Caring UK January 2010 by Script Media

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January 2010

incorporating The Number One magazine for the care sector

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Owner left with £2,000 car park bill By Dominic Musgrave THE owner of a Bradford nursing home has been left with a bill for more than £2,000 after rogue workmen dug up her car park without permission. Hanna Gumeniuk, who runs Rose Garland, said she was approached by two men who said they had some spare asphalt and could carry out work on the car park. She refused and said she did not want anything to be done without seeing a quote first. Hanna said the men told her they would return the following day to give her a written quote. She added: “I live in the house next door to the home and was upstairs just after 8am when I heard drilling outside. “I looked out of the window and there were three workmen digging a lot of the car park drive up. They were digging around the cars of the staff and have left half a dozen holes, which is dangerous, particularly as we are a care home.” Hanna and her daughter ran out of their home and told the workmen to put the mess right and go. She then

contacted the police and the company the men worked for, who agreed to send somebody else to put things right for a fee. Hanna added: “They came around and did a little bit before saying they had run out of tarmac, and that is the last I have seen or heard of them. “It isn’t the right weather to be doing this sort of work at the moment, so I have just had to get a handyman to fill the tarmac holes in for now. “It is one of those things that I can look back and think is quite funny now, but at the time it was anything but. The staff were getting the residents out of bed when they came around, so could do nothing to stop them.” Hanna had a quote of £1,900 for the work from another company who had erected a sun lounge at the home earlier in the year, but says it is likely to be a lot more now. “What makes it worse is that what they have dug up from the car park they have just dumped it on the nearby school fields, and it is still there,” she added.

High fees leaving relatives with little

Leading businessman Sir Gerry Robinson has tackled the state of dementia care homes for his latest television programme. The former chairman of Granada and the Arts Council visited various homes for the two-part BBC2 documentary ‘Can Gerry Robinson Fix Dementia Care Homes?’ For an interview with Sir Gerry turn to page 14. Picture: BBC.

HIGH care home fees mean many elderly people are leaving little or nothing to loved ones, it has been claimed. The Law Society says many wills need reviewing to take into account care residents’ depleting assets after research by Age Concern and Help the Aged found that average weekly care home fees are now £470. Irene Chenery, of Chenery Maher Solicitors in Clitheroe, said: “There is a danger that many elderly people are forced to dip into their life savings, selling their homes or other assets to pay care home fees. “In many instances, they will have asked their solicitor to include those assets in their will to be left to family and loved ones. However, in reality there could be nothing left once their care home fees are paid for.” The Society says not enough people are updating their wills to accommodate fees, and also to take into account long term financial effects of the recession.

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Scrapping uniforms improves relations

www.caring-uk.co.uk Advertising Sales and Marketing Director: Tony Barry National Sales Executives: Mandy Edwards Tel: 01226 734333 Email: mandye@caring-uk.co.uk Fax: 01226 734477 Rebecca Hazell Tel: 01226 734 685 Email: rh@whpl.net

By Dominic Musgrave STAFF uniforms have been scrapped at a Bromsgrove care home after its manager passed a new course. Regents Court manager Karen Hancox completed the year-long Dementia Care Matters course, which aimed to show the students how to put people at the centre of dementia care. And she has already put into practice the knowledge she has learned by training staff at the home on the topics she covered. Karen said she plans to make 50 changes to the way the home is run over the next few months. She added: “I have worked in care for the last 14 years and was trained the old fashioned way, but this course was a real opener and has totally changed the way I do things here. “The course focussed on the feelings attached to dementia, and one of the things we worked on was a 50-point strategy about the way the home is run. “One of the first changes I have made at the home is getting rid of the staff uniform, which has helped improve relationships by removing the perceived barrier between them and the residents.” Karen has also changed the care plans to make them more feelings based, but says one of her biggest challenges has been getting the staff to support her. She added: “Traditionally care is very

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

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Karen Hancox much task based, so some of the staff who have worked in the sector for many years have found it difficult to change to a new way of working. “But once they have seen the good results and the improvements in the residents’ well-being they wanted to to get involved. “This has led to a lot better atmosphere around the home. The staff seem a lot more comfortable spending time with the residents, and we have had less incidents from those residents who have some very challenging behaviour, which tells me they are feeling better.” Karen has also cut back on the antibehavioral medication given to residents unless it is a last resort, while other changes she plans to impose include making meal and bed times more relaxed, with residents able to get up, go to bed and eat when they wish, rather than at set times.

Group Editor: Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 Fax: 01226 734478 Healthcare Editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 Reporters: Christina Eccles Mary Ferguson Louise Cordell

Television personality and architect George Clarke transformed a Surrey care home as part of a programme for Channel 4. The Home Show presenter visited Abbeyfield House for a one-off edition of the show, which is owned by a charity of the same name. It has 12 residents with an average age of 88. Challenges he faced at the home, which was originally two houses, included changing the communal lounge, kitchen and dining rooms and making use of a disused second kitchen.

Group Deputy Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734458 Database enquiries to Tel: 01226 734695 E-mail: circulation@ wharncliffepublishing.co.uk Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all content, the publishers do not accept liability for error, printed or otherwise, that may occur.

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Owner wins appeal to build facility despite opposition By Dominic Musgrave

the appeal because this is a much needed service in this area.

WORK has begun on a specialist dementia facility which was delayed for more than three years following a bitter row with nearby residents. In 2005 Alison Lee first came up with the idea of building a 35-bed nursing and terminal care home along with a 22-bed specialist dementia facility in the grounds of Hill Brow Nursing Home in Farnham. She told Caring UK that local residents were against the plan, arguing that their children would not be safe to play outside with dementia sufferers nearby. Alison added: “ It took us over three years to get through planning because of some worries that people had about living near people with dementia. “The locals were so naive about their knowledge of the disease, saying they would have to lock their doors at night and didn’t want the residents who would be living here staring at their children as they played in the garden. “Thankfully we won hands down at

“We have worked alongside the Alzheimer’s Society in the design process and, although there have been a lot of changes along the way, we are hopeful that what we are developing is as close to the perfect care home as you can get.” The new home will be split into smaller units of 10 bedrooms, and each will have their own kitchen, lounge, office area and a safe outside area. A key-shaped path will also lead residents to a coffee shop with flower stall outside. Alison added: “It will give the residents a feeling of achieving something if they go to a different place, as well as giving their families somewhere to take them. “The relatives of residents in our existing home tell us they don’t know what to do with them when they visit, so the coffee shop will be somewhere they can go, an it will be accessible for everyone whether they are mobile, in a wheelchair or even in a bed. “We are also going to put in a play

James Arbuthnot MP cuts the first sod at Hill Brow Nursing Home along with Alison Lee and her mother Gillian, who started the business 35 years ago. area for the children so it gives the grandchildren some enjoyment and encourages them to come and visit as well.”

The new development is due for completion in early 2011, and once opened is expected to create between 60 and 70 new jobs.

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Whim Hall

Home blames high turnover of managers By Dominic Musgrave A HIGH turnover of managers is being blamed for the failures at a Scottish care home which has been slammed by the inspectorate. A specialist management team has moved into Whim Hall near Peebles to steer through major improvements after it was threatened with closure by the Care Commission over concerns about poor standards of care. Regulators found that none of their five requirements from a previous inspection had been met, leading to the regulator’s proposals to cancel the site's registration. But Guardian Care Homes managing director Gary Hartland told Caring UK the group is determined to get to grips with the changes it needs to make, mainly in improving staff training and paperwork. He added: “Over the last 18 months we have had a high turnover of managers at Whim Hall, which has unfortunately meant that the changes that we have been trying to make there have not been carried through as they should have been. “We are half way through a £400,000 refurbishment of Whim Hall and will soon be building new bedrooms, which will increase the capacity of the home to 46 residents, all in en suite rooms. “After that we aim to build a 23-bed,

£1.2m extension so that the home will specialise in nursing for residents with dementia, for which there is rising demand.” Cleethorpes Care and Nursing Ltd has been commissioned by the group to run the home, which has 29 residents, in a bid to prevent the closure. They will oversee the daily running for 12 months and have brought in five healthcare assistants, with managers introducing new systems and staff training. The company is also advertising to recruit 10 senior healthcare assistants and carers for the home. Care Commission regional manager Lawrie Davidson said its priority is to safeguard the safety, privacy and dignity of the residents living at the home. He added: “The Care Commission has taken enforcement action against Whim Hall as it has continually failed to improve the standard of care that it provides to residents. It is unacceptable that improvements have not yet been made. “We have issued a notice to propose to cancel the service if improvements are not made, which could effectively remove its licence to operate. “The provider has already indicated to us that certain improvements have been made, and we will be carrying out an inspection to check on this progress.”

Residents’ backing for troops RESIDENTS of a North Yorkshire care home are doing their bit for the troops in Afghanistan. The residents at Rivermead Care Home, along with their families and staff, have been filling shoeboxes to send out to the soldiers. The home’s administrator Lorraine Kitching, who has organised the collection, told Caring UK that 100 have been sent to members of the Household Cavalry.

She added: “My husband and son are both serving in the Household Cavalry. “Mark was out in Afghanistan a few months ago and pointed out how the soldiers are in need of treats so we thought we would try to help. “We have received an email from some of the soldiers saying how pleased they are to get the shoeboxes.”

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‘One in six providing substandard care’ By Dominic Musgrave ONE in six care homes are providing substandard care for elderly people, a report by the inspectorate has found. And almost 4,000 residential homes and other agencies must improve the quality of service they provide, according to the research, which also named and shamed eight councils it considers to be providing the worst care for older people. CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower said there had been a “steady improvement” in standards since 2003. But she added: “I am concerned that many care homes and agencies have more to do to deliver the quality of care expected of them. “Those affected should be absolutely clear that we will be very persistent in ensuring they take action in the run up to registration and afterwards, using all the new

powers that will be at our disposal. “There are also serious issues for councils to address in areas such as giving people more control over their care, treating people with dignity, and ensuring commissioning is as effective as possible. I want to see the regulator and councils working in tandem to drive poor quality care out of the market.” The commission’s report - based on a snapshot of standards taken in March this year - found that 30 per cent of homes fail to meet its specific minimum standard for storing, handling and providing residents’ medication. Twenty-nine per cent fall short of the minimum standard for ensuring that residents are properly supervised by staff, while almost 10 per cent failed to provide residents with privacy and dignity. The report said some local councils are to blame because they place people in substandard homes.

Cynthia added: “It is striking that many of the issues of most concern to the public - such as dignity - are not necessarily things that cost a lot of money to put right. “So there is clearly room to continue improving services, despite the tough economic backdrop. There is no excuse for taking the foot off the gas. “I have to say however that I am deeply concerned about the potential impact of lower spending on social care. We all know there are choppy waters ahead, so the issue is how well the system responds to the situation. We plan to be particularly vigilant about this on behalf of people who use services.” According to the commission, there are 458,638 registered places in care homes in England, 10,406 of which are in 400 homes and care agencies rated as ‘poor’, 71,473 are in 3,500 rated ‘adequate, with most of the remaining homes rated as ‘good’ and 17 per cent ‘excellent’.

CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower

Research says investing in staff is key to quality care INVESTING in staff and leadership is the key to delivering quality care for the elderly, according to new research. Care services with high star ratings spend up to 20 per cent more on staff and their training, development and management, the National Care Forum and Counsel and Care report “The real cost of quality care and support” found. They also put service users at the centre of everything they do says the study, which was produced as a response to the green paper on the future funding of care. Counsel and Care chief executive Stephen Burke told Caring UK that

more resources are needed to fund better quality care. He added: “Valuing care means valuing the people who provide care. “The underfunding of care in this country means that many staff are poorly paid and poorly trained. Older people and their families are the real losers. The Government’s consultation on the future funding of care must address urgently the need for extra resources for unmet needs now as well as increasing demands such as dementia care in the future. We must invest in the care workforce for all our futures.” The report was based on a survey of not for profit providers of care.

Andre Bikey joins residents in the BodyVive class

Footballers join residents for aerobics session RESIDENTS at a Burnley care home put their fitness to the test when they were joined for an aerobics session by two Premier League footballers. Burnley captain Steven Caldwell and midfielder Andre Bikey joined in with the BodyVive session at Crow Wood Court, which are run fortnightly by the club’s community team as part of the Creating Chances initiative. Fitness trainers take the elderly residents through a series of stretches and warm-ups, which use a variety of techniques and props to work on areas of fitness such as co-

ordination, balance and cardiovascular fitness. The home’s manager Marjorie Bolton told Caring UK the classes aim to combat age-related isolation. She added: “The classes have really taken off at the home, and the residents here love the activities and always look forward to them. “Since we begun the classes we have noticed a real improvement in the residents’ mobility, and they all seem more confident about doing things. We hope the necessary funding will be found to ensure that the classes can continue in future.”

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Home struggles amid three-day power cut STAFF at a West Sussex care home were forced to manually carry a 102year-old resident to another bedroom after it suffered a three-day power cut. Seb Maleki, who runs The Gables in Ifield Green, says she suffered four cuts in the space of a fortnight, which her energy provider EDF blamed on bad weather. She told Caring UK that vital equipment was put at risk, and with the heating linked to the electrics, it meant a chilly spell for elderly residents. Seb added: “Some of the residents are on special equipment that needs to run on power and because we couldn’t do any cooking or laundry we had to wash our clothes and get food delivered from elsewhere. “All 37 of the residents are over the age of 70, and it’s not a simple matter of moving two or three residents, especially people I’ve got on special mattresses or special feed pumps. “Seven residents had to be moved out of their upstairs bedrooms downstairs, and myself and the staff had to carry our eldest resident because we had no lift. She thankfully found it quite amusing, but it was distressing for her to have to be moved into another bedroom.” Seb said she was almost forced to hire a generator at a cost of more than £1,000 on numerous occasions, with several residents and the equipment they used having to take a 15-

minute ambulance ride to The Gables’ sister care home, Aniska Lodge. She added: “I had to move my residents who are on feeds quicker, and those that are on specialist mattresses had to be moved on to normal ones, with staff checking them regularly and in some cases sit with them for long periods. “EDF didn’t seem to take any notice of me when I told them that we should be on a priority list because we have some very vulnerable and elderly people here. “It is very well them charging these higher rates but when it comes to the service they didn’t seem to have any consideration for us. “I asked them about the possibility of some compensation for the problems they had caused, but was told that this isn’t something they can offer. An EDF spokeswoman added: “We run a Priority Services Register for customers who are especially vulnerable, such as the elderly or those with medical equipment powered by electricity. “Unfortunately we will only know about those customers who have registered this information with us. We contacted the home yesterday to invite the home to join our Priority Services Register. “We also wanted to check whether we could provide support, through our British Red Cross partnership, while our repair work is progressing.”

Residents at a Scunthorpe care home have been showing off their artistic talent in an exhibition. Bridgewater Park care centre, which provides residential, nursing and dementia care for older people, held a week long event to highlight and celebrate the work they do. The created different pieces of art work, from collages to paintings, for the exhibition, which was officially opened by the town’s mayor Sue Armitage.

Activities coordinator Jean Pearce said: “The residents find doing art and crafts activities very enjoyable and relaxing, they get great pleasure from the creative process as well as the end results.” All of the pieces were sold at the end, raising more than £200 for the residents’ activities fund Picture: Mayor coun Sue Armitage with Bridgewater Park care centre manager Julie Moult and mayoress Joyce Armitage.

By Mary Ferguson

Ricky Hatton took a break from the boxing ring to open his home town’s newest care home. The ‘Pride of Hyde’ cut the ribbon at a ceremony at the purpose-built Hatton Grange, a 70-bed facility built by Leeds operator Ideal Care Homes which will include a specialist dementia area. He also mingled with staff, including manager Joanne Fogg, residents and their families at the site, which includes sensory gardens and a hair dressing salon. Ricky added: “I am delighted to lend my name to Hatton Grange. It provides a valuable service to the surrounding community and it has been a pleasure to meet the team and residents.”

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Winnie, 103, spreads the word about careers in care A CENTENARIAN has been recruited by the North Yorkshire care home where she lives to help spread the word about a career in care. Winnie Hudson, 103, who lives at The Millings in Bedale, has become the oldest person to become a care ambassador. The programme is run by the Care Alliance for Workforce Development (CAWD) – a new partnership covering public, private and voluntary sector care providers and other interested parties who wish to help employers with recruitment and retention of staff. Manager Sandra Anderson said Winnie is keen to spread the word that working in the care sector is a worthwhile job. She added: “Her key worker first came up with the idea as Winnie is always keen to try new things, and when we suggested it to her she immediately said she would do it. “Winnie felt it would be good for her to do because she can tell

people from her own experience about the care she has received, and it was something she says she would have loved to have done when she was younger. “There is no formal training involved for those wishing to sign up to the scheme - you just have to be enthusiastic, committed to the job and be interested in people and enjoy their company. You also need to be a good listener. It is hoped that Winnie will shortly be joining three members of staff from the home and attend events such as careers fairs and visiting local schools and colleges to explain what a job in the care sector entails. Sandra added: “We hope to take Winnie with us to the local school to talk to the year nine and 10 pupils there are about a career in care. “We want to make them aware that it is not just like stacking shelves, and that you have to be a special person to work in this sort of environment.”

The Care Ambassador Programme, supported by CAWD, is managed by North Yorkshire County Council on behalf of the whole care sector.

Winnie Hudson with key worker Nicola Griffiths and manager Sandra Anderson

Kitchen assistant Craig McAdorey and resident Heather Williams

Care team serves up an evening of fine dining RESIDENTS at a Cardiff care home donned their best dresses and suits for an evening of fine dining. The celebration was arranged by the care team at Ty Enfys after talking to the residents to find out what treat they would most enjoy. After coming up with the idea of an evening of fine dining, invitations were sent to residents along with menu cards. Home manager Sujjata Singh said: “Most people love to dress up and enjoy a nice meal and our residents are no exception.

“While not all our residents may be able to manage an evening out at a restaurant, there’s no reason why we can’t bring fine dining to the home”. The care team dressed up as waitresses for the occasion, and served a three-course meal while the dining room was decorated with candles and background music was played throughout to create the ambiance of a five-star restaurant. Sujjata said the residents enjoyed the evening so much they are already planning another.

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Prized items play part in reminiscing A 100-YEAR-OLD christening gown and a 50-year-old wedding dress were some of the prized possessions displayed at a Teesside care home as part of a reminiscence week. Poplars Care Home in Thornaby held the events with residents also showing off a wide range of photos, clothing, handbags, hats and kitchenware spanning the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. Some of the items on show were on loan from the Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough and the reminiscence area of the local library. Organiser Brenda Smith, activities co-ordinator at the home, said the event was so successful that it will become an annual event on the calendar. She added: “We started off by getting a few things from the kitchen such as utensils and a washing machine, but it proved such a hit with residents that we decided to extend it to all over the home. “One of the residents’ husband brought in his wife’s wedding dress which was still in its original box. Another brought in the christening gown that he and a lot of his family were christened in, and their relatives also brought in a lot of photos. “It was interesting to see the changes in fashion over the years, and every wedding picture had its own story that went with it, with some taking just a week to organise because of the war.”

Hobby boost HENLEY mayor Elizabeth Hodgkin opened a new hobbies room at a care home paid for by the local rotary club. The building at Chilterns End includes a covered seating area accessed by a ramp and is fitted with work benches so residents can enjoy activities including painting, pottery and planting seedlings. The home’s administrator Marian Fnook said: “The new building fits in really well in the large grounds we have here, and saves the residents from being within the four walls all the time.”

A Staffordshire nursing home’s new wing will include several sustainability features. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

£2m nursing home goes environmentally-friendly THE new £2m development at Hoar Cross Nursing Home in East Staffordshire will house 18 close care units, along with enhanced communal facilities for the entire home. It will be built using local materials, and all aspects of the building from its orientation and fenestration have been designed to maximise natural light. Water saving devices, provision for water re-use and a ground source heat pump for thermal energy will also be installed. Director Ashraf Patel told Caring UK that it is all part of the home’s commitment to sustainability, which has also led to the introduction of a travel plan to minimise journeys to and from the home by staff and visitors, the purchase of an 11-seater mini coach and the introduction of an on-site salon and shop. He added: “We want to be as environmentally friendly as possible, so will use rain water to flush the toilets and are looking at using a ground source heat pump

‘We want to be as environmentally friendly as possible, so will use rain water to flush the toilets and are looking at using a ground source heat pump because the existing build is old and takes up a lot of electricity’ because the existing building is old and takes up a lot of electricity. “The new building will help to meet the demand for bed spaces in East Staffordshire. The home is in a rural area and, having spoken with a local domiciliary care agency, they have told us they struggle to get carers out here, particularly in winter, so we want to create units for the elderly to retain their own independence in a care setting.

“Because we already have the nursing home it made sense to go down the extra care route The units will cater for different levels of independence from those who, although frail, wish to maintain some independence while remaining in a care setting, to others who are in need of care but require a lower level of assistance. Each of the new one bedroom units will comprise a selfcontained living room and kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom. The extension, which has been designed to complement the current building and landscaping, will be linked to the existing home by a walkway, will also provide a new kitchen plus a second dining restaurant, two day rooms, a salon, library and computer room for all residents. Work is scheduled to begin on site in Summer 2010 and, once complete, it is expected to create up to 10 new jobs.

Care group launches calendar A SOUTH west care group has launched its own calendar, with all money raised from sales going to residents’ funds. The calendar includes personal stories from some of Cornwall Care’s clients as well as photos and their personal artwork, which has been used to illustrate the months of the year. The company’s sensory development manager Ray Liles said: “People throughout the company have contributed towards the calendar and it is our intention that they will benefit from the sales of it. “All of the money from every sale will be reinvested into our Active Life fund, which supports activities and

outings for all of our clients.” 3,000 copies of the calendar, priced £3, are available to buy from any of the group’s 18 care homes.

07 Curve

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Pat launches pen pal appeal to other homes

A bright red telephone box is ringing a bell with residents at a Bidford on Avon care home. The authentic, old-fashioned phone booth was custom-made for Waterloo House to bring back memories for residents, many of whom have dementia. The home’s manager Laura Coles said: “We are always looking at ways of

providing activities and props to help our residents to reminisce as part of their therapy. “They are thrilled with the new phone box, which takes pride of place in the home’s memory garden.” Picture: Care assistant Ann Collier and resident Pam Weale try out the new telephone box at Waterloo House

AN Essex manager is looking to set up a pen pal scheme for her residents with other care homes across the country. Pat Langstaff, who runs Brenalwood in Walton on the Naze, says four residents at the specialist dementia home have expressed an interest in writing letters. She told Caring UK that a plea for other Regal Care Homes facilities to get involved earlier in the year fell on deaf ears. Pat added: “I tried to get the managers of the other 17 homes in the group to set something up, but unfortunately that didn’t get any further than me sending out a request. “I think pen pals for the residents is a really good idea because when they move into a home they rarely receive any post, especially if they haven’t got any family. The post is part of everybody’s life and even if the resident can no longer write themselves, they can ask a carer to write down things for them.” She says she is putting together some information about the interested residents in the hope that

other homes across the country may also set up a scheme. Pat added: “It would be nice for the residents to get to know other people, maybe not in person, but if they received a letter once in a while or a Christmas card it would make them happy.” She is also hopeful of getting involved with a similar scheme in Gloucestershire, which was featured in the December issue of Caring UK. The Plume Project was the brainchild of Anita Miles in a bid to help combat the feeling of loneliness in people living in their own homes as well as residential settings. She added: “The project is in its infancy but is growing fast. One lady had lost a much loved pen pal from the USA and this offered her the opportunity to fill the gap she had felt to some degree when she lost her friend. In the case of nationwide exposure there has also been a need for this, as some people who applied had hoped for people further afield to take part so they could hear what was going on in other parts of the country.

Art activity proves a hit with nursing home residents A GLOUCESTERSHIRE nursing home is holding fortnightly art classes for residents organised by a local community arts project. The classes for small groups at Kingswood Lodge Care Centre have been set up by Under the Edge Arts after they became aware of a regular attendee to their Wotton painting classes who was a resident of the home. Art teacher Cornelie Morris brings a selection of books to the home for each class to give the residents an ideas of what they would like to draw and paint. Activities coordinator Sue Collins said art has numerous benefits for

the residents. She added: “The residents always look forward to the classes, and because they are fortnightly I have to keep reminding them of the date. “Because this is a nursing home it is sometimes difficult to get the residents out of their rooms, but they always look forward to the class. "It is an activity they can do together and they are rewarded with a sense of pride with what they have achieved at the end of it.” The classes are funded jointly by the home and the project. The residents plan to exhibit their work in the home and the village next year.

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Inspectorate receives freedom of information request over issues THE shadow minister for health and social care has called the inspectorate to account over issues in the inspection regime. Stephen O’Brien MP, who is also MP for Eddisbury in Cheshire, has sent a freedom of information request to the CQC to get more information about how the inspections are working, and how criteria are being applied. Caring UK got in touch with Mr O’Brien’s office in the summer, asking him to back our call for a meeting between care home operators and a senior official at the inspectorate.

In his letter to the CQC he has asked for a list of all the homes that have been inspected since the new regulator took over from CSCI at the beginning of April, including how many hours inspectors spent at each home, whether they spoke with residents and what the rating was before and after the inspection. Mr O’Brien has also asked for a list of the homes which got the same grades in the seven areas of inspection, but were given different star ratings. He said: “If care homes are getting the same inspection results, but different star ratings, there is clearly

something wrong with the system. “Furthermore, in a competitive market, and one that depends on quality, it is concerning that information on star ratings seems to be taking its time to reach the public domain. “It is in the interests of residents and providers alike that the star ratings are published in a timely manner.” Further information that he has asked for includes how long it took for the new rating for care homes that have either been upgraded or downgraded to appear on the CQC website.

Stephen O’Brien

Day trips planned with lotto cash A HERTFORDSHIRE care group will be able to take its residents out on day trips thanks to a lottery grant. Quantum Care plan to use the £31,988 they received from the Big Lottery Fund to launch the Greenacres Minibus Project, which aims to reduce isolation and increase well-being and social interaction among residents living in four of its care homes. Chief executive Maria Ball said: “We

Residents at a Wigan care home are clucking with happiness after helping a clutch of hens into the world. Farmers Neil and Irene Smith, who have a farm in Southport, brought 10 eggs to the home as well as everything the residents would need to care for the chicks as part of a nationwide initiative called Living Eggs. After two days the eggs hatched, and

home services manager Sue Grimes said the residents have enjoyed having them around so much that they have decided to keep three She added: “Our residents love animals, and we’re a very animal-friendly home. When we heard about Living Eggs we jumped at the chance. “It’s wonderful having the chicks here – everyone loves them.”

New home expects to bring 100 jobs WORK has begun on a new 88-bed care home in a Lincolnshire town which once built is expected to create around 100 jobs. The home which is being built by FE Peacock on behalf of United Health, will provide personal and nursing care 24 hours a day for people who are bedridden, very frail or have a medical condition or illness that means they

need regular attention. Philip Pearson, chief executive of United Health Ltd, said: “There is an increasing requirement for facilities such as these which is not currently met in the area. This new centre will provide independence for people in Bourne who need nursing care as well as peace of mind for their families.”

are absolutely delighted. These are people who in many cases are very frail and unable to get out by themselves. It will make a huge difference to their well-being, and it’s about trying to help get people back into their local community.” The money will pay for a specially adapted 12-seater minibus that will transport residents from Greenacres in Hatfield and three homes in St Albans to various places of interest.

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CARINGNEWS

Editor’s comment IT has been a busy month for the inspectorate. And unfortunately the resignation of Baroness Barbara Young as the head of the CQC and the launch of its first report into the state of care homes in England means we have been unable to find time to meet with Cynthia Bower. You may recall from our December issue that the chief executive of the care regulator had agreed to meet with a group of operators who were unhappy with the service they receive. We hope to have better news for you in our next issue, fingers crossed. On a different note you can now follow the the Caring UK team on Twitter at caringuk. We will update the site daily with information of stories we are working on, and will invite readers to get involved with features. Any comments or ideas you may have for the magazine would also be welcome, so please follow us. Alternatively you can write to me at the adddress on page three, call me on 01226 734407 or email dm@whpl.net

A business tycoon looked at the state of dementia care homes for his latest television programme. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

Sir Gerry tackles dementia SIR Gerry Robinson visited a number of struggling homes across the country for the two-part BBC2 documentary ‘Can Gerry Robinson Fix Dementia Care Homes?’ The 61-year-old, who in 2007 presented a similar programme looking at the state of the NHS, has first-hand experience of the condition as his father had the disease when he died several years ago. He said he was keen to do the documentary to look at the state of care in British homes. Gerry added: “The sense I got after just 10 minutes of stepping foot in my the first home was of the people living there being ignored and staff working around them, which was terrible. “These people cannot look after themselves, and as a country we are letting them down badly. I thought for a moment that maybe it had to be like this, but after five minutes I realised that it really doesn’t. “When people living in these homes are angry and frustrated they shout, and sometimes strike out, but that is not the dementia. That is the frustration that goes with not being heard, and it really doesn’t have to be this way.” He says he hopes the programmes

Sir Gerry Robinson will make people realise that in dementia care homes it is not the quality of the curtains, the colour of the carpets or the fact it does not smell that are important, but that loving care is given. Gerry added: “I think that when we could no longer look after my father and had to put him in a home he pretty much switched off and wasn’t up for it, and in many ways I don’t blame him.

“If you run a home very successfully then the economics also work for you because people want to leave their loved ones there. I have a problem with the profit motive only when the profit is earned as a result of skimping and cutting back. “The industry is heavily inspected, but I think the home owners themselves should also be regulated to show themselves to be capable of running one well.”

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CARINGNEWS

The head of a Midlands-based care group says they plan to increase their dementia services over the next 18 months. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

Care home operators striving for excellence WHEN Zsara Thomas and Patricia Hodgkinson took over the running of Alpha Care Homes two years ago, the majority of the 13 homes were rated ‘adequate’. Since then they have turned the facilities, most of which are small historic buildings, around, with all apart from one now having two stars. Zsara, the company’s business development director, said the group is now working on making its homes, which are located in the West Midlands and the South East, ‘excellent’. She added: “The homes lacked a bit of investment before we took over, but Patricia, with her nursing background, first wanted to look at the care being provided at the homes. “The first thing we did to improve this was to increase the number of

staff, but we then spent £2m on the infrastructure within the care homes to bring them up to standard. “The relatives and residents helped to choose the decor and furnishings at the homes, and we also upgraded a lot of the equipment at them such as the hoists and bathrooms.” Zsara said the group is now turning its attention to its dementia offering, having opened a specialist dementia unit at its Hounslow home Cloisters earlier in the year. She added: “We would like to expand in dementia even more over the next 18 months, and provide more specialised services in that field. “I think nursing homes may change over the next few years and, though there will still be a proportion of residential beds required, I

think we need to develop our focus more on dementia. “At Cloisters we worked closely with clinical experts within the sector, the PCT and the local authority to find out what the units needed to look like and the training that was required to make sure the staff were prepared to care for that group of people.” Zsara says the group, which has more than 800 staff, is looking to expand in future, but is consolidating in the current economic climate. She added: “The care home market is quite challenging at the moment in terms of fee structure and pressure on PCTs and local authorities to squeeze fees. “We are looking at potential areas where we could expand, and we hope to carefully meet the needs of the community, particularly in tough economic times.”

Zsara Thomas

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CARINGHOMECALL

Lord lieutenant of West Yorkshire Dr Ingrid Roscoe officially opens the new Woodlands Unit at Donisthorpe Hall along with Leeds Jewish Representative Council president Sue Dorsey and architect Michael Marks.

A Leeds care home which boasts its own cinema, cafe, shop, bowling alley and synagogue has undergone a major facelift. Dominic Musgrave paid a visit.

£1.5m facelift adds to home’s extensive facilities THE charity-owned Donisthorpe Hall is home to more than 160 residents, many of whom are from the local Jewish community. The home offers a variety of care in individual wings, and a wide and varied programme to cater for all requirements. The home’s operations manager John Smith said activities are vital to ensure the residents are stimulated. He added: “We have a huge activities programme going on, and over the years have made some really good contacts so have lots of people visiting us to entertain the residents. “The cinema shows films six days a week, and is also a nice room for us to hold concerts and other events. “We also hold computer classes for those residents who are interested, and because a large proportion of our residents are Jewish it is a good way for them to keep in touch with their relatives and friends who live there or in other parts of the world.” The home has an ongoing refurbishment programme, and recent work by local firm Tolent Construction worth almost £1.5m included the development of a new four-storey wing featuring 21 special needs bedrooms, three lounges, dining room, two hydrobaths, a kitchen,

two sluice rooms, three residential care units, top-floor offices and landscaped gardens. An existing two-storey residential care facility was also refurbished to provide a new lounge, dining room, kitchen, sluice rooms, and 12 bedrooms, each with assisted bathroom. John said that trying to ensure the home does not feel like an institution is one of the hardest challenges he faces. He added: “It is a large home that we have broken up into smaller areas to create a home within a home. Each has its own dining room so they have their own little social groups. “Being so big does have its own benefits because it gives us the space to have facilities such as the cafe and shop. “Some of the residents treat it a bit like an outing and arrange to meet there, whereas others, particularly the residents with dementia, like it quieter so prefer to stay in their own wings.” The next phase of the home’s redevelopment programme, which will include a day services area, is currently out to tender. It is hoped that work will begin next spring.

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CARINGPEOPLE

An Ipswich activities co-ordinator says he has no plans to retire despite approaching 65. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

French officials dress in kilts to show Bill the wooden model of the statue they created

French pay tribute to bagpiper Bill A BAGPIPER hailed a D-Day hero has met French officials to see a model of a statue they plan to build in his honour. Bill Millin, who lives at Palm Court Nursing Home in Dawlish, is to have a 10ft life-sized bronze statue erected in his honour close to the spot where, 65 years ago, he played the bagpipes as allied troops launched their assault to free Nazi-occupied Europe. The 86-year-old, who has lived at the home for the last six years, is to be immortalised in bronze, complete with pipes and kilt, by the people of Colleville Montgomery, which he helped to liberate in 1944. A group of French officials, including the sculptor, presented him with a wooden model of the

statue during a recent visit. The home’s manager Nigel Morris said the French artist has been regularly emailing the care home to ask questions about how he looked on D-Day. He added: “For the French he has become an iconic figure, and they want to know everything from how he wore his kilt to which arm did he had his pipes under. They want to get every detail right. He was just a private, he was the common soldier, so this statue is not just for Bill, it is for all the non-commissioned soldiers. He really does live life to the fullest that he can and I think that has always been his motto.” It is hoped that the statue will be ready to be unveiled on June 6 next year, the 66th anniversary of D-Day.

Why Ken’s not ready to give up on caring and games ... KEN Poole joined the staff at The Lodge Residential Home in Ipswich nine years after go, having spent the previous 35 in retail. He moved into the care sector after nursing his father who had cancer, and told Caring UK that he has never looked back. Ken, who is also now the home’s assistant manager, added: “When I joined here the home didn’t have a particularly good reputation in the local area, and a lot of the residents spent all of the day asleep, which I couldn’t accept. “That has all changed, and we have a really good manager in Michael Bailey, who has supported me in everything that I have done.” Ken says he is always devising new games and activities for the 43 residents to do, many of whom have some form of dementia. He added: “There are a lot of games that they can get involved in and enjoy than just bingo. I make up silly games involving Hula-Hoops and clowns, bowling games with targets and different colours. I also have got a lot of magnetic games that I have made. “I am always coming up with new ideas. We do a lot of reminiscence work here, such as cooking and gardening. I pretend that I know nothing about a particular subject, such as how to bake a cake, and the residents tell me all about it.

Ken Poole “They also enjoy watching slideshows of old Ipswich, and I recently brought in mine from my trip to Canada.” Ken also arranges for a variety of entertainers to come into the home, as many of the residents cannot get out. He added: “Last year I wrote to the local theatre and the whole cast of the Christmas pantomime came and did a performance here. “We also have the local 30-piece orchestra at Christmas performing carols, and in the summer had bagpipers here as well.” The home is owned by Gemini Care, who also run another one in Kings Lynn. Plans are in place to extend The Lodge further next year, although the number of beds will not increase.

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CARINGNEWS

Care home chef always looking for new ideas By Dominic Musgrave

CEO David Davies and matron Suzanne Marsh

Plymouth operator planning to offer complete package By Louise Cordell A PLYMOUTH operator is planning to build a specialist dementia nursing unit in the grounds of his care home in a bid to offer the complete package. Torr Home was originally established in 1860 as a charity caring for the visually impaired, but today offers residential and nursing care, respite, convalescence and day care. Funding for the project, which it is hoped will be completed by early 2011 at the latest, will be helped by the completion of 18 new retirement apartments, converted from disused farm buildings in the grounds. Matron Suzanne Marsh told Caring UK the new unit will be able to cater for 15 residents. She added: “I did some research which found there was an overwhelming requirement for a dementia facility in the local community, so we plan to build a high quality facility here. “The advantages of a new design and build is that we can draw upon collective knowledge to provide a op class, state-of-the-art

facility which will match the real needs of individuals and their families. “Providing we get planning consent, we hope to start work on the new unit early next year. As well as the bedrooms, it will also include specially designed walkways, sensory areas and a music room. Finance for the 19 one and two bedroom apartments, which cost £1m to develop, and includes one for residents’ guests, was helped by Clydesdale bank. Suzanne added: “They are available either on a long or short term lease agreement, and three of them have already been let out despite them all not being complete yet. They complement all that we offer here. We already have nursing and residential care here so with the dementia unit and independent living apartments it means we can cater for all, and that when a person moves in here they shouldn’t have to move away from the site for care.” The developments are expected to create between 10 and 15 new jobs.

A CHEF at a Devon care home regularly walks around the residents and asks them if there is anything different they would like to see on the menu. And the quality of food cooked at The Sidmouth nursing home has helped it to jump from one star to three following its latest inspection from the inspectorate. Manager Julie Casely told Caring UK that all of the dishes at the home, which provides day as well as residential care, are prepared fresh by the chef. She added: “Alison has been at the home nearly 15 years. She doesn’t stick to mundane dishes and does everything home made. “But she is much more than just a cook. “Although the residents have never been too bothered about having residents’ meetings to discuss the menu, Alison regularly walks around and talks to them to see if there is anything they would like to have.” The 29-bed home was given the new grade by the CQC following an inspection in August, with the report also particularly praising the quality of the care, saying residents are treated with “the utmost dignity and respect”. Julie added: “The main reason for

the success is the people we employ here are here for the right reasons. You cannot do it without a good team of staff. “The owner Samantha Bevan has invested a lot of money into the building and staff training since she bought it two-and-a-half years ago. When we came here the home was in a pretty poor state, but we now have 14 new bedrooms, seven in the existing building and seven in a new extension. “Samantha has owned care homes for the last 23 years, and we run it like a large family. “We are very into holistic care and provide a bespoke service to the residents, who can get up and eat when it suits them.” The home also has a packed activities programme, which as well as trips out to garden centres, the seafront and local National Trust sites, also includes regular visits from a drama therapist. “He comes in and takes a group of residents out of themselves to places like Greece, she added. “He brings in feta and olive branches and reads traditional poetry from that particular country. “We try to promote the fact that life doesn’t stop when you move into a care home, and will work as hard as we can to ensure that we maintain our three-star rating.”

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Music-loving home to build a concert hall An Elvis impersonator serenaded the residents at a Balcombe care home as part of a Las Vegas themed day. A casino was also set up at Russettings Care Home, with residents gambling with chips on games including roulette, black jack and craps. Activities coordinator Margaret Pickering said: “The Las Vegas day was a great event for everyone at the

home to get involved in. “We decided to organise the event as something a bit different for our residents, who could not wait to see the Elvis impersonator in action. A lot of them really enjoy listening to that style of music and being able to reminisce.” Picture: Resident Pamela Knight is serenaded by the Elvis impersonator

Residents take a walk down memory lane STAFF at a Marlborough care home have turned back time to help residents recall their younger days. The 60-bed home Coombe End Court has created a memory lane room decorated in the style of the 1950s, complete with an original bakelite telephone and a period coach-built pram of the kind that some of the residents would have wheeled their children around in. The time slip has been achieved on a small budget by manager Sue Linsley and her staff, who have scoured car boots sales and charity shops to find furniture and ornaments. Sue told Caring UK that the

residents enjoy listening to ‘The Archers’ in the room on an original Ferranti valve radio. She added: “The room has proved to be very popular with all who live here, and it is an area we are extremely proud of.This reflects an era which many of them recognise from their young days and feel comfortable with.Many of the residents suffer from short term memory loss but when they walk into this room they can recall having very similar rooms at their homes when they were younger. “They like coming in here because it makes them feel at home.”

Pressing and finishing for over 45 years Advertiser’s announcement SPEEDYPRESS has been manufacturing and supplying high quality pressing and finishing equipment for more than 45 years. Part of the Jerry Fried Group, which is based in Tyne and Wear, the equipment is hand built to specification and can often be tailored to suit a customer’s needs. We supply systems to some well-known nursing and care homes that have told us that they were previously unaware of the type

of equipment we supply. They were using hopelessly inadequate equipment under belief that professional systems need specialist installation, electricity and plumbing supplies, as well as being prohibitively expensive. Our expert engineers assemble all our products, which means you have the added advantage of an excellent backup service. We also have one of the fastest turnaround on repairs and spares in our field.

By Dominic Musgrave ENTERTAINMENT at a Lancashire care home is proving so popular that the owners have decided to build a concert hall in the grounds. Herman’s Hermits, The Searchers and Broadway artist Jeri Sager are just some of the big names to have played at Springfield Court in Aughton. And the events, which over the years have raised money for various charities, have proved so successful with the 52 residents and their relatives that a new extension is to be built which will incorporate a facility to host the concerts. The concerts, which are held on average six times a year, usually take place in a marquee in the grounds, and attract audiences of between 100 and 140. But manager Linda Burrows said this year there have been more as Colin and Wendy Wilkinson and Margaret and Robert Pollitt celebrate 20 years of owning the home. She added: “The owners have some good contacts and they just pick up the phone and ask people to come and perform here. It is free to residents but the relatives pay a small fee. “When they first started holding these concerts they used to get between 60 and 70 coming, but in recent years they have become more popular, and we have had to get a bigger marquee.

“On each evening we have a comedian who gets things going, the in-house catering team do a buffetstyle meal which is served at the table so we don’t have to worry about residents getting up, and then we have the main act play.” The owners have extended the home over the years from 30 residents when they originally bought it to 52 today, and the new extension will include a further four rooms as well as the activities room. Linda added: “The new room will be used by the residents during the day, but will also double up for the cinema nights that we regularly have in the lounges here and the concerts. “It will probably hold around 100 people and will feature all the equipment you need to put on an event. “Work is due to start on the building very soon, and the hope is that it will be complete by the spring. We have Ken Dodd and Martin Bell coming here in April so it would be nice to have them in the new room, but if not we will have to hold it in a marquee.” Residents at the home have also been putting their knitting skills to good use by making blankets for a charity in Africa. The home’s activities co-ordinator Liz Wynne travelled to Bukayni village western Kenya to deliver them after starting up a charity called Malaika, which is Swahili for angel, two years ago.

Care home creates activity wall A TORQUAY care home has created a new sensory activity wall for its residents who suffer from dementia. The staff at Eclipse Lodge, which is owned by Crocus Care and has 27 beds, have developed the new wall after the idea was put to them by one of the residents’ relatives. The residents themselves chose what they would like to go on the wall, with objects including records, door bells, a mirror and door handles. Deputy manager Dawn Palmer said:

“The residents we have here have some form of dementia, and quite often they move things around. “The residents chose what went on the wall, with some saying they would like to see records and others everyday things to remind them of years gone by. We have already seen its benefits because it is a corridor we walk down all of the time, and it is a discussion point that gives us things to chat about as we past because some times it can be difficult to come up with ideas.”

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CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

Furniture of choice for two new hospitals TWO new hospitals in Scotland were supplied with nearly 2,000 chairs by Knightsbridge Furniture. The development of the New Stobhill Hospital in Springburn, North Glasgow, and the New Victoria Infirmary to the south of the city are part of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Acute Services Strategy for the area. In New Stobhill all 902 Knightsbridge Malham chairs were specified in cool blue vinyl upholstery which, contrasted with natural beech timber, gives a stylish impression in keeping with the hospital’s light and airy central atrium. In New Victoria a colour-coded environment was created, with all 972 Knightsbridge chairs upholstered in either yellow, green or hyacinth blue according to location – a different colourway for each floor was selected to reflect the coloured glass panels which are a feature of the architecture. Both used vinyl upholstery fabrics from the Cadet range, enabling the company to provide seating with anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties. Enquiries: Telephone 01274 731900 or email enquiries@knightsbridge-furniture.co.uk

Clinell helps NHS fight superbugs STEROPLAST Healthcare is leading the fight against superbugs as the master distributor for Clinell infection control products in all UK nonNHS markets. Containing a patented virucidal formulation developed by two doctors and manufactured by Gama Healthcare, Clinell is clinically proven to kill 99.999 per cent of germs including MRSA, Hepatitis B and C, E-Coli, Salmonella and Influenza viruses and the H1N1 swine influenza virus. The range comprises universal sanitising wipes, hand and surface sanitiser/disinfectant sprays, sporicidal wipes, chlorhexidine body wash cloths, chlorhexidine wash cloths and bed bath patient bathing wipes, along with continence care wipes. The wipes can be used on clean or dirty hands and last for up to 24 hours, while the spray gives protection for 72 hours on a variety of surfaces and equipment. Enquiries: Email sales@steroplast.co.uk or telephone 0161 902 3030.

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.

Pendlebury Court does it again

Congratulations goes to Donna Booth, manager of Pendlebury Court in Glossop, Derbyshire (pictured with her staff). For the second year running they have achieved a Four Star Interface Quality Assurance Accreditation for delivering Quality Care. The certificate was presented by High Peak Care Management Ltd. Enquiries: Email info@highpeakcon.co.uk

VAT reclaims continue to be a lifeline for care operators... IN a climate where care home operators are still suffering rising costs, reduced placements and great uncertainty about their future, the opportunity to recover up to nine years of VAT is greatly needed. Cost reduction specialists Salmon Business Group look at how care home operators can reclaim retrospective VAT for nursing and residential homes. Despite the ruling taking place back in 2002, many operators have failed to avail themselves of the opportunity, thinking that they could not make a claim. You may not have all the records, but this does not matter as they can work with minimal information to secure a successful outcome. They can also assess your claim free of charge and advise as to what the next step should be, taking this through to completion and funds in your bank account. If they are not successful there is no charge to you the customer so you have nothing to lose. Enquiries: Telephone 01246 293011 or visit www.salmon-business.com

Armstrong again for housing project WHEN the Bakers’ Benevolent Society’s sheltered housing project needed new washer-extractors, selecting Primus from Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems was the obvious choice. The Epping charity selected two 7kg washer-extractors and two 5kg machines. The laundry serves over 50 residents and 15 staff, handling all clothing, bed linen and towels. Manager Suzanne Pitts said: “Our previous Armstrong equipment was still running after 13 years’ very hard work. “The decision to replace it was based on looking at the running costs of new machines against our existing ones. “Our Huebsch tumble dryers from Armstrong are still performing well. Armstrong have always given us very good after sales service, and when it is time to replace the dryers we shall know where to go.” Enquiries: Telephone 01635 263410 or email enquiries@armstrong-laundry.co.uk

Aid Call launches new nurse call system AID Call has launched the new Touchsafe® two-way wireless system which could revolutionise the way nurse call communications are managed. The new ATX4000 and ATX5000 bedhead devices use unique two-way wireless radio technology to ensure that all calls transmitted are successfully received by the central display panels. An acknowledgment that the call has been received is given at the bedside, providing true reassurance to the caller. The wireless system is compliant with the EN 300 220 Class1 requirements and designed to provide maximum safety and security. It is the only system to use the dedicated 869MHz alarm frequency. It can also help in the battle against the spread of infection, as all elements which are likely to be touched or handled are embedded with powerful anti-microbial additives. This provides lifelong protection against the spread of infection. Enquiries: Telephone 0800 052 3616.

New range of uniforms launched BRITISH Uniforms Direct has announced a new range of uniform clothing. The company set itself the task for 2010 of improving its range and increasing the value for money it offers its customers, and is pleased to have exceeded its expectations. Being a UK based manufacturer since 1861, British Uniforms Direct has had to constantly adapt to changing economic and trading conditions to survive, and the current economic situation is no exception. All garments are manufactured and styled to the highest standards, offer excellent value for money and are supplied with a full money back guarantee. Most are manufactured at the company’s Lancashire factory, which enables them to maintain a high quality and flexible prompt service. Styles can quickly be designed or modified to meet customer’s exact requirements. Enquiries: For a free copy of the latest brochure telephone 01243 585388.

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Boost for aircraft museum A KENT care home has raised £530 for a local aircraft museum by holding a special auction. The staff at Sundridge Court raised the money for Shoreham Aircraft Museum by selling off memorabilia, including a signed photograph of former spitfire pilot and home resident William Sanders with ‘The Spirit of Kent’ plane. Further items included a case, and bottle, of Shepherd Neame Spitfire Ale, also signed by William. Home manager Maggie Candy said: “The museum is a cause that is held particularly close to our hearts because of our treasured resident William, who has sadly now passed away. However, I know that he would be very proud to see this money being given to the museum.”

Worker jailed A CARE home worker who stole £900 from an elderly resident has been jailed for 10 months. Alana Cullen, who was acting manager at Ashfield House in Barnsley, stole the money from Ivy Mosley, 75, using a bank card which was kept in the care home's office. Suspicions were first raised in November 2006 when a social services officer went to the home to carry out an assessment of her finances to see if she was eligible for financial help.

Home to have boutique hotel-style atmosphere A SOUTH Buckinghamshire family business has had more reasons than most to celebrate recently. The Bronocks are set to open an extension to Burnham Lodge Nursing Home, which has recently been awarded the highest rating by the inspectorate. Director Brian Bonock has owned the home, which will have 52 beds with the opening of the new 11 bedroom development, for the last 14 years, eight with partners and six on his own. He told Caring UK he is trying to create a new boutique hotel-style feel at the facility, which is a former country house. Brian added: “Work is coming to an end and we are now at the stage where we are trying to get rid of the builders. “The new development also includes a conservatory for the residents, which fits in with the type of facility we are trying to create here. “We want to create a boutique feel here, and have put in good quality furniture and plasma screens on the wall. Next year we will probably do a bit of work on the gardens because we have around 10 acres of grounds surrounding the home.” Almost £3m was provided by NatWest for refinancing the

Aimee and Brian Bronock with Andrew Marsh from NatWest. business and developing the extension, and Brian says he may be interested in purchasing a second home in future. He added: “When I first owned the home with the partners we did have another site, which they went on to buy before retiring. “I have always concentrated on developing this home but, after 14 months of having the builders around, and years spent trying to make this home one of the best in the area, I do think we have the

expertise here to perhaps look at buying another home looking ahead. We must be doing something right to receive the three stars from the inspectorate. That is something we are really pleased about and hope to continue building on in future. We have a good team of staff who ensure the day to day running is up to scratch.” Brian’s daughter Aimee also works as the financial director at the home.

What cost pressure sores? By Lisa Melinda Barry WHEN it comes to people’s health, value for money is a core consideration that local authorities and NHS Trusts have to manage on a regular basis. Invariably, prevention is better than cure and certainly so when the problem is pressure sores. Once a pressure sore has developed the amount of personal discomfort it causes can be horrid; some can be healed but some can not. In every case, however, the financial costs are entirely disproportionate to the cost of preventing them from occurring in the first place. Where pressure sores are treated success rates are discouragingly low, while data sourced directly from the NHS indicates that the treatment itself costs an average of £80,000. This is a high, yet credible figure, comprising as it does the cost of pain management, medical staff time and drug regimes. In this context, preventing bed sores before they take hold is an

issue that local and national health authorities are obliged to look at closely. It has been long understood that moving bed ridden patients regularly prevents pressure sores from developing and that lifting equipment and mechanical hoists regularly play a vital role in safeguarding their health. This equipment not only plays that important role in hospitals, but also helps patients with serious mobility issues who are being cared for in the community. Indeed, for these patients, it is lifting equipment that enables carers and nurses to look after them in situ, and often prevents them becoming hospitalised or having to take up residency in a care home. But despite the critical role that lifting equipment plays both in preventing pressure sores and improving the quality of life of those who are living at home but are functionally immobile, it must be recognised that patients need to be lifted in a highly sensitive manner. Where a sling is incorrectly

positioned it can cause abrasive pressure to already fragile skin which can itself lead to pressure sores, with all of the undesirable complications they bring. To get the best from investments made in installing hoists, local authorities and NHS Trusts should evaluate the long term prognosis for the patient and the environment in which it is to be fitted. Will the patient’s needs change? Is the setting likely to change? Will demands on the hoist change? Getting the correct answers to these questions will help the hoist do the best possible job for the patient. More importantly, it will ensure that the installed equipment will prevent pressure sores rather than help create them. When each pressure sore prevented could save up to £80,000, this is surely a consideration that should have enhanced priority. Lisa is a director of SSL Scotland and SSL Access.

Lisa Melinda Barry

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Lack of placements creates two-tier care home market By Dominic Musgrave A TWO-TIER care home market is being created because local authorities are not making placements to poor and excellent care homes, it has been claimed. Advisory firm Healthcare Property Consultants Ltd found that more than three-quarters of placements made by the 43 local authorities chosen at random for the study were to ‘adequate’ or ‘good’ homes. Zero star and three star homes attracted less than two per cent and 16 per cent respectively. The report’s author Nigel Newton Taylor told Caring UK the reason could be that authorities pay a flat fee for elderly care, whatever the rating. He added: “I believe we are beginning to see a two-tier market evolve. The natural conclusion to draw is that the three-star beds are not being made freely available to local authority funded service users, but becoming the domain of private pay clients willing to pay higher fee levels. “Care provision is, after all, a business. Care providers investing both time and money in high quality care provision expect to be duly rewarded. “Basic economic principles confirm that, with a relatively fixed supply, an increase in demand will lead to an enhanced fee expectation. Three-star

accommodation is clearly becoming the domain of the privately funded services user or the authority funded user with the ability to pay a ‘topup’.” Nigel added that he expects the trend to continue in the future and potentially grow as operators see the positive marketing impact of an ‘excellent’ rating. “Pressure will increase on many local authorities to re-assess their fee levels,” he said. “Questions will also be asked as to the morality of a potential two-tier system, with threestar rated care service provision becoming increasingly unavailable to those in a society dependent upon financial support.” The company also studied whether local authorities which had introduced a performance related pay system based on the inspectorate’s grades were purposely placing to lower standard homes to save money. Nigel added: “Our research of 14 local authorities who linked their fee to the CQC rating found that placements were more significantly skewed towards two and three star homes than those which paid a flat fee. “This means they are using the concept in a positive way to reward and encourage quality care provision.”

SLADE guitarist Dave Hill officially unveiled the new name of a Wolverhampton care home’s new dementia unit. During his visit to the Priory Group owned Bentley Court Care Home, which opened in August, he met residents and staff to celebrate the opening of ‘Slade Avenue’. Manager Debbie Rowley said: “The residents and staff really enjoyed meeting Dave Hill. He’s a local legend, and we are delighted to name the dementia unit Slade Avenue as the band have such strong links to the local community.” To mark the occasion the home held an autumn bazaar, which included family games, food, music, face painting, bric-a-brac stalls, a tombola, charity raffle and a competition to guess the number of balloons in a limousine.

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

In this issue: Couple want to make a difference page 24

Family firm expands with Sketty purchase page 26

Manor Farm is first buy for three years page 27

Nigel Newton Taylor

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CARINGCOMMERCE

Home doubles in size with ‘green’ extension opening

Rob Roney and Sue Patel have taken on a new project with the purchase of their first care home in Durham. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

Couple want to make a difference A FORMER policeman and teacher, Rob and Sue entered the industry so they could make a direct difference to people. And after viewing more than 20 homes, the couple settled on Melbury House, a former vicarage in the mining town of Dawdon, which was turned into a care home 15 years ago. Rob, who retired in April after 31 years, told Caring UK that the couple plan to instill their life experiences into the running of the home. He added: “One of Sue’s daughters, who works as a clinical psychologist, said she was interested in doing some work in care homes to try and improve the lives of the residents. “She told us it would be a good investment opportunity for us, and when we looked around some of the big care homes in the area we found they were very impersonal and clinical. “What attracted us about this home was that the residents were happy, and both they and the staff were all local, which meant they had an interest in the day-to-day running of the home.” The home is registered for 24 residents in 22 single and one

twin room, and Rob said they have already bought a television and chairs for the lounge, and plan to install a new IT system. He added: “We plan to run a straw poll with the staff, residents and their families to find out their likes and dislikes around the home. “There are areas which look a bit tired, but we will look to build on the strengths and develop the weaknesses to create a personal approach around the home. “We have a manager in place who has been at the home for many years, and it is crucial for us that we keep her and draw on her expertise as well as putting our own stamp on the business.” The home was sold on behalf of Moorland Care Limited through GLP Taylors, with Lloyds providing the funding. Rob added: “We are taking a common sense approach to the new venture, and it is very much about us walking before we can run. “Obtaining the money was very hard because the banks are generally not lending money, but they could see that the business was viable and, after several meetings agreed to it.”

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY Joint venture considered on unencumbered land within M1, M62 and A1 area (Leeds) 0.7 acres.

A FAMILY run care business has doubled the size of one of its homes with the opening of a new extension. The new development at Homecroft Four Oaks Group’s Wyndley Grange in Sutton Coldfield has seen the number of rooms increase from 15 to 30, with the number of staff also almost doubling to 40. Geoff and Joan Murch have owned the home which overlooks Sutton Park and Wyndley Pool since 2005, and have made a number of improvements to it since. Joan said a number of ‘green’ measures have been included in the new extension. She added: “What attracted us to this home was its location, and we really thought we could do something here. “The original Victorian house needed a lot of work doing to it, which we have done over the past few years.

“The next stage for us was the extension, and within it we have included superior insulation and in the link with the main building we have used special glass which retains heat. As well as the extra bedrooms, we have also been able to create a number of extra communal areas for the residents as well.” Two years ago the couple developed a log cabin in the grounds of the home, which dates back to 1872, so the residents could enjoy the gardens and lake. Prior to the purchase of Wyndley Grange, they built their own purposebuilt home called Homecroft, also in Sutton Coldfield, which has 23 residents. Funding for the extension, which cost in the region of £875,000, was provided by Barclays Commercial Bank. It was officially opened by local MP Andrew Mitchell.

DFE Commercial has completed the sale of Glencairn Residential Care Home in Dorchester. The property is a substantial building constructed around 1895, and a scheme has been submitted to add six new en-suite rooms to the home, increasing the accommodation to 21 singles and two twin rooms.

Bramall to build £7m North Yorkshire housing scheme BRAMALL Construction has been appointed to build a £7million older people’s housing scheme in North Yorkshire. Hanover Housing is developing the site of The Beeches Care Home in Tadcaster, turning the 33-bed facility into 50 modern, accessible apartments. Over the next 18 months Bramall will work around the existing care home while the current residents continue to live there. The facility will be the largest

development in Tadcaster for more than 12 years and will combine specialist housing with access to round-the-clock personal care and support for the over 55s. It will also provide facilities, which include an accessible restaurant, social club, sun terrace, shop, hair and beauty salon, assisted bathing and laundry services for the whole community. The new building is due to complete by March 2011.

Ideal position for brain injury or care assisted units. • Detailed planning permission granted. • Historic planning gains. • Change of use available. • Will accommodate up to 30 individual units.

Tel: 07949 060 346 - 07944 125 505

Taylor National has completed the sale of Waldernheath Residential Hotel for the elderly in Harrogate. The home, which is registered for 85, has been acquired by the North London based Esteem Care.

25 DC Care

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CARINGCOMMERCE

The Badianis with Jillian Bailey, healthcare manager for NatWest in Farnborough.

A South East family care home operator has added a specialist dementia facility to its company. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

Latest home takes portfolio to five WOODGATE Healthcare has purchased Anchorstone Nursing Home in Farnham to take the number of homes it runs to five. The business was founded by Dhiren and Nilu Badiani 21 years ago with the purchase of its first home, Old Village School Nursing Home in Bedford, in 1988, which was extended 10 years later to include a purpose-built 40 bed unit specialising in brain and spinal injuries. Since then the family have built Shivam Nursing Home in Wembley to care for elderly Asian residents and have purchased Kingfishers Nursing Home in Buckinghamshire and Nightingales Residential Home in Berkshire, with son Aman joining three years ago. He told Caring UK that the family plans to refurbish the Anchorstone, which is already rated as ‘excellent’ by the CQC, to bring it into line with the quality of care. He added: “We have been looking at quite a large number of homes for the last couple of years, but for the first year or so we couldn’t see any value in what was out there because asking prices were too high and hadn’t dropped to a more realistic level. “For the past year nothing really

stood out for what we were looking for in terms of quality of building, location and management team in place until we visited Anchorstone. “Work has started on refurbishing the home, and next spring we want to improve the grounds because we don’t think they are being fully exploited and we want to get the residents out into the gardens more. We also have a rolling project in place for decorating the bedrooms.” Funding for the home was provided by NatWest, and Aman says the family are looking at further purchases in future. He added: “We are still looking at expanding further over the next couple of years if the right opportunities come around. “We are also looking quite aggressively at development sites to build a purpose-built property on from scratch, and are speaking with a couple of companies about this. “Once we have found a suitable development we will work closely with the local authority and PCT to find out what they need and will work with them from day one, but it is more than likely that it will be dementia related with the way things are going at the moment.”

Sketty House

Family firm expands with Sketty purchase By Dominic Musgrave A FAMILY care business has expanded with the purchase of a home in Swansea. Since purchasing her first home more than 20 years ago, Margaret Jenkins has gradually expanded the company since with the help more recently of her two sons and her niece. She told Caring UK that her most recent purchase Sketty House, which is dual registered for 35, has a special place in her heart. Margaret added: “The late husband of Christine Adams who owned the home, Peter, was the chairman of the Registered Nursing Homes Association when I bought me my first home, and he advised me along the way. “I met Christine at a conference 18 months ago and she told me that she planned to retire. It is a lovely home with a good reputation in a nice area of the city, and it fits in with what we have in our portfolio.

“It is not too far from our other homes and also has large grounds so there is potential to expand on the site in future.” The home was sold by the Bristol office of Christie’s for an undisclosed sum, and Margaret says plans are in place to extend her two other businesses, Jenkins Health Care and Cherish Care Homes, in future, with her family’s help. She added: “We have extensive plans in place to build both extensions and new homes at our current sites. “We are also buying a plot in Swansea to build a purpose-built home on. We are not sure what we will build yet, but will work closely with the local health boards to see what sort of service they need providing. “It is nice to have the support of my family with the business. My two sons help with the management side of things and my niece looks after the support services.”

Shadow minister among speakers SHADOW health minister Stephen O’Brien and broadcaster, journalist and author Oliver James are two of the names lined up to speak at a conference in London in February. The Ageing Population conference will bring together key partners from the public, private and third sectors responsible for the delivery of support services for and those responsible for implementing the Personal Care at Home Bill, which was outlined in the Queen’s speech.

Caring UK are the media sponsor for the event, which takes place at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster, and you can save 20 per cent off your place by quoting ‘Caring UK’ to attend for just £199 plus VAT when booking. This offer is exclusive to public sector members only and subject to availability. To find out more email amy.green@govnet.co.uk or ring 0800 542 9585.

Appointments A MIDLANDS law firm has strengthened its healthcare team with two new appointments. Solicitor Amanda Gale and former operations director at Majesticare care home group Linda Richardson have joined Berryman Healthcare. John Roddy, former regional director of RBS Healthcare, has also recently joined the team.

Taylor National has expanded its team with the appointment of Hayley Bullock.

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CARINGCOMMERCE

Manor Farm is first buy for three years By Mary Ferguson AN established Norfolk family business has acquired its fourth care home with the purchase of Manor Farm Residential Home near Norwich. Cygnet Care has bought the home, which is registered for 21, through Christies, from Paul Bridgeman, who has run it since 2002. The home is the group’s first purchase for three years, and director Robert Blackham said the family are looking forward to putting their mark on it. He added: “When we looked at Manor Farm it had a lovely atmosphere to it and the staff team seemed a really nice bunch of people. “We are looking to refresh the home in pretty much all areas as it needs remedial work doing to it to bring it up to date. We may extend the home in future, but there are no plans at this stage. “Our theory is that we are continuing to provide a service that people are needing in this area, and that requirement will not go away over the next 15-20 years.” The group’s homes, two of which specialise in dementia, are all within a 10-minute drive of each other, and Robert said any potential future purchase would have to be in close proximity.

Linda Murray Care Sales has completed the sale of Marsden Rock in South Shields for an undisclosed sum. Existing operators Ravi Dhugga and Tom Chopra have purchased the facility, which has been operating as a 44 bed residential care home for more than 20 years.

Manor Farm He added: “We don’t want to run a home from a very long arm, and that is why our homes are all within a short drive of each other. “We want to be there daily to support the managers, and Manor Farm was exactly the sort of thing we were looking for. “You get a gut instinct when you look at a home, and it is a similar feeling to what a relative would have if they were visiting a home for an elderly family member.” Robert’s father bought the group’s first home Chevington Lodge, 30 years ago, and he still works part time in the business. His sister Sally Crawford, who has worked for several other care companies, runs regular audits of the home on a monthly basis, and does a thorough one lasting several days every quarter.

Managers Managers required for two nursing homes, one in Barry and the other in Gower, Swansea. The homes’ provide nursing and personal care support services for older people age 65 and over. We are seeking to recruit managers who will set high standards in care practice, and someone who will also provide positive leadership to over 90 dedicated and committed workforce. The ideal candidate will have experience of working as a manager or deputy in a nursing home, who also have or is working towards NVQ Level 4 in Leadership and Management. However, candidates with relevant management experience and qualification in health and social care will also be considered. In return we offer a competitive salary, practical support and mentoring from other managers in the group, and support with developing managerial and professional skills, knowledge and practice.

Financial Package subject to experience For more information, please contact Abin Shrestha on 0208 385 4949. To apply for the job, please send your CV by email to abinshr@yahoo.co.uk by 15 January 2010.

Work begins on extra care scheme WORK is underway on a state-of-theart extra care housing development in Torquay which will boast several environmentally friendly features. Working in partnership with Torbay Council and Torbay Care Trust, Sanctuary is building a 45-apartment complex on the site of the former

Dunboyne Care Home, which closed in 2007. The new building will feature solar panels, while a ground heat pump will provide 10 per cent of the energy requirements. Work should be complete in December 2010.

New dementia home for Guernsey A NEW specialist dementia care home has been completed in Guernsey for Methodist Homes. Maison de Quetteville was designed by architects Lovell Ozanne Ltd and built by RG Falla Ltd, with specialist advice from Chapplow Wilson Associates. Architect Andrew Male, who worked closely with Bob Wilson of

Chapplow Wilson, said: ‘Bob had a lot of knowledge of designing for dementia and is the co-author of a book on the subject. “He is also a civil engineer, who knows the building trade, so we spoke the same language. He knew what the residents needed and understood what was technically achievable.”

DEPUTY MANAGER/

POSSIBLE FUTURE NURSING HOME MANAGER Required: Foredore Nursing Home is situated in the rural and scenic village of Trebetherick in Cornwall not far from the resort of Polzeath with its beaches and surfing. The home is registered with the Care Quality Commission for 32 nursing and residential clients and has a 2 star rating.

If you have: • The Registered nurse's qualification and a current Pin number • The Registered Managers Award • Provided nursing care for older adults requiring care due to old age, physical disabilities or terminal illness. • A successful track record as a manager and be able to deputise as manager at a high level of competence.

You can expect to: • Negotiate a salary circa £26,000 P.A. • Be offered a flat within the home as part of your employment. If you are interested in joining our friendly team please send your C.V. together with a supporting letter to: Marshall Orr, M&M Consultants, Penrowan, Meadway, East Looe, Cornwall PL13 1JT or email: mandm.orr@btinternet.com

Tel: 01503 263 983 The post is full time and subject to disclosure.

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CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

Home a cut above with new salon A LINCOLN care home was named overall winner of a group’s ‘Changing Rooms’ style competition to enhance their facilities. The residents at Willow Court asked for their own hair salon and, with the help of staff and relatives, their wish came true. The ‘Pamper Parlour’ is now home to a beautician, chiropodist and hair stylist. Each of Southern Cross’ homes in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire took part in the competition, which was the brainchild of operations manager Linda Knowles, to enhance their facilities for the benefit of the residents using only resources within the home. The winning entry from each home won £25 towards their residents’ fund, with the overall winner receiving a £100 prize.

Residents brighten corridors By Dominic Musgrave RESIDENTS at a Brighton care home are creating modern pieces of art to be displayed around rooms and corridors and for the new extension. Volunteer Maireadh Knight, who is more affectionately known as Marmalade, is working with the 15 residents at the family run Valerie Manor on masterpieces that are inspired by American artist Jackson Pollock. She told Caring UK that the residents are using acrylic paint on canvas to create their works of art. Maireadh added: “The idea is that this will be a layered painting. Each week that I spend time with the residents I will take the painting and we will drop paint and create splashes and movement of paint on the canvas. “I then take the canvas home and let it dry flat in readiness for the next layer. I have a plan that these will then be displayed around the rooms and corridors for all to enjoy.” Their first work has yet to be named, but the residents are now working on the second piece ‘Poppies’. Funding is also in place for an

Maireadh Knight with the painting extension to the 17th century former manor, which was once visited by both Winston Churchill and Charles II. Owner/manager Zoe Bates was hoping to start building the development in October, which will increase the registration to 23, but said things had not progressed as quickly as she had hoped in the current financial climate.

She added: “We are now working on the detailed project plan. The residents and relatives will be getting involved in this stage, and the architects are developing sketches of the grounds outside so that they can plan where they would like things like vegetable patches and plants. “We hope to go out to tender on the plans in January, and hope that building work will start around April.”

New purpose-built home planned for Midlothian A NEW 60-bed care home has been planned for Midlothian. Midlothian council’s cabinet has approved the decision to develop a site at Eastfield in Penicuik to provide a purpose-built new care home as well as extra care housing for older people. The new facility would replace the

existing Pentland House care home, and will be run by council in partnership with an independent provider. Cabinet member for social work and health Jack Aitchison said: “This much-needed new facility will be able to meet the needs of older people in care today, and will be of a similar

Gift voucher incentive ECONO-CARE is offering the opportunity to receive free gift vouchers with any order placed in January 2010 subject to a minimum spend of £50. They can be redeemed at many leading high street stores, food and drink retailers and leisure attractions, so why not collect as many as possible to treat residents, staff or yourself. Over the past 12 years the company has become the preferred supplier to thousands of leading medical and

beauty professions throughout the UK, gaining an invaluable reputation for high quality products and providing a first class service. Econo-care is committed to offering a fast and efficient service, enabling customers to purchase from one reliable source. Whether an order is placed online or on the telephone delivery will be free of charge nationwide, with no minimum order value and delivered to you within 48 hours (next day delivery option available).

Industry leaders to attend forum DP ASSOCIATES is bringing its successful meetings formula to the private care sector with the Care Industry Forum held at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London. It will see senior purchasing decision makers from some of the UK’s largest and most active private hospitals, care homes and treatment centres meet face-to-face with exciting suppliers to the industry. The event on February 23 and 24 gives suppliers an exclusive

standard to our award-winning Newbyres Village Care Home in Gorebridge. “This new purpose-built site will ensure that older people in Midlothian get the highly specialised and targeted care when they most need it.” Once built, the council plans to

purchase two-thirds of the 60 beds at the home, with the remaining 20 beds run independently. Existing staff from Pentland House would transfer to the new home to ensure minimal disruption to residents.

Incomaster disposes of pads HAIGH’S highly efficient and user friendly Incomaster delivers outstanding performance for the simple and hygienic disposal of incontinence pads and nappies. The Incomaster disintegrates pads and nappies into a suitably fine pulp and flushes the material to a standard drainage system. Designed for simplicity, it is easy to install, low maintenance and fast – processing four small or two large pads in less than two minutes. Saving you money, there are no costly collection services and low running costs – only mains cold water is required with a minimal

amount of electricity. With full service and warranty packages available, the wear items have been designed for quick and simple replacement. One spare set is supplied with each machine, and the necessary tools to change them.

Free service gives alarm reminder opportunity to network, socialise and discuss their products and services directly with key decision makers, who are uniquely located in one place at one time. The event promises to deliver some high level opportunities and the majority of the industry’s leading players will be attending.

FIRE safety retailer and wholesaler Safelincs has developed an innovative free service to remind householders to regularly test their smoke alarms. By going to the company’s website anybody with a smoke alarm can register to receive a regular reminder to test their alarm by email or SMS text message.

Safelincs is one of the partners of the Government’s Fire Kills campaign, whose latest advertising campaign focuses on the dangers of smoke in a household fire. Many householders have now taken the important step of installing smoke alarms in their homes, but it is equally important to ensure that they

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CARINGNEWS

A County Armagh care home is one of the first in Northern Ireland to successfully implement a nationwide project. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

Resident Bella Bovington and Sunnymead manager Amanda Leitch show the first copy of the home’s newspaper to John Moore, project manager for My Home Life in Wales.

Programme gives residents choice ALLOWING the residents to choose how they want the home to be run is the main principle behind the My Home Life Project. It was developed by the University of London and Help the Aged, and at Sunnymead the residents have voted to have a shop and their own newspaper. Manager Amanda Leitch said the aim is to improve the quality of life for people who live, work and visit the home. She added: “I would encourage all homes to get involved if they can. The project encourages personcentred care and is about improving the quality of life for people living in the home.

“We encourage the residents to get involved with the running of the home, and we have a rota in place for them to help out with the laundry and laying the tables in the dining room. It gives them a sense of purpose and something to get out of bed for in a morning. “Just because a person is 90 doesn’t mean they cannot contribute to the community, and we always promote an open dialogue with the residents when it comes to care because what we do not provide is a conveyer-belt style of service.” The programme is based on real life testimonies from people living in care homes and a set of eight key care themes which look at how a

person’s life is affected, from the fear and often the trauma of admission to long-term care, through to dying with dignity. Amanda says she has noticed a big difference in the atmosphere around the home since the programme was first implemented. She added: “Everybody seems much happier than they did, and using the project has helped us to create a much more democratic home. “At one of our recent meetings the residents said they would like a fulltime activities co-ordinator, so we got them involved in the recruitment process. “Four of them volunteered to put

together a list of qualities this person would need. We then worked together to draw up a list of questions, and used them when we held the interviews.” Amanda said the residents have grown so much in confidence since the project was introduced that they called a meeting with the home’s management because they were unhappy with some of the dishes on the menu. “They can see their opinion is valued so because they were not happy with what was being served they asked to meet with us,” she added. “We were happy to listen to them and make the changes they had asked for.”

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CARINGCARE AWARDS

Home takes four awards at annual ceremony

Mandy Derrick receives her cook of the year award from Richard Digance and Tina Griffiths from category sponsor IPA.

A winning cheer

BROOKDALE House scooped four awards at the Hampshire Care Association’s annual ceremony. Mandy Derrick was named cook of the year, with Jackie Shobbrooke taking the newcomer prize and Chris Blake the activities co-ordinator. The Chandlers Ford home also took the bronze medal in the team of the year category at the ceremony, which was presented by entertainer and television personality Richard Digance, and attracted nominations from across the county. Other winners were: Care Newcomer – Jackie Shobbrooke (Brookdale House), silver medal – Elizabeth Donnely (Purbeck House, Waterloovile), bronze medal – Stacey Winncott (Millway House, Andover); Cleaner – Linda Bampton (Brookvale House, Southampton), Lesley Light

(Woodley Grange, Romsey), Stella Annetts (Westlands, Alton); Cook – Mandy Derrick (Brookdale House, Chandlers Ford), Sue Hay (St Ronans, Southsea), Lorraine Eaves (Hill Brow, Farnham); Manager – Frances Hudson (Beechwood House, Havant), Julie Frances (St Margarets, Southampton), Collette Willis (Ashlett Dale, Southampton); Activities – Chris Blake (Brookdale House, Chandlers Ford), Wendy Rees (Woodlands, Fleet), Kathy Marsh (Greenbanks, Liphook); Carer – Kerry Colborne (Brookvale House, Southampton), Vanessa Warehame (Oakmount, Ringwood), Laylia Gisby (St Ronans, Southsea); Team – Saltmarsh House (Hayling Island), Valley Lodge (Chandlers Ford), Brookdale House (Chandlers Ford).

Steve Walls

North east winners unveiled LEADING compere Steve Walls was the guest presenter at the inaugural Great North East Care Awards. The event was the last in the series of five which formed the Great British Care Awards – a series of regional care awards held throughout the UK. The winners from all the regional awards will be invited to attend the national events for either homecare or care homes sectors at the prestigious London’s Guildhall in May and June next year. The winners were: Care employer – Denise Blewitt and Jane Worsley (Community Integrated Care); care home worker – Melanie Turnbull

(Lansbury); homecare worker – Marie Smith (Direct Health); care newcomer – Paul Manning (Careforce); care home registered manager – Jill Carr (Lothian House); homecare registered manager – Diane Hagan (Supporta Care); dignity carer – Karen Craggs (Hallgarth Care Home); dementia carer – Lynn Day (Anchor Trust); care team – Priory Court (Housing 21); care home activity organiser – Pat Cox (Redworth House); care trainer – Steve Morgan (Gateshead Council); care innovator – Caroline Bairstow (Step up to Life Scheme, Community Integrated Care); outstanding contribution – Ron Bainbridge (Housing 21).

Steve Walls celebrates with award winners, organisers and event sponsors.

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Proposals to keep people in their own homes for as long as possible have been met with a mixed response from providers.

Mixed response to Care Bill THE Government plans, which were contained in the Personal Care at Home Bill, were unveiled in the Queen’s speech and are aimed at keeping approximately 280,000 people out of residential care. If it becomes law, it would see the elderly being offered professional help to carry out essential basic tasks such as dressing, getting out of bed and making breakfast in the comfort of their own homes. Simon Dalziel, director of Bluebird Care, which provides approximately 45,000 visits a month, welcomed the plan. He said: “Care is about choice and most people prefer to stay in their own home for as long as possible, rather than being moved into

a residential home. Their families often prefer this option as well.” And Doug Umbers, managing director of social care at Care UK, also welcomed the proposals, but said the Government needs to think how it is going to fund it. He added: “The initiative will require significant new funding to ensure the training and skills investment gap is addressed such that the high quality care that vulnerable people deserve can be provided. “Much can be achieved by taking a more holistic and joined up approach to health and social care, particularly with funding. For example, costly acute care can be avoided and real savings made by

earlier intervention and by shifting care to lower cost, more appropriate settings.” But Nick Bruce, owner of Nightingales Retirement Care, which runs Priors Mead Retirement Home in Reigate, was critical of the idea, saying it is “little more than a political stunt”. He told Caring UK the plans do not go far enough. “While homecare is a great solution for many people, it should not be the only option,” Nick said. “Around the UK there are a large number of council-run homes being shut down and replaced by homecare, but for many, that means a life of loneliness. “Residential care is slightly more

expensive, but it can mean a much improved quality of life.” And Leon Smith, chief executive of Nightingale care home in Clapham, London, said proposals for free home care translates to a few hours’ help a day for just a few people. He added: “Personalisation – the latest Government buzz word – seems to suggest an element of choice, but the new announcement does nothing to facilitate this. “A vast number of older people want to enter a care home in order to surround themselves with like minded individuals and opportunities for intellectual and physical stimulation.”

Celebrating a decade of care

Janice King with a cake to celebrate the 10th anniversary

AN East Anglian domiciliary care provider is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Manorcourt Homecare, which was founded from a small office in Mundford in 1999, now employs nearly 400 staff and has branches in Swaffham, Downham Market, Thetford, Newmarket, Saffron Walden and Lowestoft. The company, which is part of Healthcare Homes, provides practical help as well as companionship and advice to customers living in their own homes. General manager Janice King told Caring UK that as well as providing

assistance with personal care routines, domestic tasks and transport, carers also try to ensure customers live fulfilling lives. She added: “When we started we were offering just 400 hours of care a week and we are now providing over 8,000 hours each week to over 1,400 customers in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. “Our carers do many different things to make life enjoyable for our customers, anything from taking them out to lunch or going on bus trips. One of our carers even took a customer to a wedding in Scotland.” The company recently achieved a ‘good’ rating from the CQC.

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HOMECARENEWS

An entrepreneur has used the poor care his grandparents received as the catalyst to set up his own homecare business. Dominic Musgrave found out more.

Anthea takes the helm ANTHEA Call has taken the helm as branch manager of RV Care, a newly relaunched domiciliary care service covering west Cornwall. Based in the village of Tregony, near Truro, Anthea has responsibility for the service which provides care and support to residents of Roseland Parc retirement village and to clients in the surrounding area. Her first priority has been to introduce herself to all the agency’s clients, and she is now working on building up her client

and staff base. Anthea said: “Cornwall is one of the poorest counties in England in relation to adult care and I want to play my part in redressing the balance. “I am passionate about the elderly and giving them the help they need to enjoy as full and independent a life as possible. “I shall be building on the strong team we already have to build RV Care into the best domiciliary care agency in the county.”

Eclipse Care managing director Rob Gready receives his UKHCA membership from president Lucianne Sawyer.

Visits to the US help Rob set up business ROB Gready set up Eclipse Care in Worcestershire having visited numerous services both in the UK and the US. The new company will provide in-home care services including personal care, companionship and live-in care covering duties such as meal preparation, light housekeeping and post hospital discharge care. Rob said it has been granted full membership of the UKHCA, and approval from the CQC. He added: “I truly believe the care my grandparents received could have been better, and that it was something I could do. Caring for people in their own homes is much more than just brushing hair and changing a bed, and doing just that is simply not good enough. “I genuinely believe that people do want to stay at home rather than move into care, and the Government can only afford to keep people there. But the challenge is how to value to person and make a difference to their lives, rather than just their needs from what is said on the bottom of a care plan. “In the six months leading up to the launch of the company I saw some excellent examples of care, both in the UK and abroad, and that is what we are striving for.” Rob says he hopes the company

will employ 40 staff and be providing between 400 and 500 hours of care per week by the end of its first year. He added: “We will provide a modern service, but with good old-fashioned values, and I have a passion for excellence which will run throughout the business. “In my previous positions I have employed relatively large numbers of people, and here we have a first class training programme in place. “The care profession is all about people, and what is key to this is being able to inspire, motivate and skill people really well to do this job.” If successful, he says he plans to expand the company further to other parts of the country. “Although we have the support of the county council, our main focus will be on the private client,” Rob added. “Partly because the margins are so tight, but also because if you are dependent on your local authority then I think it it will be tough. “If we are successful, and I have no reason to doubt that we won’t be, we have systems in place that could be replicated elsewhere. I haven’t considered how yet, but it is something we would look at doing in future.”

Bluebird MD Paul Tarsey with franchise owners at the company’s annual conference held at the Marriott Hotel and Country Club at the Forest of Arden in Warwickshire.

Group turnover of £12m announced at conference ONE of the country’s fastest growing providers of care at home announced a group turnover of approximately £12m at its annual conference. At the event entitled ‘Ahead and Staying Ahead’, Hampshire-based Bluebird Care reported a massive increase in growth from £600,000 in March 2007. Managing director Paul Tarsey told Caring UK that the company was on target to recruit 25 franchise owners in the UK and eight in the Republic of Ireland during 2009. He added: “We have retained our commitment to ‘good old-fashioned service’ while at the same time

becoming a modern, forwardthinking organisation of the 21st Century – always trying to stay onestep ahead. We have also continued to invest in staff development and training, which means our customers get the very best service at all times.” Paul also presented several awards to celebrate the achievements of some franchise owners. Winners were: Franchise of the year – John Prendergast and Phil Miles (West Berkshire and Basingstoke; Spirit of Bluebird – Joy Grant (Rugby and South Leicestershire); Best newcomer – Ian Barnes (Shropshire).

Mike appointed for fourth time MIKE Padgham has been re-elected chairman of the UKHCA for a fourth time. The North Yorkshire care provider, who is managing director of TwentyFour7 Care Services, told Caring UK that being elected in the association’s 20th anniversary year was especially pleasing. He added: “Years of relentless lobbying and campaigning has

brought us to a point where the Government listens carefully when UKHCA speaks. “We know a population explosion is coming with an increasingly older population, many of whom will need care. Whatever that future holds, I can say with pride and optimism that we will be at the forefront of social care with a voice that is stronger than ever.”

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CARINGCLASSIFIED AND NEWS

Museum visits village RESIDENTS at a New Forest retirement village took a trip back in time when they were visited by a local museum. Staff from St Barbe’s Museum in Lymington encouraged The Shelbourne at Sway residents to talk about a variety of old objects, which included a driving licence and postcards. Operations manager Maggie Tomlin added: “It reminds people of things that they remember from the past and gives them a talking point.”

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Permission granted for extra care scheme PLANNING permission has been granted for a new build extra care residential scheme in Dukinfield. The approved development in Ravensfield by New Charter Housing Trust Group will replace an existing four-storey bed sit development with a contemporary 31 extra care apartment scheme with communal spaces and landscaped gardens. Altrincham-based architects Pozzoni have designed a building that complements the existing surroundings, and also caters for the changing needs of the proposed residents. The design creates a safe and secure environment where individuals and the wider community can enjoy communal facilities. Residents will benefit from the privacy of their own flat entrance while having the security of 24 hour staff support. Partner Tim Whiting said: “The design of Ravensfield

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An artist’s impression of the new development incorporates the features of a modern home and community while providing the facilities that are required to help people remain in their own home as their needs change.” The development has been designed on a site with considerable level changes and will consist of a three-storey building with one and two bedroom units, which are wheelchair accessible. In addition is a communal wing with a lounge, bistro, a kitchen, staff offices, a hair

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salon and a wellbeing centre. The building has been designed in a curving form which caters for the shape of the site and the slope of the hill. This creates a level garden space which facing south, maximises the sun path ensuring that all apartments benefit from sunshine at some part of the day. A green, sedum roof is incorporated to the front of the communal area and the courtyard colonnade.

Towels

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