY IS ACCESSIBLE AND CAN BE USED FOR TRAINING. “It’s worth considering how your policy links to staff training, and how accessible user friendly it is” says Steve. “Are procedures outlined clearly in the policy? Do they link to Standard Operating Procedures [SOPs] and to competency assessments? Are they updated as the result of incidents and near-misses, and do you use checklists to make them easy to read, follow and audit?”

ENSURING YOU HAVE SAFE SYSTEMS FOR ADMINISTERING AND RECORDING MEDICINES.

Using this simple checklist can help ensure your policies are up-to-date, accessible and relevant, and don’t just sit on a shelf.

ENSURING RESIDENTS HAVE AT LEAST 1 MULTIDISCIPLINARY MEDICATION REVIEW PER YEAR. There is increasing help available from Clinical Commissioning Group Medicines Management Teams and Specialist Clinicians in this area.

These actions can also help the review process:

It is vital that you have an accurate, accessible, legible and auditable system for medicines administration.

There has been a recent move by some of Pharmacies to change residential homes from Monitored Dose Systems [MDS] (also called blister packs) back to Original Pack Dispensing [OPD]. The reason for this, often given, is to improve safety. It is sometimes incorrectly implied that ‘guidelines’ are driving this move back to original pack dispensing, even bizarrely that OPD can help prevent polypharmacy & reduce medicines waste.

Steve adds “I have not been able to find any evidence that OPD is safer than MDS. The related NICE guidelines, quality standards and the CQC report ‘Medicines in Health and Social Care’ do not state this.”

“What’s important is that the home uses the safest system of delivering the medicines to the residents, considering the resident’s wishes, the home’s skill mix, the layout of the home, staff competencies, workload and capacity. This is particularly important as staff tell me original pack dispensing takes ‘twice as long’.”

Bearing in mind that OPD takes longer, what are the advantages of moving to this? Can you be sure , for example that unsafe practices such as ‘potting up’ will not creep into use?

Controlled Drug Registers “Care homes must keep a record of all controlled drugs obtained and supplied in a bound book or register with numbered pages. It is also good practice to keep separate records of inpatients using their own controlled drugs, which have been prescribed and dispensed in the community.”

‘Controlled drugs in Primary Care’ by Nigel Morley Dispex as a leading supplier of Controlled Drug Registers, has

1. Ask the residents or their families, or (if there's a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or Court of Protection order in place), ask the Attorneys or Deputies.

2. Ask the staff.

3. Ask the prescribers.

4. List the comparative advantages of OPD vs MDS administration in your establishment.

4. Ask for evidence on the benefits of OPD as opposed to MDS. 5. Ask for evidence on the benefits of OPD as opposed to MDS. 6. Ask for evidence to back up the claim that OPD will help reduce polypharmacy & medicines waste?

designed a Supply and Administration of Controlled Drugs Register specifically for use in care homes. The Supply and Administration Controlled Drugs Register is especially suited for private care homes

where controlled drugs are personally administered to patients. It is also extremely useful where medication is wasted or part dosages occur.

If you deal with Controlled Drugs we have the solution. Dispex can supply you with in-house training on Controlled Drugs, denaturing kits and primary care standard fridges at great prices. We also run training courses aimed at GP practices, but many of the principles of Controlled Drugs purchasing, storage and supply are just as relevant to the care home environment. Contact us for more details.

If you would like to see a sample of our Supply & Administration Controlled Drug Register please contact Dispex 01604 859000 or send an email to enquiries@dispex.net

PAGE 44 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

MEDICATION MANAGEMENT Temperature Management for Cold and Learn From Risks For Ambient Pharmaceutical Storage Better Outcomes With Medicine says CQC

QED Scientific +2°C to +8°C Pharmacy and Vaccine Fridges are designed for safe and secure storage of all pharmaceuticals as advised in ‘Protocol for Ordering, Storing and Handling Vaccines by Public Health England’. These are compliant with all guidelines including the DoH Green Book as well as being ideal for hospitals these are also suitable for use in clinics, care homes, schools, veterinary surgeries – or anywhere needing refrigerated storage of drugs.

They come in a range of sizes from under bench and wall models up to free standing floor units.

Many have solid or glass door options. All have digital display, fan, and auto defrost as standard.

tures may rise above this. To protect these medicines, QED Scientific now supplies a range of CRT ‘controlled room temperature’ cabinets that operate between +15°C +25°C. These cabinets offer an ideal cost-effective solution for departments that don’t want the expense of air conditioning, yet struggle to maintain recommended storage temperature for nonrefrigerated medicines. They come in a wide range of capacities from under bench right up to free-standing larger models and are ideally suited for i.e. clinical studies, care homes, GP surgeries and hospitals.

NEW! ‘STORE BELOW 25°C’ MEDICINE STORAGE CABINETS

Both QED Pharmacy refrigerators and CRT cabinets are lockable and automatically alarm if the temperature goes out of range, plus store min/max values of measured temperature.

Options include digital door locks and data storage for download to your PC.

FEATURES

For medicines that are not normally stored in a fridge manufacturers generally guarantee that they remain stable if stored below 25 degrees Celsius (25°C). In a heatwave, ambient tempera-

Making Medication Management Simple Medinoxx approach to medication management is is simple: to create, produce and market products and solutions that ensure the RIGHT person takes the RIGHT drug at the RIGHT time and at the RIGHT dose by the RIGHT route for the RIGHT reason with the RIGHT documentation.

Medinoxx’s founder Prof. Peter Weedle started his journey over 10 years ago when he wasn’t satisfied that the packaging solutions at the time were suitable. Similarly Shino Jose, a serial Healthcare tech entrepreneur founded Insel Care, set out to build a cloud platform that serves all Healthcare professionals across the continuum of Care. Thanks to Peter’s and Shino’s vision, dedication and experience the partnership between Medinoxx and Insel Care has created a unique hybrid packaging and software solution that the complexities administering medication requires.

Our system is based on integrated barcode reading on individual Medinoxx patient medication trays. The Medinoxx medication tray removes the need for confusing original packs as they contain 28 Medi-Cups and can accommodate all solid oral dose and liquid medication formulations. Each Heat Sealed Medi-Cup contains all the patients’ medication for that dose time and the DigiMed eMAR reads the individual barcode on each tray to populate the best in class eMAR. The workflow after scanning the barcode is intuitive to use and works both online and offline, ensuring time savings, increased compliance and reduced administration errors. All this for less than 20p a day per patient.

Our total software and packaging can be used in all Managed Care settings, be it Residential or Domiciliary Care and encourages a real-time collaborative approach to efficient medicine administration which reduces the risk of error and provides more time to focus on patient centred CARE.

The Medicines in Health and Social Care Report released by the CQC recently places a strong emphasis on the correct administration of medication within care homes and care businesses, saying: “Applying the principles of medicines optimisation and good medicines management is vital across all services.”

Chris Gledhill, MD of Electronic MAR says: “eMAR systems can help reduce 4 of the 6 most common risk areas that the CQC have identified, including Administration, Storage and Disposal of Stock, and Reporting.”

The CQC report goes on to state: “The most common form of medicines errors was missed doses… reasons for these errors included: medicines being out-ofstock; poor records of administration, meaning it was unclear whether people had received their medicines; and inaccurate records.” The report goes on to say: “Some of the themes related to errors were linked to staffing pressures, lack of training and staff continuity.”

“We at Electronic MAR recognise the challenges care homes face,” says Chris Gledhill, “and it is encouraging that we are now in a time where electronic systems can really help managers and staff stay on top of medication rounds, for example flagging missed meds in real-time, and enabling them to review stock levels across a home quickly”.

www.carerightnow.co.uk www.dispex.net www.qedscientific.com www.medinoxx.care www.electronicmar.co.uk

DEMENTIA CARE AND TRAINING Heightened Dementia Risk For Ex-Professional Scottish Footballers A study of 7,676 ex-professional footballers commissioned by the Football Association (FA) and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has today revealed that despite a number of health benefits, male former professional Scottish football players were three and half times more likely to die from dementia than the general population of a similar age and social status. A statement released by the Football Association (FA) has announced the results, with the full findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The FA and PFA commissioned the FIELD (Football’s InfluencE on Lifelong health and Dementia risk) study in 2017. Its aim was to explore the long-term health impacts of professional football, particularly dementia risk – a topic that has gained increasing attention in recent years.

Dr Willie Stewart at the University of Glasgow led a research team to look at the electronic health records of 7,676 male ex-professional football players in Scotland and compared them to 23,028 non-players of the

same age, sex, and socio-demographic background.

All those in the study were over 40 years, born before 1977 and followed up for an average of 18 years.

Over this time, 1,180 of the former players died (15.4%) compared to 3,807 of the non-players (16.5%). The researchers analysed the prescriptions of dementia-related medicines for people in the study, as well as the cause of death on the death certificates of those who had passed away.

The study found that the ex-professional players lived just over three years longer than their non-footballing counterparts and were less likely to die of heart disease and lung cancer.

The research found that former footballers were 3.5 times more likely to die from dementia. Of those who died during the study, 11% of the former professional footballers had dementia as a primary cause of death compared to 3% of their non-playing counterparts. There was no difference in the age of death from dementia between players and non-players.

Dr Carol Routledge, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “This well-conducted study of long-term health in ex-professional footballers is the largest of its kind and fills an important gap in our knowledge about football and dementia. Former professional footballers enjoy several health benefits, but the strong association with dementia justifies calls for a global focus on research to understand this link further.

“The study has not looked at what aspect of players’ lives on and off the pitch may be behind their increased dementia risk, but there is a pressing need for further high-quality research to address this question. Alzheimer’s Research UK is acting as an independent advisor to the FA to help prioritise the direction of future research.

One in Eight Deaths Now Attributed To Dementia Almost one in eight people died from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in 2018, with the proportion increasing for the fourth successive year, up from 12.7% in 2017 to 12.8% in 2018., according to a report by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) on deaths registered in England and Wales.

In 2018, there were 541,589 deaths registered in England and Wales, an increase of 1.6% compared with 2017 (533,253); this is the highest annual number of deaths since 1999. Deaths due to dementia and Alzheimer disease continued to increase and remained the leading cause of death in England and Wales.

There are, according to the report, several important reasons why the number of deaths from dementia and Alzheimer disease has increased in recent

years.

Dementia and Alzheimer disease are more likely to occur at older ages and more people living longer and surviving other illnesses.

A better understanding of dementia and improved diagnosis is also likely to have caused increased reporting of dementia on death certificates. This may be a consequence of initiatives put in place in 2013 to 2014, such as the then Prime Minister David Cameron’s challenge on dementia and the government’s mandate to NHS England (PDF, 507KB), which included an ambition that two-thirds of the estimated number of people with dementia in England should have a diagnosis.

Death rates from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease continue to be much higher for women than men. For

men in England and Wales, the leading cause of death – at 13.2% of all reported deaths – remains ischaemic heart disease. Dementia and Alzheimer’s are only the principle cause of death for men aged 80 and above, responsible for 15.1% of fatalities. For women in England and Wales, however, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are the leading cause of death across all ages: representing 16.7% of all reported deaths and rising to 23.6% for women aged over 80 years old.

Commenting on the report Dr. Hilda Hayo, Chief Admiral Nurse and CEO at Dementia UK said: ‘This is further clear-cut evidence of why dementia needs to be made a priority amongst Government.

Rising incidences of dementia may point to increased public understanding around the condition but it does

not diminish the often intense emotional and practical strain faced by families.

‘The Government needs to do more to integrate the creaking social and healthcare systems. More access to funding for social care and specialist dementia support will undoubtedly help to relieve the pressures on a struggling NHS and allow more families to live well with dementia.’

Sally Copley, director of policy and campaigns at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “For four years now, we’ve seen deaths caused by dementia increase.

“We need to take action now to tackle the biggest health crisis of our time.

“One person develops dementia in the UK every three minutes and there are still far too many facing a future alone, without adequate support.

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 45

DEMENTIA CARE AND TRAINING W&P Bring New Products to the Market 2019 has been a busy year at W&P. Sales of our Policies and Procedures remain as popular as ever but its our work to develop new and exciting products that has taken up much of our time and these are now available to buy.

First up is our New Learning Disability Policies and Procedures. Designed for Supported Living and Domiciliary providers that deliver CQC regulated activities to adults with learning Disabilities. These new Policies are divided into 3 sections for ease of reference: • Direct Care Policies – These relate directly to the provision of care and support • Managing Care Policies – All you need to manage the service effectively • Staffing Policies – Everything from employing, training and managing your staff Unique to W&P, there is a set of Easy Read versions for key policies such as bullying and safeguarding that can be used for both staff

and service users with communication difficulties. The Easy Read Policies are available as a stand-alone set or as a bundle along with the full set.

Another useful feature is we include links to useful sources of information at the end of the policy such as best practice guidance from the Social Care Institute of Excellence (SCIE) or the British Institute for Learning Disabilities (BILD). These are a valuable source of reference should you wish to explore certain elements of your policies in more detail.

Next up, we have the NEW Non-Registered set of Policies and Procedures. Non-registered providers are those that do not provide a regulated activity as part of their service (such as personal care) and are therefore not required to register with the Care Quality Commission.

These policies are suitable for Supported Living Services (without personal care), Day Centres, Lunch Clubs and other services in the Adult Social Care not required to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Like all W&P policies, they are updated three times a year and this update service is

Silent Memories Music therapy is a well established form of treatment for patients, particularly those suffering with dementia. It can help evoke memories and create a deeper sense of coherence and communication, whilst allowing residents to communicate on a different level with care workers and family members.

Here at Silent Memories we offer an innovative form of music therapy, whereby rather than playing the music out loud for all to hear, it is played through our wireless headsets directly to the patients. All music is carefully selected by the residents, care workers, family members and our DJs. When listening to music through our headsets we have noticed a distinct increase in engagement, animation and stimulation amongst patients. Often the music seems to evoke memories and allows the

completely Free in the first year after purchase. After a year there is an optional minimal annual subscription to ensure your policies are never out of date.

Finally, we have our New Staff Training Packs. We have completely revamped the range to offer better value for money in a fresh modern format. We have brought many separate titles together into one single pack to make training more efficient and cost effective.

Whether you are new to social care or been around as long as us (18 years) W&P can help with all compliance, training and business-related topics to move your business towards outstanding.

For more information please check our website at www.wandptraining.co.uk or use the contact us page via the menu options or email info@wandptraining.co.uk There are FREE sample downloads available on the website so you can see how the Policies have been structured and formatted before you buy.

You can also call us on 01305 767104 or see the advert on page 9.

residents to become completely immersed in the sessions.

Using headsets allows residents to opt in or out of the sessions. The silent disco can be taking place in a communal area and anyone not taking part won't be distracted by the activity. With a long transmission range it also allows patients with limited mobility to take part in the sessions in their own rooms.

For more information on how we can help your clients recall memories and help to enhance the quality of life through the enjoyment of music please get in touch.: info@silentmemories.co.uk or 0203 727 5382

TO ADVERTISE IN PLEASE CALL OUR SALES TEAM ON

01202 552333

CLICK TO REMEMBER Create Your Own Personal Musical Memory Video and Relive Memorable Events in Earlier Years As the numbers of older people affected by Dementia grows and the pressure on the Care Sector increases, it is inevitable that more and more older people will live alone or with family.

SILVER SONG MEMORIES

The sector is being warned to prepare for this: NICE have recently published Quality Statement QS184 which highlights the benefits of non medical interventions – gardening, pottery, music, singing etc - to stimulate memory and reduce social isolation and loneliness experienced by older people.

The Silver Song Music Box system has proved very successful in group settings – care homes, dementia units, dementia cafes – but does not reach older people living at home who are lonely and socially isolated. To meet this need Sing For Your Life have developed The Musical Memory Box System.

In 195O, David, aged 18, and his fellow National Servicemen, were fighting the Communists in Korea. What he experienced and saw, both good and bad, is deeply embedded in his memory. In particular he is able to recall the close relationship he enjoyed with his comrades.

David, now in his 80s, lives alone and has Dementia. His family have created a montage of photographs taken during his time in Korea, accompanied by popular music of the period to which he listened on Forces Radio.

The music is a trigger which restores his memory.

This do it yourself kit has been developed to support older people who are living alone and lonely or with the family, and living with Dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and similar conditions.

The Musical Memory Box System stimulates memory and cognition by combining images of memorable events - christenings, weddings, graduation ceremonies, holidays etc with the music which was popular at the time - to create a personal video.

Images are photographed using a camera or mobile phone and downloaded onto an SD Card.

Music and songs which were current at the time of the event are downloaded onto the SD card.

The Music Box is connected to the TV with an HDMI lead and is controlled using the remote control included in the kit.

Benefits of using the Silver Song Memory Box: • The family can all take part • Stimulates and restores cognition • Improves communication

Building on the success of the Silver Song Music Box which enables groups of older people to enjoy participatory singing, Sing For Your Life has developed The Silver Song Reminiscence self build system which provides cognitive stimulation for older people living at home alone or with the family.

The system costs £150 complete

BENEFITS The combination of photographs and appropriate music stimulates the release of endorphins which restore memory and comprehension thereby reducing loneliness and social isolation.

Contacts: pip@singforyourlife.co.uk

Hampshire, Thames Valley East Anglia heather@activitiesforhealth.co.uk South West England carolyn@sightgroup.com Wessex stuart@singforyourlife.org.uk All other areas

• Reduces Social Isolation & Loneliness • Improves Health and Wellbeing • Encourages & Supports Family Relationships • Supports End of Life Care

For more information call 07709 625487 email info@singforyourlife.org.uk or go to www.reminiscetv.com

PAGE 46 | THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019

PROPERTY AND PROFESSIONAL

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 support 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

New Immigration Proposals Indicate An Uncertain Future Since entering 10 Downing Street, immigration has been a hot topic for Boris Johnson, as he looks to clarify the situation with the Brexit deadline looming.

Unfortunately, last year’s Government White Paper Proposals for a post-Brexit immigration failed to reassure businesses who rely on workers coming to the UK. With uncertainty building, the removal of a limit on the number of skilled workers entering the UK is a good start, but an adherence to minimum salary thresholds continues to create a serious problem for businesses across a range of sectors.

Impacting UK businesses?

Net migration is likely to increase with the announcement of these new proposals, and critics warn that this could put the UK at risk of becoming a low-wage, low-skill economy.

This growing uncertainty is forcing businesses to change how they search for talent, with many looking beyond the European Economic Area (EEA) for new recruits.

Unlike EEA workers, complex application processes are required for sponsor licensing, which can be daunting for businesses, as they must navigate the Home Office rules for eligibility or risk incurring fines for non-compliance.

Only by dedicating time to understanding the procedure can businesses ensure they have complied with regulations, while delays and other obstacles should also be accounted for.

Working in the UK EEA workers currently employed by UK businesses should apply to convert their EU law rights into UK law rights, as unfettered access to the labour market will end for EEA and Swiss Nationals after Brexit.

This will give pre-settled status to newer workers, while those who have been living in the UK for five years or more will receive settled status.

The government has issued a unilateral commitment to make this possible, with assurances given that UK-based EEA nationals have ample time to secure a future right to live and work in the UK.

However, if the UK manages to secure a deal, then EEA nationals will retain their current rights until June 2021, while newer workers can apply for pre-settled status.

Less certain is the fate of would-be EEA migrants after a no-deal Brexit – latest announcements from Government imply new conditions attached to any grace period and access to the EU Settlement Scheme may be blocked.

Employing outside the EEA The existing Points Based System for non-EEA nationals looks as though it will continue in its present format, meaning UK employers must be licensed to sponsor workers.

Cautious of a conflict between its immigration policies and Brexit stance, the government has considered reviewing the existing system, building on the ‘Australian style’ structure.

The Government White Paper, since amplified by announcements from the new Prime Minister, envisages re-balancing the system in 2021 to include EEA nationals, with only limited preferential status for post-transition arrivals.

However, this new system will be weighted towards ‘in-demand skills’, while scrapping the Residential Labour Market test which has certain set advertising and benchmarking requirements before a migrant applicant can be sponsored.

What does the future hold?

With the deadline for Brexit just around the corner, existing immigration laws and policies could change over the coming months, so it’s important that businesses prepare for every eventuality.

The government has acknowledged that the public’s wish to reduce immigration was the largest single driver of the vote to leave, but over the years, UK business has become dependent on skilled workers coming to the UK. For those organisations that are reliant on a readily available, lowcost workforce, it is important to take expert advice and start developing a strategy to mitigate the risks associated with Brexit-related changes to immigration.

About the author: Matthew Davies heads the Immigration team at law firm Wright Hassall and is an expert in business immigration law, helping employers, individuals and investors to navigate the complexities of the UK’s immigration rules to minimise delays, costs and risks in hiring talent from overseas.

ENERGY SOLUTIONS New LST Fan Heaters Join the Electronic 7-day Timer Range Consort Claudgen have expanded their PLSTiE Slimline Low Surface Temperature heater range to include two new ratings, 500W and 750W, to their existing 1kW and 1.5kW heater models. Both new heaters are compact in design and ideal for use in narrow hallways or landings. The heaters offer 6 heating periods per day, 7 days a week and are enhanced with one of the latest low energy consumption EC motors. This allows the heater to operate quietly, whilst still providing the best possible levels of comfort. There is also a safety monitoring feature which will identify overheating, fan failure and certain electronic faults.

This feature helps diagnose a problem occurring in the heater and prevents high surface temperatures

that could lead to risks of burn injuries. When the safety monitoring identifies a fault, the heat is switched off and the heater will beep at different intervals depending on the problem. Users can then follow clear instructions in dealing with the fault from the manual provided with the heater.

The heaters feature a digital control panel which has an easy-toread display and four large control buttons with tactile feedback. It is easy to operate and allows setting of comfort and setback temperatures which help reduce the overall energy consumption.

For more details, visit www.consortepl.com or contact Sales at 01646 692172.

Energy Reduction Campaign

CHALLENGE

Nursing Home 1 is a Grade 2 stone listed building originally built in the 18th century.

The home provides facilities and services including Respite care, Nursing home care and Residential EMI care (Elderly Mentally Infirm). The premises are maintained to a good standard however the equipment is old and inefficient. The focus was to reduce the client’s energy costs and carbon footprint. Due to the type of business the home requires a constant heat demand.

SOLUTION

Red1 Group Ltd collated site specific information regarding current energy consumption, usage, current equipment and running hours. With this information we were able to produce a proposal for

the client outlining the offering and most importantly the savings.

The current three boilers ranged from 10 – 20 yrs old and efficiencies ranging from 60 – 75% when new.

The current lights on site were mostly standard filament or halogen fittings.

The home currently uses 41,000 kW of electricity on lighting and 680,000 kW of Gas. Red1 Group would install new boilers and LED lighting throughout the premises at no cost to the

client.

RESULTS

Red1 Group installed the new boilers and LED lighting with the following results.

Gas consumption reduced by approximately 35% Electricity lighting consumption reduced by approximately 78% The client will save over £30,000 in a 5 year period.

All of this was achieved with no cost to the client utilising Red1 Groups scheme.

If the client was to pay for the reduction scheme the total cost would be in excess of £37,000.

To find out how Red1 Group could cut your energy costs and reduce your carbon emissions please contact us.

Call us on 0330 113 7750 or visit www.red1group.com

THE CARER | AUTUMN 2019 | PAGE 47