The Companion Ocotber 2016 (Home Instead newsletter)

Home Instead

York & Ryedale newsletter

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

October 2016

Macmillan coffee morning

Last month we hosted our very own ‘Bake Off Style’ Macmillan coffee morning. There were some great entries from both office staff and CAREGivers!

Andy our head of CAREGiver Experience, stepped into the role of Paul Hollywood for the day, and awarded the ‘Star Baker’ title to Charlene our Staff Coordinator who made a lovely chocolate fudge cake.

We would like to say a huge “THANK YOU” to all those who contributed to the coffee morning. In the end we raised over £45, all of which will go to Macmillan Cancer Support – a really great cause!

Commemorative poppies for 2016 From 5th October to 14th November there will be free poppymaking craft sessions in local libraries across the city. At these drop in sessions you will make beautiful red poppies from the pages of discarded books as an act of remembrance for the fallen during the First World War. The poppies will be used in displays in libraries throughout York. The sessions are part of The Big City Read 2016 and you can see details of these and lots of other events by going to www.exploreyork.org/bigcityread and downloading the Events Programme. The theme of the Big City Read this year is based on the centenary of the First World War and the book by Pat Barker, Regeneration.

Fall back – Spring forward Don’t forget that on Sunday, 30th October 2016 you’ll need to turn your clocks back by an hour so you’ll get an extra hour in bed on the Sunday morning. Enjoy!

While changing your clocks, why not also check smoke alarms are still in working order in both yours and your clients’ houses!

Firework season – pet safety Animals have very acute hearing and loud bangs and whistles may cause them pain in their ears. Nearly 50% of cats and dogs get stressed when they hear fireworks and many owners are not sure what they can do to help so here are a few tips for you. Provide a den or hiding place for your pet with lots of bedding. Keep your pets indoors and walk your dog early on before fireworks are likely to start. Reduce firework noise by keeping windows shut and curtains closed. Provide distraction such as a new toy and put on the TV or music to mask the noise. Don’t scold them as they will only become more distressed. Try not to leave them alone when fireworks are going off. Let your pet pace or hide if they want to – it’s their way of dealing with their anxiety. Stay calm and relaxed, act normally and give lots of praise for calm behaviour. It’s OK to cuddle and stroke your pet if it helps them relax, but if they prefer to hide under your bed, then let them do this instead.

And don’t forget smaller animals, birds and horses can also get stressed. For more pet advice look at www.bluecross.org.uk

Minster FM – Listener Choice Awards We are delighted to be shortlisted in Minster FM’s “Listener Choice” awards. We were up against 27 other entrants in the “There When You Need Them” category with some very worthy entries from well-known York institutions such as St Leonard’s Hospice and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The award winner will be decided with a second round of public voting and the results announced on 18th October at the York Theatre Royal.

If you would like to vote for us, we are in the “There When You Need Them” category.

Please visit the awards website www.minsterfm. com/local-events/listenerchoiceawards.php.

All votes need to be in by 17th October, and would be very much appreciated.

Dementia Friends programme Home Instead are working in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society to help change people’s perceptions of Dementia. The aim is to transform the way we think, act and talk about Dementia.

A lack of understanding around Dementia can cause loneliness and social exclusion amongst those affected. The Dementia Friends programme hopes to tackle this issue by creating more communities and businesses that are Dementia Friendly and more inclusive of people affected by it.

The people who deliver these information sessions are called ‘Dementia Friends Champions’ and at Home Instead we have our

very own, in our Recruiter Karen.

Over the past few weeks Karen has been going out and about into the community to deliver the information sessions, and in that time she has made more than 30 Dementia Friends.

The Dementia Friends Karen has made will now be able to put their learning into action, which could help someone living with Dementia in their community. Their actions could be as big or as small as they choose – but every action counts.

If you’re interested in attending one of Karen’s Dementia Friends Programmes, just let us know, or for more information please visit: www.dementiafriends.org.uk.

Client mileage reminder As you all should be aware, client mileage and expenses need to be submitted to Jack by the end of each month to enable us to process the submissions in time for payroll and invoicing. Recently we have been receiving some late submissions, and some that have been submitted for previous months as well.

Going forward if submissions are late, we will only process ones for one previous month, e.g. if you were late submitting a mileage form for September, we will pay this in October. However if you submitted an August claim as well, this is past the point that we can pay.

Remember you can bring your submissions into the office, email a scan or clear photo to Jack, and you can now even access the forms through the www.caregiversupport.co.uk site! If you do have any questions regarding this, please give Jack a call.

Top 10 tips for dealing with clients’ dementia We would like to compile a list of our “Top 10 Tips for Dealing with Dementia” to appear on our micro site, and what better resource to pull from than that of our CAREGivers.

Could you please send Andy your tips and we’ll compile the top 10 with number 1 receiving a special prize!

Three years’ service badges

Recently Luke, our Managing Director, was knocked off his bike on his way in to the office and you can see from the picture that he’s had a lucky escape and only because he was wearing a helmet. Luke is fine but if you are using a bike for work or pleasure please follow these simple rules to keep bike safe.

Wear a helmet, stay visible, use your lights, signal and signal again, stay alert, don’t get distracted, go with the flow of traffic, bike like a car, obey the rule of the road and make sure your bike is road worthy.

Keep safe and use the cycle tracks where available – you can find out more about York’s cycle routes at www.itravelyork.info.

Carol, Zoe and Jack celebrated 3 years’ service last month with Home Instead Senior Care.

Jack is pictured here with Director Luke, collecting his 3-year silver service badge (inset).

Carol and Zoe both started their Home Instead adventure as CAREGivers, before being offered Care Manager and Care Quality Coordinator roles respectively. Jack started with Home Instead back in 2013 as Apprentice Business Administrator, and after a successful year at the company, he was offered his Finance & HR Administrator Role.

Hallowe’enTrivia

Always wear a helmet

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Orange and black are Halloween colours because orange is associated with the autumn harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.

Carving lanterns.

Halloween lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Celtic Samhain (summers end) festival.

Halloween originally celebrated the harvest when people sat around a bonfire, sharing ghost stories, singing, dancing and telling fortunes.

The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They wore masks and costumes to avoid being recognised as human.

Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the Roman harvest festival that honours Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.

Black cats were once believed to protect witches’ powers.

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The fear of Halloween is known as Samhainophobia.

PEAQ survey results As I’m sure you can all remember, in June a lot of you kindly completed our PEAQ feedback survey.

Last month we received the results of the survey.

There were some great results in here, and some results which we will certainly be looking at as ways we can improve.

Tell Jack!

If you’d like to add an article to next month’s edition of The Companion, please contact Jack by the 26th October.

You can tell us about an event that’s happening or about something you’ve achieved – we’d love to hear from you.

We’d be interested to know what you think about The Companion so if you have any comments or would like to know more about any of the articles just give Jack a call or email him at jack.fisher@hiscyork.co.uk

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

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