The Carer Digital - Issue #15

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The Carer Digital

THECARERUK

Issue 15

THECARERUK

Government Agrees to Call for Independent COVID-19 Inquiry

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has committed for the first time to an independent inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK. Ministers have been under increasing pressure to hold an urgent review this summer of the response to the pandemic, so that lessons can be learned from mistakes made in advance of any “second wave” in widespread infections.

Answering questions in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister told MPs: "As I told the House several times, I do not believe that now, in the middle of combating still, as we are, a pandemic, is the right moment to devote huge amounts of official time to an inquiry. But of course, we will seek to learn the lessons of this pandemic in the future. And certainly, we'll have an independent inquiry into what happened."

The call was led by acting Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, who said the UK had “suffered one of the worst death rates in the world and Europe’s worst death rate for health and care workers”.

Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions last week, Davey warned that under Boris Johnson's leadership the country has suffered "one of the worst death rates in the world and Europe's worst death rate of health and care workers."

Making reference to Boris Johnson's support for an independent inquiry into the Iraq War, the Liberal Democrat Acting Leader urged the Prime Minister to "commit in principle to a future independent inquiry".

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...)

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!

“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honours.”

TIA WALKER, THE INSPIRED CAREGIVER

Editor

Peter Adams

I have been following with interest the latest exchange in the House of Commons regarding calls for a public inquiry.

It was bound to come! I did say in recent editorial comment that as we emerge from lockdown, and the Covid-19 death rate declines, will see a rush for an inquiry.

Acting LibDem leader Ed Davey has been pushing the government, with Boris Johnson (as seen on our front page) acknowledging the need for one and pledging that it will take place.

My concern has always been that personalities tend to dominate issues in politics. We saw that with Brexit the posturing, the desire to score political points at every opportunity - and I am very much hoping that any future inquiry can set that aside and concentrate on the

issues.

Much like anyone reading this, and the wider public, there are issues the government must address, such as patients being released into care homes without being tested, which is the most significant contribution to the Covid-19 crisis within the care sector, followed by the lack of available PPE, seriously jeopardising the safety of care staff.

The COVID crisis has seen the United Kingdom have the third highest number of deaths worldwide, with scientists warning of a potential second wave, so any inquiry needs to ensure that the sector is fully prepared.

The dangers to the sector of a second wave cannot be underestimated. I saw an article this week quoting Dr Alison Pittard, head of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, who warned the NHS could be “overwhelmed” by a second wave coinciding with seasonal flu and the consequences of the backlog of treatment for serious illnesses including cancer.

“People might think Covid is over with, why do I have to wear a face mask?” she said.

“But it isn’t over. We still have Covid patients in intensive care. If the public don’t physically distance and don’t wear face coverings we could very quickly get back to where we were earlier this year.”

I sincerely hope that an inquiry recognses that the government can no longer take the care sector for granted like it has in the past. The sector has worked tirelessly in the face of overwhelming odds.

This is confirmed with the latest report that care home COVID-19 related deaths have declined substantially in the latest weekly data reported by the ONS. The number of people to have died due to COVID-19 related causes reduced by 44%

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to 95 in the week ending 10 July, the ONS said.

Prior to this report, the ONS released data for England and Wales for the week ending 3 July 2020 (Week 27) revealed that number of deaths registered was 0.5% below the 5year average.

Which was the third consecutive week that deaths have been below the 5-year average.

This has made the government’s announcement to boost public sector pay, yet not to include NHS and social care staff in the announced pay rises, an absolute travesty.

Morale in the social care workforce, already reeling from the events of the past 3 months, will could be damaged irreparably. Chief executive of Care England, Professor Martin Green, put it succinctly: “These past few months have been an incredibly challenging time for our NHS and social care and it is imperative that frontline staff are recognised and rewarded as such.

“We need to ensure that lip service is replaced by action in order to ensure the long term sustainability of the adult social care sector.”

The government’s decision not to include social staff is one that should be reversed immediately!

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 3

Government Agrees to Call for Independent COVID-19 Inquiry (...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) Speaking after the exchange Davey said: "The Coronavirus crisis is taking an enormous toll on people and our country.

"It is clear the Government has failed on so many fronts - failing to prepare properly for a pandemic, failing to protect care home residents and social care workers, and failing to properly communicate their plans and so much more.

"With so many loved ones lost, people deserve to know what happened.

After months of refusing the public that opportunity, I am pleased the Prime Minister has finally accepted Liberal Democrat demands for an independent inquiry.

"The Prime Minister must now set out the timetable of this inquiry, and it must begin as soon as possible. The Government must be held to account to ensure that the same mistakes are never repeated."

However, a group representing people bereaved by Covid said the PM’s undertaking was a “long way from what families need to see”.

Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice says the Prime Minister has refused to meet them to discuss their concerns.

The group, which has met Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, is calling for an immediate inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic.

In a statement, it said: “We need to know that any inquiry will be public with the ability for families to contribute their experiences and that it will have the power to access all of the evidence and witnesses needed.

“We also believe that a part of any inquiry must begin now to take fast action in order to prevent further unnecessary deaths should we encounter a second wave.”

The call for an inquiry also comes after an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) was established in parliament and launched its own inquiry into the government response.

The group, chaired by MP Layla Moran, similarly welcomed calls, and urged the Prime Minister to launch the review now.

Ms Moran said: “Coronavirus has had a devastating impact on this country – on our lives, on the economy and on our futures. We desperately need to learn from the experiences, including the mistakes, of the last four months so that we are better prepared in the future. That includes being ready for a second wave.”

“That’s why I have worked with colleagues from across Parliament to set up the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, and I’m proud to have been elected as its chair.”

“I’ve been joined by our very own Munira Wilson as Vice Chair, alongside colleagues from the Conservatives, Labour Party, Green Party, Plaid Cymru and the SNP, as well as a crossbencher in the Lords.”

“This week, we issued our call for written evidence, and we’ve already received an incredible number of submissions.”

“We want to hear from members of the public as well as bereaved families, the experts and groups representing health professionals.”

“There’s no time to waste if we’re to learn lessons and be ready for what the winter may bring – that’s why we’re aiming to finish our inquiry by the end of the summer, releasing our recommendations then.”

Covid-19 Risk Triples In Larger Care Homes Reveals Study The possibility of a coronavirus outbreak in a care home triples with every additional 20 beds it has, a study of 189 infected care homes by NHS Lothian and Edinburgh University has revealed.

In the study, researchers looked at infection patterns in 189 nursing homes where more than 400 people died from coronavirus.

In homes with fewer than 20 residents, the prospect of an epidemic was 5%, however, in homes with 60 to 80 residents, the probability increased from 83% to 100%. The study is considered to be the broadest analysis to date of home test results for coronaviruses in the UK. The large influx of staff, including agency workers, cooks and maintenance engineers, entering and leaving larger homes, is considered a key factor in infecting older residents.

The study led to calls on operators to establish infection control “bubbles” in large facilities before the emergence of a second wave,

but the ministers were warned that it would be expensive.

“More frequentation will put you at higher risk of infection,” said the author of the report, Professor Bruce Guthrie, director of the Advanced Care Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh and associate researcher at Health Data Research UK. “Although the size of nursing homes cannot be changed without losing space for existing residents, there may be potential for the creation of separate units in nursing homes where fewer staff and residents are effectively cohorted to create autonomous units. ” “There is a considerable risk of further outbreaks with large numbers of deaths in nursing homes if the incidence of Covid-19 in the community increases again,” said Guthrie.

Katie Dee, Deputy Director of Public Health and Health Policy at NHS Lothian, said, “It is important to analyze risk factors for Covid-19 infection in nursing homes to prevent future outbreaks . ”

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Providing Specialist Adult Care in a Post-COVID World In this article, John Whitehead, CEO of Exemplar Health Care shares his reflections on what lessons we’ve learned from COVID-19 and how changing public opinions are helping to shape the future for adult specialist care providers.

“Since March 2020, care homes across the UK have reported cases of COVID-19 – and at Exemplar Health Care, sadly we have lost some of our residents, but our primary focus is and will always be, to deliver high-quality care for our residents and provide a safe working environment for our colleagues.

“Fortunately, coming into the pandemic, Exemplar Health Care was in a positive position which enabled us to take swift investment decisions to protect our residents and colleagues. We were in a good place financially, we had a dedicated team of colleagues with low turnover rates and had well-established quality assurance processes and systems already in place.

“Early intervention ensured that we secured Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) through global suppliers, meaning that we had enough supplies to protect our staff.

“Exemplar Health Care has shown great resilience throughout these challenging times and there are a lot of lessons that we can take away, as we start to think about moving forward.

INTRODUCING PROCESSES THAT CAN BE CONTINUED POST-COVID “When you’re driven by necessity, it’s amazing how quickly you can adapt. And a lot of the changes that we’ve made over the past few months, will continue to support the business in the future.

“During the pandemic, we’re continuing to innovate by introducing new technology across our network, to help manage and maintain staffing levels.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a great pressure on the health and social care sector, which has resulted in the need to recruit additional staff. In response to this challenge, we’ve implemented a new online dashboard that provides real-time information about staffing levels across our homes. When colleagues enter and leave one of the care homes, they’re required to sign in and out on an iPad. This information feeds into the dashboard and is updated every 15 minutes; providing the Operations Team with a real-time view of how many colleagues are in each home at any given time.

“This is a much more efficient way of tracking staffing levels as it has reduced the number of emails and phone calls with Home Managers, meaning that we all have more time to spend supporting our residents and colleagues.

CHANGING OPINIONS OF SOCIAL CARE “Social care has shown incredible resilience throughout the pandemic, despite not having the same support and funding as the NHS. feel encouraged that more and more people are seeing social care as an equal to our health counterparts.

“The media attention throughout the pandemic has gone some way to highlight the social care sector, along with its position as ‘number two’ to the NHS – but this needs to change.

“I believe that the overall social care operating model will be unchanged by COVID-19 and core failings of funding for the social care sector are likely to continue without a concerted Governmental effort.

“The challenges that the sector faces post-COVID are likely to further emphasise the gap between lower and higher acuity care.

“The fact remains that, despite the funding challenges that the sector faces, the adult specialist care that Exemplar Health Care provides cannot be commoditized – it needs to be bespoke and tailored individually to each person.

“Sadly for other providers, such as elderly care and domiciliary care providers, these challenges might have the opposite effect whereby care becomes increasingly driven by commoditised pricing.

“Future change is being helped by the public’s increased attention on the challenges facing the industry.

This current, heightened public engagement is, however, now set against a challenging fiscal future.”

Sheffield Care Homes Say Thank You To Local Communities For Lockdown Support Residents and colleagues at Exemplar Health Care’s specialist nursing homes in Sheffield, gave special thanks to the local community on Sunday’s nationwide clap for carers, in appreciation for the overwhelming messages of support received during the past few months of lockdown.

Since March, residents living at Longley Park View, Willowbeck and The Lodge, have been inundated with letters and gifts from the local community – including neighbouring houses, GP surgeries and local community centres – and would therefore like to say thank you for the continued support.

Glitterbakes Cakes, a Rotherham business, baked a cake and cupcakes for residents and colleagues to enjoy, a local lady who had been fundraising to buy some small gifts for key workers dropped off a box of goodies from The Body Shop, whilst a neighbouring family brought flowers, brownies and a thank you letter.

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Aston Tara, a local community centre, delivered gift hampers, and Wincobank GP surgery delivered inspirational paintings and goodies.

Exemplar Health Care is a leading provider of specialist nursing care for adults living with a range of complex and high acuity needs. Their community-based homes provide person-centred care and rehabilitation that focus on maximising independence, building everyday living skills and empowering people to live as fulfilled lives as possible.

On behalf of the three Sheffield care homes, Sandra Rhodes, Home Manager at Willowbeck, said: “Across all of our homes, we look to support a number of local initiatives that help our residents feel part of the local community and we have therefore been blown away with the generous gifts and messages of kindness that have been received over the last few months. It really means the world to both our residents and staff alike.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 5

Thousands of Businesses Urged to ‘Act Now’ for Right to Employ EU Workers Post-Brexit EXPERT immigration lawyers say tens of thousands of businesses incluiding care and nursing homes could face a battle to register in time for the right to employ workers from the EU from 2021 – unless they act quickly and prioritise their planning now.

As Priti Patel announced recently, the new Points Based Immigration system will be in place from January next year, essentially ending free movement. This means any employer employing EU citizens arriving in the UK from that date, will have to apply for a sponsorship licence or a “Skilled Worker Licence” as it will be known under the new regime.

Employment law specialists at law firm Boyes Turner say as many as 900,000 businesses could be affected by the changes, which are expected to place a huge strain on Home Office resources and immigration officials.

Sectors including food and drink manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, construction, retail, residential and social care and the UK’s rapidly growing tech sector are among those expected to be hardest hit by the changes.

Businesses will also have to budget for additional fees - £1,500 for the sponsorship application licence itself, as well as an immigration skills charge of up to £5,000 per worker.

Claire Taylor-Evans, a senior associate in Employment and Corporate Immigration at Boyes Turner, said businesses will also have to adjust to the highly regulated sponsorship regime, with detailed compliance rules for every EU citizen they employ post-Brexit.

She said businesses should be proactive to ensure they protect their ability to recruit EU workers post 2021 and stay ahead of their competitors in an increasingly shrinking talent pool. They should:1. Register as early as possible for a sponsor’s licence to beat the inevitable rush in the build up to the new system coming into effect; 2. Protect any sponsorship licence they currently have by investing in compliance training to avoid losing their licence, and their employees having to leave the UK, and; 3. For existing EU workers in the UK , companies should ensure their staff already know what they need to do to register under the EU settlement

Greensleeves Care Home ‘Unlocks The Love’ With care homes across the country being in lockdown due to coronavirus restrictions, a Greensleeves Care home in Lowestoft found an innovative way to connect their care home residents with their love ones.

The residents at Harleston House care home in Lowestoft, which specialises in dementia care, wanted to tell their loved ones that they love them and miss them. To help them achieve their wish and help residents in sending a personal message to their families, the ‘unlock the love’ project was created.

Jenny, a care home resident did a fantastic job cutting out 60 cards by hand with an image of the heart at the centre. Thirty cards with messages were sent by post and 30 by a big balloon that was released from the care home’s garden.

Each card had a replica that was posted out two days before the balloon was launched. The cards had the message of love

from the resident with instructions to go into their garden and reach up to receive their message from the balloon and have a picture taken when doing so.

They then were told by sending the photo to Harleston House with their love to their loved ones at the care home. Each time a picture arrived the residents were shown the photo and it was posted on the care home’s Facebook page.

The initiative proved very popular with relatives posting the photos and sharing their messages. It also came at a good time as the home is celebrating World Well Being Week through the whole of June rather than just the week.

Gareth Harding, Activity Coordiantor at Harleston House, said: “Wellbeing is always key for us at Harleston House and this project has helped us celebrate it as a home with a new initiative and also to create an activity that involved residents and relatives was fantastic and fitting”.

scheme and assist them in registering if needs be.

Claire said: “This will be a huge change for hundreds of thousands of businesses and it will create huge pressure on an immigration system which is already overwhelmed.

“As we get ever closer to 2021, that pressure will build further and there’s a very real risk that some firms will miss out on having their licence in place by the deadline and will be unable to recruit the talent they need.”

She added that the application system was complex and that applications will be rejected by Home Office officials if they do not meet the levels of information required, which could lead to more businesses facing issues.

“For larger businesses with expert HR teams, this will be challenging but for smaller businesses who don’t have specialist teams, there’s a very real risk of them losing valuable time battling their way through official forms and having their applications rejected if they don’t get specialist advice to make sure they get it right first time,” she said.

Centenary In Surrey For Local Care Home Resident A resident at Linden House care home in Epsom celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her Linden House friends, a relative and staff at the Surrey-based home.

Hilda May Lake was joined by her son, Brian Lake, as she marked her landmark day with a show from a local entertainer arranged by staff at the home.

Although she received lots of birthday cards and presents, none were more special than the official birthday card she received from the Queen acknowledging her special day.

Hilda was born in London in July 1920, shortly after the end of the First World War, and would later move to Luton, Bedfordshire, to work as a personnel officer. While in Luton, Hilda married and had one son before her husband passed away in 1960.

Her son is a regular visitor at Linden House and was able to join in her birthday celebrations on the day. He said: “I’m delighted we got to enjoy this special day together. My mother is a very caring person and I was very proud to celebrate this milestone with her.”

Brian also revealed that he believes the secret to his mother’s longevity to be genetic.

He said: “My grandmother lived well into her 80s and my mother has reached 100. I am

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 7

Care Staff Working Miracles ‘People Need People’ – on Covid-19 Frontline Reopening Care Homes Social care staff have been praised for their amazing and selfless contribution to the frontline fight against coronavirus.

The Independent Care Group (ICG) says care staff working in care and nursing homes and caring for people in their own homes are true heroes during the pandemic.

They are calling for care workers to get greater recognition.

ICG Chair, Mike Padgham said: “The work social care staff have done these past months has been right up there alongside NHS staff, doctors and nurses.

They have worked miracles.

“They have gone to work every day, putting their own lives and health on the line to care for people with Covid-19. They have been absolutely amazing.

“From the very start of the pandemic they were on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus and at times were battling without the right personal protective equipment (PPE) and without a proper testing

regime.”

He said better recognition of care staff was now vital.

“We desperately need social care reform and central to that will be greater recognition of our staff,” he added.

“As part of root and branch reform of social care, staff must have pay and recognition parity with their colleagues in the NHS and a proper career pathway.

“For far too long, work in social care has been seen as a poor relation to NHS care work. The pandemic has proved that this should never have been the case and that now it has to change.”

Care providers have been calling on the government to release guidance on reopening care homes in England to allow families and loved ones of residents to be reunited. Appearing on BBC Breakfast this morning Grant Shapps MP says that the much awaited government guidance will be issued this week, almost two weeks after the promise from Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Vic Rayner, Executive Director of the National Care Forum says: “The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care promised in early July that the government would publish guidance on reopening care homes to families and friends within a matter of days. It is now over 12 days since that announcement and the guidance has still not materialised, causing unnecessary anguish to many. As the representative body for not for profit care providers we have endeavoured to work with the government to shape the guidance, and emphasise the urgency to ensure residents are reunited with their families and loved ones. Safety is paramount, but it is also absolutely true that people need people, and as we reopen homes to visitors, we must make sure that we put in place all the measures needed for now and the future, so that we never again get into the position where families and friends are kept apart.”

2.6 Challenge: Thousands Raised By Fundraisers For Royal Star & Garter More than £15,000 has been raised for Royal Star & Garter through the 2.6 Challenge.

The challenge was a nationwide initiative aimed at helping charities feeling the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of cancelled mass-participation fundraising events such as the London Marathon. Royal Star & Garter joined with thousands of other charities to take part in the challenge.

Fundraisers including relatives of residents, Royal Star & Garter’s chairman Major General Tim Tyler, and members of staff helped raise a current total of £15,216.

Royal Star & Garter is a charity which provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia at Homes in Solihull, Surbiton and High Wycombe.

Over half the amount came from the CiaO Foundation, a charity which aims to motivate, inspire and help individuals going through challenges. It raised £7,696 through a variety of challenges, including people baking 26 cakes, cycling 260 miles and climbing a flight of stairs 260 times!

Major General Tyler raised more than £4,820 through a virtual row

between Royal Star & Garter’s three Homes. There were also valuable contributions from other fundraisers including the great grandchildren of a High Wycombe resident, staff from the Homes and the charity’s administration office.

Andrew Hogge, chairman of the CiaO Foundation, said: “CiaO would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the 2.6 Challenge and for making their donations to support the care homes of Royal Star & Garter. We have raised a significant sum. In addition to raising the much-needed funds, we know from kind and positive comments that we have also raised awareness for the dedication of the staff who work in the care homes which in turn is hugely appreciated by the veterans themselves.

Lauren Baker, Senior Community Fundraiser for Royal Star & Garter said: “With the cancellation of mass participation events, I never imagined we would raise such an impressive amount when we joined the 2.6 challenge – this was a new way of fundraising for us. Our thanks go to all our fundraisers who took part in great challenges, and their kind supporters who generously gave money to help us continue providing exceptional person-centred care for our residents.”

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PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

Legal Duties for Employers Within the Residential Nursing Care Sector

By Martin Chitty (employment partner) and Andrew Litchfield (health & safety partner) at Growling WLG (www.gowlingwlg.com) awareness of each individual's personal circumstances, acknowledgment of their concerns, genuine consideration of the issues that are causing concern, close liaison with health and safety advisors and proactive discussions with employees, whether individually or via consultation forums or Trade Unions.

As such, employers need to be aware of: Employment law protections around health and safety There are specific protections for those who raise health and safety concerns or who decline to work on grounds that there are serious and imminent health and safety issues. This applies not only to issues within the workplace but also to getting to and from work

PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURE – "WHISTLEBLOWING"

The situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve. Employers need to stay on top of developments as lockdown eases by complying with health and safety law, care and employment legislation as well as guidance from the Government and the CQC. It is crucial for employers to consider how they should address the impact of COVID-19 on staff morale and employee relations, especially as the sector has been one of the most affected. Despite all that has been done so far, employees will be and will continue to nervous about being at work. They will have a lot of questions and concerns; not just about themselves but about the risks to their families. They will want to know that they, and their families, are safe and will not be at risk either at work or at home.

This is a time where employers really do need to ensure that employees are on board, engaged and able to trust them. This requires an

Raising an issue where the employee has a reasonable belief that health and safety or other legal obligations have been breached and that the disclosure is in the public interest gives the employees protection from retaliatory action. In the care environment staff should be encouraged to raise concerns, but be conscious of their rights when you investigate. Allied to that the issues may appear as grievances or just a reference in an email – not everything is headed "Whistleblowing":

WORKING TIME REGULATIONS COVID-19 has created many instances of employees who either have to take time off to quarantine or to get better. This has meant that employers are facing pressure to rely on less members of staff to cover shifts which may have an effect on working time regulations. Employers will need to ensure that rest breaks, weekly breaks and holiday entitlements are observed.

CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS Staff retention is going to be a key issue. Employers are always at risk

of staff moving on at short notice. In the current environment we need to avoid increasing that risk by giving anyone the right to claim that obligations around "mutual trust and confidence" are not being met. So remember, how people are treated and how their concerns are addressed contributes to that overall position.

Duties under health and safety legislation Under UK health and safety law, employers have a duty to ensure so far as reasonably practicable - that their employees and other people who might be affected by their business, are not exposed to risk to their health, safety or wellbeing from their activities. It is important to note that the duty applies to risk – there is no need for any actual harm for the duty to be breached – and that it applies to both employees and anyone affected by the employers' business, for example residents and service users.

It is not legally possible to contract out of this duty. Breach is a criminal offence for which the employer faces an unlimited and uninsured fine.

Employers are also legally required to conduct risk assessments to identify hazards and then put in place control measures to eliminate, if not reduce as much as possible, the risks identified. Those risk assessments need to be location, activity and person specific and they need to be kept under review. They need to be prepared in consultation with employees and in accordance with Government, and care sector best practice and the results should be published. Steps should be taken to ensure that employees understand and are equipped to work in accordance with the control measures and compliance should be audited.

None of this is new law. COVID-19 is a new risk to which existing systems should be applied.

School Child Who Created ‘Hugs in a Bag’ For Care Home Residents Visits the Home A Surrey school pupil, who created ‘Hugs in a Bag’ for local care home residents during lockdown was able to visit the home in person last week – with PPE and social distancing allowing her to come and greet grateful residents face-to-face.

Eight-year-old Savannah, who attends The Royal Prep School in Hindhead, hit upon the idea of ‘Hugs in a Bag’ during coronavirus lockdown as she looked to find something that would help to cheer up residents of the Huntington & Langham Estate who have been having to socially distance.

The concept involves two colourful hand prints, which are attached via lengths of wool and can then be draped around a neck to mimic a hug – with the idea being to spread happiness and comfort, but without compromising resident safety.

With the initiative going down a storm in the home, and with appropriate measures allowing the prospect of a visit, the team at Huntington & Langham invited Savannah to come and see some of the residents so that they could thank her in person.

With an appropriate distance between them, Savannah and her younger brother Reece, who also joined her for the visit, donned masks, gloves and aprons, before visiting the garden room at Huntington House where several

residents were there to greet them.

In preparation of the visit, staff at the estate had put pictures of residents wearing the ‘hugs’ around the room in decoration and to highlight just how appreciated the gesture was.

Commenting on her visit to the estate, Savannah said: “I was excited to see their smiling faces when I was talking to them about what I had made for them. I had a lovely chat with some of the ladies and men, they made me laugh.”

Charlie Hoare, Director of the Huntington & Langham Estate, added: “Savannah’s hugs brought great joy to the estate – both for residents and staff, so we felt it only right that she came to meet some of our residents, offering them the chance to express their thanks for such a lovely and thoughtful gift.”

He continued: “We’ve only recently been in a position where, following government guidance and undertaking our own additional precautions, we can welcome people back to visit residents in the homes. With Savannah having worked so hard to uplift spirits, we wanted to give her the chance to speak to them face-to-face. It was lovely to see them interact and the residents thoroughly enjoyed meeting both Savannah and Reece, which proved yet another morale booster.”

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 9

Exclusion of Care Workers from Fast-Track Visa is a “Betrayal” The decision to exclude social care workers from a new fast-track health and care visa has been blasted as a “betrayal” by care home owners in Wales.

Mary Wimbury, the chief executive of Care Forum Wales, described the omission by Home Secretary Priti Patel as “sheer hypocrisy” when she and other members of the UK Government had been clapping for carers in appreciation of NHS staff and other key workers, including staff working in care homes and domiciliary care, during the coronavirus crisis.

Ms Wimbury, who is also a leading member of the Five Nations Group which represent independent social care providers across the UK and Eire, is calling for a U-turn on the issue.

The new system has been unveiled as part of the UK’s plans for a

points-based immigration system when freedom of movement with the EU ends in January.

According to the Home Secretary, employers would be encouraged to invest in workers from within the UK. The health and care visa will be open to workers who have a confirmed job offer in one of a series of “skilled” roles within the NHS or care sector – or for NHS service providers, such as doctors, nurses, radiographers, social workers and paramedics.

There is a mandatory requirement for visa applicants to have an offer of a job on a list of eligible occupations and speak English – earning them 50 points – as well as a minimum salary requirement of £20,480.

Ms Wimbury said: “This decision is a betrayal of the magnificent contribution of social care staff, many of them who came from other parts of the world, in shielding social care and saving lives. It is sheer hypocrisy.

“When they were clapping for carers, they made the point that it was important to have parity for health workers and care workers. Now we know this was absolute nonsense.

“Sadly, I’m not that surprised but I am really disappointed. This is one of the things we knew going into this crisis is that social care is seen as a Cinderella service, not on a par with the NHS. “One of the things that I hoped that would come out of this was that

social care was considered equally part of the nation’s fabric.

“Of course, we need to recruit people to fill vacancies in social care but going into this crisis it was already hugely difficult to recruit staff.

“Not everybody can work in social care. You’ve got to have the right values, and you’ve got to have the right compassion. You’ve got to think about who you’d want looking after your nearest and dearest. It’s got to be someone with those values that are actually going to come through when they’re caring, and it isn’t for everybody. We recruit a lot of workers locally but we also need the capacity to recruit from overseas as well.

“Care workers won’t fit in the income threshold and they won’t fit in the skills threshold under the proposals that have been published.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, who said: “The Covid crisis has proved that social care workers have proved that they are highly skilled and should be valued as such.

“Appropriately skilled social care workers should be able to come to this country to do this most important job providing care for the most vulnerable people in society.

“I would therefore urge the UK Government, if it’s mind is made up, to at least allow a holiday of two or three years to enable the social care sector and the NHS to recover.”

Gracewell of Sutton Coldfield Opens New Royal Oak Bar Gracewell of Sutton Coldfield care home has opened its very own bar.

Named The Royal Oak, the bar was opened by a socially distanced soiree where residents who reside on the first floor, the Memory Care Neighbourhood – a dedicated neighbourhood for residents living with dementia, got to choose a drink of their choice while enjoying cheese, biscuits and music.

Bringing a slice of Birmingham’s nightlife to Gracewell of Sutton Coldfield, the bar was donated to the home from a friend of a resident’s family member who owns a nightclub in the city.

The home had wanted to open a personalised bar for residents for some time but were unsure where to place it. However, the home decided that the first-floor balcony would be the perfect place for The Royal Oak, as it provides residents with a wonderful view of the Bowling Green and local Tennis Club.

Since opening, the bar has been well received by residents who

can look forward to enjoying a range of activities at the bar in the coming weeks. Gracewell of Sutton Coldfield will also be opening The Royal Oak to other residents on different floors by inviting them to attend at allocated times.

Speaking of the new bar, Sarah Diamond, General Manager of Gracewell of Sutton Coldfield, said: “I have wanted to have a bar here from the moment I arrived at Gracewell of Sutton Coldfield. We have a cinema, a hair and beauty salon, an activities lounge, stunning communal lounges, dining rooms, a beautiful bistro and the only thing that was missing was a pub!

“We have talked about it for years and, with the help of Jonathan Holyhead and our Maintenance Coordinator, we have finally made it happen. It looks fabulous and the residents have thoroughly enjoyed happy hour at our very own Royal Oak.”

PAGE 10 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

Care Staff Receive ‘Ab Fab’ Gifts of Thanks From Home Residents Colleagues at The Old Vicarage care home in Leigh, Dorset have all received a special gesture of thanks from the residents who live at the home. Every member of staff was presented with a treat box by residents, which had been put together by local lady Abby Dare of ‘Ab Fab Cakes’, containing delicious sweet treats to enjoy.

The gift boxes were funded by residents and their families, Healthcare Homes and also the home manager Molly Burrows. Residents presented a personalised box to their key worker to say thank you for everything they have done to keep people safe during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The team has worked tirelessly to keep residents happy and well during lockdown, when they have been unable to see friends and family. They have created innovative ways of keeping everyone entertained and busy, such as helping residents create their own herb garden, using Virtual Reality headsets to ‘visit’ different places and also setting up a pen pal programme with local children.

Home Manager Molly Burrows explains, “It was so wonderful to help our residents say thank you to our team in a very special way. The treat boxes were our way of saying just how grateful we are to the whole team for working so hard to care for our residents. They have all gone above and beyond every day, and the residents, their families and I, are incredibly proud of them all. It was a very emotional but happy day at our lovely home.”

Five Ways To Create A Healthy Work-Life Balance To Help Manage Stress

By Gill Hasson, co-author of Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace A good work-life balance can be a challenge for many, but when your work is all about taking care of people, the associated emotional involvement means that striking that balance can be even more difficult.

Worry and concern about a resident’s or client’s condition is more difficult to leave at the end of the day than paperwork at the office. The increased level of stress that comes as a result can impact on care workers’ wellbeing and this can lead to mental health problems.

It's important to recognise the symptoms of being overly stressed so that you are able to deal with these pressures before things get even worse. Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure. It’s the distress that’s caused as a result of that overload. Stress can affect how you feel, think, behave and how your body works. If you feel that you get easily irritated and overwhelmed or anxious, then you’re probably stressed. Stress affects us physically too - tense muscles, palpitations, stomach problems, headaches - are all symptoms of stress.

HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO HELP MANAGE AND REDUCE STRESS: SPEAK UP One of the key resources for managing workplace stress - whether it’s an unmanageable work-life balance, work overload, unreasonable or unrealistic demands - is the ability to say “no”.

You may worry that by refusing to do something or put up with something, others will be dismissive, get annoyed or upset. But saying nothing and suffering in silence is not going to make things better! The Mental Health Foundation recommends that “when work demands are too high, you must speak up. This includes speaking up when work expectations and demands are too much. Employers need to be aware of where the pressures lie in order to address them.”

BE ASSERTIVE; SET LIMITS Being able to turn other people down is an ability that will help you manage other people’s requests, demands and interruptions. If you’re unwilling or simply unable to do what’s been asked of you, you’ll need to say no. Be clear and direct; no waffling, excuses or elaborate explanations. Don’t blame someone or something else, just be honest. You only need one genuine reason for saying no. Just say what it is. Acknowledge the other person’s response and then either stand your ground or choose to negotiate and compromise.

GET CLOSURE; LEAVE WORK AT WORK • Reflect. At the end of each day (and at the end of each week) give yourself a positive debrief; write down three positive things that happened that day. Things that, no matter how small, you achieved, you learnt, made you laugh, a positive interaction with someone else. For anything that didn’t go well, ask yourself

what you’ve learnt from that and what you might do differently, next time.

• Disconnect. An activity that's completely different from what you do at work is a good way to get away from pressures of work. It could be hiking or cycling or playing a sport. It could be something creative artistic or musical. Whatever you enjoy doing, make sure you set aside time to do it. And do more of it more often!

PRACTICE HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES • Get active. Our physical health and mental health are closely linked; physical activity can be beneficial for your mental health and wellbeing too. The benefits can be immediate. So get up and get moving!

• Eat well. If you're unsure about how healthy and balanced your diet is, try keeping an eating diary. Write down everything you eat in a week and then go to the NHS website nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/ to see how your diet compares and what changes you could make.

• Go to Sleep • Create for yourself a calm, relaxing bedtime routine. If you're having difficulty getting to sleep, don’t tell yourself ‘I can’t sleep. I’m going to feel horrible tomorrow.’ This sort of self-talk creates a stress response that makes the problem worse. See if listening to something on the radio, listening to music, an audio book or a podcast distracts your mind; gives it something else to engage with.

SEEK OUT NATURE Try and organise your days so that you can spend time in nature. Mind has lots of tips on how to bring some benefits from nature into your life, whatever your personal situation. Go to mind.org.uk and search for 'ideas to try in nature' and 'nature and mental health overcoming barriers.'

If you, however, you find it more and more difficult to manage the pressure, don’t hesitate to seek professional medical and psychological advice.

Gill Hasson is co-author, with Donna Butler of Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Employers and Employees (Capstone, May 2020).

Gill delivers teaching and training for educational organisations, voluntary and business organisations and the public sector. She has 20 years' experience teaching and writing on a range of wellbeing issues; confidence and selfesteem, self-care, overcoming anxiety assertiveness and resilience. Gill is the author of more than 22 books; the bestselling Mindfulness, Mindfulness Pocketbook, Emotional Intelligence, Positive Thinking, the Sunday Times bestseller How To Deal With Difficult People, plus other books on the subjects of resilience, communication skills and assertiveness. Follow: @gillhasson

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 11

Unjustifiable Snub to Exclude Nurses and Carers from Pay Boost, Says IPPR The government has announced that nurses and many other NHS workers will not be included in the new public sector pay rise, despite their work on the Covid-19 frontline. This means nurses’ pay – as well as pay of other workers like midwives, healthcare assistants and paramedics – will still be impacted by the public sector pay freeze introduced in 2011/12.

The public sector pay freeze policy meant real term salaries for many NHS staff was cut, as it failed to keep up with inflation. A new pay deal in 2018 increased it by an average of 6.5 per cent over three years for most NHS staff.

However, new IPPR analysis shows that real-terms pay for health workers still lags far behind pre-austerity levels: • The pay of the average band 5 nurse will be £27,416 in 2020/21. This represents a real terms pay cut of almost £2,500 compared with the rate of inflation since 2011 (an estimated 9 per cent cut).

• The pay of an average band 6 nurse or midwife will be £33,176 in 2020/21. This represents a real terms pay cut of over £2,500 compared with the rate of inflation since 2011 (an estimated 8 per cent cut).

Social care staff are also set to miss out from the government’s announce-

ment. IPPR research from 2018 showed that nearly half of all jobs in social care are paid below the real living wage – nearly twice as many as in the economy as a whole.

IPPR has called on government to put guarantees in place for pay in health and care. In the April report Care Fit for Carers, we called for all healthcare staff to receive a 10 per cent pay increase (a Covid-19 pay bonus); for more adequate sick pay provision; and for social care workers to be paid in parity with NHS workers.

In response to government’s announcement, Chris Thomas, IPPR senior research fellow said: “For seven austere years, the public sector pay freeze was a dereliction of duty by government. It has directly contributed to the workforce crisis we see in health and care today.

“Today was an opportunity to correct that failing and open pay negotiations across the NHS. It is unforgivable that after the remarkable bravery of all our healthcare heroes they would not receive fair pay. We urge the government to reconsider their exclusion.”

Third Of Care Beds In Sheffield Face Closure

New data from the Sheffield Care Association has revealed that a third of all care home beds in the city could face closure in a matter of weeks.

A third of care home managers and providers claimed that local government support for care homes during the COVID-19 outbreak has been inadequate with a further 23% going further and branding it woeful.

Half stated that the additional funding provided by the council was insufficient.

The financial pressures faced by homes during the pandemic have compounded the historic under-funding of adult social care in Sheffield. The combined impact of these pressures has led care home managers and providers to cast doubt over the future of their homes.

Most care homes in the city only make a profit if running at or near capacity and many have seen a number of empty beds due to increased deaths and lower admissions into the sector.

This has led managers and providers to predict that they will need to close a third (34%) of their beds to try to balance the books.

Nicola Richards, Chair of the Sheffield Care Association, commented: “The long-term funding of Sheffield’s care sector must be guaranteed.

“We are aware that there are some estimations that Sheffield has too many beds in care homes, but we need a structured approach to managing this reduction, not forcing care homes to the wall at a time of crisis which may happen if homes do not receive adequate financial

support from Sheffield City Council.

“If they do not get support when they need it more than ever, residents will be fearful of their future, families anxious and the hard-working staff who have sacrificed so much in recent months will be betrayed.”

Sheffield City Council was recently criticised in a report for its Scrutiny Committee which highlighted concerns raised by families, staff, advocates and care homes.

Among the findings, the report criticises the Council for: • Increased bureaucracy, with an overload of requests for information and forms to fill in for various agencies • Incorrect information/guidance being sent out • A blame culture and lack of moral support • Difficulties in obtaining responses to queries on finance and funding • Delay in getting crisis funding to the frontline, and that the crisis funding is insufficient to cover the additional costs of the Covid-19 emergency • Accessing PPE has been difficult and expensive • Concerns about patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 being discharged back into care homes, or care home residents not being tested before hospital discharge • Availability and guidance around testing lacked clarity, and that the testing process was bureaucratic The report also highlighted Sheffield Care Association’s concern that

at the height of the pandemic response (9th April), Sheffield City Council announced a real-terms cut in funding to the city’s care homes.

Bal Kharia, owner of Vitality Care Homes, is also a member of the Sheffield Care Association and added: “Care homes in Sheffield have been in a fragile state for a number of years and this was before the COVID-19 crisis began. Recent events have put us under intense pressure and the Association is extremely concerned that care homes will soon face closure.

“The people this will affect hardest are the most vulnerable in our communities – our residents. It will also have a huge impact on our dedicated and loyal staff who have worked miracles during the COVID19 response.

“We need a cast iron commitment from the Council to guarantee funding levels, protect our services and an independent review of the cost of care in the city.”

Ms. Richards who runs Palms Row Health Care, added: “The actions of Sheffield City Council during COVID-19 have led to a collapse in confidence in the city administration among care homes and we simply don’t believe that a review led by the officials and councillors involved in recent decision making will be fair nor give the city a long term solution. We are hoping we can move forward and work closely with SCC to support our homes during the most challenging period in our sector.”

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 13

Social Care Is The Poor Relation Again The care of older and vulnerable adults through social care appears to have again been forgotten in a £3bn cash injection to fight a second wave of Covid-19, campaigners fear.

Welcoming the reported extra funding, the Independent Care Group (ICG) said it nevertheless looked like social care was to be the poor relation again as all money went to NHS care.

ICG Chair, Mike Padgham, said: “With everyone warning of a second wave of coronavirus it is vital that we are ready and the extra funding is welcome for the NHS. “But it seems to have been forgotten once again that social care is every bit as much the front line in the fight against the virus as NHS healthcare.

“And yet there is no mention of extra funding to help hard-pressed local authorities to in turn support social care looking after people in their own homes, in care and nursing homes and in local communities

“Social care providers are facing their own spiralling costs from extra staff and personal protective equipment and falling income from reduced take-up of services and admissions.

“Providers are already failing and we will see further closures, at this most critical of times, unless extra financial support is provided.”

Age UK has warned that as many as 20,000 care homes could go out of business without urgent extra support.

Local authorities have been given £3.2bn by the government to support all of their extra work during the pandemic but little of that has found its way to frontline social care providers. And there is a £600m infectioncontrol fund for care, nursing homes and other social care provision. But estimates suggest that care providers will face additional costs of £6.6bn between April and September.

Novellini launch BeSafe walls to help the UK return to work safely

Chloe Calls Out To Fellow Care Workers To Pen Poems In A Pandemic A national poetry and painting competition has been launched to help capture the thoughts and feelings of social care and support staff working in care homes and making home care visits during the Covid19 pandemic.

Our heroes at the frontline of social care are being encouraged to pen words from the heart or create illustrations or paintings that speak a thousand words in turn – as part of the competition that will help mark these most unprecedented times.

There are 10 categories to help capture the experience and emotions of working in the care profession during a pandemic including: Hope, recovery, isolation, humour, reflection, loss, bereavement, observation, uplifting and bravery.

Social care and support staff working in care homes, the community and in all care settings are at the front line of the Coronavirus fight, working alongside the NHS and supporting the country’s most vulnerable people.

The competition is being run by Think About Care, a new not-for-profit organisation established to support social care staff and help raise the profile of social care.

It has been launched to document the contribution of our social care heroes – in their own words and through their own images.

The winning poems in each of the categories will be published in a book, with all proceeds going to support the mental health and wellbeing of social care workers through arts projects.

Care home activity coordinator Chloe Booth has penned a poem for the competition’s Loss category entitled ‘She wasn’t alone’. She is encouraging fellow care workers across the UK to put pen, pastels or watercolours to paper too, to use creativity as an emotional outlet.

Chloe, aged 24, has worked at a Barchester care home for the last eight years after starting to volunteer there at the age of 16. Her poignant verse captures incredibly emotional moments in time – the moving reality of our social care workers’ days due to Coronavirus.

I had promised her daughters that I would sing her favourite songs as she gained her wings You are the dancing queen, young and sweet only 17 I knew she’d be listening whilst hovering between I facetimed her daughters so they could say good-

bye, they wanted to be there, to hold her and cry I rang her girls to tell them the news, they smiled and thanked me ‘it was you she would choose’ to lay down beside her and stay until the end, we are so grateful, you were her true friend The closing date for poems or paintings to be received is midnight on 31st August 2020. The competition is open to anyone aged 17 or over at the time of entering.

Supporting the competition, Professor Martin Green, CEO at Care England, said: “It is at times of uncertainty that people often turn to creativity as a way to express their feelings and communicate their emotions.

“We have seen the care sector rise to this challenge and I’m so looking forward to reading these poems because they will be a reminder for ourselves and future generations of the spirit of care workers and how they felt in these uncertain times.”

For a long time social care has been the poor relation to health. The pandemic has highlighted the valuable role of social care in supporting the NHS and has seen society accept the need for change and recognition of the sector.

Workplaces around the nation are preparing for when the UK can return to a kind of normality. The Novellini Group presents a solution that will help to create safe working environments that are hygienic and adaptable. The BeSafe wall is a protective device that companies with any office, desk space, trade counters, and food service areas can incorporate going forward.

The primary benefit? Hygiene. Employees will feel protected with the BeSafe wall as it provides a barrier. Constructed from 6mm tempered glass, it’s easy to clean with any alcoholic disinfectant. In smaller spaces where it’s difficult to sit two meters away, the wall is a particularly helpful solution.

Office teams aren’t the only ones who will be happy to see these walls put in place. BeSafe is a smart answer for all industries where contact with the public is required, such as pharmacies, retail counters, restaurants and public offices.

Novellini can customise each barrier to suit the space with three versions (floor mounted, trade counter, and desks) and five different sizes.

RULES OF ENTRY: 1. The competition is open to anyone aged 17 or over at the time of entering.

The closing date of the competition is Midnight 31st August 2020.

3. There is no limit on the number of entries a single entrant can make. All entries will be considered anonymously by the judges.

4. Entries must be submitted to poems@caretalk.co.uk 5. Under no circumstances can alterations be made to poems once entered.

6. All entries are judged anonymously. The poet’s name must not appear on the poem itself, nor should the poem reference any individual’s personal details in line with GDPR. 7. Poems must be the entrant’s original work.

8. Entries must not have been published, self-published, published on a website or made public on social media, broadcast or featured among the winners in another competition before 31 March 2020.

9. Entries must be written in English.

10. All entries must include: poem category, entrant’s name, job title, organisation, organisation address and contact phone number

UK Sales Manager at Novellini, Stuart West says ‘We are looking to help the UK workforce where we can and these are a positive answer to those concerns about health and hygiene.’

As specialists in showers and design, Novellini are putting their skills to good use and many businesses across the UK will be pleased to find a safe and stylish solution. They are even available in several colours and glass finishes to suit the surroundings.

For more information contact Novellini UK on 01727 229922 or visit the website at www.novellini.co.uk For brochure and advice please email info-uk@novellini.com For large projects or orders, customized solutions can be evaluated. We are available to evaluate and propose BeSafe Wall solutions specific for your protection needs.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 15

The British Geriatrics Society Launches New Frailty Hub and CPD-Accredited Frailty E-Learning Module The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) has launched a new free-to-access Frailty Hub, and associated Frailty e-Learning module, creating a ‘one-stop shop’ where healthcare professionals can view the latest information, research and educational resources addressing this crucial area of older people’s healthcare.

The Frailty Hub brings together curated articles, national guidelines and best practice relevant to frailty, and is reviewed and regularly updated by the BGS Clinical Quality Committee and the Frailty Special Interest Group (SIG). The associated e-learning module on frailty covers key issues for healthcare professionals supporting older people with frailty, including identification, diagnosis and interventions.

The evidence for the importance of recognising frailty and providing appropriate interventions for older people living with it has been strengthening in the UK and internationally in recent years. With longer life spans, there are more people living with frailty than ever before. Supporting this ageing population creates a demand for readily accessible frailty resources and relevant training. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted this issue. Research published in the Lancet shows the high prevalence of frailty in patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to hospital and the direct association between frailty, duration of hospital stay and mortality.

Leading UK experts in the field of frailty, including Professor Simon Conroy, Professor Finbarr Martin and BGS Vice President for Clinical Quality Dr Jugdeep Dhesi supported by Dr Dan Thomas, Dr Emily Jasper and Dr Krishanthi Sathanandan, have led the development of the Frailty Hub and e-learning module on frailty. The Frailty Hub includes an introduction to frailty where healthcare professionals can find out what frailty is, and how

it can be diagnosed and managed. In addition, there are resources on frailty in different settings including care homes, emergency care, frailty units and the community, and resources relevant to specialised services such as diabetes, heart failure and oncology. For those with higher levels of expertise and in leadership roles, there are links to the latest research and useful information to help set up a frailty service, with examples of best practice, service development, and business cases. There is also an area of the hub focusing on the national picture with links to relevant publications by NHS England, NICE, GIRFT, NHS RightCare and NHS Benchmarking.

The associated e-learning module covers frailty scales, theories underpinning the pathophysiology of frailty, clinical presentation, adverse outcomes, care planning, treatment, and personal experiences of living with frailty. There are also demonstrations of different frailty pathways. The module is suitable for consultants and registrars in all specialties as well as GPs/GP Trainees, Advanced Clinical Practitioners (Bands 7,8 and 9), Internal Medicine Training and Foundation Year doctors and Nurses and Allied Health Professionals (Bands 5 and 6) and other experienced healthcare professionals providing support to older people with complex needs.

The module is available to view with or without accredited CPD, equivalent to 10 credits. BGS members can access this module on a reference-only basis, free of charge.

Professor Tahir Masud, President of the British Geriatrics Society, commented: “We are delighted to officially launch our new free-to-access Frailty Hub and the associated Frailty e-Learning module, which have been developed and curated by the leading UK experts in the field. Frailty is a condition

commonly found in older people in which multiple body systems gradually lose their in-built reserves. Older people living with frailty are at risk of adverse health outcomes after an apparently minor event, such as an infection, change of environment, or new medication. This condition affects around 10% of people aged over 65 years old, rising to between a quarter and a half of those aged over 85 years old. It is estimated that up to 60% of older people admitted to acute hospital wards are living with frailty. It is crucial therefore that all health professionals caring for older patients are able to identify frailty and provide the right interventions to help manage this condition. I would advise all doctors, nurses and allied health professionals caring for older people living with frailty to use these excellent resources on the BGS website” Dr David Attwood, Honorary Secretary of the British Geriatrics Society, commented: “The presence of frailty has a profound impact in terms of managing patient goals, initiation and maintenance of medications, optimisation of long term conditions and advance care planning. For commissioners and senior leaders, this Frailty Hub provides a toolkit for the commissioning of evidence based services that are of proven benefit to older people in their locality. I wholeheartedly commend this online resource to my colleagues.”

Download the Frailty Hub graphic: https://www.bgs.org.uk/sites/default/files/content/FrailtyHubWheel.png View the BGS Frailty Hub: https://www.bgs.org.uk/resources/resourceseries/frailty-hub View the BGS Frailty e-Learning module: https://www.bgs.org.uk/resources/frailty-hub-education-and-training

Lincoln Care Home Creates Very Own Bowling Green HC One’s White Gable care home decided to set to work to create their very own bowling green.

A few months ago, one of the Residents at the Lincoln care home expressed a desire to play lawn bowls. This proved a great challenge as the lawns around the outside of the property are home to a colony of rabbits, which meant that finding a patch flat and smooth enough for bowls was nigh on impossible.

There was however, an enclosed courtyard garden in the middle of the home which had a large raised bed in the middle. Having been there for over two decades, the wooden sleepers were starting to rot and the plants had become root bound and hardly flowered any more.

Wellbeing Coordinator Katherine Trevor decided this would be the perfect time to take on the challenge of creating a bowling green for the Residents to enjoy.

Creating the green was not an easy task. Maintenance operative Kat Fort, set to work with Katherine on demolishing the old bed, lifting an area of slabs and digging down to create a sub-base for an artificial grassed area.

There were several tonnes of soil and rubble to dig out along with 12 enormous railway sleepers and some concrete footings from an old Koi pond, which used to stand on the site over 30 years ago.

It was an extremely hard going task, and then to make matters seem nearly impossible, COVID-19 hit.

Unfortunately Katherine became very unwell and had to isolate at home. It was four weeks until she was able to return to work and another couple of days after that until she was able to physically continue with the project which she was determined to finish.

After filling the hole with hard-core a local builder kindly came to compact it with a machine. Another generous volunteer, Barry Holland (husband of a staff member) helped to fill in the sand, level it off and lay the sizeable and weighty roll of artificial turf.

One of the Residents, Alan, commented “well done, you’ve done a grand job there!”

The green is now finally finished and the Residents will be able to play all sorts of lawn games including bowls, just like they always wanted to.

The Home Manager said “what an absolute Herculean task Katherine set herself. I’m immensely proud of what she and my team have achieved. I know that the Residents are going to love this addition to the activities they already enjoy in the home.”

Unfortunately Resident Eddie who sowed the idea for this during lockdown has now passed away. The home was devastated and will always think of him when playing and relax on the lawn. Rest in peace Eddie, White Gables will always remember you.

PAGE 16 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

Businesses at Risk Without a Lasting Power of Attorney

By Sarah Nash, Associate Director and the head of Ansons’ Wills, Probate and Trusts team Most people understand the benefits of a lasting power of attorney (LPA), which allows an individual to nominate someone to take decisions on their behalf, if they become incapacitated in some way.

Less well known is the ability to put an LPA in place for a business, which makes a lot of sense in the current health crisis, when the sudden illness of a business owner could have serious ramifications for the business and its workforce, to say nothing of the owner’s livelihood too.

Lack of awareness is typically why business owners do not adopt a business LPA, without one the business will have to rely on the Court of Protection to appoint a deputy, which is often a lengthy process.

Being unable to access business bank accounts or make decisions for months could precipitate a quick demise for many businesses, adding to the owner’s problems.

It is often best to have an LPA in place, even if never used, so that it is there should something serious befall the business leader. The person trusted to step up and run the business can oversee the business bank accounts, and immediately deal with issues such as invoices, wages and tax matters, as well as assessing and signing contracts.

A SENSIBLE PRECAUTION As a business owner, if you become unable to make decisions for any reason, it could severely impact on a vast number of people and ulti-

mately the fate of your business.

The benefits of having an LPA in place for your business are therefore apparent; every person your business comes into contact with, from suppliers and creditors to clients and employees, could benefit from you having a trusted individual nominated to keep things running should you become incapacitated for any reason.

The people closest to you can also take peace of mind from knowing that there are measures in place to ensure the continuity of income from the business (from its continued operation) should something happen.

So why are LPAs for businesses so uncommon? Lack of awareness seems to be a key reason, with many business owners simply unaware this is an option.

Some people fear that even a temporary period of mental incapacity may lead to them permanently losing control of their business interests.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 deals with this concern, requiring the attorney you appoint to ‘so far as reasonably practicable, permit and encourage the person to participate, or to improve their ability to participate, as fully as possible in any act done for them and any decision affecting them.’

Others are content that in circumstances where capacity is lost, the Court of Protection will appoint a deputy. Whilst this is true, it can also present some serious issues.

Appointing a deputy can take several months, during which time, the decision-making processes and daily operations of a business, without leadership or direction from the top, can fall apart.

The appointment of a deputy is also an expensive process – the combination of the long timescale and costs can significantly impact a business.

On the other hand, putting a business LPA in place ensures that a person you know and trust will take the reins immediately, and can

Environmental Science Limited (ESL) Restructures its Business to Launch Unique and Effective Palm Tree Foaming Hand Sanitisers Environmental Science Ltd based in March, Cambridgeshire was originally set up in 1994 and has focused primarily on the authoring of Safety ata and Workplace Activity Safety Protection (WASP) Sheets, identifying chemical hazards and providing on-site COSHH monitoring, LEV testing and risk assessment services.

This core activity will continue, however due partly to the changed circumstances brought about by Covid-19, the company has made the decision to significantly expand and restructure the business. ESL has built and established trusted relationships within the UK chemical industry over the last 25 years, therefore it is a natural progression for the business to move

into the development, manufacture, and distribution of hygiene products. These will include hand sanitisers, sprays, medicated soaps, surface and floor wipes and disinfectants.

To facilitate these new product lines, a new business entity is being created with the name “Environmental Science Hygiene Ltd”, and the existing company is renamed as “Environmental Science Group”. Their new website is: www.envsciencegroup.com One factor behind the change of direction for the business is that some products are being very hastily marketed during this pandemic; therefore they do not perform as efficiently as may be implied. By contrast, the team at

Manufactured in the UK

Celebrating 40 years

begin to deal with the usual running of the business without delay or unnecessary costs.

MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS NOW A business LPA can be straightforward to organise. A Form LPF1 must be completed and signed by a witness, the chosen attorney and a ‘certificate provider’. The form is then registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).

At time of writing the fee for registering a business LPA is £82. If you arrange a personal LPA alongside a business LPA, then your personal LPA should stipulate that it does not cover your business affairs. Your business LPA must state that your nominated attorney has power only over your business affairs.

The choice of attorney to be appointed requires a lot of careful consideration. It is therefore important to consult an experienced team of legal advisors, who will offer support in making this decision, and the factors to consider.

Ultimately, the long-term security of your business and employees is at stake. Without an LPA, you risk jeopardising everything you have worked hard to build over the years.

About the author: Sarah Nash is an Associate Director and the head of Ansons’ Wills, Probate and Trusts team. She is a full member of STEP, with more than 19 years’ experience advising on a wide range of private client matters including, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Deputyship. Sarah has presented seminars, written blogs and undertaken radio interviews on the topics of wills, probate and trusts.

About the firm: Ansons is a leading firm of solicitors with offices in Cannock, Lichfield, Halesowen and Sutton Coldfield, providing a complete range of legal services to businesses and individuals. Services range from advising on commercial property and corporate matters to family law and wills, probate & tax planning.

Environmental Science are committed to producing high quality products that are both safe and effective. They also feel it is important to provide complete transparency by supplying the relevant GHS Safety Data Sheets, Product Labels, Product Information Sheets, etc.

Our Palm Tree Foaming Hand Sanitiser is unique and different from other current products for the following reasons: • The alcohol is naturally sourced and distilled from the sap of palm trees.

• The palm trees are not damaged in the extraction process, so the product is both sustainable and eco-friendly.

• Unlike most other sources of Ethanol, by tapping into an existing resource it means that valuable agricultural land can be used for food production instead.

• The foaming action is preferred by the healthcare sector over gel-based products.

• The alcohol content is in excess of 60% as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

• Conforms to the European Standard EN1276.

For further information, please contact: Tel: +44 (0) 1354 653 222 Email: sales@envsciencegroup.com Web: www.envsciencegroup.com

Freephone: 0800 917 7943 www.euroservice-uk.com sales@euroservice-uk.com

Introducing the new HYGIEIA range In the past few weeks the design team at Euroservice have been focussing on the needs of the care sector taking into account the enormous pressures faced over the past few months.

Elegant and practical new designs have emerged from market research and the new HYGIEIA service trolleys have been created to combine hygiene and social distancing with style and elegance.

The new HYGIEIA trolleys are an attractive and practical alternative to clinical aluminium trolleys given that antibacterial spray can be used freely to sanitise them.

Moreover, when not in use the attractive trolleys can be used as a vending trolley, selling personal care products to residents or snacks/pastries to visitors.

Your lovely trolley could do so much for you and your residents!

Get in touch with our friendly sales team and we will be happy to help find a trolley to meet your needs.

www.euroservice-uk.com

Visit the website at euroservice-uk.com to see the full range.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 17

Councils “Unprepared” for Senior Housing Crisis New research produced by global property consultancy Knight Frank and law firm Irwin Mitchell has revealed that councils across England are underprepared to provide suitable housing for seniors.

The new research has identified the ten opportunity areas* ripe for development of seniors’ housing across England. Knight Frank and Irwin Mitchell have distinguished areas where there is clear potential for senior living to develop, as well as those areas where local factors are creating a barrier to progress.

Developing suitable housing will be essential given that the country has an ageing demographic and people are living longer. By 2037, it is forecast that one in four people in the country will be over 65 (ONS).

These ‘best in class’ local authorities meet the needs of the UK’s ageing population by allocating sites for seniors housing in their local plans; adopting a supportive planning policy that recognises many key stakeholders have a role to play in meeting the housing needs of seniors; and taking a supportive position on CIL. Lauren Harwood, Head of Senior Living Research at Knight Frank says: “This research is released against a backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has placed a particular spotlight on people in their later life. This has made it clear there is a need for local authorities to put plans in place to ensure there is a suitable, age-appropriate choice of housing for seniors.

“There is currently a huge supply and demand imbalance of senior housing in England, which is widening amidst a growing and ageing population. It is vital to increase the provision of seniors housing. This is part of the solution to create more capacity in the social care system while also supporting the wider housing market. With that in mind, it is crucial that developers understand where the opportunities are, and how they can access these to help meet the needs of our seniors.”

Despite this, some Local Authorities are not sufficiently planning suitable accommodation for their ageing population.

Nicola Gooch, Planning Partner at Irwin Mitchell adds: “We need all local authorities to take the same approach if we are to unlock the potential of senior housing in England. There has been a marked improvement in the number of local authorities planning for seniors housing in recent years, but there is still a long way to go before the necessary support is in place to deliver our population’s elderly housing needs in full.”

Irwin Mitchell carried out a similar survey in 2017, which ranked local

authorities between ‘A’ and ‘D’; in 2017, 62% received a ‘D’ ranking, meaning the local authority did not have any specific planning policies in place for senior housing. A repeat of the survey in 2020 found that 161 (50%) are still in the ‘D’ category. While this represents a small improvement, the number of councils not planning for an ageing population remains significant. (See appendices for detail) However, the number of ‘A’ rated authorities that have a clear planning policy for seniors housing has almost doubled – from 9.7% of the survey in 2017 to 18.6% in 2020.

Nicola Gooch of Irwin Mitchell continues: “Despite some improvement it is extremely disappointing to see that 50% of local authorities in England have neither a useful planning policy nor site allocations in their local plans to provide for such accommodation. Local authorities have moved forward in the past three years – but only by very little steps and certainly not fast enough to cover the demographic shifts.

The current patchwork approach to local plans is holding back the development of the sector and needs to end. A national and local policy framework that works to promote a uniform and supportive approach to senior housing is required.”

Lauren Harwood of Knight Frank concludes: “One of the clearest demographic changes in our country is the ageing population and it is worrying that we are not doing enough yet to address this. Not only for our older population, but also because encouraging downsizing and moves to appropriate housing has been shown to benefit society more broadly.

“Studies have shown that moving to appropriate seniors housing releases more family housing into the market and delays or reduces the likelihood of ‘crisis events’, such as falls, which trigger health interventions by the NHS and, in many cases, move into institutional care facilities. It is time for both central and local government to take the demographic shift seriously and start planning at the very basic local plan level for our ageing population.”

Other key findings of the survey are: • Very few large cities appear to be close to addressing the challenges posed by housing an ageing population. Many major cities are a “D” rating- including Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Leicester, Oxford, Sheffield and Southampton. Leeds is an exception- it has an A rating for planning and performs well in the overall opportunity rankings also.

• London is increasingly becoming an ageing city and London boroughs

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exclusively make up the nation’s top 10 ageing local authorities. Its 65+ population is due to increase by 32% between 2017 and 2029. Despite this, London is underperforming when it comes to delivering housing for its senior citizens, with 22 boroughs currently holding a planning score of ‘D’. While the new draft London Plan recognises the importance of the sector, its record on delivery has been poor. In the first three full years of the plan (2017-2019 inclusive) just over 700 senior living homes per annum were delivered (totalling 2,100 units), compared to the target of 4,115 units per annum (12,345 units over the three-year period).

As we adapt to new policy environments and learn from past experiences, we are hopeful that the speed of gaining planning permission and the overall supply of homes for seniors will increase in London.The analysis highlights there are opportunity areas, particularly within the South West corridor of London, where there is potential for significant growth. Currently these boroughs perform relatively poorly in the planning score, but nonetheless have other factors firmly in their favour.

There are also some boroughs bucking the trend in London. Camden scored highest out of the London boroughs, and second overall in our overall opportunity score for private delivery. Camden has a specific policy supporting seniors housing. Its local plan makes clear affordable housing is likely to be sought with a flexible approach to the scale and location, and residential CIL charging rates apply.

Birmingham has a projected growth rate of 22%, and an existing 65+ population of 150,000 individuals will increase to 183,000 by 2034.

Birmingham has the potential to perform much better, but in line with other large cities, its adopted planning policies do not prioritise senior living. Birmingham has no housing allocation, no policies supporting delivery, affordable housing is levied on C2 development and there are no CIL benefits compared with residential development. Since 2010, there has been an average annual delivery of 208 senior living units across the local authority, with no schemes delivered since 2018. Without a change in policy, the survey warns that the city will not meet the needs of its ageing demographic’s housing requirements.

By contrast Cheshire West & Chester is a ‘best in class’ local authority, having an allocation for seniors’ housing, a supportive policy environment, a clear position on affordable housing and CIL requirements for C2 use. It is also the only authority to appear in the top 20 opportunity areas for both private and affordable operators.

Banstead Care Home Residents Sing Down Memory Lane Residents of local care home, Sunrise of Banstead were treated to a trip down memory lane and an afternoon of entertainment as part of a special concert series organised by The Not Forgotten on Monday 20th July.

The Not Forgotten, a British Armed Forces charity for serving and ex-service men and women recently launched Those Not Forgotten Years, a nationwide outdoor concert tour of care homes to entertain, boost morale and lift spirits by reaching 1000’s of residents across the country.

Around 50 residents and members of staff all dressed in red, white and blue gathered in the grounds for the Surrey concert - at a suitable social distance, for a memorable afternoon to lift the lockdown blues.

Residents sang along, tapped their feet and waved flags as The Not Forgotten professional entertainment team of singers and musicians performed a set of popular classics and rousing favourites from the 30’s to the 60’s including a poignant special tribute to the late Dame Vera Lynn.

Commenting on the day, Suzanne Garston, General Manager, Sunrise of Banstead said: We always celebrate the VE day event within the com-

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munity but to have visitors come and share this with us at this difficult social distancing time has been amazing and it is very important to our residents to have these special dates NOT FORGOTTEN. An emotional but happy time spent today.”

Brigadier James Stopford, CBE, CEO of The Not Forgotten said: “Sadly, events to commemorate VE Day, VJ Day and D Day could not take place properly this year, so we were determined to help WW2 veterans and those who have served their country mark these important days by bringing the celebrations to them.”

Newton Aycliffe Care Home Resident Celebrates 101st Birthday A very special Resident at HC-One’s St Clares Court care home in Newton Aycliffe celebrated his 101st birthday on 17th July.

Douglas Saylas, a Resident at St Clares Court and an exnavy officer, celebrated his birthday on Friday 17th, starting with a visit from his family.

Douglas’ family visited the home at a distance and brought some gifts for him, they had not seen Doug in many months, and they were all over the moon to see him.

They brought Doug his Navy jacket with all his medals on from his time in the navy serving his country, which made Doug very happy. Doug put his jacket on to show everyone in the home his medals.

“It has been so nice seeing

my family and to be able to see my medals again,” commented Douglas Saylas.

At teatime, Colleagues and Residents in the home celebrated with cake while Doug told them about his time in the navy and how he got each of his medals.

He told staff about his time in the navy commenting that he had had a good life and it was because of his experiences in the navy that he is still so independent today.

Helen Emerson, St Clares Court Home Manager, said: “I am so very delighted for Doug on his 101st birthday.

We were able to facilitate Douglas’ first socially distant visit from his family and reunite him with his medals. It was so overwhelming to see how happy this made him.”

PAGE 18 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

The Benefits of Personalised Care

By Jade McGowan, activities coordinator for Renaissance Care’s Jesmond Aberdeen home.

Of my 18 years in care, I’ve worked at Renaissance Care’s Jesmond Care Home for the last 12.

Starting as a senior care assistant set me up well for becoming activities co-ordinator in 2013 and gave me a solid foundation for understanding individual care needs, a skill which is crucial in my current role.

As activities co-ordinator I’m focused on delivering personalised, individual care, and I’ve never seen it have such a profound and obvious benefit to the residents as it has during the Covid-19 crisis.

One of the key values we share at Renaissance Care is that we really ‘see’ our residents for who they are. True care is about respect and understanding, so all year round the team and I work hard to provide fun activities based on the range of hobbies, likes and dislikes of the individuals we care for.

However as lockdown measures came into place, our residents were no longer able to socialise together which for many is not only hard because they enjoy the company of the friends they have in the home, but a lack of stimulus can have a very negative effect on elderly people’s mood, memory and general wellbeing.

We have a number of residents who live with dementia and we knew they would be particularly vulnerable as they can often find it difficult to understand or remember why they have to isolate, which can be very distressing for them.

Overnight, we went from group activities and regular visits from friends and family, to separating all residents into their own room with physical visits only from the staff in the home.

Spending that amount of one-to-one time with residents meant I got to know them even better than I did before which helped me come up with fun and exciting activities I knew would spark an interest in each resident.

Activities in their rooms ranged from games of dominoes to pamper days – whatever tickled their fancy really.

We were lucky enough to also have some socially distanced activities, including performers who came to give us a show from the window. These types of activities really raised the spirits of the residents as it gave them a feeling of togetherness with their friends in the home, even though they weren’t physically close.

Keeping residents and their families in good contact was one of my most important tasks during lockdown, not just for the benefit of the residents, but also their families. Thankfully, our management had supplied iPads to each home at the beginning of lockdown to ensure the essential communication between residents and their loved ones was not ceased completely during what was an extremely worrying time for many.

Being able to “meet” each other on FaceTime meant a lot to the residents and their families and also to the staff as it was fantastic seeing our residents’ reactions to seeing their family - something we are looking forward to more of now socially distanced outdoor visits are permitted.

As you would imagine, delivering one-to-one activity sessions to 65 residents was quite the undertaking and I couldn’t have done it without the support from the incredibly dedicated team here at Jesmond Care Home.

From the kitchen team who have personalised diets for residents needing to get their strength up after falling ill, to the management and staff who have been a source of support to us all and of course to the residents whose smiles and words of encouragement have meant more than they could ever know.

Study Identifies 10 Risk Factors For Alzheimer’s Disease Scientists led by a team in China have identified 10 risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. The 10 factors are diabetes, poor BMI, reduced education, high blood pressure in midlife, low blood pressure, head trauma, high levels of homocysteine, less cognitive activity, stress, and depression. Researchers published the findings today (Monday 20 July) in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

Dementia is caused by a number of physical brain diseases, the most common being Alzheimer’s disease. You can find out more reducing your of Alzheimer’s disease by visiting alzres.uk/risk-reduction Speaking about this study, Dr Rosa Sancho, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Diseases like Alzheimer’s are caused by a complex mix of age, genetics and lifestyle. In 2017 a landmark report found 9 modifiable risk factors for dementia and like that report, in this research, scientists reviewed findings from a large number of existing studies.

“Intriguingly they found that head trauma and high levels of a compound called homocysteine were associated with the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Identifying risk factors like this is an important starting point for further research into ways to limit their impact and help people live for longer free from dementia.

“There is still more to do when it comes to dementia prevention, with Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Dementia Attitudes Monitor showing just a third of people think it’s possible to reduce their dementia risk. The best way to keep your brain healthy as you age is to stay physically and mentally active, eat a healthy balanced diet, not smoke, drink only within the recommended limits and keep weight, cholesterol and blood pressure in check.”

Connecting Generations: The Growing Role of IoT in the Healthcare Sector

by Damien Stephens, Associate Vice President - Mobility & IoT, Tata Communications

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought issues relating to the lives and care of older people to the top of the news agenda. Older people and those with underlying health conditions are among the most susceptible to the coronavirus.

However, the crisis has also brought unprecedented attention to the growing role of technology in the lives and wellbeing of older citizens.

In tackling the virus, primary strategies have included social distancing, lockdown measures and the cocooning of vulnerable citizens at home.

Technology is playing an essential role in making such measures viable and successful. More older people than ever before are having to adopt health monitoring and unified communications solutions to help maintain contact with their primary health care providers, families and friends. While in isolation or lockdown, many are also using technology to combat loneliness, and keep connected.

However, its not the first time that older generation is observing the benefits of technology in their wellbeing. Smart technology has gradually encroached into their lives over recent years. Heart monitors and personal alarm systems are among the most common wearable smart technology applications offered to them. But the COVID-19 crisis has led to technology being applied in new, creative ways. This has spurred the exponential adoption of smart tech solutions by people born long before the digital era.

As the fifth generation wireless communications (5G) gears up for its rollout across the globe, the inherent and unprecedented connectivity of 5G presents an array of possibilities for new IoT use cases. And the challenges of COVID-19 are pointing to where such technologies could provide real solutions.

This crisis has brought the possibilities of telehealth to the fore. At a time when isolation is essential for the control of this infectious disease, telehealth is helping health professionals make visual assessments

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based on the characteristics of the patient’s appearance and behaviour.

The use of unified video communications platforms to connect healthcare professionals to their patients was still niche prior to COVID-19. But now it represents a lifeline for those with immediate medical needs, who are currently cocooned at home for safety. Using a smart phone or a tablet, they can gain the connection and reassurance of a face-to-face consultation, which just isn’t possible on a traditional voice call.

The urgent need for intelligence in the fight against COVID-19 has also focused minds on the value of IoT enabled technologies in gathering vital data while providing essential assistance to those in need.

Smartphones, smartwatches, digital assistance units and medical monitoring devices like wearable heart monitors are among the technologies used to relay essential data directly to healthcare providers. For instance, smart technologies such as movement sensors and wearable fall monitors are now mitigating the need for hospital admissions due to injury from falls. And COVID-19 has redoubled the value of such benefits. COVID-19 has also spurred the development of smart device apps to generate and collate crucial public health data.

I believe the longer-term results of this crisis will include the accelerated adoption of unified communications solutions and development of smarter IoT applications for the safeguarding of the most vulnerable.

Central to this will be an emphasis on connectivity and communications integration to link care homes to hospitals and other community settings.

Another significant result of this crisis is a breaking down of the stereotype that older people are technology averse. And responses to the challenges of COVID-19 are disproving the assumption that technology plays a diminishing role in our lives as we grow older. Senior citizens across different countries are leaning onto digital technologies and universal communications solutions to remain connected to family and friends in the community during lockdown.

Those who require the most care are often more susceptible to isolation and loneliness. And the COVID19 crisis has further removed the benefits many gain from daily interactions. But technologies such as video conferencing platforms are enabling communities of at risk citizens to see each other’s faces and enjoy the stimulation of regular social interaction while cocooned at home. I believe this is a significant and transformative social shift that must be build upon once this crisis has passed.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 19

PAGE 20 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

Conflict Management The Importance of Acting Early

By David Liddle, CEO of conflict management consultancy The TCM Group Carers have been at the front line during the COVID19 pandemic, so it’s hardly surprising that experts are suggesting the experience has taken its toll on their mental health.

The Health Foundation predicts that based on early evidence, we are likely to see an increase in problems such as depression, substance abuse and post traumatic stress disorder among those working in the profession.

The peak may (hopefully) have passed, but carers are still operating in pressurised, stressful environments – and when emotions are running high, the potential for conflict with colleagues and managers is greater than ever.

People who are fuelled on adrenaline and cortisol (the so-called stress hormones) often find it hard to think straight or react rationally to situations. They become irritated more easily and are quick to temper. When people are anxious or depressed, they find it harder to concentrate and their decision-making ability can become impaired. When these factors are at play, it’s easy to see how minor niggles can soon escalate into major meltdowns.

At TCM, we are seeing a rise in both the amount and ferocity of cases coming to us for mediation – and our mediators are reporting that mental health is a factor in an increasing number of workplace conflicts.

It’s a vicious circle. Managers often don’t realise that someone whose behaviour has become combative, or whose performance has dipped, is suffering with a mental health issue. And of course employees who are suffering from anxiety or depression are often reluctant to talk about it, due to the stigma that still exists, and for fear that disclosure may affect their job security or career prospects.

There’s a tendency to think that if you brush workplace disputes under the carpet they will go away. The reality is that this rarely happens. Positions become entrenched and if left unchecked, interactions can get increasingly unpleasant. People become distressed, are often unable to sleep at night and start to suffer physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach upsets. Absence levels rise and there is a knock on effect on the team, not just in terms of resourcing, but also on motivation, engagement and productivity.

Managers need to act early, both to support employees who may be suffering with mental health issues, and to nip conflict in the bud. There are two key actions they can take: Be alert to the signs of mental ill health: There are a few red flags that may indicate an employee is suffering with a mental health issue. Someone who is normally very sociable and communicative may start to withdraw, or you may notice that a usually reliable and well turned out employee is looking tired, turning up late and paying less attention to their appearance than normal.

People may become tearful and over-sensitive, or more prone to making mistakes. Someone who is usually very organised and in control may start to struggle with the need to think on the spot or to deal calmly and efficiently with the day to day challenges that can arise in the caring profession. Normally easy-going people may be quick to lash out and appear to be falling out with colleagues over the smallest things.

If managers know how to recognise the signs of someone who is anxious or depressed and finding it difficult to cope, they will be able to act early to offer support, adjust working patterns or roles if needed and signpost the individual for professional support.

Deal with conflict informally first: The worst way to deal with any conflict – and particularly one where mental health may be involved – is to invoke a formal HR procedure. Putting someone who is already stressed or anxious through a formal disciplinary or grievance process is damaging, divisive and akin to tipping a bucket of cortisol over their head. It benefits no-one, and no-one wins.

An open, honest, face-to-face conversation is the best way to start. If managers deal with their people with compassion and empathy, they will often find it much easier to get to the root of the problem and to sort it out rapidly.

If this doesn’t work, it’s important that managers know that there are other highly effective, collaborative approaches such as mediation or facilitated conversations – where an impartial third party helps people have a constructive dialogue so they can sort their differences out. Research shows that this non-adversarial way of resolving difficult situations is successful in over 90 per cent of cases. Mediators at TCM have been able to continue achieving this high success rate throughout lockdown, by conducting mediations online.

At a time when people in the caring profession are facing unprecedented pressures, employers owe it to their staff to take a people-centred, values-driven approach which will help them shift from right/wrong win/lose mindsets and ultimately protect their health and wellbeing.

Covid19: Accelerating the Use of Digital Technology in Healthcare As this crisis impacts every part of the health sector, significant vulnerabilities are being exposed. The NHS ‘digital revolution’ has long been touted as the key to futureproofing both Social Care and our health service in the face of increasing patient demand. That demand has now reached unprecedented levels and seems unlikely ever to revert to previous trends; against that background; there is an urgent requirement to move quickly to realise the opportunities which are available from digital technology. It is no longer an interesting speculation; it is an essential requirement to support staff and save lives. (Rt Hon Stephen Dorrell)

USING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY Poor efficiencies in many areas of the sector are caused by the lack of investment in technology.

Technology will improve the way your staff carry out tasks by either speed up existing processes or allowing new, more flexible and accurate ways of carrying out a job or process which will in turn enables live real time management information.

Would you expect to check out of a hotel with an invoice and extras raised in Word or Excel so why do many operators still use this method when invoic-

ing?

How many industries with shift workers rely on manual payroll processing outside the care sector?

Repeatable systems should harness the power of technology to cut back the massive waste of man hours spent processing and checking manual tasks.

In order to work out the best technology for your needs, you should assess your current systems against your requirements. Think about what inefficiencies exist in your homes and how you could: 1. Capture relevant information, such as resident/staff details, in a simple, time-efficient way.

2. Manage your documents to ensure that information is dealt with logically.

3. Avoid duplication at all costs; completing handwritten timesheets which then need to be manually inputted into payroll is a massive, unnecessary waste of time & manpower.

4. Address technological obstacles. The perception that your staffs are not IT literate is out of date; most people own a smart phone so yes they are!

See www.fusion4care.com for details or see the advert on page 21.

Sport Is Not Cancelled: Care Homes Across The Country Launch A Sporting Tournament For The Nation Undeterred by major sporting events being cancelled or played behind closed doors due to the pandemic, care homes across the country are taking matters into their own hands.

All 114 care homes run by Anchor Hanover, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of care and housing for older people, will be hosting their very own Summer of Sport: a special tournament encouraging physical activity and uniting the nation in a shared love of sports. The tournament comes at a time when 7.2million older people in England are physically inactive*.

The Summer of Sport will be held from Monday, 20 July to Sunday, 26 July – the same week when the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics would have been held.

The tournament will see care home residents taking part in a range of sporting activities, including oneminute daily challenges in disciplines such as basketball, cricket, football, table tennis, golf and rugby. All care homes have been provided with sports equipment specially adapted for people living with dementia, ensuring all residents are able to participate.

Residents across the country will be in friendly competition for coveted trophies which will be awarded during a special closing ceremony, co-ordinated across all care homes, on Sunday 26 July.

During the week, care home gardens will be transformed into cricket pitches and basketball courts, and lounges will host table tennis matches.

Although many sports now have to be played without spectators, care home staff will be there to cheer residents on, helping them stay fit and healthy during this time.

The Summer of Sport will also be a chance for residents like Maureen Leeming (76), who lives at Anchor’s Borrage House care home in Harrogate, to reminisce about their own incredible sporting memories. When Maureen was 18, in 1962, she qualified for the Commonwealth Games representing Northern Ireland. Maureen used to run on the same track as Roger Bannister, whom she always regarded as an inspiration.

One of her favourite memories is attending a sporting event at a factory in Nottingham, where her friend challenged her to run a race. Initially Maureen didn’t want to do it as she wasn’t dressed for running, but eventually, she decided to join in. She took her shoes off and running barefoot in her dress, she won the race.

Maureen says: “My whole life has been connected to sport in one way or another. I loved athletics, and sprinting was my favourite discipline. It’s wonderful how sport can bring people together – there are so many wonderful memories I have from my time as an athlete, that I share with my family and friends. I once won a race bare foot – I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day!”

Another resident with a long-held connection to sport is Mike Judd (80), who lives at Anchor’s Savile Park care home in Halifax and has spent most of his life involved with his local football club, Stony Stratford Town FC. Over 30 years he ended up taking on many roles in the club, including assistant manager, referee, youth secretary, groundsman, barman and vice chairman. Mike has won many awards for his commitment to the club, including the FA’s Volunteer of the Year in 2011. He fondly remembers that day. He got to go on the pitch in front of 90,000 people, his name appearing on the electronic boards during the game – a fitting recognition of his lifelong commitment to football.

Mike says: “I have loved football since I was 5 or 6 years old and have enjoyed my life involved in the sport. The awards were just an additional extra for me. I am looking forward to the Summer of Sport and seeing everyone join in. I can no longer play football, but I can still watch and tell them how to kick it! It would be lovely to be able to see some of my old mates again.”

Jane Ashcroft CBE, Chief Executive of Anchor Hanover, said: “We know how much sport means to many of our residents, and to their physical and mental wellbeing. With major sporting events cancelled this year, we didn’t want our residents to miss out, so we decided to take matters into our own hands. The Olympics might not be going ahead this year, but we’re ready to cheer our residents on as they take on their own sporting challenges.

“Sport is a passion that’s shared by so many people across the country, regardless of age, gender, ability or background. As well as helping people keep fit, we want our Summer of Sport to bring people across the country together. Our residents have enjoyed sharing incredible memories of their sporting lives, and we’re calling on the public to join us by sharing their memories and joining in our tournament.”

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 21

Mental Health Deterioration of People Affected By Dementia, with Third ‘Giving Up’ Charity’s support used over half a million times during lockdown, people with dementia worst hit in terms of deaths and thousands struggling with mental health decline.

A survey from Alzheimer’s Society of around 2,000 people affected by dementia, the largest of its kind, reveals the devastating impact coronavirus has had on their mental health, with a third living with dementia (32%) reporting apathy or a sense of ‘giving up’.

People with dementia have been worst hit in terms of deaths and the abrupt suspension of normality bringing social isolation and a loss of routine, with the knock-down effect on mental health, has likely resulted in the massive increase of ‘unexplained’ non-virus-related deaths. Evidence is clear between loneliness or depression and premature death.

Today’s survey results have been released to support Alzheimer’s Society’s Emergency Appeal, hoping to raise vital funds to help provide support to those in desperate need at this critical time, through services such as Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Connect support line.

Nearly half of respondents (45%) said that lockdown has had a ‘negative impact’ on their mental health. Around half of unpaid carers (46%) also reported that loved ones with the condition have experienced stress, anxiety or depression.

Over a third of people living with dementia who answered the survey (36%) now don’t feel confident in going out and getting closer to normality, with the relaxation of some lockdown rules and one in ten (11%) say that they have lost friends since lockdown begun.

Call data from Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Connect support line bolsters the disturbing results, with the impact of coronavirus on mental health being the most prevalent issue – around two-fifths of callers concerned about coronavirus last month.

Many people affected by dementia have seen their social interactions badly hit:

• Half (50%) report they now have fewer in-depth conversations than before lockdown.

• Over half (56%) haven’t met with family and friends from another household since the easing of lockdown rules.

• Three in ten (29%) have gone at least four days without having a single indepth conversation with someone.

• One in eight (12%) revealed they have gone a whole week without spending more than five minutes talking to someone.

People with dementia living alone have seen their mental health take even more of a hit: • Only a fifth (19%) report meeting with people from another household since lockdown started to lift.

• They are 20% more likely to have had fewer in-depth conversations since lockdown began (60% compared to 41%).

• Almost half (46%) have gone at least four days without having a single indepth conversation.

• More than one in seven (15%) have lost friends since lockdown began.

Up to an estimated 120,000 people live alone with dementia in the UK and this is predicted to double to around 240,000 by 2039.

The neglect of the social care sector during coronavirus has significantly impacted people with dementia who are the main recipients of social care, with 70% of people in care homes, and 60% of those reliant on homecare having dementia. Over a quarter of those who have died with coronavirus had dementia, making it the most common pre-existing condition for deaths. Aside from coronavirus, ‘unexplained excess’ deaths from dementia were 83% higher in England in April, and 54% higher in Wales, with nearly 10,000 deaths in total.

The survey adds to an existing bank of evidence revealing the grave reality for those living with dementia. A recent survey from Alzheimer’s

Society of 880 people affected by dementia revealed around half of survey respondents (46%) are struggling to cope in the current crisis and over three quarters (78%) feel more lonely or isolated than before the pandemic.

Alzheimer’s Society’s services have never been more needed, but the charity is facing a shortfall of up to £45 million in income. The charity’s support services have been used over half a million times since lockdown began. More than 100,000 welfare calls have been made by frontline staff and there have been over 15,000 calls to Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Connect support line.

Kate Lee, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Society, said: "As lockdown begins to lift and the true extent of its knock-on effect to the health and wellbeing of people with dementia becomes evident, it’s never been more important to ensure no-one faces this crisis alone.

"Our Dementia Connect support line has been a lifeline to thousands – we’ve heard from people up and down the UK who are scared, lonely and struggling to cope. Thousands of people with dementia, worst hit by the virus, have tragically died.

"Additionally, the dreadful deterioration of their mental health risks scarring thousands more in the long-term. They need us now more than ever."

Chris Maddocks, who lives with dementia, added: "My mental health and state of mind has taken a hit because of coronavirus and I know I’m not alone.

"I have been much more depressed and anxious, which is why I reached out to Alzheimer’s Society.

"You can never underestimate the power of social contact and being around loved ones, particularly for people living with dementia. I hit a down point. It’s like a bereavement because it happened so quickly, and I felt like there were no alternatives. You’re left without a routine and stuck in limbo. I can’t help but feel hopeless and helpless as I look to the future."

Donations to Alzheimer’s Society’s Emergency Appeal can be made at alzheimers.org.uk/coronavirus-appeal.

Scottish Company Launches Facial Recognition And Thermal Imaging For Care Homes

A Scottish company has unveiled an attendance ‘track and trace system’ that uses facial recognition and thermal imaging to detect people with high temperatures and infection which will mean better safe-

guarding of Care Home staff and patients against Covid-19 infection The technology was developed by Reddy Punna, the CEO of Edinburgh-based enterprise technology specialist Purview Services and himself a Covid-19 survivor, having been diagnosed the virus on a business trip to India.

The system is capable of scanning 30 people per second and will indicate those at higher risk of Covid19 infection, so that they are swiftly detected and contained as they enter the Care Home.

Currently unable to return to Scotland, Reddy focused on developing the facial recognition and thermal imaging technology whilst in India.

He comments; "Immediate protection from The Covid-19 pandemic requires compliance with test, trace isolate and protection strategies and we’ve done this through the development of our optical attendance and access system.

The facial recognition and thermal imaging system can detect people’s temperature, the presence of a face mask and social distancing as they walk past the scanning technology at a rate of up to 30 per second and within a range field depth of 9 metres.

Those entering a Care Home with a raised temperature can be identified and then diverted to be helped by staff to stop any potential spread of Covid-19.

Containment through an attendance and access system with zero contact and temperature measurement can be a key to avoiding easy spread of the virus that can take place with a biometric access system.”

Purview’s Facial Recognition and Thermal Imaging technology allows the system to check and enable access (e.g. light goes green from red). For example, if there is a temperature alert on the system, a person can be re-checked with handheld thermal imaging.

The reading can then be conveyed to the individual and they would then be advised accordingly. The

WISHING YOU DIDN’T KEEP PAPER RECORDS? S STAFF TAFF AF MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT R otas, Timesheets & Payroll Payroll Rotas, RESIDENTS & SER VICE USERS SERVICE In voicing, Enquiries & Occupancy Invoicing, C ARE PL ANS CARE PLANS As sses s sments, Dail es, Assessments, Dailyy Not Notes, Task T askk Management Manag M ag g gement &C are Planning Care FUSION CAN CAN A INS INSTALL TALL AL LL AND TR TRAIN T AIN YOU AND YOUR YOUR S TAFF REMO TEL LY YOU STAFF REMOTELY WITH C ONTINUOUS AND REASSURING WITH CONTINUOUS R OUND THE CL OCK SUPPOR T. ROUND CLOCK SUPPORT.

reading can also trigger the tracing process to find who the identified person has been in contact with.

The strategy is to have free flowing footfall with access control , allowing people to move without congestion and being hampered by unnecessary delay.

With little sign of stability in the rise of Covid-19 infection around the world, the public needs assurance that risk of infection in crowd management can be completely minimised and controlled immediately when a case is flagged by the facial recognition and thermal imaging software.

As measures are being gradually relaxed, the public is mindful that the spread of Covid-19 is yet to be fully contained and until there is a wholesale decrease in infection rates, facial recognition and thermal imaging will give assurances to businesses that this type of technology can further reduce infection rates.

Visit www.purviewservices.com today for further information.

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PAGE 22 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

Surge Thinking Could Be What We Need Right Now

By Dr. Michael Waters

For a sector that’s been working under enormous strain for five months, you may well feel you’ve had quite enough of surging (so much extra shopping, temperature taking, zooming etc), and all you want is get back to the more steady-state way of operating pre-Covid. That’s absolutely understandable, and let’s hope this can happen in a sustained way before very long.

The reality right now is that there may well be a second surge of Covid later this year and local flare-ups at any time. So there are two questions really worth addressing. First, what have we (our home, our staff) learned about our ability to surge that could be invaluable if we have to do it again? And, second, what can we learn from surge theory that could also benefit us?

Surge Theory and Surge Dynamics are terms I’ve coined in regard to the business of responding rapidly and robustly (ie surging) to events that are themselves often surge-like. The coronavirus pandemic has been surge-like: a big, sudden, quickly escalating, high-impact event. You may have noted that most media reports on the pandemic have contained the word “surge”, whatever the aspect being covered: “a surge of cases”, “a surge of redundancies”, “a surge in domestic violence” etc. This suggests that at some level we all sense that we are dealing with a situation that is all about complex and interacting surge action. Once we’ve grasped this, then our management of it is really all about surge management.

So to question one. Ask yourself: Were we surge-ready back in February? Did we have a set-up for responding rapidly and robustly to new demands in a dynamic situation - to unprecedented numbers of very sick people and extraordinary external scrutiny? Did we have sufficient surge capacity to move into a surge gear without too many stresses and negative consequences – such as exhausted staff? Were we able to get our supply chains surging too, so that (for example) we could swiftly procure adequate access to PPE? We

had protocols for infectious disease management, of course, but did we also have contingency plans for reconfiguring our premises? In short, did we have the systems, structures, resources and training to surge as and when required? What have we learned to enable us to be (even) better prepared to take future surge action – in response to any big out-of-the blue event, not just a pandemic?

Second, how can surge theory help? I’ll touch upon a few of the many ways. First, surge readiness is about mind-set as well as operational arrangements. It’s enormously helpful if the leadership team automatically considers a/the surge option for achieving almost anything. They may not go with that option, choosing a slower or more gradual option, but they always prioritise it and staff know they do. This normalises surge action and means staff have reference experiences to draw upon (“oh yes, we’ve done this before”) when surge action is absolutely required.

Second, effective surging nearly always requires elimination or reduction. Planning to be surge-ready includes planning for not doing certain things so that others can get attention. The importance of this will be obvious to any care home that has had to respond rapidly to a time-consuming reputational crisis. Without slack in the system you can’t do it without incurring a lot of collateral damage. Other things get badly neglected.

Third, develop your surge savviness by thinking about the relevant surge dynamics. These questions * should help: Which kinds of surges do we most experience? * Is our surveillance good enough to identify the triggers? * Does one surge trigger others? * Are there competing surges – such as the keeping safe versus getting back to work surges with the coronavirus? * Can familiar mini-surges – 999 calls for sudden emergencies – help prepare us for extraordinary surge emergencies?* Do the surges we deal with have a similar structure (similar timescales? similar episodes?) that helps us manage them? * Do we have slack in the system, so we’re able to suddenly switch roles or tasks because we’re not forever working flat out?

Even one session discussing these things could increase your organisational resilience.

Dr Michael Waters is founder of Surge Studies and author of The Power of Surge: Achieving Big Things Quickly For You, Your Team, Your Community, Your Organisation … And The World (2020)

£62m To Help Discharge People with Learning Disabilities and Autistic People into the Community People with learning disabilities and autism who could be better supported in their community will have their discharges from hospital accelerated thanks to a £62 million grant announced today.

The Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has called for a renewed focus to ensure people with learning disabilities and/or autism are discharged promptly from hospital back into the community.

Additionally, last year the Health and Social Care Secretary asked Baroness Hollins to oversee the independent case reviews for people with a learning disability and or/autistic people who were identified as being in long term segregation. The reviews have made recommendations in each case to support moving people to less restrictive settings as quickly as possible.

Baroness Hollins has now appointed an Oversight Panel, which will examine findings from these reviews and develop recommendations to the Government.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Far too many people with learning disabilities and autistic people remain in hospital when they could receive better suited support in their communities, closer to their homes and loved ones.

“So, I am delighted this new funding will help local authorities to support discharges into the community more quickly for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.”

Minister for Care Helen Whately said: “People with a learning disability and autistic people should have the best possible care, and I am determined to put an end to the health inequalities they too often face.

“Few of us would choose to remain in a hospital bed when we could be receiving better care in our own community - this funding will speed up discharge from hospital wards making a real difference to people’s lives.

“I’d like to thank Baroness Hollins for her important work overseeing independent case reviews of those in

long term segregation and look forward to seeing her recommendations.”

Named the Community Discharge Fund, the funding will help to move people with learning disabilities and autistic people into more appropriate care, either into less restrictive settings or into the community, where appropriate.

The Fund, split over three years, will give local authorities additional money to remove some of the obstacles to discharging inpatients. The new funding will help to cover ‘double-running’ costs such as establishing community teams, funding accommodation and staff training. Local authorities and Transforming Care Partnerships will be able to use the funding on the most appropriate measures for their area.

This funding is on top of a total of £3.7 billion given to councils to support their response to the pandemic.

This is a significant package of support which responds to the range of pressures councils have told us they are facing.

The Oversight Panel will make recommendations to transform the care and treatment of people with a learning disability and/or autism and prevent unnecessary admissions and the use of restrictive practices in future.

Baroness Hollins said: “Since November I have been reviewing all of those instances when people with learning disabilities and autistic people have been detained in long-term segregation. I have now appointed an Oversight Panel to assist me in understanding what I have found out, and in making urgent recommendations to the government. Our aim is to prevent the use of seclusion and restraint in future.

“Supporting people to live well in their own homes would be the best outcome. In some circumstances people’s mental health may require a short admission for specialist assessment and development of an evidence based treatment plan, but the majority can and should be able to receive expert mental health treatment and support in the community.”

The independent reviews have made recommendations to improve individual cases and outlined steps to move individuals to less restrictive settings and onto discharge, which will now be considered by the Oversight Panel.

The panel held its first meeting on 29 June and will continue to meet throughout the summer to develop its findings and recommendations. It is made up of clinical, psychological and commissioning experts as well as those with a lived experience, including family members and advocates.

Study Creates Multisensory ‘Culture Boxes’ to Communicate Critical COVID-19 Information and Alleviate Loneliness for People with Dementia A new nationwide study will test how music and art can alleviate social isolation and loneliness while boosting wellbeing in dementia patients during ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

Conducted by the University of West London (UWL), funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the innovative health study will bring together people living with dementia, care home staff and family carers to co-design multi-sensory Culture Boxes with artists and musicians.

The Culture Boxes will each include a host of materials to encourage the creation of art and music. They will also include important information on virus transmission and prevention to protect the elderly and most vulnerable during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

The inaugural piece of research by the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory at UWL will work with 40 care homes across the UK, focusing especially on areas of socio-economic deprivation and amongst Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) populations.

Creative activity will be led by Emma Barnard, a visual artist with a

particular interest in medicine, and Julian West, Head of Open Academy at the Royal Academy of Music, each tailored to recipients and will include items such as music recordings, cameras and art activities.

Creative resources will be simple to implement and offer stimulation and enrichment, with each bespoke box designed using evidence that creativity has been shown to improve mood and engagement, and reduce troubling symptoms such as agitation amongst those living with dementia.

Professor Victoria Tischler of UWL’s Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory who is leading the study, said: “We already know of the significant impact that lockdown restrictions are having on the health and wellbeing of people living with dementia in care home settings, and want to ensure that as many as possible have access to varied and engaging activities and information about COVID-19 that is tailored to their needs.

Drawing on the positive impact we know the arts can have on the cognitive abilities, behaviour and quality of life of people living with dementia, this will help us better understand the impact of such restrictions on the community, while also addressing serious issues of isolation and loneliness for those living in care homes.”

With the support of the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA), the Culture Boxes will be delivered to over 1,000 care home residents over the next 12 months, with a particular focus on socio-economically deprived and underserved communities.

The Culture Box project marks the launch of UWL’s Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory, which will develop new technologies, effective psychosocial care and multi-sensory approaches to help those living

with dementia. The founder of the Institute and Chancellor of UWL, Laurence Geller CBE, recognises the desperate need for effective psychosocial care to help people live well with dementia, especially as the number of those living with the disease in the UK is expected to rise by 35% to over one million by 2025 (Alzheimer’s Research UK). The Institute will develop new evidence-informed approaches to the training and professional education of carers with the aim of improving dementia care at all levels.

Commenting on the launch of the Institute and its first research project, Laurence Geller CBE said, “This is a momentous milestone for everyone involved in launching the Geller Institute for Ageing and Memory. At a time when the vulnerability of our elderly and social care systems has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, our mission has never been more important.

The Institute will uncover caring best practice for the benefit of people living with dementia, their families and carers, starting with the design and distribution of Culture Boxes. The Institute has the potential to revolutionise and set a new standard for research-driven dementia care in the UK and I am proud to be supporting it.”

Following the research study, artistic creations made during the project will be shown in a public exhibition.

Find out more about UWL’s ongoing dementia care research via the Geller Institute of Ageing and Memory here: www.uwl.ac.uk/research/research-centres/geller-institute-ageing-andmemory

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 23

Bioclad - Hygiene In Care Homes: Guidance Tips and Best Practice

Now more than ever, it’s vitally important to ensure high levels of hygiene are constantly maintained in care homes.

Bad hygiene practices and poor levels of cleanliness and sanitation can lead to an outbreak of Coronavirus, which could prove difficult to contain and prevent the spread of.

With care home visits already taking place in Scotland and the planned allowance of care home visits in England within the next few days, the health and safety of residents, staff and visitors must be number one priority.

CLEANING

Keeping a cleaning schedule and ensuring every job is always completed plays an essential role in maintaining the cleanliness of care homes. Small cleaning jobs can go a long way when preventing the spread of bacteria and viruses, so no job should be seen as too small or too big.

Using effective cleaning products and methods will help to ensure harmful germs are killed, but it’s still important to pay special attention to specific areas when disinfecting and cleaning. These include: • Common touchpoints (These include door handles, light switches, communal appliances, railings, TV remotes etc.)

• Communal areas • Bedding and other linens • Bedroom furniture • Medicine trolleys and cupboards • Floors • Bath Hoists • Clothes • Hand Sanitising & Hand Washing Ensuring visitors sanitise their hands before entering the building and other communal areas is a good way to help stop any germs entering from outside. Setting up hand sanitation areas is easy yet effective, and only requires hand sanitiser.

It’s also important that staff and residents hand wash more frequently than usual, including washing after the toilet and before eating.

The NHS suggests that staff should wash

their hands: • Before touching a resident • After touching a resident • Before performing a clean procedure • After performing a dirty procedure • When coming away from a resident’s environment Hand washing should be done for 20-30 seconds each time with soap and water, before being dried off properly with a clean material or hand dryer. This prevents hands from getting dirty again straight after, as well as stops any skin irritation.

WEARING PPE If possible, wearing effective PPE will help with maintaining high levels of hygiene.

For staff, wearing protection such as gloves, face masks and aprons is already commonplace, however, when visitors are allowed, it’s important that they also adhere to any PPE rules. Face masks are set to be made compulsory in shops from 24th July, so it would be beneficial for individual care homes to make it compulsory for visitors to wear one when visiting loved ones.

It’s important that single-use PPE is only used once, and any washable PPE is safely kept away from clean clothes and washed before use.

PERSONAL HYGIENE Keeping personal hygiene levels high doesn’t only improve comfort levels, but prevents the spread of germs and keeps the environment hygienic.

Staff should ensure residents have access to hygiene products and have the support they need when washing and keeping clean, as well as the facilities to do so.

Clothes should be washed frequently as well as bedding and other linens.

Following these guidelines will not only help maintain hygiene levels in the care home, but it will also help prevent the spread of Coronavirus in both the care home and local area. While it’s important for good sanitation, it’s equally still as important to be vigilant when it comes to the virus and stay alert to any threats of it at all

Mölnlycke Launches New Wound Care Patient Educational Resources to Support Patients and Carers During the Coronavirus Pandemic

16 June 2020 at 9am. Milton Keynes. Mölnlycke

launches a suite of new patient educational resources to support wound care practice during the coronavirus pandemic, when home visits from a healthcare professional are more limited.

The resources feature a range of easy to follow guides and videos for patients, or their carers, on how to look after their wound in their home, without a healthcare professional present. The resources include simple step-by-step guides on how to

remove an old dressing, clean a wound and apply a new dressing. It also includes top tips on when to change a dressing, signs of possible infection and how best to help a wound to heal.

Commenting on the resource, Alison Scofield, Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist said: “During this current climate supporting patient self-care with their wounds has never been so important. With step by step pictorial processes to follow for dressing

changes, advice on lifestyle and any issues to look out for, this guide is suitable for patients at home and in care settings.”

All resources are available to view, download and print via patient educational resource centre on the Mölnlycke Advantage webpage https://www.molnlycke.co.uk/patientselfcare/ .

Read all the latest stories online at: www.TheCarerUK.com Visit The Carer website to see all the very latest news and developments from the care sector as it happens!

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PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL RCP Presents Practical Solutions During the Pandemic PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS

ENHANCED CLEANING

Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) is a leading global provider of hygiene, cleaning, waste and safety equipment to multiple industries.

During the pandemic, healthcare facilities have been frontline environments battling COVID-19. The everyday heroics of medical staff have been acknowledged globally. Governments have reacted differently, but their advice has been consistent: ensure regular hand hygiene, enhance cleaning and waste procedures and maintain social distancing.

Surfaces are a primary contamination point. In a healthcare facility, cleaning products need to perform well, wherever they are used, under whatever conditions.

RCP’s cleaning products place adaptability at their core. Microfibre products embedded with zig-zag technology remove 99.9% of microbes with or without bleach and are available in multiple colours to prevent cross contamination. Reusable cloths can endure up to 500 wash cycles before they need to be replaced.

By using adaptable microfiber products, healthcare facilities improve their ability to clean alongside demonstrating visible cleaning to patients and visitors.

HAND HYGIENE

Healthcare facilities were considered the most forthright proponents of hand hygiene prior to 2020 and have still seen a dramatic increase in the need for hand

hygiene provisions.

RCP’s contribution to the various settings of healthcare hand hygiene has been through free-standing hand hygiene stations and wall mounted dispensing solutions.

Hand hygiene stations can be securely deployed wherever needed, providing instant hand hygiene via alcohol or alcohol-free hand rubs. These stations are touch operated, eliminating cross contamination risks while wall mounted units have antimicrobial touchpoints. Both use sealed soap refills that eliminate the contamination risks inherent in bulk refill systems.

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Throughout healthcare facilities, there are multiple points where waste is created and stored prior to transportation. In both cases, it’s advisable to isolate waste in closed lid containers to prevent germs spreading.

RCP waste management products provide closed-lid isolation of waste and further reduce risk with foot operation rather than manual handling. Smooth resin construction make them easy to clean between uses, eliminating lingering threats.

GUIDANCE

In addition to product solutions for healthcare, and to support all facilities through the pandemic towards

Mattress Maintenance Services Helping Hospitals and Care Homes Spring into Action

By Truan Remmington - Contracts Development Executive – Spearhead Healthcare In order to bring a mattress back into service after use, it needs to be completely cleaned and decontaminated to approved standards that guarantee bacterium and viruses such as C.Diff and MRSA are killed, and no cross contamination occurs.

A challenge with mattress cleaning is not only that it requires large commercial washing machines but that different mattress types also require different treatment. The construction of air pressure mattresses for example means they cannot be washed in high temperature machines, requiring cold-water disinfection instead. The only certified process available, OTEX, injects ozone into each wash, killing all the harmful microorganisms without using the heat

or chemicals of traditional laundering.

However, having the time, staff, and the facilities required to provide this level of deep clean for each of your mattresses can prove very costly.

In additional to it being potentially dangerous, there is also a high probability of reputational damage if standards slip and go unnoticed by your staff, because this is something patients and their families will always, quite rightly, notice and report.

The right rental and maintenance service will not only provide you with an appropriate mattress when you need it, but offer fast cleaning, repairs, and replacements, ensuring mattresses are up to the required standards. This undoubtedly saves you

reopening, RCP has created digital guidance documents: • Sector specific best practice guides • Cleaning and waste management guidance • Return-to-work preparation guide • Bulk refill soap systems health risk factsheet Constant dialogue helps RCP understand the needs and expectations of professionals across the healthcare sector. Taking this information, using it to develop products that solve multiple challenges, makes RCP the leading choice for performance and ROI. Find out more about Rubbermaid Commercial Products by visiting Rubbermaid.eu or emailing RCPEnquiries@newellco.com

money in the long term, provides the best possible levels of care to your patients and residents, and reassures all stakeholders that hygiene is a top priority; a must in the current climate.

WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR?

So what should you look for in a rental service – apart from a wide range of special purpose mattresses? Here are a few key pointers: • Rapid breakdown response • All work carried out by trained technicians • Mattresses returned in fully certified working order with free loans while repairs are carried out to allow you continuity of service • Servicing and/or repair offered in a hygiene controlled environment where mattresses are PAT tested, static pressure leak tested and cycle tested • Mattresses placed in an infection controlled 'Cold Storage' zone to control cross contamination • Mattresses completely cleaned and decontaminated using a specialist, certified decontamination system to approved standards • Transparent and clear results reporting for peace of mind In today’s ever-more pressurised care sector, on-demand mattress rental and maintenance services are playing a growing role in helping providers respond quickly to growing patient and resident intake. This allows you to maintain the highest possible standards of infection control practises in all areas.

Visit www.spearheadhealthcare.com

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 25

Are You Using the Correct PPE?

Answering your questions on the type of mask to wear to reduce the risk of those you provide care for contracting Covid-19

THE CURRENT PROBLEM COVID 19 has led to a surge in demand for personal protective equipment throughout the UK, and in response, a multitude of UK businesses have established supply lines to try and fill this demand.

Unfortunately, although millions of masks are now being brought in, many provide little or no protection against COVID 19. The confusing amount of variations of masks combined with the lack of information in the market and masks being sold with invalid certification has led to many users, including even the NHS, ending up with inadequate masks at disproportionate prices.

WHO ARE WE? Our company is called HealthHealth (www.healthhealth.co.uk), due to the ongoing pandemic many businesses have had to purchase PPE for the first time, we have transformed our distribution model from wholesale to supply the end-user directly to prevent price gouging via intermediaries and ensure the user receives the correct masks for their intended use.

WHAT MASKS SHOULD I BE USING? The 2 main types of masks that provide protection against COVID 19 according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) are N95/KN95 masks and 3 Ply Surgical masks.

KN95 masks are 4/5 ply (layers) masks that come in two grades; FFP2 and FFP3. The WHO recommends these masks be used by those who are symptomatic and otherwise should be reserved for and used by those in the healthcare sector, particularly those in and around patients who are most susceptible to Covid-19.

These masks should be tested to EN:149 standards by a PPE compliant non-voluntary body.

There are four types of medical-grade 3 Ply surgical masks; Type I, Type IR, Type II and Type IIR. Type I and Type II masks are not fluid-resistant and hence are not

ideal for use during the ongoing pandemic. Fluid resistance is the ability of a mask to catch the respiratory droplets discharged when a user coughs or sneezes. The WHO recommends fluid-resistant medical masks be worn by over 60s and those who have underlying health problems, as well as those who are in contact with these groups. Both masks have high fluid resistance and high breathability. The difference between the two is type IR has a bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE) of >95% and type IIR has a BFE of >98%.

Type IIR is therefore preferable to type IR, although both provide protection against COVID 19. These masks should be tested to EN:14683 standard by a PPE compliant non-voluntary body.

WHICH MASKS SHOULD I BE WARY OF? A surgical 3 Ply mask that does not fit into the above two categories cannot be classified as medical.

Although they may provide some protection, they are not tested by the relevant standards to qualify them as either type IR or Type IIR, and are hence not appropriate for care workers.

Valve masks provide no protection for anyone but the user of the mask, they do not prevent respiratory droplets being emitted by the user, and are hence not appropriate for care workers.

Reusable cloth masks lose their integrity with every wash, a study by the WHO shows them as significantly less effective than medical masks, and are hence not appropriate for care workers.

HOW DO I AUTHENTICATE A MASK I’M BEING SOLD? 1. Ask for a test report and a CE certificate/conformity and make sure the mask is tested to the aforementioned standards (EN:14683 for surgical masks and EN:149 for KN95 masks) 2. Verify the test report and the CE certificate on the website of the testing body on the certificate, most testing bodies will allow you to do this online automatically.

ABOUT US We provide all the aforementioned masks via our website: www.healthhealth.co.uk . Our Type IR and Type IIR masks supersede the required standards and are made to fit comfortably on the face for elongated periods. Our KN95 masks are all individually sealed in sachets. Our focus is on high quality at wholesale prices. Our masks have been supplied to the UK Department of Health, the NHS, Care Homes, Dentists, to name but a few.

Please email us at sales@healthhealth.co.uk for any bulk enquires. GET 10% OFF when you use the code CARERDIGITAL

Sales@HealthHealth.co.uk

+44 (0)203 488 5653

www.HealthHealth.co.uk

Tel: 01495 772164 I 07967 402995 www.shophygiene.co.uk

PAGE 26 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Haigh Engineering Resident and patient waste is a day to day practical matter that simply cannot become a problem for frontline carers and nursing staff. With the raised awareness of cross infection risks, the proven reliable waste disposal systems from Haigh are recognised more than ever as being a key part of the toolkit for ensuring that human waste is effectively and efficiently removed as a source of risk, day in day out, without the risks and complications of either washing pots or manual bagging waste for collection.

The team from Haigh have been working hard to support this beyond just the manufacture of the Incomaster and Quattro waste disposers here in the UK, but also developing innovative and safe methods to enhance the

servicing provisions that are available to customers. The recently launched all-inclusive rental proposition has proven particularly effective and popular with new and existing customers alike, not least as it reduces the operational, maintenance and financing headaches from sites which have more critical matters to address.

For more information about incontinence and bedpan waste disposal please feel free to contact the Haigh team on 01989 763131 or info@haigh.co.uk

Angloplas Dispensers Help Reduce the Risk of Cross Infection Angloplas are a UK manufacturer who specialise in producing dispensers for the health and hygiene industry. Although these are designed to keep the workplace tidy and uncluttered they are, more importantly, built knowing the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a priority for healthcare providers, and who are employing a combination of infection prevention and control strategies, including hand hygiene, cleaning, training and the adoption of new technologies, to tackle the problem.

As a result, a wide range of infection control products and technologies are emerging on the market, including antimicrobial technology. Angloplas’ range of dispensers are produced in the world’s first proven Antimicrobial

PVC with silver ion technology and which is exclusive to Angloplas. This helps reduce the risk of cross infection by stopping the growth of bacteria and mould and works continuously for the lifetime of the product, reducing levels of bacteria such as MRSA, E Coli, Legionella, Salmonella and mould by up to 99.99%.

For non-clinical environments Angloplas has recently launched its new Budget Range of products which are made to the same exacting standards as the antimicrobial protected ones but with lower price tags.

You can order Angloplas products directly from its website by going to www.angloplas.co.uk and clicking Hospital, Health and Hygiene or by using the Quick Response code.

SANOZONE. The Easy Way To Sanotise Your Indoor Spaces SANOZONE, which delivers the most efficient sanitisation performance in indoor spaces, is now available from Barbel.

Manufactured by Vitaeco S.r.l., the world famous manufacturer of the highly regarded HotmixPro thermal blender range, SANOZONE sanitises rooms of many sizes in enclosed HRC sites, hotels, restaurants, bars, conference rooms and similar establishments where totally reliable and regular sanitisation is needed.

SANOZONE is particularly suitable for hospitals and care home areas, where absolute cleanliness is mandatory, and in areas where it is difficult or impossible to deliver effective sanitisation throughout.

The SANOZONE range of machines

use Ozone (O3) technology, a gaseous form of Ozone that fills the room, reaching every corner of the space, santising surfaces and critical hard-to-reach corners homogenously, consistently and safely.

The SANOZONE range of sanitisation machines are all equipped with the latest technology and customised disinfection programmes to suit your specific requirements.

The running costs are considerably lower than any traditional disinfecting programmes and most importantly, there is no manual labour involved.

For further information about the SANOZONE range, please contact Barbel on 01629 705110, email info@barbel.net, or visit the website at www.barbel.net

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 27

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL

The Care Home That Remained Covid-19 Free Thanks To Ground-Breaking Protein

“There isn’t a doubt in my mind that it saved the lives of our residents and staff.”

The owner of a care home has hailed a £20 face covering, coated in a ground-breaking protein called Viruferrin™ that is now scientifically proven to stop the spread of Covid-19, as ‘life-saving’, after it helped to prevent a coronavirus outbreak within her home.

The news comes as ONS released statistics showing that just over 28% of all coronavirus deaths in Wales occurred in care homes.

Former nurse Elen Hughes and husband Trevor Hughes, are owners/directors of the Plasgarnedd Care Home on Anglesey; they purchased the Virustatic Sheild face coverings for all their staff very early on in the pandemic when the World Health Organisation confirmed the COVID19 pandemic threat. This decision, they believe, is the main reason the care home was able to control the disease, despite one resident becoming ill with the virus and given a positive diagnosis.

“The face covering, in my opinion, definitely stopped any type of transmission to my staff,” said Elen. “This meant none of them passed it on to the other residents. The protective face coverings have been life-saving. I stand by that! There is not a doubt in my mind that it saved the lives of our residents.”

Elen, who oversees a team of 120 carers and support staff over two sites and in the community, made the decision to provide face coverings for all employees some time before guidance from Public Health Wales was changed to make them compulsory for the sector.

“I saw these face coverings on the news and decided right there and then to go ahead and purchase them for my team. At that time, we were under no obligation to do that, we were told by Public Health Wales that

we just needed aprons and gloves, but because of my nursing background and I guess, a gut feeling, I just knew that the situation was serious and that we needed to protect our residents (all of whom are in single rooms) and that to do so we needed to protect our staff – even though there were no confirmed cases here.” continued Elen, “However, subsequently, one of our ladies became ill. When her condition deteriorated, our resident was admitted to hospital where it was confirmed that she had the COVID-19 virus. I have no doubt that this lady will have been infectious while she was in our care before and that the Virsutatic face coverings worn by our staff alongside scrupulous hygiene prevented them from becoming infected and spreading the virus through our home.”

Some care homes in North Wales have unfortunately not been as fortunate. One with a similar number of residents, which received a positive diagnosis at the same time, has seen several staff members and residents test positive for Covid-19 and a number of fatalities.

“We’ve had a similar set of results across both of our sites, so it can’t be coincidence. Others sadly haven’t been so lucky, and I simply put that down to the fact we’ve worn Virustatic Shields and that our amazing staff have followed our own strict infection control guidelines.”

Virustatic Ltd, the leading biotech organisation behind the masks, donated 20 of its Shields to Plasgarnedd. Overall it donated 15,000 of its coverings to frontline workers, charities and those most at risk across the UK. Paul Stanton, a former national Director of NHS Board development, who works as an independent consultant with NHS organisations and with senior clinicians commented: “In any care home there is a significant risk that staff who have become infected in the course of their ordinary lives may, before their symptoms develop, unintentionally bring Covid-19 into their place of work and thus spread the virus to colleagues and to residents – unless they are suitably protected against airborne transmission of infected particles.

“Where residents, as was the case at Plasgarnedd, are isolated within single rooms, unprotected staff could all too easily have spread the virus from one infected resident to others – and indeed to their colleagues.

However, it seems that in this case the Virustatic protective face coverings helped to prevent any onward transmission. It will be important to establish, through properly conducted clinical trials, how important a contribution the protective face coverings can make in other private sector residential care settings”.

Initial discussions are already underway between Virustatic and Care England, the umbrella representative body for private sector residential care home providers, to initiate such trials.

“It will also be vital to the wider UK economy to establish, through properly conducted and evaluated trials, the contribution that these protective face coverings can make in other non-care workplaces. Potentially, the ability of this new form of face covering to prevent the spread of airborne particulate infections in workforce intensive employment settings could be

game changing” Paul Stanton said.

This week it was announced that the ground-breaking Viruferrin™ coating used on the Virustatic Shield has been independently tested and proven to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection at a cellular level. The discovery is being hailed as a significant breakthrough in the fight against the disease, paving the way to research that could deliver a cure. The next step is clinical trials on preventative and curative applications of the Viruferrin™ technology.

Paul Hope, Inventor of the Virustatic technology and products said: "The coating has been demonstrated to protect the cells. If that is replicated within the respiratory systems and lungs it will stop the virus spreading because it cannot infect other cells. We believe the tests demonstrate the effective preventative and curative ability of this coating against Covid-19.”

Paul made it his mission to find a way to prevent deaths caused in pandemics after his own grandfather died of the Spanish Flu in 1919. This latest discovery builds on 10 years of work by Paul, his family and a team of British scientists and virologists.

Paul ended: “I am delighted to hear that our face coverings have already proven life-saving for Plasgarnedd Care.”

Plasgarnedd Care is an award-winning Care Provider which has over 30 years’ experience of providing the highest level of care and support for service users in and around Anglesey and Gwynedd. More information: www.plasgarnedd.co.uk The Virustatic Shield is available to buy direct from the website virustaticshield.com

PAGE 28 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Proven Technology Offers Greater Protection for Staff and Residents Against Covid-19

Care Homes are having to work around the clock to ensure their facilities are as clean and infection-free as possible, to try and prevent Covid-19 (and multiple other viruses and harmful bacteria) from entering their facility in the first place or containing it once it does.

However, routine cleaning and disinfection, even with the use of other hand sanitisers and antibacterial surface cleaners, only sanitises the individual or surface for that moment in time, i.e. as soon as contact is made with an infected surface or introduced from the outside, the area or the person is no longer safe.

In the tight confines of a Care Home, supporting one of the most vulnerable groups, cross infection via surface contamination is a major challenge. The transient nature of current cleaning regimes will always prove challenging, particularly as over 80% of germs are spread by hands.

Now a proven, independently accredited technology that offers a protective barrier wherever there is a risk of infection is at the forefront of preventing and protecting against the spread of Covid-19.

Once applied it stays active, providing up to 30 days

protection on surfaces and 24 hours on the skin. In a Care Home, this can dramatically reduce the chances of encountering a crisis by reducing the spread of dangerous pathogens either by hand or touch.

OneSpray’s Hand Sanitiser offers 24 hours protection with one application, contains no alcohol, is ultra-gentle on the skin and won’t wash off during normal daily washing.

This means it is very economical to use versus alcoholbased sanitisers, given that typically one person will apply those sanitisers up to 10 times per day.

OneSpray’s Surface Sanitiser offers protection on nearly all surfaces including door handles, desks, door entry systems and keypads, touchscreens, phones, kitchens and taps. A single application forms an invisible barrier over the surface that lasts up to 30 days and will not wash off so normal, daily cleaning can continue.

OneSpray products incorporate Zoono technology, world leaders in antimicrobial protection. Over 150 worldwide laboratory testing reports support the efficacy of their products.

In earlier trials for London Underground a treated train came back 99.9% clear after 28 days of uninterrupted service.

OneSpray is offering a Starter Outbreak-Prevention Package, specifically for Care Homes. It consists of a 5-litre Hand Sanitiser with two 1-litre dispensers, plus a 5-litre Surface Cleaner with two 500ml spray bottles.

For more information contact 07811113108 or email russell@onespray.com or see the advert on page 8.

New Health Check Station A new product has been released to help check individuals’ temperatures as they enter a public space. The Health Check Station by Contour Heating has been designed to help control the spread of infection in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Manufactured from mild steel with a BioCote® antimicrobial powder coating, The Health Check Station has been designed with safety and efficiency in mind. A durable Perspex screen with a small cut out provides the user with a safe means of checking employee and visitor temperature upon arrival.

With a letterbox-style slot for documentation (such as registers and time-sheets) and informative signage to help reinforce key messages in relation to government guidelines, The Health Check Station can be used in offices, factories, retail units, public buildings, schools and much more.

The Health Check Station is available directly from Contour Heating. Call +44 (0) 1952 290 498 to find out more or head over to www.contourheating.co.uk.

Staysafe Visor - CE-Certified PPE Manufactured in the UK Staysafe Visor is a subsidiary of 1st Packaging Ltd, a leading specialist UK plastics manufacturer founded in 2002. Used in a wide range of health and commercial settings, our high-quality recyclable CE-certified face shields offer protection against liquid droplets, sprays and splashes. Our visors are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, are anti-fog and easy to assemble.

As a long-established UK company, we have been able to step up our manufacture of PPE to meet high demand during the current unprecedented circumstances. Our facilities enable us to produce well in excess of 200,000 items per week.

At Staysafe Visor our experienced team takes very seriously its role in support-

ing the health of the community by helping to maintain a safer environment.

Availability and affordability are the cornerstones of our operation. Because we sell directly to businesses, organisations and the general public, we are able to remove the need for intermediaries and keep costs low. We believe that we offer the most competitive rates on the market for this type of CE-certified PPE. Our high-quality products are helping to better protect employees in the NHS, care homes, education, transport, manufacturing and a host of other workplace settings. For further details about our range of visors please do not hesitate to contact our friendly expert team.

See page 4 for details or visit www.staysafevisor.co.uk

www.baltex.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 29

Meeting the hygiene challenge of COVID-19

By Zak Manhire, Chief Commercial Officer at Regency Design Protecting care home workers and their patients throughout the COVID-19 epidemic and beyond has been a constant challenge, and one that has attracted considerable media attention. It has also prompted the business community to look at its own capabilities, and whether manufacturing and production facilities can be turned over to fulfilling the ongoing demand for protective clothing and equipment.

Made out of premium quality products, Regency Design’s dispensers cut down on sanitiser costs by using sensory technology to dispense an adjustable amount (1.5ml, 1.2ml or 0.8ml) of sanitizer gel or liquid per use. As well as this, the units are constructed out of Mild Steel, which makes them lightweight, yet robust and sturdy. They are all powder coated in a SteriTouch antimicrobial covering to ensure no harbouring of germs on the units themselves. The units are customisable with bespoke under surface mark resistant graphics applied on the front of the unit.

Our company, Regency Design, is one such company that has answered the call, and now produces a suite of products ranging from face visors to automatic hand sanitising units to keep carers, patients and guests safe and avoid cross contamination issues in often challenging environments. All of which manufactured in the UK at their site in Surrey.

Our face visors prove useful for care-home staff as they are highly durable, re-useable and CE marked to demonstrate conformity with health, safety and environmental protection standards.

They comprise a clear, polycarbonate panel with a soft foam headband and a Velcro adjustable strap. With anti-mist properties, high-quality optics with no distortion and a space for branding / name.

Most recently we have gone one better and added an innovative body temperature reading camera with AI Face recognition, that can measure temperatures within 100 milliseconds and at a distance of 0.5 metres all while someone is sanitising their hands.

The infrared temperature sensor provides alerts when a person has a high temperature.

The system is calculated with an algorithm for object heat and fast detection temperature accuracy, with a temperature sensing range of 30 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius and an accuracy of plus or minus 0.3 degrees Celsius.

Along with the face visors, Regency Design has also launched various automatic hand sanitising units to increase hygiene levels. The automatic hand sanitising units help reduce cross contamination by making the hand cleaning process completely touchless. Our units are diverse as they come as both small and large floor standing units, wall mounted units and countertop units, which provide convenience to all parts of a care home. The small and large floor standing dispensers allow all patients to reach the units, whether they are in a wheelchair or standing, and the countertop units provide hygiene for staff, administration and visitors.

The temperature reading system gives care home staff a non-invasive and comfortable way of checking, staff and guests temperatures, with an aim of reducing contamination issues and increasing hygiene.

To go with the sanitising units, Regency Design also supplies a sanitiser gel or liquid, which can be put into the automatic dispensers so care home staff can keep their units topped up with ease and without worry of replenishment.

Regency has committed to offer a 15% discount on all its products if you use Carer20 when enquiring.

For more information please contact Zak Manhire on zak@regencydesign.co.uk or 07837391421.

www.regencydesign.co.uk

PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

CONTINENCE CARE

CareZips Dignity Trousers ™

CareZips™ preserve dignity and privacy of people receiving care during diaper changes.

CareZips™ make diaper changes easier and faster, reducing workload, saving efforts, and saving time!

CareZips™ help to deliver better standards of care!

Fitted with unique 3-zip fastening system, the CareZips™ make changing of incontinence diapers more dignified and comfortable for the patients and easier and faster for the carers.

CareZips™ feature 3 strategically positioned zips, 2 of which run from the waist to the knees on both sides of the body. The 3rd zip goes from the inside of one knee up to the crotch and down to the second knee on the inside of the other leg. This zip facilitates total opening of the trousers at the crotch during diaper changes. The 3-zip system ensures fast and easy access to the abdomen and crotch without having to undress the patients or pull their trousers down.

CareZips™ are suitable for men and women. They are available in 7 sizes for perfect fit. CareZips™ are soft and wrinkle resistant with stretch and give for extra comfort.

Practical, durable, washable and non-iron, the CareZips™ trousers are the perfect choice for daily use.

Contact Win Health Medical Ltd - 01835 864866 www.win-health.com or see the advert on page 7.

New Skincare & Incontinence Leaflet A new ‘Skincare management in incontinence’ leaflet is available from Thornton & Ross Pharmaceuticals – manufacturers of Zerolon® Barrier Cream. Accredited by the Association for Continence Advice (ACA), the leaflet is designed as a quick guide for all health professionals involved with continence care. Including recommendations from NICE, the leaflet also outlines factors to consider when selecting a barrier cream and advice on helping prevent incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD).

Zerolon® Barrier Cream is the latest addition to the Zeroderma emollients and barrier creams range, specially formulated to prevent irritation from bodily fluids including urine, faeces and exudate.

To receive a free copy of the ‘Skincare management in incontinence’ leaflet, please email: zeroderma@thorntonross.com Thornton & Ross Ltd, Linthwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5QH 01484 842217 www.zeroderma.co.uk

iMEDicare Ltd Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

iMEDicare Ltd is a dynamic and rapidly growing Medical Device Distributor offering an exciting range of unique and market leading medical products for patient use in the fields of Urology and Continence Management Treatment throughout the UK. Our motto is “Pelvic Health Naturally” – premised on the ability of living tissues to react positively to clinically approved therapeutic measures in a pelvic health con-

text. Our logo features a very interesting version of the infinity symbol in blue – which also looks like the Pelvic Girdle bone structure. This symbol represents a sense of simplicity and balance – an important tenet in providing effective healthcare solutions and achieving optimal pelvic health.

We offer a unique blend of professional and patient product training in Clinical and Home environments which are designed to improve individual product customizability, user uptake and long-term patient compliance and satisfaction.

See the advert on this page for details.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 31

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS Cash’s Labels- “The Name Behind the Name” At Cash's, we aim to capture, reinforce and communicate our clients’ brand equity through quality and innovation, from design to distribution.

Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels, woven badges, care labels, branded and promotional swing tags, garment accessories, packaging and barcoding. Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protection to

our customers' brand by assisting to combat counterfeiting and grey market activity.

Our industry leading eCommerce system is designed to reduce cost, improve efficiency and streamline supply chain management and will fully protect the integrity and accuracy of critical business data. The order entry process is very simple meaning suppliers and vendors can spend their valuable time on tasks other than ordering apparel labelling and accessories.

See the advert this page for details.

Please go on our website to see the new range of Dishwasher proof ID labels which can also be stuck onto textiles.

5 Reasons Why You Should Choose LaundryTec Chester based LaundryTec since its foundation in early 2016 has become one of Alliance Internationals major UK distributers. Founded by Jeremy Hartigan, the team of industry professionals with the backing of the Alliance Lavamac brand and supported by its service partner PDS Laundry based in Nuneaton. They supply a significant number of the UK’s leading health care operators with equipment, installation and after sale support.

The LaundryTec designs offer not only washing, drying and ironing equipment but a full range of handling, distribution, folding and identification systems, to create a fully functioning laundry complete with all items necessary for efficient operation. Every LaundryTec machine includes full installation options, including the removal and disposal of an existing machine. A training program and a minimum of 24 months part and labour warranty.

The environment is at the forefront of every opera-

tor’s mind. Standard specification on a Lavamac machine includes functions that automatically weigh and control the energy input into the machine and store the data in the machines memory. Our LS range of electric heat pump dryers require no ventilation or gas services and operates at 3kw per hour.

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE LAUNDRYTEC 1. Cost 2. Efficiency 3. Service 4. Design 5. Innovation Telephone 0151 317 3127 Web www..laundrytec.com

Please Please mention mention THE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

0151 317 3127

www.laundrytec.com

info@laundrytec.com

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE LAUNDRYTEC 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Washer Extractors

Tumble Dryers

Cost Quality Service Design Innovation

Flatwork Ironers

Other Equipment

PAGE 32 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Calibre Audio - Unleash the Power of Your Imagination Audiobooks offer a gateway to the world of independence when print is inaccessible. Reading books has many health benefits; from reducing anxiety and helping to combat memory loss, to boosting mental health. Books provide us with companionship, adventure, empathy and enjoyment, and listening to audiobooks extends all of this to people who cannot read printed books.

A restricting disability can bring with it the sting of isolation, and being locked out of activities that were once enjoyed can create frustration and loneliness.

However, research has shown that listening to audiobooks can boost mental health (ref. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov), helping to

counteract depression and other mental health issues.

Escaping to audiobooks provides comfort and companionship as well as being a coping strategy in hard times.

Calibre Audio is a charity, providing free audiobooks to anyone who struggles to read print, through sight loss, dyslexia or a physical disability.

Our collection of over 11,500 audiobooks includes books from all genres, both fiction and non-fiction, from the classics to the latest blockbusters; from crime to autobiographies.

Our books are available online for members or delivered to your door via a free postal service.

It is free and easy to join.

Visit calibreaudio.org.uk for more information or to join. See page 4 for details.

Adaptawear Clothing To Help Healthcare & Care Home Workers: Independent & Assisted Dressing If you are a healthcare or care home worker or Occupational Therapist and struggling to dress your patients during this Covid-19 pandemic; then take a look at our range of Adaptawear adapted clothing for both men and women. Adaptawear comfort clothing has been designed to help independent living and assisted dressing with the aim to make getting dressed easier and less painful for both the wearer and carer.

Adaptawear designs and manufacturers a range of ladies and men’s open back and drop front trousers, magnetic & open back shirts and blouses, dresses, skirts, open back nighties and front fastening bras. We also sell a selection of everyday essentials aimed at making people comfortable day and night.

Adaptawear clothes are ideal for

arthritis, stroke, Parkinson, incontinence and dementia sufferers as well as people of all ages who struggle with buttons and zips. The easy fit clothes are made from quality and natural fabrics to provide maximum comfort.

Adaptawear Offers: • Discreetly Adapted Clothes • Independent & Assisted Dressing • Ladies & Men's Daywear and Nightwear • UK Nationwide and Overseas Deliveries • No Quibble 14 Day Returns • VAT Exemption where relevant • FREE Delivery on orders over £100 For more information on Adaptawear’s Product Range please visit www.adaptawear.com. Carer readers please quote TC141 for 10% discount off your first order.

Why Specify a Yeoman Shield Fire Rated Door Edge Protector?

When specifying for a structure, it’s important to be aware of the level of wear and tear a door can be exposed to in a public building.

Door edges, in particular, can be easily damaged or worn down by regular use – which can then render them non-compliant for fire safety regulations. To ensure that a project remains compliant, an architect can specify durable door edge protectors to add durability and longevity to doors.

Not only will specifying edge protectors increase the longevity of doors, they will enhance the cost efficiency of a project by reducing maintenance demands and the possibility of having to replace unsafe fire doors.

Yeoman Shield fire rated Door Edge Protectors are unique with a 2.0 mm Vinylac outer and a specially formulated 9mm PVCu reinforced core. They are FD30 (1/2 hour) and FD60 (1 hour) rated

with intumescent seals that are in accordance to the fire door’s specification. Fire rated Door Edge Protectors are suitable for commercial applications such as residential blocks, schools and hospitals etc.

Door Edge Protectors can also be specified with different fire seals, from a plain intumescent fire seal to a brush, fire and smoke variant.

Of course, for doors that are non-fire rated in an architect’s project Yeoman Shield also provide quality edge protectors without seals to enhance durability and reduce wear.

Source a full range of door protection panels and kick plates from a single supplier by choosing Yeoman Shield.

Our door protection panels and kick plates offer the same lasting durability and quality as our door edge protectors.

See page 12 or visit www.yeomanshield.com for details.

Workwear Experts For Over 100 Years Grahame Gardner has more than 100 years’ experience in clothing a broad spectrum of medical and healthcare professionals. Our knowledge and understanding of uniform demands ensure we remain one the UK’s most trusted and respected suppliers. We combine our extensive expertise with the latest innovations in technology and fabric and design, to offer you the highest quality garments to meet the demanding standards of healthcare professionals… all at exceptional prices!

We also provide one of the most flexible embroidery services available from any clothing manufacturer using state-of-theart technologies that enable us to copy virtually any design or

logo directly onto your chosen uniforms.

Whether you’re seeking a classic healthcare dress or tunic, or something from our bold and bright scrubwear range, you can find it with us. As one of the largest workwear providers in the UK, we are proud to be able to offer instant stock availability on 1,000s of workwear garments all in addition to our extensive range of ‘made to order’ items that can be manufactured on demand in a wide range of styles, fabrics and colours.

To find out more, or for a no obligation discussion as to how we can help with your workwear requirements, please get in touch on 0116 255 6326 or email Info@grahamegardner.co.uk www.grahamegardner.co.uk

In-House Practical Engagement Workshop Scripts New Pressure Relief Options from Airospring Medical Now Available for Care Homes & Services Airospring Medical manufactures a range of pressure relieving devices.

Our flagship products are a range of lightweight and breathable pressure relief cushions and mattress overlays made from high-tech 3D Knitted Spacer Fabrics. Airospring has been awarded a full patent in August 2014 approving this ground breaking technology. Our pressure relief cushions distribute weight and allow maximum airflow. The cushions have been tested for the dissipation of perspiration, a key factor in the fight against pressure ulcers. Welcome to a new standard in healthy seating.

Call: 0115 9322403 Email: sales@airospring.com Visit: www.airospring.com

Renray Healthcare Design and Manufacture New COVID19 Response Beds for Temporary Hospitals Renray Healthcare has developed a field response bed to supply to temporary hospitals, with our design expertise and manufacturing capability we have been able to put the COVID-19 Response bed and mattress into production quickly, with deliveries going out across the country to help in the fight against COVID-19.

Renray has been supplying beds, mattresses and furniture for over 50 years and due to the increasing spread of Coronavirus, we are proactively using Hydrogen Peroxide Vapour (HPV) decontamination system in all our Heavy Goods Vehicles prior to delivery of your goods to eliminate the virus or any potential contaminant, making deliveries safer for our staff, customers and users.

Let us know if you require beds for temporary or permanent hospitals, to ensure you have everything you need to continue caring for patients in this difficult time.

Download our brochure now for more information: The COVID-19 Response Bed Brochure at https://tinyurl.com/unofs42 Please contact customer service on 01606 593456 or info@renrayhealthcare.com who will be happy to assist you. See the advert on page 3.

C & S Seating Postural Management C & S Seating has been providing postural control equipment to hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and medical equipment services nationwide since 1991.

With 9 different sizes of T-Rolls and Log Rolls in a removable and machine washable, waterproof Titex or Soft Knit material. These rolls are used to control posture and position of the body in either supine or side lying. Our Knee & Leg support wedges are available in 2 sizes.

C & S Seating is the sole manufacturer of the Alternative Positioning Support (APS) system. Ideal when more control of the abducted lower limb is required (See photo) which has

removable side cushions and middle pommel; this is available in small or large.

Our popular range of Soft Knit covers in a choice of 5 vibrant colours provide a softer alternative that fit easily over our standard waterproof rolls.

It is recommended you seek professional advice to select the correct product depending on your needs.

Contact us on 01424 853331 or visit us at www.cands-seating.co.uk to request or download a brochure, pricelist or order form, request an individualised quotation, speak to an advisor or to place an order.

See the advert on page 10.

As training sessions and venues may be difficult to facilitate for some time, Happy Days Dementia Workshop has acted quickly, re-writing their ‘Practical Engagement Workshop’ into a series of easy to follow presentation and training guides.

Enriching social care is at the heart of Happy Days, ‘It’s amazing to see how care teams are heartened and invigorated once they see how easy it is to engage more meaningfully with residents on a daily basis’ says Gillian Hesketh, MD of Dementia Workshop.

Training in-house can support the safety of your care teams, reduce travel, time and cut costs.

Demonstration and nostalgic materials can be included in packages with options to add an activity manual, reminiscence baskets and memory prompts. The workshops are ideal for building carer confidence, boosting morale and uplifting everyone’s mood.

Packages can be created to suit your care team requirements and resident interests. See The Carer front page or find starter practical workshop packs online at www.dementiaworkshop.co.uk / Phone direct on 07971953620 or see the advert on page 1.

The Benefits of Spillsafe Every year, thousands of working hours are lost to the sanitisation of furniture which ultimately can never be completely sanitised. This can feel like a losing battle to “beat the bugs” as any attempt to truly clean soiled furniture will inevitably only be scratching the surface.

The true challenge lies inside the chair, a haven for contamination, but therein lies the problem. How do you clean the inside of a chair that has been soiled?

The simple answer is “you don’t”.

There is no way to truly clean a chair that has been soiled as liquids will find their way into every part of your furniture, absorbed by wood and languishing in foam and fabric. So, what is the solution to sanitising your furniture?

Simply, you stop anything from ever reaching the interior.

The truest way of maintaining hygeine is to prevent unsanitary situations from ever reaching the areas that cannot be easily cleaned. Investing in hygienic barriers today not only saves time and money, but ensures the protection demanded by those who need it most. This was our maxim here at SpillSafe when developing our patentpending cassette system – Why allow the uncleanable to become unsanitary in the first place?

Matthew Holmes, Director of SpillSafe Ltd. Contact Spillsafe Ltd on 0330 088 4851 or www.Spillsafe.co. See the advert on page 9.

New Guides To Supercharge Your Care Home Management Is continued customer satisfaction important to you?

Could your communications with residents and their loved ones be improved? Does your care home's website need to be brought into the 2020's? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you will be pleased to learn about a series of free expert guides for care home managers and owners.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched a series of guides for the care home industry. These guides provide you with specialist advice on fair trading practices, complaints procedures, communications methods and website layouts for care homes written by and for those

working in the care homes sector.

UK consumer law is among the best in the world, but this also means that it can be complicated and in-depth.

Care home regulations are no exception, and you may be overwhelmed by it all. These guides make it simple and straightforward so that you can avoid the regulatory pitfalls and improve your business for the good of you and your residents.

The guides are hosted on Business Companion, a government-backed website containing a wealth of in-depth knowledge on every element of consumer protection written by industry experts in every sector.

Download your free guides at: www.businesscompanion.info

PAGE 34 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

FOOD AND NUTRITION

Tackling Malnutrition in Dementia Patients

By Gillian Farren, Registered Dietitian

NUTRITIONAL CHALLENGES Patients with dementia face numerous challenges, all of which can have a significant impact on their ability to eat and drink.

In the UK alone, it is estimated that 3 million older people are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.1 Alongside weight loss, key micronutrient deficiencies are recognised, with an estimated 35% of older people showing deficiencies in vitamins A, B12, iron and zinc.2 Although weight loss is part of the natural ageing process, dementia is recognised as a key contributor.3 Moreover, the link between dementia and weight loss strengthens as dementia becomes more severe.4,5 It is important to support dementia patients in eating and drinking well, as inadequate nutritional intake can make a person with dementia more confused.6 Recent guidance from NICE recommends that carers “encourage and support people living with dementia to eat and drink, taking into account their nutritional needs” and “consider involving a speech and language therapist if there are concerns about a person’s safety when eating and drinking”.7 However, dementia carers face specific challenges in supporting patients to eat and drink enough.8

DYSPHAGIA: A BARRIER FOR DEMENTIA SUFFERERS Dysphagia is a term used to describe difficulty or discomfort in swallowing food, fluids and saliva. Dementia is a well-recognised cause.9 Signs of dysphagia in people with dementia include coughing or choking; difficulties chewing; spitting out food; wet gurgling voice after eating; and food/drink spilling from or residue in the patient’s mouth after eating.10 If dysphagia is not managed appropriately, patients can suffer severe health consequences such as chest infections, aspiration pneumonia and choking-related death 9.

PROMOTING A SAFE SWALLOW The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) is a global standard that describes correct and appropriate thickening of liquids and food texture modification, to ensure that they are safe to offer to patients with differing degrees of dysphagia.11 IDDSI gives clear descriptors for all levels of consistency, from level 0 (thin/unthickened) up to 4 (extremely thick) for fluids, and from level 7 (regular) down to level 3 (liquidised) for foods.11 It is vital that patients with dementia are only offered foods and drinks that are a safe and appropriate texture for their current level of dysphagia. This should be assessed and regularly monitored by a registered speech and language therapist.

Many dementia patients dislike the taste and texture of thickening agents. Thus, products which do not require added thickener may be more acceptable, and can make it easier when patients with dementia are preparing their own drinks. Interestingly, research suggests that use

products which do not require added thickener can lead to increased food and fluid intake.12

PERCEPTION, DEXTERITY AND DISTRACTIONS Dementia often changes how patients recognise once-familiar foods, drinks and utensils.6 Additionally, preference for sweeter tastes and contrasting colours are commonly observed 3. Involving patients in preparing their own foods and drinks, alongside the use of adapted utensils and cutlery, and a reduction in distracting sounds, sights and objects at mealtimes, can encourage independence and focus, while preventing wandering off during mealtimes.13

USING THE “FOOD FIRST APPROACH” For patients with small appetites, foods and drinks can be enriched by adding foods rich in fats and sugars – such as butter, jam, cheese and cream – to increase energy and protein intake without increasing the amount of food eaten. This is referred to as a “food first” approach.14 While this is the preferred first-line strategy to tackle malnutrition, dementia patients can still struggle to meet their needs from food alone, and oral nutritional supplements or nutrition shakes such as NuVu Life are often recommended to fill the gap.15

HOW NUVU LIFE CAN HELP Made up with 200ml whole milk, one 50g sachet of NuVu Life delivers an impressive 362 kcal and 27.5g protein. When mixed with water or milk, it is IDDSI level 2 consistency. For patients requiring level 2 thickened fluids, NuVu Life removes the need for added thickening agents, thus saving time and reducing risk of error for carers and patients alike.

Moreover, NuVu Life is enriched with vitamins and minerals, including those identified earlier in the article (i.e. vitamins A, B12, iron and zinc), which are a specific concern for older people. Just one 50g sachet on NuVu Life provides 100% of the recommended daily intake for these key micronutrients.

NuVu Life is available to purchase online (www.nuvulife.com), RRP depends on the quantity purchased. Use voucher code TC30 to claim 30% off your order. For sales enquiries, or to request a sample of NuVu Life, please email sales@nuvulife.com or call: 07740 844 405.

Martin McKee’s Croque Madame

REFERENCES: 1. Stratton R, Smith T, Gabe S. Managing malnutrition to improve lives and save money.

BAPEN Report 2018. (available at http://www.bapen.org.uk/pdfs/reports/mag/managingmalnutrition.pdf ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 2. Maggini S, Pierre A, Calder P. Immune function and micronutrient requirements change over the life course. Nutrients. 2018; 10(10):1531. (Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6212925/ ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 3. Prince M, Albanese E, Guerchet M, Prina M. Nutrition and dementia: a review of available research. Alzheimer’s Disease International 2014. (available at https://www.alz.co.uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/nutrition-and-dementia.pdf) [accessed 07 June 2020] 4. White H, Pieper C, Schmader K. The association of weight change in Alzheimer's disease with severity of disease and mortality: a longitudinal analysis. J Amer Geriatrics Soc 1998; 46(10):1223-7. (available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.15325415.1998.tb04537.x) [accessed 07 June 2020] 5. Albanese E, Taylor C, Siervo M, Stewart R, Prince MJ, Acosta D. Dementia severity and weight loss: A comparison across eight cohorts. The 10/66 study. Alzheimer’s & dementia: the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. 2013; 9:649-656. (Avaiable at https://alzjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.jalz.2012.11.014) [accessed 07 June 2020] 6. Alzheimer’s Society. Caring for a person with dementia: a practical guide. 2019. (Available at: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/202003/caring_for_a_person_with_dementia_600.pdf ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 7. National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Dementia: assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers (NG97). 2018. (Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng97 ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 8. NHS Education for Scotland. Supporting People with Dementia in Acute Care: Learning Resource. 2016. (available at: https://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/media/11866144/supporting%20people%20with%20dementia%20in%20acute%20care%20final%202016%20web.pdf) [accessed 07 June 2020] 9. Holdoway A, Smith A. Meeting nutritional need and managing patients with dysphagia.

Journal of Community Nursing. 2020; 34(2):52-59. (Available at: https://www.jcn.co.uk/files/downloads/articles/12-nutritionalneed.pdf) [accessed 07 June 2020] 10. Hansjee D. 5 Fundamental Ms: cutting aspiration risk in dementia and dysphagia patients. Nursing Times. 2019; 115(4):38-41. (Available at: https://cdn.ps.emap.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/03/190327-5-Fundamental-Ms-cutting-aspiration-risk-in-dementia-and-dysphagia-patients.pdf) [accessed 07 June 2020] 11. International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative. Complete IDDSI Framework detailed definitions 2.0. 2019. (Available at: https://ftp.iddsi.org/Documents/Complete_IDDSI_Framework_Final_31July2019.pdf ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 12. McCormick S, Stafford K, Saqib G, Ni Chronin D, Power D. The efficacy of pre-thickened fluids on total fluid and nutrient consumption among extended care residents requiring thickened fluids due to risk of aspiration. Age and Ageing. 2008; 37(6):714–715. (Available at: https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/37/6/714/40923 ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 13. Crawley H, Hocking E. Eating well: supporting older people and older people with dementia. Caroline Walker Trust. 2011. (Available at: http://www.cwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/EW-Old-Dementia-PracticalResource.pdf ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 14. Forbes C. The ‘food first’ approach to malnutrition. Nursing and Residential Care. 2014; 16(8): 442-445. (Available at: https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/nrec.2014.16.8.442 ) [accessed 07 June 2020] 15. Robinson K. Nutrition and Dementia. Dietetics Today. Sept 2018; 42-43 (Available at: https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/nutrition-and-dementia.html ) [accessed 07 June 2020]

Are You in Need of * Dysphagia Training ?

Did you know that between 5075% of nursing home residents suffer from dysphagia1? Nutricia has a

INGREDIENTS Sandwich • • • • • • •

20 slices of thick white bread 20 British Lion eggs 20 honey roast ham 2 red onions 150 grated mature cheddar 150 grated Gruyère cheese 50g butter (soft)

Bechamel • • • • • •

90g butter (unsalted) 90g plain flour 1/4 tsp English mustard 100g milk powder 900ml milk (whole fat) 50g grated parmesan

Serves: 10 Allergens: Eggs, wheat, milk

Method: 1. To make the Béchamel, fortify the milk with milk powder in a pan. In a separate pan, combine the melted butter with flour. Slowly incorporate the butter on a medium heat until it’s smooth. Add the parmesan, mustard and salt and pepper.

2. To make the sandwich, spread each slice of bread with the Béchamel before adding some ham, red onion, Gruyère cheese, cheddar and pepper.

3. Spread the top slice of bread with butter. Heat a pan on a medium heat and place the sandwich butter side down with a little extra butter and fry on each side.

4. Remove from the heat, top with more Béchamel and cheese and place in the oven to finish cooking at 170°C for 3 – 4 minutes (fan oven).

5. Remove the fried sandwich and top with a sunny side up British Lion egg.

6. Serve with a fresh tossed mixed salad with red onion, mixed peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, radish and carrot.

Recipe courtesy of www.eggrecipes.co.uk For more information please call the British Egg Information Service on 020 7052 8899 or see the advert on page 19.

training solution for you, a FREE elearning covering the fundamentals of dysphagia management using Nutilis Clear.

The training is divided into 4 sections and has been specially designed for busy health and social care staff caring for people living with dysphagia. It takes 60 minutes in total to complete, however you can complete one section at a time.

HOW CAN THIS TRAINING HELP YOU? • Easy & convenient online solution to dysphagia training • Visibility to track progress in your care home • Raise the quality standard of dysphagia care in a consistent way

ing professional development.

There is a certificate that can be downloaded once the training has been successfully completed.

Use the camera on your phone to scan the QR code to access the elearning and get started!

For any questions contact your local Nutricia sales representative or our Resource Centre at resourcecentre@nutricia.com.

Nutilis Clear is a Food for Special Medical Purposes for the dietary management of dysphagia and must be used under medical supervision.

Reference: 1. O’Loughlin G, Shanley C. Swallowing problems in the nursing home: a novel training response. Dysphagia 1998; 13, 172-183.( https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-languagetherapy/clinical-information/dysphagia)

The quality standards aim is for all new health and social care staff members caring for patients with Dysphagia to complete the modules as part of their induction programme. Existing health and social care staff members should also complete the learning to support their continu-

*This training is intended for healthcare professionals only.

NEW DYSPHAGIA E-LEARNING Between Between 50-75% of nursing nursing home residents from residents suffer suffer fr om dysphagia dysphagia1

ARE YOU IN NEED OF DYSPHAGIA TRAINING? NUTRICIA HAS A SOLUTION! A FREE e-learning covering the fundamentals of dysphagia using Nutilis Clear*

4 modules 60 min utes minutes

Point your camera at the code to access the registration link

PAGE 36 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE TumbleCare from Easylink Workforce Scheduling Solutions Medpage Limited T/A Easylink UK was established in 1984 after the invention of an alarm clock to wake deaf people. The “Shake Awake” set a new precedent in quality standards for products designed for sensory care, notoriously at the time – rubbish.

The company invented a new device for the detection of nocturnal epileptic seizures in 1994, which also set a new precedent for quality, especially after the company achieved certified medical accreditation. We could boast and say we have supplied more seizure detection monitors than any other company in UK. You could say we are innovators; we are and very proud of it. To constantly adapt to changes in demands for care technologies, remain competitive and continue to develop new care solutions it takes more than intelligence, it takes passion.

Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, failing economy, factories closing and international

shipping facing the worst crisis ever known, we have battled through. At the start of the lockdown we supplied the NHS and Local Authorities with over 2000 bed occupancy detection alarm systems, many of them used to enable long term patients to be discharged from hospital to free up beds for COVID victims. Independent living support was and is essential during this pandemic.

Now we launch our new brand. TumbleCare. The TumbleCare brand is a range of fall detection and prevention products focussing on affordable quality and product performance. The products are tough, easy to set, use and provide carers with reliable advance warning notification of potential falls. Visit our website. Firstly, you’ll be amazed at the variety of care solutions we offer, then blown away by our realistically fair pricing. www.easylinkuk.co.uk

WristPIT from Pinpoint

unaware that a patient had had a fall for quite some time.

Pressing the clearly labelled call button on the WristPIT notifies the personnel on duty that a patient is The WristPIT from Pinpoint,is a bespoke patient call requesting help and informs staff exactly where the transmitter designed to be worn on the wrist. patient is. The call button is recessed and surrounded This wrist-worn personal infrared transmitter by a bump guard to prevent false alarms.

(WristPIT) is easily accessible and allows patients to Pinpoint Alarm Systems are installed in thousands of activate a call for even if they are away from their bed or medical facilities throughout the UK and USA. The new a fixed call-point.

WristPIT is backward compatible and easily integrated Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology into existing Pinpoint Systems. (usually worn by staff for personal A green LED indicates the WristPIT is ‘activated’ safety) has, for the first time, been with good battery level. When the battery requires designed around patient use. The changing, the LED flashes red until the battery is WristPIT can withstand showering and changed and the device has been retested. brief submersion in water and also In addition to being water-resistant, the incorporates antimicrobial product WristPIT has been designed to withstand protection, reducing the ability for bacharsh environments and user tampering, teria to grow. meaning suitability for facilities where According to figures published by the service users may be at risk of selfNational Reporting and Learning System, harm. around 250,000 incidents where patients For more information: required assistance in hospital were reported in www.pinpointlimited.com 2015/16. In many cases, nursing staff remained

Workforce Scheduling Solutions deliver Electronic Time & Attendance systems worldwide, using the latest Face Recognition technology.

Why should care homes move from paper to electronic time sheets

The industry is under considerable financial pressures. An efficient electronic booking on/off system that will schedule, provide budgets, calculate hours worked, overtime and absence such as sickness and holiday entitlement will save Time and Money.

How is time and money saved by doing things electronically?

Collecting payroll information from paper timesheets can be slow, prone

to errors, and very labour intensive.

Staff rosters can be produced as far in advance as practical and accurate within budgeted hours. Staff book on and off-duty electronically, thus eliminating any time errors.

Wage queries are virtually eliminated and immediate checks can be made without wading through reams of paper which invariably are inaccurate, misfiled or even 'lost".

There are many systems on the market - Why facial recognition is important and how it works Some systems use tokens, which can be lost or left at home, requiring management involvement in the booking on/off procedure.

Fingerprint systems can be beaten and Social media is awash with ways

to copy fingerprints. Face recognition combined with a staff PIN is simple to use and manage using touch screen technology and web cams.

Staff see their image displayed immediately when booking on or off and confirms their identity visually.

It provides the best deterrent available as it builds a greater 'image knowledge’ of each employee, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Eliminates 'buddy punching' where employees can book colleagues on/off duty using someone’s tokens, swipe card or even fingerprint.

How is data protected?

With the correct security setup computer systems provide more data protection than paper-based records which can be easily removed or stolen. GDPR covers all data including paper records and therefore the chances of infringing the rules and incurring fines is greater with paper.

Visit www.wfsoftware.co.uk

CARE VISION – Outstanding Care is at the Heart of Everything We Do At Carevision, outstanding care truly is at the heart of everything they do. They have combined over 40 years of hands on experience running care homes and working with some of the smartest mind in tech, they have created Care Vision - An all-in-one, cloud-based system that incorporates all your care and admin in to one easy to use system. Carers can compile resident notes, health observations and EMAR. Care home managers can manage rotas, accounts, HR and house-keeping tasks and log visitors using the digital visitor book.

Residents can use the system to make personal choices on meals and activities and use the app to keep in touch with family and friends.

Rishi Jawaheer, director at Care Vision says “The 100+ care homes that

PINPOINT WRISTPIT The WristPIT is a wrist worn Personal Infrared Transmitter designed exclusively for patient use.

The latest call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms. It is also backward compatible, allowing seamless integration into existing Pinpoint Systems.

DID YOU KNOW? Biomaster Technology is incorporated into all surface areas of the product during manufacture, inhibiting the growth of contaminating bacteria 24/7 for the lifetime of the product.

www.pinpointlimited.com

use our system have seen its benefits – They are saving 2-4 hours of staff hours per resident, per week and they are achieving outstanding CQC results.

Carers love it, residents and relatives love it, and care home managers can’t remember how challenging managing a care home was before it.”

Of course, taking on a whole new system can seem daunting, that’s why Care Vision offer minimal investment, all round support and flexible hardware options.

They don’t feel the need for long-term contracts, Rishi says “We have total confidence, once you use Care Vision, you will love it as much as we do.”

The Care Vision team would love to talk to you about what the system can do for you. Contact at info@care-vision.co.uk or call 0208 768 9809.

See the advert on page 42 for details.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 37

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE What Has COVID-19 Taught Us? During the last few months, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by services and technology companies has been epic. Decision making processes which normally take months, even years took days. Massive co-ordinated efforts with care homes, hospital trusts, local authorities, manufacturers and suppliers all coming together on projects across the UK. We can certainly say, having been heavily involved in many projects in the UK and around the World, that Courtney Thorne are enormously proud and humbled to have played our part.

One of the largest temporary Field Hospitals is the Dragon’s Heart Hospital inside the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. This vast stadium initially housed 335 emergency beds, when an additional 1200 beds were required Courtney Thorne was approached to supply,

install and commission nurse call points throughout the pitch and seating areas. These call points (including shower and toilet alarms) were supplied, installed and commissioned by Courtney Thorne’s own engineering team. Designed into 55 separate “wards” and integrated with paging systems. Completed in two weeks, it was a herculean effort by everyone involved.

No one could have predicted what was going to happen when in January we heard of deaths in China spreading. The impact of the lock-down in March brought home the scale of the problem as business owners worried, not knowing what the consequences might be. This was true for those of us supplying the healthcare sectors, with hospitals focussing on the pandemic and care homes locking down to protect elderly residents.

As we reduce the lock down rules, for many people and businesses this means a degree of normality and returning to work, albeit with social distancing. Those in the care sectors however will be more cautious so not to risk the vulnerable and elderly. Where there are COVID-19 free hospitals some of the day to day maintenance, building work, refurbishment will re-start, and it is here that the health and care solution providers need to be ready to support these projects.

Care homes need to make sure the safety of those in their care is not compromised by aging or failing nurse call systems. Courtney Thorne continued to provide full engineering, sales and support functions throughout the lock down period. A serious consideration when deciding who will supply business and person critical technology in the future.

When we look back on this period, no doubt some of the practices learnt will stand the test of time, such as flexible working with more home working. Video conferencing has at last come of age, e-training, webinars, online meetings have been the savour of many busi-

nesses.

It therefore appears to have taken a pandemic to create a situation where communication technologies, readily available becomes normalised. Spending quality time with our closest family is favoured rather than spending hours sat in commuter traffic. Business leaders at last realise that they can trust colleagues to do the right thing. Maybe there is a compromise to be gained where work can be more flexible, coupled with face to face meetings, not for every individual nor every business, however it is a start.

For more information about solutions for care, see Courtney Thorne's advert on page 11 or visit www.c-t.co.uk

How Can Employers Help Improve the Work-Life Balance and Mental Health of Social Care Workers?

Hailed as heroes during the pandemic, social care workers dedicate their lives to help the old, the weak and the sick. Often forgotten and under-valued, their mental health is under strain and COVID-19 has understandably worsened the situation.

How can employers help their employees restore a healthier work-life balance?

THE STATE OF THE SOCIAL CARE WORKFORCE A new survey by Quinyx found that health and social care workers are amongst those most likely to have their mental health negatively impacted by their job. The pandemic has made it worse: 54% of those polled said that their work had negatively impacted their mental health over the past 12 months, versus 48% before the pandemic - a 12% increase.

LOW PAY, LONG HOURS AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS COVID-19 has seen them work longer hours and be in the spotlight, with high expectations from their employers, the nation, the government, and to an

extent, global scrutiny over which country will do “better” at handling the crisis. Added to the fear of getting sick or contaminating their loved ones, it is easy to imagine the mental burden on those who risk their lives to help others.

Prior to the outbreak, the main reasons invoked by those who suffered poor mental health as a result of their job were low pay (42%) and managers’ expectations being too high (37%).

Some concerns were alleviated during the pandemic though, with 72% of healthcare workers polled saying that they felt valued by their employer, versus 53% prior.

WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS DO TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION? While increasing wages may not always be possible, three areas can make a positive difference: - Two-ways communication channels, effective and open, to monitor and engage.

- Allowing greater flexibility and control over work hours to restore a healthy balance.

- Optimised schedules to improve efficiency, reduce the overall cost of labour and help both workers and managers plan ahead.

HOW TO SUCCEED? Using technology to improve your workers’ work-life balance and wellbeing is one way to stay ahead of the game. Technology can help keep your employees productive, connected and happy. A solution like Quinyx helps empower workers, while optimising communication, time management and resources. It can also ensure that employers comply with the new regulations around contact and tracing, all through a simple, user-friendly app. www.quinyx.com/survey * Research conducted by Censuswide in two stages: the first was conducted with 1,200 deskless workers who work an hourly schedule in the following sectors: healthcare and social assistance, retail, hospitality and tourism, shipping/distribution, transportation and warehousing. It took place between 11.03.2020-23.03.2020. The second was conducted with 1,205 deskless UK workers in these same sectors.

PATIENT PA ATIENT FEEDBA FEEDBACK CK

FOLLOW FOLL OW W UP UP

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 39

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE The Tiny Tablet from Inspired Interaction be useful for staff training, presentations and transferring data.

"This new interactive experience has been of great benefit to our longterm residential residents with mid to late stage dementia, focusing on three primary outcomes of play: sensation, relaxation and reminiscence. Their interaction and engagement have increased considerably since using the table".

Stuart Davies - General Manager Plas Bryn Rhosyn, part of the Pobl Group Tel: 07950 513 176

Our touch tables are portable, adjustable and utilized the same way as a smart phone or iPad. They are ideal for improving the well being of residents through App Technology.

Every Tiny Tablet comes with a commercial grade screen and a chargeable built in power pack so there are no potential trip hazards. We offer both fixed and height adjustable tables, making it accessible for standing or seated use.

Wi-Fi capabilities allow the table to be used anywhere around the care home, enabling every resident to benefit both in a group activity environment and privately on a one to one basis.

Having the option of USB, HDMI, VGA and Bluetooth means various devices can be connected to the table, increasing options of use. This can

Sales & Enquiries: sales@inspired-interaction.com Web: www.inspired-interaction.com HRH Prince Charles discovering the Tiny Tablet at Plas Bryn Rhosyn Care Home

Using Technology to Manage the Prevention and Control of Infection in Care Homes For care home residents, infections can be serious, and in some cases, life-threatening. So, in the midst of a pandemic, the focus on good infection prevention and control practices has never been more important.

Over the last few months, we have supported Radar Healthcare customers in the management of Covid-19 related incidents, helping them to map resident outbreaks, identify pockets of self-isolating staff and anticipate consequential risks as a result.

The steps taken in care homes to protect residents and staff from infection represent an important element in the quality of care. So, knowledge and understanding of outbreak prevention, preparedness, detection and management is key.

PREVENT The dynamic management of emerging risks is a collective responsibility and one which ensures your workforce is fully involved in the process of preventing and controlling infection.

Risk registers should be actively maintained and monitored with a standardised risk scoring mechanism to facilitate prioritisation.

Risk stratification combined with regular audits and assessments to identify potential hazards can then support the creation of preventative action plans.

PREPARE Engaging with your workforce to co-create your strategic and

operational approach to infection prevention and control can support you to embed a culture of continuous improvement in this area.

Education plays a critical role in the prevention and control of infection so it’s critical that you manage and track workforce capability and competency – giving you peace of mind that they understand the importance of infection control and the specific role they have to play.

DETECT Clear communication of symptoms, guidelines and procedures ensures staff are equipped to recognise an outbreak and take appropriate action. With standardised procedures for reporting active cases and incidents, you can develop a clear picture of the pace and spread of the infection.

DIGITALISING YOUR OUTBREAK MANAGEMENT PLAN Prompt investigation and control of infection outbreaks is critical to protect the safety of residents and staff but mobilising an infection outbreak response can be difficult if information is siloed or managed manually.

Find out more about how Radar Healthcare can support your infection control processes at info.radarhealthcare.co.uk/infectioncontrol/

Tiny Tablet

Interactive Activity Touch Tables for care homes, education & hospitals.

Based in the West Midlands, all of our Tiny Tablets are designed and manufactured in the UK.

Utilising the latest touchscreen technology, we’ve created a range of products that are easy and intuitive to use, combining education & play through the use of interactive technology.

■ Wi-Fi Capabilities

■ Screenshot Function

■ Google Play Store Accessibility

■ Wheelchair Accessible

■ Bluetooth

■ Internet Browsing

■ Films and Catch Up TV

■ Brain Training / Collaborative Apps ■ Skype

■ 8 Hour Use Off One Charge

■ Data Saving Option ■ Multiple Users

■ Durable Screen

■ 3 Year Warranty

■ Full Onsite Training with every product

07950 513 176 sales@inspired-interaction.com www.inspired-interaction.com

PAGE 40 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Mainteno Facilities Maintenance and Management Software Facilities Maintenance and Management Software Simple to use, easy to maintain and very affordable.

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Reporting tasks and faults Asset tracking and value reporting Invoice management Add multiple images and documents Detailed analytical reporting Dashboard reporting showing live status of all tasks Management of all planned maintenance schedules Compliance testing and inspections Traffic light detailed reporting for audit purpose Audit reporting Direct allocation of work to relevant parties Can be used for help desk Supplier performance management and reporting Warranty and insurance management Can be used on any web enabled device Link tasks to calendar Create check lists for compliance purposes Contractor Quotes and Invoice Management Contractor Login upload function

www.mainteno.com 020 8798 3713 sales@redro.co.uk

Whether it’s managing planned maintenance or dealing with fault repairs, Mainteno simplifies the day-to-day maintenance of almost any organisation.

Mainteno also seamlessly incorporates asset management and tracking.

Mainteno streamlines every aspect of the maintenance management process, saving your organisation time and money.

Usability made affordable Mainteno was designed with practicality in mind. The interface is so intuitive that basic operation can be learned in minutes, and you can be a power user in one afternoon.

Elegant usability usually means a hefty price tag.

However, our pricing structure means that for small

organisations, Mainteno can cost as little as two cups of coffee a month. No set-up fees, no lengthy contracts and a free trial, all mean that the system starts paying for itself straight away.

Dr Asif Raja, Bsc MBBS Summercare Managing Director says “Facing significant challenges of ever increasing quality and compliance demands upon time and resources as well considerable economic pressures, Summercare, an award winning provider of residential care and housing related support, sought to upgrade their systems for managing the property and environmental aspects of its service delivery. After an extensive period of investigation and research Mainteno was selected as the platform of choice for the entire organization based on its ease of use, very short-term contract, quick set up and ongoing support.”

Visit www.mainteno.com, Tel: 020 8798 3713 or email sales@redro.co.uk

Network Communication Systems Network Communication Systems Ltd ( NCS ) was established in 1992 and from the outset has provided Telecare and Security Products and Services, primarily to Local Government (Housing) and Housing Associations. Today we have many accreditations to our name including ISO 9001 Quality Management which ensures the company meets its quality commitments The company offers a full range of services encompassing Consultancy, Design, Project Management Installation and Maintenance The company supplies both 3rd party and own brand products for individual and grouped living.

Grouped Living encompassing Sheltered Housing, Extra Care and Nursing Homes The Company offers maintenance on any make and model of

Telecare and Security Products/Systems, including system upgrades, partial and full, for better operation with the new digital telephone system being phased in by 2025. Maintenance can be offered on an ad-hoc basis or contractually via various packaged service agreements, depending on customer requirements Recently the company has just completed a design and installation project for Central Bedfordshire Council comprising over 50 CCTV cameras, some of which offer auto-tracking to get the best possible close up high quality image, Recording Equipment, Security Doors including Door Entry and Access Control and Automatic Swing Door Operators. All delivered to the client’s satisfaction.

For further information, please visit www.nsgroup.co.uk

Please Please mention mentionTHE THE CARER CARER when when responding responding to to advertising. advertising.

NURSE CALL

IT’S NOT OBSOLETE UNTIL THE OPERA LADY SINGS Grouped Alarms - Fully Integrated Telecare and Security

• 2 System types available depending on requirements • Door Entry panels and standalone fob readers • Telecare room units with choice of peripherals • On-site / Local Offsite / Off-site operation • BS8521 protocol for remote Off-site monitoring

Door Entry and Access Control

• High quality robust stainless steel panel • Panels and readers can be inter-connected • Cloud based remote management option • Well specified - Will meet your requirements • High reliability and fault tolerant • DDA compliant • Parts availability - 15 years • Low cost

Carephones and Peripherals

• Tele-care for individual properties • High quality product • Available in various models (PSTN or GSM) • Allows connection of multiple peripherals • The only product in the marketplace that offers wireless remote speech stations and voice pendants • Compatible with most Alarm Receiving Centres • Low Cost

EDISON TELECOM LTD (IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984)

have spares, enhancements and expertise for wired and wireless systems abandoned by the original manufacturer, whoever they are.

Call us on 01252-330220 We can give most systems a new lease of life and maintain them into the future.

www.edisontelecom.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 41

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE ETHEL, The Smart Care Hub The Covid19 pandemic has really ripped through our healthcare system and it has impacted the Care Home industry in a profound way too. However, what’s been quite evident, is the resilience of staff and their drive to better manage the residents in their care. In a way, the pandemic offers us an opportunity to explore if ‘technology enabled care’ can help us solve some of the issues we are facing. Can Tech help busy Carehome staff offer better support, connect the residents regularly with the family, help with clinical outcomes, without adding to their workload?

It is in this context that solutions such as ETHEL, the

smart care hub has attracted a lot of interest from the Care Home sector. ETHEL is a large (16 inch) touch screen personal device with a robust stand and tailormade for 85+ yr olds who have little or no computer skills. Its easy to use interface and robust security features helps a resident connect with their wider family network and clinical team in an easy way. Families can make video calls to the Large screen device, they can send photos and video clips and send simple messages. It also allows the clinical team to offer remote physiotherapy, remotely gather vital signs from the resident on a regular basis and do remote video consultations. ETHEL also comes with a built in Early Warning Scoring system for detecting deterioration.

A number of patients across the UK – from Shetland Islands to the devon coast have benefitted from using ETHEL. You can get more information at www.ethelcare.co.uk and/or call us on 07841977559.

C CONNECTING ONNECTING RESIDENT TS RESIDENTS with ffamily amily & clinical team. team.

Qintil Learning Manager Qintil was created for the care sector and we’re proud that so many incredible health and care professionals and their employers use Qintil everyday to learn and maintain skills and manage training and compliance.

Qintil is a lifelong learning platform that's built for the way the world works today. You'll almost certainly have more than one job in your lifetime, and quite possibly more than one career. You might even work more than one job at once, or for a staffing agency.

We built Qintil so that you can find, share and manage everything that's essential for work - your learning, certificates, achievements and right to work docs - in one place. You can share them, connect to more

Edison Telecom

We here at Edison Telecom Ltd have been providing specialist solutions to your call system requirements tailor-made to each customers needs for over 25 years, says director Bob Johnson.

Is your current Nurse Call “legacy�, obsolete, so full of software bugs or commercially not viable for your current supplier/maintainer to maintain?

We may have just the part and expertise that you are looking for to give your nurse call a further extension to

than one employer's learning at one time and when you move to a new job, contract or career you can take it all with you and continue to add to your lifelong record of learning.

This all helps employers too of course. Now there's an easy way to get a record of new hires' learning and documents and to deliver their own training from any source.

Our mission is to help everyone benefit from the thousands of ways there are to learn and to have one place to find, manage and share it all.

Try for free today.

Call 0300 577 1484 Email sales@qintil.com Web qintil.com life, adds Bob, “Edison will treat your nurse call with the same compassion that you give to those in your care.

There will come a time when your equipment is beyond repair but Edison are experts in extending the life of obsolete systems.� www.edisontelecom.co.uk

Family virtual Family visits Virtual Clinical Virtual C onsultation Consultation V ital Signs & Vital NEWS2 Scores NEW S2 Sc ores Electr Electronic onic Car Care e Not Notes es

ethelcare.co.uk ethelcar e.co.uk ETHELsmarthub

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 15 | PAGE 43

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Arquella's AIDA Data Platform Lotus Care Technology Arquella is proud to release our first version of the AIDA data platform.

We are committed to improving the quality of nurse call reporting by integrating cloud-based technology with advanced hardware. This development means that all of your data is easily accessible from any internet device. Our technology is even compatible with some existing nurse call systems.

With the easy to read 'Dashboard', you see a brief overview of all your current calls on one simple screen. With a simple click you are able to access more detail easily. Choose rooms, zones, call types, dates and times, you can evidence the care that your residents receive with total ease.

All of the data available is easily saved as a report, perfect for your CQC requirements. You

don't need any Arquella equipment to access Dashboard and Reports, our web browser interface gives you instant access onsite or offsite, complete with login control. You control who sees zones, sites or groups of homes, bringing local and national reporting with just one click.

We recognise that your care teams deliver excellent care, and we are committed to supporting you in capturing those moments. This is why we strive to provide you with the best technology to gather detailed evidence of the care you deliver.

Arquella's future-proof solutions keeps you up to date with all future releases, giving you peace of mind and the ability to 'Capture Moments of Care'.

Please call or email us so we can show how AIDA can help you.

See the advert on this page for details.

Plexus Innovation Provides GUARDIAN® To Help Safeguard Care Homes Plexus Innovation has forged links with Careline Lifestyles to take one of the job’s pressures off the nursing team at a time that is intense in the industry.

Ian Murray and Steve Todd, directors of Plexus Innovation, are successfully rolling out its innovative GUARDIAN® technology. They were keen, during such unprecedented times, that a care company benefitted with no initial cost implications.

GUARDIAN® is a remote, automated measurement and alert system that focuses on environmental data including temperature. Ideal in reducing the risk of legionella and ensuring temperature in water or refrigeration units is at an optimum level to protect health, Plexus Innovation’s technology comprises of a combination of hardware, with remote monitoring software.

Plexus Innovation supplied training to Careline Lifestyle staff, enabling the user to simply plug in and activate the hardware in seconds, putting the data live onto the portal managed by the experienced team at Plexus Innovation.

Provided initially for free, the arrangement covers nine of Careline Lifestyle’s homes across the North East.

GUARDIAN® is now monitoring 37 measurement points, including medical fridges and ambient room temperatures, which must be kept at compliant levels.

Ian said: “GUARDIAN® is cost effective, reliable and reduces risk. We are delighted to be remotely monitoring for Careline, where lack of compliance can be of detriment to

medications, dispensed to the people they care for.

“Previously these critical assets would be checked manually, which leaves room for human error when people are busy or under pressure. Using GUARDIAN® the nurses can get on with looking after the people in their care and not worry about this detail. Our system identifies compliance issues, enabling us to keep clients informed, saving time, effort and often money!

“Plexus Innovation can really help and support much of the health, social housing, care and even the hospitality industry perfectly.”

Based in the North East, Careline Lifestyle is a leading independent provider of high quality nursing and residential care specialising in acquired brain injuries, neurological, mental health needs, learning and physical disabilities for persons over 18 years of age in addition to providing nursing, residential and social care for the elderly. Kirsty Nealis, Head of Care Delivery at Careline Lifestyles said: “With the extra pressures brought about by COVID-19 we couldn’t be more grateful for this GUARDIAN® helping hand to ensure our compliance measurements are done quickly, properly and even better, remotely.

“We are always looking at innovative new ways to improve our services which frees up staff, allowing them more time to support our residence. “ “Thank you to Ian and Steve of Plexus Innovation for the free installation and remote monitoring over these first few months of a new and trying challenge!”

More information on GUARDIAN® is available at www.plexus-innovation.com

The NurseAlert pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot.

Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls.

Having many years of experience in

fitting and maintaining Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has different needs. They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier.

Visit lctuk.com for details.

Without QCS we wouldn’t have been rated as an ‘outstanding service’ Rupert Stocks Registered Manager, Guyatt House

Join over 86,000 WEXMWƼIH YWIVW REXMSR[MHI 8LI UK’s leading bespoke TSPMGMIW TVSGIHYVIW ERH QEREKIQIRX XSSPOMXW JSV XLI care sector

'SQTP] [MXL VIKYPEXSV] WXERHEVHW +IX LIPT MR TVITEVMRK JSV inspections Ensure documents are compliant Daily updates, stay informed on GYVVIRX MWWYIW ERH RI[W

Start your free trial today at www.qcs.co.uk or call 0330 8087 606

@QualityComplianceSystems