Caring UK Weekly - 9 August 2023

Care homes to trial new technology

CARE homes in Lincolnshire are trialling a new digital system which allows staff to carry out some clinical tasks, saving time and reducing pressure on the NHS.

Lincolnshire Care Association has helped to introduce a digital observation kit into care homes in the county to enable workers to take clinical observations and then transmit them digitally to the NHS clinician who needs to read and monitor them.

Working with the NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, LinCA has also published a delegated healthcare activities governance toolkit to provide guidance for care professionals.

“The aim of the new system is to delegate the taking of clinical observations such as blood pressure or blood oxygen levels, which can be a vital measurement for older people, without delegating the decision making,” said Melanie Weatherley MBE, chair of Lincolnshire Care Association.

“This is nothing new – parents are trained to undertake highly technical interventions to support children living with complex conditions, for example.

“And diabetics have managed their own blood glucose and

insulin successfully for many years. If we become unable to do these things for ourselves we have to rely on health professionals, even when the knowledge and expertise of a trained nurse is not really needed.

“Delegation of some of clinical activities to carers can produce better outcomes, especially if it is seen as an innovative choice rather than a way to manage scarce resources.”

Melanie added that during the Covid-19 pandemic interactions between residents and clinicians was reduced and care home staff were encouraged to support them with dressings, insulin management and physiological readings. When the pandemic ended many of us wanted to carry on doing this work, if done safely and if the extra contribution and responsibility were recognised,” she said.

“If delegation is done properly it can give the person who draws on care and support more control as well as giving care staff opportunities to develop. Delegating some of the more routine aspects of healthcare can give our skilled health colleagues more time to devote to those who need their knowledge and expertise.”

their new feathered friends, prompting them to reminisce about animal encounters they’d had in their younger years.

Time running out for entries

OPERATORS wanting to put themselves forward for recognition have been urged to enter the Caring UK Awards in partnership with Virgin Money.

Nominations for this year’s event are now open at www.caringukawards.co.uk

The awards, organised by Script Events in partnership with Caring UK, recognise excellence and achievement in all corners of the care industry.

And with more than 20 categories up for grabs, there’s something to suit every type of care business.

These include everything from Quality in Housekeeping and Catering Team of the Year to Best Outdoor Environment and End of Life Team of the Year.

Event director Dominic Musgrave said: “We are really excited to be introducing the sixth Caring UK Awards – nominations are

coming in and our events team is already busy ensuring that this year’s event is bigger and better than ever.

“Obviously, our main aim is to recognise and honour the best in our wonderful care sector and showcase the innovation and dedication that goes on every day so please share your successes and tell us about your hard work and initiatives by sending in your nominations … it’s a real privilege to read them.”

A shortlist in each category will then be drawn up, with winners chosen by an expert industry panel.

Trophies will be handed out at a glittering ceremony at the Athena in Leicester on Thursday, December 7 presented by television personality Emma Jesson.

Closing date for nominations is August 28th.

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A Banbury care home opened its doors to some feathered friends. Residents at Care UK’s Highmarket House were surprised when a flock of owls flew into the home for a special visit. Among the group of three owls was a majestic eagle owl named Suess, as well as a tawny owl named Hazelnut from Al’s Owls. The residents were able to interact with and hold the wide-eyed creatures, as well as learn more about

Grayson & Dawn Taylor

Lamont Johnson Ltd

Specialist Property Agents

Dear Grayson and Dawn

What an enormous relief for Christine and I, that the sale of Mount Pleasant, has completed so successfully. Never in our wildest dreams, could we have imagined such a straightforward and simple sale and much of that undoubtedly, can be attributed to your continual support and efforts on our behalves, throughout what could have been a very stressful process.

As you know, Mount Pleasant has been in our family ownership for over 38 years and therefore, we were very nervous about the selling process and choosing the right agent was crucial.

Thankfully we knew from the very first moment that we met you both, that you were the ideal choice of agent for us. Unlike many of the corporate agents in the sector who are invariably only available 9 am – 5 pm, five days per week, we knew that you would support us irrespective of working hours and that proved very much to be the case. Many of your so-called competitors should take a leaf from your book!

Your introduction/recommendation of a specialist healthcare solicitor in our case, and an excellent healthcare finance broker on behalf of our buyer, made all the difference to the success of the transaction. The recommended solicitor, from day one helped our cause enormously, and was a major contributing factor in enabling the transaction to move forward seamlessly to completion.

Thank you for all your efforts once again.

Kind regards to you both.

Lamont Johnson is delighted to confirm this weeks completed sale of Mount Pleasant, located in the affluent Cheshire “money belt”, close to Knutsford.

The original charming farmhouse building was converted and established as a Home by our clients in 1985.

The property is set in 5+ acres was extended in 1992 and a 3-bedroom bungalow added in 1993.

Presently registered for 25 and with the home having a current CQC status of “Good”.

The Home has been sold on behalf of John and Christine Padden and acquired by the Buxton based Andrew Care Ltd to complement their existing homes in Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Firth and Woodford.

and Christine Padden (Vendors) with Grayson Taylor (Managing Director Lamont Johnson)

D-Day memories keep residents ‘transfixed’

A 98-year-old D-Day veteran has enthralled fellow residents at his new Salisbury care home by sharing personal memories of the Second World War.

Commander Douglas Parish moved to Colten Care’s Braemar Lodge on the eve of the 79th anniversary of the famous allied landings in Normandy.

The invasion of the beaches on June 6, 1944 by around 326,000 troops from the United States, Canada, the UK and other countries was the biggest naval, air and land operation in military history. It has been widely seen as signalling the beginning of the end of World War II.

Douglas, who was serving on the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Mauritius, spoke to residents while showing them his wartime diary and medals including the Légion d’honneur, awarded to veterans who helped liberate France.

Having taken part in the Anzio landings in Italy earlier in 1944, HMS Mauritius sailed to the French coast as part of Operation Neptune off Sword Beach.

Douglas, who joined the navy as an engineer and was a 19-year-old midshipman at the time of D-Day, gave an initial talk to residents in his first few days at the home.

He said: “I recall looking out at more than 6,900 ships of all kinds. They were so close you felt you could almost step out and walk across them.”

Douglas explained that HMS Mauritius did indeed fire her guns

and ‘took out’ some enemy gun positions. He said the ship was itself fired on by German fast-attack E-boats using torpedoes.

“Thankfully these missed,” he added: “I have often felt that I did not really engage in the landings having been below decks in the engine room. I had to do this as part of my training. I was kept abreast of situations outside via a tannoy system.”

Graham Ballard, Companionship Team Leader at Braemar Lodge, said: “Having had a tip-off from Douglas’ daughter Alison Larkham that he was happy to share his D-Day memories and still has his medals to display, I arranged for him to give a talk. He spoke to a room full of residents who were transfixed, listening to him give his account of the actual Normandy Landings and his experiences aboard the ship in those days.”

Douglas was lay pastor at Porton Baptist Church for many years and has also had a long association with the Salisbury Sea cadets.

Golf day benefits charity

HOME Instead’s annual charity golf day, which was held in support of Home Instead Charities UK, raised £10,729.

The competition took place at the renowned Derby Course at The Belfry Hotel & Resort in Sutton Coldfield. Sixteen teams took part, playing in a four-ball format.

Teams from Home Instead national office were joined by four-balls from across the franchisor’s network, as well as suppliers and business contacts.

Home Instead Charities UK supports community groups to fund activities that nurture wellbeing or activities and programmes that reduce isolation and loneliness.

The charity now also runs its own services in the form of

Companionship Cafes – these are vibrant, bustling hubs where older adults can thrive and connect with their communities.

Executive director Penny Hamer said “We are delighted to have raised such a healthy sum.

“The golf day is a highlight in our fundraising calendar and it was lovely to have such great support.

“We are really proud to have established a national charity which supports our vision to expand the world’s capacity to care.”

Home Instead Charities UK awarded grants to 42 groups last year.

The money raised from the golf day will enable them to support even more groups, and open more Companionship Cafes across the UK in the coming year.

Modern slavery – what employers need to know

By Paul Kelly

THE BBC recently reported that the number of modern slavery cases reported within the UK care industry has more than doubled in the past year1, with 109 potential victims between January and March who were exploited for personal or financial gain.

This is twice as many as the same period in 2022. But what does this mean for social care employers? Let me try to explain what the Act is and how care employers can use it to protect and support anyone working in the sector who is being exploited through slavery.

What is modern slavery and The Modern Slavery Act?

Modern slavery can be defined as someone who is moved by force, fraud, coercion or deception to be exploited.

Globally, almost 50 million people currently live as slaves, and in the UK alone there are estimated to be more than 100,000 victims of modern slavery2

The Modern Slavery Act was created in 2015 to consolidate historic trafficking and slavery offences to combat modern slavery in the UK. The Act focuses on protecting victims as well as punishing those responsible for forced labour, slavery or human trafficking.

From an employer’s perspective,

the Act was brought in to ensure that businesses across every sector, including social care, are transparent about the way they tackle modern slavery and human trafficking.

What does the Act ensure?

Section 54 of the Act requires all commercial organisations with a global annual turnover above £36million to prepare a slavery and human trafficking statement each financial year, ensuring that businesses are transparent about the ways they are tackling modern slavery.

The statement must set out all the required steps that businesses take to make sure human trafficking has not occurred within its supply chain or

the business in general. Organisations who turn over less than £36million annually can decide whether or not they wish to make a voluntary statement.

The Act ensures victims receive protection by:

n Creating a statutory defence for victims of modern slavery so that they are not inappropriately criminalised.

n Giving the courts new powers to order perpetrators of slavery and trafficking to pay Reparation Orders to their victims.

n Providing child advocates to support child victims of trafficking.

n Extending special measures so that all victims of modern slavery are sufficiently supported through the criminal justice process.

n Providing statutory guidance on victim identification and victim services, including an enabling power to put the relevant processes on a statutory basis.

n Introducing protections for victims of abuse on an overseas domestic worker visa.

What does the Act mean for businesses?

Currently, there are no criminal penalties for organisations who fail to implement a modern slavery statement, although the Secretary of State can in some cases apply to the High Court for an injunction to require compliance.

A failure to comply with a High Court order could result in an

unlimited fine being issued.

Businesses subject to the Act need to ensure that any modern slavery statement they produce is published on the website. A failure to publish the statement is itself a failure to comply with the Act and exposes the business to the risk of sanction, such as a fine being issued.

Aside from the financial penalties a business could face for failing to comply with the Act, the reputational damage a business would be exposed to if it fails to prevent modern slavery could be incalculable.

Despite the statement having no criminal penalties for non compliance, it is best advised for businesses to comply to prevent reputational damage.

The Act extends to both England and Wales, but some provisions apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The 2019 Global Slavery Index placed the UK as the country taking the most action to respond to modern day slavery, along with France, Netherlands and Australia who all introduced legislation targeting slavery and trafficking within the last 10 years.

References

Source one: BBC, Modern slavery gangmasters exploit care worker shortage, July 25th, 2023.

Source two: Justice & Care.

n Paul Kelly is the head of employment law at Blacks Solicitors.

Paul Kelly

Commander Douglas Parish

One of the oldest people alive in the UK – a Hampshire great grandmother – has celebrated her 110th birthday in Fareham. Annie Samphire marked the milestone with a party at Cams Ridge, where she lives, surrounded by other residents from the care home and her family, including her daughters Betty and Margaret. Annie credits her longevity to plenty of long walks and indulging her sweet tooth. She never owned a car and often enjoys an ice cream or chocolate bar before settling down to a night’s sleep. Until recently, Annie was the oldest person in the county, but a usurper who is just six months older than her moved to Hampshire.

Praise across the board for home

PRESTON House, part of the Holmes Care Group, received glowing feedback in a recent inspection.

The Fife care home received fours and fives throughout the categories, with the Care Inspectorate rating the environment of the home and the levels of ‘compassion, dignity and respect’ as ‘very good’.

The representatives from the Care Inspectorate concluded that the staff are “kind, compassionate, friendly, happy and warm”, and committed to providing a “high standard of care”

Resident over the ‘Blue Moon’ with trophies visit

ONE of Manchester City’s longeststanding supporters, who is a resident at the Belong Morris Feinmann care village in Didsbury, was over the ‘Blue Moon’ with a special visit from all three trophies from the club’s recent treble winning season.

Geoffrey Rothband, who will be 103 next month and is a lifelong fan, was treated to a private viewing of the UEFA Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup trophies at the not-for-profit care village.

every day. Residents and relatives also reported to the inspectors that they felt “very respected”, and the home has a “family feel” to it. Manager Tracy Sayle said: “All of the team are very pleased to have received such high scoring and lovely comments from the Care Inspectorate. It is a testament to the hard work we do to enrich the residents’ lives, and it is brilliant to have the inspectors recognise the positive environment we work to foster every day.”

The club arranged for the silverware to be brought to him after finding out about one of their oldest supporters through his son Nigel, who hosts weekly Manchester City podcast ‘The Man City Show’.

Geoffrey, who has witnessed all of the Manchester City’s top-flight wins in the past 100 years, was joined by Nigel, his two grandchildren Harry and Oliver and great grandson Jacob, bringing together four generations of City fans for the occasion.

Belong Morris Feinmann general manager Carolyn Ball said: “It’s great when we can be involved in some of the best days of people’s lives, even at the age of 102.

“Seeing the three trophies together

is rare, and it’s particularly special for our die-hard Manchester City fans. “We’re very grateful to Manchester City Football Club for this gesture and bringing the Belong community together, and I’d also like to thank the Rothband family for their part in making this happen.”

Other residents shared in the joy of the experience as the trophies were displayed for all to see in the village’s Venue. Amongst them was Norman Luft, who was the club’s doctor from 1976 to 2008 and is also a resident at Belong Morris Feinmann.

Care home solutions from Fall Savers

Fallsavers® is an experienced market leading healthcare provider of resident safety solutions for more than 15 years.

Fall Savers® continue to expand its products and services portfolio, building a legacy of quality, service, support and, most importantly, user experience.

They focus on resident falls prevention, elopement and telecare solutions, standalone or fully integrated.

n Ability to use one monitor with two sensor pads or other wireless devices simultaneously.

n Integrates with most nurse call systems.

n Silent alarm option eliminates alarm noise in the room.

n Wireless call pendant and door contacts available.

n Battery or mains powered.

falls or wandering. Optional anti-slip mesh material reduces the potential of slippage on hard floor services.

Features include:

n High quality anti-bacterial Floor Sensor Pad.

n Large size Pad: Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm.

n Compatible with most nurse call systems.

n Can be used with a Fall Savers Wireless Floor Pad transmitter to activate an alert wirelessly on the Fall Savers Wireless Monitor.

The Infrared Monitor is a great alternative for when carers determine that the use of sensor pads is undesirable. This simple-to-use monitor comes with a swivel bracket for easy mounting and adjustable positioning.

Features include:

n Low battery indicator.

n Two alarm tones.

n Can be used standalone or integrated with most nurse call systems.

n Battery or mains power supply.

n Optional bed mounting extension bracket.

Upgrade your falls programme with the latest technology from Fall Savers®.

The Fall Savers® Wireless Monitor allows for elimination of the cord between the monitor and sensor pads resulting in improved safety for residents, easy placement of sensor pads and less work for nursing staff.

The Fall Savers®Wireless Monitor is a scalable solution which can be used with either wired or wireless bed, chair or floor sensor pads and a range of other optional wireless peripherals to meet the needs of the person in your care.

Features include:

n Scalable monitoring solution offering support for wired or wireless bed, chair or floor sensor pads.

The Treadnought Hybrid Floor Sensor pad is built to last with a durable construction that far out lasts the competition.

This Hybrid Floor Sensor Pad can be used either as a wired floor sensor pad for direct connection into most nurse call systems (wired pigtail lead required), or can be used with the Fall Savers Floor Pad Transmitter to activate an alert wirelessly on the Fall Savers Monitor when a person steps on to the floor sensor pad.

Caregivers typically place the floor sensor pad at the bedside or in a doorway to monitor persons at risk of

The Fall Savers® Passive Infrared Monitor uses infrared detection technology to help carers reduce the risk of falls.

This monitor can be mounted on a door or by the bedside to trigger an alert when a person breaks the infrared beam.

Advertiser’s announcement

A tea-tasting afternoon proved the perfect way for a former seamstress to celebrate her 100th birthday at a Dorset care home. Jean Picton-Turberville reached her centenary having lived for several years at Colten Care’s Abbey View in Sherborne. Known as an enthusiast for a great cup of tea, a smiling Jean watched as the home’s best bone china cups and saucers were brought out for her birthday party. Her tea connection goes back to just after the Second World War when she lived in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, with her husband, a manager in the tea industry. Abbey View staff arranged a tea-tasting experience for Jean and party guests. After sampling the various offerings, Jean naturally chose Ceylon as her personal favourite above others including Darjeeling and Earl Grey.

Bert and Betty celebrate 70 years of marital bliss

ELIZABETH ‘Betty’ McKie Dunlop, 89, and husband Robert ‘Bert’ Dunlop, 93, recently celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary at Renaissance Care’s Mailin Court Care Home in Turnberry, South Ayrshire.

The couple originally met at St Quivox Church in Prestwick in the early 1950s.

They first became acquainted after Betty’s brother Samuel introduced the pair believing that they would make a great match for each other.

Betty said: “Our love grew as we got to know each other. My brother was right – we are a perfect match.”

Betty worked as a district nurse around Ayrshire for many years, while Bert worked as ground crew for the Lancaster bombers based at RAF Kinloss after the end of the Second World War, before moving on to work as a policeman across Ayr, Catrine, Ballantrae and Girvan.

The pair shared a passion for badminton and the church, both eventually becoming elders at Girvan North Parish.

Both Bert and Betty said raising their family together, consisting of their two children Kenneth and Gillian, and a lapdog called Michelle, has been the greatest joy in life. The pair now have four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren to cherish, based across Kilmarnock, Gloucestershire and West Sussex.

Bert said: “Betty is always there for

me, and I am always there for Betty. We are always happy if we are simply just together. That’s what true love is.”

On advice for other couples looking to go the distance, the pair were adamant that it all came down to communication.

Betty added: “Always talk to each other and come to agreements together.

“You both must be able to compromise and come to a mutual agreement over what you want, or a decision cannot be made. When it comes to a successful marriage, it is

all about love, talking things through and agreeing together.”

Care home manager Louise Dunlop said: “It has been lovely to celebrate Bert and Betty’s anniversary in the home. 70 years is such an impressive amount of time and is a testament to the strong love between the pair of them.

“Celebrating the big moments and milestones in our residents’ lives is a top priority at Malin Court.

“All the staff love to get involved and make these occasions as special as possible.”

Home celebrates its footballing legacy with 1966 autograph hunter Michael

A CARE home has once again opened its doors to footballers and fans as it celebrates its place in sporting history as part of a fundraising campaign to support the Bobby Moore Fund at Cancer Research UK.

Hendon Hall is remembered by many as the hotel where England’s winning World Cup squad stayed during the 1966 tournament.

Now a luxury care home, Signature at Hendon Hall invited old and new generations of football fans back to the famous grounds to honour the 1966 team captain Bobby Moore’s legacy and celebrate the start of the Women’s World Cup.

After unearthing a black and white photograph of the children who flocked to the hotel to cheer on the World Cup squad in 1966, the facility launched a nation-wide hunt for the young autograph hunters.

After four months, and having drafted in BBC presenter Jenny Bond to support the online campaign, the home was contacted by 70-yearold Michael Hart, who is pictured alongside Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Moore.

He said: “In 1966 I was 13 and living in Holders Hill Avenue which is close to the old Hendon Hall Hotel. When the tournament started, only a few

people were interested in the team, but as they progressed the crowds grew significantly.

“I remember on the Saturday morning of the final, someone came out of the hotel asking if anyone wanted a ticket.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t have any money on me and missed out, something that has annoyed me all my life.

“I was at the hotel when the team arrived back after they had won the cup and the scene was amazing, so

many happy faces.”

Signature at Hendon Hall invited Michael to return to the historic site, alongside the local Garston Ladies FC U8P squad, which Signature Senior Lifestyle sponsors, and the Mayor of Barnet Councillor Nagus Narenthira. Alongside resident John Marshall, the group unveiled a plaque to Bobby Moore and celebrated the naming of the ‘Captain’s Corner’ in the home’s ‘Bar 66’.

The celebration provided an opportunity for the home to reveal

the fruits of a six-month fundraising campaign, which saw residents and colleagues raise £1,500 for the Booby Moore Fund, which supports pioneering research into Bowel Cancer.

Michael, who lives locally and still has his cherished autograph book featuring autographs of nine of the 11 starting players, donated the book to the Bobby Moore Fund so that it can be auctioned to raise further funds.

Rakhee Popat, client liaison manager at Signature at Hendon Hall, said: “We were so excited when we found one of the young autograph hunters, Michael, and so please he was able to join the event.

“Together with residents, the community and our special guests, we had a wonderful day watching the football, celebrating the Lionesses, and marking Bobby Moore’s connection to the home.”

Guests were also treated to a specially recorded message to the home by former Lioness and current BBC broadcaster, Anita Asante.

The footballing legend, who represented England at the World Cup and Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, celebrated the legacy of Bobby Moore, as well as the residents’ fundraising efforts for the charity.

Betty’ McKie Dunlop and husband Robert ‘Bert’ Dunlop.