Caring UK February 2011 by Script Media

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February 2011

incorporating The Number One magazine for the care sector

no.177 • £4.75 In association with

Cuts may lead to closures and death By Dominic Musgrave A GROUP which represents Northamptonshire’s care home owners has warned proposed funding cuts could lead to closures and the death of frail residents who are forced to move home. Glenn Hurd from the county’s Association of Registered Care Homes told Northamptonshire County Council if it cut the money it pays care homes to take council funded residents the decision would have serious repercussions. He told Caring UK the group, which represents 70 per cent of homes, is ‘shocked’ at plans to cancel a fouryear agreement reached in 2009 on the amount it paid in a bid to save money. “In 2009 we were given a four-year deal by the council to help stabilise the sector,” Glenn added. “We are surprised this agreement is being put forward to be withdrawn after just two years, particularly as home operators will have set budgets for the four-year period as promised by the council. “The consequences of cancelling this agreement to the well being of the sector cannot be understated.”

In 2009 the two parties agreed a cash injection of almost £1m after the group warned it would turn away council-funded residents and threatened to move out of the county because their businesses were no longer uviable. Glenn added: “The council should be aware that if this budget proposal stands there will be further home closures, reductions in quality, job losses and, as research has proven, an increased mortality rate among those older frail people that are forced to move due to home closures. “We all know that councils are having to save money, but it is time to spare the elderly and find savings elsewhere. There are simply none left to be found in the care home sector.” A spokesman for the council said at this stage it was just a proposal He added: “Substantial cuts in government grants are forcing us to make savings across all of our services. “Over the past two years we have invested in the Expected to Pay Rate above inflation. “We are therefore proposing that there is no increase to the rate in the next two years as the rate is now at a similar level as other authorities.”

Belly dancer leads the fun ...

Television presenter and journalist Esther Rantzen spent an afternoon talking to the residents at Nightingale House Care Home in Clapham. She enthralled a packed audience with stories from her career and her work with ChildLine. Esther also spoke about the value of older people in society.

RESIDENTS at a Northwich care home have found a fun way to exercise and stay active. They have been putting their rhythm and dancing skills to the test in lessons provided by professional belly dancer, ‘Samara’. Dressed in full Arabian costume, Samara has visited the CLS-run Gleavewood facility to pass on her dancing talent to residents and staff. The lessons were arranged by home service manager, Ellen Wigley, who has been going to her classes for almost 12 months. She said: “Belly dancing is great for improving flexibility and posture. Everyone enjoys listening to the Arabian music Samara plays during the lessons too.” The Arabian themed activity has also brought back memories for resident Bill Boydell, who served in Cairo during the Second World War.

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Care home welcomes a dog called Chicken By Dominic Musgrave A REDDITCH care home has taken on a new resident in the shape of a retired greyhound called Chicken. The rescue dog is already proving a big hit among residents at Sanctuary’s Brambles facility, and staff say he has shown a particular eye for the ladies. Managers at the home decided before Christmas that a dog would be just the trick to bring new life to the residents. Manager Margaret Hook said Chicken was also helping residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s. She added: “Everyone is talking about him. He has brought pleasure not just to residents but the staff as well. We have

families coming to visit their relatives asking where he is. “When the district nurses come to visit they bring food for Chicken. He had loads of stuff bought for him over Christmas. We even had the hairdresser take him out for a walk.” “He will just sit there and the residents make a fuss over him and they love it. Some remember their own pets and they start talking about their lives. It helps bring them out of themselves.” After deciding to get a dog, staff visited The Blue Cross animal adoption centre in Bromsgrove. “There were three dogs we were interested in, but Chicken caught our eye,”

added Margaret. “He didn’t bark, he just sat there looking sorrowful. When we took him out of his cage his tail started wagging and we just fell in love with him. “He was a bit nervous when he first arrived and a bit wary of men but since coming here he has been much more relaxed and bonded with our male members of staff.” The care home has also provided a new lease of life for Chicken, who arrived at The Blue Cross with a cancerous leg. Managers are now thinking about adding budgerigars and fish to the home after studies showed that having pets bring health benefits to humans, boosting social skills and self-esteem.

inspection. Home manager Paula Whitely said: “Claire and her team are relishing working with residents in order to make sure everybody enjoys the very best quality, home cooked food and we look forward to maintaining the excellent standards we’ve achieved so soon.”

Sales and Marketing Director: Tony Barry National Sales Executives: Rebecca Hazell Tel: 01226 734685 Email: rh@whpl.net Mandy Edwards Tel: 01226 734333 Email: mandye@caring-uk.co.uk Fax: 01226 734477

Publishers Wharncliffe Publishing Ltd. 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. Email: info@caring-uk.co.uk

Editorial Group Editor: Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 Fax: 01226 734478 Healthcare Editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 Reporter: Christina Eccles Tel: 01226 734463 Group Deputy Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734458

Success on a plate ... A DEWSBURY care home has been given full marks for its kitchen facilities and hygiene standards. Ashworth Grange head chef Claire Whalley and her team have been awarded an ‘excellent’ five-star food hygiene award by the Department of Environmental Health following the home’s first

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Paula Whitely and the team at Ashworth Grange

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Residents become composers for project RESIDENTS at a Chester care home became composers for a project that resulted in them recording their own piece of classical music. The group from CLS’ Florence Grogan House worked with the Manchester Camerata international chamber orchestra as part of a sixweek experiment to dispel the myth that classical music is exclusively ‘high brow’ by demonstrating that people of any age and background can enjoy and compose their own music. At the end of the project a concert was held at the home, where the group’s new classical tune ‘Paths to Peace’ was performed by a professional string quartet to an audience of family, friends and care staff. Home manager Jenny Jobber said: “Everyone was very impressed by the quality of music the group had composed, and there was a real buzz about the place as those who had taken part in the project listened to their stories and memories coming to life through music.”

Paul and Christine Goldie celebrate their lottery win.

Care worker’s £3.5m lottery joy A CARE home worker has already handed in her notice after her husband scooped more than £3.5m on the National Lottery. Paul and Christine Goldie had delayed their Christmas Day celebrations until Boxing Day due to her work commitments at Fell House Nursing Home in Washington, but were then able to celebrate their very glad tidings in style with their family. However, the couple struggled to enjoy the meal for the shock of the win. Paul, who works as a fitter for a local bathroom company, discovered they had won £3,581,481 in the early hours of Boxing Day after spending

the evening with Christine’s daughter. Paul said: “I had a quiet Christmas Day while Christine worked at the local care home serving Christmas dinners; then later I collected her and we went over to my step-daughter’s house. “It was midnight on Christmas Day when we got home. Christine was taking a shower when I thought to check the lottery numbers. I couldn’t believe it – I kept checking the numbers thinking I must have got the date wrong. Then I shouted at Christine to get out of the shower and come and help me. It’s unbelievable. “And to think I nearly didn’t buy the

ticket that morning.” The couple, who have been married for six years, have already ordered two new cars – an Audi Q7, to transport the children and grandchildren around, and an Audi A3 to use as a run-around. Paul added: “I want a lovely big house, lots of space in the garden for the kids, a drive and garages for the cars. You’ve got to, haven’t you? “Christine has already handed in her notice and I am considering my options. I am not saying we will never work again but we want some time out to find a new house, go shopping and have holidays. We can’t wait.”

Home creates own shop AN Essex care home has created its own 1950s-style Co-op shop complete with brand names from yesteryear to help residents relive the good old days Drinks, sweets, cereals and household products that were popular at the time appear in their original packaging on a temporary stall at Sanctuary Care’s Birchwood facility in Ilford. Co-op own ranges such as Spel washing powder and other brands from the decade including Ovaltine and Horlicks also feature. It has proved such a hit in the home that one resident – 91-year-old Spencer Tricker - has taken on the role of shopkeeper, weighing items

up for ‘customers’ using traditional weighing scales. Activities co-ordinator Lesley Norton added: “The 1950s was a special era, and our residents would have been in their youth at the time. “The shop is a very visual way of bringing that period back to life. It has proved a trip down memory lane, sparking conversations among the residents about when they were young. “They have really enjoyed seeing items in their original packaging again and pretending to go shopping.” The products were ordered from the Co-op, complete with original advertisement posters of the time.

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CARINGNEWS Kay Sheldon has been awarded an OBE for services to healthcare in the New Year’s honours list. The CQC commissioner has worked with the inspectorate since its launch in 2009, and part of her role includes acting as champion for involvement and for equality and rights, as well as co-chairing the eQuality group made up of people who receive health and social care services. Kay said: “I am very pleased to receive this award. Alongside many others, my work in health and social care has been directed at making sure people who use services have an influential voice in the way care is provided and monitored. “I see this award as recognition of the importance of that work.”

Residents led to safety as pipe bursts By Louise Cordell SEVEN residents at a Lincoln care home had to be moved to safety after a burst water pipe caused a major flood in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The residents at Canwick Court, who have dementia, had to be led or carried from their beds to safety after gallons of water gushed into the living quarters in a converted basement. The affected area that was flooded with clean drinking water also contains an industrial kitchen, dining area and living room, and the cleanup operation is likely to last up to two months. Staff at the Guardian Care Homes owned facility, which has 17 residents, have been praised for the prompt way they dealt with the emergency. And eastern regional manager Maria Gatt said residents were mostly upset that the Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit they had been bought for Christmas were also destroyed. She added: “There has been massive support from our staff, including those at our other homes

in the area, and management. “It was obviously distressing for our residents to have to be moved from their beds in the middle of a flood so early in the morning, but the staff handled it very swiftly and well. “They had moved four of them to the ground floor and, when firemen arrived, they carried the other three upstairs. “The effects of the flood are quite horrendous but the residents, their families and our staff have been very understanding and helpful.” The building was checked to make sure the electricity supply could safely be used, and specialist contractors were on the site soon after the flood to begin the clear-up operation. Maria added: “They have dehumidifiers in the basement to dry it out and are thoroughly cleaning all of the rooms. “The home has other kitchens that it can use until the basement is fit for occupation again, and two extra ovens, a fridge and freezer have been brought in to replace those damaged in the flood.”

Award’s just the job for Nicola THE manager of a Cheltenham care home has been recognised for her hard work. Nicola Humphries, who runs Carebase’s Amber Wood, was presented with a Jobcentre Plus award in appreciation of the contribution she has made to the local area to help people into jobs. Amber Wood opened last October but, long before the official opening, Nicola had been working with several recruitment companies to

find suitable employees. Nicola said: “I am delighted at this recognition and even happier that working with Jobcentre Plus has resulted in the recruitment of staff that are perfect for Carebase’s latest home. “We look forward to working with Jobcentre Plus in the future.” She was nominated for the award by Jobcentre Plus recruitment adviser Catriona Murray.

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Care homes win fees court case FOUR care homes which went to court over the fees the local council pay them for care have won their landmark case in the High Court. Pembrokeshire county council, which admitted mistakes in the way it calculated its payments, will now have to pay higher fees for residents at four private care homes, following the judge's ruling. The care homes, which house 86 residents – Pen-coed care home in Saundersfoot, Langton Hall in Fishguard, Woodfield in Narberth and Woodland Lodge, in Tenby – argued that the fees they were being paid were unsustainable. Director Mike Davies, who had previously said he may have to close the homes if the fees were not increased, described the decision as a ‘huge relief’. He added: “Our over-riding concern from the outset has been the need to provide high quality, sustainable services for the people for whom we provide care. “The judgment has therefore come as a huge relief for all concerned, most importantly for the residents of the four homes involved in this case and the dedicated staff who look after them. “When the council come to consider resetting the fees by the end January, we hope that they are set at

a level that enables the homes to carry out essential repairs and to plan for the future, safeguarding high quality care homes for the people of Pembrokeshire.” The court ordered the council to review the £390 a week it pays for each resident it funds, and come up with a new fee by the end of January using the Welsh Assembly Government’s official commissioning guidance. Care Forum Wales said the four homes had received ‘excellent’ ratings from the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW). A council spokesperson said the authority, which was also criticised for a lack of written records or documentation relating to the meetings when fee decisions were taken, would review the payments made to the homes. He added: “The council has a limited pot of money and faces difficult decisions on how it spends it particularly in the current financial climate. “It is a delicate balancing act between providing an acceptable level of care to the residents of the homes while at the same time acknowledging the limitations of the public purse. The judgment was extremely lengthy and we now need to take time to review it before making any further comments.”

Celebrity chef Brian Turner raised awareness of good nutrition in older age as part of his visit to a Leeds care home. Brian Turner prepared lunch for 150 residents and staff before officially opening the 19 new independent living apartments at Headingley Hall, a 57-bed facility owned and operated by Westward Care. He then went on to present a series of awards to residents and staff, which included acknowledging the home’s two oldest residents – 104-year-old Kathleen Nettlingham, pictured, and 105-year-old Ada Shires.

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A Whitby care home has become the only one in the Yorkshire and the Humber area to win a gold Investors in People award. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

£600k home expansion underway PEREGRINE House is currently undergoing a £600,000 expansion and refurbishment programme, which will see the registration grow from 25 to 30. The work will also include wetrooms being installed in all of the ground floor bedrooms, and the creation of an office area. Kevin, who has also owned a second home in Devon, added: “We hope to have the extension side of the work completed by March, and then the work will begin in the original building. “We are not sure at this stage whether we will be recruiting any extra staff. I will be sitting down with the manager to discuss what we need to do. It may be that we just need to change the daily programme. “I have looked from time to time at the possibility of purchasing a second home again, but I always come to the conclusion it is not a clever thing to do. It may be that we add a further extension to Peregrine House in the future instead.”

‘Award is testament to the quality of team’s work’ PEREGRINE House took part in a development programme tailored specifically to the social care sector, and is now part of the one per cent in the country that can use and display the sought after award. The 25-bed home, which has been owned by husband and wife team Dr Kevin and Teresa O’Sullivan for the past 15 years, was recognised for providing a wide range of daily activities for residents, many of whom have dementia, and having dedicated staff. He said: “We first got involved with the scheme a couple of years ago because, after the initial feeling of haven’t we done well after getting a three-star rating from CSCI, I realised we probably wouldn’t be visited again for another three years. I didn’t want us to rest on our laurels, and this award is testament to the quality of the work our team of 36 staff do, and it is great they are now recognised by Investors in People as world class. “I have always wanted the staff to

believe in themselves, and I believe you do a better job when you have the confidence. One carer is now 60 and has been doing it for years without any qualifications. She was a bit hesitant at first, but it has been great to see her confidence grow since she gained her NVQ qualifications.” Kevin, who first became interested in care homes when he was training to be a doctor in Manchester, said he has struggled to find quality local training providers, especially since changing the home’s registration to also include dementia. He added: “We noticed that a lot of residents developed some form of dementia while they were with us, so had to add that to our registration, as if we hadn’t then technically we we would be operating outside of what we were allowed. “This led to more people coming to us with enquiries, so we decided we had better be good at it, but, as we are a little isolated here, we have

struggled to find good training. “I spoke to our local care group and they recommended a home that did it well, who in turn put me in touch with David Sheard at Dementia Care Matters. “He audited the home and made some recommendations, some of which worked and some didn’t, but it is about making sure we keep up with the latest trends and standards.”

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Council homes set to close in Lincolnshire By Dominic Musgrave FIVE council-owned care homes in Lincolnshire are to close and will be replaced by more modern accommodation and services, it has been revealed. The Cedars in Gainsborough, Park View in Lincoln, Ingelow Manor in Boston, Halmer Grange in Spalding and Crowtree House in Louth will shut, although the council has said they will remain open until new services are ready to be used. The council’s three remaining care homes, Linelands in Nettleham, Bonner House in Sleaford and Harrison House in Grantham, will be retained for the next few years with a view to developing improved accommodation and services in these areas. Graham Marsh, executive councillor for adult social care, said staff will be consulted and residents and their families regularly updated to make the transition as smooth as possible. He added: “We have looked closely at the consultation and considered the feedback from all who responded and worked with community liaison groups around each home.

“We want to ensure older people have the best accommodation and services in place to support them and improved, modern accommodation will be provided in the areas where the five homes will close. “We have ensured there will be adequate provision of intermediate, respite and day care in all these areas and in many cases these will be enhanced. We remain committed to providing the best possible care for our growing population of older people in Lincolnshire and reshaping services to give greater choice and control for those who need support as they move over to their own personal budgets.” The council is using a series of commissioning principles to underpin any decision-making on the homes and the services that replace them. These include services achieving value for money and being accessible and support local communities. The five existing homes will be replaced by a varying number of intermediate care beds, respite care beds and day care places.

Volunteers add a splash of colour A SHEPSHED care home was given a helping hand when Prince’s Trust volunteers came to decorate. Southern Cross-owned The Willows found out about the charity after one of its sister homes in Hinckley had some help from it. Staff were part-way through decorating the care home’s

dining room but were struggling to finish it. The 14 volunteers completed the dining room, main lounge area and turned a storeroom into a family room with library and bistro, as well as landscaping the garden and painting the furniture, all in the space of just a fortnight.

Homes are named best in country A CARE home in Devon and another in Essex have been named the best in the country by a specialist website. Abbeyfield’s Tamar House in Plymouth and Hollymede Cottage in Wickford were the big winners in the Best Care Home Awards in the large and small care home categories respectively. The awards are voted for by users of the website, with specific feedback sought from residents living in the nominated care homes, their family and friends, as well as the views of employees and health care professionals. Founder Debbie Harris said a personal recommendation is invaluable when choosing a care home. She added: “Government cut backs and the tightening of resources means that everybody has to take responsibility for the more vulnerable amongst us. “The Best Care Home Awards provide a benchmark to highlight the amazing work and standards of care available throughout England. As part of the nomination process we receive scores of positive and touching comments, and these are available to any user to view as part of their research process to aid the important decision making process.” The awards identify two winners from four regions across the UK (south east, south west, midlands and North) to highlight the best large care home and best small care home in that area. This year they have addressed the difference between large and small care homes for the first time. There are also two runners up in each category.

Staff, residents and guests at a Balcombe care home were treated to a production of Jack and the Beanstalk by a local theatre company. More than 30 people enjoyed the production at the Alpha owned Russettings by the Carousel Theatre Company.

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Website updated FREMANTLE has launched its new website which has been custom built by marketing solutions provider Mediahawk. The site’s key sections are for prospective employees or people looking for services. Claire Gajeckyj, marketing manager at Fremantle, said: “Our existing website was based on old technology and had been in use for four years. Website design has moved on significantly, as has the technology which helps direct prospective customers to your site. “Mediahawk designed us an up-tothe-minute site with search engine optimisation, much easier and faster navigation for users, an eye-catching modern look and feel and, very importantly, a range of accessibility features.”

Residents evacuated TWENTY five residents were evacuated from a Flintshire care home after a fire broke out in a store room. Nobody was injured in the incident at Aston Hall in Deeside following the blaze, which is believed to have been started by an electrical fault. Damage was confined to the store room and the attic space above.

George Connell (Sheffield Town Trust) with Lady Anne Neil (Marjorie Coote), Jill Wall (Broomgrove Nursing Home manager), Mike Pestereff (chairman of Broomgrove Trust) and Sir Hugh Neil (Marjorie Coote).

Facelift for Sheffield home A SHEFFIELD nursing home has undergone an £18,000 facelift. Lady Anne Neil, the wife of Sir Hugh Neil who founded the Broomgrove Trust charity more than 40 years ago, joined residents and staff at Broomgrove nursing home in the Broomhall area of the city to unveil the refurbishments. The 35-bed home, the only organisation of its kind in the area with charitable status, now has a new upstairs nurses station and three updated bathrooms thanks to grants from the Marjorie Coote Older People's Fund, Sheffield Town Trust and the Church Burgesses Trust, as well as fundraising efforts by the

home. Jill Wall, who has managed the home for the past four years, said: “Since I have worked here we have tried to make a concerted effort to update our facilities but, as a charitable trust, we don’t have a lot of money. We recently updated a couple of wings in the nursing home, and the latest round of work has seen us replace several bathrooms that were of no use to the residents with all singing and all dancing ones. “They now have walk-in showers and extra storage space, and we have now created an upstairs nursing station.” Jill says she may apply for another

grant for her next project to update the reception area, while the home is also hoping to raise approximately £55,000 to create a new activities and therapies room. She added: “We have currently raised around £8,000 towards the new building. I did a parachute jump last year, which brought in £2,000, and I am looking to do something equally as whacky again this year.” Residents have also played a key role in marking the 70th anniversary of the Sheffield Blitz. They provided memories for the recently published ‘Sheffield’s Date With Hitler’ book and material for the Blitz commemoration event in the city.

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Royle Family actor opens £1m home extension By Dominic Musgrave ACTOR Ricky Tomlinson opened a £1m extension at a Wrexham care home that has more than doubled in size. Best known for his role as Jim Royle in BBC's The Royle Family, he has strong links with the area as he lived there for many years. He officially opened the extension to specialist dementia home Cherry Tree, which has gone from 17 to 37 beds, after owners the Atkins family bought the house next door. Manager Debbie Davies, who has worked at the home for just over three years, having owned her own for 10, said: “As Ricky is from the area we thought he would be perfect to open the new extension, and we were delighted when he agreed. “We also arranged for a George Formby tribute band to play during the day, and Ricky played the banjo while the residents danced. “We now hope that we can become a centre of excellence for dementia in the area, as it is very much a sought after service in the local area.” The new extension, which has taken a year to

complete, includes a glass link between the two buildings, and as well as the extra bedrooms has also seen the creation of four new lounges, a conservatory, sensory room and two sensory gardens. There is even a sports bar complete with memorabilia from the 1940s and 50s and a football table. Debbie, who was the brainchild for the bar, added: “There is now so much to do at the home for the residents, which is important for people with dementia. “I have worked almost 30 years in care, and have visited a lot of establishments, and having spoken with the residents the main things they wanted were a sensory garden and somewhere to mingle. “The ladies, as well as the men, like sport, which is why I came up with the idea for the bar, and they can go there in the evenings and have a glass of sherry or a can of beer and either sit and chat or play with some of the pub games.” We want to hear from you if you are building or are opening an extension at your care home. Let Dominic Musgrave know by emailing dm@whpl.net or telephone 01226 734407.

Ricky Tomlinson with Cherry Tree owner Dave Atkins and registered manager Debbie Davies.

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Lightning-hit tree crashes through roof By Louise Cordell THE manager of a Dundee care home says they are slowly getting back to normal again after part of a 100-foot redwood tree crashed on to the roof of an extension. Two residents’ bedrooms at Redwood House, which gets its name from the tree, were affected by the dramatic incident, which is believed to have been caused by a bolt of lightning during a snow storm. One of the residents has been moved to a vacant bedroom in another part of the home, while another has been rehomed in the staff room, which used to be a living area. The home’s manager Gladys Mackay said it was lucky none of the 20 residents or staff were hurt. She added: “In the early hours of the morning the lightning bolt hit the top of the tree, travelled down the trunk and split it in two. “Half of the tree came down over the car park and took down the other

door, while the other half later came down over the roof of the building. “Fortunately the resident whose room bore the brunt of the tree was having breakfast downstairs at the time and was unaware of what had happened. “That is the case with many of the residents as we have a fair amount of dementia within the home, and many have forgotten having been told what has happened. A specialist team removed the upper trunk, and a structural report ruled the building safe to occupy. Gladys added: “It was a beautiful tree which gave the house its name — and it is sad what has happened. “Because of the bad weather and the festive period the work has been delayed, although the builders did cover up the damaged part of the roof before breaking up. “It also knocked out our telephone, nursecall and broadband systems, which we are slowly getting back up and running again.”

Post office opens in home A NORTH Yorkshire village has its own post office again after the original one closed almost three years ago. The new facility has opened in Sycamore Hall, Housing 21’s extra care scheme for older people in Bainbridge. The opening by Post Office Ltd of the outreach service follows the launch earlier this year of a new library outlet service from the scheme. Other community facilities provided include a restaurant, shop, hairdressing salon, day centre and healthcare suite. Sycamore Hall Court manager

Michelle Mottershead said: “Housing 21 was delighted when we were initially approached by Post Office Ltd to see if we could provide room for an outreach post office service. “Our rural situation can make it difficult for residents and some local people to access other post offices, so having this facility here is ideal. I’m sure it will be a valuable asset to the people of Bainbridge.” The new service will be provided by the sub-postmaster of Hawes Post Office, and will open four hours each week, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am to 11am.

Resident Ivy Springham, one of the subjects of ‘Somerset Centenarians’

Care group celebrates its centenarians A TAUNTON-based care group is celebrating the longevity of some of its residents with a book on centenarians to be published in the spring. Somerset Care currently has 60 residents over 100 living in its group of care homes or being looked after by its domiciliary care staff, and has decided to record the life histories of 20 of its centenarians and publish them in a book to coincide with its 20th anniversary. Inspired by its most famous resident Harry Parch, who lived to the age of 111, ‘Somerset Centenarians’ includes a variety of life stories, from those of a tiller girl to that of a life-

long Clarks shoes employee. Chief executive Andrew Larpent said: “The fact people are living longer is primarily a cause for celebration, and this book is our contribution to celebrating the great social opportunity that this gives to so many of us. “Our commitment is to help to enable everyone to enjoy their longevity to the greatest extent possible. 100th birthday parties in our homes are now common occurrences, and each is celebrated in as much style as is possible for the individual concerned.”

Home reaches final stages of awards A DERBY care home is through to the final stages of the annual Pinders Healthcare Design Awards. Bluebell Park, a Barchester-run care home in Chellaston, has been selected in the elderly and contemporary design category. The 64-bed care home, which was

designed by MCA Architects, built by GF Tomlinson Limited and fitted out by Barchester’s team of interior designers, was opened in the autumn. The winners will be announced at an event at Lord’s cricket ground at the end of March.

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How caring Kath turned home’s fortunes around

A resident enjoys a performance by Music in Hospitals at Kingsley Care Home, Harrogate.

Musical project to hit the right note with care homes ... RESIDENTS at Bupa care homes nationwide are going to be entertained this year as part of the Musical Memories project. The concerts are organised by Music in Hospitals, a leading charity that provides professionally performed live music in health and care settings throughout the UK, with music ranging from classical, jazz and folk, music hall and show tunes.

Bupa Care Homes’ community affairs consultant Siobhan Drane said the aim is to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of residents. She added: “The partnership with Music in Hospitals has been hugely successful so far in the UK and it is something that will be discussed with our international colleagues to see if there is an opportunity in Australia, New Zealand and Spain to repeat this type of experience.”

THE manager of a Blackburn care home has transformed its fortunes since taking over three years ago. Kath Pazdzior has worked in the care sector for 18 years, and the twostar Linden House, a former primary school, has gone from strength to strength since she took over the reins. The 40-bed home is currently undergoing a new approach in its dementia wing, which includes decorating the walls and even the fire exits to make it look like a traditional home. She told Caring UK each of the 12 residents even has their own individual front door to help with recognition. Kath added: “The home wasn’t in a particularly good state when I took over, and what I have tried to do since coming here has involved encouraging the staff to get more involved and use their personalities. “Staff work better if they are in a better environment, and if they see the residents getting a lot out of life during their time here then they will want to be a part of it. It is all about making the residents happy. “A lot of the early work I had to do

involved getting care plans up to scratch and putting the relevant staff training into place. We are now a train the trainer centre for dementia.” Kath worked her way up to her current role working at another home in the North West, having originally moved into care purely because she needed a job. Owners Nimesh and Kirti Khistria also run a care home in Liverpool, and she says they are open to her suggestions. Kath added: “Once you go into care you never look back, and if you are a caring person then that is what you do. I am currently trying to create an activities area for the dementia residents. This will include a shed for the men to potter around in and also a sewing machine and typewriter to take the residents back to the 1940s. “I am also keen to put a proper roof on the building to make it look more like a bungalow because like many single-storey school buildings it currently has a flat one. In future I would also like to have an orchard here. The owners always do their best wherever possible to put my ideas into practice.”

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CARINGNEWS

Home ordered to take immediate action to improve By Louise Cordell

Brentwood’s Steve Willoughby (centre) receives his award from Sam and Trevor Brocklebank.

Monitoring quality of care DOMICILIARY care provider Home Instead has developed a programme to monitor the quality of care it delivers. Through an exclusive partnership with JD Power and Associates, caregivers and clients will be routinely surveyed to ensure consistent delivery of high quality service through Pursuing Excellence by Advancing Quality (PEAQ). CEO Trevor Brocklebank said: “We are committed to advancing quality to ensure we consistently deliver the highest levels of customer service. “These survey results will provide us with insight into our areas of strength as well as those areas that need attention

and improvement. “We say we provide the best quality care to our clients. Now we can actually measure and prove it.” At the company’s recent national conference, four Home Instead offices received national PEAQ awards. Steve Willoughby from Brentwood and Mick and Jenny Sheehan from Oldham and Saddleworth picked up prizes for outstanding staff satisfaction. Chris and Sue Broadbent from Chester and Chris Lye from Ipswich also collected awards for outstanding client satisfaction, having gained the highest scores in the country.

A SECOND Bristol care home owned by Mimosa Healthcare has been warned it must take immediate action to improve standards of care. CQC inspectors who visited Kingsmead Lodge nursing home found that it was not meeting essential standards of quality and safety covering: Care and welfare of people who use services. Management of medicines. Staff recruitment. Staff training, professional development and supervision. Inspectors will return to the care home unannounced to check whether the improvements have been made and to decide whether to initiate formal enforcement action. In the meantime the home, which has 81 beds for older people including people with dementia, has agreed to stop taking new admissions while improvements are made. Regional director Ian Biggs said staff would monitor the home closely, working with the city council, continuing healthcare team and primary care trust. He added: “It is clear that people living in

Kingsmead Lodge have not been getting the level of care that they need. We found evidence of poor care which failed to treat residents with the respect and dignity which we all have a right to expect. “Some of the staff do not appear to understand the needs of people with dementia. It is not only a lack of empathy – we also found that the home has not been providing the specialist support for people when they need it. “We have received an immediate undertaking from Mimosa Healthcare that they will not admit any further people to this nursing home while these improvements are being addressed. “The law says these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect when they receive care. Kingsmead must improve – or face the consequences. Our inspectors will return in the near future and if we find that the home is not making progress we will take further action.” The inspectors visited the home in response to concerns which it had received. The team reviewed information on the home, talked to staff and residents, checked records and conducted a detailed observation of dementia care.

Advertiser’s announcement

Sky adds to the home comforts SKY has launched a new subscription offer that is sure to raise a smile with care home residents. Sky offers a wide mix of channels to suit all tastes. Thought provoking channels like the Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel offer engaging programming that will encourage discussion and debate among residents. Viewers can look forward to award winning comedy and cutting edge drama from LIVING; Sky1 features exclusive UK dramas and fascinating documentaries; and The History Channel will connect residents to the great lives and events of the past. Sky’s unrivalled sports coverage is sure to fill communal areas and build camaraderie and friendships, with February and March bringing extensive coverage of the Barclays Premier League, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and Euro 2012 qualifiers. There are two channel packages available for care homes wishing to take a subscription in their communal areas. The Sky Base package is priced at an introductory offer of £90 per month/per communal area. This package has a selection of sports channels, plus music and a wide

variety of entertainment content such as Sky 1, Animal Planet and the Home and Health channel. However, to ensure residents don’t miss out on their favorite shows, the Sky Ultimate package is also available at an introductory price of £100 per month/per communal area and offers Sky Sports 2, Sky Sports 4 and ESPN in addition to all of the sport and entertainment content available in the Sky Base package. A Sky+HD box is available at no additional charge to Sky Ultimate subscribers and will allow residents to record, pause and rewind live Sky Sports channels. Both packages are available at a further reduced price when taking Sky content in-room. A Sky subscription brings with it many other features to enhance your residents viewing experience. A free HD pack available in both packages provides a more detailed picture with vibrant colours and clearer sound helping to further enhance the quality viewing experience. Functionality such as the electronic programme guide, information button, text sub-titles and more will allow residents to schedule their TV viewing with ease – an added benefit to create a home-like environment.

Showing a service commitment to residents and their families is a priority. This introductory offer, open for a limited time only, can

help to exceed quality expectations for your care home and help to create a perfect home experience that will keep residents smiling.

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High Court rules against temporary cap on workers By Dominic Musgrave A TEMPORARY cap on the number of skilled workers from outside the EU allowed into the UK was introduced “unlawfully”, the High Court has ruled. Home secretary Theresa May introduced the cap this summer as an interim measure ahead of a permanent cap. But a legal challenge to it initiated by Aston Brooke solicitors on behalf of ECCA and the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants was upheld, with the two judges Lord Justice Sullivan and Mr Justice Burton ruling that ministers had “sidestepped” Parliamentary scrutiny. Chief executive Martin Green said the association was concerned over the

position of immigrant care workers. He added: “I felt it was important to challenge the Government’s imposition of a quota because governments must be reminded that they have to go through due process before decisions are made. “I was disappointed that the Home Secretary acted to swiftly reinstate the cap, but nonetheless I believe the judgment will make a difference to hundreds of employers who had an illegal cap imposed upon them through the removal of their Certificates of Sponsorship. The Government is intent on placing curbs on recruitment from overseas, and also through their axing of the Future Jobs Fund are denying

employers a route to recruiting from the UK workforce.” Martin has previously said that the ban had led to some care homes being forced to employ staff who were not as compliant or qualified as they would like. But immigration minister Damian Green said he was disappointed by the decision. He added: “We will study the judgment and will appeal it, if we have grounds. “We remain firmly committed to reducing net migration and will be introducing a permanent limit on nonEuropean workers next April. We will do all in our power to continue to prevent a rush of applications before our more permanent measures are in place.”

Caring UK Commerce section brings you all the latest property, business and training news every month.

In this issue: Government

funding cuts to hit care across the UK Page 20

Developer is

named man of the year at ceremony Page 21

Group takes over

homes from troubled operator Page 22

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CARINGCOMMERCE

Government funding cuts will hit care across the UK By Jeremy Huband IN 2010 the new coalition came into play and have still to show their full hand as to where they want to take care. I am thinking that care at home at all costs will be replaced by a more pragmatic view based on cost and need. This may see a swing back towards care homes and alternative approaches to care. Different areas of the country will interpret central guidelines in their own way. With our adult providers we are seeing failed supported living placements being accommodated in care homes and an acceptance that supported living is not appropriate, while others try to fix the supported living offering. What is all too clear is that government funding is being cut back, and this will hit care across the UK. We have already seen letters asking providers to review their homecare rates, and we hear of cuts in weekly care home fees.

We also expect to see a fall in occupancy levels as authorities delay in placing people in care or apply a greater level of selection. Both will help keep their costs down. Those homes reliant on local authorities will be the most affected. Homes with predominantly private fee payers will be able to increase fees to take into account inflation. With the increase in minimum wage, higher heating costs and resurgence in inflation, profit margins will be hit. The higher operating costs will restrict profits which in turn will dampen values. As a bank we are seeing well run quality businesses weathering the storm. While these homes may not all be modern, purpose-built units the quality of the provider is seeing them through. Those homes which made the effort to gain the now historic three-star quality rating from CQC may also find this beneficial. Not surprisingly recent joiners to the care home market, who possibly purchased at the peak of the

market, units in secondary locations, and borrowed the absolute maximum amount of debt they could, may find the current market conditions challenging. While we are not seeing many transactions in the business transfer market, the stagnation in fee rates and softening of occupancy levels may force trading businesses or brown field sites onto the market. We would suggest that any such opportunities are reviewed closely, and forecast fee rates and occupancy levels reflect historic levels. While I have not seen many care villages over the past few years their time must come again. I'm not sure if 2011 will be the year but, if the residential property market remains buoyant, they will have a chance. Hopefully the new crop will reflect care and lifestyle requirements of the area they serve. I can see these becoming more of a residential play, which will attract house builders and drive costs down.

Jeremy Huband 2011 will be a difficult year. The budgetary constraints will force operators to reassess their business model and some will leave. Natural selection leaps to mind with those most able leading the way. Jeremy Huband is director of healthcare at RBS.

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CARINGCOMMERCE

Developer named man of the year Greswolde managing director Malcolm Priest with Paul Gillam (Royal British Legion), Charles Clayson (BCAL Consulting), Paul Ingle and Peter Flavill (both Portess and Richardson), David Morris (Tompkins Robinson Surveyors), Jo-Anne Wilson (Royal British Legion) and Martin McTiernan (GCL).

Poor weather fails to delay £2m care home project VIPs braved icy weather to take part in a topping out ceremony to celebrate progress at a £2m state-of-theart dementia care home. The specialist facility, which is being built alongside The Royal British Legion’s care home Galanos House in Southam, Warwickshire is on track to meet its spring completion deadline despite the recent poor weather. Manager Jo-Anne Wilson said: “The home will offer specialist care and accommodation, a place where we can offer a home for life for people

with dementia. “There is an increasing demand for this type of care. We already have a waiting list for places in the new home, we wanted somewhere where we could offer the very best care. The home is being built in accordance with latest research about the best kind of environment in which to offer dementia care. The building will house 30 residents in three wings around a market style square, complete with shop fronts.

A CARE home developer was named man of the year at a prestigious annual awards ceremony in London. Ian Holmes picked up the honour at the Over 50s’ Housing Awards in recognition of his and business partner Danny Sharpe’s work to deliver 500 new beds for care home operator Executive Care group over the past three years. The partner and project director of NorthStar Capital Projects, and board director of Executive Care Group, is the youngest person ever to pick up the award. He said: “We are working right across the UK, from a 90-bed specialist care facility in Dundee to a 70-bed home in Poole. “We have also been awarded planning consent for a major 64-bed scheme in Cumbria and a 90-bed

project in Newmarket.” In accepting the award Ian spoke of the need for the industry to wake up to the massive demands which the baby boom generation will soon be placing on it, and warned of the high standards which will be demanded by them. He added: “The care hotel concept is a new type of product which eschews the mean standards of many of the care homes built over the past four or five years and instead offers large bedrooms, health spas, coffee shops and cinemas. “By driving economies of scale into the supply chain, and by tightly managing the construction process, we are achieving a very high end product for a cheaper per bed price than most of our competitors can deliver very basic accommodation models.”

Colliers complete assignments COLLIERS Healthcare has completed the assignments on four purpose built care-homes in the north of England on behalf of ING. The properties were all under five years old and had a combined registration of 317. Operating within a particularly tight timescale, Colliers discretely offered

the homes to select operators and were able to present a number of credible alternative tenants to the landlord, each with competitive rental bids. Heads of terms were agreed with the preferred tenant and simultaneously, Colliers were instructed to sell the property investments.

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CARINGCOMMERCE

Troubled operator hands over homes to care group By Louise Cordell

Audley chief executive Nick Sanderson receives the bronze award in the best retirement development category from James Sandbrook, managing director of the retirement division of House to Home UK and comedian Jimmy Carr.

Trio of awards for developer A LUXURY retirement village developer and operator has scooped three property industry awards for its flagship West Yorkshire site. Audley’s flagship Clevedon development on the outskirts of Ilkley won the five-star award for best retirement development in Yorkshire at the UK Property Awards and went

on to take the international award for the same category. The village also won bronze in the best retirement development category at the What House? awards. The site, which opened in September 2009, won the title of best care village earlier this year at the Pinders healthcare design awards.

FOUR Yorkshire care homes have been handed over to a care group to run after the previous operator faced problems. The homes, with a total of 317 beds, were run by Orchard Care Homes, but landlord ING Properties took them back when the group went into a creditors voluntary agreement earlier this year. After several months of negotiations the operation of the four homes: Cookridge Court and Grange in Leeds, Scarborough Hall and Lodge, Leeming Bar Grange and Boroughbridge Manor and Lodge have been handed over to Avery with the support of the CQC, North Yorkshire county council and Leeds city council. All the homes were built within the last three years and meet or exceed current minimum standards. They all provide residential care and care for people with dementia. Avery healthcare managing director John Strowbridge said the homes will remain open during refurbishment work.

He added: “We found that the homes needed a lot of work but they were all built within the last three years and all offer ensuite facilities and we are very much up to the challenge. “Once refurbished and with our care and quality programmes implemented they will fit perfectly within our portfolio. “I would like to give this assurance to residents and their families that although we will be closing down parts of each facility for a period as the refurbishments take place they need have no worries at all and very soon they will be operating to new and much higher standards.” The company has set up a separate management team to handle the transition and refurbishment, ensuring that its current portfolio of homes will not be affected by the developments. The homes will be refurbished and brought back into top condition over the next six months, and Avery’s care and quality programmes will be introduced. Significant numbers of additional care jobs across the region will also be created.

Care centre changes hands DC CARE concluded 2010 with the discreet sale of Howson Care Centre Limited to Villecourt Ltd two years after the company originally considered purchasing the home. Named after vendors Lewis and Gail Howson, the specialist facility in Lincolnshire provides accommodation for 78 service users within numerous care categories including old age, nursing, learning disability and mental health. Initially a care home for the elderly, the property was developed to provide dementia care plus tailored nursing facilities to specific client groups. Further developments in recent years saw the diversification into provision for clients with learning

disability and mental health, in both residential and semi independent living units. The latest purpose-built unit was completed just prior to the business being marketed and this provides a stimulating environment for some of the younger service users.

Tax reclaims for commercial property owners CAPITAL allowances are among the most valuable and least exploited methods of reducing property owners’ income tax or corporation tax liabilities. Capital allowances arise from capital expenditure on purchasing or constructing a new property along with extensions and refurbishments. We carry out retrospective, current year, and new build capital allowance claims, both for individuals and companies in relation to commercial properties right across the commercial sector. Most retrospective capital allowance claims that we handle lead to a significant tax refund for the client. We will quickly identify the validity of a claim without obligation. If a claim does not proceed, there will be no fee. We comprehensively survey the property which allows us to identify any qualifying items that, for numerous reasons, have previously not been claimed. Enquiries: Telephone 01246 293011 or visit www.salmon-business.com

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CARINGCOMMERCE

Government policies bring opportunities for private operators By Matthew Wolton WHILE the independent sector has been steadily increasing its involvement in the delivery of adult social care – both in the private market and in the public sector on behalf of local authorities and PCTs – it hasn’t all been plain sailing, but conditions look set to improve. Recently there have been warning signs for operators of residential care homes. In December 2010 Southern Cross Healthcare announced losses of £47.4m in the year to September. Add to this providers being hit by increasing rents, an increase in the minimum wage, potential caps on the use of immigrant employees and, for the first time in many years, local authorities and PCTs are looking for a reduction in the fees they pay as they respond to the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. Occupancy rates are also decreasing as both privately and publicly-funded individuals use services such as reablement and telecare to maintain their independence and autonomy for longer in their own homes. However, there are grounds for cautious optimism, especially for providers looking to take over services currently being provided by the public sector. When ‘A Vision for Adult Social Care’ was published by the Department of Health last November, one of its seven core principles was ‘partnership’ with the aim that care and support should be delivered in partnership between individuals, communities, the voluntary and private sectors, the NHS and councils. It stated that in 2008/09 around half of councils spent over a fifth of their residential care budgets on in-house provision, rising to over 60 per cent in some areas. For day care, the majority of councils spent over half their budgets on in-house services. Government is focused on remov-

ing barriers to collaboration, pooling budgets across health, social care and employment support and reducing the barriers to market entry for smaller organisations. This presents opportunities to providers who, until now, have not been involved in this market. Recent research has suggested there are still 24,000 people in local authority in-house residential care homes with the average cost of keeping a resident in a council-run home put at £824 per week. The cost to the council of sending that resident to a privately-run care home is £445 per week – a saving of £379 per week or over 45 per cent. If independent providers took on most or all of these residents this would result in a significant increase in the market in these difficult times and, according to these figures, the public sector could save approximately £475 million a year. A win-win scenario that cannot be ignored?

Deal sealed for Jersey home BARCHESTER Healthcare has cemented a deal to construct a new 58-bed care home at Lakeside in Jersey. The new Georgian-style facility will be built on the land adjacent to the existing home, and will incorporate two pavilions as its showpiece. These will house eight two-bedroom assisted living apartments for those looking for an independent lifestyle. The task of designing the care home has been undertaken by architect Robert Adam, a specialist designer of traditional and progressive classical architecture.

Civic couple cut ribbon

Matthew Wolton is director of TPP Law and author of the special report “Future Service Models for Adult Social Care Delivery”.

THE mayor and mayoress of Chelmsford officially opened Excelcare’s new care home in the city. Councillor Alan Arnot and his wife Jackie cut the ribbon at Okeley Care Centre, which will provide accommodation and care for the elderly and those with dementia. The day was hosted by business development manager Nicky Ryan, and was also attended by the company’s chairman and chief executive Osman Ertosun.

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CARINGCOMMERCE

International touch to conference SPEAKERS from around the globe have been lined up to speak at a conference on creating better living environ-ments for older people. The event at the National Motorcycle Museum, which is being hosted by Pozzoni LLP, Davis Langdon LLP, GB Building Solutions and Blue Sky Global Investors, will feature examples of projects from as far afield as Japan, Holland, Denmark and Australia. Speakers will include Dr Stephen Judd, who will do a presentation on Hammondville, a flagship scheme for the largest dementia care provider in Australia. Moniq Wijnties will look at Hogewyk, a Dutch dementia project which relies on its size for its success and Emi Kiyota will present on Gojikara, an innovative Japanese village concept. The day will also feature practical advice on funding, delivery economics and tax by representatives from the event’s sponsors. ‘Building for older people in an ever changing care environment’ takes place on February 3 and will be hosted by NCF executive director Des Kelly.

Home sold

Seminars

THE Birmingham office of Christie and Co has sold Holmfield Nursing Home on the outskirts of Nuneaton in Warwickshire. The 22-bed home, which has expansion opportunities, was sold to existing care home operators from Harrow for an undis-closed sum off a guide price of £945,000.

A LONDON-based firm of solicitors is hosting a series of seminars. Bates, Wells and Braithwaite’s forthcoming seminars ‘Immigration law and care provision’ and ‘CQC compliance issues for care providers’ take place on February 10 and March 9 respectively, starting at 5pm. The ‘Health and safety law’ event is on March 30 and starts at 4.30pm.

Extension at former convent to bring 20 jobs By Dominic Musgrave WORK is due to get underway shortly on a new £1.5m extension to a Cumbernauld care home that once complete will create 20 new jobs. Eighteen bedrooms will be added to the 35 already available at the family-run Darroch Nursing Home on land purchased from the local council by husband and wife David and Julie Turner 18 months ago. Julie told Caring UK the work at the former convent will also include the creation of a new car park, entrance area, kitchen and laundry. She added: “We hope to have the work completed by the autumn, and it is to include a bit of everything to meet with local demands. “Getting planning

permission was difficult as local residents didn’t want to see another bit of greenery being built on and they don’t have very big gardens. “But the land was sold to us with outline planning permission, and a care home is quite a good neighbour to have, and at the end of the day we are providing a service as well as creating jobs. All in all it has probably taken 18 months.” The home was originally run by Julie’s parents, but she became more involved 14 years ago, and took over the running in 2003. She now looks after the finances, while her husband, who previously worked in IT, is responsible for the fabric of the building. Despite her banking background, Julie says it has

been a struggle getting the money for the extension in place, though she would not rule out adding to the business in future. “The banks were very tricky,” she added. “They are asking for as much information as they can get, and we are having to change banks to get what we require. “We are always looking, but it would have to be in the right area and it is not an easy job at the end of the day. “It is 24-7 and many of the staff have been here for years. Unlike many businesses who could close their offices when we had the bad weather at the end of last year, I had to get them to work in my 4x4. “Some days I was starting at 7am and not getting home until after 10pm.”

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CARINGDEMENTIA

Residents star in new training DVD A TEAM of Middlesex University academics has created a new tool for helping people living with dementia – a comedy DVD starring the service users themselves. The project, which saw users of The Grange care home in Haringey acting out a visit from the Queen for a mockumentary style video, is being used as a training tool for social care students and a resource for Haringey adult services. The ‘Queen’s Visit’ used improvisation, props, acting and comedy to involve the elderly with methods proven to stimulate the mind, which research suggests may offer health benefits to people with dementia. Social work academic at Middlesex University, Trish Hafford-Letchfield, said the project was also designed to examine stereotypes about people with dementia and look at ways to provide a new type of service. She added: “It’s one of the requirements of professional training to have service users involved in the teaching and learning. With people who have dementia it’s very difficult to involve them in learning. “It’s about promoting relationships between staff and

An actress portrays the Queen for the training DVD. service users. It’s about having fun together rather than just providing care. “By using comedy and improvisation, we were able to create a forum for exchange of ideas with older people without them having to rely on short-term memory which can be a problem for them.” “Family members of the elderly people involved said they had seen glimpses of the fun side of their relative’s personality emerge during the filming, something which is often hard to see when caring for someone with dementia day-to-day.”

Clothing tag system an ideal way to beat distress RESIDENTS with dementia often experience distress if they cannot find the clothing they are familiar with. As with all residents it is important that an individual’s garments are correctly returned to them after washing. With more than 1,200 garments going through the care home laundry this is not an easy task, especially if the garment is not named adequately. Attach-a-Tag is a simple, cost effective method of labelling clothing and soft objects and is an ideal way to quickly label short term and respite residents’ clothing as well as normal laundry.

Replicating a button, it attaches in seconds to the garment seam or laundry label, making it discreet and comfortable to the wearer. The patented design is easy to attach but difficult to remove, and cannot be taken off by accident or come off during the laundry process. Each tag has the owner’s name etched onto it, which is guaranteed not to wear off in the wash. This combined with the unique fixing method of Attach-a-Tag means the owner is identified every time. Suitable for industrial laundry and iron proof, it is reusable, making it even more cost effective for your care home.

New version of tool launched DEMENTIA Life has released a new version of its Digital Reminiscence Therapy Software (DRTS) - a communication tool designed with carers in mind. It uses reminiscence with carefully chosen digital media content from an extensive library of archive photographs and videos alongside interactive entertainment such as sing-a-longs, quizzes and games. DRTS is designed to enhance communication with people who

have dementia and the elderly, allowing the carer to engage, communicate and interact in an effective manner to provide a stimulating and enjoyable pastime for people with dementia. The ease of communication provided by Dementia Life is beneficial to both carers, residents and visiting friends and family, taking some of the pressure off and encouraging engagement and wellbeing.

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CARINGDEMENTIA

Benefits of music therapy in spotlight A CARE home’s music therapist will speak about how his work is benefiting people with dementia at an international conference. Ming Hung Hsu, who works at the MHA’s Weston and Queensway nursing and dementia care home in Stafford, has been invited to the World Music Congress in Seoul, which is held every three years. He will talk about a resident who featured as the case study of the Masters degree dissertation for which he earned a distinction. Ming said music therapy encourages non-verbal communication, which can be helpful for people with dementia who are less able to express themselves. He added: “Some people with advanced dementia might be able to play an instrument or sing, even if they can’t speak. And with those whose dementia is not so advanced, the music can stimulate them. “Music stimulates brain activity

with elements such as rhythm, melody and volume. It is also about free association. In music, people can play whatever comes to mind. Residents may have problems that mean they cannot use words, but in music therapy they play and you can see what they are thinking. “A person might be playing several notes like a melody, while the therapist will confirm it by playing an accompaniment. If they guess right, the person will probably continue to play, and show emotions while doing it.” Ming has seen the effects of his therapy through dementia care mapping, a data collection method often used in occupational therapy, which involves documenting a person’s behaviour over a period of observation. Microanalysis of video recordings is also used to demonstrate how people’s well-being improves as a result of a music therapy session.

New home owners plan specialist dementia facility THE new owners of a Somerset care home say they plan to transform it into a specialist dementia facility. Jean Lubbock and Christine Ramsey purchased Knights Templar Court in Wincanton after Christie and Co were instructed to put it on the market on behalf on joint administrators Chris Marsden and Ian Best of Ernst and Young LLP. The pair, who have run another facility called Foxes Moon in Dorset for the past nine years, plan extensive work on the 20-bed facility, which comprises three houses that have been linked together. Jean said: “We paid a lot of money for the home, but didn’t get as much as we

thought we would. We were told we would be getting a home with 12 residents and a manager in place, but what we actually got was a home with just nine residents and no manager. “There were several things that attracted us to the home in the first place. The land and the fact that it had potential were two of them, but we also felt sorry for the residents living there because although they were being well looked after, the home needs a lot of tender loving care.” Jean says the refurbishment work at Knights Templar Court, which was sold for an undisclosed sum with funding provided by Barclays, is likely to take up to three years to complete.

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CARINGLAUNDRY

Miele unveils new range of dryers MIELE Professional has continued the advancement of its laundry care technology with the introduction of its DryPlus PT 8000 generation tumble dryers. The range comes in five sizes and varying control sets to suit all types of commercial laundry operations. The DryPlus series features drum volumes for load capacities from 10 to 40kg, faster drying times and offers cost-saving benefits thanks to heating by the most efficient forms of energy. All models in the PT8000 range feature Miele patented innovations such as the honeycomb drum, air recycling system and PerfectDry electronic residual moisture controls. These powerful machines maximise efficiency and are designed to ensure cost-effectiveness in all phases of the drying process. The dryers are available with a choice of heat power sources â&#x20AC;&#x201C; electric, gas or steam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to ensure a sustainable, cost effective performance. Where laundry care is required to meet the changing needs of the business, appliances must be highly flexible in their operation, and the PT 8000 has a range of adaptable features to ensure maximum efficiency of use. Depending on the dryer size, the FlexPlus varying control unit set ups

ensure that the machines can adapt to suit all situations including coin operation. With a 52cm wide door aperture, loading and unloading of bulky items such as duvets is easy, and coupled with integrated drum lighting there is no danger of leaving something behind when unloading. The DryPlus PT 8000 features an updated casing design which helps to conserve energy and in turn, saves on costs. The EcoPlus design ensures a sustainable, cost efficient performance due to the high effectiveness of the internal system: seals and gaskets adapt to drum oscillations, preventing air from bleeding in from outside and therefore sealing in heat.

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CARINGHOMECARE

Re-ablement approach would work says study A SPECIALIST re-ablement approach in homecare services to help people recovering from acute illness, falls or fractures will pay dividends, new research has claimed. The study, led by the University of York, found there was widespread agreement among managers and front line staff that re-ablement was of greater benefit for people recovering from acute illnesses, falls or fractures than those with chronic or progressive health problems. The Social Policy Research Unit at York led the research, which also involved the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the University of Kent and was commissioned by the Department of Health. Lead researcher, professor Caroline Glendinning, said: “Many local authorities are developing inclusive re-ablement services, accepting most new service users. “However, there was widespread agreement among managers and front line staff in the study that reablement was of greater benefit for people recovering from acute illnesses, falls or fractures than those with chronic or progressive health problems.” It examined the effectiveness of ‘home care re-ablement’ – a new, short-term intervention in English home care. The researchers compared people in five English local authority areas who received home-care re-ablement with a group receiving conventional home care in five different local authority areas.

The study involved more than 1,000 people. The findings included: Re-ablement was associated with a significant decrease in subsequent costs of social care service use. The reduction in social care costs was almost entirely offset by the initial cost of the re-ablement intervention. The average cost of a re-ablement episode was £2,088 with a mean cost of £40 per hour of service user contact time. Re-ablement had positive impacts on users’ health-related quality of life and social care-related quality of life, in comparison with users of conventional home care services. Using the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence costeffectiveness threshold, re-ablement was cost effective in terms of health and social care costs. The researchers found no apparent net cost savings to health and social care services in the first year after reablement, compared with conventional home care. However, they concluded home care re-ablement is almost certainly cost-effective because of improved outcomes for users. The researchers advocate closer relationships between home-care reablement and physiotherapy services, particularly as the NHS starts to develop re-ablement services. They also recommend further research into how carers can contribute to and benefit from re-ablement interventions.

Yorkshire firm opens new office A COMPANY which helps people to live independently has expanded its operations across Yorkshire. Independent Home Living has set up a base in Wetherby, to cover the Harrogate and Wetherby areas. The company , which has its head office in Scarborough, was founded in November 2000 by Ann Wyatt and Alison Thompson. It employs more than 150 staff, offers personalised homecare and

support services. A spokesman said the opening of the Wetherby office had led to the creation of six jobs and it was hoped that more staff would be hired soon. He said “word of mouth” recommendations had helped to sustain the business during the recession. Independent Home Living has offices in Beverley and York and receives around 2,000 care calls a week.

Somerset Care Group has made a senior appointment within its community care operations. Georgina Rogers (pictured left) has been appointed as community services manager for the group’s base in Melksham, which provides care to clients in their own homes across Wiltshire. She has worked for the Somerset Care group for more than four years in a variety of roles, and in her new role she is responsible for developing the community care provided in the area. Director of community services Eoin Keogh said: “This is a new role within the Somerset Care Group, and has been created in response to the needs of our commissioners and clients. “Georgina’s promotion is well deserved, and reflects our desire to develop our staff into future managers.”

Provider makes appointments DOMICILARY care provider Caremark has strengthened its support team with the appointment of Patrick Thompson as franchise recruitment manager and Tracy Newcombe as regional support manager for the north. Patrick will bring his wealth of experience in both franchising and the care sector to work alongside the

existing franchise support team. Prior to this appointment, he was the regional support manager for the Caremark company owned offices, gaining further valuable insight and expertise of the current market and its future. Tracy’s new role will see her support franchise owners in the north.

Business expands coverage with Belfast acquisition ONE of the UK’s largest domiciliary care businesses has expanded its coverage with the acquisition of Belfastbased Quality Care Services. The business was started in 1994 and currently delivers approximately 4,600 hours per week of care, mostly

to elderly people in their own homes. QCS will continue to be run on a day-to-day basis by general manager Fred Sweetlove. He will work alongside new owner City and County Healthcare Group’s team, headed by CEO Craig Rushton, to operationally

integrate the businesses and continue to grow the regional client base. Craig said: “We believe the scale of the business and opportunity of the marketplace make Quality Care Services an attractive bolt-on for City and County Healthcare Group.

“One of the biggest attractions of the Belfast and Northern Ireland markets is that currently only around half of the province’s annual domiciliary care spend is outsourced to the private sector, compared to more than 80 per cent in England.”

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Inspectorate challenged to justify claim By Christina Eccles THE INSPECTORATE has been challenged to justify its claim excellently performing councils are those which try to push people away from residential care. Responding to the CQC’s report on how well councils are doing in managing adult social care, the Registered Nursing Home Association says it is preposterous to imagine that the best solution for every person with multiple health and social care needs is to be looked after at home. It argues that, for many thousands of people across the country, going into a nursing home for 24-hour care is the only safe and effective way of meeting complex needs. CEO Frank Ursell said it also provides companionship and security to many vulnerable individuals who might otherwise suffer feelings of isolation. He added: “It is disturbing that a fixed ideology about the primacy of non-residential care in virtually all circumstances appears to infect the CQC. “Of course many people would prefer to stay in their own homes as long as possible. In fact, the majority do just that. But many people opt to come into nursing homes because

their health needs are such that they could not cope at home, even with domiciliary support. “These days, most nursing homes are caring 24 hours a day for individuals who, less than 25 years ago, would probably have been in the geriatric ward of an NHS hospital. It’s fair to say many of today’s residential care homes now deal with individuals who, 25 years ago, might have been in a nursing home.” Frank also pointed to what he called the CQC’s contradictory definitions of what makes councils ‘excellent’ in their approach to adult social care. He added: “On the one hand the CQC says excellent councils are those who try to push the market away from residential care. “On the other hand, it says excellent councils are those where a high proportion of its placements are in care homes rated ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ by the CQC. “So let’s just picture the scene. An ‘excellent’ council approaches a nursing home that is rated as ‘excellent’ by the CQC and says: we know you are excellent but we think you should close down and allow your residents to be supported at home by domiciliary care workers. What sort of nonsense would that be?”

Winners receive prizes from Healthcare Homes’ directors and chief executive Richard Clough

Firm chooses its winners AN East Anglian care provider has showed its appreciation to its staff at its annual awards ceremony. Healthcare Homes, which celebrated its fifth anniversary last year, presented 10 awards at the event, which was held at Dunstan Hall in Norwich, and included its yearly conference. Among the winners was Kevin Read, minibus driver at Mill Lane in Felixstowe, who was chosen as the 2010 unsung hero. For every nomination in the category a tree has been planted at Theydon Bois Wood in Essex. Other victors included Sally

Shadbolt, manager of Fornham House near Bury St Edmunds, who was awarded the going the extra mile prize. Meanwhile, Maria Bagwandeen, quality assurance co-ordinator at the Lowestoft office, was presented with the anything but routine award. Other winners: Far from average – Shipdham Manor; Less Is more – Meadow House; Living for tomorrow – St Leonards Court; Precision is the key – The Manor House; Trained and confident to care – Uvedale Hall; Turning the corner – Sally Chilvers (Uvedale Hall); Director’s Award – Emma Cooper (The Manor House).

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What every carer should know when registering a death ... By Daniel Curran SOCIAL trends mean it is more important than ever for carers to be aware of the correct way of handling the issue arising when a person passes away. It’s a sad fact of life that many in our society experience an increasingly solitary existence at the end of their lives. And it is care home staff who often have to step into the breach when assuring that the formalities are properly dealt with when someone sadly dies. A recent study by Age UK found that 17 per cent of older people had less than weekly contact with their family, friends and neighbours. Statistics like this can translate into real problems for care home staff. When a resident passes away, a care home is left with the legal responsibility to ensure any recipients of a will or testament are sought out. The problem for many carers is where to start and how to go about the process of registering a death. Official legal guidance from the

government’s treasury solicitor department is that if someone dies in care, the care home should make ‘reasonable enquiries to establish that the deceased has not left entitled relatives or a will’ before referring the death to the treasury solicitor or duchy of Lancaster or Cornwall. Probate genealogists specialise in identifying and tracing heirs, and locating missing or unknown beneficiaries. We are often asked for advice on how to handle what can be a difficult and timeconsuming dilemma for many carers unused to the complex task of tracing the deceased’s next of kin. On the event of a death carers can contact probate genealogists who can then make all enquiries to find the next of kin on behalf of the carer, thus fulfilling the treasury solicitor’s requirement. Many do this free of charge and can locate next of kin very quickly, which is always an advantage in this situations. Our recommendation to care

homes is that they should prepare all the relevant information before contacting the appropriate authority, by recording all important information in advance is key to this. Fulfilling the treasury solicitor’s requirement can be accomplished in four simple steps: Note down dates and places of all key life events; birth and marriage, names and details of any children or siblings or rumoured or known remoter kin. Compile a list of assets and debts in order to establish an approximate value of the estate. If the next of kin are found, they will instruct a solicitor to contact you immediately. If the family has died out the estate can be referred to the treasury solicitor. As the baby boomers reach retirement in the years ahead, care homes will be under increasing pressure to make sure they carry out their legal duties. Daniel Curran is managing director of Finders

Daniel Curran

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Theatre style kitchen ends refurbishment A Weymouth care home is calling for more items of memorabilia to help its elderly residents recall memories of their earlier lives. Care South’s Mount Pleasant senior care assistant Sue Francis and care assistant Chris Pavitt arrange for small groups of residents to look through items of memorabilia or sing along to music of yesteryear.

Jangro launch new laundry range JANGRO has launched its own range of onpremise laundry products. Highlight of the range is Fabrix®? Laundry Liquid. In independent laboratory tests, Fabrix®? has been scientifically proven to kill the H1N1 flu virus, MRSA and C. difficile spores. Sovereign Low Temperature Destainer is used at only 30°C, reducing energy costs and wash time, allowing more loads per day. Sovereign commercial grade, high strength Peroxide Laundry Destainer is very effective when washing at 60°C and above, removing stubborn bleachable stains. Sovereign Fabric Softener is a concentrated, multi-component product, incorporating ‘quick dry’ and ‘easy iron’ features with superb anti-static properties. Sovereign Bio and Non-Bio Laundry Liquids are designed specifically to tackle the toughest stains. And Sovereign Laundry Conditioner is for those occasions when a heavy-duty product for high temperature washes is required. For outstanding cleaning performance at 30°c without a destainer, are Sovereign Biodegradable and Non-Bio laundry liquids that are both non-irritant and very economical. Enquiries: Call Jangro on 0845 458 5223, email centraloffice@jangrohq.net or visit www.jangro.net

Beaucare launches new eCommerce website BEAUCARE Medical Ltd, the UK’s premier supplier of hygiene, medical supplies and equipment to private care homes, hospitals and individuals, has launched a new eCommerce website. It follows significant growth in online sales for the company, and reflects an increasing demand for online features and benefits from both Beaucare’s business and private customers. The site, which was originally launched in 2002, now benefits from easier and faster navigation through product categories; better in site search functions; more online special offers; links to social networking tools including Facebook and Twitter. Managing director Jonathan Brown said: “As a company, we are constantly striving to improve and expand on the products and services we offer and, having consolidated our range of both medical and hygiene products, we are now concentrating our efforts on improving the way we showcase them to our customer base.” All online payments will continue to run safely and securely. Enquiries: Telephone 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

Simple solutions 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 odour-free, 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

By Dominic Musgrave THE opening of a theatre style kitchen has marked the end of an extensive refurbishment and redevelopment programme at a Worcester nursing home. The new kitchen will allow residents at Stanfield to see their meals being cooked and cost £35,000. It follows a £1.6m development of a courtyard style facility around the Grade Two listed building, which owner Richard White said took him three years to obtain planning permission for. He added: “The Georgian building was converted into a care home in 1987, and up until recently it has continued to meet everyone’s needs. “But in recent years the expectations of people looking to move into care have increased and, although the quality of care has remained the same, the physical building has not met expectations. “It took a lot of effort to get the plans passed, and we worked closely

with a specialist company to develop a building appropriate for our care delivery that also gave the residents the opportunity to safely go outdoors should they wish.” Richard says he is now looking into the possibility of building several independent living units on a plot of land adjacent to the home to meet local demand. He added: “It isn’t likely to be in the near future, but we have had several enquiries for this type of accommodation. “We would provide whatever services the person may require to help them live independently and, providing we have an available bedroom, they would be able to move into the main home if and when the time came that they became more dependent on us.” Are you planning an innovative development or refurbishment at your care home? Let healthcare editor Dominic Musgrave know by emailing dm@whpl.net or call him on 01226 734407.

Reed Medical adds diabetic/healthy socks to range AS a major orthopaedic footwear manufacturer, Reed understands the importance of supporting the feet during daily activity. We are also aware of the importance of socks for support and prevention of injury, particularly to the diabetic foot. Reed Medical now offer specially designed diabetic/healthy socks which provide: An even fit which is not susceptible to creasing. No elastic cuff which can hinder blood circulation in the calf. A smooth closure by hand linked toes. Sizes 35 to 46 available in a range of colours. Socks manufactured using a combination of materials: cotton, amicor (cotton/acrylic), silver fibre and wool ensure comfortable fit while helping to limit foot problems. Enquiries: Telephone 01254 503333, email: info@reedmedical.co.uk or visit www.reedmedical.co.uk

Personalised linen for care homes TOWELSDIRECT has been supplying the care sector for the last 20 years, and are providing premium Turkish quality towels that last up to 150 washes. Most towels that you see in a retailer will only last 60 washes. We also provide minimum iron bedlinen that is constructed of easy care polycotton, again designed to last longer than your average bedsheet and save your staff time. Bespoke embroidery designs are available, along with matching bedlinen and curtains. Please call free for a no obligation discussion. Since Towelsdirect’s inception, we have always tried to focus on our uniqueness. Customers are reminded that we offer free delivery on orders over £150, operate a no minimum order policy and next day delivery from stock. We recognise that our customers’ needs are ever changing, and it is with this in mind that we are updating our website daily. Enquiries: Telephone 0800 018 6935 or visit www.towelsdirect.co.uk for our online catalogue.

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CARINGINDUSTRY NEWS

Monitor has dual purpose THE Live-Link Movement Sensor is one of the most progressive, up-todate, portable monitors on the market. This is the only unit of its kind with a dual purpose, which can be used to monitor residents leaving their beds or rooms and can also be connected to a chair sensor pad. The Movement Sensor can be linked in to the majority of nurse call systems. Nurses or carers will be alerted if a resident sits up in bed, gets out of their chair or leaves the room. This one piece of equipment gives staff the flexibility of one unit covering several scenarios. The unit is also of great benefit to any residents who may be at a greater risk of falling or injuring themselves – those with poor mobility, suffering from dementia or confusion, recovering following an operation or suffering from the side-effects of prescribed drugs.

On-line design facility is launched BADGEMASTER has launched a new, user-friendly, fully interactive on-line design facility, enabling customers to design their own name badges and create their own designs instantly, on screen. The company first introduced a specialist, professional, free design service 18 years ago, and their designers regularly support many top designers, corporate clothing suppliers and leading companies across every industry. The new and innovative website makes all the professional skills, experience and resources used by top badge designers available to everyone with internet access. Via a user-friendly, step-by-step program, it allows users to explore different looks for their new badge and to create instantly their chosen options without any of the delays or costs involved in the need to use a designer.

Current climate puts Eric in great demand A CARE home consultancy is celebrating its 20th anniversary and its 18th specialising in raising occupancy levels and increasing fee income and profitability for proprietors and managers of care homes nationwide. And Eric Howard says his services are in demand now more than ever. He added: “The perfect storm of government and local authority cuts in funding, the increasingly ‘tight’ criteria badly affecting admissions to

residential homes, and little or no increase in fees for the foreseeable future is severely restricting the size of the cake – the number of potential residents on the market and the profitability of care homes. “Furthermore, uncertainty about the economy and domestic property values are also making prospective self-funding residents nervous about making the commitment for longterm care.” Eric says he is guiding his clients

through this maelstrom, having honed his techniques over years of such crises. “100 per cent occupancy is the holy grail,” he added. “If you are consistently full to capacity, you can cope with the bureaucracy, the never-ending paperwork, the inspections and the new policies. “Anything less, and the last few beds are your profit and margin of safety, and you are in trouble.”

Pampering has benefits BVS unveils two new dignity DVDs MANY residential and care homes recognise the benefits of employing the services of a hairdresser and beautician. Organisations such as the Alzheimer’s Society recommend this to preserve residents’ individuality, personal pride and wellbeing, while taking the weight off nursing staff. However, when hiring a hairdresser, should you just look for the basics such as insurance, references and a CRB check, or would you prefer to find a supplier qualified in the care of elderly patients, including dementia? Jenny Twigg, founder of Lily Pins, who provide specialist hairdressing, beauty and chiropody services to the care industry, said: “My mission is that all residential and care homes will have the choice to have their own personal hairdressing and beauty service provided to them by fully

trained, qualified staff who not only care how their clients look but also how they feel. “I believe all outside suppliers should have knowledge of health and safety, manual handling, COSHH and the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults/ “We also work in pairs, which allows care home staff to continue their own work in the nursing units. Mike Stevens, registered manager of Weald Hall residential home, added: “Jenny and her team have been coming to our home for over a year. They go out of their way to get to know the residents and what they want. “We are a dementia home so the training Jenny’s team have in dealing with this client group is very important to us, giving our residents special time and pampering.”

Bond offer breaks for carers FUNDING can be confusing, especially when it comes to finding out what your eligible for. Care services minister Paul Burstow has recently announced a £400m pot to fund respite breaks for carers who care for an individual for more than

50 hours a week. Part of this funding also allows for a carer to take over duties while away. Bond Holidays provide a great range of breaks from famous tributes to top tours, plus a range especially for carers.

BVS plans to release two new DVDs in the near future in response to the Common Induction Standards 2010 called ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ and ‘Dignity and Respect’. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion has drawn more attention in this increasingly multi-cultural society. Skills for Care listed equality and inclusion in the 2010 Standards to reflect their significance. The government’s Dignity in Care initiative highlights that ‘High quality health and social care services should be delivered in a person-centred way that respects the dignity of the individual receiving them’. Sales and operations manager Minjie Xiong said: “Legal requirements can be daunting. “Our aim is to explain the regulations in a plain language that every care worker can comprehend and learn how to apply them in practice.”

Company has track record Refreshing moist wipes for consistent innovation can be personalised AID Call has been at the forefront of wireless nurse call technology for over 30 years. Our first class knowledge, innovative approach and reputation for delivering reliable, safety critical solutions has clearly positioned us as the leading supplier of wireless nurse call solutions. Our unique Touchsafe® system is the only wireless nurse call that combines all of these safety critical features and leading edge technologies. This continuous commitment has seen us lead the way in the use of the

most advanced two way, class one safety critical radio technologies. All touchable elements of the system are embedded with antimicrobial additives to help combat the spread of infection. Over the years Aid Call has acquired a track record for consistent innovation. We take a user centric approach to design, listening to the people who matter to ensure that our systems meet and exceed the constantly changing needs of our clients.

REFRESHENING Professional Caring Moist Wipes are specifically developed to help reduce the risk of healthcare associated infections by cleansing and preventing cross contamination through hand contact. The wipe is perfect for removing germs from hands, ideal for personal hygiene and guarantees effective cleansing, the professional way. These unique moist wipes are individually wrapped for that

personal touch, infused with a natural Aloe fragrance and balanced to the skins natural pH. Caring Moist Wipes can also be personalised to your requirements upon the outer wrapping. Every wipe will be covered with your brand, your advertising message and what you have to offer. Give your business an edge by employing this unique product direct into your clients hands.

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Healthcare group website wins plain English award INTERNATIONAL healthcare group Bupa has been awarded a Plain English Campaign web award for its site, bupa.co.uk. These awards are presented to sites that achieve simplicity in public information and Bupa’s site, which has factsheets on medical conditions ranging from angina to yellow fever, as well as information on insurance and care homes, was praised for being written in clear, understandable language. Chrissie Maher, founder of the Plain English Campaign, said: “Getting older might make you wiser, but it doesn’t make it any easier to understand a pile of jargon and gobbledygook. “When I’m not firing on all cylinders, the last thing I need is more

stress when I need help. “The Bupa website comes very close to ticking all the boxes for our own Internet Crystal Mark and the judging panel was comfortable with using it.” All Bupa’s information is written by professional health writers and approved by medical experts. Dr Layla McCay, assistant medical director for Bupa, said: “We are delighted that Bupa.co.uk has won this award. “We have worked hard to ensure our website is easy to read and navigate and we are pleased the Plain English Campaign has recognised our efforts to make sure anyone who visits our website can find what they need quickly and that we explain complex health care issues simply.”

New scheme helps residents log in A CARE home near Stockport has been using a new scheme to help residents enjoy the benefits of computing. The team at Abbeyfield High Lane House have introduced the ‘alex’ operating system to give residents the chance to make the most of broadband by learning the basics of computing such as e-mailing and surfing the internet. It was hoped that this would increase contact with close relatives, improve their access to advice services such as Age UK

and to current news and shopping services. The project is still in its early stages and volunteers with IT experience are regularly visiting the home to help residents get familiar with the system. Bernie Rowlands, volunteer, said: “The alex system is very easy to use and was designed for people with no previous knowledge of computing. It gives all the benefits of conventional personal computers without the hassle of learning usually associated with it.”

38 Classi

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CARINGNEWS Signs

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