Homecare Matters Edition 3
Your voices will be heard Every now and again, we ask you for feedback on how we support you at work, but we appreciate that not everyone likes to send an e-mail or message about something that’s personal and sometimes confidential. You may also wonder what has been done to make improvements following your feedback. So what are we doing about it?
We’re creating a Care Employee Forum It’s a chance to have your voices heard through Care Worker Ambassadors within your local branch. The Care Worker Ambassadors will have dedicated mailboxes where care workers can send questions, comments and thoughts. These can be kept anonymous upon request. On a quarterly basis, all feedback will be collated and shared with Beverley Sims-Manley, the Managing Director of Homecare, at an informal face-to-face meeting within the branch. In the meeting, we will discuss actions following the feedback and share updates regarding improvements on a regular basis.
The next steps We will be in touch to confirm the names of your local Care Worker Ambassadors. We'll also share an e-mail address with you, so that you can send messages to your dedicated Ambassadors. We're excited to hear your thoughts and share our actions for making improvements across the business. If you have any questions about the forum, e-mail homecarefeedback@medacs.com or speak to your care coordinator, who would be happy to advise.
Dealing wit h a bereavement It’s always incredibly difficult to deal with bereavement, even when it’s part of the role. Given the nature of the business we’re in, we fully appreciate that many of our care workers develop strong friendships with their service users. Some provide regular companionship and others have good connections with close family members, which is why we want to ensure that everyone receives the right level of support should a bereavement occur. If you are in any way affected by a recent or past bereavement, please get in touch. We believe that no one should ever feel that they’re alone or have to carry the weight when dealing with the loss of a service user. To speak to someone, you can message us through our confidential support mailbox HereForYou@medacs.com which is monitored regularly by senior members of the Homecare team. We’re happy to respond whichever way you prefer – an e-mail, a call or we can schedule to meet you if you wish. Talk it through and don’t carry it home.
medacs.com/heart-of-care
Contents • Your voices will be heard • Dealing with a bereavement • Maternity leave • Your stories • Star Care Workers • Long service • Making a difference • Special announcements
Homecare Matters
Maternity leave It’s one of the most exciting and special times of your life, but for some women, maternity leave can bring with it a lot of difficult decisions – “How am I going to pay for childcare?”, “Do I go back to work or stay at home with my family?”, “Will I have to work more hours to support my family?”, “I’m nervous about going back”. We’re in the process of looking at all of the difficult questions and determining how we can be more supportive when you’re on maternity leave or due to come back. This also applies for men on paternity leave. That’s why we’re keen to hear from any new or expectant mothers and fathers who would like to share their experiences with us. Is there anything you would like guidance on? Accrual of annual leave when you are off? Would you like to speak to returning parents who are going through the same experiences as you? A consideration would be to create a closed and private group for all new and expectant parents, where you can share information, but also where you can keep up-to-date with the latest goings on within the business whilst you’re spending time with your loved ones. Please get in touch if you would like to share any information which may help us in designing more support for maternity and paternity leave. E-mail us at homecarefeedback@medacs.com or share any comments with your registered manager.
Your stories
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Meet Michelle Smit h Michelle Smith started her homecare journey in 2015 as a care worker in Manchester. This is Michelle's journey from primary carer to senior care worker. "Once I’ve finished my night visits, the main senior care work is done in the day, and involves the management and review of paperwork, support with audits and assisting the SQAs (service quality assessors) and care coordinators.”
To read t he full articles, visit medacs.com/our-care-workers medacs.com/heart-of-care
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ad a kind-heart lways considered h erself to b ed ea voluntarily person. For two yea rs, as a care w orker for th she worked care home . Bridget d elighted in e elderly at a thrive thro seeing peo ugh indep ple e nd time so m uch that sh ence and enjoyed her e decided join the p she w rofe people wit ssion and support m anted to hin the co ore vulnera mmunity. ble actions, B Through h ridget was er nominate Manchest d and won er Star Ca re Worker for Q4 20 18.
S tar Care Workers Huge congratulations to all of our Star Care Workers to date. All very deserving winners and valuable members of the Homecare team! To view all winners and nominations, please visit medacs.com/star-care-worker We're looking forward to hearing about all of the wonderful feedback in the coming quarter.
Long service A huge congratulations and a massive thank you to all of our care staff who have reached their 5, 10, 15 and 20-year milestones with the Homecare team. We've listed everyone who has gained this achievement in recent months, or months to come.
20 years
Patricia Obisesan
15 years
Ian Wood
15 years
Lynn Bennett
15 years
Julie Osborne
15 years
Gloria Thomas
5 years
Joanne Swallow
5 years
Rani Pervez
5 years
Sarah Adeola
5 years
Aliya Shahzadi
5 years
Tracy Armitage
5 years
Muneeza Bibi
5 years
Catherine Lamb
5 years
Sabeen Gul
5 years
Joanna Sutton
5 years
Ruzina Chowdhury
5 years
Nelisiwe Allen
5 years
Sonia Thorne
10 years
Laurice Tortolano
10 years
Ewa Anna Karczewska
5 years
Tracey Lynne Clayton
5 years
Aminata Koroma
10 years
Janet Kasule
5 years
Kimberley Dow
5 years
Walter Pinto
10 years
Henrietta Jusu
5 years
Susan Murphy
5 years
Matthew Jegede
10 years
Oluremi Olateju
5 years
Valda Robinson
5 years
Wottoh Pauline Ekissi
10 years
Kim Rebecca Standing
5 years
Shola Bamidele
5 years
Alzira Andre
10 years
Elizabeth Nakidde
5 years
Begum Khadiza Akther Jahan
5 years
Claucia Monteiro
Ganiyat Sanusi-Omosanya
5 years
Sajida Khan
5 years
Claudia Monica Agrigoroae
5 years
Homecare Matters
Special announcements New Facebook page Have you joined our new Medacs Healthcare – Homecare Facebook page yet? The page was created just over a month ago and will be used to share positive news, business updates, events and role vacancies. Visit facebook.com/medacshomecare today to like and follow our posts. There’s also access to a responsive messenger app should you wish to ask us about anything.
Recommend a Friend Did you know that you and a friend can earn £50 each* once your friend has worked their first week at Medacs Healthcare, Homecare? If you have any friends or colleagues who would like to work with us, simply complete the form at medacs.com/refer-a-friend but ensure that you have their permission before sharing their details. *
Terms and conditions can be found at medacs.com/refer-a-friend.
Making a difference
Identifying and Preventing Elderly Malnutrition With an estimated 1.3 million people over 65 suffering from malnutrition, undernourishment is a widespread problem in the UK and one that costs the health and social care system over £19.6 billion each year. Who are at risk? People who are more likely to become malnourished are those that are over the age of 65 and living in care homes, people who have been admitted to hospital and elderly people who live alone and receive care in their own home, especially when they have a progressive condition such as dementia or cancer. Malnutrition may also develop in people who have lost their sense of smell or taste, are living in poverty, have decreased mobility or are unable to cook for themselves – many of which result in the need for additional support and care during later life. How to identify malnutrition People suffering from malnutrition may: • Be seen to be losing weight, whether quickly or gradually over time • Experience loss of appetite or lack of concentration • Have little or no energy, impacting their mobility and ability to perform daily tasks • Have a change in mood. What are the consequences? Malnutrition heightens the possibility of illness. As a result, GP visits can double and hospital emissions triple. It’s also been found that people who are malnourished are likely to stay in hospital three days longer than those who are well nourished. Potential problems could include micronutrient deficiencies such as iron, zinc and multiple vitamins. It may also generate muscle loss, which would increase the risk of falls through reduced mobility, the breakdown of vital organs such as kidneys and the brain, plus a reduced efficiency to fight infections. Severe consequences of untreated malnutrition could even lead to death. What can we do in homecare to aid prevention?
It should come as second nature to keep a watchful eye on the well-being of our service users, but sometimes the effects of malnourishment may be slow enough to become an oversight. Pay close attention to the eating and drinking habits of your service users. Are they drinking enough fluids and eating during your visit times? Has their mood changed or are they less active around the house? An easy identifier is the fitting of clothes, jewellery or dentures. If they are loose fitting, it’s time to raise the alarm with the branch staff. If you are unsure whether a service user is malnourished and need some advice, always speak to the branch and note down any changes when on the visit. The branch will then follow the necessary procedures to support prevention before their health is severely impacted. If you are not a care professional but have elderly neighbours, take the time to observe the potential warning signs and ask them how they’re feeling. Early treatment could prevent lengthy hospital admissions and reoccurring health problems.
To read t he full article, visit medacs.com/support-for-care-workers medacs.com/heart-of-care