Caring UK July 2017 by Script Media

July 2017

no.249 • £4.75 incorporating

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Scheme helps residents gain confidence By Dominic Musgrave

RESIDENTS at a Rhyl care home have new found confidence and improved health thanks to a scheme giving carers skills in oral hygiene. The Gwên am Byth programme has seen carers at Bron Haul receive training in oral health, helping residents at the home to stay on top of their dental hygiene. Members of staff have received training from the Health Board’s Community Dental Service team. One of the carers, Kim Owen, has also been appointed as the home’s dental champion, to oversee the mouth care provided for residents. The training helps staff to pass on good oral health practices to residents at the home, and also helps them to spot signs of potential oral health issues such as dental decay, gum problems, or even mouth cancer. Improved oral health has been found to have a positive effect on other aspect of residents’ health – with improved confidence helping prevent social isolation. Research also shows that improved oral health has a positive effect on a number of other conditions, including heart disease, endocarditis, stroke prevention, rheumatoid arthritis and lung condition The scheme has seen staff in 16

residential homes in Denbighshire receive training, as well as in a number of other locations in Gwynedd and Flintshire. The Gwên am Byth programme is now being rolled out across elsewhere in north Wales as part of a national drive to improve the oral health of older care home residents Debbie Williams, manager of Bron Haul, said: “The change we’ve seen in some of our residents has been incredible. We’ve seen people who were quite reserved and quiet really come out of their shells thanks to the confidence having better teeth has given them. “The work Kim and the rest of our staff have put in has been brilliant, and the support from Angela Walmsley, dental health educator for the Denbighshire area, and the rest of the community dental team has been invaluable. Knowing there’s a friendly voice at the end of the phone to offer further support is really reassuring for our staff.” Sian Chelton, dental health promotion manager, added: “Evidence shows that poor oral hygiene is linked to heart disease, stroke, endocarditis and poor lung condition. We’ve also heard from residents here about how having better oral hygiene has given them a boost in confidence, which in turn helps improve their mental and social wellbeing.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and award-winning singer Craig David attended Jewish Care’s annual fundraising dinner, which raised more than £5m. Before delivering his speech to an audience over 1,000, the Mayor spent time talking to clients including David, Sid and Hyman whose stories appeared in a powerful film shown during the event. Craig visited a Jewish Care home the week before the dinner to see firsthand the impact the organisation has on the lives of individuals.

TIME is running out for you to book your place for the next of our must-attend regional conferences. The fourth of our ‘Leaders in Care: Raising the Standards’ events takes place at York Racecourse on Wednesday, July 5. Speakers confirmed for the event sponsored by Cura Systems and Well Careplus, include National Care Association chairman Nadra Ahmed OBE, Skills for Care’s Angela Thompson and independent social care consultant John Kennedy. Tanya Stokes and Sheila Grant from the CQC will also give an update from the inspectorate. Completing the line-up will be representatives from apetito, Zenith Lawyers, Cura Systems and Well Careplus. Alongside the conference there will also be an extensive exhibition, which will showcase all the latest products, advice and technology for a care home. Caring UK editor, Dominic Musgrave, said: “We’re delighted to have put together such a stellar line-up of speakers for the latest in our conferences that are a mustattend for anyone working in the care sector.” Further events are scheduled at the Riviera International Centre, Torquay and Bristol Zoo on October 4 and 5 respectively. n For full booking details turn to pages 33 and 34.

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Dementia restaurant receives new funding PEOPLE living with dementia in Kirkintilloch will continue to have the opportunity to dine out in familiar surroundings, after a much-loved local meal service secured new funding. Staff at Bield’s Whitehill Court Day Care set up ‘Mary’s Kitchen’ where carers and people who use the service can dine from a special menu in the development’s dining room. Now, thanks to further funding from the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, the development is able to carry on running – at least one evening per month until Spring 2019. Maureen Hopkins, resource manager at Whitehill Court Day Care, said: “We’re delighted and incredibly grateful to be able to keep this fantastic service going. “Being able to have a restaurant style meal in a recognisable and relaxed setting can help many people living with dementia to enjoy the experience and spend additional time with loved ones. The one difference between Mary’s Kitchen and a real restaurant is that customers aren’t presented with a bill at the end of their meal – instead they are asked to make a donation.

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So far, thanks to funding from the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, 184 older people living with dementia in the local community, as well as 290 carers and loved ones, have enjoyed visiting the development for birthdays, anniversaries or to simply enjoy a relaxing meal out. The service also hosts a number of themed nights, with a recent Burns Supper welcoming a local piper to

entertain guests. Maureen added: “The positive effect ‘Mary’s Kitchen’ has had on both service users and their families has been fantastic, and we look forward to welcoming in many more hungry people over the next two years.” The service is named in memory of Mary Abel, who worked at Whitehill Court for 18 years as assistant manager.

At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance, contact us by email: dm@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice as demanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what to do should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk

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‘Chatterbox’ takes on sponsored silence to raise garden funds

New Milton House home services manager Clare Sherwin with home manager Jackie Walker.

Provider strengthens management team CROFTWOOD Care (Cheshire) has strengthened its management team by appointing Jackie Walker as home manager at New Milton House in Alsager. She has worked in the social care sector for 28 years, and has vast experience in care home management and rolling out new initiatives. In her previous role as a registered manager for Safe Harbor care group, Jackie commissioned and led staff at three specialist dementia residential care homes in Staffordshire. Prior to that, she worked as a home care assessor for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent local authorities. Here she set up the Stay at Home

Team, which carries out assessments for those living with dementia and mental health problems to evaluate how they could be best supported in the community. Jackie will be supported in her new role by home services manager Clare Sherwin, who recently transferred to New Milton House from Wealstone residential care home in Upton, Chester, which is also operated by Croftwood Care (Cheshire). Jackie said: “Everyone in the home and local community has been so welcoming, and I am excited to have the opportunity to build upon New Milton House’s fantastic reputation of providing the highest standards of care and support for older people.”

CHATTERBOX Deborah Pritchard took on a sponsored silence to raise funds for a dementia friendly sensory garden at a Widnes care home. The carer at Halton View spent an entire day silently carrying out her duties. She wore a sign around her neck reading “I am on a sponsored silence” and carried a note book so she could communicate with colleagues, residents and visitors. She raised £289 for the sensory garden, which will include planters, furniture, a water feature, bird table and a wide variety of fresh flowers. Sensory gardens have proven therapeutic benefits for those living with dementia, as they elicit memories through touch, sound and smell. Deborah said: “I found it so hard not saying a word all day. It’s much more difficult than you’d expect. But it’s all for a very good cause. “Thank you to everyone who donated towards the sensory garden. It’s really appreciated and means a lot to me personally.” Amanda Kelly, home manager at Halton View Care Home, added: “Deb is usually such a bubbly little

Deborah during her sponsored silence. chatterbox. “The staff, residents and regular visitors all thought they’d gone deaf, it’s been so quiet around the home compared to normal. “Deb has raised a lot of money for the sensory garden through her sponsored silence and we’re all really grateful. “But I think we’ll miss the peace and quiet.”

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Care provider serves up ace sponsorship By Dominic Musgrave

Parklands Lodge care home in Southport celebrated VE Day victory in Europe with special guests ‘Skelmersdale Veterans Association’ in all their true colours. They enjoyed a coffee morning and service from All Saints Church in Southport. The residents spoke of their memories of the Second World War at a memorable morning. Benn Mott, care home manager of Parklands Lodge, would like to say thank you to the Skelmersdale Veterans for joining the VE Day celebrations.

Special guest opens home SUTTON-in-Ashfield’s newest care home, Kingfisher Court, has been officially opened by special guest, Rtd Lt Col Keith Seddon MBE. The home opened its doors to local care professionals, councillors and business owners, giving them the opportunity to view the stateof-the-art facilities. The purpose-built home will provide a home for 66 local older people requiring residential or dementia care. All residents will stay at Kingfisher Court on an allinclusive basis. Kingfisher Court’s first resident Betty Banbury has already moved in, and was joined by Joyce Langdon within a day or so. Guests were treated to tours of the three-storey home, which includes

66 bedrooms with en-suite wet rooms, a garden room, library, cinema, hair and beauty salon, landscaped gardens and English tea room complete with balcony areas. Paul Quirk, home manager, said: “Everyone at Kingfisher Court has enjoyed showing the community round our beautiful new home. “We have a great staff team and unique facilities and we are all positive we can make Kingfisher Court a fantastic place to live and work. “We are delighted our first residents have moved in so we can make a real fuss of them.” The new, purpose built home has been designed and built by LNT Care Developments and will be run by Oakdale Care Group.

WEST Yorkshire based Czajka Care Group is sponsoring young tennis player Luke Johnson from Roundhay in Leeds as he embarks on a professional sporting career and pursues his dream of climbing to the top of world tennis. The 23-year-old turned professional in October after returning from the US, where he’d spent four years obtaining a bachelor of science at Clemson University in South Carolina. This also gave him the opportunity to hone his skills on the acclaimed US college tennis circuit. Czajka Care Group, which owns and operates five care and nursing homes, throughout Nab Wood and the Aire Valley, will contribute towards Luke’s training, travel and equipment costs as he competes on the ATP Futures tour. Over the next 12 months, Luke estimates that he will need approximately £25,000 to play in up to 30 tournaments, and hopes to raise as much of this as possible through corporate sponsorships. Since October, he has already played tournaments in Egypt, Turkey and Greece, as well as winning his first professional title at the Aegon GB Pro-Series Shrewsbury in February with doubles partner Scott Clayton.

Luke Johnson and Konrad Czajka. He is currently coached by Ian McDonald and Dave Sammel, who have worked with most of the top 100 men’s players in Britain. Konrad Czajka, managing director, said: “What Luke is doing is fantastic and we’re delighted to be supporting him as he follows his dream of a professional sporting career. “We know that all of our residents and staff will definitely enjoy watching Luke’s progress over the coming months, and we will all be cheering him on as he competes in tournaments throughout the world.”

Migrant workers will solve country’s ‘crippling’ shortage of care workers By Kashif Majeed A REPORT released by Independent Age proposed that the UK should open its borders to skilled migrants from around the world to address a shortfall of more than one million care workers by 2037. However, this report is in direct conflict with the Government’s migration policy to reduce net migration to the figures in the 1990s. Theresa May was left red faced when Jeremy Paxman pointed out her immigration plans have been dubbed “economically illiterate” during the May 2017 televised leaders’ debate. The Conservatives made the immigration pledge in both their 2010 and 2015 manifestos, but they have so far been unable to make much of a difference in restricting the number of migrants to the UK. Conservative MP Anna Soubry, Labour MP Pat McFadden and Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb said migrants “made a vital contribution to our country” as they “bring

innovation and ideas” as well as “paying taxes that help us invest in our public services”. The adult social care sector “faces a perfect storm” and the report cites the crippling budget cuts and an ageing population which still rings true post-election today. The report warns that the sector will become crippled by a lack of workers to meet demand unless low paid care work is made more attractive to resident workers and that migrants are able to continue to work in the UK. There is a clear indication that there could be a shortfall of up to 200,000 workers in the care workforce in England coupled with the fact that in less than a generation this shortage of staff will stand at more than a million. Almost one in five of all care workers are migrants. This equates to 266,000 people, which make up the largest proportion of migrants working in the adult social care sector. However, despite this the Government’s migration policy has

Kashif Majeed become increasingly restrictive to non-EU migrants. The Government needs to relax rules on migrant workers to allow skilled workers from outside Europe to come to the UK in order to help the sector meet immediate staffing needs. Moreover, the Migration Advisory Committee must seriously consider

replacing senior care workers to the shortage occupation list to ease pressure in the sector. However, this will not be enough on its own. The report states that we need to encourage resident workers to work in the care sector by offering “better funding”, a ‘careprentice’ scheme to encourage older people into care work and a national campaign to attract more male care workers. It is now a reality how a funding crisis in social care could result in thousands of elderly people being forced into hospital beds by 2020, at a cost of billions to the NHS. The Government needs to recognise that there is a growing need for the contribution of migrant workers in the social care sector. However, the current state of affairs is that the adult social care sector is being threatened by the Government’s increasingly harsh and arbitrary changes to its migration policy. n Kashif Majeed is a director at Aston Brooke Solicitors.

CARINGNEWS

Donated ‘twiddle muffs’ help residents stay calm By Olivia Taylor

General manager Janine Curwell, resident Lillian McMinn and Experience co-ordinator, Lisa McLaughlin.

Village goes back in time RESIDENTS at specialist care village, Belong Warrington, took a step back in time for a special generation inspired event by decorating the village’s households with themed props and pictures. The households displayed items from various decades, including coronation memorabilia from the 1950s, newspaper cuttings, old school books, army uniforms and war-time gas masks along with iconic pictures from the various eras. Belong Warrington staff members also dressed in costumes and encouraged residents to sing along to old-time songs. The props and music acted as a form of reminiscence therapy that has been shown to be particularly beneficial for people living with

dementia, stimulating cognitive ability as well as being therapeutic. Lisa Wilson, experience co-ordinator at Belong Warrington, said: “It was wonderful to see everyone sharing experiences and reminiscing during our ‘through the decades’ event. “Residents thoroughly enjoyed seeing the familiar artefacts and props and it was lovely to hear them reminiscing fond memories from their pasts and singing along to recognisable songs.” The historic objects and a set of memory boxes were funded by Forester’s Financial, which each year support hundreds of community projects and provide many opportunities for members and their families to get involved and help those in need.

TWO kind-hearted care workers at Nurse Plus Folkestone have been providing comfort to dementia patients thanks to the creation of ‘Twiddle Muffs.’ Sonia Ashton and Sue Booth began crafting the knitted muffs after caring for an individual who found tranquility by cuddling her doll and having something to ‘twiddle’. Using wool and a variety of accessories including buttons and zips, the pair make the items in their spare time and donate them to local care homes. Sue said: “I work in a care home because I enjoy helping people with different needs and making them feel comfortable, which is why I’m always looking for opportunities to make life more manageable for my patients. “One of the ladies that I care for was delighted when I first presented her with the Twiddle Muff. “She is always looking at it and putting her hands and doll inside to keep warm and it seems to give her real pleasure and a feeling of calm.” Sonia added: “No two days are the same when a person is living with dementia, but it’s exceptionally rewarding when you are able to communicate with them and put a smile on their face.

Carers Sonia Ashton and Sue Booth with one of the residents. “The Twiddle Muffs are only a simple contribution, but they work really well and are very popular with our patients.” Twiddle Muffs are designed to provide a stimulation activity for people with dementia, who often develop restless behaviour as part of the condition. The thick hand muffs provide a source of visual, tactile and sensory stimulation at the same time as keeping hands snug and warm.

CARINGNEWS

Regular dental clinics – provided in the home – excellent care for each and every resident

Company solves the dental dilemma in residential care When did your residents last see the dentist? For most of us, visiting the dentist at regular intervals is a normal part of life and something we all know we should do for the sake of our health and well-being. Yet, oral health – which is key to a person’s ability to maintain their dignity, enjoy their food, smile and speak without discomfort – can be overlooked when mobility or independence are lost. Moving into residential care should not mean that dentistry becomes hard to access but all too often it does, for reasons including dementia or disability, staffing and transport issues. Where do you turn when a dental problem arises, or for advice on oral health and hygiene? The days when local dentists would pop round for a domiciliary visit in their lunch hour are gone; most NHS dentists are no longer funded for home visits and CQC regulation means that many practices are not geared to offer treatment outside of the surgery. NHS Community Dental Services often have strict referral criteria and long waiting lists. NICE Guidance on Oral Health

for adults in care homes (July 2016) recently shone a light on this overlooked area of healthcare. A NICE Quality Standard for Oral Health in care homes and hospitals is expected this summer and is likely to require that: n Mouth care needs are assessed on admission to the home. n Once assessment has been done, needs are recorded in each resident’s care plan. n Residents are supported to clean their teeth twice a day/clean and care for their dentures daily. While residents will undoubtedly benefit from these changes, care homes will need support from dental professionals who understand the needs of the patient group and the challenges faced by care staff. A positive solution The Mobile Dentist Company* has pioneered the delivery of private dental care to residential care homes. Patients respond well to treatment in familiar surroundings and families find it reassuring that this vital aspect of their loved ones’ health is being looked after. We aim to build strong working relationships with care staff and to be accepted as part of your team.

Our dental clinics in the home provide: n The dental team (dentist and nurses). n Portable equipment including digital x-ray. n Quarterly, monthly or fortnightly visits based on the number of registered beds. n Dental screenings for all residents (examination and dental report). n Dental clinics with examinations and a range of treatment including hygiene and fillings, which can safely be offered in the home environment. n Relatives welcome to attend and observe. n Dental clinic report for each patient to add to your CQC records. n Telephone advice between visits. n Oral health and hygiene training for care staff.

We charge a monthly fee which the home can pass on to residents or choose to absorb. Talk to us We are based in Kent and can offer regular clinics in homes across London and much of the South East. Outside these areas we may still be able to provide a service so please contact us; equally, if you are interested in offering clinics at all the homes in your group, please get in touch. Our friendly team is keen to hear your experience of trying to access dental care for your residents and we will do our best to assist you. *The Mobile Dentist Company is a trading name of Advance Healthcare Logistics Ltd.

Call 01304 842995/0844 809 2660, email enquiries@themobiledentistcompany.com or visit www.themobiledentistcompany.com

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Somerset Care’s Grovelands facility received the Outstanding Care Team accolade at the Somerset Care Awards 2017. The team nomination came from manager, Ross Isbell, and was supported with statements from a family member a resident at the Yeovil care home. The 10th annual ceremony and dinner at Wellsprings in Taunton was organised by Care Focus and hosted by BBC Somerset’s Ben McGrail. Manager Ross Isbell is pictured with Grovelands staff at the ceremony.

Home marks first birthday

By Dominic Musgrave

RESIDENTS and staff at a Cassington care home were in high spirits when they celebrated their first birthday. The family owned care home, which is run by husband and wife team Jane and Gerry Roberts, first opened its doors a year ago to members of the community needing residential and nursing care. Since taking over the home in March 2016, a minibus has been introduced to the grounds to enable the dedicated lifestyle support co-ordinators to easily take residents out and about to events as part of a varied activities schedule. Refurbishment work is currently underway to extend the living space for residents. Building work includes a new dining room and additional sitting room, which are currently under construction. The sitting room will lead onto a newly designed,

scented courtyard, with views of the Oxfordshire countryside. Jane said: “It’s been a busy but exciting year at Churchfields. I have to say, absolutely nothing could have been achieved without our fabulous team. They continue to work together to provide the very best for our residents. I couldn’t be prouder of them. “Our ethos has always been to deliver high quality care in a loving, homely and friendly environment where our residents are treated with the dignity and respect that they so deserve. I’m positive we have provided a place where residents feel that their needs are met and we will always strive to learn, develop and be the best. “ Jane and Gerry also manage Rosebank Care Home in Bampton, offering long and short-term care for elderly people, with a special interest in helping those with memory impairment and dementia.

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Chief executive of Coverage Care, David Coull, on the receiving end of the ice bucket challenge at the organisation’s fundraiser for Severn Hospice.

Icy challenge helps hospice A FUNDRAISING event involving a chilling challenge has helped to raise £200 in aid of Shropshire’s Severn Hospice. Coverage Care, which runs 14 homes for mainly older people in the county on a not-for-profit basis, organised the event at its headquarters at the Oxon Business Park, Shrewsbury Five members of staff – chief executive David Coull, training officer Steph Lewis, assistant accountant Margaret Rees, IT manager Andrew Darbyshire, and HR officer Kimberley Newton – all braved the ice bucket challenge in return for donations to the charity. The event included a barbecue and was attended by staff and workers from neighbouring businesses. All the proceeds will go to the

hospice, which provides specialist care and support to people with an incurable illness and their families across Shropshire and Mid Wales. Coverage Care plans to add to the total by fielding a team in the charity’s annual Dragon Boat Racing event on July 9. Coverage Care’s chief executive, David Coull, said: “We know what great work the hospice does and we were keen to do what we could to support it. “Thankfully it was quite a warm day but the ice bucket challenge was still a shock to the system. “We have to thank everyone who donated and came along to the event including our neighbours from Balfours and Aaron & Partners who we’ll be up against in the Dragon Boat Racing as well.”

CARINGNEWS

Camilla House head chef Rowena with the bread the residents helped to make.

Residents enjoy fresh bread SPIRITS were high at Camilla House Care Home in Edinburgh as residents came together to bake (and eat) their own homemade bread bloomers. Always making the best out of any situation, residents took the gloomy weather outside as an opportunity to create a warm day inside by baking up a storm. Many residents at Camilla House are avid baking fans and regularly enjoy creating a variety of scrumptious sweet and savoury treats. With bloomers being nominated as the choice, residents took turns to mix the fresh ingredients together. Once the residents had shaped the dough into a pair of bloomers, Rowena, Camilla House’s head chef, was given the honour of baking the loaves. After an eventful morning of

preparing the baked goods, residents relaxed and took in the smells of freshly made bread as the bloomers rose in the oven. Once ready, the loaves were served with a pot of homemade soup and the residents were able to enjoy the fruits of their labour. Davie Brand, home manager at Camilla House, said: “It was a wonderful day for residents and staff who thoroughly enjoyed spending the morning baking together. “Many of our residents are very keen bakers, and we all love to pitch in and help, especially when it comes to sharing the wonderful treats they have created.” A favourite pastime for many residents, the day also gave them the opportunity to reminisce about times that they used to bake at home as youngsters.

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Home purchases iPads with £2,500 donation from former tenant

The transition to digital

TECHNOLOGY has the ability to transform care, drive better resident outcomes, improve efficiency and enhance the staff experience. However, it is only possible to reap these benefits if the adoption of technology is supported by a change in culture and new ways of working. When implementing technology, such as a digital care home management system, a change in management approach is necessary, and this includes steps that you can take to maximise the benefits: n Select a system with user centred-

design that is intuitive and easy to use. n Nurture a workforce that is positive to change. n Provide training before the technology is introduced. n Ensure there is access to real-time support. n Enlist Champions within the home who are experts using the technology and understand the benefits. Users of Care Control will appreciate quality and detailed support through implementation.

AN East Ayrshire Very Sheltered Housing Development has helped spark interest in the internet after a generous donation enabled them to purchase iPads for all tenants to use. The £2,500 donation to Bield’s Warrick and Glebe Courts in Cumnock was made by a former tenant, Mr McGough, who had enjoyed his five-and-a-half years at the development. Proceeds were put towards three iPads Airs and improved Wi-Fi internet access so tenants can enjoy easier access to online resources and communication tools like Skype. Elizabeth Wilson, manager at Warrick and Glebe Courts, said: “Having these iPads at our disposal is fantastic and it wouldn’t have been possible without such a generous donation. “Upgrading the internet access and getting new tools to make the most of it has been great for everyone here, from the tenants to the staff.”  Tenants have been using the tablet computers to keep in contact with friends and complete their shopping, while staff have also been able to keep up to date with care advancements through an online education service. Elizabeth added: “A couple of the tenants who have more experience

on the tech side of things have been helping out setting up others with the devices and getting online. It’s been fantastic to see technology bringing everyone a bit closer together in a way we might not have expected.”

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Ball raises £2,500 for charity CLARRIOTS Care pulled out all the stops as they hosted a spectacular ‘Glitz & Glam’ ball to raise funds and awareness for a national charity and its local support groups. The group’s Lancashire South office hosted the event in order to fundraise for Parkinson’s UK and its local support groups in Chorley and South Ribble. The care provider is a long-standing friend to the charity after raising £2,000 for the cause in 2013 through their first ‘Glitz & Glam’ ball. The most recent, held at the Leyland Hotel, Preston, raised £2,500. James Richardson, business development manager for Clarriots

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Care Lancashire South, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that the ball was so well attended, making it a real success. I’d like to thank everyone who supported us with this event. “We’re committed to raising as much money as we can to fund the research and development of new treatments and drugs.” During the event, which was attended by Clarriots Care staff, their guests and clients, partygoers enjoyed a glass of bubbly and a three-course meal. Popular local vintage entertainer and singer Daniella Gallagher provided guests with an evening of suitably dazzling entertainment.

Care Protect has supported dementia awareness campaigner Jayne Connery to undertake a nerve-wracking wing walk in aid of BRACE, the Alzheimer’s research charity. The wing walk, in which Jayne was secured to a 1940s, 450 horsepower Boeing Stearman biplane, raised £3,085. Jayne is campaigning to highlight the issues which surround care homes and has called for CCTV to be installed in every care home after her own Mum’s experiences. Her petition, which attracted more than 13,700 signatures, has now been handed over to 10 Downing Street. Jayne is pictured with pilot Steve and Ben Wilson of Care Protect.

Former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis at the opening of Nelson Lodge in St Neots.

TV star opens care home

TV broadcaster, author and former Blue Peter presenter, Janet Ellis, officially opened Anchor’s Nelson Lodge care home in St Neots. The famed presenter, writer and actress enjoyed a guided tour of the new 64 bed care home, with the Mayor of St Neots, Councillor Derek Giles, before raising a glass to Nelson Lodge and cutting the ribbon to declare it officially open. Janet also shared some baking, crafting and general gardening knowledge, gained during her four years as a Blue Peter presenter, with residents and guests at the party. Nelson Lodge residents mingled with St Neots VIPs and the Anchor team while joining in one of the several activities running at the home,

before celebrating with a slice of cake. Jane Trimarco, Nelson Lodge care home manager, said: “We are very pleased to be officially opening Nelson Lodge care home in St Neots. We pride ourselves on giving older people a choice of great places to live, and we are proud to say that Nelson Lodge is an excellent example of a great place to live.” Nelson Lodge provides care for older people as well as specialist dementia care. Nelson Lodge provides 24-hour care and support in a warm and considerate environment. The home has a hair and beauty salon, quiet and social lounges on each floor, a tea room and landscaped gardens.

Mural installed at home RESIDENTS at a specialist dementia care nursing home in Devon are revelling in their memories of special moments at Plymouth Ho, thanks to the installation at their home of a large mural featuring a photo of the landmark. It is now a major talking point at Freshfields in Plymouth. Clare Woodhead, operations manager for Camelot Care, who run the home, said: “The mural prompts our residents to share their memories about the Ho which has been a favourite destination for ‘days out’ throughout the decades. “We showed the people who live with us a variety of different images to find out which ones they would enjoy seeing on the walls of their home. “Plymouth Ho won hands-down, and they are so happy to share their memories of it with us.” Clare has been following with

interest the findings of research undertaken by Guys and St. Thomas’ Charity into the role of the arts in reminiscence, and how it can empower people with dementia. “The pilot project run in London has provided good evidence that art can spark reminiscences in a way that measurably improves wellbeing in older people with dementia, and our new mural is certainly getting people talking,” said Clare. As a result of the London study a range of practitioners are now using the arts in dementia care, with strong anecdotal evidence suggesting that this can be highly effective. Camelot Care has already installed a mural featuring Wimbleball Lake at Camelot House and Lodge in Wellington, and is going to install another showing the pier at Weston super Mare in its Avalon Nursing Home in Bridgwater.

A cut above the rest for new care home A NEW luxury care home has announced its collaboration with local salon, The Lounge Hair and Beauty in Bedlington. Baedling Manor, owned by care providers Alcyone Healthcare North East, will coincide its launch with the opening of ‘The Lounge at Baedling Manor’, providing a salon that is open to the public as well as for residents, day care clients, staff and their families and friends. Centred within the home the dementia friendly salon will be headed up by owner of The Lounge Hair and Beauty, Shirley Sanderson. Managing director of Baedling Manor, Darren Taylor, said: “With many years working with older customers in her immaculate salon off Netherton Lane, Shirley was an obvious choice to collaborate with. “With her whole emphasis on making her customers happy and comfortable, I knew her handpicked team would be the right fit for Baedling Manor. “Hairdressers often have close relationships with their clients and act as ‘keepers of stories’ so being empathetic Dementia Friends, they can also offer understanding and emotional support. “A salon is a very natural setting for reminiscence, and having a bit of a pamper alongside other members of the community is integral to

Shirley Sanderson will head up dementia friendly salon ‘The Lounge at Baedling Manor’. maintaining dignity and a person’s life skills though providing purposeful activity. It is also a place where they can regularly go for a treat then meet friends for some refreshments in our café, which will also be open to the public by free membership.” The home will also boast other dedicated communal areas to encourage regular social interaction including a shop, cafe, cinema room, library and information centre, piano bar, function suite, internet and activities room, and an enclosed sensory garden and orangery. The facility will provide the highest level of residential and dementia care for up to 50 residents, as well as, providing an out-reach care package to guests requiring day care, overnight, respite and home care.

Mayor Maurice Perry with Ingleby Care Home residents and staff in the new garden.

Mayor opens home’s garden cafe MAYOR Maurice Perry and the Lady Mayoress officially opened the new garden café at Ingleby Care Home. A special event was held at the Ingleby Barwick facility for the opening. The Stockton-on-Tees Mayor cut the ribbon as residents, staff, family and friends of the home shared a hot drink and cake. The new indoor café looks out onto the home’s sensory garden, which is designed especially for residents living with dementia.

Carol Singleton, home manager of Ingleby Care Home, said: “We’re delighted to officially mark the opening of our indoor garden café. “A big thank you from everyone at the home goes to the Mayor and Lady Mayoress, who attended to mark the occasion. The café is open to anyone who wants to drop in for a cuppa and a conversation with our residents. “It overlooks our beautiful and recently redeveloped sensory garden and is a lovely space to just sit and enjoy the view.”

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Residents and staff at Willow Tree held a special party to celebrate the 72nd VE Day.

Home marks VE Day

A RUGBY nursing home has held a special party to commemorate the 72nd VE Day. Staff and residents at Willow Tree Nursing Home held the event which marked the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies on May 8 1945, a day which heralded the end of the Second World War in Europe. The care home’s event saw staff dressed in period outfits, with all guests enjoying a 1940s-style dinner and cakes. Local singer Eleanor Mattley also performed popular wartime songs. Manager Jackie Huckvale said: “Many of our residents remember clearly both the good and bad times

during World War Two and our event brought out some emotional memories. “Many also remember being there to celebrate VE Day back in 1945, so they loved hearing old-time songs alongside their families and friends. “We love to mark special days here at the home and this was another event which will live long in the memory at Willow Tree.” Willow Tree Nursing Home is owned by Culpeper Care Limited and is set over an acre of private grounds on the outskirts of Rugby town centre. The home specialises in caring for elderly patients requiring personal, nursing and dementia care.

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CQC seeks views on second phase of its regulation

A retirement housing development in Airdrie’s seventh annual coffee morning raised a combined total of £13,800 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Bield’s Inglefield Court has held coffee mornings for the past seven years, raising more every year, contributing towards funds for the charity. This year the morning was a hub of social activity and raised a tasty £2,675. Open to everyone, the coffee morning regularly hosts tenants, friends, and family who were able to enjoy a selection of home-baking, sandwiches and pies.

Group joins Charter to unite against dementia ANCHOR, England’s largest not-forprofit provider of housing and care, has joined forces with the Alzheimer’s Society and signed up to its new Dementia Friendly Housing Charter. The group is committed to helping older people living with dementia. Initiatives include identifying a network of Dementia Champions across its housing operations, improvements in colour schemes and furnishings and incorporating specific dementia related guidance in the Design Guide for new developments. Anchor serves more than 40,000 older people across the country, providing retirement housing to rent and to buy, retirement villages and residential care homes, including specialist dementia care, from more than 1,000 locations. The provider recently undertook pioneering research with the University of Worcester to understand how iPads can be used to enhance quality of life for people living with dementia in their care homes. Howard Nankivell, housing operations director, said: “People are living longer and there’s been a big increase in the likelihood of people living with complex health conditions. “Dementia affects 850,000 people

in Britain and this figure could reach two million by 2050. “Anchor has an excellent track record in providing dementia care and housing. Our homes are sensitively designed to make life a lot easier for someone living with dementia. “We are really proud of signing up the Dementia Friendly Housing Charter as part of our ongoing commitment to meet the changing needs of older people and to providing a choice of great places and ways to live.” Additions and adaptations can be made to help people with dementia include simple initiatives such as wet rooms, sensory lights, contrasting coloured doors and walls, open plan living and plug sockets at eye level. The Dementia Friendly Housing Charter was launched to help ensure people affected by dementia feel understood and included in all aspects of community life. It aims to enable all professionals working in the housing sector, from planners, architects and developers to landlords, housing managers and handypersons, to embed best practice to support people living with dementia in their homes, minimise risk and enhance their wellbeing.

THE Care Quality Commission is consulting on a further set of proposals which will help shape the next phase of regulation for health and social care across the country. The proposals include: n Changes to the regulation of primary medical services and adult social care services, including the frequency and intensity of its inspections and how CQC monitors providers and gathers its intelligence. n Improvements to the structure of registration and CQC’s definition of ‘registered providers’. n How CQC will monitor, inspect and rate new models of care and large or complex providers. n Updated approach to the ‘fit and proper persons’ requirement. David Behan, chief executive, said: “Everyone has the right to experience safe, high quality and compassionate care. We are seeking views on how CQC’s regulation will play its part in achieving this. “As providers respond to the rapidly changing health and care landscape by exploring new models of care, we are consulting on how we will regulate these to ensure that we encourage improvement, collaboration and innovation while ensuring that people get good, safe care. “This is the second in a series of three consultations aimed at simplifying and strengthening the way we regulate. We are proposing changes to how we regulate adult social care and primary medical services; changes which will help us to use information more effectively so we can target our inspections in services where there is greatest risk to the quality and safety of care. We will continue to report on quality in an open and transparent way to help services to improve and also to help people make decisions about their care.” Some of the proposals CQC is now seeking feedback on include: n Aligning the way CQC monitors, inspects and rates primary medical

services and adult social care services, featuring a new way of collecting data to ensure a better view of quality, allowing longer intervals between inspections for services rated as good and outstanding, and the abolition of the current limit that prevents CQC from amending ratings following inspection if the last rating was awarded less than six months previously. n CQC to award population group ratings for primary medical services for the key questions around ‘responsive’ and ‘effective’ only. This is because the ratings for ‘safe’, ‘well led’ and ‘caring’ have tended to be consistent across the populations groups. n CQC increasing its focus on how to encourage adult social care services that are repeatedly rated as requires improvement to get to the expected standard of quality. n Outlining the principles for registering providers at the level of greatest accountability (as CQC currently does and will continue to do for NHS trusts), changes to how registration will record services that providers are registered to deliver and provider-level assessment for all health and care sectors to help encourage improvement. n Changes to how providers should engage in the ‘fit and proper persons’ requirement for directors and the information CQC will be expecting from them. CQC has also published its responses to its first consultation on the next phase of regulation. This provides more information about key changes on: n Assessment frameworks for health and social care. n Updated guidance on how CQC regulates NHS trusts – CQC will begin its inspections using this from the end of June. n Updated guidance for Registering the Right Support for learning disability services. The closing date for all comments is August 8.

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Top job for ex-student nurse at nursing home A FORMER student nurse at Morris Care has reached a new height in his career following promotion to home manager at Isle Court Nursing Home, Shrewsbury. Roberto Tumaliuan will be stepping into his new role following the retirement of Liz Hallen, who was home manager at Isle Court for eight years, and played a pivotal role in the commissioning team responsible for the redevelopment of the country home into Isle Court Nursing Home in 2008. The 54-bed facility provides short and long term care for the elderly, mentally frail and those needing dementia care, employing up to 98 people. Roberto was promoted after completing a successful period as acting home manager. He joined the care provider in 2010 as a student nurse at Isle Court before rising through the ranks and securing a promotion to deputy nurse manager at Morris Care’s Oldbury Grange Nursing Home in Bridgnorth. Originally from the Philippines, Roberto credits Morris Care with giving him the opportunity to work in the UK and equipping him with the training and knowledge that enabled him to become the nurse professional he is today. He said: “I am delighted to be

Retiring Liz Hallen hands over the keys to Roberto Tumaliuan. taking on the coveted role of home manager at Isle Court. “It is the home where my Morris Care journey started, and I am keen to continue the legacy set out by Liz when it first opened. “I feel that the company has equipped me with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in this role. “I am very much looking forward to inspiring our staff to progress in their own careers.”

New book helps managers to understand their duties

THE huge increase in the scope of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards over the past two years, and the need for all care home staff to work within the relevant Codes of Practice, requires that managers and senior staff fully understand their duties and know what happens should any of their residents become involved in Court of Protection proceedings. The Court of Protection Made Clear: A User’s Guide, published in August, is the first truly plain English explanation of Court of Protection law, practice and procedure. Written deliberately for those without prior knowledge of how the Court operates, it covers the whole process from who is involved and what is capacity through to what is a deprivation of liberty and the effects of an advance decision. The aim is to give everyone involved the knowledge they need to work together effectively in the patient’s best interests. The book distills the combined experience of Claire Wills-

Goldingham QC and Marie Leslie, both barristers, and Dr Paul DivallI a clinical psychologist with the help of the consulting editor, Mr Justice Keehan. It is available now for only £24.95 in print and / or digital editions from Bath Publishing.

Care England appoints senior policy officer CARE England has appointed Jonathan Gardam as senior policy officer. Since joining he has been concentrating on a funding matrix for local authorities across the country. The forthcoming Green Paper on social care will be a key part of his work stream.

Ann Mackay MBE, director of policy, said: “Jonathan’s experience at ADASS and various local authorities provides a great insight into the challenges and opportunities facing providers particularly when stakes and expectations are so high. His brief will focus on funding and costs; key issues for our members.”

SPONSORED BY Edinburgh’s newest care home Cramond Residence has appointed Eileen Gray as general manager. The purpose-built facility will be managed exclusively by Walker Healthcare. Eileen will be responsible for the general management and ensure the highest standards of personalised nursing care when it opens this winter. With over 20 years’ experience, Eileen is well established in the care industry. Most recently she held the post of operations manager with Renaissance Care, where she was responsible for 250 beds across six sites.

Staff learn sign language to connect with resident

MEMBERS of staff at Home Meadow residential care home in Toft, Cambridgeshire, have spent time learning sign language to enable them to better communicate with residents, and in particular one resident who is profoundly deaf. 102-year-old Mavis Coxall, who is unable to hear, moved to the home last year, and carers and staff were keen to improve their direct communication with her. Manager of the home, Paul Fletcher, liaised with Mavis’ family and began making enquiries to see how staff could become trained in British Sign Language. Four members of the team, including the activities coordinator, the manager and two senior carers began a course in British Sign Language in February. The team are undertaking a 15-week course, attending sessions every

Tuesday. Since undertaking the training, communication has improved between Mavis and the team, who will now look to further enhance their skills. Paul said: “It was really important for us to make sure we could communicate well with Mavis. Our services are entirely personalised and based around the needs and requirements of our residents so it’s essential that we are able to understand what we can do to make life at Home Meadow as enjoyable and comfortable for them as possible. “The team is really enjoying the sign language training and have found it to make a huge impact on the way we communicate with Mavis. “It’s also great that we now have these skills in the home for any residents who join us in the future with similar needs.”

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Nursing home takes on another new apprentice SPECIALIST dementia care provider Camelot Care has taken on another new apprentice at Acacia Nursing Home in Yeovil. Hannah Long, 18, has joined the team as an administration apprentice, working alongside the home’s professional administrator, Shirley Turner. Hannah is being supported to take responsibility for Acacia Nursing Home’s training matrix, which involves keeping track of all staff training and making sure everyone is up-to-date with both mandatory and required training for their particular role. Her other day-to-day responsibilities include handling mail and telephone calls, payroll duties and assisting with administration connected to staff recruitment. The apprenticeship will last for up to 18 months, during which time she will attend college for six whole-day business masterclasses, as well as completing online assessments. Clare Woodhead, operations manager for Camelot Care, said: “We have employed and trained apprentices for over 10 years, focusing on equipping people for careers as care workers, but we are now spreading our wings and offering other apprenticeship routes. “Camelot Care believes in being

Apprentice Hannah Long (left) with Honey Morris of Yeovil College. at the forefront when it comes to developing professionals to work in the care sector, especially since more will be needed with each year that passes to support the ever-increasing number of people living with dementia.” “I think apprenticeships are a great way to give young people both the training and the qualifications to take them forwards in life, and who better than an established expert in the field like Camelot Care to help bring on the next generation?”

40 SPONSORED BY

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End-of-life care pioneer is given College award Macklin Care Homes won 12 awards at two ceremonies in Belfast.

Perfect dozen for care group as it celebrates 30th birthday in style MACKLIN Care Homes won 12 top awards at two nursing award ceremonies in Belfast. Taking place at the Stormont Hotel, the group’s Dunmurry-based Park Manor was awarded Northern Ireland Nursing Home of the Year at the Staff Nursing Care Awards 2017. Other accolades included the Investment in Training Award and Excellence in Dementia Care alongside individual recognition for many of its team members. Highlighting excellence and celebrating the contribution of nurses and healthcare assistants in Northern Ireland, The Royal College of Nursing’s annual awards event, held on the same night, concluded a winning night for the provider. The group picked up another three prizes which included the Patients’ Choice Award, Healthcare Support Worker and runner-up in the Brownlee-Silverdale Leadership

“The success of our group is all down to the excellence of our team in delivering first class care for all of the 245 residents that are proud to call one of our nursing homes their home.”

Award. Managing director, Gareth Macklin, said: “The success of our group is all down to the excellence of our team in delivering first class care for all of the 245 residents that are proud to call one of our nursing homes their home. “Our remarkable success at the recent award ceremonies cements the professionalism of our team and quality of our nursing care where continuous development is one of our core values. “To the team at Park Manor, it’s an incredible honour to be named as the top nursing home in Northern Ireland. “This is the standard that we’ve set for all of our five homes, who collectively deliver award-winning care, 365 days of the year.” These latest awards join a list of honours for Macklin Care Homes in its 30th year in business. The company recently won Best Employee Engagement Strategy at the CIPD NI Awards, while the Macklin Group was also named as Employer of the Year at the first Northern Ireland Family Business Awards. The family-run provider was established 30 years ago by Brian and Mary Macklin. The company’s nursing homes include Park Manor in Dunmurry, Arlington in Belfast, Milesian Manor in Magherafelt, Ratheane in Coleraine and Leabank in Ballycastle, which have all recently undergone redevelopment and expansion. The group also includes the awardwinning Malone Lodge Hotel, Belfast.

PROFESSOR Keri Thomas, clinical director of the National Gold Standards Framework Centre, has been recognised by the Royal College of General Practitioners for her ‘gobsmackingly’ inspiring work to improve end of life care and for being one of the most influential people in her field. She was nominated for the President’s Medal, an award given to those who have achieved the most to promote the aims and objectives of the College, by Professor Nigel Mathers, Honorary Secretary of the College. Professor Martin Marshall, RCGP Vice–Chair, read the citation at the awards ceremony held in London. The RCGP President’s Medal is the second major award Prof Thomas has received this year. In April she received the OBE from the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace, also for services to end-of-life care. Prof Thomas developed the Gold Standards Framework for end of life care in the late 1990s while working as a GP in West Yorkshire. GSF provides practitioners with the training, resources and support to deliver high quality care for people nearing the end of life. Supported for the first nine years by the Department of Health, GSF was introduced into general practice in 2000, into the care home sector in 2004 and into hospitals in 2009. Further adaptations for other settings have followed and been brought together in a growing number of integrated cross-boundary care sites. In 2010 Prof Thomas formed Gold Standards Framework Centre CIC, a not-for-profit voluntary sector social enterprise, based in Shrewsbury. This is now recognised as the leading provider of training in end of life care to generalists in the UK. Its reach now spreads internationally too, as far afield as Australia and Canada. As a consequence of Prof Thomas’ work between 2004-10, almost every GP practice in the country now has a ‘Palliative care’/GSF register and holds regular meetings to discuss

Keri Thomas with Dr Terry Kemple, RCGP President. these patients, enabling a more proactive person-centred approach, including for increasing numbers with non-cancer conditions, frailty and dementia. The award recognised Prof Thomas’ work beyond GSF too, highlighting her time as Department of Health National Clinical Lead for Palliative and End of Life Care, as Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham, as RCGP Lead for End of life Care for five years and for her many publications and books, including the influential Caring for the Dying at Home. Prof Thomas, who now lives in Oxfordshire, said: “It is a great honour and genuinely humbling to be honoured by one’s peers and this award is greatly appreciated. I would like to thank all of my colleagues, past and present, in our GSF team and others involved in end of life care, who have over the years contributed to this work with huge passion, energy and commitment. These awards are a way of recognising their work in striving hard to improve care for people nearing the end of their lives.” “We have come a long way over the last 20 years, but there is still more to do and by working together we are confident that we can provide even more people with the kind of care they wish for as they approach the final chapter of their lives - a ‘gold standard’ of care.”

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Athena Health Care Group’s head of care Gaye Clark was presented with a special award by the council to celebrate the work the provider is doing in West Lancashire and Sefton to help combating loneliness with initiatives including the Community Care Forum and monthly Community Activity Hub. Gaye said: “There is no ‘I’ in team. Athena Health Care Group works together to provide quality of life for elderly people ageing well in their caring homes.”

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Homes counting the cost of energy bills By Rachel Adamson MEDIA coverage of the decision in the Budget to devote extra funding to tackle the dire state of finances in the UK’s care home industry generally overlooked one of the big causes of the squeeze. The Chancellor’s decision to pledge £2bn extra into social care over the next three years comes after warnings by the Care Quality Commission last year that services for the elderly had reached a ‘tipping point’. Care homes are suffering from huge pressure on their finances. Figures released by the Insolvency Service late in 2016 showed that a total of 380 care home businesses had been declared insolvent since 2010. The cash crisis has been blamed on councils paying less towards fees for residents, and rising costs, particularly staffing overheads. Care homes also face paying for administration and regulation. Providers are dedicating increasing time and resources to the maintaining of standards and accreditation for the various regulatory bodies – often at the expense of front-line care, and often involving copious amounts of reporting and so-called ‘red tape’. The high cost of gas and electricity

has largely been overlooked. Soaring energy costs are a big factor and they could be helping put the health, safety and well-being of residents at some of the nation’s 20,000 care homes at risk. There is an intense and almost Rachel Adamson round-theclock demand for energy and water at care homes, which are open 24/7. While some estimates say energy bills at care homes went up by 151 per cent from 2004-2012, others say energy costs have risen by 40 percent in three years. Whatever the precise figure, there is unanimity that prices have increased substantially. And this is only the beginning. Energy experts predict that fuel bills will double in the next 10 years. Added to that mix is an increasing pressure due to legislative demands.

Energy Performance Certificates come into effect in 2018 meaning care home operators must ensure their buildings comply with the minimum standard, or it will be considered unlawful to offer residence within their property. It wouldn’t be surprising if there was speculation that this background of intense financial pressure was having an impact on standards of care provided in care homes. According to a Parliamentary answer published in December last year, 11,000 care home residents a year are not being properly fed or are being left without food and drink. It also said that around 312 homes had been found to be in breach of basic standards to ensure vulnerable residents are not left hungry or dehydrated. In 2015, the Care Quality Commission found that a third of care homes required improvement and seven per cent were inadequate. While the vast majority of workers in care homes work hard to maintain good standards for residents their jobs are being made harder by cash pressures of which rising energy bills are a growing component. n Rachel Adamson is head of regulatory law at Stephensons.

Audience is entertained by singers

LIVE cabaret performances and stalls were among the attractions keeping guests entertained at a family fun day hosted by Stocks Hall Care Home in Burscough. Staff and people living at the facility invited the community to join them, along with family and friends, for fun and a sing-a-long. The downpours outside didn’t dampen the lively spirits inside as everyone clapped and cheered to the sounds of live act JLH Productions – a trio of ladies who perform musical theatre complete with song, dance, drama and costume. The audience were treated to a musical journey, captivated by performances to well-known theatre classics such as Chicago’s ‘All That Jazz’, The Wizard of Oz ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ and Oliver Twist ‘Consider Yourself’. Leanne Chadwick, a member of the activities team, said: “There are different levels of ages and communication among all our residents but music performance transcends it all, and we always get a very good response. It is heartwarming to see so many of our residents enjoy an afternoon of fun with their relatives and friends.”

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New funding crisis to hit care homes? By Julie Hopkins A SERIES of new financial measures from our local authorities look set to cause even more pain to already beleaguered care homes. This is somewhat surprising when set against the backdrop of local authorities being able to raise the council tax precept by an extra three per cent specifically to help with the funding crisis in adult social care. In the first measure, care homes have been told that they will now only be paid in arrears for local authority beds. Whether the change is justifiable or not is not really the question – the issue is the significant effect on the cash flow for care homes – where, in some cases, the majority of their income is being delayed by four weeks. All care homes with local authority paid-for beds are going to be adversely affected as a result. It is our view that this is just not fair on these care homes. What business can operate when they are suddenly told they will not receive the bulk of their income until a month after it was expected? As accountants we can help to prepare new cash flows so that the banks understand the problem, but for most businesses it will need new overdraft facilities put in place at very short notice. Another shock has come from a much lower than expected increase, just one per cent to 1.5 per cent, in the fees that local authorities are

paying per service user for residential care. In some counties they have received no uplift at all for nursing. In a generally low paid sector anyway, where the largest overhead is staffing costs, the increase in the national living wage of over four per cent means that the sums increasingly won’t add up. We are all aware of the funding problems local authorities have been having, but from April they were able to raise the council tax precept by an extra three per cent specifically to pay for adult social care. It does seem short sighted not to pass on more of their windfall to businesses providing the care – whereas in fact, in real terms, what they have done is given them a funding reduction. Currently, commissioning panels for local authority care are taking a strict stance. They have set budgets and high criteria for care-need funding, resulting in local authority funding care packages coming in at far below the real cost of providing the care. This is an issue for care homes and domiciliary providers and underfunding of care continues to be a growing crisis as some care providers start to pull out. There seems to be little that can be done in the short term apart from an ever tightening of belts. We can help care homes’ financial management by introducing cloud accounting systems which allow real time control of expenditure to make the best of the pot of money

Julie Hopkins available, but this does not make the pot any bigger. It is also becoming increasingly apparent that what was once deemed ‘nursing care’ has now moved into the residential care arena. This may be more affordable for the local authority, but can be costly for the care provider and it comes with increased regulatory risk and threat to reputation. Looking forward, many in the care industry are seeing the idea of an integration of health and social care by 2020 as the way ahead, but the practicalities of making this happen are not easy. Adoption will be challenging when at present there is a big divide between health and social care with ring fenced budgets.

Getting health and social service teams to co-ordinate a package of care is indeed a challenge in itself, with no one organisation wanting to take responsibility. And, of course, it is far from certain in the current climate that the merger would be adequately funded anyway. With an ageing population and increasingly complex comorbidities, future demand for care places will increase. People’s needs as they grow older are constantly changing and funding those needs is a crisis that simply will not go away. The current funding levels are just not sustainable. So what of the future for our care homes? And how can they strengthen their financial position? Care homes need readily available financial information in real time with up to date management account reporting, forward occupancy, sensitivity analysis, cash flow forecasts and regular workforce strategy planning. Gearing at an affordable level is of vital importance with clear serviceability built into the forward planning of the business. We all know that money is tight but the latest local authority changes do not appear to be fair to the home care sector. We all need to do our bit to publicise the iniquity and fight for a better funding future for the care industry. n Care home specialist accountant Julie Hopkins is a director at accountancy firm Albert Goodman.

Home to expand with new funding package

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Consultant appointed to write bespoke reports

£10m home opens in Sale Page 48

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Team celebrates £6m home ‘topping out’ THE team behind a new £6million care home in Banbury celebrated its ‘topping out’ ceremony with help from a special guest. The Mayor of Banbury, Councillor Gordon Ross, joined with the Care UK team and representatives from development and construction partner, Castleoak, to place the final tile on the roof of Highmarket House care home. In the final stages of the 61-week construction programme, the project is on track to create up to 110 jobs when the care home is fully commissioned and welcomes its first residents later this summer. Gary Renton, construction project manager at Care UK, said: “As the latest addition to a growing portfolio of residential care homes, this highly impressive new development represents a major investment for Care UK. “When complete, the home will

boost the provision of quality residential care for up to 73 older people in Banbury and beyond, as well as creating jobs for local people. “We take a great pride in the build quality, layout and design of each individual care home – not least because these are all very important factors which can greatly impact the everyday experiences of those living in a care environment. “As work continues apace in Banbury, Care UK’s vision for the home is well on the way to being realised and we wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge progress and celebrate the topping out with our construction partners and other stakeholders.” Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives while promoting independence, the new care home will incorporate space for hobby and leisure activities. The layout of the building will also

Mayor of Banbury, Councillor Gordon Ross, places the last roof tile watched by representatives from Care UK and Castleoak. facilitate the creation of close knit a 24-hour nurse call system. communities and will be configured Lex Cumber, business development into a series of individual suites with director at Castleoak, added: “We are a dedicated lounge/dining room. proud to be delivering our 19th home Each bedroom will have an en-suite for Care UK. Together over 17 years wet room, together with a flat-screen we’ve delivered more than 1,000 care television, adjustable profile bed and beds to date.”

46 Advertiser’s announcement

Say So founders Shaun Keep and Paul Adams (above) and at the company’s launch at Caring UK’s recent Leaders in Care: Raising the Standards conference at Bournemouth.

Service helps reduce risk and keep vulnerable people safe SAY SO has been created to provide care providers with information that will help them reach the highest expectation of good practice and caring. Most significantly our service will help to reduce risks and help to keep vulnerable people safe. Our background is complex investigations, standards checking, codes of practice compliance and quality assurance. Each of our staff has a long experience of taking witness statements and conducting interviews to criminal law standards (the highest legal standard of proof ‘beyond reasonable doubt’) For the past two years we have been contracted to a large police organisation reviewing and improving performance of investigations into criminal offences against the vulnerable and implementing safeguarding measures. This has involved changing culture, attitudes and processes. During this assignment, and in our previous lives as detectives, we have seen some major shortcomings in care situations that included serious criminal behaviour towards the elderly and people who are otherwise vulnerable. Now we fully understand and appreciate, and we salute, the fantastic work done day in, day out by the vast majority of care workers across the UK. That said, it is extremely concerning though that failures in service, poor standards and even criminal offences are occurring in alarming numbers. We were moved by our experiences of the cruelty against defenceless and easily dominated people and we pondered how we could make a difference in the care arena. We have decided to direct our

skills, experience and effort to help to identify and eliminate poor and unlawful practice. Some care staff let the others down and there are circumstances and weaknesses in some companies (and clearly not just in the care sector) that allow poor performance to continue. We are talking about behaviour ranging from: n Poor record keeping. n Minor conduct issues. n Poor food preparation or delivery. to more serious issues of: n Removal of dignity. n Failing to maintain proper cleanliness and hygiene. n Theft and fraud. n Verbal abuse, threats of violence and assaults. We started to look at reports of serious failings in the care sector and identified a trend that during post-incident reviews opportunities to identify poor practice or staff development and training flaws were missed and that better internal communication may have made a difference. Often staff had noticed other colleagues under-performing prior to these incidents but didn’t report it. There are many reasons why staff wouldn’t always be able to inform management of their concerns: n Intimidation. n Supervisors or managers involved in wrongdoing. n Fear of reprisal action. n No confidence in an ‘internal’ reporting procedure. n No desire to be centre-piece in a tribunal or court situation. n ‘Stigma’ around speaking out. It is our belief care workers hold vital information that if accessed could make a huge difference in managing performance and safeguarding. We want to create a working

n Respecting and valuing their staff by listening to them. n Enhancing their reputation amongst service users and wider community. n Demonstrating good leadership and governance to the CQC. n Doing all they can to improve workplace harmony. n Demonstrating they have a zerotolerance stance against abuse. environment where staff are confident and comfortable to report concerns. We want care workers to feel that they can make a report to Say-So without fearing the consequences and with confidence that their information will be professionally managed and acted upon. So what does Say So offer? Say So provides a completely independent reporting facility (using cost-free telephone or online options) for staff to make reports of any issue that affects the standard of service delivery. Say So gives briefings to management and staff explaining their service and how it can change culture. Say So is the only such service dedicated solely to the care sector. Say So sensitively receives and manages reports in a way that maintains anonymity and confidentiality where these options are specified by the reporter. Say So will only release the reporter’s details to their employer with their written permission. Say So then, offers a reporting service that staff can have confidence in. We believe that by working with Say So, care providers will be: n Demonstrating their determination to obtain all information possible from their staff to keep people safe.

We encourage robust and transparent action Say So passes on the reports of concerns (edited to remove identifying details where necessary) to a nominated senior manager in the client company. The care provider is responsible for acting upon the concern raised and Say So will support and encourage client companies to internally share details of results of actions in response to the concerns raised. Say So is independent We know that independence is crucial to persuade staff to report others because there are no preexisting relationship or loyalty issues or fears that the person at the other end of the phone can deduce their likely identity through personal knowledge of staff, shift patterns or working environment. We also know that if staff fear being ostracised or marginalised or worse physically threatened, then offering to mask their identity will reassure them. Our staff are experienced in talking to people who are concerned about reporting wrongdoing and by careful handling are able to draw out information in the most difficult circumstances. Find out more about our service at www. say-so.co.uk or make enquiries direct at info@say-so.co.uk or call 0800 321 3546 (option2) and speak to the sales team.

Home to expand with new funding package ROSEVILLA Residential Home in Warrington has agreed a seven-figure funding package with Yorkshire Bank, enabling them to expand and accommodate more residents. The home is currently able to house 35 residents, and this latest funding package will, in part, support a sevenbedroom extension to the home. The family own a plot of land nearby, and have already secured planning permission for a 30-bed extension in the future. The initial extension will create four full time and six part-time posts. The latter extension will create roughly 34 new jobs. The home was opened by the Nesarajah family, when the local Winwick specialist hospital closed its doors. The new funding coincides with the

its 30th year trading anniversary. The 10-bedroomed property was purchased to become a residential care home facility, drawing upon the medical backgrounds of the Nesarajahs. Rosevilla is now run primarily by Peter Nesarajah, his wife Francis and his mother, Victoria. Peter said: “It is fantastic to be able to grow the home and continue offering such an important service to our community. “The home is incredibly friendly and comforting, with staff who have worked here for a long time, which speaks volumes to the atmosphere that we have encouraged here. “We are focused on serving the community in our family run environment and we want to continue to provide care at framework costs without any top up.” Global real estate advisor CBRE has advised Gold Care Homes on the sale and leaseback of 18 sites for £90m to an overseas real estate investor. The provider, established in 1999, operates 21 care homes through development, mergers and acquisitions. The homes are located throughout southern and central England, and focus on the private and public pay markets. The transaction involves 18 of the homes, located mainly in southern England and Birmingham. The remaining homes will be operated outside the sale and leaseback agreement.

Mark Donnelly, owner of Wood Green care home, with Ulster Bank’s relationship manager Leona McNicholl and director of commercial banking Nigel Walsh.

£4m home investment to create 100 new jobs AN Ulster Bank supported care home investment in Jordanstown is creating more than 100 new jobs. The 80-bed Wood Green Healthcare centre represents an investment of almost £4million. The facility sits on a four-acre site just outside Belfast. It specialises in frail-elderly and dementia care and has state-of-the-art facilities, as well as a private landscaped garden for residents. Supported by finance from Ulster Bank, the new facility opens this month. Recruitment for a range of roles is ongoing.

Owner Malachy Donnelly said: “The care home’s approach is about much more than meeting the care needs of residents, it is about looking after the whole well-being of the individual, providing a luxury lifestyle that is both enriching and rewarding. Ulster Bank have supported in helping us achieve this.” “This is a benchmark healthcare facility where residents receive the best care possible, as all care assistants and staff are trained extensively in-house, not only to comply with the required national standards, but to the home’s own exacting standards.”

Consultant appointed to write bespoke reports

Metro Bank has provided Wessex Care Limited with over £9.27million in funding that has been used in part to support the development of its new state-of-the-art care facilities, including Kimberly West and East Care Centres in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Established in 2001, Wessex Care is a family-owned operator of five care homes, with a total of 117 beds. The development programme will increase this to six care centres with 250 beds.

New owners for homecare firm DC CARE has completed the sale of Intercare Services (Sheffield) on behalf of Charles and Deborah May. Intercare Services was formed in 2007 and registered with CSCI (the predecessor of CQC) in February 2008 with Charles and Deborah as co-owners and registered manager. The domiciliary care agency offers a wide range of personal care and support to people over the age of 18 while living in their own homes, including people with learning disabilities, people with physical disabilities, older people (over 65),

people with hearing or eyesight difficulties (or both) and people with a terminal illness. The South Yorkshire business has been grown from a complete start up position by the vendor clients and there is scope for further development. The business has been acquired by an existing domiciliary care operator. The business was sold for an undisclosed amount.

CARTERWOOD, the specialist chartered surveying practice dedicated to the care sector, has engaged Dr Tammy Boyce as a senior consultant to write bespoke reports. Her assignment follows the demand for Carterwood’s bespoke market reports, which offer due diligence and help new and existing clients make the right care investment decisions. A former Cardiff University lecturer and research fellow, Tammy has a strong background in health and social care research. Her experience includes conducting research for the World Health Organisation and writing bespoke reports on issues including social care, wellbeing, and health and social policy at a national and international level. Carterwood director Ben Hartley said: “We are seeing unprecedented

“We have already completed twice as many bespoke reports in the first five months of 2017 as we did in the entirety of 2016.”

Dr Tammy Boyce market change, which is creating opportunities and challenges, as well as driving demand for our bespoke reports. We have already completed twice as many bespoke reports in the first five months of 2017 as we did in the entirety of 2016. “Tammy will help us keep pace with demand. Her experience across health and social care will also contribute to and complement our team.” Speaking about her assignment, Tammy added: “Carterwood is a company that shares my energy, and it has an excellent reputation and strong growth. “There has never been a more pressing time to commission robust independent market research, so I look forward to giving clients the data and information they need to inform their strategies.”

Geoghegan Group’s Clavadel Centre near Guildford.

Funding to develop new home

GUILDFORD based Geoghegan Group has secured a £13million funding package from Clydesdale Bank to support the development of a new care home. The family owned provider opened in 1989 and specialises in residential and nursing care for the elderly. They also offer a unique shortterm, private post-operative care facility, which acts as a hybrid between a hospital and a home, with patients receiving physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to assist with recovery. The finance package will be used to support the development of a new care home which will have provision for elderly residential care. The new home, built on the site of an existing Geoghegan Group

residential property in Woking, will be larger, expanding from 39 beds to 57. The project will involve careful phasing of building work over the course of two years to ensure minimal disruption to current residents. Employee numbers are set to increase, with the development creating 20 new jobs, taking the total number of staff to 80. Director, Charles Geoghegan, said: “The finance package that we have received from Clydesdale Bank underlines their willingness to look at different types of projects and find bespoke funding solutions for their clients. The expert support they offer is what attracted us to them and we are already working closely with them to progress our exciting project.”

£60m retirement living project in Stoke-on-Trent completed By Dominic Musgrave AWARD-winning developer and investor Kajima has completed Staffordshire’s largest £60million PFI retirement living project with the handover of the Maple West Extra Care Scheme in Chell. The developments across Stoke-onTrent provide prestigious retirement villages offering 390 spacious, selfcontained apartments at three sites including Maple West in Chell, Oak Priory in Abbey Hulton and Willow Barns in Blurton. Kajima is the main developer, investor and funder, working in partnership with Your Housing Group and Eric Wright Group to form Sapphire Extra Care Ltd. This consortium was selected by Stokeon-Trent City Council in 2014 to build and manage the three facilities. Each site boasts a village concept, which is driven by the need to create an environment that promotes healthy living and accessible care both internally and externally, ultimately providing residents with a ‘home for life’. Richard Barnett, asset manager of Kajima Partnerships, said: “We are delighted to announce the completion of the Stoke Extra Care retirement living project. We believe

Maple West Extra Care Scheme in Chell. this is a landmark development and one which reflects our longstanding commitment in ensuring that older people are able to live independently whilst enjoying the very highest standards of care. “We have worked intensively with Your Housing Group and Eric Wright Group to ensure that each retirement living village is completed to the highest design standards and provides a wide range of facilities that

cater to a diverse range of care needs, effectively creating ‘a home for life’ for each resident.” Kajima and its partners worked closely with the city council to ensure that the apartments are carefully designed to adapt to the varying and diverse care needs of the local population. Together the three sites offer a range of facilities and services, and are designed to provide ultimate flexibility in tailoring care and

support packages to different levels of need over the years. The most recently completed development, Maple West in Chell, offers 140 spacious open plan apartments in a communal setting and enables the adoption of an independent lifestyle. Oak Priory and Willow Barns are already in use by residents and offer 175 and 75 apartments respectively. Each of the retirement schemes have communal areas and on-site amenities including a village shop, restaurant, newsagent, hair and beauty salon and a launderette. In addition to providing much needed independent living accommodation, the project has been integral in fuelling the growth of the local economy through local investment and the creation of jobs. A key requirement of the bid was that local companies were used as much as possible in the construction phase. This commitment resulted in the creation of 95 jobs since the development began, and a total of eight apprentices have been recruited from across Stoke-on-Trent. Additionally, 65 per cent of materials used during construction were procured within a 25km radius of each site.

New owners for Rhyl home ST DAVID’S Residential Care Home in Rhyl has been acquired by new owners in a seven-figure funding deal supported by Allied Irish Bank (GB). The residential care home’s existing registered manager, Ruth Waltho, along with her husband David, have acquired the care facility for an undisclosed sum. St David’s provides 24-hour care for up to 52 elderly residents. The property has a total of 48 bedrooms, many of which have en-suite facilities. Three of the bedrooms are also suitable for dual occupancy. The home is currently the largest in North Wales and employs 40 members of staff. It was originally built in 1904 as a preparatory school for boys and has also previously been used as a convalescent home for Yorkshire miners. Following its acquisition, plans

are now underway to improve and refurbish the care home, including the creation of two new bathrooms and a home cinema, as well as general redecoration and renovation work. Relationship manager David Booth from Allied Irish Bank (GB) developed a seven-figure funding deal to support the couple with the acquisition of the home. Ruth said: “I am thrilled that our acquisition of St David’s has been successful. I have managed the home for four years now and know the business and our residents extremely well. “We are planning to make some real improvements to the property for the benefit of our residents, improving the look and feel of their general surroundings and creating a new cinema room for them to enjoy.”

Hallmark Care Homes has appointed Sarah-Jayne Croft as head of training and development. Sarah-Jayne, who has 29 years’ experience in the education and training industry, will support Hallmark and their 16 homes with their personnel development goals. She plans to do so by ensuring every new team member has a detailed induction process, which would allow them to feel empowered from the very beginning of their role. She hopes that combining this process with Hallmark’s reputation for team training and development, the provider will reach its goal of achieving ‘outstanding’ throughout the homes. Sarah-Jayne brings with her experience working at the NHS and Hampshire County Council.

Decland McGoff, Sean Anstee and Chris McGoff at Ashlands Manor.

£10m home opens in Sale NEW Care, one of the UK’s fastest growing development-led care home operators, has opened the doors to its latest care home in Sale; Ashlands Manor. The £10million 57-bed care home was officially opened by Graham Brady, the Conservative MP for Altrincham and Sale West, and leader of Trafford Council, Sean Anstee. Designed by architects Street Design Partnership, with specialist clinical staff input ensuring all requirements of the CQC have been achieved, and built by the multi award-winning construction company, McGoff & Byrne, Ashlands Manor is a ‘new generation’ care facility. Chris McGoff, CEO at New Care, said: “We are so proud of Ashlands Manor. The home has been

specifically designed, thoughtfully decorated, its facilities carefully considered and the professional team hand-picked, allowing us to showcase our progressive approach to the provision of care homes. “We are thrilled to welcome the first residents to Ashlands Manor and wish them a wonderful and enjoyable future in the home.” The well-appointed bedrooms benefit from en-suite wet rooms, while the rest of the home offers a variety of communal lounges, dining rooms and secure landscaped gardens. It also offers a host of hotel-style services including fine dining, a hair salon, nail bar, concierge and a busy and varied programme of activities and events.

CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS Green-fingered residents at the Chirk Court are getting set to grow their own vegetables thanks to support from a local firm of tree care specialists. Rob Mays from Evolution Arbtech, based in Oswestry, donated materials and his time to create a vegetable plot for the residents who live in the Berwick household, which is managed by Clwyd Alyn Housing Association. “It’s such a superb gesture and is really appreciated by our residents,” said Mandi Southern, activity coordinator at Chirk Court. “Staff, residents and their families would all like to thank Rob so much for helping make this to happen.”

Forbes Professional delivers end-to-end laundry solution THE provision of laundry and dishwashing equipment involves a lot more than product selection, and care homes need to know that they are choosing a service provider they can trust to ensure they make the right procurement and planning decisions. Forbes Professional provides a wide range of commercial laundry and dishwashing appliances to care homes across the UK. A number of our projects are with new build developments or where the building is in the process of being re-designed, and we work closely with our clients through the planning stages. We deliver everything from initial site surveys, CAD design and assistance with plumbing and electrical specifications through to installation, commissioning and user training. We have a solid understanding of industry regulations and advise clients upon any relevant CQC or WRAS compliance requirements. After installation, our clients benefit

from our ongoing detergent provision and repair/ maintenance service. As national partners of Miele and Primus, our product range includes commercial washers, dryers, ironers and dishwashers. All of our equipment meets the stringent hygiene standards of a care facility and is exquisitely engineered to deliver an optimum end result whilst achieving impressively low consumption values. All ongoing service requirements and detergent provision is handled centrally from our head office. This streamlined approach keeps things simple for all clients, but is invaluable for our multi-site operators. We appreciate that laundry and dishwashing are central to a care operation and our nationwide infrastructure and expansive team of engineers facilitate a first class service response. Please contact us to arrange a complimentary consultation to discuss how we can help assist you with your new laundry operation.

Home’s hard work pays off as it wins numerous awards By Olivia Taylor

A GLOUCESTERSHIRE care home has been recognised for its hard work, winning four accolades at a local care awards ceremony. Staff from Cavendish care home in Gloucester recently attended the 2017 Gloucestershire Care Providers association Care Awards (GCPA) where they received awards in the: Activities Champion, Care Catering, Carer of the Year and Outstanding Contribution categories. Manager Daniel Bridges, who was recognised in the Outstanding Contribution category, said: “This is the second year in a row that we’ve won awards. “The home really has come a long way in the three years that I’ve been manager here. “It’s great for us all to be recognised for what we do, which is provide fantastic care.” Daniel believes in engaging residents in as many aspects of the home as possible, especially when it comes to activities. He said: “We have residents with quite high and complex needs here,

and we’ve got people with a lot of challenging behaviours. “We’re all about the whole home approach and making sure residents are engaged, there’s no point in playing a game of bingo if only a couple of people are engaged.” Cavendish Care Home is currently rated as ‘Good’ by the CQC, but Dan and his committed team are doing everything they can to strive towards gaining an outstanding rating in their next inspection. Daniel said: “When I got the award I got quite emotional. It just shows that hard work really does pay off and I’m very grateful. It’s nice to think that we’re now known for fantastic dementia care. “We’re all extremely proud that we’re getting the recognition we deserve. “The residents get involved with new menu ideas, they come to the shop with us to help us buy the food. We’re not a factory, we’re a care home and we like to include our residents.” Cavendish care home is a private facility with 24 residents that is owned by Graham Rigby.

Save your legs with CareDocs IMAGINE the steps that could be saved if care could be recorded at the point it was given! You could carry all the care records around with you. Or, with some systems, this might mean carrying around a laptop. With CareDocs, you could have all your residents’ care plans and information in one place and you can add care notes from a tablet or similar mobile device using

CareDocs mobile. Daily notes, charts (eg weights), repositioning records, food and bowel monitoring, and fluid balance can all be added quickly and easily. CareDocs mobile is completely free with a CareDocs subscription – and you’ll get all the latest developments, unlimited 24/7 technical support, and other benefits – with no hidden costs.

Assistance and knowledge for a self-determined lifestyle ... THE 40th REHACARE INTERNATIONAL taking place in Düsseldorf in Germany will be focusing on people with disabilities, care needs and chronic ailments, as well as on the elderly. The 700 exhibitors from 36 countries who will be taking part in Europe’s leading trade fair for rehabilitation and care from October 4 to 7 will be presenting an overview of the opportunities currently available to help people live a largely self-determined life with the aid of innovative equipment. Almost every second exhibitor will be travelling from other countries to the event in Germany. Large national presentations, for instance, are expected from Denmark, Great Britain, Canada, China and Taiwan. Mobility will be a major topic at REHACARE. More than 200 international exhibitors, for example, will be presenting wheelchairs, mobility scooters and walking aids. The overview will be occupying most of the event’s halls. The product range in this area will be

complemented by the car show that is unique in the trade fair landscape for rehabilitation products. On 850 square metres of space in Hall 6, 21 vehicleconverting companies will be presenting the technical possibilities for adapting motor vehicles to almost any type of disability. REHACARE 2017 will be taking place in Halls 4 to 6, 7.0 and 7A. In addition to the core segment with mobility and daily living aids as well as communications and care equipment for people with sensory disabilities, the trade fair will be offering a wealth of ideas and products for barrierfree living, leisure and travel along with a broad range of the sports that are available to the disabled and elderly. Around 60 exhibitors will be presenting equipment and tools for inpatient and outpatient care. REHACARE 2017 will be opening its doors from Wednesday to Friday from 10am to 6pm and on Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Admission tickets are available from the online ticket shop and cost €8.

CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS

Silence used to raise awareness WELL, the UK’s largest independent pharmacy chain, has raised awareness of a later stage and lesser known symptom of dementia – losing the ability to speak. Head of corporate communications for the company, Stephanie Mizon, pledged to only communicate non-verbally for 24 hours to increase understanding of the impact of this devastating disease. It’s common for people with dementia to have increasing difficulty speaking and they may eventually lose the ability to communicate verbally completely. The NHS advise that it’s important to keep trying to communicate with people living with dementia, and to recognise and use other, non-verbal means of communication, such as expression, touch and gestures. Stephanie, who remained silent for 24 hours during Dementia Awareness Week, said: “It was exhausting, frustrating and surprising. I didn’t expect it to be so difficult and it has opened my eyes to what people with dementia have to overcome on a daily basis. “Other people were the biggest challenge – some colleagues were visibly impatient because communication is obviously slowed down when you have to write everything down or find new ways to get your message across in meetings. “Some people just stopped connecting with me

altogether and I felt very isolated. At home, one of the hardest things to deal with was not being able to say goodnight or I love you to my husband.” The challenge also positively impacted children in the local community. A Dementia Friends Champion from Well, Elaine Hand-Griffiths, accompanied Stephanie to her 5th Davyhulme Brownies group near Urmston to educate them about dementia, and encourage the youngsters to make a commitment to helping people with dementia to live well. Stephanie added: “This experience has taught me that I need to have more patience, tolerance and compassion for people who perhaps find it difficult to articulate themselves – give them time to find their own words and help them recover their memories. “I feel more confident to identify someone who may be living with dementia, and better equipped to be able to offer them the right kind of help.” To support the United Against Dementia campaign, the company also ran a series of dementia awareness sessions, raising the number of Dementia Friends to 6,159 (88 per cent of the entire organisation). Well is aiming to be 100 per cent dementia-friendly across the UK during 2017. Funds raised at the head office in Manchester city centre totalled £60 and were donated to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Stephanie Mizon

Stunning new Equinox Evolve DANFLOOR UK, specialist manufacturer and supplier of commercial carpets, is receiving a warm welcome to its new Equinox Evolve range, which forms part of the awarding winning Equinox Collection. Equinox Evolve has an elegant and contemporary pattern; available in 13 colours it has been design to sit comfortably alongside the Equinox Tones range, enabling the creation of exquisite interior design schemes. Manufactured using innovative tufting technology, Evolve offers a delicate pattern and a high tuft density giving the range presence and durability. In addition, it is made with our Prism fibre and incorporates all our usual performance features, such as an impervious membrane and anti-microbial yarn treatment, making it suitable for a number of locations within a healthcare

environment. Over the coming months another six ranges will be launched into the stunning new Evolution Collection. The new designs are aptly titled Scape, Geo Form, Origin, Glaze, Manhattan and Forest and will offer a variety of designs from subtle to bold statement pieces. The Evolution Collection will be available to view alongside the rest of danfloor’s Healthcare Collection at the Care and Dementia Show Birmingham in October.

Soap star visits Llandudno hotel AMY Walsh, who plays Tracy Metcalf in Emmerdale, was greeted by guests at The Esplanade Hotel in Llandudno with a warm welcome. She interacted with all the guests, responding to various questions about her life as a soap star, with the guests trying to get some secrets of what the future holds for her and David. Following on from this, Amy greeted each of the guests individually, with in house photographer Karen Dixon to ensure all guests had their photo taken. These were then readily available to

take home in a signed presentation card. This was not the end to this extra special night, Amy joined everyone on the dance floor and stayed well over her time dancing and chatting to guests, and the fantastic carers that come and support clients from care homes throughout the UK on their holidays. Hotel manager Phil said: “It’s such a great place to work, the management and staff all interacted on the evening with the guests and this made it one of the best nights I have had at this hotel.”

Simple solutions

More affordable, more absorbent. New incontinence range DEVELOPED over 12 months, Anov – the name of the new range, provides more absorption than leading incontinence brands and incorporates a variety of premium quality products. Beaucare® Medical is the exclusive stockist and distributor of the new Anov incontinence range in the UK. It is estimated that incontinence affects between three and six million people in the UK. It affects both men and women of any age, but is more common in women. The new Anov range includes products to suit all degrees of incontinence including Light Pads, Shaped Pads, Slips, Pull ups and Pants.

Operations director Heather Mawrey said: “We were aware that care home budgets were being squeezed and that residents’ comfort was key. We developed the new Anov range over 12 months with those factors in mind.” To accompany the launch, Beaucare is providing care homes with full product training and support materials to help assess each patient for their individual requirements. Contact Beaucare for more information plus a full comparison between the Anov product range and the leading brand. Enquiries: Call 01423 873666, email sales@ beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based, Richards Residential Supplies have concentrated upon supplying simple solutions to common nursing home problems. The new WACMAT® adheres strongly to this tradition. With its ultra absorbent cotton pile and 100 per cent waterproof backing, the remarkable WACMAT® is an ideal accessory where spills may occur. Used as a commode mat, in bedrooms or bathrooms, the WACMAT® ensures full carpet protection. Then, after use, simply machine wash and tumble dry! It’s that simple... The WACMAT® will then be clean and odourfree, ready to perform time and time again. Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat, saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costs alone. Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.

CARINGNEWS

How to eliminate the risk of infection ...

CLEAN linen is a fundamental requirement of care, as items that come into direct contact with skin, such as clothing, bed linen and towels, become contaminated during use. The incorrect handling or storing of this contaminated linen is a key point of risk for residents. Worryingly, however, research found one in four care homes in the UK are unaware of the Department for Health’s CFPP 01-04 guidelines on decontamination of linen for social care. Ensuring compliance to CFPP 01-04 is something a care home can either do internally, via an in-house laundry service, or outsource to a commercial textile services partner. An in-house laundry service is a time and space intensive process. As such, increasing numbers of care homes are outsourcing to external laundry providers, such as Berendsen.

As a long term, major supplier to the NHS, private and social healthcare sectors, each of Berendsen’s healthcare laundry facilities are certified to the highest European Standard for bio-contamination control – BS EN14065. The company’s service removes the day-to-day stresses of running an in-house laundry service, allowing for a substantial reduction in the amount of time that care home staff need to spend on laundry. The only responsibility care home staff has is to handle its laundry according to the care home’s procedures, prior to collection and following delivery. As the leading provider of textile services to the healthcare sector in the UK, Berendsen has the expertise to meet any care home’s textiles and laundry needs and enable enhanced infection control.

Manor Art launches brochure and ‘Back in the Day’ packs

MANOR Art is a picture framing business established for some 25 years and built on the creation, manufacture and installation of impactful wall art projects. The company operates extensively in the healthcare and hospitality sectors, working within leading brands including Marriott, Arora Hotels, Travelodge, Jury’s Inn, BUPA, Malmaison, HC-One, Anchor, Priory, and FSHC amongst others; managing projects from start to finish alongside interior design and fit-out partners. Manor Art has extensive experience in managing care home projects. Whether working from the client’s own ideas or working up the project via the Manor Art in-house design team and artists to produce a first class product that can include framed prints, canvases, acrylic and foamex art, tapestries and mirrors. A nationwide installation service is also available, no job is too big or too small, and all our fitting teams are uniformed and trained by our charity partners at the Alzheimer’s Society to be ‘Dementia friendly’ Additionally, and having a strong heritage in producing ‘Pictures with Dementia in mind’, Manor Art has launched a new 146-page dementia picture brochure, along with an easy to order guide. The pictures are divided into categories, to allow both easy viewing and to assist when grouping pictures in order to theme the room or corridor pictures. The company also specialises in selecting ‘pictures of local interest’ specifically for individual homes and providing a unique and interesting

focus for residents, families and staff. Alongside the new dementia picture brochure, and as part of our ongoing commitment to use pictures as a positive aid in dementia care, we are also pleased to launch in this edition of Caring UK the new vintage magazine packs. Called ‘Back in the Day’ the packs include six carefully chosen magazines from the 50’s/60’s/70’s and 80’s and are available to order in ladies interest, gentlemen’s interest and mixed interest packs of six. Available to order for individual carers at home, or in multiple orders for care home groups, the magazines having been extensively trialled offer a perfect way to positively engage and encourage and evoke reminiscence, nostalgia and happy memories. Residents at Galsworthy House care home in Kingston Upon Thames had the opportunity to explore their creative side with a fun and therapeutic art session from visiting artists. The Creative Minds session involved a visiting artist and was available to all residents who wanted to take part. “It was a new session we were trying out to see if our residents enjoyed it,” said activities co-ordinator Sue Ottoway. “The aim is for everyone to be able to take part regardless of their age or ability. It is more about the enjoyment of the session than the finished artwork really.”