Caring UK September 2012 by Script Media

September 2012

incorporating The Number One magazine for the care sector

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Robots could improve lives, claims study By Dominic Musgrave ROBOTS can improve the quality of life of people living in care homes, a researcher at the University of Salford has claimed. Antonio Espingardeiro has been bringing robotic cats, seals and humanoid robots to a series of retirement homes in order to address the isolation and boredom often felt by their residents. By programming his robots with a range of interactive games and activities, he has not only entertained the elderly, but has also helped to bridge the gap between them and younger generations as the robots become a source of fascination and discussion during visits. The project is part of his PhD, which is about the ethics of human and robot interaction. According to his research these machines can provide cognitive assistance, supervision and entertainment which can be translated into an immense set of benefits for vulnerable groups. Antonio is conscious that his project isn’t just about ‘buying a robot for granny’, but a meaningful way of bringing generations together and improving everyone’s quality of life.

He said: “The robots are a novelty at first. But they are also less threatening than entertainers or other people who come into homes to interact with people. “And since you can programme them, I’ve been able to make sure that something different happens every week, so the visits never become stale. “Robots aren’t the only solution to this growing issue, but they can be a part of it. It might seem like a strange thing to be doing at first, but my results show how much of a difference this can make.” Antonio has worked with over 74 people plus carers, relatives and managers in care and extra care facilities during 45-minute sessions stretching back eight months. During this period he has been able to record improvements in the happiness of the people he’s been working with. The research still has a year to run, but he believes his work is ahead of the rest of the world – even the Japanese with their rapidly aging population and advanced robots are only just starting down this path. I What do you think about robots in care homes? Let Dominic Musgrave know by emailing dm@scriptmedia.co.uk or call him on 01226 734407.

Students create 3D artwork for home

Former England international cricketer Phil Tufnell (pictured above) joined other well-known faces Anneka Rice and Joe Swift to transform a disused green space at a Sheffield nursing home into a new sensory garden for a TV programme that was aired on the BBC recently. For more about what they created turn to page 3.

A GROUP of art and design students at Derby College has created a collection of 3D artwork to help carers at a Swadlincote nursing and care home work on reminiscence projects with residents suffering from dementia. The collection of six large sculptures, depicting local landmarks and industries, and six smaller pieces including giant beer mats and iconic Hollywood film stars have been created using recycled materials and designed to be tactile as well as colourful. They will now take pride of place at Cedar Court nursing and dementia care home in Swadlincote which is run by Your Health. General manager Vicki Weller said: “The students have done a fantastic job and the results are stunning. I know that they will be greatly enjoyed by staff and residents alike as a focal point to talk more about their lives.”

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Celebrities create new sensory garden at home By Dominic Musgrave A SHEFFIELD health trust played host to three special guests earlier this year and their efforts were shown recently on the BBC. In May this year, Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust’s Woodland View Nursing Home received a visit for a new TV programme called The Flowerpot Gang. Gardening expert Joe Swift and presenters Anneka Rice and Phil Tufnell led a team who transformed a green space at the home into a spectacular new sensory garden for service users and carers. The colourful garden has a vegetable patch, summer house and a yellow brick road path designed to stimulate the senses of service users with Alzheimer’s and dementia. It also has a self-powered sound post where the calming sounds of waves lapping at the shore and seagulls can be heard. Fiona Williams, acting manager at Woodland View, said: “The new sensory garden looks marvellous. There was a large team who spent a couple of weeks working on the project, in all kinds of weather. Before the makeover it was quite an unused area, and now it looks superb. “It has been designed to offer different opportunities at different times to differ-

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Editorial Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Healthcare Editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

Phil Tufnell, Anneka Rice and Joe Swift. Credit Renegade Pictures BBC_Steven @ 4130 Photography. ent people. Service users seem to love the sensory element to the garden, particularly the fragrant herbs such as fennel. “Woodland View has a number of other fantastic green spaces and this new garden really enhances the site. It will be looked after by the estates team but we are keen to establish a volunteer scheme to maintain the area going forward.” The TV crew spent almost two weeks

filming the project, with Anneka rallying the local community to come and help clear, dig and plant at the site. Joe, known by millions for his work on Gardeners’ World, offered up his horticultural expertise by designing the new space, and former England cricketer Phil got stuck into working the land while getting to know the stories of the people for whom the space is being created.

Reporter: Helen Williams Tel: 01226 734694 Studio Manager: Stewart Holt Tel: 01226 734414 Database enquiries to: 01226 734695 E-mail: circulation@ scriptmedia.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. You can now follow us on Twitter at caringuk

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Cafe is opened by PM PRIME Minister David Cameron opened a KIND community café within the grounds of an Oxfordshire care home. Owner Barchester has transformed a small and unused cottage in the grounds of Middletown Grange in Hailey into a meeting place to provide local support services for those directly and indirectly affected by dementia in the community. The KIND (Keeping Individuality through Nurturing Dementia) café aims to provide support networks for individuals living with dementia, their relatives, friends and carers. It is somewhere advice and social interaction is offered in a comfortable, well equipped setting, offering refreshments and home-baked goods. General manager Fiona Linnington said: “The KIND café is a great addition to our home. We already reach out and welcome so many individuals and groups from the local community and I'm proud to offer yet another warm and understanding environment right on our doorstep.”

Derek transforms area into a retro community PART of a Prestwick care home has been transformed into a retro community, complete with post office and cinema from the 1950s. The innovative project at Berelands House, part of the Priory Group of companies, was overseen by activities co-ordinator Derek Lennox, who managed to deliver the transformation for under £150. He used his own creativity and art and design background to make all the artwork, posters and picture. Derek also sources things on the internet and scours local shops for bargains and then haggles to get the best price. He has created Main Street, a corridor which looks like a historic street in Glasgow from 60 years ago. It includes a traditional lounge with a vintage TV and newspapers, hairdressing salon, post office and cinema with ticket booth and seating in rows, showcasing classic films. Main Street provides a living environment which enables people with short-term memory loss to conversationally and socially interact, based on their long-term memories. Derek said people living with dementia can often lose their shortterm memory, but retain their long-

The movie-themed corridor at Berelands House. term memories. He added: “It is an absolute labour of love for me. This has been a dream of mine for many years and I think it’s more interesting if you make things yourself. I wanted to make a time capsule for the residents. “The makeover of facilities offers a door to the past for residents, when the modern world becomes too overwhelming, especially for those living with dementia. With dementia,

short-term memory goes, but longterm memory is often intact. A lot of residents are effectively living in the past. The Main Street’s old-time atmosphere is something our residents recognise and makes them feel more at home. Throughout the process they often told us when they thought we had something wrong. We hope this transformation can help to aid dementia treatment of those residents living with the illness.”

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Carers experience life as a resident By Dominic Musgrave STAFF from a Dorset care home visited Belgium as part of a unique learning project to find out what it is like to be on the receiving end of care. Emily Spearing and Megan Cleall from The Old Vicarage care home in Leigh spent two days in the fully equipped ‘mock’ care home in Moorsele, Belgium, along with other care professionals invited by Partners in Care, a partnership established to raise the standard of adult social care across Dorset. Participants in the EU funded project are ‘cared for’ by social care students so that they can experience what it is like to be dependent on care. They adopt a personal profile and a care plan is created in accordance with their needs. Deputy care manager Emily said the aim was to better understand the needs and anxieties of older people living in a care setting. She added: “We all found it a life changing experience. While it made us see that we are doing things well, it did make us more aware of little things that can be worrying or

Emily Spearing upsetting to a resident. “When we arrived we were apprehensive about what to expect, which is obviously how a new resident must feel. I noticed how my ‘carers’ would talk across me, or say ‘back in five minutes’ and then be gone for much longer – when you are not mobile it can seem like hours.” Partners in Care, so far the only UK organisation to be involved in this three-year project, is working together with partners from Belgium, the Netherlands and France to provide opportunities for

experience-based learning at the sTimul care-ethics laboratory. In this fully equipped care environment, health and social care professionals and students can, during two days and one night, experience for themselves the impact of care by taking on the role of care receivers. Their reports are fed back to their partnerships to encourage an improvement in the quality of patient-centred care. Emily said that further visits are planned during the span of the project. “I have been in the care profession for 11 years, but this has made me try harder to see things from a resident’s point of view,” she added. “I have re-designed our induction package and added a lot of the things I have learned. We will also look again at our activities programme, as I found that time can hang very heavily in the afternoons and residents can often get bored and anxious. This has been such a fantastic experience and such an eye opener to how elderly residents feel. I would love to see this project happening in the UK.”

Home gains technology recognition A SCARBOROUGH care home has been recognised for the way its trailblazing use of new technology is improving the lives of its residents. St Cecilia’s was short-listed for an Innovation Nation award, recognising cutting edge methods of working. The care home has introduced the very latest monitoring equipment to help look after its 21 residents. St Cecilia’s was chosen for a pilot scheme to work with North Yorkshire county council to introduce a range of sensor and monitoring equipment to see how successful its use is in a care home. The home cares for people suffering from mild to severe cases of dementia and the equipment checks for things like falls, incontinence and residents getting out of bed or leaving their rooms during the night. Owner Mike Padgham said: “It was a fantastic honour to reach the shortlist from the many, many entrants that were put forward. It is a great tribute to all the hard work by the staff at the home and North Yorkshire county council.” Innovation Nation is an initiative between The Guardian and Virgin Media Business to uncover the UK’s most innovative organisations and people.

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Celebrity backing for disposal site campaign By Helen Williams A CAMPAIGN to stop a major waste disposal site next to a specialist nursing home in Pembrokeshire is gaining celebrity support. Those opposing the site include broadcaster Fiona Phillips, whose parents lived in Pembrokeshire and both died after suffering Alzheimer’s disease. Writing in her Daily Mirror column, Fiona commented that Pembrokeshire County Council’s proposals for the land adjacent to Brooklands Nursing Home, near Saundersfoot, said “everything about society’s attitude to older people.” Brooklands, which has been in operation for 27 years, has 40 elderly residents from throughout west Wales, most suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia. Former doctors, nurses, police officers and business owners are among the residents. Manager of the home Darren Umanee said he understood that the council’s current civic amenity and recycling centre in Tenby was unsustainable due to lack of space and access.

But he said: “We have huge concerns over this plan. Some of our residents’ bedrooms overlook the site. What about the smells, the noise, and scavenging seagulls – the home will be their first perch. Then there is the extra traffic. We believe there will be up to 300 cars a day using the site and 14 large trucks moving skips around. All this, on what is national park land.” He added that the home had just renovated a garden area and the only pleasure for some residents was to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air and an occasional barbecue. He said: “We are also disgusted that the council left it to the last minute to let us know about these plans. This is a total lack of respect for our residents.” Darren said a consultant psychiatrist shared the home’s concern that the disruption, noise and increased levels of activity associated with a recycling centre would have an ‘extremely detrimental effect’ on residents’ health. The home has an online petition – with 800 signatures at the last count – and has enlisted support through Twitter, with celebrities including Russell Grant, Suzanne Dando, Gary

The view of the field from Brooklands Nursing Home. Lineker and Bill Oddie helping spread the word. However, the council insists the site will have “no adverse impact on residents.” Spokesman Len Mullins said the council was holding pre-application consultation with local parties, including the home, neighbouring residents, and local community

councils, and was currently assessing their views. He added: “We held a meeting for all interested parties, which representatives from Brooklands Nursing Home attended. The council is fully aware of the home’s concerns and confident that an application will have no adverse impact on residents and their amenities.”

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Councillor Marie Garrity opens the new artwork at Springboig Care Centre.

Home thanks children by throwing a party RESIDENTS at Springboig Care Centre in Glasgow threw a party to say thanks to schoolchildren who designed murals for their home. The youngsters from St Timothy’s primary school designed the art works, which were opened by councillor Marie Garrity. She commended the children and the positive links made between the school and the home. The murals show a bus pulling up to a local stop and a grocer’s shop opposite. As the shop has been made

'three dimensional’, residents can actually take their shopping away with them from the counter. Each Tuesday, the young artists visit the home and have built up a great rapport with residents and staff. They bring their art work and talk, sing and recite poetry – and their visit is often the highlight of the week within the home. The children were helped by resident Albert Nellie who is also a keen artist. He helped paint a picture of himself standing at the bus stop.

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New holistic approach is championed NEW approaches for social care staff who work with older people are being championed in a new book launched at the University of Chichester. Social Work with Older People encourages social workers to see older people holistically, taking the care management process beyond its current mechanistic approach. Current associate lecturer Barbara Hall and former lecturer Terry Scragg are co-editors of the book, while chapter authors include current lecturers David Gaylard, Andy Mantell and deputy dean Gill Butler. Barbara was among the speakers at a mini-conference to mark the launch of the book, which included an expansion of the ideas discussed in the chapters, as well as practical demonstrations of some of the techniques, particularly in relation to the use of dance movement and music. Dr Gill Constable, Senior Lecturer in Social Work at the University, said: “The new book features case studies and exercises to assist readers in reflecting on their practice. “It also examines a range of contexts and perspectives including sexuality, spirituality and learning disabilities, something that has not been looked at in detail before.

Managing director goes undercover By Dominic Musgrave THE managing director of the country’s newest and third largest provider of residential care for older people featured in an episode of Channel 4’s Undercover Boss. The programme followed HC-One nurse Pam Finnis, who last worked as a carer 17 years ago, as she went undercover to get an on-the-ground insight into the UK’s care industry, and captures the stories and incredible efforts of those nurses and carers who go the extra mile to provide residents with the kindest care in the UK. During her time undercover, Pam found a number of dedicated employees, some of whom work on their days off to spend more time with residents. She said: “Working in care is like being part of a huge family. We’re all different, we can be ourselves and we’ve all got something to give – this experience has really emphasised this point to me. “We have some incredible staff at HC-One, staff who frequently go the extra mile to ensure that residents are provided with the kindest care

HC-One managing director Pam Finnis. in the country. Taking part in the programme also brought home to me the extent of the challenges that the care sector faces, and I have come away from this experience determined to meet those challenges.” HC-One came into being on

November 1 last year when it took over the operation of 241 cares homes across the country. Chairman Dr Chai Patel, who recently carried the Olympic torch through Ealing, West London, said: “Our aim is to provide the kindest care in the country and we decided to take part in Undercover Boss because of the confidence that we have in our dedicated members of staff. We feel that taking part in the programme provided us with an opportunity to counter some of the misunderstandings that exist about care as well as an opportunity to show to the wider public the hard work and kindness that goes on every day across Britain. “Television with a mission is an important contribution to our society and I believe that this programme approaches the care sector in a very balanced, fair and sensitive way. It highlights some amazing people, as well as the continued challenges we face.” What did you think of this particular episode of Undercover Boss? Email your thoughts to healthcare editor Dominic Musgrave a dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

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Air ambulance critical care paramedic Jez Harwood presents Doreen and Brian Knight with a cheque on behalf of the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance at the helicopter base in Dunsfold.

Doreen scoops local lottery A SENIOR care worker at Walstead Place was left reeling after scooping the top prize of £25,000 in an Air Ambulance ‘superdraw’ just two weeks after joining. When Doreen Knight signed up for the £2 a week lottery she may have been dreaming about whether she would buy a new kitchen or a holiday with her winnings. Little did she know that less than one month in, she would be able to do both.

She said: “I was on my way to work when I got the call to say I’d won and I was shaking. It’s just unbelievable to have won so quickly and I had to check the Air Ambulance website to see if it was true. It’s come at a good time because my husband Brian will be 60 this year and he’s always wanted to see the New England Falls so that’s on the cards for next year. I’d quite like to see the Niagara Falls as well.”

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Group rolls out nurse programme across its homes

Professor Alistair Burns and Paul Mancey sign the Prime Minister’s dementia pledge.

Alistair attends ceremony PROFESSOR Alistair Burns, national clinical director for dementia at the Department of Health, attended an awards ceremony at Orchard care homes’ Nesfield Lodge in Leeds. He brought with him the Prime Minister’s dementia pledge, which was signed by the group’s CEO Paul Mancey. Ann Moulder, national business development manager at the Alzheimer’s Society, unveiled a

plaque in the home and presented home manager Debbie Langmaid with a certificate for having completed the Society’s Dementia Champion training. The 44-bed home has recently been recognised as a specialist in dementia care, with staff having undergone Alzheimer’s Society training and significant changes being made to the environment to improve quality of life for residents with dementia.

SHROPSHIRE provider Morris Care has implemented a preceptorship programme supporting newly registered nurses through mentoring to ensure the highest levels of care for residents. Following a careful selection process, inspirational preceptors have been chosen for each of the six Morris Care nursing homes. The preceptors are more senior and experienced nurses, making them exemplary role models for new nurses. The programme is implemented on the first day a nursing graduate joins the group, with their first two weeks of employment shared with the preceptor, including time away from the floor to discuss key components of the job and any questions the graduate may have. The preceptorship is key to helping nurses develop their confidence, refine skills including communication, clinical skills and safe practice, as well as set professional goals, which will ensure standards of nursing care at the Morris Care homes are consistently outstanding. Timothy Morris, director of Morris Care, said such programmes, also

running in the NHS and other organisations, are raising the standard for quality nursing care across the country He added: “Morris Care is proud to lead the way for practicing the programme in private care homes in Shropshire. “We are very proud of our preceptorship programme, which reflects our commitment to investing in our staff development and skill sharing. It ensures that newly qualified nurses receive the support and guidance they need, in order to provide our residents with the very best quality care.” The preceptor selected for Oldbury Grange nursing home, Bridgnorth, is Deputy Nurse Manager Sally Gardner, who was named ‘Care Registered Nurse of the Year’ at the 2011 National Care Awards, for her tireless work in delivering the highest quality nursing to all of the residents in her care. Over her 20 years working at Oldbury Grange, Sally has been instrumental in training younger members of staff to ensure they uphold the levels of quality nursing care delivered in Morris Care nursing homes.

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Home fined for breaching fire regulations A BARNSLEY care home has been fined for breaching fire safety regulations that could have left residents at serious risk had there been a blaze. The owners of Park Grange Nursing Home have been fined more than £10,000 for flouting the fire safety laws. Park Care Ltd, pleaded guilty to three breaches including failing to put in place suitable fire emergency procedures and failing to rectify defective fire doors. The third charge was in relation to not providing a suitable fire risk assessment. The firm was warned about the problems by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue in August last year, but failed to act. An enforcement notice was issued by the fire service and the company pleaded guilty to the charges at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on Thursday last week. Terry Guthrie, fire safety officer, said: “These breaches were so serious

that had there been a fire at the home there was a real danger that residents would have been seriously injured or worse. “Care homes are responsible for the safety of vulnerable residents and they need to adhere to fire safety regulations. Where we find these regulations aren't followed we will take swift action. “It should be noted that we gave the owners the opportunity to rectify the problems before bringing a prosecution but they chose to ignore our warnings.” The prosecution brought against Park Care Ltd was in relation to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Sue Wheeldon, manager at Park Grange, which offers residential care for 36 residents, said everything was ‘in hand’. She added: “It is ongoing but we are addressing the issues that have been raised.”

St Georges manager Kelly Watt and 97-year-old resident Dorothy Morris with PC Gordon Bellamy and police community support officer Richard Howey.

‘Cuppa with a copper’ A WASHINGTON nursing home has opened its doors so the local community can have a ‘cuppa with a copper’. St Georges is the first care home in the area to be used for the ‘cuppa with a copper’ sessions, which are designed to allow local people to get to know officers in a relaxed environment. The drop-in sessions, which are for people living in the Harraton and Rickleton area of Washington, are being held every five weeks and will

give residents the chance to raise any issues with their beat bobbies. Kelly Watt, manager of St Georges, said: “We were only too pleased for the police to use the home for the cuppa with a copper meetings and the first one was really successful. “It was very relaxed and as well as being something different for the residents, it was also nice to welcome people from the local community to the hall.”

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Staff complete seated physical activity course

The team outside Frethey House.

Home retains Beacon A SOMERSET care home is celebrating following the news that it has maintained the top honour of a Beacon Award for a second consecutive time. The prestigious accolade with the Gold Standards Framework in Care Homes places Frethey House in a select group of just 66 facilities in the United Kingdom to be recognised for delivering the highest standards of care for people in the final years of life. In addition to palliative care, the 41bed home specialises in many aspects of elderly nursing care including helping those with Parkinson's, as well as residential care for the elderly frail. Manager Anne Lewin said: “We are thrilled that the hard work put in by our dedicated team has been recognised once more. Our residents

and their wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do. “We are passionate about ensuring that the highest standards of specialist care are in place and we work hard to sustain those standards, so to receive the award for a second year is fantastic.” The Gold Standards Framework in Care Homes aims to improve the organisation and quality of care for residents in the last years of life, to improve collaboration across boundaries and to reduce avoidable hospital admissions. To qualify for the standard, care homes must have undertaken the full training programme over nine months, embedded this into their homes for at least six months and then undertaken a rigorous accreditation process 'Going for Gold’.

By Dominic Musgrave STAFF at care homes run by Scottish provider Balhousie Care Group are undergoing training in seated physical activity to help residents keep fit and alert while having fun. The aim is to enable staff to introduce simple activities using a variety of equipment such as stress balls, beanbags and other everyday items to promote independence, encourage wellbeing and social interaction among residents. A group of staff from homes in Perth and Kinross is about to take part in the workshop, which is run by ReVitalyz. Care staff from all five Balhousie homes in Angus have already completed the course, achieving the silver SPA award. Balhousie’s enablement leader Sandra Ferguson said it is expected staff from all of the group’s 25 homes will take part over the coming months. She added: “Our aim is to improve and maintain our residents’ physical and mental health and abilities as much as possible, while making sure that each activity and environment is safe, easy, fun and varied. This training also focuses on the delivery

of unique person-centred care to less able persons. “We are working in partnership with health and local authority colleagues in Angus and Perth and Kinross to roll out the ReVitalyz training programme, which has given our staff additional knowledge to develop their skills. “As well as helping them to understand how everyday items can be used in activities which improve physical and mental health and energise the brain and body, there is also an important social element, encouraging residents to get together to take part in activities. “The training and activities are a key part of Balhousie Care Group’s enablement philosophy, which ensures that maintenance of or deterioration in a person’s health can be supported at the right level.” The session trains people to deliver a range of simple Seated Physical Activities to residents, in their own environments, to complement existing events and activities already offered in the care homes. It also includes health and safety, risk assessments and record keeping, which will allow the group to evaluate the positive impact of the SPA activities.

Open day for new boss STAFF and residents at Dormy House in Sunningdale threw the doors open as they invited members of the local community to a coffee afternoon to come and meet new home manager Janet Varndell. Janet is a registered nurse with many years’ experience in a variety of different roles within the care sector. Many of the residents’

family and friends attended, along with a number of representatives from Ascot Day Centre and Magnolia House Doctors Surgery. Janet said: “I firmly believe in an open door policy, everyone is welcome to drop in to my office for a chat and a cup of tea. The local community has been very supportive and it was lovely to see so many people here.”

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Computer classes for residents A NATIONAL care home operator has launched a collaboration with a local college to introduce computer classes for residents. Jenny Carlisle, from Elder Homes Group’s Eton Park Care Centre in Nottingham came up with the initiative after having numerous conversations with service users in the weekly coffee morning. The coffee mornings normally have a topic of interest, chosen by service users, and researched by Jenny. She was asked one day by a resident where she got all of her information from, to which Jenny replied the internet. Jenny said: “I met with the local college to ask if they would be interested in running a course at Eton Park. Both myself and the tutors felt that the residents would not be interested in learning Microsoft Office but they would enjoying research and learning how to use the email software that is available to all the service users. The areas covered were certainly varied. Some service users were looking into their family trees and some just had different interests which they pursued.”

Angela fixes it for home to house car By Dominic Musgrave A LEEDS-based care home operator has purchased the late Sir Jimmy Savile’s yellow BMW Isetta 300 Plus bubble car. Almost 550 lots of memorabilia went under the hammer at an auction held in Saviles Hall at the Royal Armouries to raise money for his charitable trust. Angela Swift, managing director of Silk Healthcare, purchased the 1965 iconic yellow car for £22,000 after fierce bidding. It will take pride of place in the entrance at the firm’s new 83-bed care home Mapplewell Manor in Barnsley, which currently under construction and due for completion in February 2013. Angela also purchased the outfit that Sir Jimmy wore when he opened Silk Healthcare’s Reuben Manor care home in Teeside back in 2009. She said: “We have bought the car for our residents. Many have different stages of dementia so this will hopefully provide them with some nostalgic memories as we will be placing it inside our new facility in Mapplewell. “Many residents remember Jimmy from when he opened one of our

Sir Jimmy Savile opening Reuben Manor in 2009. homes a few years back. We were looking for a celebrity to open it and many were asking for upwards of £15,000. “When we asked Jimmy how much he would charge he was shocked at the question and said he would never charge to do such a thing. I guess this is our way of giving something back to him and his charity and providing a fabulous addition for our residents.” Mapplewell Manor will be a new residential care home and senior

centre specialising in dementia care. It will bring approximately 90 full and part time jobs to the area, with facilities including spacious en-suite rooms, a café, coffee lounge for residents and their families and landscaped gardens. Mapplewell Manor will be Silk Healthcare’s third care home in addition to Reuben Manor in Teesside and Heather Grange in Burnley. A fourth home is also planned for construction in Colne, Lancashire next year.

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MSP Humza pays home a visit after successful report Princes Katarina (second from the left) with hairdressers Amanda Soper and Jenny Chandler and Walstead Place manager Jacquie Ferguson.

Salon has a brush with Royalty WALSTEAD Place Residential Home in Haywards Heath had a brush with Royalty as Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia, a cousin of the Queen and 100th in line to the British throne, officially opened its new hair salon. As well as being given a tour of the refurbished reception area and hairdressing salon by members of staff, she took time to speak to

residents about their everyday lives and activities. During her visit Princess Katarina also had the opportunity to chat with home manager Jacqueline Ferguson and staff, who took her through the range of therapeutic activities offered. Jacqueline said: “Everyone was very proud to welcome Princess Katarina to the home and show off our fantastic care and leisure facilities.”

Palace date for 108-year-old A 108-YEAR-OLD resident at a West Yorkshire care home celebrated her big day by attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace. Alice Wynne, a resident at Lands House in Brighouse for the past nine years, was accompanied by her

carer Georgina Copley, and met most of the Royal family who attended the event after the pair travelled down to the capital by train. The following day they also enjoyed a cruise on the Thames.

A MEMBER of the Scottish Parliament was so impressed by the latest inspection results at a Glasgow care home that he paid it a visit. Glasgow MSP Humza Yousaf wrote to staff and the eight residents at Carntyne in Glasgow asking if he could meet those who made such a positive impact with the independent regulators. He said: “I had heard from several people about the quality of care provided by Carntyne Gardens, and on reading the Care Inspectorate report I was hugely impressed. “As a member of the Scottish Parliament I feel it is my duty to acknowledge outstanding services and put them forward as an example to others. It is often the case that news about such services, especially those catering for the elderly, is negative. This is the perfect opportunity to counteract this. “This service is a prime model of best practice, right on our doorstep, and I strongly feel this needed to be highlighted.” The Bield operated facility cares for those affected by Alzheimer’s, dementia and other age-related illnesses and has consistently been

awarded the highest possible grade by the Care Inspectorate for its Quality of Care and Support. Myla Gapay, acting manager, said as well as focusing on the concept of attentive care, the home strives to promote independent living, encouraging residents to visit nearby shops and use public transport. She added: “When a service user comes to stay with us, Carntyne Gardens becomes their home and we make every effort to ensure they feel this way. No matter the difficulties their illness may bring, they are independent individuals living under one roof – they are not patients. We look past the illnesses and see them as individuals, each with different requirements, different hobbies and different likes and dislikes. “For example we discovered one of our service users had always enjoyed swimming before he came to join us, so we made sure he was able to go the local pool regularly. We see the relationship between the staff, the service users and their carers as a triangle – we all work together to ensure the resident feels as at home as possible and to make sure they continue to enjoy life to the full.”

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Cartref care home in Ceredigion held a variety of activities to celebrate the Dignity in Care Day and to recognise Tudur Williamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 20 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ownership of the facility.

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Residents brush up for art sessions A LINCOLNSHIRE care home has had a stroke of genius with its latest activity for its residents. Hartsholme House in Lincoln, part of The Orders of St John Care Trust, has implemented a national scheme organised by the Society for all Artists, which aims to use art as a therapy to improve quality of life for residents with dementia. Diane Bowden, service development director for the group, said: “Through the introduction of activities like painting, we have made significant progress towards improving person centred care, placing a great importance on life stories, reminiscence sessions and the creation of destinations of interest in our homes. “As an organisation we are committed to reducing the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medication in line with the National Dementia Strategy. Through implementing these initiatives that focus on the individual, our homes have been particularly successful at reducing the number of residents taking prescribed antipsychotics. “As a result of efforts to date, the Trust has already seen, in most areas, a two-thirds reduction in the usage of antipsychotics. Many homes have no residents on these medicines.”

The Lodge chosen as a case study for students By Dominic Musgrave A PIONEERING care facility at a Chorley retirement village has been chosen by the Open University to be a case study for students throughout the world who are taking a specialist dementia care course. Students logging onto the Open University website can now watch five documentary-style videos each showing innovative dementiafriendly design features of The Lodge at Buckshaw, from residents’ own rooms through to the dining rooms and lounges and the innovative Market Square and enclosed courtyard garden. The videos demonstrate how design can play a positive role in the care and wellbeing of people with dementia. Staff ranging from care assistants through to senior management are also featured on the videos, talking about the benefits that The Lodge’s design brings to its 62 residents. In addition to the course-related videos, the material is also publicly accessible on You Tube and other online sites. Villages managing director Penni Brown said: “We are delighted that The Lodge has been chosen by the Open University as a flagship case

The courtyard garden at The Lodge. study. It is further external recognition of how we are a facility at the cutting edge of dementia friendly design.” Earlier this year The Lodge gained the ‘Care Home Provider of The Year’ award in the Laing & Buisson’s Independent Specialist Care Awards. In 2008 The Lodge became the first care establishment in Britain to gain a gold standard under a new scheme launched by the University of Stirling’s internationally renowned Dementia Services Development

Centre to promote dementia friendly design in buildings. The Lodge was also a finalist in the ‘Best Exterior’ and ‘Best Interior’ dementia design categories in the 2010 National Dementia Care Awards, and Buckshaw Retirement Village gained the ‘Best Care Village’ award in the 2009 Pinders Healthcare Design Awards. Are you taking part in a study at your care home? If so, email details to healthcare editor Dominic Musgrave at dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

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Firms to deliver £11.2m scheme By Dominic Musgrave MIDAS Construction and the University of Stirling have been appointed by Devon county council to design and deliver an £11.2m improvement programme to develop dementia care centres of excellence across the county. Over the next three years, up to 10 of the council’s 23 residential care homes will be transformed into modern, state-of-the-art residential and non residential facilities for people with dementia and their carers. The improvement programme will also include modernisation and refurbishment of the council’s other homes. “Our intention is for the centres of excellence to be more than just residential care homes,” said councillor Stuart Barker, cabinet member with responsibility for adult social care. “We would want them to include other non-residential services for people with dementia and their carers, who are still living in their own homes. “We want the centres to become the local hubs of dementia-friendly communities. “While many people want to live in their own homes for as long as possible, evidence shows that for people with advanced dementia-related care

needs, specialist accommodation can provide more suitable, safe environments for people to live.” Redevelopment will involve substantial remodelling of the homes. Bedrooms will be made larger, with some having en suite facilities. They will be completely redecorated, with new carpets, furnishings and lighting. Remaining homes will also undergo refurbishment, including redecoration, carpet replacement and upgrading of furniture and equipment. A study is also underway, looking at where the bulk of the demand for specialist dementia care is in Devon and at the level of private sector care home provision in those areas. This will be completed before the council decides which of its homes are to become centres of excellence because they do not want to compete in areas where there is more than enough private sector provision. Meanwhile the county council has made £800,000 available annually for home owners to develop their businesses so they can help meet the need for specialist care. Among other options this will enable the private sector to re-train employees to change the type of care they offer.

Karen Fairclough, Jolly Thomas and Andrew Kornecki.

Home adds to management AN Accrington care home has made three appointments to strengthen its management team. Andrew Kornecki has been appointed as service manager for dementia at Springhill Care Group, and will coordinate day-to-day running of the newly-opened Specialist Care Centre at Springhill, a facility with 46 beds over five separate facilities for residents with specialist care needs including dementia. He joins Springhill from Calderstones, a Lancashire NHS foundation trust specialising in caring for people with learning disabilities.

Meanwhile, Karen Fairclough has been promoted to support services manager, and Jolly Thomas to service manager for nursing and care. Karen has worked at the home for 10 years, starting as a catering assistant and working her way up to chef and head chef. In her new post she will be in charge of all catering, domestic and housekeeping, laundry and maintenance services. Jolly has been at Springhill eight years, and in her new role the qualified nurse will oversee the full care and nursing service, working with residents and their families.

CARINGNEWS

A North West local authority is pioneering a new approach to caring for older people by handing back responsibility for their lifestyles to the care home resident rather than the carer. Dominic Musgrave reports.

Project gives people more choice STOCKPORT council, in partnership with Borough Care Ltd and consultancy group Helen Sanderson Associates, is working on the innovative pilot scheme which aims to set new standards and become best practice across the UK and overseas. The project, which is being trialled at Bruce Lodge in Offerton, involves a change in thinking giving people in care homes the opportunity to direct their own support as individuals. This approach is called Individual Service Funds. Working under the banner 'My Home, My Time, My Choice,' project managers are working with residents with dementia and other mental health issues. Kathy Farmer, chief executive, Borough Care Ltd, said: “We want our residents to be happy, fulfilled and as independent as possible and we want all our staff to have this philosophy at the forefront of their thinking. “It is another step in ensuring all care homes are happy, caring and mutually supportive communities in which residents feel cherished.” Helen Sanderson Associates, which has its headquarters in Stockport, has spent the last 12 months developing

the new approach with Borough Care's senior care professionals. Project management, funding and administrative support have been provided by the council. The personalised approach allows people living with dementia to direct their own support on a day-to-day basis in a way that makes sense to them, ensuring that at least two hours each month are allocated for residents to do whatever they want. This can be two hours together, two one-hour activities or four half-hours. They can do something that is important to them, where they want, in the home or in the community, and choose who they want to support them. To facilitate this new approach, the care team provides sensitive support to enable residents to make their own choices and decisions. The first step is for each resident to have a one-page profile, which will contain details of what is important to the person and what he or she likes to do as well as information on how best to support them. Employees at Bruce Lodge are also being encouraged to produce their own one-page profiles which will contain information such as their

Resident Winifred Baguley with her daughters Maureen Roscoe and Bernadette Sykes and Kerri Dillon, deputy care home manager at Bruce Lodge. hobbies and interests. This helps to match staff with residents who have the same or similar interests and helps residents choose who they want to support them to spend their individual time. Daniel Hawthorne, the council’s

executive member for adult care services, added: “By focusing on what they enjoy doing on a day-to-day basis not only makes the individuals in care live happier lives, but also makes life easier for the staff who look after them.”

CARINGNEWS

Council gives home award for its service By Dominic Musgrave Stamford House care home in Rochdale celebrated its recent dignity in care award success with a cream tea afternoon featuring entertainment from Brian’s Music Box for residents and their families. Manager Collette Heaton is pictured with the certificate of recognition the home received and some of her staff.

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MIDDLETON Hall care home, part of the Bondcare group, has received a Dignity Challenge Award from Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. The accolade, which is part of a scheme to reward quality services across elderly care facilities in the area, has been running since last year. The home in Middleton, was put forward for the Dignity Challenge award after Rochdale City Council initially reviewed its facilities and passed its services as contractually compliant. A report was issued from Age Concern UK after the charity visited the home’s premises. The initial assessment from the council covered several areas of care at the home including personalised care, medication distribution, training, activities, treatment and support, and suitability of staffing. Wendy Baggott, manager at Middleton Hall, said: “Being presented with this award is fantastic,

it’s great to be officially recognised for our dedication towards providing the highest quality service for our residents. “We work very closely with Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council to make sure that our services are fulfilling every regulation to the highest standard. “Maintaining dignity in elderly care is vital. Middleton Hall aims to ensure residents are treated as individuals, given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives and are provided with stimulating activities.” Ryan Staniland, contracts manager for the Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council commissioning team, who presented the award, said: “It is very important to recognise services which offer good quality care and facilities. “The Dignity Challenge Award highlights work carried out by people who work in elderly care and the quality of the service they provide. “Age Concern UK gave a positive review of Middleton Hall care home, which they should be very proud of.“

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VAT and care homes By Leon Smith AT the beginning of 2012, who would have predicted that the media and our politicians would be spending quite so much time talking about pasties and caravans? These two taxes, and their subsequent reversals, seem to have dominated much of our public discourse about the tax system over recent months. Much though these issues may have damaged the government’s public image, they have actually proved to be a useful distraction from the fact that one of the most outdated elements of our tax system is still in place: the requirement on charities to pay VAT on the purchase of goods and services. Unlike most businesses, charities cannot claim back the VAT they pay on everything from toilet rolls to wardrobes, meaning that effectively 20 per cent is added on to our expenditure (outside of salaries). For care homes run by the charitable sector, this is an incredible burden, and both I and many other figures in the sector have been campaigning for a reversal for many years. Far from recognising this anomaly and removing the burden, I was disheartened when George Osborne dropped another VAT bombshell this year. He announced in this year’s budget that he intends to scrap tax relief for listed building alterations. Up until now, care homes that were located in a listed property building

Leon Smith were exempt from paying VAT when undertaking alteration works. Considering that care homes constantly have to adapt to the ever changing needs of older people, most care homes are usually bound to undertake such significant works. Like many care homes across the country, Nightingale House is partly housed in a fine old listed building – it was originally donated to us in 1904. The increase in the number of older people living with dementia has led us to extend the listed building with a new dementia unit, the Wohl Wing, ensuring residents with dementia are able to receive care which is tailored to their specific needs. All of this costs enough money by itself, without an additional VAT burden. Although Osborne recently decided to grant a special dispensation for churches and other listed places of worship, he confirmed the dispensation would not extend to other listed buildings, leaving many care homes across the country to face a huge bill

and adding to the already tremendous financial pressure they are faced with everyday. Readers of Caring UK will be all too aware of the incredible pressure the sector is facing thanks to local authority funding cuts, and it seems one can pick up a national newspaper any day of the week and read about some of the direct or indirect impacts of lack of proper care funding. A recent report by the Daily Telegraph warned that some homes are in a very poor state of repair. Of course, this is a time when there are enormous questions to be answered about the very foundations of our social care funding system, so VAT might seem like an irrelevance in comparison. Plus, not all care homes are charities and not all care homes are in listed buildings. However, many fall into one or both categories, and the comparative insignificance should not allow us to be distracted from what would in better times be seen as a major issue. These policies go against the the very ideals at the heart of David Cameron’s Big Society. The Government cannot, on the one hand, value greater involvement of civil society and, on the other hand, continue to impose daunting taxes on those same organisations. There is an inherent contradiction here, with the Government potentially destabilising the very institutions it wishes to promote. Leon Smith is chief executive of Nightingale Hammerson.

Marcella retains top chef crown WATLINGTON and District Nursing Home chef manager Marcella Field won Sanctuary Care’s annual chef of the year competition. She beat off the competition from four of her colleagues in a 90-minute cook off to win the £250 first prize for a second consecutive year. Marcella dished up a main of pork ballotine stuffed with herb sausage meat wrapped in bacon, with black pudding, a caramelised apple ring topped with crispy crackling, served with duchess potato and a pink peppercorn sauce. Her dessert was rhubarb and ginger syllabub served with a tuile biscuit. Following the final at sponsor Unilever Food Solutions’ head office in Surrey, Marcella said: “I think it is so important to have competitions like this because it gives people a chance to show their creative flair and showcase the quality of care catering. In second place was Chris Hill, head chef at The Rosary Nursing Home in Bridgwater, while Suzanne Pinney, catering manager at Hertfordshire’s Hatfield Nursing Home, was third.

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NACC in world record attempt A Hereford nursing home has raised more than £1,000 for Parkinson’s UK as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations. Nearly 300 people gathered for an afternoon garden party at The Weir, including residents, staff, civic dignitaries and members of the local community. Pat Milan, the only member of staff to have worked at the home since it opened in 1987, was presented with a carriage clock and bouquet of flowers by the deputy mayor of the town, Coun Phillip Edwards and David Kingham, proprietor of the home. David is pictured with representatives from Parkinsons UK – Wendy Haigh, Ann Henderson and Lilian Allsopp.

Theresa takes home’s reins THERESA Swan has been appointed as general manager of a flagship Lancashire care home operated by the Springhill Care Group. Theresa has enjoyed a variety of nursing experience in both the NHS and private sector. She has worked in hospice care, drug and alcohol rehabilitation as well as caring for elderly people and those with dementia. Theresa has also managed training

and development services, worked as an independent nurse tutor and been involved in establishing several City and Guilds centres across Lancashire. In her new position as general manager, she will lead her staff team in delivering high standards of care across the range of services at Springhill. Nine suites offer residential and nursing care, as well as specialised services for people with a range of dementia conditions.

THE NATIONAL Association of Care Catering will attempt a world record to launch its annual Community Meals Week at the beginning of October. The association, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is calling on care caterers nationwide to take part in the challenge to cook the record number of the same two-course community meal – roast beef with all the trimmings followed by apple crumble and custard – served to service users on the same day – October 1. The day will be celebrated with a special launch event at the Jubilee Centre, St Albans, attended by dignitaries, fellow care associations and key representatives and supporters of the NACC. It will be the hub of the world record attempt, with ‘meals served’ totals from across the country being fed into the event with live online updates being posted for all participants to see. Once verified by the Guinness Book of World Records, the final total and confirmation that the NACC has secured the World Record will be announced to guests and service providers across the country. Karen Oliver, national chair, NACC, said: The world record attempt is

incredibly exciting and a fantastic way to launch National Community Meals Week in this the NACC’s silver anniversary year. By securing it we will really highlight the fantastic service and clearly demonstrate the sheer number of people that rely on this life line. I urge all service providers to take part and help us put the community meals service in the spotlight where it cannot be ignored. “I also very much look forward to hearing about all the activities planned for the rest of the National Community Meals Week. If previous years are anything to go by, it’s sure to be creative, energetic and lots of fun.” Throughout the rest of the week service providers will engage customers and communities in activities that demonstrate the immense value of the Community Meals Service and encourage ongoing support. These can include, for example, deliveries with a difference, visits to local schools to teach children about community meals and allow them to taste the food, partnering with emergency services to help customers keep safe and well, engaging local dignitaries and celebrities, and events to thank volunteers.

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Complaints rose 20 per cent, reveals new report By Dominic Musgrave ADULT social care complaints increased by more than 20 per cent last year, a new report has revealed. The Local Government Ombudsman investigated more than 1,000 cases in 2011/12 - 22 per cent up on the previous year. Common subject of complaint about domiciliary care were: Carers making short calls, being late, or failing to attend when scheduled. Too many changes in carers. Disputes about the proper role of carers. Staff attitudes and levels of skill – especially where the client has special needs. Inadequate records and handovers between staff. Inaccuracy in billing and delayed invoicing. Commonly raised issues within residential care are: Attitudes of care staff. Skill in handling dementia care. Meeting health needs – calling medical help promptly. Responsiveness to call bells. Dr Jane Martin, ombudsman and chair of the LGO, said: “The LGO has an important part to play in providing information from complaints to support informed choice of services and to bring

about improvements. “Our work with adult social care providers puts us in a good position to resolve disputes with providers and seek redress for citizens who pay for their own services.” The report highlights four key areas identified from investigation of complaints: Improving the quality of care – investigations reveal the most common issues of complaint about care, both residential and at home and the need for an effective complaints process for speedy, local resolution and service improvement. Making informed choices – service users need accurate advice and information to make wellinformed choices about the care options available. They need to be clear about what they should pay and what services they should get. Protecting the vulnerable – complaints to the LGO illustrate the challenging nature of the process of safeguarding vulnerable adults. Resolving complaints locally – prompt and open action to resolve complaints benefits the service user and the care provider, helping to repair damaged relationships and improve services.

Olympic torch bearer Dalaney Mills joined mayor Coun Peter Main at the opening of a Bristol care home’s £1.4m refurbishment. More than 100 guests including relatives and residents attended the event at the Brunelcare owned Robinson House, which now boasts 70 single en-suite bedrooms. Improvements have also been made to the communal areas, bathrooms and outside courtyard areas, with each floor now having its own dining room and lounge to offer residents’ greater flexibility and choice. Pictured with Dalaney Mills and Coun Peter Main are Brunelcare chairman and chief executive James Magness and Helen Joy, volunteer Audrey Spearing and the home’s manager Sandra Payne.

Work begins on new £5.5m Surrey home WORK has begun on a purpose-built £5.5m Bupa care home in Farnham, Surrey, that will provide specialist nursing and residential care for up to 52 older people. At a ground breaking ceremony, Bupa staff were joined by members of the local South of Farnham Residents Association. The new home, on the former Crispins and Loadhams Nursing Home site, has been carefully designed to create a modern, stimulating environment for people living at the home, replacing the outdated nursing home. Bupa Care Services’ deputy regional director, Elaine Farrer, said it will accommodate 20 residential and 32 nursing care residents in en-suite

rooms. She added: “The redevelopment of this care home will create a modern, state-of-the-art home that is not only essential in catering for increased demand in the area, but which will enable Bupa to continue providing first class, high quality care. “We expect the home to be completed by May 2013 and hope to arrange special open days so that the local community can come and see these specialist care facilities and learn more about our plans to make this a real home from home.” Leisure facilities will include a coffee shop, cinema and hair salon, along with accessible landscaped gardens and an allotment area.

Report ‘shows homes Top award are willing to learn’ for Martin THE Local Government Ombudsman’s report shows that care homes are able and willing to learn from complaints, the head of an association has claimed. In welcoming the report, RNHA chief executive officer Frank Ursell said case study examples of complaints showed that care homes were willing to use complaints as a valuable learning experience. He added: “We believe that many problems can be resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant and that care homes want to provide the best possible service to their residents. “What matters is that care homes take complaints seriously and strive to resolve them to the best of their ability. The fact that

Frank Ursell during a whole year the LGO dealt with only 1,000 complaints, across both domiciliary and residential care services, suggests that the vast majority of problems that crop up are dealt with by care providers themselves without the need for complainants to feel they need to contact the LGO.”

A CARE home operator has been named business person of the year in Warrington. Martin Clark, managing director of the CareConcepts Group, took the accolade at the annual event arranged by the Warrington Guardian. CareConcepts operates two care homes, two day centres, two domiciliary services and a training company across Warrington, Manchester and Trafford. The award recognises the £4m investment in building a new 60-bed care home, Brampton Lodge, and a day centre on an old Warrington borough council care home site in Appleton. Martin said: “I’m delighted that a care business has been recognised in these difficult times as care services are often overlooked.”

Martin with his award. Photo credit: Warrington Guardian.

CARINGOLYMPICS SPECIAL

Care homes nationwide have held a host of events before and during the recent Olympic Games. Healthcare editor Dominic Musgrave reports on just a few of them.

Homes go Games crazy and celebrate in style TORCH bearer Katherine Butler visited the Morris Care Centre, Wellington, to talk to residents and to show them her unique souvenir, which she carried through Much Wenlock in May. Residents heard about Katherine’s experience fundraising, volunteering for Brownies and dance troops, running dance rehearsals, driving the dance troops and groups of gymnasts across the country to competitions as well as volunteering in the wider community, all of which gained her the chance to run with the torch. At another of the group’s homes, Isle Court in Bicton, residents took a trip to Much Wenlock to find out about the ‘home of the Olympics’. Residents at the Alpha Care home owned Tutnall facility in

Bromsgrove took part in their own Olympic torch relay to mark the start of the games, and also competed for gold, silver and bronze chocolate medals by taking part in various activities being held throughout. Activities coordinator Gillian Squance said: “Most of our residents are old enough to remember the last London Olympics in 1948, so our own event sparked lots of memories for them. We had the TV on so they could also keep up with the action during the games.” Numerous other care homes also held their own mini Olympic games competitions for residents. Half Acre House in Rochdale held a four-day event, culminating in a medal ceremony, with events including shot putt (bean bags),

Richmond Heights nurse Sandra Galloway with resident Mary Hutchinson and activities co-ordinator Linda Reynolds.

hammer throwing (cardboard rolls with light ball attached), discus(cardboard paper plates, volleyball (balloons over a net) and relays with staff and families. Proprietor Anita Lewis said: “We involved as many of the residents as we could, with each one choosing the country they wished to represent.” And a team of three residents, three carers, a nurse and the daughter of one of the competitors. from Richmond Heights care home in Sheffield took part in the Sheffield Care Home Games held at Don Valley Stadium. Events included skittles, target throwing and bar skittles, while the home also designed a flag to represent the team at the event. Linda Reynolds, activities co-ordinator, said: “Just because someone lives in a care home it doesn’t mean that they can’t lead an active and fulfilling life and we pride ourselves on enabling residents to pursue activities both inside and outside the home.” Residents and staff at a Coverage Care home in Shropshire embraced the spirit of London 2012, holding their own Olympic Games. Five teams of eight competed in an afternoon session of six games, which saw wheelchair egg and spoon races around the outside of Stone House in Bishops Castle, as well as bowls, basketball and lawn darts competitions. And Nightingale House in London got into the spirit of things by holding a pageant. Staff wore their national dress/costume for the event, with 32 different countries represented. These included Mongolia, India, Jamaica, Ghana and Bulgaria. For further Olympics stories visit www.caring-uk.co.uk

Tutnall care home resident Gwenneth Spires with activities co-ordinator Gillian Squance.

Morris Care Centre residents Gwen Fletcher and Linda Price with an Olympic torch.

CARINGNEWS

Barbara to speak at conferences

A care home chef from Taunton has retired after 42 years’ service. Geoffrey Tremethick had worked at Calway House in Calway Road since May 1970, during which time he has seen the home completely rebuilt into an 83-bed property providing residential, dementia and nursing care. His retirement party at the home was attended by past and present staff, residents and other invited guests. Geoffrey was presented with many gifts, including an engraved glass plaque. Geoffrey is pictured with deputy home manager Gill Cornwall and non-executive director Barrie Dale.

Hygiene award for city home A SHEFFIELD care home has been awarded the highest possible rating in food hygiene standards from the Environmental Health Agency for its kitchen. The rating takes into account the handling practices of food hygiene in addition to the cleanliness and layout of the kitchen facilities at Herries Lodge. Home manager Karen Zaman said: “We are extremely proud that

chefs Joanne Solway and Kay Hession have received the highest possible rating for food hygiene from the Environmental Health Agency. “It is an amazing achievement to have been awarded this prestigious accolade when we have only been operational for two months.” Herries Lodge opened officially in April 2012 and is operated by Ideal Care Homes.

ALZHEIMER’S Society ambassador Barbara Pointon MBE will deliver the keynote speech at a series of seminars being organised by Caring UK’s sister company Script Events. Taking place at Holiday Inn, Barnsley on October 16 and Hilton Hotel, Blackpool the following day, Dementia Care: The Way Forward will feature Barbara’s heart-warming and emotional family carer’s view ‘Caring for Malcolm’. It details her personal experience of her looking after her husband, who suffered from the condition, in his final years. The events will be chaired by Caring UK editor Dominic Musgrave. He said: “Our first series of seminars that took place earlier this year proved to be a massive success, and we are confident that these two events will also be the same. “Anyone who has heard Barbara speak could not help but be moved by her honest and frank account of the last few years with her husband, and we are delighted that she will be joining us for our next two events. “The combination of Barbara, the other high-profile speakers and the exhibition make this a must-attend event for all care home managers and owners.” Joining Barbara at the conference will be NCA chief executive Sheila Scott, who will ask ‘What next for Dementia?’ in her seminar, while

Barbara Pointon Damian Utton – partner at Pozzoni LLP Chartered Architects and Designers – will speak about ‘Designing for people with dementia’. A representative from the CQC and Bradford University will also be speaking at the events. For further information or to book your place call the booking hotline on 01226 734475 or email lo@scriptmedia.co.uk

Provider to create 300 jobs with rebrand and expansion A NORTH EAST care provider has unveiled plans to expand and rebrand – creating more than 300 jobs in the process. Ladhar Group will now be known as Crown Care as it seeks to become a more significant player in the UK residential and nursing care sector. With seven care centres in the region and five in Yorkshire, the company has planning permission for a further five, including one in Ponteland, which will be completed by early next year. It is looking for more sites in the region and to expand into the Midlands, North West, South and Scotland, while a phased programme of refurbishment at some of its existing homes is also planned. CEO Baldev Ladhar said: “We are

Buckingham care home near Barnsley. proud of the service we provide at our existing homes but we are now in a position to expand significantly. “We want our Crown Care centres to

be recognised as being part of the wider community. What our staff and we are really passionate about is that those people who come to live or spend some time with us, get the care, attention and lifestyle they deserve. That’s what drives us on. The number of staff roughly equates to the number of beds in each home and so we are also delighted in these difficult economic times to be creating more than 300 jobs.” The 72-bed Buckingham care home in Penistone near Barnsley is the group’s newest home, and Baldev said he sees its quality as the blueprint for future developments. “We are determined to ensure our homes meet the highest standards possible in terms of the facilities and care we provide,” he added.

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In this issue: Avoid a fine and

check your staff are entitled to work Page 34

A breath of fresh

air is assured ... Page 35

Buying in

management – an alternative to selling Page 36

CARINGCOMMERCE

Avoid a fine and check your staff are entitled to work By Don Ingham

SARAH (name changed) had been working as a carer at a residential home for the past 10 years. She was hardworking and had seen a number of changes of ownership during her time there. All of the staff and residents knew her and liked her. She was part of the furniture. Sarah had originally come to the UK from Ghana and had then applied for asylum which had been refused. Following the most recent change of ownership, the home requested an immigration compliance audit. Sarah had lost her passport some years earlier and the home was unable to produce a copy. They did, however, have a docket from the police confirming that she had reported the loss of the passport and some papers from the UKBA from 2005 stating that an application was under consideration. With the various changes in management over the years, nobody had bothered to ask her for any other documents. It had been assumed that Sarah was a

permanent feature and must be OK. Unfortunately this was not the case. All of the indications were that Sarah was not entitled to work and possibly never had permission to do so. In the absence of any evidence of entitlement to work, the home had no alternative but to terminate her employment while she tried to sort out her position with the UKBA. If they had continued employing her, they would have put themselves at risk of a civil penalty of up to ÂŁ10,000 and the possible loss of their UKBA licence. During the quarter July to September 2011 the UKBA issued some 350 penalties to employers and imposed fined of almost ÂŁ3m. The UKBA has long been aware of the risks associated with illegal working in care home. In 2008 a leaked UKBA report which had been prepared three years earlier suggested that the problem was widespread with almost half the employees in some homes suspected of working illegally. Times have changed and it is unlikely that the problem is as widespread. But equally, the penalties have increased considerably in the interim and the

UKBA has adopted a clear policy of publicising its activities in relation to illegal working. And both the financial and reputational damage to a home found to be employing illegal workers can be significant. The current Government has also raised the temperature with its commitment to reduce net migration from the hundreds to tens of thousands. In the education sector, the UKBA has removed licences from scores of colleges many of which have gone into liquidation as a result. Nor has the financial impact on the sector been a deterrent with estimates of the loss to the British economy running into the billions. New guidance has been published recently on the prevention of illegal working referring to the impact of civil penalties and the tighter rules on the employment of students. This is often a precursor to increased activity. The media focus on quality in the care sector is also likely to attract the attention of the UKBA which works closely with other agencies such as Trading Standards, Health and Safety Executive and HMRC to target

Don Ingham illegal working. In the current economic climate and as part of the tough measures being advocated by Government, the Agency is clearly intent on doing all it can to tackle the problem. This is no time for complacency. Check and check again that all of your employees are entitled to work, even those who are part of the furniture. Don Ingham is an ex director of UKBA and director of Veristat Immigration Consultants.

CARINGCOMMERCE

The UK’s first Passivhaus care home to open its doors will provide residents with excellent air quality for a six per cent uplift in design and build costs which will be recouped by energy cost savings in just eight years. Dominic Musgrave reports.

A breath of fresh air is assured ... DEVELOPED by care sector development, design and build specialist, Castleoak for Barchester Healthcare, Juniper House in Brackley, Northamptonshire has been funded by Bridges Sustainable Property Fund, managed by Bridges Ventures, which invests in projects that can demonstrate environmental leadership. The groundbreaking, 60-bed home has been designed to produce half the CO2 emissions and reduce energy costs by 40 per cent when compared with a typical 60-bed, timber frame facility. It is both the UK’s first care home and largest building to achieve the pioneering Passivhaus environmental standard, which originated in Germany and focuses on fresh air ventilation and air-tightness to create excellent air quality while reducing energy consumption. Following a field trip to two German Passivhaus care homes by its innovation director Colwyn Knight, Castleoak Group worked with architects Carless & Adams Partnership to adapt the existing design and specification to meet standards. Colwyn said features contributing to the building’s energy efficiency include triple glazing, low-energy

Juniper House in Brackley is the UK’s first Passivhaus. light fittings, infrared sensors and time switches for internal and external lighting. He added: “Our objective was to minimise additional costs and therefore the payback term for the operator. We outlined the exact additional investment required and calculated the achievable future savings using energy usage data we had collected from existing care homes we had built and comparing it with existing Passivhaus information. “Our approach was to balance pio-

neering and practical, ensuring the building will not only meet the strict Passivhaus standard, but also the requirements Barchester specifies for its care homes. Fortunately, both have the health and comfort of residents at the top of their list.” The team was supported throughout the project by certified Passivhaus consultant Dr Caroline Weeks, of BRE Wales and South West, and the building was delivered on time and on budget. “Passivhaus buildings normally cost

between 20 and 30 per cent more to design and build, but Juniper House has achieved the standard for an uplift of just six per cent,” added Colwyn. “Our calculations show that the initial investment in higher specification systems and materials will be paid back through lower utility bills in eight years – sooner if energy prices continue to rise as predicted.” Castleoak and Barchester are now teaming up with Cardiff University to carry out a year-long study of how the building performs while occupied.

CARINGCOMMERCE

Dr Damian Tominey and Peter Jackson, owners of Verulam Care Home in St Albans, tell Caring UK how engaging a management company has proved an attractive alternative to selling.

Buying in management – an alternative to selling kWE have been care home owners since 1996 and have devoted the last 16 years of our working lives to constantly improving standards in our care home by extending it and making it more comfortable. Our most important objective has always been to provide high quality care for our residents. We are proud that we had always maintained good working relationships with our staff, residents, their relatives and the Registration Authorities. We took pride in the fact that we had built an excellent reputation in the area for our home and, as any hands on home owner understand, we always felt that things wouldn’t be the same if we weren’t there and we found it difficult to let go, even to take holidays! We were fast approaching retiring age and were becoming increasingly tired and were beginning to feel the strain of running our own home 24 hours a day seven days a week. We wanted to take a rest and retire but couldn’t work out the best way to achieve this. We felt extremely proud

of the business that we had built up and felt that by selling we would be losing part of ourselves. The release of capital would at first seem attractive but the home was still making good profits and we wondered if there was a way of keeping our capital base intact and enjoying the continued profits. We were also deeply concerned that selling the home in the current economic climate with rapidly falling property values was not such an attractive proposition. We came across Care Home Management Limited, who had viewed our home on behalf of prospective purchasers and we were impressed by their professionalism. We therefore decided to find out more about the services that they offered to home owners. They are a small company who have wide experience of running care homes on behalf of individuals and are only too aware of the day-to-day problems of managing residential and nursing homes. From our discussions with directors

Verulam Care Home in St Albans Ian Kimberley and Mike Donegan, it was obvious that they knew what they were talking about, were very pleasant to deal with and were only interested in managing homes to a good standard where the residents and staff are treated with respect and care. This appealed to us and we really felt that we could trust them, something that was extremely

important to us. We decided to go ahead with CHM on the condition we appointed a manager to take over the day-to-day management issues previously handled by ourselves. Ian and Mike were always personally involved and visited the home on a regular basis, as well as making themselves available seven days a week by phone to deal with any problems. They have met the staff and residents on numerous occasions and have been accepted by them. We have found with their extensive experience in running care homes they have been able to introduce good working practices, which are well established in the other homes they manage, which we had not previously thought of. They are working with our manager developing and improving procedures, improving expenditure having already reviewed service contracts and re-marketed the home within St Albans. They also reviewed our charging structure and increased the average weekly fee.

CARINGDEMENTIA

Method helps to relearn lost skills THE Montessori method is being utilised to help those living with dementia at an Essex care home to relearn lost skills. Staff at the Moat House in Great Dunmow have worked closely with dementia consultant Dr Daniel Nightingale to introduce the methods that have been tried and tested over a century in schools. They are based on encouragement, structure and enhanced concentration. Particular attention is being given to eating skills to enable residents at the care home’s specialist dementia suite the dignity of dining independently. Moat House activities organiser Leah Dayes has been working closely

with Dr Nightingale and staff at the care home to introduce the strategy. It is now being implemented at other dementia suites also owned by Retirement Villages Ltd. Paul Walsh, managing director, care and operations, said: “The introduction of the Montessori methods into our dementia suites, with the help of Dr Nightingale, is a demonstration of how seriously we take our commitment. “Every single one of our residents, whatever their daily challenges, deserves the very best support to enable them to live their life to the optimum. Simple activities like eating unaided can boost confidence in other areas.”

First anniversary celebrated A SURREY care home celebrated the first anniversary of the opening of its specialist dementia annexe. Over the last 12 months, The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society, which last year saw the unveiling of a new 36bed dementia unit by HRH The Princess Royal, has introduced a range of innovative therapies and treatments designed to enhance quality of life for those living with dementia. Initiatives include music and singing sessions which help residents

with dementia to unlock memories and connect with loved ones and ‘memory boxes’, containing trinkets and photographs from a resident’s past which help to prompt memories. Care home manager Anne Kasey said: “Triggering memories is important to dementia care and we use our patients’ personal items to create comfort and familiarity and help them connect with loved ones. Flowers are also a good way of evoking memory through colour, fragrance and touch.”

Anchor chief executive Jane Ashcroft outside the new West Hall.

Home gets Royal approval HRH Princess Alexandra opened a new £30m care home in Surrey that is pioneering a unique approach to dementia. Anchor’s West Hall in West Byfleet is the first English home to implement a new care model which empowers its community to control the choices that impact their everyday lives. General manager Vishul Seewoolall said: “The team has already put so many hours into developing the unique offering we have here at West Hall, and we are thrilled to be declared officially open. “All our colleagues are specially trained in dementia care, and are fully committed to delivering the best possible care to our residents, whilst

enabling them to enjoy more independent lives.” At West Hall, care will be determined by person-centred planning and a supportive environment that is adaptable to people’s needs and aspirations. Carers will support a maximum of five residents each in a role designed to respond to the desires and routines set out by the residents themselves. The approach will be holistic. Everyone from the handyman to gardener, kitchen assistant to chef will receive comprehensive customer care and dementia awareness training, meaning the daily challenges faced by the residents are understood by all staff members.

CARINGNEWS

Machine improves residents’ mobility A CARE scheme for the elderly in Worcestershire is seeing results from the introduction of a Power Plate® machine, which is helping its residents to stay active and mobile. Yates Court in Evesham, a scheme owned by Extracare Charitable Trust, installed a Power Plate® pro5™ machine in 2010, and now around one third of its residents use it regularly. Depending on their level of mobility, some residents use the machine independently, while others are assisted by trained staff. There have been many success stories, including one resident who is confined to a wheelchair who is now able to walk short distances after regular sessions on the vibration training device. The home’s wellbeing nurse Tessa McDonald saw how Power Plate® sessions aided her daughter’s rehabilitation after an accident, and recognised that it could also be beneficial for those she worked with. Charli Dillon-Cambridge, Yates Court gym instructor, said: “When Tessa recommended the Power Plate® machine, we took our residents to another facility so they could test the machine. “It proved to be a big hit with them as it is so easy to use. It’s a great addition to our existing gym as it offers a fast and effective form of exercise, which is great for our residents.” The Power Plate® machine works by stimulating the body’s own natural response to vibration, which causes the muscles to respond multiple times per second, accelerating the results of performing an exercise or holding a pose.

Janis makes bfa shortlist A NATIONAL homecare franchisor has reason to celebrate with the news that their franchisee for Aylesbury and Wycombe has been selected as a regional semi-finalist in this year’s bfa Franchisee of the Year Awards. Janis Anderson, managing director of Caremark (Aylesbury and Wycombe) who operates a successful business in Buckinghamshire, has already won the company’s own franchisee of the year award for 2011. The bfa awards are given for excellence within franchising, based upon the dedication, passion and hard work demonstrated by the nominated franchisees. Regional support manager Paul Richards said: “I know how passionately Janis cares about providing the highest quality of care to her customers, how she values her staff and what a great business woman she is.”

Graduates with their Inspire Leadership Development programme certificates.

First managers graduate in innovative new course By Dominic Musgrave AN innovative training course designed to ensure Scotland’s most vulnerable citizens receive excellent care and support has recognised its first ‘graduates’. The 30 managers completed the Inspire Leadership Development programme created by provider Bield, which aims to equip senior staff with enhanced skills to provide even better life experiences for service users. Brian Logan, chief executive, said around 120 managers are set to complete the programme by the end of the year. He added: “The Inspire programme was designed with our colleagues and training partners, and has resulted in

a long-term development project which is very different to anything we’ve done before. “The programme covers a range of themes and takes participants on a leadership journey including emotional intelligence and self leadership, setting, communicating direction and winning and maintaining commitment. “Those managers who have completed or are going through the programme have given fantastic feedback on how it’s given them the ability to strengthen their management abilities, develop their leadership skills and encourage team working.” The Inspire Development Programme has been developed in

partnership with the Social Enterprise Academy and the Linked Work and Training Trust using original and innovative techniques. On completing the programme there is the option to achieve the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) level five certificate in Leadership, by completing two assessments. At a ceremony at Bield’s headquarters in Edinburgh, more than 20 managers who were the first to complete the training were presented with their certificates by Mary Taylor, chief executive, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, who was joined by Martin Stepek, cofounder and CEO of the Scottish Family Business Association and Mindfulness Scotland.

Double celebrations in Bristol FIRGROVE House and Willow Cottage care homes in Yate near Bristol have celebrated landmark anniversaries. Owner Jennifer Roberts opened Firgrove House 25 years ago and four years later took over Willow Cottage. To commemorate the occasion, Jennifer was joined at the home by local MP Steve Webb, residents, staff and friends. Resident Muriel Burton gave a demonstration of new computer equipment provided in both care homes and Skyped her grandson using the specially designed internet facilities. Original staff members were also among guests who raised a toast, released 25 balloons, and took part in a ‘Ladies Day’ hat competition. The local heritage centre provided displays of how both homes had altered over the years and their importance to the community. Jennifer bought Firgrove House in 1987 and converted the then

Birthday celebrations at Firgrove House. privately-owned house into a nursing home. It now offers care for 20 residents within the main house and converted coach house, while Willow Cottage is home to 34

people. Steve Webb commended the ‘family atmosphere’ at both homes. He said: “I was struck by the number of people who spoke so positively of the standard of care.”

CARINGNEWS

Group celebrates anniversary with series of parties A NOT-for-profit care provider based in Hertfordshire celebrated its 20th anniversary with a series of parties that ran concurrently across its 27 homes. Residents at Quantum Care’s facilities across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Essex prepared scrapbooks, craft items and flags to represent their home over the 20 years since the company began. Special guests included several local Mayors, the MP for Harlow and Fiona Wade, who plays Priya Sharma in ITV’s Emmerdale. Four teams from the company’s headquarters in Welwyn Garden City visited all the Quantum Care homes throughout the day, wishing residents and staff a happy birthday, delivering gifts and generally getting involved in the parties. Alan Clarke, chair of the board of directors, said: “I feel honoured and

proud to be associated with an organisation that continues to move forward but never forgets its core values. “Any organisation is only as good as the people who work within it, and I never cease to be amazed by the dedication and attitude of all the Quantum Care staff I meet, both at Headquarters and in every care home that I visit.” All teams released 20 helium-filled balloons at the last home they visited, each containing a message with the promise of a prize for anyone lucky enough to find one. The whole event was supported by a dedicated team stationed at HQ, who plotted the progress of each team, aided with communications, and gathered photographs and news from Quantum Care reporters who were stationed on each team minibus.

Steffen Cranmer at the Olympics.

Care home makes Steffen’s Olympic dream come true By Dominic Musgrave

Somerset Care has donated £1,000 to the Disasters Emergency Committee to mark the retirement of a board member and the emigration to Australia of another. At the end of 2011 the company said goodbye to finance director John Parrott, who retired, and chief executive Andrew Larpent, who emigrated to Australia. The two requested donations to the DEC in lieu of gifts, and a total of £1,000 was raised. New chief Executive Alyson Martin MBE is pictured with former finance director John Parrott with the cheque.

A FORMER sharp shooter enjoyed Olympics seats at the event he was once world champion in, with the help of a Woolwich care home. Steffen Cranmer, 78, who won a gold medal in small-bore rifle shooting in the 1958 World Championships in Moscow, suffered a stroke after having heart bypass surgery in 2006, which left his mobility and speech severely impaired. When The British Olympic Association offered him two tickets to the rifle shooting finals at The Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich his family was elated but concerned because they were unsure if he could attend – unless he could find specialist accommodation. Eldest daughter Sarah did some online research and found Sanctuary Care’s Ashgreen House Nursing Home in Woolwich. After speaking to regional manager Heather Brimm, Steffen and wife Yvonne stayed at the home, enabling

this trip of a lifetime to happen. The home’s acting manager Momarr Camara said: “The team at Ashgreen House were truly honoured to have Steffen and Yvonne staying with us and felt very privileged to have the opportunity to help them. “There was a huge buzz around the home ahead of the Olympics and this was not only a very special day for Steffen, but also for our residents who were very excited to meet him. “We are so proud that we have been able to help the Cranmer family and make this special day happen.” Steffen took up shooting as a young man and enjoyed enormous success. At the tender age of 17 he was the youngest ever member selected for the Great British shooting team competing in the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 and his career continued to flourish with the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and Rome in 1960. In 1958 Steffen was crowned World Champion of his team event in Moscow.

Provider launches own charter Quality mark for provider HOMECARE provider Heritage Healthcare has launched its own dignity charter. The company’s directors, managers and staff will put their names to the pledge – a public declaration that all its customers are treated with respect, courtesy and kindness. The Heritage Healthcare charter embraces the ethos of the company, which is dedicated to putting clients at the heart of everything it does. The pledge comprises: DIGNITY Dependable Independence

Gentle Nurture Integrity Trustworthy You Director Glenn Pickersgill said: “The delivery of quality services that focus on the dignity and welfare of our customers is of paramount importance to the company and our employees. “We already embrace the high standards set by industry regulators, but wanted to further publicly demonstrate our overriding commitment to treating clients with empathy and respect.”

A SOCIAL care provider which has supported thousands of people in Essex been accredited with the prestigious ISO 9001 quality mark. Essex Cares Limited gained the accreditation in nine months following external assessment of its quality and policy systems. Maxine Derrick, quality assurance manager, said: “The quality and performance team has been working towards this since November last year, which is an incredible achievement in a relatively short length of time. Our current and

prospective customers can now be confident that Essex Cares has a robust quality assurance framework that enables us to maintain and improve standards throughout.” It has recently retained its reablement contract from Essex county council for another three years, and had been awarded a similar one from West Sussex. Last year it gained several accreditations including Investors in People, ISO 14001 in Environmental Management and ISO 18001 in Occupational Health & Safety.

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

Minister Paul among speakers ECCA has secured a powerful lineup of leading sector speakers for its annual conference in London. Taking as its title ‘White Paper. Right Paper?’, the conference on November 7 will debate whether coalition social care proposals pave the way for a stable and prosperous sector, or whether the lack of clarity on long term funding will simply prolong uncertainty about the future. Care services minister Paul Burstow will deliver the keynote

Firm celebrates with 20% offer BADGEMASTER is marking its 20th anniversary by offering a 20 per cent discount off list prices for all orders placed by September 20. Many changes have happened since Badgemaster started trading from a portable cabin in July 1992. Most notably, founders John and Vicky Bancroft have steadily grown their workforce to 88 full-time staff at the company’s state-of-the-art 12,500 sq. ft. facility in Newstead, Nottinghamshire. The Bancrofts are delighted that their first employee still remains on the team and this year collects his 20year long service award. To receive the 20 per cent anniversary discount off list prices for name badges, customers need to quote 20YEARS on their order.

speech and he will be followed by David Behan and Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executives of the CQC and SCIE respectively. Melville Knight, group chief executive of Castleoak, completes the speaker programme. He has been closely involved with the care sector transparency initiative and will explain its potential for enabling service users to make more informed decisions on their care options.

Memory lives on at hospice PATIENTS at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in Oldham can rest easy thanks to a donation in memory of Cath Timoney, who spent her final hours there. SensorCare provide sensors for the elderly which detect when someone has left their bed or chair and is thus at the risk of falling. To mark National Falls Awareness Week, the company donated a Bed System to the hospice in memory of Cath, partner of finance director Tony Stott. The Bed Sensor System, which costs £619, will be used by the hospice to help achieve health and safety aims.

Line-up revealed for Naidex Care NAIDEX Care will open its doors for the first time on October 17 and, with its line-up of speakers, is the event to attend for anyone working in the care industry. Taking place alongside Naidex South, Naidex Care (ExCeL London, October 17-18) will provide a wealth of free opportunities to visitors via its CPD accredited Naidex Care Conference. The organisers have committed themselves to bringing you the most influential speakers who will cover a wide range of the most relevant topics to benefit care home owners, managers and employees alike. Shaun Gallagher, interim director general for social care, local government and care partnerships Department of Health, is confirmed as keynote speaker at 11am on the 18th. David will be discussing the Social Care White Paper and what it means for the future of adult care and care homes which, with the care home sector currently facing an increasing number of challenges, is sure to raise a number of interesting questions from visitors. Naidex Care seminars will run throughout the two-day event and, in addition to Shaun Gallagher, visitors can expect to hear from other prominent speakers.

Professor Alistair Burns, national clinical director for dementia care at the Department of Health, will be chairing a panel debate on the future of dementia care, while Des Kelly, executive director of National Care Forum, will focus on developing greater personalisation of care, a prominent issue throughout the sector. Sarah Pickup, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, will be dealing with what the care sector must do to cope with the ageing demographic of the nation and Dr Graham Stokes, director of dementia care at Bupa Care Services, will give his views on aspiring to an outcomes-based approach to dementia care. Other speakers include Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society and Janet Bell, owner of Spring Mount Care Home in Yorkshire. The full programme can be found at www.naidexcare.co.uk/ECaring If you are a care home owner, manager or care provider, Naidex Care is an unmissable opportunity for you to get expert answers to the questions you are desperate to ask. So visit www.naidexcare.co.uk to register for your free ticket to both Naidex Care and Naidex South, quoting priority code EPR5.

Prevention key to minimising infections ENSURING medical teams, support workers, visitors and patients all have access to hot water hand wash units is growing increasingly important in the battle to minimise the spread of infection. Washing hands with hot running water and soap is essential to stop viruses such as norovirus, C-Difficile and the common cold but ensuring hand wash facilities are available has not always been logistically possible. TEAL, which specialises in the manufacture of portable hot water hand wash units, has designed a range of models which require no access to mains water or drainage. “Accessibility is key to preventing the spread of infection as well as educating visitors and reminding staff to be extra vigilant at all times as alcohol gels just don’t work on some infections,” says Manty Stanley, managing director at TEAL. TEAL’s range includes the Hygienius® Prowash, the WashStand and the PatientWash, all of which are fully portable and available for hire or purchase.

A TRULY conforming fit, that’s why you will love ComfiHips®. Many hip protectors on the market (the hard plastic kind) will guard the hips but are not comfortable for sleeping as they do not naturally conform to the body. ComfiHips® are different. Users can sleep on their sides while wearing them and enjoy countless nights of serene, peaceful rest and still protect their hips. Around the clock comfort and protection ComfiHips® hip pads are lightweight – each pad weighs less than 25 crisps and they fit easily into concealed interior pockets in the specially designed, machine washable, ultra-soft undergarments. ComfiHips® are especially recommended for people who are prone to night-time falls. Men’s and ladies’ undergarments are available and supplied in packs of two undergarments and a

Enquiries: Visit www.washyourhands.co.uk

Care charts now available in a variety of sizes and styles SIMPLY personalise each resident's 'Remember I'm Me' Care Chart with their needs and preferences, hang it discreetly in their room, and you have an efficient and cost-effective way of helping your carers provide informed and high-quality care. “They really make a difference...” “We've just had CQC in and the inspector loved it…” “Families are over the moon...” “Social Services have seen the charts and favour them for all Service Users.” Easy to complete: suggestions are provided next to each symbol, guiding carers or relatives as to what information might prove helpful. Easy to read: The symbols allow carers to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily. Easy to update: Just wipe clean and rewrite whenever necessary (wall charts only). Enquiries: Telephone 01403 210485, email enquiries@carechartsuk.co.uk or visit www.carechartsuk.co.uk

Get in the mood for Paralympics NRS Healthcare is calling on managers of care homes and day care centres to enter into the spirit of the London 2012 Paralympics by organising their own mini-version of the Games. The major supplier of aids for daily living and assistive technology equipment includes an extensive range of exercise and games equipment as well as therapeutic resources within its renowned Professionals’ Choice 524-page catalogue – like beanbag toss, which can improve motion and strength, and dart ball Target, a fun Velcro target game with tennis balls that is played like darts. Sandra King, NRS Healthcare’s brand director, said: “Sport and exercise is a very popular topic at the moment, but as a company we’ve been aware for many years of the importance of making therapeutic activities and games equipment

ComfiHips® designed to be the most comfortable hip protector product

available for use by older people and those with a disability. “Since the start of the Olympics, we’ve seen a significant increase in demand.” Enquiries: Telephone 0845 121 8111, email customerservice@nrs-uk.co.uk or visit www.nrs-uk.co.uk

Take a fresh look at Grahame Gardner’s website CARE home image experts Grahame Gardner Ltd has undergone a makeover of their own – this time enhancing their online presence with a new website. www.grahamegardner.co.uk has long enabled customers to order online, but the new website goes a step further, showing stock levels and allowing customer to track their orders online. The slick new design is intuitive to navigate and gives users complete details of all Grahame Gardner products and services. This new site includes a sophisticated search function so that customers can search using a number of criteria, readily finding the garment that matches their specific needs. Grahame Gardner has invested significantly in their online capabilities over the years, this new advancement makes their website the most comprehensive to date. The e-commerce element of the site has also been streamlined to include fewer steps but without compromising the site’s security. Enquiries: Telephone 0116 255 6326 or visit www.grahamegardner.co.uk

set of hip protectors for only £33.29 per set (excluding postage and VAT). Enquiries: Contact Gilbert & Mellish Ltd on 0121 475 1101 or visit www.gilbert-mellish.co.uk

New hire service for Bucks care homes HELP is at hand for Buckinghamshire care homes following the launch of a new care equipment hire service by NRS Healthcare. The scheme is an extension to the work already being carried out across the county by NRS Healthcare, which operates the integrated community equipment service on behalf of Buckinghamshire county council and NHS Buckinghamshire. Sandra King, brand director of NRS Healthcare, said: “There is often a need for the short and long term hire of care equipment for specific residents and rather than care homes having to make an expensive purchase we can offer them a local easy access hire solution.” Among items available for hire are electrically adjustable and bariatric profiling beds, pressure care mattresses and cushions, mobile commode/

toileting chairs, assistant and self-propelled mobile shower chairs and a range of moving and handling equipment including mobile hoists, standing aids and slings. Enquiries: Call 0845 123 8248 or email enquiries@bucks.nrs-uk.net

C-TEC’S range of dementia care products now available C-TEC has launched a revolutionary and highly cost-effective range of dementia care products for use with its popular Quantec addressable call system. Specifically designed to meet growing demand from the care industry for innovations to aid people suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative illnesses, C-TEC’s enuresis (bed wet) sensors, bed/chair exit sensors, PIR power interfaces, floor pressure mats and LED lights, can be easily interfaced to existing Quantec systems and therefore represent excellent value for money. The new range is incredibly flexible. Systems can be created for specialist dementia sites using individual QT630 controllers to operate an extensive range of dementia care devices in every bedroom. Alternatively, QT637 Enuresis/General Purpose Interface Sockets and QT638 PIR power interfaces can be used to connect devices such as enuresis

(bed wet) sensors, passive infrared sensors and floor pressure mats to Quantec addressable systems already in operation. Enquiries: Call 01942 322744.

New medicines management guide from Rosemont A NEW guide to medicines management and older people will soon be available from Rosemont Pharmaceuticals. Called ‘Medicines management and older people – a guide for healthcare professionals’, the new booklet aims to help healthcare professionals learn more about how medication works, how the ageing process affects medicines, common adverse drug reactions, the definitions of compliance and concordance as well as to give an overview of some of the legal aspects of medicines management. The content of the guide is based on current best practice and the most up to date evidence about medication management. The focus is on the care of older people, who have a higher prevalence of illness and take around half of all prescribed medicines. The guide will replace Rosemont’s ‘Medication Management of the Elderly’ booklet. Enquiries: To receive a free copy of ‘Medicines management and older people – a guide for healthcare professionals’ email marketing@rosemontpharma.com or call 0113 244 1999.

Evac+Chair International stars in Science Museum exhibition EVAC+CHAIR International is taking a starring role in the Make it in Great Britain exhibition at the Science Museum. The exhibition runs until September 9 and will demonstrate the very best of British manufacturing. Evac+Chair International based in Birmingham beat competition from hundreds of UK companies to a place at the exhibition, which aims to dispel the myth that Britain ‘doesn’t make anything anymore’ and educate visitors about the value of manufacturing to the UK economy. The exhibition is the culmination of the Make it in Great Britain campaign; an initiative launched by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills last year. Evac+Chair is the original manufacturer and the world’s leading supplier of evacuation chairs, designed to allow people who are mobility impaired to safely descend staircases in the event of an emergency without the need for lifting or great physical strength. Enquiries: Visit www.evac-chair.co.uk or call 0845 230 2253.

Armstrong reliability again for Buckreddan RELIABILITY has always been a priority for the Buckreddan Care Centre in Kilwinning, Ayrshire. Armstrong supplied the original laundry in 1986. In 2004 demand for Buckreddan’s high quality care led the company to add another unit and the operation now cares for 122 residents and has a nursery looking after more than 60 children. The laundry is operated by two members of staff and runs seven days a week, nearly 24 hours a day. “Support from Armstrong has always been excellent,” said domestic supervisor Maureen Donaldson. So when the original Huebsch tumble dryers eventually had to be replaced, it was no surprise that Buckreddan opted for two more of the same – gas heated Huebsch 35lb tumble dryers. Telephone 01635 263410 or visit www.armstrong-laundry.co.uk

Lands House chooses Girbau UK for Beaucare kitchen floor cleaner complete laundry care LANDS House Care Home in Brighouse, Yorkshire has installed the latest energy efficient HS-6008 washers and gas tumble dryers from Girbau UK. It also chose the company’s Complete Laundry Care rental package for added reassurance and peace of mind. Effective, energy efficient and reliable laundry equipment ensures Lands House can maintain the highest standards while tackling a daily flow of bedding, towels and residents’ clothing. Existing equipment in the home’s small laundry room was in need of upgrading, so proprietor Georgina Copley approached Girbau UK and her existing supplier. With space at a premium, Girbau UK recommended two high-speed HS-6008 9kg capacity washing machines in combination with two stacked gas dryers. As well as being energy efficient, effective and highly reliable the washers are fully compliant with CQC requirements and Health Service Guidelines HSG 95 (18). Enquiries: Telephone 01462 427780 or visit www.girbau.co.uk

CFS Carpets offer a wide selection of healthcare carpets AS well as the extensive range of contract carpets and carpet tiles, CFS Carpets has a wide range of impervious backed broadloom carpets that are heavy contract – ideal for the healthcare industry. Featuring plain and patterned designs and a wide colour bank, these ranges are competitively priced and have excellent cleaning properties and a 10-year guarantee. Hanbury Care Design, featured in the picture, has a modern colour bank and a matching plain range available too. Sample folders of all the healthcare ranges are available in carpet and flooring along with a selection of other healthcare flooring solutions. CFS Carpets are part of Carpet and Flooring, one of the UK ’s largest flooring distributors. Large stocks of all ranges are held, along with a selection of other healthcare flooring solutions. Deliveries can be made within 24 hours to mainland UK. Enquiries: Call 01527 511860 for more information or for samples log onto www.cfscarpets.co.uk

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.

BEAUCARE® Medical Ltd is the UK’s premier supplier of hygiene, medical supplies and equipment to individual care homes, care home groups, hospitals and NHS Trusts. Our new kitchen floor cleaner is a concentrated multi-purpose cleaner, developed to give high powered performance with economical dilution benefits. It is fully biodegradable and non flammable. Highly effective at removing ingrained grime and oils from vinyl, wood, metal, plastic and other types of services. Specifically designed for the care home market, to tackle kitchen and utility facility floor surfaces. We have an extensive hygiene and janitorial range providing a solution for all purposes, ensuring high levels of cleanliness and infection control. Enquiries: Telephone 01423 878899, email service@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

Hosiery application system for limited mobility SOME people, particularly the elderly, are prescribed compression hosiery and then struggle to put it on. ActiGlide from Activa Healthcare, winners of a Queen's Award for Innovation, could be the ideal solution. ActiGlide is an application system, which allows your compression hosiery to glide effortlessly up your leg. Activa recognised that compression hosiery can sometimes be difficult to get on, particularly if you have a limited degree of mobility or hand movement, and designed this innovative product specifically for people who need that extra helping hand. Easy to use with both open and closed toe compression hosiery, ActiGlide slides easily over the foot and helps to pull the stocking on the same way as a boot. As the ActiGlide is gently pulled up and out of the stocking, the stocking can be positioned evenly over the leg. Once stockings or tights are on, the ActiGlide simply slides out of the hosiery. Even if customers are not using compression hosiery, but are simply struggling to put on regular socks or tights, then the ActiGlide can help to make life easier. Enquiries: Visit www.activahealthcare.co.uk

Eddie’s knowledge and expertise second to none EMANUEL A Dribble, better known in the business transfer market as Eddie Dribble, has been in the care home transfer agency business for around 40 years. His extensive knowledge and expertise is second to none in negotiating a satisfactory conclusion for many long standing clients In 1972 he founded and subsequently developed the care home division, of the then national transfer agents Luxton and Lowe Limited. Since that time he has personally travelled the length and breadth of the British Isles inspecting and evaluating every type of care home. No matter what size and what cost he has negotiated sales to a range of buyers, which include large companies and single private individuals. He has established a reputation throughout the

industry which provides a truly personal service, always remaining fully confidential. Luxton and Lowe Limited were taken over in 1991 by a large London property agent. At this time to keep the personal service and confidentiality, which was also his strict code of practice, Eddie decided he needed to form his own private transfer agency to continue to provide a high quality individualistic service. Since this time he has continued to serve the industry with his own brand of personal and confidential negotiations and keep his commission rates at a competitive level. To this day care homes of every size and description and in every location are continuously required for a list of carefully vetted applicants. Enquiries: Telephone 020 8942 0852.

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

CareSys from Seminar series offers Affordable Advanced and easy-tosomething for all use monitors CARESYS is Advanced Heath and Care’s fully integrated software solution for care providers. It enables the delivery of efficient and quality patient care; providing residential, nursing and specialist care organisations with a complete end to end business application that includes care, financial, operational and management features. CareSys is used by more than 3,000 residential, nursing and specialist care homes across the UK, catering for all types and sizes of care organisations and offers a fully tailored solution and licensing options depending on the users’ needs. The solution has been implemented in some of the largest care home groups, autistic societies and learning disability organisations in the country. Advanced Heath and Care’ssuite of products includes Adastra, Caresys, Crosscare, eFinancials Smart Business Suite, iConnect, iNurse and StaffPlan.

New water extinguisher IF you have ever had an extinguisher be accidentally discharged you will know what a mess this can cause. Jewel E-Series Water Mist Fire Extinguishers are the first broadspectrum fire extinguishers. They can be used on almost every common fire, and are perfect for kitchens as they contain no harmful substances and leave no residues. The extinguisher's nozzle disperses microscopic 'dry' water mist particles to suppress fires and extinguish burning materials. The 35kV dielectrical test ensures that the extinguishers can be safely used near electrical equipment. The fine mist produced by the nozzle will evaporate after being used. So not only can you use this extinguisher on all common types of fire it will not require any cleaning up should it be accidentally deployed.

Stop diseases and save

ELECTROLUX Professional Laundry has launched a new comprehensive Laundry Practice Pack on how to control the spread of infections with good laundry practice and the latest energy efficient laundry equipment. As a leading laundry equipment provider to the care and health sector, Electrolux Professional is committed to reducing diseases and infections, and is continually developing laundry equipment to tackle the problem more efficiently as well as producing the lowest cost in use machines in the market. Using the best equipment available is a primary factor, but a well designed laundry can also offer significant cost savings. Electrolux Professional offers a free laundry audit to determine the overall requirements.

WITH over 25 hours of free education sessions being presented by leading industry names, the seminars already in place for this year’s Care Show Birmingham offer something for everyone involved in owning or running an organisation responsible for the care of older people. For example, Skillweb’s Trevor Snaith will be chairing the panel debate on ‘How can homecare organisations rise to the challenges of doing more with less in the community’, while Colin Angel, head of policy and communication at UKHCA, will present ‘Coping with cuts in homecare’.

Victoria Barnett, from the Royal College of Nursing, will explore ‘The financial benefits that come with achieving RCN recognition’ before Tony Upward, LNT Software’s managing director, discusses ‘Using technology to bring the community inside your care home’. Also being planned for the Care Show Birmingham education schedule is a panel debate on care home PR, where participants will be offering advice on how delegates can ensure the press pick up on good news stories. Care Show Birmingham takes place on November 13 and 14 at the NEC.

Required Systems goes national REQUIRED Systems now has a range of quality management systems for the care sector in England, Wales and Scotland. This enables you to evidence compliance with the relevant legislation using one system. The firm has also recently launched Assisted Living, which is proving very popular with companies taking the first steps in the care sector as the legislation is not so onerous. The systems cover: Care for the elderly, adults 18-65, domiciliary care, assisted living, infection control, provider compliance assessment audits and Excel based audits for care, domiciliary and infection control. All the systems are data based in word to enable you to personalise them to your service and add any existing policies or forms that you wish to retain, giving you a totally

personalised system to evidence compliance with CQC or the Welsh or Scottish legislation. Required Systems also provide updates to any changes in legislation and are always looking to make improvements to the systems based on user feedback and its own research. Updates are provided via the internet and easily integrated to make sure you always have the most up to date system in place.

The right equipment choice can save money CASHFLOW is a challenging area for many businesses at the moment, making it tempting to seek out cheaper alternatives for equipment and services. While value for money is crucial in any buying decision, choosing care apparatus solely on price can be a false economy. Care sector specialist Agecare Eastern has seen an influx of cheap products flooding the market – products which, at first glance appear very similar to the established brands, but which, on closer inspection present serious

compromises in usability, reliability and endurance. Senior engineer Laurence Seward said: “We are increasingly being called out to repair cut price equipment, often only months after it has been purchased. We understand that residential and nursing homes need access to low cost products, but in our experience it is usually better to buy good quality equipment, even if it is refurbished, than to buy very cheap alternatives and run the risk of expensive repair bills.”

Awareness training for staff ALZHEIMER’S Society has developed an easy to use training resource which care home managers can deliver direct to their staff. ‘Tomorrow is another day’ costs £249 + VAT and allows smaller care providers to access Alzheimer’s Society dementia expertise. Using DVD footage and interactive exercises, it covers the essential elements of person-centred dementia care. It explores the experience of

dementia, supporting people, occupation and communication, all of which are vital skills for those responsible for the care of people living with dementia. Katie McConway, OP training officer with Heritage Care, said: “The wide variety of exercises make the training enjoyable and interesting, which our staff find both challenging and thought provoking, resulting in new ideas, fresh approaches, new initiatives and projects.”

FALLSX® monitors are affordable and easy-to-use, alerting caregivers when someone at risk of falls leaves a bed or chair. FallsX Sentinel Monitor and the FallsX Infrared Bedside Monitor offer the flexibility you need to select the monitoring method that is appropriate for the person in your care. The FallsX Sentinel Monitor can be used with discreet bed and chair pads or with a cord and clip assembly. When a person leaves the bed or chair and moves off the sensor pad, the monitor sounds an alert. With the cord and clip assembly, a clip with a cord is attached to the person’s garment. The cord is attached to the FallsX Sentinel Monitor. An alert sounds when the person moves beyond the length of the cord. FallsX® Sentinel Monitors have a local alert, or can be connected to nurse call systems or a pager.

Think about waste control PROVIDING expert advice, technical support and great service backup, Haigh’s macerators offer a cost efficient way to dispose of pads and pulp items, together with outstanding sustainable credentials. With over 50 years experience, they are the partner of choice for many of the UK’s leading private care organisations. Whether you currently use clinical waste collection or maceration solutions, they are able to offer a tailored package to make the switch as simple as possible. The Incomaster processes four small or two large pads in under two minutes, functions quietly and is less expensive that yellow bags.

Executives attend event EXECUTIVES from disability charities Scope and Leonard Cheshire Disability joined a number of organisational leaders across a variety of sectors who took part in two Windsor Leadership Trust programmes as a result of a sponsorship commitment from Gompels HealthCare Ltd. The programmes offer a unique perspective on leadership, inspiring and challenging leaders, raising awareness of different operational cultures, forging partnerships and supporting structures between sectors. Alexandra O'Dwyer, a director at Scope, who attended the event, said: “It was the chance to explore issues in a safe environment, with likeminded peers from a broad range of roles and sectors – together with the professional support of a talented syndicate facilitator and stimulating speakers.”

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Washer cleans in 18 minutes MIELE Professional has released a new range of freestanding, semi and fully integrated dishwashers capable of completing full wash cycles in as little as 18 minutes. The new ProfiLine dishwashers enable restaurants and hotels to complete three cycles per hour, meaning your crockery will be ready for use again in next to no time. With five different models to choose from, there is a model to fit every type of kitchen, offering a choice of nine dishwashing programmes at the push of a button: short, universal, intensive, glassware, beer glasses, hygiene, eco, plastics and pre-wash, complete with a text display with prompts and uncluttered, easy-to-ready fascia panel. Not only efficient in time, with the shortest programme cycle lasting only 18 minutes (for the 32 AMP version) when connected to hot water, the dishwashers are energy efficient too.

Mobility Healthcare

New way to buy carpets DF DIRECT will be launching a new way of buying specialist carpet for the healthcare market online next month, with free delivery direct to your door. www.dfcarpetsdirect.co.uk will provide a simple and easy way to view a selection of carpets, request free samples and purchase carpet all at a touch of a button. DF Direct offers carpets with features that are essential to the care sector: Antimicrobial coatings to help stop the spread of infection. Impervious layers to stop liquid spills seeping into the carpet and the subfloor. A range of colours and designs to suit any interior design scheme. Further details of the launch will follow in Caring UK but you can also keep in touch with DF Direct via Facebook and Twitter for news updates and special offers.

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