Issue 167 22.11.23
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Home appeals for food items to help charity A FOODBANK collection is running at Orchard Care Homes’ Nesfield Lodge in Leeds, with members of the public encouraged to drop off donations that will support those in need locally as the cold winter months set in. Tania Holness joined the care home in March as a home administrator, and for the past four years has also volunteered her spare time at Leeds Homeless Street Aid – a charity dedicated to feeding those who are homeless across the region. In support of Tania and the local community in Leeds, staff, residents, families and friends at the care home have been providing food item donations. Now the home is inviting members of the public to add to its collection and help ensure that homeless people can get warm meals throughout the festive period. Tania said: “We appreciate any food items that people can spare, as we make meals rather than handing food items out where possible, to make sure people get something hot to eat. “It’s a collective team effort from the volunteers, visiting businesses and schools to collect whatever can be spared. You never know what items you will have from one week to the next. “The support of my employer
has been invaluable and I am so proud that the caring ethos shown within the home is being extended to the community in this way. “Everybody at Orchard Care Homes has encouraged my charity work since I began my role. “When I applied for the job I explained at the interview what I do in my spare time, and my manager offered me tweaked hours so that I could keep volunteering from day one. “It’s been amazing how my colleagues, residents and their families continue to contribute to this cause and I am so grateful for all the help, understanding and support.” Leeds Homeless Street Aid previously provided hot meals and drinks on the streets of Leeds during the Coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, until Leeds City Council was able to provide use of St Anne’s Resource Centre, to ensure people can now sit down out of the cold twice per week and get a warm cooked meal. The charity and its volunteers provide hot food every Monday and Thursday, ranging from stews and hotpots to burgers, pizzas and puddings. As well as providing a warm meal, the charity aims to ensure every visitor can take a sandwich as a packed lunch and has toiletries for the next day, as well as other seasonal essentials.
Brunelcare has launched a new service at its Little Heath Reablement and Support site in South Gloucestershire. Little Heath is the operator’s newest site, opening in April 2020 and launching during the Covid pandemic. The 24-bed facility has provided vital care and support to help people to return home more quickly after they leave hospital. Over the last three years the reablement team has supported more than 700 people, receiving amazing feedback from them and their loved ones. With the current contract for reablement services coming to an end, the centre has now been repurposed to focus on providing nursing and care for people who are not living with a dementia.
Top national award for care home OUTSTANDING dementia care provided at Royal Star & Garter in Solihull has been recognised with a national award. Staff working in the dementia care families at the Home have been honoured with a Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care Team Award. The award recognises the exceptional efforts of the adult social care workforce, and home manager Jamie Stubbs received a trophy before an online presentation by chief nurse for adult social care, Deborah Sturdy. During her presentation to Jamie, Deborah said: “It’s a great pleasure to be
giving the Royal Star & Garter dementia care team in Solihull this award, for all that they do for their residents. “One of the great things about my role is celebrating social care colleagues who go above and beyond to deliver exceptional care. It is no mean feat to achieve this award in the complex area of dementia care and support.” The Home in Solihull is already regarded as one of the best in the country. In its last Care Quality Commission report it scored ‘Outstanding’ in all five tested domains. At the time, only 10 other nursing homes had achieved this.
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CARINGWEEKLY
Home earns award for end-of-life care STAFF from a specialist dementia nursing home in Nottinghamshire are in a celebratory mood after achieving the highest recognition in end-of-life care at The Gold Standards Framework Awards. Wren Hall, in Selston, Nottinghamshire, received ‘Platinum’ status for end-of-life care and the title of ‘GSF Home of the Year 2023’ at the GSF annual conference and awards ceremony hosted at The Pendulum Hotel in Manchester. Anita Astle MBE, owner and manager of Wren Hall, said: “The awards were a great celebration of the UK’s best health and care providers for care in the final stages of life and to be recognised amongst them as one of the best is an honour and a testament to Wren Hall’s commitment to providing exemplary care. “We believe that every individual, regardless of their journey, deserves the highest quality of care and dignity in their final days.
Anita Astle MBE, owner and manager of Wren Hall, in Selston, Nottinghamshire, accepting the Platinum status for end-oflife care and the title of GSF Home of the Year 2023. “Our ‘family members’ inspire us every day, and this award reaffirms our commitment to providing a nurturing and supportive environment for all those entrusted to our care.”
High-five for Urray House A ROSS-SHIRE care home has been rated as ‘very good’ by the Care Inspectorate. The independent regulator assessed Urray House in Muir of Ord against five criteria and awarded the home a grade five (very good) rating in each of them. Urray House, part of the awardwinning Parklands group, was assessed during unannounced inspections in August and September. The inspector spoke to residents, their relatives and staff during the visit. Manager Joe Greiner relocated to the Highlands in January to take up his post at Urray House, having managed a care home in Norfolk for 18 years. He said: “I am delighted that the team at Urray House has been recognised for their hard work, compassion and professionalism. I’m proud to lead a team of dedicated care professionals. “Their passion, commitment and
sense of adventure is inspiring and that is very much reflected in the Care Inspectorate’s latest report. “We have worked hard to create a warm, welcoming and inclusive care setting where residents are at the heart of the decision-making process and family members and visitors from the local community feel at home here. “We want Urray House to be an integral part of the local community and I think that we are making great progress.” The Care Inspectorate’s report describes a “warm atmosphere” within the home and a strong, motivated staff team which works well together. Urray House received a grade 5 rating for the way it supports people’s wellbeing, the quality of its leadership, its staff team and its setting. The home was also rated very good for the way it plans care and support for residents.
Stay-and-play sessions launched BELONG Morris Feinmann, the state-of-the-art dementia care village in Didsbury, has launched a new series of its popular weekly intergenerational stay-and-play sessions, dubbed ‘Morris Minors’, with everyone welcome to attend. ‘Morris Minors’ invites parents and grandparents and great-grandparents to bring babies and toddlers aged 0 to 18 months for a morning of shared multi-sensory learning experiences, involving play, storytelling and music. Angela Luckett, experience coordinator at Belong Morris
Feinmann, said: “It is such a beautiful group, enabling all generations to mix together and natural interaction between everyone involved, with nursery rhymes playing and soft toys scattered around. “The benefits of shared experiences for all ages, including improvements in physical and mental health and learning and development, are increasingly recognised. “It’s all about friendship, tranquillity and welcoming people in, and I encourage any parents with small children in the area to come along.”
Jazz trumpet joy for Geoff STAFF at a dementia care home in Somerset have shown that support for residents need not be limited to what goes on inside the home by arranging a special jazz-themed outing for retired jazz-singer resident Geoff Brown. Global Music Awards medal winning trumpeter Luis Martelo was already known to residents at Wellington’s Camelot House and Lodge, having performed for them at Christmas last year, and when the activities team saw he was playing for diners at a ‘Jazz Sunday Lunch’ at the Castle Hotel in Taunton, they lost no time in contacting Geoff’s wife Rita to suggest a lunch outing for the couple
They even booked the tickets and sorted transport for the music-mad pair, who were joined for the special occasion by their son Peter. Rita said: “We had a really lovely day and Geoff so enjoyed hearing Luis play. “He was involved in the jazz scene for so many years and really loves live music, so this was a great treat for him – and for me. “When we celebrated our 62nd wedding anniversary last year the team at Camelot House and Lodge had arranged live music for that occasion as well. They totally get how important it is to Geoff, and how happy it makes him.”
Home hosts canine café A CARE home in Bracknell welcomed the community to a barking mad event. The team at Care UK’s Bickerton House welcomed members of the community and their furry friends to a canine café. Attendees feasted on puppy themed treats and drinks, while being in the company of furry friends. Four-legged guests enjoyed plenty of fuss from residents, the opportunity to play with the other pooches and their very own pup-cake. The springiest pups also showed off their skills over an agility course in the garden. Home manager Carl Francis said: “We all loved having the local community visit our canine café.
“Studies have shown that introducing dogs into care homes can help lift people’s mood and increase social interaction. “The human-animal bond is powerful in promoting self-esteem and wellbeing – which our canine café event was brilliant for.” The home created the event after being inspired by the positive impact animal visits have had on care home residents’ wellbeing and on hearing how much they missed the company of their own pets from their younger years. Having dogs in the home not only encourages residents to spend time outdoors, leading to physical benefits, but it also helps improve wellbeing too.
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CARINGWEEKLY
Operator to invest in falls technology following trial Marcela Patriche
Home awarded top marks from Care Inspectorate A FAMILY-owned care home can lay claim to being one of the best in Edinburgh after scoring six out of six following an annual inspection by the sector watchdog. Cluny Lodge, owned by Elder Homes Ltd, received top marks for supporting the wellbeing of its residents and staff in its most recent Care Inspectorate report. Scored as ‘excellent’, the highest mark awarded, the report commended the home’s health and wellbeing outcomes, co-production and the relationships between staff, residents and relatives. The care home has a holistic approach contributing to the high health and wellbeing outcomes of the residents. In addition to the usual roles it takes to make a care home work well, the team also includes in-house physiotherapists, social and leisure team and nutritional support workers. Manager Marcela Patriche said: “We really believe that elderly living should come with a purpose, as moving into a care home should be a new chapter in your life. “This outstanding inspection result
reflects our team’s commitment to providing truly person-centred care. “I continue to be amazed by the outstanding feedback from our staff, residents and families. “We’re all so proud of the work we do creating an at home environment whilst providing high quality care. “We work with our residents and staff to innovate new ways of enhancing wellbeing and quality of life, and it’s so rewarding to have this reflected in such a glowing report.” With more than 180 members of staff, many of whom have worked for there for more than 20 years, the care home is able to consistently provide one-to-one care to meet the residents’ varying needs. The home has a dedicated training team, ensuring each team member from senior leadership to support staff receive dementia awareness and role specific training. The report also scored Cluny Lodge’s leadership as ‘very good’, highlighting that staff were provided with regular support and supervision, whilst praising the care homes inclusion of family representatives in quality and improvement-based discussions.
AN award-winning care home provider has become the first in the UK to roll-out a ‘revolutionary’ Scandinavian state-of-the-art falls prevention technology in a project which is already seeing impressive results. Dormy Care Communities, which operates four luxury care homes across England and Wales, has partnered with Norway-based Sensio, to install RoomMate, a revolutionary safety sensor. The use of the sensors has been the subject of a hugely successful pilot at the group’s Foxhunters Care Community in Abergavenny, South Wales where its installation in the home’s 70 rooms has helped prevent multiple falls and potential injuries, as well as freeing up care team time to spend with residents. Dormy Care Communities chief executive officer Helen DaviesParsons said: “As a nurse of more than 30 years’ experience myself, I take the well-being of all the ladies and gentlemen who live in one of our homes incredibly seriously. “We passionately believe in doing all we can to ensure the people who live in our communities can live their lives to the full, and continue to do the things they enjoy. “Falls can be one of the biggest challenges care teams face in offering care for the elderly, and a fall can sadly be the beginning of increased physical or mental challenges for residents. “We’ve been delighted by the results we’ve seen at Foxhunters and the feedback we have had – from the ladies and gentlemen, their relatives and our colleagues – and we look forward to this innovative technology through all of our homes.” Dormy will now invest a total of
Foxhunters’ home director Leah Mort with resident Margaret Groom and Sven Seljom. £200,000 to roll-out the sensors in all of its communities, which support a total of 271 people in its homes which offer the highest quality all-inclusive residential, nursing and dementia care. The RoomMate sensor sends out infrared light and scans the room anonymously, so a person’s privacy is not impacted. Should the sensor detect anything of concern, it will automatically send notifications to the home’s alarm system and to devices held by the care team., who can complete an anonymised digital supervision of the room before taking immediate action if need be. The person does not have to wear any device and the sensor can be customised individually. Using the sensors also helps reduce the need for the care team to physically supervise people in their rooms, protecting sleep and rest times and improving quality of life for residents.
Franchisee wins award SUHAIL Rehman, the owner of multiple Home Instead care franchises across Scotland, has won the ‘Single Brand HSBC Best in Class, Multi Unit’ award at the 2023 BFA HSBC British Franchise Awards. Suhail, who had a career in aeronautical engineering technology before buying his first Home Instead franchise in 2013, now offers care across Glasgow North, Glasgow South, Stirling and Falkirk, Perthshire, South Ayrshire and Kilmarnock, North Lanarkshire and Glasgow East and Aberdeen. Suhail said: “It’s been 10 years since I became a Home Instead franchisee,
so to receive an award is a fantastic way of celebrating this milestone. I’m proud to have grown the business from one franchise office to several. Thanks to the dedicated team I have built, we have given more care options to older people in various locations across Scotland. “Being a franchisee has given me the chance to run a company with a global name, receive exceptional support, and undergo a clear business direction.” The awards, often referred to as the ‘Oscars of franchising’, were held at The Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham.
Care South, a not-for-profit provider of residential and care at home services across the south of England, has selected Dementia UK, The Grove Pre-School, The Friends of Dolphin, Margaret Green Animal Rescue, BIGLITTLE Theatre School, Ringwood and Bransgore Dementia Action Group and Linking Hearts Therapy Horses as its latest beneficiaries of its Chairman’s Fund, providing a total grant of £9,250. The Chairman’s 2020 Fund was set up as a way for Care South to show its support and appreciation to not-for-profit individuals and groups who are important to and provide a benefit to the operator’s care homes, residents, care at home clients and staff.
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CARINGWEEKLY
Adam inspires home’s residents to support children’s charity KIND-HEARTED residents at a Dorset care home have helped one of their carers to raise hundreds of pounds for a charity that supported her critically ill son. Paulina Trzcinska, a companionship team member at Colten Care’s Avon Cliff in Bournemouth, wanted to give something back to Amelia’s Rainbow, which provided comfort to her son Adam when he was diagnosed with cancer as a toddler. When residents heard about Adam, who is now six and in remission, they chose the charity as their main cause to support this year. In their most recent initiative, they sponsored Paulina, Adam, his big sister Alicja and Elise Woolnough, companionship team leader, to complete two charity runs in Bournemouth on the same day. The upshot of their support, and that of families and other contacts, is more than £850 in funds raised for Amelia’s Rainbow. Paulina said: “When our residents heard about Adam, they said they wanted to do what they could to support the charity. “They and their families have been so generous, enabling us to give something back for the help Adam received so that other children can be supported too. “The amount raised is amazing, especially at this time when so many people are struggling with the cost of living.” Using a pushchair for part of the route, Adam completed a junior onekilometre run in the morning, taking second place in his category. Then, in the evening, Paulina, Elise and Alicja ran a five-kilometre circuit taking in the piers at Boscombe and Bournemouth and finishing up in the famous Lower Gardens.
New care facility on track to open shortly Six-year-old Adam Lewandowski with his mum Paulina Trzcinska, companionship team member at Colten Care’s Avon Cliff in Bournemouth. With them at Bournemouth Pier on the day of their charity runs are Elise Woolnough, companionship team leader, left, and Adam’s sister Alicja. Paulina added: “None of us are experienced runners but we did it in a little over half an hour. We wore rainbow face paint and felt like the best team ever. Elise is such a great colleague and it was fantastic that she lent her support.” Amelia’s Rainbow is a Dorset-based charity that supports local children who have serious and complex chronic conditions. A key aim is to help them and their families to have fun through the tough times, so funding can go towards trips, days out, leisure activities or items that enhance learning and enjoyment. In Adam’s case, he received a video game console to play on and enjoy in the period after chemotherapy.
Extra care scheme praised in its latest CQC inspection THERE has been some ‘Good’ news for Rokeby Gardens extra care scheme in Doncaster following its latest inspection by the Care Quality Commission. The scheme, which is owned and operated by Housing 21, received another ‘Good’ rating. The report highlighted the positive culture the care team has created and the support they provide residents to maintain their independence while receiving care. The report states that employees at the scheme supported residents in a “kind and caring manner which promoted their dignity and independence”. A resident from Rokeby Gardens said: “Yes, [they treat you with dignity and respect]. They couldn’t be better”. Emma Grainger, housing and care manager at Rokeby Gardens, said: “Myself and the team at Rokeby Gardens are proud to have been
awarded a rating of ‘Good’ in our latest CQC inspection. “We’re pleased to be recognised for the support we give our residents to maintain their independence by giving them maximum control over their lives whilst living and receiving care at our scheme.” In the report, inspectors also praised the support in place for its employees, stating: “There was an open, transparent organisational culture that was focussed on supporting staff and continuous service improvement.”
BUILD is progressing well at New Care’s new state-of-the-art £13m care facility in Egerton which is due to open later this year and create 100 jobs. Work continues at pace at the 64-bed care centre located on the site of the former Egerton Hotel in Egerton, Bolton, with practical completion forecast for the near future. The external brickwork and roof tiling are complete meaning the building is now watertight, and the team of contractors and tradesmen on site are working hard on the interior to ensure the development remains on schedule as it edges closer to completion. The new care facility is the latest for New Care, part of the Altrinchambased McGoff Group. Commissioning director Dawn Collett said: “Work at Egerton is progressing well; we are now less than one month away from practical completion and it’s exciting to see the building taking shape. “Our care facility has been expertly designed to offer outstanding care in a comfortable and stylish environment and we are already starting to recruit the 100-strong team and take enquiries from our first residents.” Helping to increase the provision of beds in the area, the ‘new generation’ The National Association of Care Catering has announced the appointment of its new national chair Neel Radia. His appointment was declared to the association’s members, and his two-year tenure began at the recent NACC National Training and Development Forum in Nottingham. This is the fourth term Neel has assumed the national chair role. He is a well-known figure in the industry with over 25 years’ experience working with wholesalers and food manufacturers within hospitality and the public sector catering, as well as leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector. Until this appointment, he was the lead for the NACC’s Meals on Wheels campaign, championing nutritional support for older and vulnerable people within the community.
care facility will be known as Egerton Manor and is being purpose-built to deliver care in a safe and stylish home-from-home environment featuring fully furnished en suite bedrooms, communal lounges and dining rooms, spa-assisted bathrooms, a hair salon, nail bar and landscaped front and rear gardens. When complete, it will cater for the needs of residents in Egerton and the surrounding areas offering personcentred residential, dementia and 24-hour nursing care delivered by an experienced team and enhanced with hotel-style services including fine dining and a meaningful programme of daily events and activities. Working with its sister company, McGoff Construction, New Care has worked hard to protect and enhance the local landmark, preserving it for the future. The front façade of the existing house forms the focal point for the scheme, with the new build sitting behind, and will eventually form the care home’s main entrance, reception and offices to the ground floor and a communal day space area to the first floor. The bay windows, on either side of the entrance door, and the stone façade, which was in very poor condition, has been brought back to its original style and appearance.
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