The Companion April (Home Instead newsletter)

Home Instead

York & Ryedale newsletter

companion THE

Check out our website: www.caregiver support.co.uk

April 2017

More CAREGivers pass Care Certificate

Over the last month, we have had more CAREGivers complete the Care Certificate. Well done to; Jenny, Cath, Jacqueline, Ella, Philippa and Kay. Also, a big well done to Susan who received her certificate for completing the City & Guilds Alzheimer’s & Dementia Training.

Look out for our new advert in May’s edition of Yorkshire Life Magazine, available from all good newsagents from 21st April for just £3.45

Happy 90th Birthday Our client Freda last month celebrated her 90th birthday, we hope she had a great day! Here she is pictured with her dog Daisy.

Andy’s Advice Keep up to date with your current schedule by viewing it on People Planner. It’s live and any changes will be instant on your unique portal page. If you have any queries regarding your schedule contact the office immediately to discuss. It’s important you attend your calls at the scheduled times so we know you are safe and your client is being supported, any changes need to come through the office.

With the new annual leave year having started on 1st April, here’s a quick reminder of the annual leave policy: The holiday year runs from 1st April to 31st March.

Holidays are accrued based on hours worked and are equivalent to 5.6 weeks per annum with additional entitlement of 2 days after 3 years and a further 3 days (5 in total) after 5 years of service.

All holidays must be taken during the holiday

year in which they are accrued. It will not be possible to carry forward any unused holiday from one year to the next.

As CAREGivers will not be permitted to carry forward holidays beyond 31st March it is therefore important that CAREGivers spread their holidays throughout the year.

CAREGivers are therefore required to take

Here’s some of the fabulous feedback we received in March 2017 about the service you give to your clients.

• I want to say thank you so much for your wonderful care so far.

The ladies sent have been so lovely and kind and very efficient.

• Home Instead are exceptional. Praise where praise is due, well done.

• Thanks very much to Home Instead – you have made a big difference to my Mother’s quality of life.

• Big thanks to the CAREGiver for my Dad, she works over and above and is tremendous, she is an asset to you at Home Instead.

• I am very glad I chose Home Instead. I am impressed at their care and attention to detail when trying to find compatible carers for Mum. She now regards both her helpers as friends and welcomes their visits.

• The service provided by our CAREGiver via Home Instead is second to none, she is helpful, mindful, kind and yet professional.

• The CAREGiver is so helpful and willing to do all that I ask of her, she has a very pleasing and calming manner and I enjoy her visits very much.

Feedback

The 2017 Tour de Yorkshire race will again take place over three days, commencing on Friday 28th April and ending on Sunday 30th April 2017.

Stage 1 of the event, on Friday 28th April, starts in Bridlington and ends in Scarborough Stage 2, on Saturday 29th April, starts in Tadcaster and finishes in Harrogate Stage 3, on Sunday 30th April, starts in Bradford and ends in Fox Valley.

Further information is available on the official Tour de Yorkshire website at http://letour.yorkshire.com/

Annual leave

a minimum of at least the equivalent of 1 week’s holiday per calendar quarter (3 months). Failure to do so may result in holiday requests later in the year being declined.

Requests for holidays should be made using the online holiday form, which can be found at www. caregiversupport.co.uk.

CAREGivers should give at least 6 weeks’ notice of any request for holidays.

Wherever possible Home Instead Senior Care will endeavour to agree holiday requests but for operational reasons this may not always be possible i.e. if too many people request the same time off.

It’s lovely to hear such praise, well done to everyone.

Welcome to our March new recruits

Become a Friend Against Scams

Say hello to our new CAREGivers Karen and Rowena, both ladies joined us for our induction training in April. Please make them feel welcome, and look out for them if they are shadowing you...

Friends Against Scams is a new campaign developed by the National Trading Scam Teams to combat the £5-10 billion that people lose to scams each year. Home Instead have already been promoting and supporting a Senior Fraud Protection Programme and now Karen our recruiter has also trained as a SCAM Champion and can help you, your friends and community groups become a Friend Against Scams. If you’d like to know more or organise for Karen to present to a group you know then give the office a ring. You can also have a look at www.friendsagainstscams.org to get more information.

Home Instead visit local football club foundation Home Instead York & Ryedale visited Bootham Crescent, home of York City Football Club to present Foundation Manager Paula Stainton with her winner’s umbrella from our recent competition in March’s edition of “The Elder”.

York City Football Club Foundation provide activities throughout the York area including: • Walking Football Mondays 10.00-11.00am at Burnholme Community Hub, 6.00-7.00pm at Huntington School (ladies only) and Thursdays 6.00-7.00pm at Cannon Lee School.

• Sporting Memories Cafe every Friday morning in the 1922 Bar at Bootham Crescent 10.30am-12 noon.

Andy Boast of Home Instead said, “We are really keen on working in partnership with other organisations who promote and provide inclusive activities across the York & Ryedale area”.

For more information on the York City Foundation contact 01904 559 508 or keep an eye out for May’s edition of “The Elder”.

Points to help a client with dementia...

Communicate clearly The key to helping someone is being able to communicate with them. A client with dementia may not understand what you are doing or remember what you have said. Treat them with respect by addressing them in conversation.

Follow the guidelines below that may help you communicate: Body Language & Physical Contact • Make eye contact.

• Make sure that your body language and facial expressions match what you are saying.

• Never stand too close or stand over someone to communicate.

• Make sure your mouth is not covered.

Talking • Speak clearly and calmly.

• Use short, simple sentences.

• Speak at a slower pace than usual.

• Avoid speaking sharply or raising your voice.

• Don’t talk to them like you would a child.

Listening • Listen carefully to what the person is saying, and offer plenty of encouragement.

• If you haven’t fully understood, tell the client what you have understood and check with them to see if you are right.

Use visual clues Write messages down if the client can read, and use pictures or objects to help the client understand. For example, show photos of meals to help them choose.

Keep Your Pet – Charity Dog Walk On Sunday 30th April 2017 ‘Keep Your Pet’, a pet charity in York will be having their annual Charity Dog Walk to raise awareness of the service.

The charity provides short-term assistance for domestic pet owners who are older or vulnerable and living in the York area, at times of health or other emergencies. The charity was set up by Age UK York and the RSPCA York Branch who identified a need for a service to give peace of mind to elderly pet owners.

The event at the Knavesmire starts at 11am and will have refreshments, goods for sale, prizes, displays and demonstrations. Go to www.keepyourpet.co.uk for more information and take your pooch for a stroll at the event or you can volunteer as a helper.

Carol’s Corner

Free York tours

There are several sight-seeing tours around the city of York, and the good news is that they are free!

Three Hour Tour with White Rose York – 11.00 am every day, meeting at the West entrance of York Minster. There is no need to pre-book just turn up around 10 to 15 minutes before the tour start time. For more information go to www.whiteroseyork.com Two Hour Guided Walking Tour with the Association of Voluntary Guides – 10.15 am daily, departing from Exhibition Square with additional times depending on the time of year. For more information go to www.avgyork.co.uk

Keep Safe Drop In sessions North Yorkshire Police are holding a regular drop in session at Acomb Explore Library every Friday until 19th May 2017 between 11.45 am and 1.45 pm. The sessions are free and members of the public can access crime prevention information and personal safety advice. There are also details on how to sign up to the North Yorkshire Community messaging scheme to receive alerts about crime and incidents in your area or simply to have a chat.

For more information, you can call the library on 01904 552651 or email them at acomb@exploreyork.org.uk

Changes to CAREGiver meetings Dementia Awareness Week 2017 This year’s Dementia Awareness Week will run from 14th to 20th May 2017. The Alzheimer’s Society is aiming to raise awareness with as many people as possible in the York area. Their Roadshow Bus will be returning to the York City Centre and the Forget-me-Not Café will be open to everyone with music, singing and refreshments. So, pop along and have a chat with some of the lovely volunteers and get some free advice if you feel you need it.

Home Instead Senior Care 10 Clifton Moor Business Village James Nicolson Link, Clifton Moor York YO30 4XG Telephone: 01904 690884 Email: info@hiscyork.co.uk Web: www.homeinstead.co.uk/york

Our next CAREGiver meeting will be at the office on Thursday 20th April, 1.30-2.30pm.

From April we will be trialling paying CAREGivers who attend the meetings, so be sure to let Andy know if you would like to come along for the hour and this will be added to your

Question

?

schedule as spaces are limited.

We want to make the meetings more inclusive and will be looking at group and learning activities.

For example in April we will be covering “Food Safety & Requirements” along with a communication activity.

In February’s edition of The Companion how many CAREGivers including Carol attended the medication refresher training?

The first CAREGiver to email the answer to Andy wins a special prize… Good luck!

www.facebook.com/homeinsteadyork @homeinsteadyork www.instagram.com/homeinsteadyork www.youtube.com/YorkHomeInstead “Each Home Instead Senior Care® franchise office is independently owned and operated.”