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17/7/14
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August 2014
incorporating
no.218 • £4.75
The Number One magazine for the care sector
Care leaders hits back at comments By Dominic Musgrave THE heads of two associations have hit back at comments NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens is reported to have made at an Age UK conference that he would be disappointed if care and nursing homes still existed 50 years from now. RNHA chief executive officer Frank Ursell said the comments came like a bolt out of the blue and flew in the face of projected demographic trends and future care needs. He added: “Whilst it is to be hoped that improved community services will provide enhanced support to older people living in their own homes, a massive increase in the number of people living beyond the age of 85 in the next 15 to 20 years will undoubtedly create pressure for more nursing home beds. “There are inevitably limits on what can be achieved in caring for individuals with multiple and complex health needs in their own homes. “Nursing homes represent a costeffective alternative to hospital. And for many people who come into our care, the nursing home environment offers a welcome change to the sense
of isolation they experienced when living alone.” “From Mr Stevens’ comments I suspect that he may not understand the intensity of typical nursing home patients’ needs.” Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, added that Simon’s statement ignores the reality of social care and the excellent services care homes provide to support citizens with complex needs in the 21st century: “We had high hopes that Simon Stevens would bring new and fresh perspectives to the NHS, but his statement on care homes is indicative of a system driven by dogma rather than need. “We would like to extend an invitation to Mr Stevens to visit a Care England member to see for himself how care homes are centres of local communities providing preventative, intermediate and longstay care in a compassionate and caring environment. “This is a sector which wants to be innovative and is looking at new care models. “We look forward to working with the NHS in developing this integrated approach across health and social care.”
Training reduces drug use by third
A project which allows older people and those with dementia living in North East care homes to look after hens in order to improve their health and wellbeing has been shortlisted for a top award. HenPower is one of seven schemes battling it out to be named the UK’s favourite National Lottery funded health project. The awards will be presented by TV star and actor John Barrowman (pictured above).
A TRAINING programme for staff has cut the use of inappropriate antipsychotic drugs, which double the risk of death in people with dementia, by a third according to research commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society. Over 100 care homes were recruited to receive the ‘Focused Intervention Training and Support’ (FITS) programme – which equips staff to understand complex behaviours in people with dementia and to deliver person-centred care as an alternative to harmful antipsychotics. When medication was reviewed, residents were more alert, active and communicative, with improvements in mobility, eating, sleeping and in achieving personal goals. Professor Dawn Brooker, the lead researcher, said: “We’ve shown that FITS training is feasible to deliver on a large scale, reduces the prescription of inappropriate anti psychotics and empowers teams to work in a personcentred way.”