Caring UK December 2016

read ppy Chri stm as a H to all o ur e rs and a

d v e r ti s e r s

no.243 • £4.75 incorporating

December 2016

The Number One magazine for the care sector

Could art help homes reduce loneliness?

By Olivia Taylor

RESEARCHERS at Anglia Ruskin University will work with Essex County Council to see if performance art can help ease loneliness and improve social relationships in care homes, thanks to a £125,000 grant from the Arts Council.

The two-year project will involve three in-depth case studies in care homes as well as a survey of all care homes and day care centres in Essex. Residents will take part in activities such as music, dance and reminiscence arts – a form of memory therapy.

The project will examine how these activities provide opportunities for older people to interact with each other and engage with the wider community. It will also examine how the activities influence the caring relationships between older people and those who work in the care homes.

According to the Campaign to End Loneliness, lacking social connections can be as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

The campaign also estimates that about 10 per cent of the general population aged over 65 is lonely most or all of the time.

Despite being in the presence of other residents within care homes,

loneliness is still a problem.

According to Age UK, care home residents may not appear to be physically isolated, but their relationship with the people they live with may not be enough to ward off loneliness.

The study is being carried out by joint investigators Professor Carol Munn-Giddings and Dr Hilary Bungay of Anglia Ruskin University.

Carol said: “Studies have shown that participation in the arts can improve social interaction, and as such could strengthen relationships among older people living in care homes, some of whom may be suffering from loneliness or mental health issues.”

Hilary added: “Faced with an ageing population, this is an important project that could improve the wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable members of society.”

The research will be carried out in partnership with Essex County Council’s Art Development Unit.

Councillor Dick Madden, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Children, said: “Finding new ways, through collaborative working, research and art to make living in care more comfortable and enjoyable is a great thing and I’m excited to be working with Anglia Ruskin to bring this to the residents of our county.”

Literary lunch raises over £124,000 for care provider

Orchard Care Homes has won Best Collaborative Arts Project (Performance), in the Patient Experience Class, in the highly coveted national Building Better Healthcare Awards. Praised for its ‘quirky’ nature, the company’s partnership and rollout with the Equal Arts HenPower project won the category that also featured UCLH NHS Foundation Trust. The award recognises collaborative projects that have a measurable positive impact on the patient and staff experience within the healthcare environment.

The partnership with creative ageing charity Equal Arts, began as a trial in one home in the north east and is now implemented in the group’s homes across the country.

COMMUNITY supporters came out in full force for leading care home Nightingale Hammerson, raising more than £124,000 at a literary lunch held at Claridge’s.

The event, organised by the Literary Lunch committee and chair Linda Payman for Nightingale Hammerson, welcomed more than 230 guests.

Helen Simmons, CEO of Nightingale Hammerson, spoke about the innovative work being done to help to keep dementia residents’ memories alive, before introducing guest speaker, author Linda Grant, who has been promoting her new book, The Dark Circle.

The book sees teenage Jewish twins from the East End, struggling to get proper treatment in the early days of the NHS, when they contract TB and are swiftly dispatched to a middle class sanatorium in Kent, where they “put a match under the place, bringing bad table manners and vulgarity with them.”

Also speaking was Jane Davis, pioneer of the Reader Project, one of the creative therapies available at Nightingale Hammerson, whereby dementia residents listen to poetry in a shared reading technique, proven to stimulate thoughts and memories.

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CARINGNEWS

Students’ memory mural moves home’s residents RESIDENTS at Turnpike Court in Cheshire were moved when they were presented with a mural of their memories created by students from Sandbach School.

Before crafting the mural, students interviewed residents at the home to learn more about their lives and memories of the local area.

These served as inspiration for the mural, which students created during art classes using a range of techniques including paintings, printings and digital cuttings.

The mural features a collection of images based on the residents’ memories, including pastimes, lyrics from old songs and celebrities such as Elvis and Frank Sinatra.

It also included drawings by students inspired by local landmarks, flower displays and architectural details from buildings in Sandbach.

Students revealed the

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Sandbach School students and the Mayor of Cheshire East with staff and residents of Turnpike Court. through a variety of activities, “The mural takes pride of mural to an audience of trips and standalone projects. place in our entranceway and thrilled residents during a Carla Grocott, home is a real talking point for the presentation at the home. services manager at Turnpike residents.

They were joined by the Court, added: “Our residents “Everyone at Turnpike Mayor of Cheshire East, were delighted to see their Court was deeply moved by Olivia Hunter. memories represented in the the gesture and would like The mural was created as part of Sandbach School’s memory mural and enjoyed to say a huge thank you to ‘Achievement Week’, which talking to students about the boys at Sandbach School is held yearly to help children their experiences of school for their kindness and hard gain a sense of achievement and the local area. work.”

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CARINGNEWS

Veteran awarded Russian medal

By Olivia Taylor

Support workers Claire Wilson, Tracy Hodgson and Karen Willgress with Mayor, Councillor Rob Cook, resident Clare Gilles, housekeeper Lisa Hanley, manager Diane Chisholm and support worker Jackie Campbell.

Home turns pink to support charity

SERVICE users and staff at Hope House and Hope Lodge in Hartlepool raised more than £150 for Breast Cancer Now at a special pinkthemed party.

Featuring painted pottery, delicious cakes and a fundraising raffle and tombola, and attended by the Mayor of Hartlepool, Councillor Rob Cook, the day was organised by service users to raise awareness of breast cancer ahead of the annual

Wear it Pink Day. Diane Chisholm, Hope House manager, said: “It was a lovely day for everyone who attended and our service users did a fantastic job, supported by our staff, in arranging everything.

“Sadly cancer touches the lives of many people so I am delighted that we have been able to make this donation to help the vital work of the charity.”

RUSSIA has recognised a Teesside World War II veteran for services on the “Arctic Convoys” in 1944 – named the “worst journey in the world” by Winston Churchill.

John Podzukites, 93, who lives at Ingleby Care Home in Ingleby Barwick, has been awarded the Medal of Ushakov by the Russia Federation.

Born in South Bank, Middlesbrough, John joined merchant vessel Fort Vercheres in March 1944, tasked with delivering essential supplies to the Soviet Union during the height of the war.

The perilous journey saw the convoy come under 18 attacks in two days from German U-boats and aircraft. Naval escorts fought off each attack, sinking three U-boats and shooting down six German torpedo bombers.

By May 1944, the convoy arrived safely at its destination without loss.

John spent seven years as a ship’s fireman during his twenties before leaving the Merchant Navy and joining one of Teesside’s largest employers, ICI, where he spent 22 years.

During his sea-faring career, he also saw action in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean.

John received the Ushakov Medal from his friend Billy McGee, who applied to the Russian Federation for

John Podzukites the award on his behalf. A surprise ceremony was arranged by John’s daughter, Joan Coppard, and Billy at Don’s Bar in Stockton on Tees.

He said: “I had an inkling that I was going to get a medal as my friend Billy applied for the Ushakov medal for the Russian convoy.

“When I got presented with the medal I was really pleased and proud and I was very overwhelmed with the reception I received.”

The Medal of Ushakov was a Soviet military award created in 1944 and adopted by the Russian Federation following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The honour was given to sailors, soldiers and seamen for courage and bravery in the defence of the Soviet Union in naval theatres.

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CARINGNEWS

Carers shape up

Residents enjoy the afternoon tea at Belong Warrington.

Residents take step back in time RESIDENTS at specialist care village Belong Warrington enjoyed a reminiscence afternoon tea, centred around memory boxes containing historic items from various eras.

The ‘step back in time’ event celebrated ‘Older People’s Day’, which marks the achievements and contributions that older people make to society.

Residents took a ‘step back in time’ by spending the afternoon looking through the memory boxes that comprised items including: Queen’s coronation memorabilia, newspaper cuttings, army uniforms and wartime gas masks.

Residents were also treated to an afternoon tea of cakes and old-time fizzy pop including dandelion and burdock. The boxes and drinks 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.

The memory boxes and the items within them were funded by Forester’s Financial who each year support hundreds of community projects and provide many opportunities for members and their families to get involved and help those in need.

The International Financial Services provider plan to return next year with a team of Forester Family Volunteers to work on a spring garden project at Belong Warrington.

Lisa McLaughlin, experience co-ordinator at Belong Warrington, said: “A great afternoon was had by all at our ‘step back in time’ event.

“We are really grateful to Forester’s Financial for sponsoring the memory boxes; residents thoroughly enjoyed seeing the familiar artefacts and reminiscing fond memories from their pasts.”

A NATIONAL care group is offering staff advice on exercises which can be done in the workplace in a bid to keep health and fitness top of the agenda.

Springhill Care Group, which operates homes in Lancashire and Bristol, has teamed up with a professional physiotherapist to design a range of exercises which can be done by busy care professionals during the working day.

The exercises include step-ups which can be done on a set of stairs, sit-to-stand exercises which see staff simply standing up from a sitting position, and marching on the spot.

They are specifically designed by Bristol based physiotherapist Andy Stenner, to help keep muscles flexible without placing strain on the body.

Virginia Perkins, head of human resources at the Springhill Care Group, said: “Helping our staff stay fit and healthy is a key priority for us. Working in the care profession can involve long days and nights, often eating on the fly during a spare moment.

“It’s tough to stay healthy in that environment, so our initiatives are doing everything they can to help. We recently made pedometers available to staff to help them track their steps during the day, and this is another simple way they can keep healthy in the workplace.

“We’re putting up posters in staff areas which they can refer to in a spare moment, and we’ll also be making them available on social

Virginia Perkins – head of HR at Springhill. media for other professionals to take advantage of.”

Earlier this year, Springhill Care Group launched the Caring Heroes campaign in a bid to shine a light on the often-unseen work by care professionals.

As part of the campaign the group has handed out pedometers to every one of its 400-plus employees, to encourage them to take an interest in their fitness levels.

The company is already operating a range of health and wellbeing initiatives including offering staff healthy menu cards detailing easy and affordable recipes, and providing fresh fruit to encourage healthy eating.

Staff also benefit from regular visits from a registered nurse to monitor blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and BMI.

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CARINGNEWS

Glittering night for stars of social care

By Dominic Musgrave THE unsung heroes and heroines of the sector were recognised for their skill and dedication at the 14th annual Wales Care Awards.

The glittering ceremony at City Hall in Cardiff was hosted by the larger than life Radio Wales presenter and opera singer Wynne Evans, perhaps better known as the moustachioed Gio Compario from the Go Compare TV ads.

The Craig Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award went to Rhian Huws Williams, an “inspirational figure” to social care in Wales, for her many years of dedicated service..

Rhian, who lives in Cardiff, has recently retired after 15 years as the first chief executive of the Care Council for Wales.

She was a social worker and trainer before going on in 2001 to oversee the formation and then head up the Care Council, which independently regulates and develops the professional education and training of Wales’s social care workforce.

In April next year, the Care Council for Wales, which she established and guided through its crucial early years, is due to be superseded by the new body Social Care Wales.

She said: “My passion has always been to raise the profile and the status of the social care sector and its workforce.

“I was totally surprised but very honoured to receive it at such an important event in the calendar which is all about care workers.

Lifetime Achievement winner Rhian Huws Williams (left) and Dignity in Care winners Angela Rees, Andrew Guy and Helen Kermode.

“I knew Craig Thomas in whose name the award is made and how much he himself did to raise the profile and drive forward high quality in the sector. I’m humbled to have been presented with it in a roomful of people doing one of the most important jobs in social services working with those who need care and dignity.”

The prestigious Spirit of Care Award was won by Tracy Peers, the head of operations at St Asaph-based Cartref Ni Ltd, which supports 35 adults in Denbighshire, Conwy and Flintshire.

Tracy, who has been with the company for 21 years, also won a silver award for Leadership and Management in Support Living.

One of the main highlights of the evening was the Dignity in Care Award, once again sponsored by the Welsh Government.

This year three people were deemed worthy of the award so there was a gold apiece for former restaurant manager Helen Kermode from Swansea, care home manager Angela Rees from Cardiff and care manager Andrew Guy from Caernarfon.

Helen Kermode, deputy manager of Ty Camlas, the Tracscare’s service at Ystradgynlais, was just recovering from the shock of winning a gold award at a glittering ceremony when she was called up to the stage a second time.

Originally from Devon, she won a gold award in the category for Residential Care Practitioner and had just returned to her seat when she was named as the winner of the Dignity in Care Award.

Angela Rees, who lives in Bridgend, is in charge of the Ty Newydd care home in Roath, Cardiff, which cares

for a small number of women aged 18 to 65 with mental health issues, and is known as an effective leader who is keen for her staff to progress so they can maximise the help they give to clients.

Angela, who also won the bronze award in the Nurse of the Year category works for Integra Community Living Options, who have a number of care homes across South Wales for adults aged over 18.

The dedicated approach of Andrew Guy, 42, first saw him strike silver in the Excellence in Learning Disability and Mental Health category.

Andrew played a key role in putting in place a new system of active support which has broadened the horizons of people with complex needs and seen them taking on work placements and becoming involved in a range of leisure activities.

CARINGNEWS

Fast growing provider appoints chairman

Ashworth Grange resident Brenda Prentice tries on some old fashioned headgear with care assistant Amber Ginnelly.

Residents visit museum RESIDENTS from Ashworth Grange residential and dementia care home in Dewsbury enjoyed a day out when they visited the nostalgic Abbey House Museum in Kirkstall.

The trip was organised by staff at the home after residents had suggested visiting in a recent social committee meeting.

Residents stepped back in time and wandered around the recreated Victorian streets of Leeds, peeking into the old fashioned shops and houses. This sparked a lot of chatting and reminiscence from the residents, particularly Brenda Prentice, who has lived in West Yorkshire all her life.

Brenda remarked how it brought back fond memories when she explored the cobbled streets of the museum, and perused the familiar memorabilia.

After spending some time in the museum, the group admired the view of the Abbey complete with the colourful leaves which are plentiful at this time of year.

Yvonne Mulholland, regional activities executive for Ashworth Grange, is a great believer in activities being at the heart of care, and was thrilled when the idea of visiting Abbey House Museum came up.

She said: “We take regular trips out and have recently been to Nostell Priory and Oakwell Hall, but I was most excited about Abbey House Museum as I knew it would evoke some great memories for our residents.

“Staff on the trip enjoyed listening to the stories of old times, and it really strengthened their bond with the residents.”

NEW Care, one of the fastest growing care home operators in the UK, has appointed Dominic Kay as its chairman.

Dominic joins New Care from Barchester, where he was group commercial director.

In his role as chairman, Dominic’s key objectives will include a mixture of sourcing suitable sites for new care facilities, selling sites, corporate governance, ops audit, legal input and relationship management with key customers.

Using his expertise and knowledge, he will also assist with certain projects for the McGoff Group, of which New Care is a part.

Dominic has enjoyed a hugely successful career in the care sector; he was previously the main board director of Four Seasons Health Care for 10 years and one of the founder members of the restructuring committee of Southern Cross.

He also held a director position at Yates Group, so has plenty of experience in the leisure sector too.

Dominic said: “I am really excited to be chairman of New Care. The company has big plans in place for the remainder of this year and beyond, so it is good to be an integral part of these. I am also glad to be based back in the North West.”

Dominic has been a non-executive director for New Care for two years,

Dominic Kay so is already very familiar with the company.

He added: “Over the course of the last couple of years I have witnessed how fast moving and open to new ideas New Care is as a company. It is wonderful to be involved with such a progressive and innovative business, and I am very much looking forward to an exciting future here.”

Chris McGoff, CEO of New Care, added: “His knowledge and past experience will be of a huge benefit to the company and I am looking forward to further developing our working relationship in the coming years, driving New Care forward and ensuring it becomes the leading care home operator in the UK.”

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Home where residents control their own care wins national award

By Dominic Musgrave

A CUMBRIAN care home where the residents control their own care and the staff describe themselves as working in their residents’ home was named Care Home of the Year by the National Gold Standards Framework Centre.

Silloth Nursing Home in Wigton beat off stiff opposition from the six other facilities on the shortlist to win the award that is presented to the care home judged by an expert panel to be delivering the best end-of-life care.

The judges, who included national independent experts from the sector, assessed all seven finalists against 20 standards and Silloth scored full marks in all of the categories.

Linda Faulder, senior nurse at Silloth, said providing their 38 residents with a home away from home was central to everything she and all 70 staff members strived for.

She added: “They are right at the centre of everything we do. Care is delivered how they want it, where they want it.

“We have given them control of their care and they own it. We sometimes joke about how we just work in their home. But it’s true.

“We talk to our residents about their wishes right from when they arrive in

the home. This includes everything from the meals they like, family visiting times and how they want their room.

“This is their home not a last chance hotel and we want all of our residents to have a good life right up until the end of their life.”

In line with their wishes, all but two of the residents at Silloth who died in the last year, did so at the home.

All of the shortlisted homes had achieved Beacon status (the highest possible) at GSF reaccreditation and demonstrated an outstanding commitment to provide their residents the very best personalised care right up until the end of their lives.

The other shortlisted homes were: n Chestnut House Nursing Home, Dorchester. n Churchill House, Ludlow. n Wren Hall Nursing Home, Nottinghamshire. n The Grange Residential Home, Southampton. n Birds Hill Nursing Home, Poole. n Camelot House, Wellington.

As well as the main award, 14 homes were receiving the GSF Quality Hallmark for the first time, while 38 were being re-accredited.

This is the third time that Sillloth Nursing Home has been accredited

by GSF.

New Kent based home care provider Caremark (Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge & Malling) donned their walking shoes and trainers to take part in the Alzheimer’s Memory Walk challenge to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society. Bright autumn sunshine shone for the enthusiastic group of walkers and dogs who gathered in Dunorlan Park to walk the three laps around the lake, a total of two-and-a-half miles. Each walker wore an Alzheimer’s Memory Walk Society badge and a bib recording the name of the person for whom they were walking. The event raised £247 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Youngsters knit winter warmers DARTON Primary School pupils and Mapplewell Library teamed up to knit nap blankets for elderly residents at Deangate Care Home in Barnsley.

The young knitters – who call themselves the Big Friendly Knitters – spent their summer holidays creating three patchwork woollen blankets.

Sophie Miller, 11, and twins Sophie and Olivia Bentley, eight, took part in the project after librarian Beverly Kenworthy started the knitting

club at the library. Tutor Janice Bouchouat taught the girls how to knit and helped them assemble the blankets before they chose Deangate Care Home to donate the winter warmers.

Jonathan Edwards, home manager, said: “We’d like to thank both Mapplewell Library and the Darton Primary School pupils for the generous donation.

“They look fantastic and I’m sure our residents will really enjoy using them.”

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CARINGNEWS

Mark is named Spirit of Abbeyfield winner

Residents from Acacia Court near Leeds with children from a local school.

Homes celebrate the harvest

RESIDENTS and guests of Meridian Healthcare’s care homes hosted a special afternoon of activities as they opened their doors to celebrate the harvest festival.

The homes hosted a range of activities including harvest displays, bake sales, live entertainment, church services and even a visit from the local donkey sanctuary.

Local schools also got involved, with the children working with residents to create scarecrows, decorate cakes and hold a royal cup design competition.

A key part of the day in all of the homes was the distribution of harvest collections to local food banks and

community groups.

Jane Selkirk, Meridian Healthcare’s care relationship manager, said: “The residents in all of our homes thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the harvest festival with the community.

“We would like to thank everyone for taking part and for their kind donations to the community.”

Five homes took part in the harvest celebrations including Augustus Court, Acacia Court, Lauren Court, The Denby and The Millbrook.

Run by award-winning Meridian Healthcare, the homes provide residential care and support to elderly men and women.

MARK Addison, household domestic at Dene Holm Care Home in Northfleet, was presented with The Abbeyfield Kent Society’s Spirit of Abbeyfield Award at the annual ceremony.

The Society’s Spirit of Abbeyfield event takes place each year at Hempstead House in Sittingbourne and welcomes staff who have achieved long service or NVQs throughout the year.

As well as the certificate presentation, the event also recognises one of the Society’s 500 employees or volunteers who have gone above and beyond their job role with their commitment to older people.

This year’s winner, Mark Addison, was chosen for his commitment to improving the atmosphere at Dene Holm through a range of creative methods, as well as his willingness to turn his hand to anything.

Mark has worked for the Society for three years and has continued to strive to improve the environment for residents at Dene Holm, creating innovative feature walls, working on the garden and sourcing items to improve the home for next to nothing, or sometimes for free.

Mark has also held fundraising events at the home and accompanies residents on trips. As well as his work within the home, Mark cares for his aunt single-handedly and often offers

Mark Addison to help in his own time, whether it’s painting and decorating or gardening.

Mark, who thought he was attending the event to drive the other staff, was shocked when he realised his colleagues on the winner’s video were talking about him and was left speechless when accepting his trophy.

Christine Hutchinson, home manager of Dene Holm, said: “Mark embodies the Spirit of Abbeyfield because he truly goes above and beyond his job role as a lead domestic. Without him, I do believe this home would be nowhere near as advanced as it is.”

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CARINGNEWS

Voice of an angel in demand after wowing singer A SINGING care practitioner with “the voice of angel” who wowed opera superstar Bryn Terfel with her talent is in demand.

Local MP Ian Lucas asked Sheena Miranda, 28, who works at the Pendine Park care organisation in Wrexham, to perform at the town’s Street Festival in Queen’s Square.

Ian heard Sheena’s crystal clear soprano voice at the town’s Vic recording studio.

Back in 2003, she landed a 50,000 Peso prize – around £850 – in a televised show called Search for a Star in her native Philippines.

According to Sheena, she turned down the offer of a recording contract to study marketing at De La Salle University in Manila.

She now works at Bodlondeb – Pendine Park’s centre of excellence for dementia care.

Sheena sang for bass-baritone Bryn Terfel and former royal harpist Hannah Stone when they visited Pendine Park last year.

She said: “I came to Wales in 2012 and married my husband Steven Joseph Miranda.

“We set up an online graphic design company, Alphadech Media Ltd that Steven runs from home. We print personalised T-shirts, coffee mugs and things like that.”

“But I enjoy working at Bodlondeb and singing for residents when I can.

I’d like to perform professionally and on my days off I go to Vic Studios in Wrexham. I’ve written a lot of my own

Sheena Miranda songs and I’m recording them.

“I write the lyrics and a guy called Mike Harmina composes the music for me. I do one to two hour sessions at the studios each week to rehearse and record my songs.”

“I’m also doing my Level 8 London College of Music exam, which I am doing through North Wales Music Tuition. When I get proper certification I’d like to further my performing skills.”

“I was thrilled when I got an email of Ian Lucas asking me to sing.

She added: “I just really enjoy singing and performing, especially songs from the musicals. I sang Habanera from Carmen for Bryn Terfel when he came to Bodlondeb.

He really clapped me and told me I had done a brilliant job. Naturally I was thrilled.”

Chef’s cook up award for home HEAD chef Fiona McGregor and her catering team at Grandholm Care Home, part of the Holmes Care Group, are celebrating retaining their Food Safe Award from Aberdeen City Council for the second year running.

The home received a pass with Eat Safe, which means they have achieved excellent food hygiene compliance and have been recognised under the Food

Standards Agency’s Eat Safe Award Scheme.

There were just 18 accolades awarded across the city, of which Grandholm was the only care home to receive one.

Service manager Karen Paul said: “This has been a wonderful achievement for our kitchen team who take great pride in their work and shows their ongoing commitment to Grandholm.”

A North East care home has secured its third win in a row in an annual competition. Manicured lawns, well maintained borders and a profusion of pots and hanging baskets once again secured Heatherfield Care Home, Cramlington, the top spot in North Tyneside in Bloom 2016. The home, part of the Prestwick Care Group, has now won the award five times, and Atul Malhotra, director of operations for its Newcastlebased parent company, Malhotra Group plc, said: “The competition is always very strong in this category and so we are delighted to have won for the third time running. The gardening team, with help from the residents, work incredibly hard all year around and the amount of pleasure they get from gardening is matched only by the pleasure our visitors get when they see everything in full bloom.”

Care worker retires aged 81 A WORKER from homecare provider Nurse Plus Dover was praised for her long-standing caring career as she retired at the age of 81.

Sam Sellars, born in Middlesbrough in September 1935, joined the Nurse Plus team in 2011, then aged 75. Her caring career began in 1953 where she was a nurse at Newcastle Hospital.

Four years later Sam took a career break to care for her children and went back into nursing in 1965 for another ten years. Sam went onto reach retirement age whilst working for the Inland Revenue from 1975 to 1995.

It was not until she moved to the South East in 1996 that Sam followed her natural instinct, providing four more years of care for people in their own homes.

In August 2011, Sam joined Nurse Plus as a home carer, where she dedicated five years to providing a quality service to some of the most vulnerable service users in Kent.

Mary Harvey, Nurse Plus branch manager, said: “Sam has been a real asset to Nurse Plus, her years of experience have helped and reassured our vulnerable service users in the community, she has such a strong caring and attentive nature.

“We are so grateful and thankful for the time she has dedicated to us.

Sam Sellars (centre) with branch manager Mary Harvey and Nurse Plus managing director Pamela Bruce.

Her experience and reliability will be sorely missed by all.”

On her final day, colleagues and clients praised Sam for the 23 years of care she has provided throughout her working career.

She added: “Keeping fit and active has helped me work as long as I have.

I have retired a few times now but feel this time is the right time.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a carer with Nurse Plus, getting to know the service users has been the best part of the role.”

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CARINGNEWS

Are you demonstrating best practice in oral care?

By Jane Peterson AS THE elderly are keeping their teeth for longer, people are being admitted into care homes with more of their own teeth.

It is estimated today that less than three per cent of the population aged 75 and above are edentulous (have no teeth) compared to 37 per cent in 1968. Forty years + ago it would have been more a matter of cleaning dentures rather than cleaning people’s teeth in care homes.

The elderly are more at risk of oral health problems due to a higher level of dependency and dementia.

Residents in care homes are encouraged to remain independent for as long as possible, but as the elderly become less able to brush their teeth adequately, they become more reliant on care staff for daily oral care.

With a general lack of availability to dental care services, support and training, it is no wonder that oral care in care homes has been criticised recently for not being seen to prioritise this area of personal care.

In 2014 I helped set up an oral healthcare scheme which involved local dental hygienists providing an oral healthcare service in care homes.

The aim was to educate and assist staff with oral hygiene procedures.

When the NICE guidance ‘Oral health for adults in care homes’ was published in July, I thought that care managers would be aware of the new recommendations and would be thinking of implementing oral care

awareness procedures, but instead the majority of care managers I contacted were unaware of these guidelines.

NICE Guidelines (NG48) In July 2016 the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidelines ‘Oral health for adults in care homes’ was published.

Its recommendations include: n Oral health assessment and mouth care plans. n Daily mouth care. n Care staff knowledge and skills. n Oral health promotion services. n Availability of local oral health services. n Care home policies on oral health and providing residents with support to access dental services.

These recommendations are to help raise the level of awareness in care homes, enabling that oral care needs to be addressed and documented.

Some community dental services are suggesting care homes nominate a staff member as a ‘dental champion’. I am hopeful this will help to improve the level of oral care throughout a care home as this role will ensure that procedures have been carried out.

At present there is no mandatory training in oral care, and assessments for residents is a recommendation and not a requirement.

It seems bizarre to exclude the mouth from a physical observation while carrying out an initial assessment on a newly admitted resident.

Elderly people often enter into a

care home with preexisting oral problems as a result of inadequate oral health while living on their own.

An oral assessment will serve as an indicator to any foreseen oral problem.

The importance of oral Jane Peterson care The main constituents of plaque is bacteria, which begins forming just hours after brushing our teeth, and which is why it is advised we brush our teeth twice a day to help prevent: n Tooth loss (periodontitis). n Bleeding gums (gingivitis). n Cavities (decay).

Plaque sticks to any hard surface, which means that it will adhere to teeth and dentures. It can easily be removed with a toothbrush, but over time it may become hard to form tartar (calcified plaque), which cannot be removed with a toothbrush.

As well as the effects plaque has on the gums and teeth, it is important to remember about the sense of wellbeing a clean mouth, has and the

effects poor oral health has on the body.

Studies have shown links between poor oral health and its effects on the body. It is thought that plaque escapes into the body causing damage and has been linked to: n Heart disease. n Diabetes. n Dementia. n Rheumatoid arthritis.

Life threatening Perhaps the most important link is between dental plaque and aspiration pneumonia, a life-threatening condition which is caused when bacteria and debris from the mouth and throat is inhaled to cause an infection in the lungs. It is of utmost importance to reduce as much plaque and debris from the mouth including dentures on a daily basis to lower the incidence of such cases.

The most important thing to know about aspiration pneumonia is that it can be prevented.

Challenging Residents with dementia are more likely to be challenging in oral procedures and, as this group is expected to rise significantly in the future, my concern is that oral care will fall further. For staff that find carrying out daily oral care procedures unpleasant, having to deal with people that resist or reject brushing can only serve to exacerbate those feelings. n Jane Peterson is a dental hygienist with Knowledge Oral Health Care.

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CARINGNEWS

Home opens dementia service

Resident Colin Scarrott and deputy manager Tracey Hincliffe showcase their hairstyles.

RMBI care home Zetland Court in Bournemouth has opened a new dementia service which can support up to 18 people with specialist care.

Residents living in Red Admiral View can enjoy a variety of stimulating activities at the Home’s new dementia support house, benefiting from a bar area, kitchen, own bus stop, and a range of communal spaces.

The dementia support house contains different themed areas to help give residents a feeling of familiarity and the opportunity to

reminisce.

There is also an enclosed sensory garden to stimulate all five senses, a vegetable patch and quiet outside areas to sit and relax.

Home manager Debbie Powell said: “We’re really excited to launch our new dementia service at Zetland Court.

“We have a dedicated staff team who have been trained to provide specialist dementia care, so we can continue to support our residents’ individual needs and help them to live fulfilling and meaningful lives.”

CHRISTOPHER Guy Interiors has reopened its newly refurbished sales office and showrooms at its factory in West Yorkshire.

The last 12 months have brought the company 16 new builds where full turn-key packages were installed, as a result of this the company has restructured its production processes and taken on a number of additional upholsterers to maintain its excellent level of service.

Another success story for the company is the introduction of the new ‘Florence’ chair, which has proved to be one of its fastest selling chairs to date.

Customer service is the key element in the company’s development strategy. Knowledgeable sales advisors and customer service agents are ready to handle your queries in a professional manner, the combination of which will strengthen

its presence in the contract furnishings arena.

If you are looking for quality bedroom and dining furniture, traditional hand crafted upholstery for your care home project or refurbishment you can expect to save upwards of 30 per cent off your projected budget.

Christopher Guy Interiors also offer a free interior design service.

Care home stands up to Cancer and raises £400 Hand crafted in Yorkshire

MORE than £400 has been raised for Cancer Research UK by a team of carers, staff and residents at Czajka Care Group’s Brookfield Care Home in the Nab Wood area of Shipley.

Activities coordinator Julie Morley organised the ‘Stand Up To Cancer’ event which saw residents, their families, staff and visitors take part in a range of fundraising activities.

She said: “As well as the usual cake stalls and raffles, we decided that in order to raise as much money as possible, we should do some more hair-raising activities.

“Both deputy manager Tracey Hincliffe and one of our residents, Colin Scarrott, agreed to shave their heads if they received enough sponsorship – and they did.

“Our HR manager Daniel Czajka also agreed to have cream cakes thrown at him in return for donations to the cause, which was very sporting

of him.

“In total we raised £416 and everyone had a great time.”

Stand Up To Cancer is a televised fund raising event shown on Channel 4 which has raised over £15million for Cancer Research UK to date. All of the money donated funds breakthrough translational research, finding cures for cancer faster. Stand Up To Cancer funds 30 clinical trials across the UK. Czajka Care Group’s human resources manager, Daniel Czajka, added: “Our staff and residents are all incredibly charitable and we are always thinking of new and fun ways of raising money so we can support valuable causes.

“When Julie asked me to volunteer to have cream cakes thrown at me I couldn’t refuse, as it was in aid of such a worthwhile cause, I have to say though, that I won’t be eating cream cakes anytime soon.”

SPONSORED BY

www.bluerockcare.com

Stockton police officers receive dementia awareness training

Top accolade for pregnant care worker

By Dominic Musgrave

A GLOUCESTER care home worker has won plaudits for completing her qualifications in record time – and while pregnant.

Hannah Muggleton, who works at The Knoll, finished her NVQ in just three months, when she was expected to take a year.

Now the 23-year-old, who is expecting her first baby in a matter of weeks, has been named ‘achiever of the month’ by the company that oversaw her qualification, Aspiration Training.

Course leaders were wowed by Hannah’s commitment to completing the course before she went off on maternity leave.

Hannah started as a care assistant at the Redwood Healthcare Group owned facility in 2014, and will be back to work next year.

She said: “I love my job and I was determined to get my NVQ before I went off on maternity leave.

“The course has really boosted my confidence and I was spurred on by the kind praise and support from my colleagues, who really helped me believe in myself.”

Debbie Smith, manager of The Knoll, added: “We’re over the moon for Hannah. She’s worked so hard and it’s an amazing achievement to have got through what was expected to take a year in just three months.”

STOCKTON Police officers have received dementia awareness training from the manager at a local care home.

As part of the national scheme ‘Herbert Protocol’ all police officers are required to have an understanding of dementia.

They are increasingly being called out within the community to help when a vulnerable adult goes missing and need the skills to minimise the distress of both the individual and their family.

Silk Healthcare’s care home Reuben Manor looks after many residents with dementia and, with that expertise and experience, the home’s manager Julie Peyton was asked to deliver a training session for Police Constables and PCSOs from Cleveland Police. The aim was to equip them with an understanding of dementia in order to best support the community they serve.

They received information on what the condition is, advice and tips on how to communicate with someone who has dementia, using case studies and scenarios to create real life situations officers might find

Reuben Manor care home in Stockton-on-Tees. themselves in.

Julie delivered the free sessions to the officers at Stockton Police Station, and said “These awareness sessions are really useful for anyone interested in understanding more about the condition.

“We focused on Alzheimer’s disease, behaviours that challenge and communication.

Police officers can come in to contact with people with

dementia in a variety of situations and they are asked to respond when a person a has gone missing.

“By delivering these sessions to people in the community, we are helping to make the local area more dementia aware.”

Staff from Silk Healthcare’s homes have also been working with the local school in their areas to raise awareness of dementia among the young.

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24

CARINGTRAINING AND RECRUITMENT

Colten Care employs first Admiral Nurse

Outstanding employees at Hallmark Care Homes were recognised at a glittering awards ceremony in their honour. 21 team members across Hallmark Care Homes’ 15 facilities, which specialise in residential, nursing and dementia care, had their hard work celebrated at the Hallmark Care Homes’ Awards held at The Beaumont Estate in Windsor, Berkshire. The event was jointly hosted by television presenter Eamonn Holmes and Hallmark Care Homes’ MD Avnish Goyal, and each winner was encouraged to walk on stage and receive a certificate and an award. At the ceremony, which was attended by over 200 people, team members were recognised for going above and beyond in their care provision across 13 categories, ranging from Care Home Team to Care Chef and Dementia Care Champion. In advance of the event, each finalist had been nominated and interviewed by senior Hallmark executives and their category sponsors.

Busy few months for QCS QCS has had a busy few months on the road attending events, conferences and exhibitions such as the Care Roadshows, the Care and Health Show and the Care and Dementia Show among others.

Ed Watkinson, director of care quality, said: “Attending and presenting at these events have provided a valuable opportunity to meet with existing and prospective clients, and to show how we are able to meet the latest challenges people running services are experiencing.

“We have also been really excited to show our new policy format and have been delighted with the feedback we

have received.

“People uniformly liking the simplified format and new features we have incorporated into each policy such as ‘key facts’, how the policies are all linked to the most appropriate KLOEs, and what evidence could be presented to show you are outstanding in a particular policy area.”

Ed added: “We are really looking forward to delivering further improvements to our management system and making the lives even easier for people that run services, and freeing people up to do what they do best, which is care for people.”

SOUTH Coast care home provider Colten Care has appointed its first Admiral Nurse to offer specialist support for individuals and families affected by dementia.

Created in partnership with the charity Dementia UK, the role is aimed at helping residents’ families and those in the wider communities served by Colten Care’s 20 homes.

The company said postholder Kay Gibson has been appointed “due to her extensive knowledge and qualifications in dementia care.”

Operations director Elaine Farrer added: “To put into perspective just how important this appointment is for us as a private operator, there are more than 650,000 registered nurses in the UK but only 180 Admiral Nurses, and most of them are in the NHS. “Having Kay with us is a huge step forward in our dementia care strategy. We are thrilled to welcome her as we seek to meet our company-wide promise of supporting families to overcome the challenges associated with dementia.”

Kay is already known to Colten Care’s Dorset homes as she was previously an in-reach specialist nurse at Dorset Healthcare University Trust.

She said: “I’m genuinely excited to be at Colten Care and championing its continual drive towards excellence

Admiral Nurse Kay Gibson. in dementia care. My role is both hands-on and strategic. It involves practical clinical supervision on the floor, reviewing dementia training and helping to develop the overall dementia strategy.

“As well as supporting the residents, families and team members at our homes I will be actively going out and helping the wider community too.

“If, for example, a family is struggling with decisions about a care home, or has concerns about an admissions process, I will meet with them to help. It’s so essential to get dementia care right for each individual and family affected by it. I want to help raise the positive profile of care homes and how we provide dementia care.”

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CARINGNEWS

Choosing the right fabric could keep your care home germ free WHEN choosing fabrics to adorn seating in a care home environment, like many people, you may think it’s more about style than substance.

Interior design is without doubt becoming a commercial priority for many care homes and care groups as they switch from old-fashioned institutional concepts to those with a more homely and luxurious feel.

The considered design of a care home interior not only exudes quality and a professional image but it can also contribute to the comfort and wellbeing of the residents living within that space.

Regardless of the need for a focus on aesthetics, and a less institutional look, every aspect of a care home has to be functional and enable a good standard of care.

Seamlessly functioning in what are usually high traffic, high demand settings, requires low maintenance design solutions, and the ability to maintain and clean surfaces effectively – including fabrics.

Optimising cleanability without sacrificing design and comfort is ultimately the customers’ choice.

Seating within care home environments is usually manufactured to order with the customer selecting which fabric the chair will be covered in.

Specialist healthcare fabrics are highly sophisticated engineered solutions. For many customers their first thought of specialist fabrics may conjure images of the ‘wipe and go’ vinyl.

Although there is most certainly a place for vinyl within care home environments, it isn’t the only option when looking for cleanability, performance, and durability from a fabric.

Accidents do happen and the cleaning up of bodily waste is generally a given situation in most care homes. When specifying fabric it makes sense to find the right product for the practical demands and time constraints staff are faced with.

Performance fabrics are now so advanced that aside from offering waterproof, stain repellent, and flame retardant properties, fabrics can also have a domestic appearance while providing an extra layer of protection

from infection with germ proof antimicrobial products.

Before choosing fabrics for your care home think about removing the risk of exposure to nasty infections and bugs as well as the robustness required from a regular cleaning schedule.

Questions you should ask are: How is the fabric waterproof?

Does the fabric have anti-microbial treatment? How long will the fabric treatments last? Are the applied fabric treatments toxic? Will they cause allergic reactions? Has the fabric been tested? Is it easy to clean? Does it meet the required flammability standards – an essential requirement as it means the fabric meets with stringent safety requirements set by British Standards for use in public settings.

An anti-microbial treatment should be permanent, regardless of the number of times it is cleaned. Ask for reassurance that the fabric will still perform to infection control standards once it has been in use and cleaned.

If the fabric isn’t post treated to make it waterproof – preventing water passing through to the foam – it isn’t waterproof – unless it’s vinyl.

Again ask for reassurance.

One textile company that has pioneered their own concept of antimicrobial fabrics is Yorkshire based textile manufacturer Camira.

As a result of extensive research conducted with NHS Trusts and their cleaning staff, Camira have used intelligent design to combat the opinion amongst cleaning staff that fabrics in healthcare settings lack cleanability due to the weave retaining substances in the grooves.

As a result of the research, Camira designed and now manufacture three completely flat weaves, Blossom, Aspen, and Linden, which are tight and scrubable and treated with a permanent germ free solution branded in-house called TriOnyx.

The treatment consists of an antimicrobial and anti-fungal treatment called mædical™ to deactivate microorganisms, including the bacteria that causes MRSA, salmonella, Aspergilus Niger, Penicillum, E. coli, and Cladosporium herbarum.

It then receives a kinder to the environment stain repellent treatment before bonding to an impervious waterproof PU membrane, which means any spills or accidents do not seep through to the structure or foam within the chair.

During further testing and research Camira were asked to provide reassurance that healthcare fabrics treated with the TriOnyx system would still perform to infection control standards once they had been in use (stained/soiled) and cleaned.

It was decided that a used/ soiled chair would be returned for trialling. It’s worth mentioning seating shouldn’t be allowed to become heavily soiled. For the sake of comfort, hygiene, and safety, the recommended cleaning guidelines should always be followed and as swiftly as possible after an accident.

Two measurable standards were agreed.

After cleaning the fabric would still perform to being: n Waterproof (Hydrostatic Head) – measured by test method BS 3424 Part 26 Method 29A. n Antimicrobial – measured by test method AATCC 147.

Using a warm water solution with standard upholstery cleaner the solution was applied to the fabric and then removed. A moderate amount of water was used and the whole area was wetted out due to the level of soiling. The cleaning took approximately five minutes to complete. The chair was left to dry overnight.

After cleaning, the fabric was noticeably cleaner without soiling.

The sample was also unpicked and noted that the white flocked backing showed no evidence of water penetration from cleaning and there

was no disturbance to the waterproof film.

The independent testing passed against both performance criteria: n Anti-bacterial – no growth on or around the sample n Hydrostatic head – no penetration at the volume of water representing two metres, which exceeds the industries, ‘pass’ criteria of one metre.

Camira’s specialist performance finish healthcare fabrics have been designed and engineered specifically for safety and cleanability. The anti-microbial and flame retardant properties are permanent and not affected by cleaning. The finish is completely waterproof. The stain repellent provides extra time to tackle liquid spillages by an added element that promotes a beading action.

Even though tough textiles can provide comfort and time saving assistance for care staff, fabrics still need TLC to keep them in top condition and looking their best. A regular care and maintenance routine will still be needed for the fabrics to continue to look good, perform well, and protect for longer. Ensure you regularly vacuum the fabric to remove crumbs, dust, and dirt. Soak up spills as quickly as possible, blotting the area using a dry absorbent cloth.

Persistent stains can be cleaned with a damp cloth or upholstery shampoo but never leave soap or cleaning fluid residues on the fabric surface or fully immerse, or ‘wet out’ the fabric. Steam cleaning and solvent based cleaners are not recommended either, this form of cleaning will eventually damage the fabric and ultimately its long-term performance.

You do have to be realistic. Soft and comfortable fabric doesn’t have to mean problems or hard work for staff, but it is important to consider many factors when choosing products and services that will be suitable for the demands of a care home environment.

The same considerations should apply to your fabric choices. Whether you want to scrub it, wash it or just wipe it down quickly, fabrics that provide safe, practical and beautiful upholstery solutions are out there working hard for you.

27

CARINGNEWS

Awareness of key patient safeguarding legislation in the UK is ‘low to average’ A SURVEY of health and social care professionals in England and Wales has discovered shortfalls in adhering to key legislation designed to protect vulnerable patients.

Over half (56 per cent) consider awareness and application levels of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to be low to average.

An additional 89 per cent state that they would like a better understanding of how to work with patients under the MCA. The survey follows a recent Care Quality Commission report, stating that despite pockets of good practice, hospital and care providers are still not adequately implementing their responsibilities around the MCA. Desuto, a provider of online decision support and report writing tools for health and social care professionals, carried out the survey of 100 health and social care professionals to establish industry attitudes and opinions on implementation of the Act. Respondents included various professionals such as social workers, nurses and care home managers that are required to comply with the MCA. The results evidence the need for more support as the stress of clinical demand, time pressures and lack of resources take their toll.

Almost three quarters (71 per cent) of respondents also express concerns over litigation and other non-

compliance related consequences.

There is a clear desire for more support to aid with decisions and reporting as 96 per cent of health and social care professionals agree that expert guidance and information around the MCA would provide more confidence in the workplace.

Furthermore, 92 per cent of respondents believe that tools and technology could aid with the decision-making process and streamline reporting.

Efficiency was also found to be an issue, with 87 per cent of respondents finding the creation of patient reports time-consuming.

Mike Hostick, CEO of Desuto, said: “Protecting the rights of patients is paramount to health and social care professionals.

“Our survey demonstrates, however, that to do so the industry needs more information on hand to help with decision-making.

“This is matched by an eagerness from professionals to meet their obligations as fully as possible – with the right education and support.

“A number of barriers are preventing professionals from feeling fully confident in practice which in turn could adversely affect patient care.”

Somerset Care has appointed Julie Cullis as its new assistant director for residential care. Julie has a wealth of knowledge in the sector, having started her care career in 1987 when she joined Somerset County Council’s home care team. In 1996 Julie transferred to residential care, becoming a care support assistant at Frith House in Burnham-on-Sea. Working her way up through Somerset Care, Julie was appointed as an operations manger in March 2012 and, more recently, was promoted to the assistant director of quality and performance. She said: “I am really excited to be taking the lead for our residential service. I am wholeheartedly committed to improving the lives of the people who live and work in our homes.”

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CARINGNEWS

Berendsen wins Best Sustainability Policy category at first LCN Awards BERENDSEN, the UK’s leading provider of outsourced textiles services, has won the award for Best Sustainability Policy at the inaugural Laundry & Cleaning News Awards.

This recognises the company’s commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Berendsen has invested significantly in recent years in environmental practices to minimise its impact to the environment. Among the many water saving measures introduced, it has altered its washing procedures by introducing new systems that reduce rinse water volumes and invested in water recovery equipment.

These efforts have been complemented with a range of energy saving measures. This includes implementing equipment that recovers heat from our boilers’ exhaust gasses and uses the recovered heat back in the boiler, switching to LED energy-saving lighting, using efficient vehicles to cut emissions, and adopting environmentally responsible ways of disposing of detergents.

Through these measures, Berendsen has cut

its water usage by 55.5 per cent – which equates to more than one billion litres of water per year – and reduced its carbon footprint by 26.4 per cent, which is equivalent to the emissions of 4,500 households.

These impressive figures have been validated by the Carbon Trust, earning Berendsen the Carbon Trust Standard for Water and Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon Dioxide.

Enquiries: For further information visit http://www.berendsen.co.uk/

Armstrong supplies new equipment to sheltered housing development HOMESTEAD Court in Barnet is a sheltered housing development run by the Home Group, one of the UK’s largest providers of housing and supported housing services.

It consists of 36 one bedroom flats built in 1989.

The development includes a communal garden and lounge where a range of activities are held for or organised by residents.

There is also a communal kitchen for residents who wish to have a party on site.

Staff are on site Monday to Friday during the day and every resident is linked in to a community alarm service.

One of the on-site facilities for residents is a laundry, and during 2015 the laundry needed re-equipping.

The level of use clearly requires commercial specification equipment, so Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems supplied and installed a Schulthess 7kg capacity free standing high spin washer and an Amazon tumble dryer.

Residents use the machines themselves as and

when they want to at no additional cost.

Enquiries: Call 01635 263410, email enquiries@armstronglaundry.com or visit www.armstronglaundry.com

The annual award winners celebrate their successes.

NACC award winners announced THE National Association of Care Catering crowned the winners of its annual awards at a gala dinner at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham.

The prestigious accolades spotlight the continued exceptional work undertaken by care providers and caterers, as well as the sector’s unsung heroes.

Neel Radia, national chair, said: “Congratulations to all our winners.

Year on year, the exceptional examples of excellence in care catering step up a level and the judges have a most difficult task selecting the overall winners.

“We are privileged to work in a sector where talented and inspirational professionals push boundaries to deliver quality catering

provision that enriches the lives of those entrusted to their care. In all our finalists we see real dedication to the highest standards and I am in awe of each and every one of them. It’s an absolute honour to recognise this through the NACC Awards.”

Winners were: Meals on wheels – Hertfordshire Independent Living Service; Catering hero – Gareth O’Hara, chef, Sunrise of Cardiff; Catering team – Morden College catering team; Care establishment – Lymewood Court, St Helen’s, Merseyside; Catering manager – James Clear, hotel services manager, Care UK; Region of the year – South East; Pam Rhodes outstanding achievement – Roger Denton; Chairman’s award – Preston Walker, Oak House Care Home.

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CARINGNEWS

Negligence in care homes

By Laura Barlow THE inquest into the tragic death of Ivy Atkin, which in October found that she had been unlawfully killed, has brought the issue of negligence in care homes into stark focus.

Ivy Atkin died of pneumonia in November 2012 as a result of debilitation and low body mass index, due to the conditions at the Autumn Grange care home in Nottingham.

Yousaf Khan, the owner of the home, was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter over the death earlier this year. Following the inquest, Sue Howard, deputy chief inspector for adult social care at the Care Quality Commission, criticised the “unacceptable” level of care, which left inspectors “truly shocked”.

Although this is an extreme case and the vast majority of care homes across the UK take great pride in providing the best possible care to residents, the issue of negligence is one which is never far from the headlines. This care is a legal duty – homes have to provide a safe standard of living. But if they fail to take reasonable steps to ensure this safe environment, and there is subsequent injury or death, a claim for negligence could reasonably be pursued against them.

Substandard care could constitute a failure to adequately assess risk and/ or put in place preventative measures for a resident who falls and suffers injury or death, or similar measures

Laura Barlow for a resident at risk of developing pressure sores. Moreover, it could range from insufficient nutrition and hydration to medication errors – missed medication and overdosing, for example.

Proving a safe and healthy environment How can care home providers maintain a safe and healthy environment? The most important points to be mindful of are: n There should be effective management – this enables care home staff to know their roles and provide adequate care to the home’s residents. It is hoped the Autumn Grange fiasco and Yousef Khan’s personal culpability should go some way to make care home managers

more accountable. n Staff should be well-trained – it is crucial to develop a structured compulsory training regime which incorporates regular refresher sessions for all staff. n Care plans should comprehensive, up to date and consulted often – it is often the case that care plans are prepared when resident arrives, but subsequently rarely consulted going forward, and not necessarily available to hand for those who are actually providing the care. Indeed, plans should be reviewed regularly and particularly when a resident’s condition changes. n Detailed records of care should be maintained – Continuity of care is crucial and these records should be maintained to ensure residents’ needs are being met as set out in their care plan. n Priorities should be assessed – the needs of residents should be prioritised over profits at all times.

This may appear to be common sense, but ‘profits before people’ leads inevitably towards care falling below acceptable standards.

Dealing with complaints A recent BBC investigation revealed that relatives of some care home residents have been banned from visiting their vulnerable loved ones after complaining about the standards of care. Vulnerable residents have also been evicted from

their homes following complaints about poor care.

This kind of reaction to complaints about quality of care is unacceptable.

The Care Quality Commission has since released further information on visiting rights in care homes, the overall message being that people’s care and treatment must not be affected because they make a complaint, or because somebody complains on their behalf.

Care homes will only improve standards of care if they value feedback received about their services and work positively with residents and their relatives to try and improve care where valid concerns have been raised.

Managing claims of negligence If care home providers do face a negligence claim, they should consider carefully and honestly whether they have followed the steps above and given a safe standard of living to residents.

Openness about unacceptable care is key, and it is the best cause of action for care home providers to cooperate fully in the legal process as it develops. This enables providers to accept when they have made errors, and use it as a learning opportunity and a springboard to providing a higher standard of care in the future. n Laura Barlow is an Associate in the medical negligence team at Bolt Burdon Kemp.

31 SPONSORED BY

www.requiredsystems.com

Care workers’ long service is celebrated by provider

By Dominic Musgrave A GROUP of care workers with a combined career of 140 years has been commended for their long service and dedication by their employer, health and social care provider Shaw healthcare.

Seven members of staff were invited to a special award ceremony in Oxfordshire and presented with certificates to commemorate significant anniversaries with the care provider.

They included Sheila Davies-Jones, who joined Maes-y-Dderwen care home in Tredegar, South Wales as a cleaner 20 years ago before training to be a support worker in 2012. Her colleague Louise Hodson, together with Julie Watkins and Beverley Williams, from Cwm Celyn care home in nearby Abertillery, were all recognised for 25 years’ service with the provider.

Carolyn Booth, who joined Shaw in 2001 as a team leader and later became a quality manager with a UK-wide role, as well as Ruth Pinell and Sheila Hill, from Petersfield care home in Portishead, were also given an award for 15 years’ service and commended for their work with Shaw.

The awards were presented at a ceremony held by Shaw healthcare at the Manor Weston hotel in Oxfordshire, which was organised to celebrate the dedication of its longer serving staff across the country.

Winners of the long service awards.

Shaw’s deputy chief executive Suzanne Hughes and chief executive Jeremy Nixey attended the event to present the awards to the staff.

Jeremy said: “The long service awards were designed to celebrate those staff who have dedicated their career to providing excellent care to residents in our homes

Homecare firm ‘outstanding’

HOME Instead Senior Care’s office in Coventry South has become the eighth in the network to receive an Outstanding rating from the inspectorate, following an inspection in June this year.

The rating makes Home Instead the first homecare company in the region to receive the highest rating in the CQC’s new Ofsted-style system. It also makes the Home Instead Senior Care brand the only homecare provider to hold eight outstanding ratings.

Home Instead Coventry South was set up in 2014 by Phil WrightHowarth and Phil Maundrill.

The former said: “The Outstanding rating we have received confirms that we are getting it right Care is delivered by caring and compassionate CAREGivers who love their work and who feel respected for what they do.

“The support we provide is highly valued by our clients and their families.”

Phil Maundrill and Phil Wright-Howarth with caregiver Lorna Hancox and client Patsy Smith.

New Required Systems document download manager AN online, cloud-based system giving you instant access to the most up-to-date procedures and forms required to evidence compliance with the new CQC Fundamental Standards for England.

We provide all the policies, procedures, forms and audit tools you need to comply with legislation where you are based.

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across the country, so it was a real honour for me to be part of the celebration.

“While the event marked the achievement of this group of employees, I would like to commend the work of all of our members of staff, many of whom will no doubt be joining us at these ceremonies for their own achievements in years to come.”

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CARINGNEWS

London to Paris cycle ride for Hill Care MD

Belong Wigan resident Derek Hyde with an NCS member.

Village hosts reminiscence event RESIDENTS at specialist care village, Belong Wigan, enjoyed a reminiscence afternoon tea, organised and attended by teenagers from the National Citizen Service The group had previously taken part in one of the village’s Dementia Friends sessions, that provides skills for supporting individuals living with dementia.

The focal point of the afternoon was a ‘memory tree’ for which the NCS group asked residents to write down a special memory that was then pinned to a leaf on the tree. The youngsters created the memory tree as they had

learned that reminiscence therapy has been shown to be particularly beneficial for people living with dementia, stimulating cognitive ability as well as being therapeutic. The tree will remain in the Belong Wigan village.

Experience Day Support Worker at Belong Wigan, Tanya Guy, said: “It was wonderful to see the two generations getting on so well and the NCS members were very pleased that they had attended the Dementia Friends awareness session, so that they could appropriately support our customers.”

A GRUELLING charity cycle ride will be undertaken by the managing director of Hill Care Group.

Wendy Waddicor will pedal over 300 miles from London to Paris to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society. She will spend four days in July next year travelling between the capital cities of England and France under her own pedal power.

The challenge will be the highlight of nine months of fundraising activities across the care home group, which is based in Chesterfield and operates homes across the north of England.

She announced the ride at Hill Care’s annual conference, which focused on excellence through leadership, inspiring the group’s homes to organise their own events and activities in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society.

They will compete to see who can cycle the 300-mile distance fastest on static bikes within the homes and generate the most donations – with staff, residents’ families and visitors all being encouraged to take part.

Wendy said: “I am doing this challenge in order to raise funds for an organisation that means so much to me.

“We have an increasing number of people living with dementia who are making their home with us and we are proud of the care we provide.

But we are always keen and eager to improve our understanding and knowledge as a way to continually

Wendy Waddicor improve that care delivery.

“Funding is needed to provide support but also research and education.

Through this challenge, it is my aim to raise awareness within and outside our care homes, and I hope that everyone has a great deal of fun doing it.”

To sponsor Wendy on her London to Paris Cycle ride, taking place between July 19 and 22, visit www.justgiving. com/fundraising/wendy-waddicor

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Group confirms expansion with support from NatWest

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Royal Bank of Scotland funds new care home in Glossop

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New care home group launches with support from Clydesdale Bank

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Care provider forms key part of merger TWO leading Midlands-based housing and care providers have joined together, creating a new group employing 600 people and generating a turnover of around £65million.

Shropshire-based Severnside Housing and the Staffordshire-based Housing Plus have united to form the Housing Plus Group.

The new group includes care and support specialist Care Plus, which provides flexible, appropriate services designed to help people maintain their independence in retirement.

Care is delivered in the home and Care Plus also manages retirement living accommodation on behalf of the housing association.

Care Plus was established in 2010 and has been managing 13 retirement living schemes in Staffordshire.

Four purpose-built extra care developments have been launched in recent years, including the £14million Pencric, named Midlands

Development of the Year by the Chartered Institute of Housing and crowned Best Care Complex in the Pinders Healthcare Design Awards.

The merger has brought management of additional retirement living apartments in Shrewsbury and ambitious plans to extend care and support services across Shropshire.

Les Clarke, director of care and support in the new Housing Plus Group, said there is a growing need for specialist services aimed at helping people live fulfilling lives in their own homes.

He added: “The ageing population and pressure on NHS health services highlight a huge gap in the support available to older people who want to stay at home in their own communities but who need some care and support to allow them to retain their independence.

“In the new group we want to make sure that more people in towns and

Chief executive Sarah Boden with fellow Group directors. rural villages throughout Shropshire have combined our strengths so we and Staffordshire have all the options, can achieve more than we could have accomplished alone. opportunities and reassurance that they need.”

“Now we are looking forward to our future, with an increased capacity Sarah Boden, Severnside Housing’s chief executive of 10 years, has been and capability to deliver care and appointed to the post of group chief support across both counties as well as offering more choice of housing executive.

She added: “By coming together we options to all our customers.”

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Andrew Harrison and Paul Barford from NatWest with Susan Grieve, senior regional manager at Black Swan Care Group.

Group continues expansion

BLACK Swan International, which operates 15 private care homes across Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire, has secured a significant seven-figure sum from NatWest to help them acquire two facilities as part of its continued expansion plans.

Andrew Harrison, managing director, Midlands and East of England, NatWest recently joined Paul Barford, relationship director NatWest Healthcare Team and visited one of the acquired homes, Laurel Lodge.

The home provides residential care for up to 26 residents and is situated close to the city centre of Norwich.

Tom Lyons, managing director at

Black Swan International, said: “The NatWest Healthcare team has a real understanding of the sector and their local knowledge has proved invaluable to us.

“Their knowledge of our business and the funding they have provided has enabled our business to grow significantly over the last three years with the purchases of three new care homes, extensions at four homes and funding already approved for future purchases.

“Black Swan specialises in turning around poorly performing care homes and it is our plan to continue to grow by taking advantage of our ability to do this well.”

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RBS funds new care home in Glossop PENDLEBURY Care Homes Ltd’s third facility in the group, Regency Hall, has opened its doors in Hadfield, Derbyshire, offering specialist care and support for up to 68 people with dementia or frailty.

Six-figure funding has been provided by Royal Bank of Scotland to support this latest acquisition.

Previously a nursing home, Regency Hall has been transformed into a modern, luxurious and comfortable environment. Particular attention and consideration has been paid to the layout, colour schemes, orientation, furnishings and use of space, which are all important factors for the needs of the residents.

Since 2000, Pendlebury Care Homes Ltd has operated Lyme Green Hall in Macclesfield, Cheshire, and Pendlebury Court in Glossop, making Regency Hall the second home to open in the High Peak.

Combined, the group employs 127 members of staff across all three homes.

Sixty new positions have been created at Regency Hall including roles such as home manager, care assistants, chef, maintenance and domestics.

Christopher Morse, managing director of Pendlebury Care Homes Ltd, said: “The home was closed down two years ago and we are proud to bring this beautiful period building back to life with outstanding facilities

Dovecote Care Home.

Holly Smedley, registered home manager at Regency Hall, with Christopher Morse, Pendlebury Care Homes Ltd managing director and Adrian Taylor from the Royal Bank of Scotland. and high standards of care.

“The local community has enthusiastically welcomed the restoration of Regency Hall and its retention as a care facility. This is underscored by the fact that two-thirds of the bed spaces have already been reserved prior to the re-opening.”

Holly Smedley has been newly appointed as registered manager following her successful launch of a new luxury residential care facility with another provider.

New owners for closed home DOVECOTE Care Home in the Herefordshire village of Llangarron has been purchased by specialist care operators CareTech Holdings PLC. The home previously provided residential care for up to 15 residents (old age and dementia) until its closure in November 2015.

DC Care was instructed by Simon Haskew and Neil Vinnicombe of Begbies Traynor, acting as Law of Property Act receivers, to sell the home.

Senior sales negotiator Clare Jones managed the disposal of the closed home.

She said: “Finding a suitable

purchaser for Dovecote was a challenge for us due to its rural location; closed/former care homes are generally very sought after and attract a great deal of interest from specialist providers, property developers and house builders, but are most popular when they are situated in, or near to town centres and local amenities.

“CareTech, which operates services in a broad range of sites from town centres to rural locations, intends to adapt the building to become a specialist care service and was attracted by Dovecote’s quiet, village setting.”

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Group launches with bank’s support OAKDALE Care Group, a new care home operator, is developing a chain of state-of-the-art residential facilities for the elderly that will create 180 new jobs after securing a £13million funding package from Clydesdale Bank.

Buckinghamshire-based Oakdale aims to become a leading provider of elderly care facilities, with plans to deliver three new 66-bed residential care homes in the Northern home counties region. Clydesdale Bank is supporting the development of two of the homes and is providing funding for the third upon completion.

The homes, which are being built by LNT Group, will provide a mixture of residential and dementia care.

Each property will offer cinema and garden rooms, landscaped gardens, tea and coffee ‘shops’, beauty salon, full lifestyle activities and transport.

All bedrooms incorporate full en-suite wet rooms, air conditioning and sprinkler systems to ensure the highest possible standards of both care and safety.

Ground source heating and solar panels will help the homes to be energy efficient.

Construction on the Clydesdale backed homes is due to start soon, with completion scheduled for the autumn of 2017, creating 198 beds and 180 jobs in their local communities.

Oakdale Care Group has been founded by a small group of individual investor/directors who have significant experience in the

Oakdale Care Group has been founded by a small group of investor/directors who have experience in the sector. sector.

Chris Babington, FD of Oakdale, welcome the team’s proactive and The group aims to support the said: “I’m enormously proud of the flexible approach.” growing demand in the residential high specification homes we are Johnny Rowe, senior director at elderly care market. developing with LNT and support Clydesdale Bank, said: “The Oakdale In addition to the three homes from Clydesdale Bank, and in turn the team brings together decades of being delivered with support from quality services we will be delivering experience in the sector, building, Clydesdale Bank, Oakdale is building to elderly patients in the home commissioning and operating quality a fourth care home in Sutton in counties region. services.

Ashfield which is due to open April “We chose Clydesdale Bank as our “Healthcare is a key sector for next year. funding partner after its healthcare Clydesdale Bank and our focus The group hopes to create a chain of specialists demonstrated a deep is on ensuring the availability of 10 care homes offering over 600 beds, knowledge of the sector, specifically development finance and growth over the next few years. around development finance. We also funding for operators.”

Funding secured for new £50m scheme

Acacia Nursing Home in Yeovil.

Operator acquires fourth home SPECIALIST business property adviser Christie & Co has successfully completed the sale of Acacia Nursing Home in Yeovil to Somerset-based operator Camelot Care Ltd. The home, which was previously known as Hendford Nursing Home, had been owned by Aurora Care Ltd and operated by Caspia Care.

Having opened in 2010, it is registered to provide care for 41 residents all in single rooms with en-suite wet rooms.

Within the grounds of the property, there is land with planning

permission to add up to 40 extra bedrooms to the service as well as a currently unused building which will be able to provide ancillary space and additional accommodation for staff.

Simon Harvey, director in Christie & Co’s South West Healthcare team, said: “This sale, along with a number of others that have recently completed and are currently ongoing, shows the continuing appetite that exists for care home opportunities across the South West.”

The freehold interest of the business was sold off a guide price of £1.95m.

RETIREMENT and Care Village Partners has secured funding for Castle View Windsor as the first flagship urban retirement village under its Castle Retirement Living brand.

Once completed, the fully funded scheme in central Windsor will provide 130 homes for the over 55s, including a 72-bed care home.

With a mature project value of £50million, the £35m funding raised by Castle Retirement Living comprises £25m debt and £10m from a consortium of pension fund investors backing the care home.

Castle Retirement Living will retain the completed development and run the operational business.

Offering some of the best castle views in the town from its own rooftop sky lounge, bar and garden and situated next to Windsor Lawn Tennis Club, the new facility will be one of the most innovative urban retirement villages in the UK and also offer secure underground parking, a coffee shop and restaurant.

The three-acre scheme will comprise a total of 58, one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom apartments, ranging in size from 605 sq ft to 1,115 sq ft.

With a total of 50 per cent of the first phase reserved off plan to local residents, construction is now underway and Castle View Windsor will be ready for occupation in

Autumn 2018. The development’s separate dedicated care home will operated by Care UK to provide 24-hour nursing and dementia care.

Robin Hughes, managing director of Castle Retirement Living is masterminding the development using his 25 years’ experience in investment, development and carerelated projects, having assembled a complex jigsaw of land ownerships over a five-year period.

He said: “The successful funding of Castle View is a much needed injection of investor confidence in a sector which has traditionally struggled to attract funding.

“This is a fantastic long term opportunity for our investors in one of the largest retirement villages of its kind in the UK in a prime urban location and close to all local amenities and shops, just one mile from Windsor Castle.

“Having closely researched the area, there is nothing of this quality in the later life market in Windsor.

“Our scheme will deliver something substantially better given the final specification and centrality of the site which we have assembled.”

Prior to setting up the Castle Retirement Living brand, Robin developed a number of care villages for Richmond Villages and Shelborne Senior Living before setting up Retirement and care Village partners in 2010.

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CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS

Decision-making process to be transformed with new online support tool REAL time decision-making and report writing tool to improve provision of health and social care, provide confidence in the workplace and reduce regulatory burden Desuto, a leader in health and social care decision-support, has launched a unique new tool designed to transform the decision-making process for health and social care professionals across the UK. Targeted at those responsible for making complex decisions when caring for vulnerable people in society, the solution has already generated over 10,000 reports while in trial phase in the NHS and care home sector.

Following the success of the trial, Desuto has announced the tool will be made available to all health and social care professionals.

The tool is designed to provide vital decision support related to the Mental Capacity Act, assuring compliance with law and best practice standards to ensure positive outcomes.

Local authorities and NHS bodies across England and Wales work in accordance to the Mental Capacity Act 2005. However, the over-reliance on formal, classroom MCA training appears to be a major barrier to implementing the legislation in practice according to Care England.

The Desuto tool guides health and social care professionals to choose the right course of action when they need to make complex decisions about a person’s capacity, or in some cases highlights that the person has capacity. Best-interest decisions are simplified which in turn alleviates the risk of deprivation of liberty for those concerned. The tool delivers rapid and accurate guidance to provide peace-of-mind for professionals.

The tool includes an automatic report function, which generates a detailed, professionally written report

that is produced in a fraction of the time it would take to write by hand in order to deliver efficiencies. This in turn frees up time to deliver hands on care and helps to reduce human error. The technology also delivers auditing capabilities to produce charts showing the use of the tools and the type of decisions being made by staff members. The tool is compatible with mobile devices ensuring that it can be used at all times and from any location such as a person’s home, or in a care setting.

Mike Hostick, CEO of Desuto, said: “The Desuto team is made up of medical, nursing and therapy practitioners from the fields of health and social care that understand the needs of patients and professionals.

“This has allowed us to develop an intelligent solution that is aimed at the services providing care to individuals with conditions such as learning disabilities, dementia or mental health problems. It ensures that the correct decisions are made and provides users with the confidence that they will be able to apply the guidance in real life situations.”

Mike added: “Desuto developed the technology as a result of becoming more and more aware that many people within the care profession, who are often under great time pressure, were struggling to understand or apply MCA. There’s been overwhelming demand in the market for the tool with 10,000 reports generated during the trial.

“We are confident that the Desuto decision support tool will empower health and social care organisations across the UK to make appropriate and timely decisions on behalf of their patients or clients. Our primary goal is to ensure that the technology allows care teams to provide care based on values of fairness, respect, equality and dignity.”

Break from traditional design standards with Teal Living CAREFULLY designed for the residential care market Teal Living launches a modern sofa range called Idroo for those looking for something a little bit different with distinctive styling.

The 2.5 seat sofa and complementing armchair have been designed in consultation with care home owners who were seeking bespoke styling for locations such as open plan and communal lounge areas and reception foyers.

Design features include a comfort foam seat to aid pressure management as standard, and firm arm rests for support. The ergonomic design also provides a shorter seat depth than standard sofas, which allows for postural support and easy

access into and out of the seat.

Sara Jane Farrow, national sales manager at Teal Living says: “We’re manufacturing hi-end tailor made solutions ready for nonclinical interiors all geared towards helping the elderly maintain their independence.

“Our aim is to delight our customers with great furniture, exceptional choice, and outstanding performance and we believe this range will certainly achieve that.”

Based in Lancashire with its own manufacturing, Teal is a family business owned by the Senator Group. Operating across multiple sites, we manufacture for healthcare environments within the NHS and mental health sectors.

Wandering may be the greatest risk for people with dementia WANDERING may represent the greatest safety risk to older adults with dementia.

It increases their risk of injury or death and is especially dangerous for those who succeed in leaving a safe environment.

Research suggests that up to 30 per cent of care home residents with dementia wander each year, resulting in raised care costs for the home and local authority.

Assisitve technologies are available that can for example, detect a person leaving their bedroom or attempting egress through a main building exit.

Various types of alarm products are available to alert staff including, radio pagers, desktop alarm displays and connection to existing nurse call systems.

Wander detection alarms vary in price and technical features with a basic door alarm with a staff pager costing around £70, to resident wristband door egress systems at £300.

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.

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Dementia friendly design rejuvenates tired space

Courtney Thorne launches ‘Altra’ wireless call system COURTNEY Thorne, the wireless nurse call specialist, has launched the ‘Altra’ range for the care sector with Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, fall detection capability and proven reliability designed specifically for care home environments.

Building on a 40-year track record in the care sector, Courtney Thorne has developed an entirely new software architecture for the new Altra range, utilising smart mobile technology to provide a wireless system that combines proven radio frequency technology with Bluetooth and WiFi. The company is so confident that the Altra Range offers the ultimate in wireless nurse call capability and reliability that it is offering a threeyear warranty as standard with all systems.

In addition to traditional call buttons (Altra Call), pull cords (Altra Pull) and bathroom/toilet pull cords (Altra Assist), the range will also include wireless pressure mats and floor sensors, as well as the ‘Altra Wear’ pendant.

This can be worn on residents’ wrists or carried on a lanyard around their neck for complete freedom of movement within the care home grounds.

The wireless Altra Wear pendant has been designed to enable residents to call for assistance and ensure that staff are automatically alerted in the event of a fall.

The pendant combines multiple sensors and a digital microphone to detect a fall and send a location signal to the touch screen at the nurses’ station, so that help can arrive quickly, even if the resident is unable to raise the alarm.

Suitable for a wide range of residential care environments, including those that accommodate people with dementia, Altra enables complete personalisation of the nurse call system, with named residents appearing on the ’Altra Touch’ touch screen unit, ensuring that even agency staff can identify residents by name and location from the centralised display.

The Altra Touch collects call data, response times and call duration information to aid with management and planning of staffing levels and can generate reports to provide complete accountability and evidencing.

The new system also includes the Altra MiniTouch unit, a smaller wallmountable touch screen display that can be located in communal areas to provide call alerts and location information for staff without requiring them to return to the office to consult the Altra Touch.

It also offers ‘Altra Light’, a stylish call light that can be mounted outside residents’ rooms to provide an at-aglance indication of calls made from the corridor.

SHACKLETONS completed a dementia friendly refurbishment for the Chester based dementia care specialists Vivo Care Choices Ltd. Vivo hired Shackletons to transform the tired and dated interior of a dementia only, day, respite and short break care facility to improve wellbeing and cognitive function amongst its service users.

Shackletons presented a design strategy that provided a noninstitutional space to empower, stimulate and reduce confusion and isolation amongst individuals with dementia.

The completed first phase of work provided dementia friendly furniture, soft furnishings, and specialist reminiscence artwork to complement the improved lighting, flooring and paintwork schemes creating a calmer and more peaceful space.

Gary Hayward, business development officer, Vivo Care Choices Ltd, said: “I wanted to make a point of highlighting the distinct level of professionalism Sarah

Thompson and the Shackletons team have shown.

“I have had what feels like a very easy and pleasant experience in comparison to some of the other ‘relationships’ with contractors.

“I have only ever had really positive feedback with regards to the furniture quality, design and colour choices made.

“You wouldn’t believe the difference the décor and complementing furniture has made to the people who use our service.

“It was reported back to myself that there was a calmer atmosphere within the service, and that the furniture and soft furnishings have made the service feel more like an upmarket