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The Carer Digital

THECARERUK

Issue 22

THECARERUK

Banning Care Home Visitors Could Breach Human Rights Act – says Campaign Group

A recent spike in Covid infections has led some care homes placing a ban on non-essential visits, including family members, however campaigners working to improve life for those living with dementia claim the guidance given to care homes over visits to family members during the pandemic is unlawful, and could lead to possible legal action a barrister has warned. Earlier this month the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) wrote to all care providers in England warning of the rise in Covid cases within care homes, which led some care homes unilaterally deciding to ban all visitors and

due to infections rising in certain areas, and councils in Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland taking a t decision to close all of their care homes to visitors. John’s Campaign, which campaigns for family visiting rights and is represented by Leigh Day solicitors, has sent a pre-action protocol letter to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, to challenge the legality of the guidance governing visits since lockdown ended, which was published on 22 July 2020.

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PAGE 2 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

EDITOR'S VIEWPOINT Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital! “There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” ROSALYN CARTER One of the biggest issues surrounding Covid and how we are dealing with it has, in my “humble opinion”, been lack of clarity and mixed messages. I follow politics quite keenly, and am currently following American politics, and I have to say I do admire the idea of presidential press briefings. Yes, they can get very contentious and often petty, but it is an opportunity to question and try and obtain some clarity when statements and policies are announced. I often wonder whether we should have similar press briefings here in the UK where concerns can be put directly to the government. I also wouldn’t just invite the usual suspects (mainstream media) when it comes to particular sectors’ press briefings and would invite publications and experts directly involved in that sector! Our front-page story relates to the lack of clarity on care home visits. A survey of 128 care homes in the summer revealed nearly 80% have seen a deterioration in the health of their residents with dementia due to lack of social contact (isolation due to coronavirus). Care home staff surveyed by the charity Alzheimer’s Society, as part of its investigation to understand how people with dementia are being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, reported: • Residents feeling ‘isolated and…suffering depression’. • ‘Those in the end stages of dementia are declining at a faster rate than normal’. • One care home manager told Alzheimer’s Society that ‘residents living with dementia particularly are losing weight because they are constantly in their rooms and not eating and drinking as before’. There is a very fine balance which all care operators face, protecting residents keeping them safe as possible from Covid infection, and at the same time ensuring mental health and well-being and minimising as much as possible the effect that isolation can bring. This is a truly heartbreaking situation and it is clear there is no solution, and there will be no winners or losers, just very difficult situation requiring clarity. Time for both residents and families is precious and everyday will count. It should not take the threat of legal action for said clarity to be forthcoming, and I very much hope the Health Secretary swiftly responds. Adding families of people in residential and nursing care settings, particularly those with dementia, to the list of key workers to be prioritised in testing is a sensible solution. Also, in this issue it is good to see a news report from property specialists Knight Frank stating that the sector is showing resilience in the face of the current pandemic. Occupancy rates are high and steadily increasing with the report says confidence begin-

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ning to resume within the sector. Care homes are according to report preparing themselves well should there be a surge during the winter months in Covid infections. Julian Evans, Head of Healthcare at Knight Frank, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the very best of the UK’s healthcare sector, with outstanding collaboration between the private sector, social care sector and NHS at this time of need and the strength in controlling infection levels. Having scrambled exceptionally well given the lack of government support, the operators are now much more prepared for the potentially imminent risk of the second wave of the virus, with new procedures in place and higher volumes of PPE at their disposal. This report is a testament to the dedication and work within the sector, and the Health Secretary has taken a great step in prioritising care staff for Covid testing, but as stated above it is equally important to minimise the dangers that isolation brings to residents in care environment particularly those suffering dementia and once again I would urge the Chancellor to include prioritising family members as well. I always finish with a thank you to the many homes and their PR agencies providing us with some wonderful stories of anniversaries, fundraising, in-house care home initiatives keeping the spirits high, so once again well done and please keep them coming! I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk.com

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 3

Banning Care Home Visitors Could Breach Human Rights Act – says Campaign Group (...CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER) Led by Nicci Gerrard and Julia Jones, the organisation says that in the six weeks since the government guidance on care homes visiting was published, they have been inundated with upsetting stories from families who are either unable to visit their loved ones in care homes or have visits which are so restricted that they cause more distress than they offer comfort. The lack of clarity offered by the government guidance has led to many care homes implementing blanket bans on visits. The guidance puts no requirement on care homes to carry out individualised risk and needs assessments. Nicci and Julia argue that those with dementia, a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act, have suffered disproportionately from the isolating effects of the lack of family visits throughout and since lockdown. In addition to the high number of lives lost to COVID-19, statistics from the ONS published on 5 June 2020 show that during the pandemic there had been 52.2 per cent increase in excess deaths of people dying of dementia. Various explanations have been given for this surge but a persistent thread heard by John’s Campaign is isolation, loneliness and a feeling of abandonment – people ‘giving up’ – and individual deterioration was particularly marked in those care home residents who had been regularly supported by their closest family and friends before lockdown.

John’s Campaign say relatives of people with dementia, who make up 70 per cent of all care home residents, should be designated “key workers” so that they can be accorded the same access to visit their family members as paid workers. They say it is the only workable and rational approach to visiting rights for essential family carers who provide crucial practical and emotional support essential to the health and wellbeing of residents. They say the guidance issued to care homes is unlawful because it breaches the Equality Act 2010 and Human Rights Act 1998. • Section 19, The Equality Act, prohibits indirect discrimination and so requires care homes to apply different rules for different residents depending on their personal circumstances. • Section 6, Human Rights Act 1998, pursuant to Article 14 European Convention on Human Rights prevents people being treated similarly, without justification, when they are in “relevantly different situations”. • Article 8 European Convention on Human Rights also entitles residents and their relatives to a private and family life • Article 2 European Convention on Human Rights protects residents right to life • Article 3 European Convention on Human Rights protects residents right to be free from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. In their letter to Matt Hancock, Nicci and Julia say that in trying to comply with the guidance, care providers are put at risk of breaching their legal obligations to residents and their families. They are calling upon the Health Secretary to urgently amend the

current guidance, or publish new guidance, that underscores the legal obligation for differentiated decisions to be taken, accounting for a resident's particular disability and needs. Nicci Gerrard and Julia Jones said: “For months now we have been hearing stories of suffering. Only as a last resort have we taken this step. We believe that the government guidelines have spread chaos and caused avoidable suffering, and that a fundamental violation of human rights is happening on a mass scale. Time is precious; every day counts to those people in care homes and to their family, for whom enforced separation has brought damage, bewilderment and anguish.” Leigh Day partner Tessa Gregory said: “Our client has for months been seeking to highlight the risk of mental and physical deterioration faced by those with dementia if they are unable to see their loved ones. “John’s Campaign believes the current guidance on visits to care homes is encouraging blanket bans as it fails to accurately express the law and fails to advise care home on their equality obligations towards people in their care with dementia. “Individualised risk and needs assessments are key to ensuring the rights of those with dementia are properly protected in accordance with the law.” If a substantive response to the letter is not received, a claim for judicial review of the guidance will be issued in the high court.

Care Staff to be “Prioritised” for Coronavirus Testing says Government Care staff will be prioritised for covert testing the government has revealed along with NHS staff and next on the list will be school pupils and their parents. Health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock told MPs, staff in care homes and hospitals will be first in line, as he acknowledged the “operational challenges” around testing could take weeks to fix, adding that 100,000 tests have been prioritised for social care, which is a third of the daily total. Mr Hancock said: “The top priority is and always has been acute clinical care. The next priority is social care, where we’re now sending over 100,000 tests a day because we’ve all seen the risks this virus poses in care homes. We’ll set out in full an updated prioritisation and I do not rule out further steps to make sure our tests are used according to those priorities.” Responding to the Health Secretary’s suggestion, Dr Layla McCay, direc-

tor at the NHS Confederation, said: “We welcome the Health Secretary’s suggestion that tests should be given to those who need them most and suggest that first in the queue should be NHS and care home staff as well as their dependents. Keeping these key workers home waiting for a test when they could be out delivering essential care is counterproductive. “On his point that it would take a “matter of weeks” to resolve the problems, we seem light years away from the world-beating test and trace system that we were promised. Every week we wait for these problems to be resolved is a week of some NHS staff not being able to go to work, and a week that makes it harder to identify and contain COVID-19 surges. “The problem is that the Government once again risks over-promising and under-delivering which in turn undermines public confidence at the point when it is so desperately needed.”

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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 ultimately 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 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.

Walk to Victory Plan for Pensioners Deprived of Exercise PENSIONERS deprived of proper exercise during the lockdown are now being coaxed back into action at an Edinburgh’s care home – by the lure of raising cash to battle dementia. Canny staff at Cramond Residence in Edinburgh have set a challenge for residents, giving them the month to get in the best possible shape for a major fundraising push. Care and clinical workers hope the attraction of doing their bit for

Alzheimer’s Month will also help the residents shake off the potentially debilitating effects of five months in lockdown. Lisa Sohn, Lifestyle Coordinator at the purpose-built, 74-room care home, pointed out that extensive research has shown how older people are adversely affected by periods of inactivity, suffering accelerated muscle loss. Lisa said: “It’s a vicious circle. The more inactive an older person it is, the harder it becomes to get them back into a good place. We’ve done everything we can to keep our residents active here, but we’re hoping this new challenge will really make a difference. “We are lucky to have beautiful gardens at Cramond Residence so we’ve come up with a plan to mark Alzheimer’s Month throughout September, encouraging our residents to walk as often as possible. “We’re going to build up to a big fundraising day on September 30. That will see our residents doing as many laps of the garden as possible, while asking their family and friends to make a pledge to

Alzheimer Scotland. “Everyone here has a vested interest in this. Not only is it a great way to keep our people in tip-top condition, but we all know residents who have Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. This lets us all do our bit to fight this terrible condition.” Reopening of Cramond Residence’s beautiful garden has been the main impetus for the challenge. However, it has also been partly inspired by the story of former British Army Captain Tom Moore. His garden walks during lockdown and in the run up to his 100th birthday turned him into a national celebrity. He also raised more than £32m for the NHS – and earned a knighthood as a result. Lisa added: “All of our residents followed the story of Captain Tom during lockdown, so we’re hoping that will also help inspire them. “Happily, most of them are champing at the bit to get back out walking outside and the garden walks will be one of our major focuses throughout September.”

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 5

Providers’ Anger As Care Reform Delayed Again All the Fun of the Fair at Silverdale

Care providers are furious after it was confirmed that long-overdue reform of the social care system was being delayed again. Lord Bethell, a health minister in the House of Lords, has said he could not commit to a plan for social care reform by the end of 2020. Care provider organisation The Independent Care Group says that simply isn’t good enough. Chair Mike Padgham said: “This is yet another betrayal of millions of older and vulnerable people in this country. “Before coronavirus we knew there were at least 1.5m people living in this country without the care they need. With coronavirus, heaven knows what that figure is now. “It is now more than a year since Boris Johnson promised to end the social care crisis once and for all and the only thing we have seen is the situation getting worse. “Under-funded and neglected by government after government, coronavirus exposed a social care system that was already in crisis and plunged it into further despair. Now we are told that there is no hope of even the publication of a plan this year. It simply isn’t good enough. “We need to see, immediately, the Government’s winter plan for helping social care cope with a much-feared and predicted second wave of coronavirus and then, as a matter of urgency, a full, root and branch overhaul of the social care system.” The ICG wants to see: • A root and branch overhaul of the way social care is planned and funded • NHS care and social care to be merged and managed either locally or nationally • Extra funding for social care, funded by taxation or National Insurance • A guarantee that people receiving publicly-funded care can receive it in their own home or close to where they live • A commissioner for older people and those with Learning Disabilities in England

• A properly-costed national rate for care fees linked to a national career pathway and salary framework for care staff • Dementia treated like other high priority illnesses, like cancer and heart disease • A fixed percentage of GDP to be spent on social care • A cap on social care costs, including ‘hotel’ charges • Local Enterprise Partnerships to prioritise social care • A national scheme to ensure people save for their own care, as they do for a pension • A new model of social care delivery based on catchment areas – like GPs • Social care businesses to be zero-rated for VAT • CQC to have much greater powers to oversee all commissioning practises such as per minute billing and 15-minute visits • Less duplication of inspection between CQC and local authorities/CCGs • Greater recognition of the role of the independent sector and utilisation of its expertise in the commissioning and delivery of social care • Guaranteed equal partnership working through seats on Health and Well Being Boards, CCGs and NHS • Giving providers and CQC greater flexibility in delivering services • Providing telemedicine incentives • Allowing nurses and social care staff from overseas to work in the U.K. including lowering the salary cap • Training and bursaries to encourage recruitment/end the shortage of nurses • Long term measures to integrate older and younger people in care settings and change the perception of the generations • Investment in research and development into new models of social care delivery • Funding to help upgrade older care homes to maintain a range of choice for the public and investment in domiciliary care

DHSC Issues Warning to Care Homes Over Rising Covid Infections The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has written to care homes warning of a rise in Covid-19 infections within the sector. In a letter to providers, DHSC said testing data revealed an increase in the number of positive results in care homes and action is required to prevent a rise in further cases. The letter urges care bosses to take “necessary action to prevent and limit outbreaks”. Cases were mainly among staff but risked spreading to residents, it said. It comes as a further 3,330 positive cases were recorded in the UK – the third consecutive day in which cases have been over 3,000. It brings the total number of confirmed cases to 368,504. DHSC director of adult social care delivery Stuart

Miller urged care home bosses to test all staff, including agency staff and those without symptoms, every week. Miller also called on any care homes that have not yet registered for repeat testing to do so, adding it has “no significant backlog and are able to send out test kits within several days of orders being placed” despite recent delays to the rollout. In addition, Miller stressed the importance of consistent use of PPE due the possibility that staff or residents could become infected prior to the virus being detected. DHSC meanwhile said it will shortly publish an Adult Social Care Winter Plan following work by the Adult Social Care Covid-19 Taskforce. The plan will set out the support and resources to

be made available nationally, as well as describing the actions for local areas. Speaking to the BBC, social care provider Mike Padgham regional chairman of the Independent Care Group, said the letter “doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t know already”. He said there were currently no cases of coronavirus in any of his care homes, but called for clarity around visiting, as the R number – the reproduction rate of Covid-19 – has recently increased. “At present, things are fairly calm, but we are looking over our shoulder at what is coming next,” he said. Mr Padgham, said one of his homes had reopened to visitors only last week for the first time since March, but since receiving the letter, he was now wondering if visits were a good idea.

Staff and residents at Borough Care’s Silverdale home for older people in Bredbury recently enjoyed a carnival day. There was freshly made candy floss, a sweet grab machine, an egg and spoon race and a hoopla stall. Everyone got into the carnival spirit by dressing up in brightly coloured wigs. The day helped bring back lots of happy memories for residents, who remembered enjoying fun times at carnivals and fairs with their families and friends. Lindsay Hadfield, Activity Lifestyle Facilitator at Silverdale, says: “It was a brilliant day that everyone is still talking about. The day was a real pick-me-up for everyone during this challenging time. It was lovely to see people enjoying themselves. There was lots of laughter and smiles all round.”

PAGE 6 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

Driving Transformation in Care Homes Durham Care Home Resident Helps Through Digital and Technological Innovation Prepare Home for Gardening Competition

A kind Resident at HC-One’s St Margaret care home in Durham recently assisted Colleagues in preparing the homes garden in time for HC-One’s gardening competition. St Margaret Resident, Olga Chester loves gardening, so after hearing that the HC-One gardening competition was soon approaching, Olga was keen to help out and improve the homes chances of winning. Olga, along with St Margaret’s wellbeing coordinator, Jacqui Savage started by filling out planters for the patio with some bright violets. Olga and Jacqui then placed the pots across the patio, making it look clean and colourful, all ready for the HCOne gardening competition. Seeing the final result delighted Olga, who said: “The patio is starting to look very colourful.” Olga and Jacqui can’t wait to do some more gardening in the future and are looking forward to their next venture out into the beautiful garden at St Margarets.

Phil Barrington is the ICT Director and Specialist at HealthTrust Europe - one of the leading healthcare solutions procurement providers in the UK. Here, he explores how technology is revolutionising the Social Care sector, and asks: what else can be done to futureproof the sector? The Coronavirus pandemic has highlighted a great number of things – one being that technology truly is everything. Whilst social distancing and lockdown measures have prevented us from continuing our ‘normal’ everyday lives, technology has stepped in and replaced the majority of the functions that we have temporarily lost. Take video conferencing as an example: a platform underutilised by many before the outbreak, yet one that we are now absolutely dependent on for almost all our social and professional needs. We are undergoing a cultural shift toward a world far more receptive to innovation and technology than ever before. This is no truer than in the Social Care sector, where organisations have rushed to maximise the benefits of tech. Since the start of the outbreak, our ICT specialist team has assisted care homes across the UK to access market leading tech from a variety of suppliers in order to address the ever-changing situation. We found that video call facilities were the first platforms to be put in place by most, offering a quick and

effective solution to providing care whilst maintaining social distancing. As we navigate through the crisis, video hosted platforms have also allowed organisations to recruit staff remotely, carry out vital medical examinations and run routine check-ups. The technology has been so successful that organisations are exploring the possibility of adopting tech permanently. Looking beyond Coronavirus, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are the next big players in healthcare services. ML and AI are already being offered by suppliers on the market, for example, Machine Learning Medical Data (MLDM) is a system offered by one of our top 10 ICT suppliers. This revolutionary system uses ML to transform medical records by analysing data and turning it into actionable, interpretable patient predictions, whilst the AI element is able to support decision-making based on the raw data collected by the software. The MLMD system is able to predict patient outcomes, guide clinical decisions and create personalised treatment suggestions for patients – all from learning and analysing the existing digital records. The greatest feature of MLMD is that it is fully comprehensive (aside from a human inputting the initial digital data) and runs completely by itself; we are able to receive these impressive results with very little effort. ML and AI technologies that are able to monitor and predict epidemics also exist – using data collected from satellites, historic information, real-time social media updates and other various sources to predict outbreaks. Scientists are currently looking at how ML and AI could support the fight against Coronavirus, with an experimental AI tool already being used in America to predict patient outcomes of those suffering with the disease. This is useful in developing appropriate care plans for patients, and also vital in understanding resource capacity. The ability to predict an outbreak of the virus would be ground-breaking in care home settings, where patients often live in close contact and viruses can spread easier, as staff would be able to put preventative measures in place before an outbreak occurs. Overall, this limits the transmission rate and would better allow ‘at risk’ patients to shield from the virus. Data analysis technology is another rising star

in the Social Care sector. At HealthTrust Europe, our specialist ICT Team has seen a significant increase in the number of care homes looking at investing in cloud-based platforms that are able to provide customised, flexible and interactive routine reporting on patients, uploaded to a real time online dashboard. The platforms are able to observe and analyse patient behaviour, from how many hours they have been in bed down to what time they need to take medication. This smart technology enables staff to access a full data report on a patient instantaneously from the touch of a button, and alerts can be set up to inform staff of any sudden changes in routine. The systems also include other interactive features, such as questionnaires that monitor the care provider’s interactions with patients regarding their physical and mental wellbeing. This helps to monitor changes in behaviour and allows issues to be picked up far quicker, all whilst being tracked in a secure database that can be referred back to. The shift towards technological innovation is supported on a national scale, and for good reason. Government led initiatives such as the NHSX Unit are driving digital transformation across the health and social care sectors with impressive levels of funding. Just this year, the Government pledged a huge £2.7bn of additional funding for the Health Infrastructure Plan – an initiative specifically dedicated to stimulating transformational change throughout the health sector. In the coming months, I think it is fair for us to expect even more emphasis on technology. The Coronavirus pandemic has highlighted just how significant and profound technology can be, by quite literally enabling our lives to continue with little disruption despite the crisis we face. In healthcare, technology has enabled care providers to continue providing vital care to the nation’s elderly and vulnerable – the significance of this cannot be understated. It is now possible to navigate not just the application of tech through the outbreak, but also look toward the future to improve patient outcomes, and I would encourage all business leaders in the sector to embrace this new wave of innovation. Introducing smart technologies across the health and care sector is no longer just a clever investment – it is a necessary one.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 7

Look After Healthcare Workers So They Can Look After Patients, says IOSH Safety and health risks faced by healthcare workers must be well managed so they in turn can keep their patients safe. That’s the message from the global chartered body for safety and health professionals ahead of World Patient Safety Day on Thursday 17 September. The awareness day is run by the World Health Organization and this year’s theme is ‘safe health workers, safe patients’ – and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is backing the drive. Healthcare workers face many risks in their work, including that posed by transmission of the Covid-19 virus. Other risks include the threat of violence and stress, which can make them more prone to errors which could harm patients. Dr Andrew Sharman, President of IOSH, said: “People working in healthcare are responsible for patient safety. But they cannot guarantee patient safety if they aren’t safe and healthy themselves. “Those who work in healthcare face risk on a daily basis. This has only been enhanced by the Covid-19 pandemic, during which time they have continued to provide a vital service for us despite these risks, which include but are not limited to transmission of the virus, fatigue caused by the long hours worked and psychological and emotional distress.

“But no person should have their safety or health negatively impacted by the work they do, regardless of what they do or where they do it. Everyone has the right to expect they will return home after they have finished their shift without being put at risk of a work-related injury or illness. As with other sectors, good safety and health management is crucial in this.” Many of IOSH’s members work in healthcare and play a key role in implementing good safety and health management systems. Some of these members are part of its Health and Social Care Group, which brings together professionals in this sector to discuss challenges and seek solutions. Dr Sharman added: “Ahead of World Patient Safety Day, I’d like to encourage ALL OSH professionals – not just those working in healthcare – to get behind this initiative. Please help us to raise awareness by sharing information across your social media channels. You can get materials like posters for social posts on the campaign webpage. “As the campaign slogan says, safe healthcare workers mean safe patients. So, let’s get behind this campaign, promote the importance of protecting healthcare workers and make a difference to not just their lives but those of the patients they look after.”

Sector Missing Opportunities to Improve Adult Care Services, Ombudsman Reports The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is calling for more to be done to help the adult social care sector capitalise on the valuable learning complaints can bring, in its annual review. The Annual Review of Adult Social Care Complaints details the trends the Ombudsman has seen in the complaints it has received about adult social care in England during 2019-20. Over the period the Ombudsman received 3,073 complaints and enquiries, but of those, only 430 were from people who arranged their care privately with independent providers. The disproportionately low number of complaints about independent providers means the independent sector is missing out on an untapped seam of valuable learning and potential improvements to their services. Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “We’re pleased with how the adult care sector has worked with us to make almost 600 improvements to its services last year, which were agreed in our investigations. This is 7% more than the previous year, and they include things such as policy changes and staff training.

“However, people who fund their own care are still under-represented in the complaints we see, and the number has plateaued for the past couple of years. Each missed complaint is a lost opportunity to improve care services.” The Ombudsman upheld 69% of those complaints it investigated in detail – higher than the average uphold figure of 62% across all the organisation’s work. That uphold rate rose to 71% for cases specifically about independently provided care. The Ombudsman is now calling for the government to use the planned social care reforms to require providers to tell people, if they are unhappy with the services they are receiving, how to complain not only to the providers themselves, but also how to escalate that complaint to the Ombudsman. Mr King added: “Mandatory signposting will also be better for businesses. The social care complaints system in England is not a voluntary scheme but the current level of engagement varies considerably. This is placing greater

burdens on more conscientious providers while allowing weaker operators to avoid public accountability. “This undermines fair competition and consumer choice. Instead, there should be a level playing field, where the rules are applied consistently – in the best interests of users and businesses.” Healthwatch England’s National Director, Imelda Redmond CBE said: “It is important that care users understand how to complain about the services they receive, and that providers use this feedback as an opportunity to identify and tackle the root causes of complaints. Statutory signposting would help to develop a learning culture in social care, improve understanding of the role of the Ombudsman and drive service improvements.” Professor Martin Green OBE, CEO, Care England added: “We always welcome any new learning that providers can take from these reports and similarly we welcome the annual review which brings everything together. We will be sure to share the report with our members”.

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Care Market Insight By Rob Kinsman, Regional Director, Christie & Co It’s been a turbulent few months for so many businesses around the UK but, as everyone knows, the social care sector has been at the forefront of the fight with Covid-19 and it has been a hugely difficult time for operators and the amazing staff working in homes throughout the UK. Whilst the challenges faced by the sector have made front page news, it has in fact raised the profile of the sector and, in turn, has focussed investor interest to the opportunities and potential of Social Care. Buyer demand, from new entrants through to regional multiple operators, has remained robust and this has been illustrated in Christie & Co’s latest Buyer Registration Index. The Index, which analyses the company’s front end website data from the time when UK lockdown measures began to ease (around the end of April) through to 22 June 2020, provides a real time indicator of new buyer interest across care and the other sectors which Christie & Co operates within. The report revealed a 58 per cent increase in new buyer activity in the care sector since the easing of lockdown began. It is important to highlight that this figure relates to new potential buyers, not those known to

the company already, which is extremely positive as it shows that these investors see the sector’s long-term potential. It is also something we expect to see at this time given the ‘needs driven’ nature of the sector (i.e. there will always be people needing healthcare) and so it’s likely there will always be an appetite for these kind of businesses. Deals that we have concluded suggest little impact on valuation multiples for those care homes that can demonstrate good trading fundamentals and/or a swift rebound in occupancy following the impact of the pandemic. We have continued to broker transactions throughout the lockdown period and have exchanged contracts on over 70 individual care homes since the outbreak of Covid-19. Larger sized transactions stalled at the onset of lockdown as funds put further acquisitions on hold whilst they assessed the impact of Covid-19 on occupancy and valuations. We have seen some of these transactions kick-start once again in the past fortnight or so and remain confident that this trend will continue. Underlying confidence and activity in the market is likely to be further underpinned by the removal of the ‘material uncertainty’ clause in Red Book, loan security valuations which inevitably hamper investment, and bank appetite in the sector. The specialist care market has been largely unaffected by the pandemic and our UK network of offices has concluded several deals in the learning difficulty and mental health sectors since lockdown. Demand remains strong from Private Equity, national corporate operators and regional groups seeking to expand their portfolios. A long-running challenge in the sector has been the availability of care and nursing staff. Care providers have widely reported an increase in applicants applying for vacancies, likely due to the wider economic downturn and increase in unemployment in other sectors. This will give operators confidence that they can grow their businesses and staff them accordingly. The availability of bank debt is likely to be a key factor in the short to medium term. Many banks have tightened their lending policies and are increasingly reluctant to lend to ‘new to bank’ clients. This will inevitably make it more difficult for new entrants to enter the market and further exacerbate the two-tier market we have seen develop in recent years. Values of smaller, non-compliant care homes are therefore likely to soften further but we forecast that compliant, well run facilities will continue to attract keen interest with values holding firm in the immediate term.

Table Tennis is a Hit in Social Care! A unique free training program has been launched to help people who access social care to enjoy table tennis. The charity Community Integrated Care has developed www.CareToPlay.co.uk with the aim of inspiring care workers and families to promote this accessible, adaptable and socially distanced sport. Community Integrated Care is one of the UK’s biggest and most successful social care charities. It has been promoting table tennis in hundreds of its care and support services and found that the sport offers a uniquely inclusive, engaging and low-cost activity. This website provides a series fun and creative bitesize training videos, which in just 13 minutes give people who provide care and support the fundamentals of how to enable someone to enjoy the sport. Over the past two years, the charity has piloted the use of table tennis in a range of settings – from delivering activity sessions in specialist dementia care homes and learning disability supported living services, through to utilising it in mental health talking therapies. Having enjoyed incredible outcomes in these pilot projects, it worked with Table Tennis England to support almost 200 care services to access table tennis starter packs during the early months of the Coronavirus pandemic – helping to keep people physically and mentally stimulated during lockdown. This video series distills many of the key things the charity has learned in promoting the sport. It not only teaches people the funda-

mental skills of how to play table tennis, but also looks at the many ways that the sport can be adapted and used to promote health, happiness and confidence. The resource has been developed by Community Integrated Care’s internal specialists in person-centered support alongside professional

athletes James and Teddy Chapelhow. The pair, who are Ambassadors for the charity and play for rugby league side Ottawa Aces, are life-long table tennis players. John Hughes, Director of Partnership and Communities at Community Integrated Care, says: “As a charity, we are committed to enabling the people we support to enjoy active and full lives. Having seen the impact of promoting table tennis in a range of settings, when lockdown hit, we felt it would be an ideal activity to help deliver at scale – meaning that staying at home wasn’t a barrier to staying active. The website was designed to give people the confidence, skills and understanding to enable others enjoy table tennis as a person-centred activity. It has been created by people who have a brilliant insight into sport and social care. The videos are fun, practical and above all punchy – at just thirteen minutes long. I’d like to thank James and Teddy Chapelhow and the team at Community Integrated Care who contributed such brilliant ideas to this project. Special thanks must also go to Table Tennis England, for their amazing backing in helping us to introduce the sport across our charity. Having seen hundreds of our colleagues benefit from the www.CareToPlay.co.uk training resource, we hope that many more people across the social care sector and family carers can now benefit from it too.” Colin Eley, Partnerships Manager at Table Tennis England, says: “It is important that people find their own way to engage with Table Tennis. It is commendable how Community Integrated Care have tailored their approach to promote the game to some that may be picking up a bat for the first time. We know Table Tennis is a Sport for all for Life and this initial exposure to the game is key.”

74th Wedding Anniversary Celebrated at Steyning Care Home A Steyning couple who married a year after the end of World War Two have celebrated their 74th anniversary at a local care home. 98-year-old Bill Williamson moved into Croft Meadow care home in December 2019. Within less than a month his wife, 95year-old Betty, moved to the home so she could remain with her husband. Bill, a former RAF pilot during World War Two and Betty, who worked at the Home Office, married in Middlesex in August 1946. They lived most of their life in Kingston-upon-Thames before moving to West Sussex in the 1990’s to be closer to their family. Prior to moving into Croft Meadow, the couple – who have four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchil-

dren – remained keen dancers and bowls players, despite their age. The couple’s anniversary was celebrated in the home with staff and residents, which included a cake and other sweet treats. Commenting on her celebration, Betty said: “Myself and Bill have had a very happy 74 years because we have always done everything together. We first met at a birthday party and it was love at first sight – we’ve been by each other’s side ever since. “Just a month apart at the end of 2019 was too hard, which was why I decided to move into Croft Meadow. The staff were so accommodating, and we’ve made so many friends already.”

The Social Interest Group The Social Interest Group (SIG) is made up of subsidiary charities that collectively believe that everyone has the right to live a positive and healthy life. We work in partnership to deliver quality support, health and social care through prevention, early intervention, recovery and rehabilitation. We are experts in working with adults who have the most complex and chaotic lives; enabling and empowering them to take charge of themselves, giving them the skills and resilience to live healthy and fulfilled lives. Penrose has been helping vulnerable adults make a change to their lives for over 50 years with

support interventions that have a positive and lasting impact. Penrose was founded in 1969 and since then we have supported thousands of people with their own personal journey and empower them to reach their own aspirational goals. Equinox Care provides support, care and recovery services to people who have a range of complex needs such as substance misuse and mental health issues. SIG Investments buys or leases property on behalf of the Group, and then leases it to Group members at an affordable rent. For further information please contact: communications@socialinterestgroup.org.uk

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Carers “Walking Tightrope” Over Home Visits Care providers are walking a tightrope as they allow residents to see their loved ones whilst keeping those same vulnerable people safe from Covid-19. On one side they understand how vital it is that care and nursing home residents, particularly those with dementia, see their loved ones to safeguard their mental health. But on the other they fear exposing all of their vulnerable residents and staff to a pandemic that has already claimed the lives of 15,484 care and nursing home residents across England and Wales. Today provider organisation the Independent Care Group (ICG) said the sector needed better support and better guidance from the Government as it tries to balance both sides of a delicate and dangerous situation.

Chair Mike Padgham said: “Of course, care providers want to enable their residents to see their loved ones. It is vital for their mental health and overall happiness, particularly those who have dementia. “A large number of care and nursing homes have been facilitating safe, socially-distanced visits, either outdoors during good weather or indoors. “But at the same time, we have a huge duty of care to all of our residents and staff to protect them from Covid-19. The pandemic hasn’t gone away – the recent surge in infection cases shows that and we have to be very, very mindful of a second wave. “If we are to allow home visits we have to be vigilant, and stick strictly to the Covid-19 safety instructions.” Care providers fear a second wave of Covid-19 would be particularly devastating for the older and vulnerable people they care for, who are particularly susceptible to Covid-19. Up to 28th August some 15,484 people had died in care and nursing homes across England and Wales, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. “Every death is the tragic loss of a loved one – a mother, a father, a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter an aunt, uncle or friend,” Mr Padgham added. “We have to be extremely careful and not let Covid-19

capitalise on any complacency and claim yet more lives. “With winter coming on we are approaching a very dangerous, critical period in our fight against this pandemic and it is up to each and every one of us to take extreme care.” The ICG is calling on the Government to provide better guidance over home visits to give clarity to the sector. Providers are also worried about claims made against them over residents who die from coronavirus whilst in their care. They want the Government to indemnify providers against such action, as they do NHS care providers. A lag between Covid-19 infection rates and reported deaths from the virus is worrying care providers as they prepare for winter and a possible second spike in cases. Mr Padgham added: “Winter always puts extra strain on everyone in the caring professions and we do not want to see a resurgence in coronavirus cases on top of that. That could be devastating.” Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that deaths from Covid-19 in care and nursing homes in England and Wales was 23 for the week ending 28th August, down from 43 the previous week. However, on Sunday, the UK recorded its highest number of daily Covid-19 cases since May when 2,988 were reported in just 24 hours.

Support The Care Workers’ Charity Mental Health Grants Appeal Research from The Care Workers’ Charity report called “The Beating Heart of Care: Supporting Care Workers Better” shows that the mental health of care and support workers was suffering before the coronavirus existed.1 The findings reported care workers are finding themselves in-work poverty, and worse, suffering from mental health issues due to their low paid and emotionally charged frontline roles as carers. Since then, social care workers have experienced challenges that most of us cannot even imagine during the covid-19 pandemic. The toll on mental health has been and continues to be massive. In a survey conducted during the early months of the pandemic by the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) 2, recognised that ‘there are far more beds in care homes with nursing than there are in hospitals in England’, care homes have three times as many beds than hospitals. Delivering a high level of care to individuals who need a ‘combination of support for complex physical and cognitive needs’ requires a high level of skill. In such settings, end of life care is often unavoidable and can be extremely draining on the mental and physical wellbeing of the workforce. Of the people surveyed, 80% of respondents ‘reported very negative experiences’ of working during March – May 2020. ‘56% of respondents felt worse or much worse in terms of their physical and mental wellbeing’. Other contributing factors to their negative feelings were not being valued, poor terms and conditions of employment, feeling blamed for deaths of service users and a lack of clear guidance. In light of this, The Care Workers’ Charity is preparing to introduce Mental Health Grants for people work-

ing in the social care sector. The charity is also looking at offering sessions of therapy or counselling from licensed professionals tailored to the needs of the individual, and is currently running trials to identify partners to deliver this. Karolina Gerlich, Executive Director at The Care Workers’ Charity says: “The coronavirus pandemic has shown the resilience and determination of care and support workers as they have continued to care for the most vulnerable members of our society. The toll on the mental health of care and support workers has been great, long before the pandemic. However, Covid-19 has exasperated the mental wellbeing of individuals who may have struggled with their mental health previously and people who have never previously struggled with anxiety or depression are now finding their mental health is suffering. We are now appealing for support and donations to this fund to help us ensure care workers receive the right type of guidance and support to help them through what has been a very dark period for most.” Please donate by following the fundraising link here: https://thecareworkerscharity.enthuse.com/cf/mental-health-appeal The Care Workers’ Charity supports current, former, and retired care and support workers with financial support. Continuing to make a difference the new fund will help offer better quality support to a wider group of people.

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Wellbeing Initiatives Enhance Residents’ Quality of Life During Coronavirus The extensive wellbeing programme in HC-One care homes across the UK has had a significant and positive impact on Resident’s emotional, mental and physical health, including those living with dementia. This has become even more important during the coronavirus pandemic, with the increased focus on wellbeing activities in the lives of Residents. The pandemic has posed many challenges for Colleagues to safely provide wellbeing activities within HC-One care homes. Whilst the primary focus has been on protecting Residents living in HC-One care homes, HC-One has also been working hard to enhance their quality of life during this period. HC-One has adapted a number of wellbeing activities to be delivered safely and align with bringing physical, mental and emotional stimulation to Residents. Robi Roccella, Head of Quality of Life at HC-One, commented: “During these unprecedented times, the importance of enhancing Residents wellbeing and providing stimulation to their body, mind and soul has been even greater. HC-One is inspired by the ways in which HC-One Colleagues have harnessed the power of kindness and established new ways of engaging with the people HC-One support, whilst adhering to guidelines. With restrictions in place regarding visits from family and friends, it is even more important now that the wellbeing of Residents and their quality of life remains of equal importance to the quality of the care they receive.” Colleagues have collaborated together to bring their creative thinking to the forefront of inventing new ideas and ways of bringing activities to Residents. HC-One’s own initiative of ‘Stop the Clock’, where

Colleagues across the care home stop what they are doing once a day and engage with Residents, has been instrumental during lockdown. By promoting this initiative, homes have ensured Residents wellbeing needs are met through the whole home approach. Magna Care Home in Wigston have been enjoying their ‘Stop the Clock’ sessions. They had an afternoon where Colleagues and Residents enjoyed joining in with armchair exercises and singing along to music. At Forthbank Care Home in Scotland, they have been creating small teams consisting of Residents and Colleagues, providing an opportunity to get involved in simple but competitive and engaging games. This has helped stimulate Resident’s mind, body and soul, and to create a sense of achievement for both Residents and Colleagues. Technology has also been extremely valuable during lockdown, with all HC-One care homes receiving tablets to support Residents to keep in touch with their loved ones. Colleagues at Kirkwood Court in Newcastle went one step further, using their tablets to keep in contact with their local community and enabling Residents to stay in touch with their regular pet therapy dog, Bruce, through video calls. Bruce (and his human) have also sent letters to Residents with photos of him visiting before lockdown. Angela Douglass, Home Manager at Kirkwood Court, said: “It is hard to put into words how much of a positive impact Bruce has had on Residents. Having the video calls from Bruce has brought happiness and a lot of excitement. HC-One are incredibly grateful for how much Bruce and his human have done for HC-One Residents and are thrilled at the difference he has made.”

Blacon Resident Reminisces on Proudest Years in The Navy HC-One’s Lauren Court in Blacon, Cheshire, is home to 86 year old Nicholas Tate Smith who kindly shared some fascinating stories about the proudest years of his life. Mr Smith, who was originally from Christleton, was head boy at The King's School Chester, established in 1541, which was renowned for being a prestigious private boys’ school. Mr Smith recalls how Friday morning prayers were always in Chester Cathedral and as Head Boy, Nick had the honour of reading the morning’s lesson from the lectern, dating back to the early 17th century. After his school years, Mr Smith, who is known around Lauren Court as “Nick”, joined The Navy in 1953 for National Service Duty. He spent three years in there; two were his National Service plus he stayed on an extra year. During this time, Nick learned to speak Russian from scratch, first taking it to A Level and then completing a Russian degree by the age of 21. He had two famous Russian tutors, Count Lubienski who was part of the Polish Parliament in Exile, and

Frank Esterkin, who was one of the Russian prosecutors during the Nuremberg trials, who had taught Nick Russian Literature. One particular adventure in The Navy had Nick spending a long weekend on the HMS Sheffield off the coast of Poland during the Cold War. He was hidden down in the basement of the ship with a friend and spent the weekend listening to and dictating the conversations of the surrounding Russian fleet. After his time in The Navy, Nick had a place waiting for him to read Modern History at St Peter’s College, Oxford University. He completed his first year before changing to read law on the advice of his Father before becoming a solicitor for Walker Smith Way in Chester. Nick recalled his story to Rebecca Jackson, who is part of the wellbeing team at Lauren Court. He commented, “It does you good to remember things!” Rebecca remarked, “It was lovely being able to reminisce with Nick about some incredible events in his life as a young man.”

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Digital Innovation Hub Launches To Help Improve Care Sharing approaches, technology and best practice that can help transform care and improve lives is the aim of a new Digital Innovation Hubble, launched by the National Care Forum and NHS Digital in partnership with Parkhaven Trust. The Digital Innovation Hubble, created at the Merseyside-based charity's newest and most technologically advanced home; The Beeches in Maghull. Health care professionals from across the UK, via the National Care Forum and NHS Digital, will attend the Hubble for training sessions in order to learn more about best practice and digital innovation. The Beeches is a residential and nursing service for people with dementia. Designed using Parkhaven’s considerable experience and guidance from the Dementia Design Centre at Stirling University. Circadian lighting, acoustic monitoring and electronic care planning have been installed to ensure that people are supported and cared for using the latest technology and to support staff to spend more time with people. The acoustic monitoring system listens to sleeping residents and triggers an alert if the sound level exceeds or falls below an individual’s personalised settings. Lights automatically turn on in the en-suite bathrooms when someone gets out of bed, and there are cameras in each bedroom, so staff can easily check on residents via a live feed. This all means better, undisturbed sleep for clients. Kim Crowe Chief Executive at Parkhaven Trust said: “Our aim with the Hubble is to inspire other care providers to embrace digital technology in their own care settings in order to improve people’s lives. We found a whole host of benefits for our clients with the use of the newest technologies and we want to share

that with others.” 'We're always asking ourselves 'what will make people's lives better' and it's this that drives us to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation in care to ensure that every day is well lived.' Speaking about the new project, Vic Rayner, chief executive of NCF said: “Many care providers want to progress along their digital journey – but they feel they don’t have the knowledge or confidence to make what can be big decisions about investment and implementation in technology. Being able to learn from colleagues who have been there and done that can overcome some of those concerns. “These are warts-and-all sessions, where care providers will share the lessons they have learned. Our virtual visitors will also have access to a wide range of resources after the visits, including a toolkit to support building a business case, getting buy in, and implementation. And the tech suppliers featured during the sessions are also offering participants a time-limited reduction on the cost of their technology.” James Palmer, Social Care Programme Head at NHS Digital, said: “Involving care providers was a core founding principle of the NHS Digital Social Care Programme when it was established in 2015. All projects funded through the Pathfinders programme were required to support products and services that have the potential to make a big difference to the digitisation of the sector. “We are delighted that NCF is using this innovative approach. It is so valuable to share direct experiences of introducing and using tech and these virtual visits will be accessible to a greater number of organisations than a physical visit would be.” Bookings are now open for the 30 sessions at www.nationalcareforum.org.uk The Hubble Project is funded by NHS Digital’s Social Care Digital Pathfinders grant. The project’s aim is to support and inspire the care sector to embrace digital technology in their care settings in order to improve people’s lives through the use of technology based, data-enabled care.

Communities Step-Up To Help Veterans’ Care Homes During Pandemic Royal Star & Garter has been able to draw on the love and support of its local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The charity, which has Homes in Solihull, Surbiton and High Wycombe, has always benefitted from close ties with its neighbours. This includes enjoying visits from local schools and nurseries, nearby cadets and military organisations, and going on trips to attractions and landmarks in the area. However, the charity has been bowled over by the support it has received since the spread of the virus caused the Homes to close their doors to visitors in March this year. Aware that residents would be missing visits from loved ones, volunteers and entertainers, Royal Star & Garter launched its hugely successful Letters with Love campaign in March. The campaign came about after the residents asked for letters and drawings, saying it “brightens up our days”. It resulted in a slew of correspondence from people of all ages, and was warmly welcomed by Royal Star & Garter residents. And the Share a Smile campaign, which launched in June, invited members of the public to send in homemade videos aimed at bringing cheer to veterans cared for by the charity. Also in March, the Surbiton Home was inundated with donations after appealing for toiletries for its residents. The charity’s Homes in Solihull and

Surbiton also received free meals from local restaurants and takeaways. In April, Kingston police showed their support by visiting the Surbiton Home to take part in the weekly clap for NHS staff and key workers. Hand soap and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have also been donated to the Homes from local groups and schools, including Pipers Corner School, which gave neighbouring High Wycombe Home 40 face shields. The community has also taken part in fundraising for Royal Star & Garter during this time. Lockdown meant the cancellation of mass-participation fundraising events such as the London Marathon and Prudential RideLondon cycle ride. As a result, members of the public helped raise £15,000 for the charity through the 2.6 Challenge. Among those to fundraise were the great grandchildren of a High Wycombe resident. Senior Community Fundraiser Lauren Baker said: “We’ve been amazed at people’s kindness, love and generosity over these difficult months. Support has come in all different shapes and sizes, from toiletry donations, letters, takeaway dinners and fundraising. It’s allowed us to continue providing exceptional care to our residents.”

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UK Care Home Sector Shows Resilience Despite COVID-19 Crisis The UK care home sector is beginning to recover following the impact of COVID-19 in Q2 2020, with occupancy measuring 80.2% and a steadily increasing admission rate, as confidence in the sector begins to resume, according to the latest research from global property adviser Knight Frank. The COVID-19 care home occupancy tracking survey by Knight Frank surveys 21 operators managing 1,391 care homes and 79,848 registered beds and encompasses approximately 15% of the UK care home market. It has found that overall occupancy as of mid-August 2020 measures 80.2% which is 8% below the pre-pandemic level but has been Julian Evans, Head of Healthcare increasing robustly since July as at Knight Frank confidence levels improve within the sector. Care home operators have also been devising and implementing new procedures to ensure that they are best prepared in case of resurgence of the virus in the winter months, with barrier nursing and isolation

measures crucial steps to maintain infection control. This follows Knight Frank’s findings that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for investment and innovation in the UK healthcare property sector, having accelerated trends that will lead to closures of care homes that are no longer fit for purpose, resulting in a significant national shortfall of bed provision. Knight Frank’s research identifies a potential 6,500 care homes at risk of closure over the next 5 years, equating to 140,000 beds and estimated that the UK requires in excess of £15 billion to upgrade existing beds in order to future-proof for its ageing population. This comes as the share of people over the age of 80 is expected to surge in the next 30 years, with one in ten adults set to be over 80 by 2050, compared to one in 20 currently. Julian Evans, Head of Healthcare at Knight Frank, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the very best of the UK’s healthcare sector, with outstanding collaboration between the private sector, social care sector and NHS at this time of need and the strength in controlling infection levels. Having scrambled exceptionally well given the lack of government support, the operators are now much more prepared for the potentially imminent risk of the second wave of the virus, with new procedures in place and higher volumes of PPE at their disposal. “Despite the fantastic work of the UK healthcare sector, the pandemic has also unfortunately highlighted the lack of investment by successive governments into the sector, and therefore the urgent need to prioritise preventative and crisis funding. COVID-19 has merely accelerated

trends to scrutinise those buildings that are not fit for purpose whilst emphasising the insufficient funding available for reinvestment into existing care homes, which has therefore expedited the number of potential care home closures. We are at a vital crossroads where we face a national bed crisis unless significant inward investment in the UK care home sector is made immediately.” Pete Calveley, CEO of Barchester Healthcare, said: “The social care sector has faced an unprecedented event. Without doubt our front-line staff have managed the situation with extraordinary courage. We’ve been through the eye of the storm but of course a Covid-19 rebound is a risk. That said we are well prepared for a rebound but do urge government to fully commit to provision of testing kit and PPE.” The Covid-19 pandemic has placed additional pressures on the care home market which had already seen closures due to a range of factors including the continued impact of the National Living Wage affecting an already constrained labour market and ongoing staffing challenges, with an acute shortage of qualified nurses, combined with restrained care home development owing to building material inflation costs. Knight Frank expects that care home design will adapt to meet future virus experience and that care homes will need to innovate their operational procedures post Covid-19, including an increased use of telemedicine. It expects that there will be an accelerated closure of tertiary assets whilst due to increased smart specifications necessary for future new build care homes, the cost of raw materials will further increase.

The Care Forum – A Hybrid Event For The Care Industry

Discover new care solutions at the Care Forum. This unique event takes place on October 5th & 6th 2020 at Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire and brings together senior care professionals with suppliers to the sector for business relationship building. The two-day Forum is hybrid which allows you to attend either in-

person at the live event or via our virtual platform. It is completely flexible – you can join for the whole event or for just half a day. As our guest, you will be able meet 1-2-1 with suppliers to the sector, based on your requirements and upcoming projects. Meetings are pre-arranged and there’s no time wasted, no hard sell. Plus, live event attendance allows you to also enjoy; overnight accommodation, all meals and refreshments throughout, as well as topical webinars and networking with peers. Delegates are invited from the following sectors: Care Homes Dementia Care Hospitals Housing Groups Mental Health NHS Nursing Homes Supported Living Suppliers in attendance will cover the whole spectrum of care solutions, including Catering/Food Supply, Compliance Services, Equipment, Fixtures & Fittings, Interiors/Furnishings, Gardens & Exterior, Hygiene Services, Resident Hygiene/Care, Security, Technology and much more. Senior care professionals are invited to attend the Forum for free.

Confirmed buyers include: Abbeyfield Society, Sanctuary Care, Tricuro, Central & Cecil Housing Trust, Achieve Together, Golden Care, Origin Housing, Canford Healthcare, CHS Group, St Matthews Healthcare, CasiCare Hazel Court and many more! Here’s what some of them have to say about previous Care Forums: “The Care Forum is a great opportunity to revaluate the innovation, technology and competitive edge of your business viability for now and the future.”- Chilton House “The Care Forum was well organised with a good balance of constructive supplier meetings, seminars and informal networking opportunities.” - Cinnamon Retirement Living “A well organised event with a good range of suppliers. Dedicated time to discuss requirements was very valuable.” - Solden Hill House “Well organised, very enjoyable and a good opportunity to network and meet suppliers.” - Avante Care & Support Ltd You can register for your free place at https://thecareforum.co.uk/delegates-booking-form/ – Flexible virtual and live event attendance options are available. Alternatively, contact Angelina Holden on 01992 374075 / a.holden@forumevents.co.uk If you’re a supplier to the sector, contact Leslie de Hoog on 01992 666723 / l.dehoog@forumevents.co.uk to find out about the range of event partner packages (Virtual packages are also available).

You’ve Got A Friend In Me’- Residents Share Wisdom With A New Generation In Pen Pal Scheme Residents from Brentwood Care Centre are taking part in an ongoing joint venture with Guided Learning, a local organisation who help provide educational support to children from 6 years old up to 16 by helping them build selfconfidence and self-resilience. During recent months, amid the COVID-19 lockdown, residents at the Residential Dementia and Nursing care home based in Larchwood Gardens, Pilgrims Hatch, have been enjoying regular Facetime and Skype sessions with their families and loved ones. Usually, at this time of year, residents and staff would be busy enjoying visits out into their local community as well as visits from local performers, community groups and Hopscotch Nursery, a children’s nursery who are part of the home’s intergenerational commitment. With a number of links already with numerous local community initiatives ranging from the annual Easter Egg challenge and being one of the sponsors of Lighting Up Brentwood, to working alongside Brentwood Council to create Virtual Family Fun Days to help keep children entertained during what would have been their summer holidays, the proactive and person-centred focused team from the Dementia, Nursing and Residential home wanted to explore other ways the residents could continue to communicate and remain engaged with their local community. The existing intergenerational partnership with Hopscotch Nursery has been hugely successful over the last 18 months, resulting in many rewarding benefits for all, and so the team wanted to add to this. Activities Co-ordinator Alison shared the benefits residents receive from such great intergenerational local community links (none of which have faltered despite the current pandemic), “Seeing how much enjoyment our residents get when we FaceTime with the children from the local nursery is always so heart-warming and gives us such a massive morale boast – it’s a talking point for weeks afterwards. I have found on many occasions whilst doing the activities, residents will refer back to experiences they have seen and talked about with the children during their regular FaceTime visits”. Following a resident focus group where residents had spoken of how much they enjoyed both letter writing and receiving letters and, the team came up with a new idea – finding pen pals within the local communi-

ty. Although residents love seeing their families and loved ones through Skype or Facetime, “Getting a handwritten letter, addressed to us and opening it is just so exciting.” In addition, for residents without close family or friends, the prospect of an initiative that could create lasting and meaningful friendships and would bring so much happiness and comfort to them was something the team were keen to bring into reality as quickly as possible. Brentwood resident Eileen shared her joy these intergeneration communications bring, “I love children, I love it when I get to speak to them on FaceTime and I feel that being able to write to a child would not only educate them, but create new friendships too. I would love to be part of their learning journey and see them grow over time, it would be nice to be able to share photos with them as well.” Guided Learning founder Kamal Magecha reflected on why she founded the programme and the benefits of the 6-week pen-pal scheme, “My research during my Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology led me to evidence-based research that showed that acts of kindness have a ripple effect and lead to a greater sense of well-being – for both the receiver and the giver. Research also highlights the impact of connection between young people and the elderly, enabling and leading to a greater sense of wellbeing. Research into Mental and Emotional well-being has highlighted that people with a greater sense of well-being, purpose and fulfilment achieve more. I believe that creating a connection with the elderly will allow our young people to create a connection, whilst helping them to raise their written communication skills and lead to a greater sense of well-being. It will help shift some of their focus to others and begin their journey into a more fulfilled and purposeful life.” Brentwood’s Home Manager Torie Pollard underpinned the home’s commitment to their intergenerational strategy and the benefits she hopes the partnership will bring, “At a time when communication is so very important, this intergenerational project will provide stimulation to residents whilst helping students to build confidence and literacy skills.”

HYBRID EVENT FOR THE CARE INDUSTRY Join us at the Care Forum, a unique event for senior care professionals and the suppliers who service them.

5th & 6th October 2020 Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire Unlike a traditional expo or conference, the Forum features: • • • • • •

A series of pre-arranged, 1-2-1 meetings curated for you based on your requirements Access to a live insightful seminar session led by an industry thought leader A wealth of pre-recorded webinars Overnight accommodation, meals & refreshments Unrivalled networking with other senior care professionals FREE for care professionals to attend

FLEXIBLE VIRTUAL AND LIVE EVENT ATTENDANCE OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE Contact Leslie de Hoog on 01992 376723 or l.dehoog@forumevents.co.uk

thecareforum.co.uk

PAGE 16 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

Alcohol-Induced Unconsciousness Linked to Increased Dementia Risk

New research published today (Wednesday 9 September) in the scientific journal JAMA Network Open links heavy drinking and alcohol-induced loss of consciousness to an increased risk of dementia. What did the researchers investigate? UK researchers looked at information collected from study volunteers across Europe, including those in the UK, France, and Sweden. In total, 131,415 people completed a self-reported questionnaire to disclose how much alcohol they drank and 96,591 also reported if and when they lost consciousness from alcohol. Heavy drinking was defined using current UK guidelines, as well as a weekly consumption exceeding 14 units. What did the researchers find? The team found that heavy drinkers had a slightly higher risk of dementia than moderate drinkers, but people who reported just one instance of alcohol-induced loss of consciousness during the previous 12 months had twice the risk of dementia compared to moderate drinkers.

Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Loss of consciousness because of heavy drinking is dangerous for many aspects of your health. This is not the first time research has revealed a link between alcohol misuse and dementia, and the latest Lancet Commission report on dementia risk included alcohol as one of 12 factors that, combined, are estimated to contribute to 40% of all dementia risk. “While the study highlights that heavy drinking is linked to an increase in the risk of developing dementia, alcohol induced unconsciousness is harmful regardless of overall amount of alcohol consumed over a week.” “Taking steps to curb the amount of alcohol you consume can have far-reaching health benefits and isn’t limited to improving brain health. The best current evidence indicates that as well as only drinking safely and within the recommended guidelines, staying physically and mentally active, eating a healthy balanced diet, not smoking, and keeping weight, cholesterol and blood pressure in check are all good ways to support a healthy brain as we age.”

Residents Impressed With Sensational Gardens Competition Entries The winners of the Royal Star & Garter Sensational Gardens fundraising competition have been announced. Residents at the charity’s three care homes, who judged the entries, said they were wowed with the quality of the entries. Among the winners was the green-fingered daughter of a Surbiton resident, while another supporter scooped a prize with a photo of his young son in a plant pot. Participants had been asked to enter photos or videos of their botanical efforts for judging by the residents, with a £50 garden centre voucher for each category winner up for grabs. All entries were anonymised before shown to the residents for judging. The Sensational Gardens competition was launched in July following the increased interest in gardening following the COVID-19 lockdown. Alison Ukleja triumphed in the ‘Favourite part of your outdoor space’ category with Julie’s Bench, named after her mother, who has been cared for at Surbiton for five years. She said: “I inherited my love of gardening from my Mum. Her garden used to look like a mini-Kew Gardens with palm trees. My ‘favourite

outdoor space entry’ is my Mum’s bench. It used to sit under a palm tree and she sat on it every day. When I sit on it I feel very close to her.” Alison also said she had donated her gardening vouchers to Royal Star & Garter: “I didn’t enter to win, I entered to take part and support the competition. I’m very happy just to do that, and I’d rather give the vouchers back to the charity.” Richard Bruce won ‘Happiest moment in your garden’, with his photo of nine-month-old Benjamin happily sitting in a pot. Richard said: “We were in the garden and Benjamin was being a little monkey, so I placed him in the plant pot for a few minutes. I’m really pleased to win. We’ve just moved into a new home, so the vouchers will be spent on new plants for the garden.” Residents enjoy spending time in the gardens in the three Royal Star & Garter Homes. They tend to flowers, grow fruit and vegetables in raised beds, and enjoy relaxing in the beautiful surroundings. It is a vital part of the holistic care and well-being the charity offers to residents. One resident, who helped take part in the judging, said: “It was such a joy to see some of the beautiful gardens. Well done to the winners, and thank to you all who entered.”

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Caring for Care Workers: Managing the Mental Health of Vital Frontline Staff

By Jill Mead, CEO of TalkOut Group

Every industry has its own unique set of challenges when it comes to managing mental health and the care home industry is no different. Whilst it can be a very rewarding career, there’s no denying that care work is physically and emotionally demanding. And if workers aren’t given the right support, this can lead to increased stress, anxiety, depression and burn out. According to a report published by the National Association of Care and Support Workers, 81% of care staff feel their work has affected their mental health. On top of that, 79% of care staff said they have experienced or felt close to burn out. As well as having a duty of care towards employees, looking after the wellbeing of your workforce makes operational sense. A healthier workforce means a more engaged and productive workforce, which is good for any organisation.

TRAINING

Care work is a rewarding but often mentally challenging job. And with care homes having felt the damaging impact of Covid-19, it’s no surprise that care workers are feeling the effects on their mental health. In fact, according to a survey by the Institute for Public Policy Research, one in two health and social care workers across the UK feel their mental health has declined during the pandemic. Jill Mead, CEO of TalkOut Group, discusses what care home managers can do to help manage and spot the signs of poor mental health amongst workers and promote a healthier, happier workforce.

Clearly, more training needs to be given to managers to better equip them with the resources and confidence they need to respond in a positive and helpful way when a team member takes the step to open up about their mental health problems. Many employees are promoted to a managerial role because they’ve excelled at their job but too often, they aren’t given the formal training they need. If they don’t have experience of mental health, it’s unfair to expect managers to know how to deal with these complex issues when they arise in the workplace. It’s crucial that we train our managers to give them the skills to support, listen and empathise with those who are experiencing mental health issues, which in turn will encourage people to talk out.

IS THE CARE HOME INDUSTRY MORE AT RISK?

CREATE AN OPEN CULTURE

Organisation leaders must take responsibility of ensuring they have a work environment where people can talk about mental health in the same way they talk about physical health. It’s important that all organisations – no matter what industry they operate in – create confidential and safe places where employees can go to talk through their concerns. If we’re going to make any progress, there needs to be an understanding and acknowledgement that people with mental health issues can often thrive at work with the right support. Build awareness and conversation For us to breakdown the stigma that exists around mental health, we need to talk about it more to raise awareness and normalise what people might be going through. Whether it’s internal communication on emails or the company’s intranet, posters and flyers around the building, regular one-to-ones, or wellbeing surveys, organisations should constantly be talking about mental health and reminding staff why it’s vital to talk out.

LEADERSHIP Let’s not underestimate leadership behaviours and the impact they can have on a team member’s mental health. More training is needed to help leaders understand how they can influence mental health through their words and actions. As well as the workday pressures that we all experience, work-related stress and anxiety can be fuelled by bullying, harassment, and even a lack of managerial support. Negative leadership behaviour will often have a ripple effect throughout an organisation, creating a culture of fear which will only serve to stop people talking about how they feel in work. Leaders are role models and in order for a mentally healthy culture of openness and trust to exist, this has to be demonstrated at the highest levels in the organisation.

Derbyshire Care Home Receives Personal Thanks From Local MP Residents of Eckington village in Derbyshire have been busy nominating staff at their local care home for their hard work, supporting and entertaining residents during these unprecedented times. Staff at Eckington Court Care Home were shocked and thrilled to hear that members of the community, Ann Nettleship and June Cullabine, had nominated them to receive a letter from the House of Commons, thanking them for “going above and beyond” for all they have been doing during the coronavirus pandemic. As a token of appreciation, Lee Rowley, MP for North East Derbyshire, personally invited the team to a ‘thank you’ event, when it’s safe to do so, so that proper thanks can be given on behalf of the community. He commented: “It is only through the work that you, and so many others, have done in recent months that we have been able

Newlyweds Bring Wedding Magic to Granddad’s New Forest Care Home A pair of newlyweds made a cross-country dash from Somerset to Lymington in Hampshire so the bride’s grandfather could share in their joy despite lockdown. Covid restrictions meant Graham Burley, who lives at Colten Care’s Court Lodge care home, wasn’t able to attend the marriage ceremony itself. To make up for it, bride and granddaughter Alex decided to bring a flavour of the celebrations direct to him. Donning her white wedding dress once again, Alex travelled with groom Phillip Pearce to see Graham for what was an emotional visit all round. Taking advantage of Colten’s safe-visiting policy, the visitors were able to see and talk to Graham through a Perspex screen in the home’s entrance meaning they were in close physical proximity without any risk of virus transmission. Graham said: “It was emotional and I did shed a few tears. It meant so much to me to get to see Alex in the beautiful white wedding dress she wore on her special day.” Staff at the home laid on bubbly and homemade cake and welcomed Alex and Phillip with cheers when they arrived. Julia Puia, the home’s Companionship Team Leader, said: “We knew this was a very special visit and so we wanted to do all we could to help. “It was lovely to see Graham with his granddaughter and her new husband enjoying some precious together. “Alex also showed Graham some pictures and videos of the wedding itself so it felt like he was there. “We congratulate the new Mr and Mrs Pearce and wish them all the very best for married life.” Alex said: “We were thrilled to make grandad part of our special day. In such difficult times, keeping him safe from the virus was our top priority. “We really wanted him to feel included in our wedding so we dressed up and thanks to Court Lodge were able to have champagne and cake with him. “It was incredibly special to visit him.”

to get through these difficult times.” Residents from the Orchard Care Home were incredibly grateful for all their efforts which included staying overnight, ensuring they were comfortable and settled, supporting residents and their families and hosting additional entertainment when family members were not able to visit. Mr Rowley signed the letter with a final handwritten thank you message which read “thank you for everything you have done at such a difficult and challenging time. We are incredibly grateful for your work and the support you have given.” Eckington Court Care Home is a specialist residential, nursing and respite care home and part of Orchard Care Homes’ network of residences situated across the North of England and the Midlands.

“Lincolnshire Care Homes Deserve More Credit”

Lincolnshire Care Association Responds To The Claims That Care Home Visitor Guidance Is Unlawful Today, we were informed that campaigners are challenging the legality of the government guidance regarding care home visits during COVID-19. This guidance, issued by the Department of Health and Social Care, recommended that care homes create their own visitor policies to best protect their residents. Many care homes chose to stop visits and go into lockdown, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 throughout their vulnerable population. John’s Campaign claim that the lockdown of care homes is a human rights violation, arguing that residents with dementia have been disproportionately impacted by the no-visitor rule. Lincolnshire care homes have been going above and beyond during the pandemic to ensure their residents – whether suffering with dementia or not - can maintain contact with their loved ones, with many innovative examples across the county. One such example is Ashdene Care Home, a residential care home in Sleaford. Throughout lockdown, the staff have been doing everything they can to keep residents in touch with their relatives, but also ensuring that they’re never bored or lonely. Jilly Hunt, Manager of Ashdene Care Home, said: “There have been plenty of WhatsApp, Facetime and Messenger calls, but we’ve also had plenty going on at the home during lockdown. So much so, we’ve created a private Facebook page to keep the relatives of residents updated.

“For VE Day, we had a party where the staff dressed up in 1940s clothes, including vintage hairstyles and red lippy, while we streamed VE Day concerts. “We’ve been planting sunflowers and strawberries for the residents to eat. We’ve been video calling a school in Sheffield, where the children have been chatting, singing and reading stories to our residents. We’ve even had a Grease sing along! “It really annoys me that everyone is being so negative. We’ve been doing the best we can, and the relatives of our service users have been so supportive.” Our Chair, Melanie Weatherley MBE, said: “Protecting residents from COVID-19 while preventing loneliness and keeping their mental health in check is a delicate balance, and we understand the situation will be more difficult once the winter starts. “We’re working with Professor Derek Ward, Director of Public Health at Lincolnshire County Council, to find ways to maximise the contact that improves quality of life, while keeping residents safe from the virus. “Since the outbreak began, Lincolnshire care homes have done everything they can to comply with the legal guidelines and keep their residents safe. They have been incredibly innovative during the pandemic and deserve more credit for all they have done to keep their residents’ spirits up during this difficult time.”

PAGE 20 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

Plans For Huge 2021 Social Care Celebration Event Organisers of a successful celebration honouring those who care for older and vulnerable people in North agreed to be the principal supporter of next October’s event, which will again be held at Scarborough Spa. They are calling on other organisations, businesses and individuals to step up and sponsor next year’s Yorkshire are looking forward to a huge party in 2021 after being forced to cancel this year’s event. They say the miracles social care workers have performed in the fight against coronavirus will spur them on Celebrate Social Care. “By the time we get to next Autumn, hopefully with coronavirus behind us, to create an even better event next year. we shall be long overdue an enormous celebration and we plan to hold one,” Organiser Mike Padgham said: “It will be a fantastic event, truly honouring Mr Padgham said. those amazing people in social care who, alongside their colleagues in the “We look forward to lots of local people, individuals and organisations joinNHS, have performed miracles helping the country to fight Covid-19.” ing us to sponsor and support what I expect to be the event of the year next The first Celebrate Social Care was held in October last year and was a October.” great success, attracting around 500 people from social care to Scarborough Last year’s Celebrate Social Care featured live music, a four-course celeSpa for an inspiring evening. bration dinner and loads of surprise entertainment which included West End The organisers had hoped to repeat that success next month and had singers and all-round entertainer Steve Walls. There was also a special guest booked the Spa for another party. But the coronavirus pandemic has meant appearance from BBC Look North presenter, Harry Gration. that the event has had to be called off. The evening also raised £2,000, which was split between four charities: Mr Padgham added: “We were absolutely gutted to have to cancel the secSaint Catherine’s Hospice, Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia ond Celebrate Social Care event this autumn. But it is out of our control and Forward. now we are turning our attention to hosting a bigger and better Celebrate For more details on supporting the next event please contact 01723 Social Care event in 2021. 502411. The organisers are delighted that North Yorkshire County Council has

One In Three Dementia Scientists Consider Leaving Research Due To COVID-19 Alzheimer’s Research UK is warning that COVID-19 is jeopardising efforts to find a life-changing treatment for dementia – as a survey reveals 95% of researchers have had projects and trials delayed because of the virus, with one in five having had research projects cancelled completely. This World Alzheimer’s Month, the charity says government must now deliver on its election promise to double dementia research funding for a ‘Dementia Moonshot’, to stop pioneering researchers from leaving the field and ensure life-changing progress continues without delay. The need for investment in dementia research has never been more urgent, following the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on people with the condition. A quarter of people who have died from COVID-19 also had dementia, and those with the condition are dying in greater numbers than in normal times with a 52% increase in excess deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Despite these shocking figures, the virus is threatening dementia research efforts. A survey of dementia researchers carried out by the UK’s leading dementia research charity has revealed: As a result of COVID-19, 95% of researchers have had their research projects or clinical trials delayed, and one in five have had research projects cancelled completely. • Nearly a third (29%) of researchers have had their funding suspended or cut, while 72% said future funding opportunities have decreased. • 17% of dementia researchers are considering leaving, or have left, the field. Over a third (35%) are considering leaving or have left academic research. • Only 15% of research group leaders have resumed activity at their labs at more than 50% capacity, while 13% have not yet returned to their workplaces. Without life-changing preventions and treatments, one in three people born this year will develop dementia in their lifetime. The funding shortfall for medical research charities and reduction in research investment as a result of COVID-19 could cause damage that will take

years to repair. Research from the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) found that on average charities anticipate that it will take four and a half years before their spend on research in UK universities fully recovers to normal levels. Progress to find new treatments for dementia could be put back by several years – which is why a boost from government now is so critical. During the 2019 election, the Conservative Manifesto had promised to double funding for dementia research to over £160 million a year, as part of a ‘Dementia Moonshot’ programme to find a cure for the condition. But since the pledge was made, there has been no further detail about how or when this funding will be made available. Alzheimer’s Research UK says government must outline its plans for the investment and has highlighted three key areas that need urgent funding to be able achieve the Moonshot’s goal. These are: • Developing digital tools that will enable us to detect the diseases, most commonly Alzheimer’s, that cause dementia, much earlier. • Creating new tools to predict and accelerate the success of clinical trials. • Establishing a UK network of 10 high-performing clinical trial sites – enabling more people affected by dementia to participate in trials and more trials to complete successfully, speeding up progress towards innovative new treatments. While the charity is facing a drop in income by up to 45% due to the pandemic, Alzheimer’s Research UK is still investing over £42m into dementia research, across 168 projects. But in order to ensure these existing research commitments can continue, the charity has been unable to award any funding for new research. With less funding available across the board, it’s feared that critical progress made over the past decade in dementia research could be lost. Dr Daniel Erskine is an Alzheimer’s Research UK Fellow at Newcastle University, whose current studies rely on funding provided by the charity. He said: “I’m incredibly concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on demen-

tia research. Of course I’m concerned about the careers of researchers, but what really worries me is the impact this will have on the tremendous progress that we’ve been making in dementia research. “I’ve been amazed at the progress that’s been made even in a relatively short period of time, and excited at the impact that research could have for people affected by dementia – but only if vital funding continues. But the majority of research is performed by early career scientists whose future in dementia research is at risk as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. This is not just a loss of manpower but of valuable expertise that’s been developed over many years of training. The government must invest in dementia research, or this crisis will slow down the development of life-changing treatments for people with dementia.” Ian Wilson, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “People affected by dementia desperately need our support. The promises made by our government to find a life-changing treatment for this devastating condition cannot be forgotten. Ten months ago the Conservatives vowed to double dementia research funding, and they now need to meet this commitment, followed by a new settlement in the comprehensive spending review this autumn. “While we recognise the extraordinary challenges faced since the government made its pledge, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people with dementia has only made the need to find life-changing treatments even more urgent. Sadly, COVID-19 could jeopardise the progress we’ve made and significantly delay promising breakthroughs. Our research shows that many promising studies have been delayed or stopped completely. Without a significant boost in investment, many dementia scientists may leave the field, taking valuable expertise and experience with them. “Over the past decade, we have made significant progress in dementia research – life-changing treatments are within our reach. Now is the time for the government to deliver on its promise to double the dementia research budget.”

Hull Specialist Care Home Brings Birchwood House Hosts Harvest Hoedown Extravaganza the Beach to Its Residents

The care home garden was transformed into a beach to cheer up residents who are unable to visit the beach due to COVID restrictions St Andrew’s Court, Exemplar Health Care’s complex needs nursing home in Hull, transformed its garden into a beach named ‘St Andrew’s Court Cove’, for all residents to enjoy during August. The home’s 18 residents, who have been unable to leave the care home for the duration of the COVID pandemic, took advantage of the sunshine by relaxing on a beach built by care home colleagues, fully equipped with deck chairs, sand and

beach decorations. Exemplar Health Care is a leading provider of specialist nursing care for adults living with a range of complex and high acuity needs. Its communitybased homes provide person-centered care and rehabilitation that focus on maximising independence, building everyday living skills and empowering people to live as fulfilled lives as possible. Kath Dye, St Andrew’s Court Home Manager, said: “St Andrew’s Court Cove has been a success, with many of our residents reminiscing and being taken back to their childhood. Unfortunately, quite a few of our residents haven’t been able to go to the beach for years, so it was fantastic to see how excited everyone was to have a beach right outside in the garden, and to be able to feel the sand on their hands and toes. “During what’s been a difficult time, our amazing team put in a lot of effort to provide our residents with a unique experience. They have done a phenomenal job in creating memories and putting smiles on everyone’s faces, whilst providing new sensory experiences which are very important to develop senses and relax.”

Tunbridge Wells care home enjoys socially-distanced harvest festival Birchwood House, the Tunbridge Wells-based care home, hosted a socially-distanced Harvest Hoedown in its grounds on Wednesday 9th September, for all staff and residents. Sealed food was also donated to benefit the local community. Based in a period country house in the village of Speldhurst, Birchwood House has been locked down since before the start of the pandemic to keep residents safe. The Hoedown was arranged by the senior Birchwood House team who were keen to give staff and residents a mini-escape from a challenging time, as well as helping the local community and St Mary’s Church with harvest donations. The harvest celebration took place in the fresh air, with a country and western theme, complete with straw bales, staff in checked shirts and cowboy hats and hats for residents. Country music was the backdrop for a range of games for staff, such as sponge throwing, apple bobbing, country dancing and an obstacle course. Seated activities included a tin can alley game and giant dominos. Niral Patel, Birchwood House’s owner, comments:

“Following the difficulties that the Covid-19 crisis posed for us all, we wanted to provide everyone with a way to socialise and have fun in a safe and enjoyable environment. We also wanted to say a big thank you to our fantastic staff, who we are very lucky to have. Our previous parties have gone down really well, and this was our biggest yet. It’s also vitally important that we are able to make a difference to the local community, even though we are currently still in lockdown.” Photography by Tessa Clements

PAGE 22 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

Reducing Bureaucracy in The Health and Social Care System Care England has welcomed the opportunity for the health and care workforce to present its views on reducing overly burdensome or dysfunctional bureaucracy in the health and social care system. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England says: “The Covid-19 pandemic has increased both the political and public saliency of the adult social care sector due to the pressures and challenges that the pandemic has presented. Despite this, the Government grants allocated to aid the sector have not, in the main, reached the frontline in a timely and effective manner. This is very much in contrast to the NHS, which received major financial boosts directly, such as the cancelling of over £13bn debt overnight.” The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), has sought evidence from health and care professionals in relation to reducing bureaucracy https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reducing-bureaucracy-in-the-health-and-social-care-systemcall-for-evidence

Over the course of the pandemic the Government has allocated an unprecedented amount, approximately £4bn, to Local Authorities to aid the pandemic response. Due to the allocation of money through the failed mechanism of the Local Authorities, this money has not reached the frontline. This has been evidenced publicly at the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee on 22 June. Care England maintains that the lack of uniformity in the approaches of Local Authorities is a symptom of the lack of oversight of Local Authorities. This is indicative of the need for greater oversight to be placed upon commissioners and remains a blind spot within the adult social care system and how it is regulated. Martin Green continues: “The pandemic has highlighted that additional funding is necessary to not only meet the additional pressures produced by Covid-19, but also to meet the pressures prevalent prior to the pandemic. This funding should be allocated with as few bureaucratic hoops as possible in order to reduce the barriers to providing care.”

Pension Credit Take-Up Costing Health, Social Care Systems An Extra £4 Billion Per Year The failure to deliver Pension Credit to 1.06 million older people who are entitled to it is costing the health and social care systems in Great Britain an estimated £4 billion per year, says older people’s charity Independent Age. Pension Credit, a benefit designed to keep the least well-off pensioners out of poverty, is currently being received by just six in 10 (61%) of those who should be receiving it – leaving many on a threadbare income and having to choose between heating and eating. New research from the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University, commissioned and published by Independent Age, has found that the low take-up is creating significant knock-on effects for the NHS and social care, costing taxpayers an estimated £4 billion per year. This bill to the taxpayer is significantly higher than the annual cost of giving pensioners the £2.2 billion to which they are entitled but are not receiving. Report authors Professor Donald Hirsch and Dr Juliet Stone found that the NHS bears the brunt of the additional demand, with pensioners on a low income likely to need more health care and services, such as prescriptions or the use of a hospital bed. The resulting costs to health care systems are estimated to be between £3.02 billion and £4.81 billion per year.

Those missing out on Pension Credit are also more likely to need social care – whether residential or home-based – which incurs additional costs to the state of between £66 million and £189 million per year. The report concluded that if Pension Credit take-up was lifted from 61% to 100%, then almost 450,000 pensioners could be lifted out of poverty, reducing pensioner poverty to its lowest ever level, and resulting in substantial savings to the NHS and social care systems over the long term. Independent Age is calling for the Government to put in place an ambitious, publicly available action plan detailing how it will work to increase the uptake of Pension Credit over the next five years. Chief Executive of Independent Age, Deborah Alsina MBE, said the report provided even more justification for the Government to take urgent action on improving the woefully low take-up of Pension Credit. “What we can see from this report is that ensuring the poorest pensioners have a livable income is not only the right thing to do, it’s the economically responsible thing to do,” she said. “Taxpayers are unnecessarily footing a health and social care bill of an estimated £4 billion, when if the Government ensured older people received the £2.2 billion to which they’re entitled, many of these additional costs to our health and care systems would be alleviated.

Labour Urges Government to Put Winter Care Home Plan in Place The Labour Party has urged the government to put a winter care home plan in place and avoid the past mistakes of the coronavirus pandemic. Following reports of the increased spread of Coronavirus in care homes, Liz Kendall, Labour’s Shadow Social Care Minister has written to Matt Hancock to set out five key areas where action is needed from the Government to protect care homes this winter. The letter calls for a plan to protect care homes in five areas: A guarantee that weekly, rapid testing of care staff will take place Ensuring all care workers get the PPE they need Urgent additional support for families and support for families to be able to safely visit care homes Care homes should be supported by the NHS Social care must have the additional resources it needs throughout the winter and beyond

Labour has warned that previous mistakes in the handling of the pandemic in care homes cannot be repeated and that Ministers must urgently get a grip of the issues to prevent the deadly spread of the virus in care homes. Families should be treated as keyworkers to ensure they can safely visit care homes this winter. The letter says Department of Health and Social Care guidance should be updated to emphasise the value of family visits and treat family members as keyworkers to provide “priority and focus”. In the letter to Matt Hancock, Liz Kendall, Shadow Minister for Social Care says: “Coronavirus has taken an unimaginable toll on elderly and disabled people, and their families.” “Reports that infections rates are beginning to rise in care homes once more are a matter of serious concern. With winter and the flu season fast approaching, it is vital that the Government now puts in place a clear winter plan to support social care.” “The Government must learn the lessons from mistakes that have been made so far, and show users, families and staff that social care will be a top priority in the months ahead.” Kendall goes on to say: “Getting on top of challenges faced by social care ahead of winter is vital – we cannot afford for action to protect care homes and other services to be as slow and chaotic as it was at the start of this pandemic.”

Reducing pressure on our hospitals and care services is especially critical right now, as we continue to cope with the effects of COVID-19. “A take-up rate of 61% for a benefit designed to keep older people out of poverty is indefensible – and this rate has stayed stagnant for a decade. Without this money, many people are prevented from living with dignity and having a social, well-connected later life. “The Government needs to urgently create an action plan that contains high quality, up-to-date research into who is not claiming Pension Credit and why they are not receiving it. There needs to be recognition of the active role the Government must to play to increase Pension Credit take-up.” Pension Credit recipient Bert Pearson, 94, said without the benefit, he would struggle to pay for basic essentials like heating and food. “They rarely tell you what you’re eligible for – it’s up to you to go and find out for yourself,” Mr Pearson said. “For me, it’s opened up the door to other things, like the winter fuel payment. “If I had any less than I did now, I’d be struggling to get by. It would make an awful difference. “Many people don’t realise that when you’re on an income like mine, you have set out pound for pound where it’s going to go. Quite frankly, when you’ve done that, there’s nothing left.”

Maidenhead Service Chosen as Pilot for National CQC Review Thanks to Good COVID Practice A Maidenhead care service is one of a number across the country which has been chosen to pilot a national review into Infection Prevention and Control as a result of its good practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Optalis short break service, Allenby Road, a four-bedroom facility offering 24-hour respite care for adults with learning disabilities, has so far avoided having any cases of coronavirus among its staff and residents, thanks to the strict procedures it has in place. The service impressed the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during its Emergency Framework Interview, which saw inspectors speak to registered managers across the country at the peak of the pandemic. Allenby Road was then one of 300 sites chosen to pilot the review into how care homes would manage should the UK suffer a second wave of COVID-19. The review allowed CQC to learn about the strengths of the service and identify any gaps or concerns around Infection Prevention Practice, where they could signpost to other resources. Following the visit, which took place on 10th August, the inspection report found several examples of good practice at the home including correct safety procedures, the availability of essential equipment such as PPE in sufficient quantities to help

manage the impact of COVID19, systems to ensure the environment was conducive to containing another outbreak were clear and accessible to people using the service. Judith Nalusiba, Optalis’ Registered Manager at Allenby Road, said the inspector had run through their procedures and was particularly impressed with their signage. She said: “We look after people with learning difficulties, therefore trying to explain how to respond to the risks regarding infection prevention and control to them wouldn’t be easy to grasp. Instead we use signage or pictures so everything is simple and clear, for example where to go in order to maintain social distancing or how they wash their hands. “It was lovely to receive such positive feedback. The staff team is always looking at ways to improve the quality of support offered. Being a respite service, we have been very strict in our procedures. When the pandemic started, it was scary at first. Families and the staff team wondered what would happen if they couldn’t carry on with their daily routine or be able to work, it’s been a blessing that everyone stayed safe and well during this tough period and the service was still open for emergency admissions.”

Minimising Contact with Door Handles Reduces the Risk of Germs and Viruses Spreading Around 80% of infections are spread by touch, including touching contaminated surfaces such as door handles. In care homes ensuring residents adhere to strict sanitising guidelines can be very difficult and can cause stress and anxiety for them too. Removing the need to open doors as residents and staff walk from room to room is an easy solution to eliminate the need to touch door handles and hand plates. The elderly are one of the most vulnerable group of people with regards to infections like flu and COVID-19, finding ways to reduce the spread of these diseases is therefore paramount. Dorgard offers a solution to legally hold fire doors open so staff and residents can move around the building ‘contact free’, reducing the risk of cross-infection with germs and viruses. These battery-powered door

holders are easily fitted to a fire door by a handyman. The device ‘listens’ for the sound of your fire alarm and when the alarm goes off the Dorgard automatically releases the door and allows it to close, preventing the spread of fire and toxic smoke. Hence, not only is the risk of cross infection reduced, the fire safety of the building is also maintained. With a range of Dorgards to choose from you will find a solution that is ideal for your setting. The original Dorgard is perfect for small to medium settings with normal or low noise levels. For noisier environments, where enhanced sound recognition is beneficial, Dorgard SmartSound offers a great solution. If you would like to discuss your needs further with our knowledgeable customer care team please call 0800 978 8746 or visit

PAGE 24 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Renray Healthcare Design and Manufacture New New Pressure Relief Options from Airospring Medical 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.

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 www.calibreaudio.org.uk for more information or to join.

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.

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.

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

In-House Practical Engagement Workshop Scripts Now Available for Care Homes & Services 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.

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.

iMEDicare Pelvic Health Naturally When it comes to women’s intimate health, many of us are reluctant and embarrassed to talk frankly about it, which often leads to women suffering in silence. A lot of the problems we worry about, however, are surprisingly common, such as stress urinary incontinence (SUI) – a frequent effect of the menopause experienced by as many as one in three women. Stylish, effective and washable, iMEDicare’s Wearever washable and re-useable incontinence underwear is a great alternative to incontinence pads, better for the environment (washable over 200 times) with absorbencies ranging from 100ml all the way up to 650ml: • 3-layer Hydrex™ (patented)

system for total protection by containing the urine and preventing it from penetrating through the garment • Unique-Dri™ System that traps liquid and controls odour with its Silver ion anti-microbial treated fibres. Wearever underwear is seamless – so that possible pressure points that could be cause for pressure sores are minimized. If you buy a 3 pack, we guarantee the first pair for another size or style or absorbency, or refund all three, provided 2 of the 3 pairs are unused within 30 days of initial trial. Choose life  - not leaks. Be confident again and visit www. MyPelvicHealth.co.uk or call 01923237795.

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.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 27

FURNITURE AND FITTINGS Interiors Company Working To Provide A ‘Healthier Solution’ SOMMER Rose Interiors is working with upholstery manufacturers to provide a ‘healthier solution’ to care home furniture. Sarah Thompson and her team would like to introduce Sileather™. Sileather™ silicone fabrics are highly durable and abrasion resistant, thanks to our unique silicone, and Sileather™ upholstery fabrics are all over 200,000+ Wyzenbeek double rubs, over 130,000 Martindale and 3000+ Taber cycles (rotating “cement discs”). We take a long term approach when considering our production of silicone leather and want to do our part to be environmentally friendly. With our non-solvent production technique and with the lack of PVC or PU elements, we are much safer and healthier than traditional fabrics. Unlike PVC fabrics, we do not need to use chlorine in any of the production process, and our fabrics do not leak VOC emissions throughout its life. There’s no need to clog up landfills – silicone leather is recyclable! We have passed the most common environmental standards so you can breathe

Sileather™ fabrics have ultralow VOCs, so it is among the healthiest fabrics, making it perfect for use around children, hospitals, ALL HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTS, hotels, boat cabins, trains, and any number of enclosed spaces.

EVERYTHING ESSENTIAL

comfortably knowing that you are using a fabric that’s safe for you and the environment. We take pride that our fabrics are environmentally friendly and safe to use by anyone, Sileather™ silicone fabrics are made with the same material as baby bottle nipples, so they are gentle enough even for babies’ skin.

High Quality Soft Furnishings Manufactures Tailored For All Your Window Needs WL Interiors are a family run company with over 20 years experience in manufacturing high quality soft furnishings for the healthcare industry based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. WL are suppliers of flame retardant curtains, blinds & soft furnishings. We offer high-quality fire resistant fabrics that are perfect for care homes, including any dementia specific requirements where needed. Working on your care home refurbishment, new build or general replacements, WL Interiors Ltd can do site surveys and check measures, offer free samples and quotations. • UK Wide Fitting & Installation Available

• UK Manufactured • Highest Quality British Manufactured • FREE QUOTES Contact details – Lorraine Firth Telephone- 01924 298953 Email- Lorraine@wl-interiors.com

It’s our mission to bring you a healthy fabric that’s safe, hygienic and meets high standards that help to ensure your well-being. Thanks to the unique advantages of our proprietary silicone, Sileather™ fabrics are inherently: • Flame resistant. • Does not promote growth of mildew or mould. • Superior in hydrolysis resistance compared to vinyl and polyurethane fabrics. • Superior in UV and colour fading resistance. • Stain resistant to many substances found in healthcare facilities, including biro, iodine, betadine, blood and urine. • Resistant to liquids and fluids. • Easy to clean – common stains need only water, including biro. • Medical grade skin friendly and allergen free. • Highly abrasion resistant and durable with recovery ability to reduce sagging and wrinkling. • Luxurious soft touch. For free samples of this upholstery or to view sample furniture, please contact Sarah Thompson on 07495 471038 or email: sarah@sommer-rose.com

Euroservice Trolley Manufacturers celebrating 40 years of experience in the sale and manufacture of wooden trolleys for the catering trade, Euroservice trolley manufacturers have now acquired a worldwide reputation and still offer an extensive /comprehensive range of top quality wooden trolleys manufactured in the UK. Top quality is a priority in the production of all of our products and Euroservice are specialists in the manufacture of sturdy and beautiful looking trolleys which will grace any environment from the small privately owned restaurant to

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THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 29

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Electrox Sterilising Water Electrox Sterilising Water is an ecological disinfectant that kills viruses, bacteria, spores and fungi significantly faster than bleach and other traditional disinfectants. It is 80 x more effective than bleach, no alcohol, non corrosive, pH neutral and hypoallergenic. The active substance in Electrox is hypochlorous acid, which has been successfully tested for full virucidal activity as defined in EN14476:2013, and has activity against all viruses. This includes all coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2. When used with fogging machines, Electrox can sanitise care

homes rapidly, with minimal disruption and without the harsh chemicals found in traditional disinfectants. Electrox customer Eddy Pyatt, Director of Platinum Care Homes says “We’re using Electrox Sterilising Water and the fogging machine in four of our Care Homes and have found it provides real peace of mind and assurance to our residents and their visitors. We are fogging communal areas, outdoor visiting areas in between visits and resident’s rooms within our care homes to make sure we’re providing a sanitised environment for our staff, residents and their visitors alike. We wanted a sanitising product that didn’t involve large amounts of chemicals and found Electrox to be the most cost effective of all the solutions we looked at.” Contact Electrox today: www.electroxwater.co.uk 0117 318 0830 sales@electroxwater.co.uk

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Sanozone. The Easy Way To Sanitise 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-toreach 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

Care and Protect

Options available include a blue nitrile examination glove which has strong barrier properties and high resistance to oils, fats, and chemicals; synthetic examination gloves; and vinyl general purpose gloves. The gloves are packed in a way that they are dispensed ‘cuff first’ which has clear hygienic advantages. All of the gloves are tested to BS EN 455 and conform to a number of other standards. The Wave® range also includes water-soluble strip laundry bags for the safe containment of soiled linen, with a watersoluble seal and a tie string for securing the bags. The strip and tie part of the bag dissolve in water allowing the contents to discharge into the wash. We also supply other forms of PPE such as aprons; face masks and protective plastic sheeting for receptions and other areas of work. www.cromwellpolythene.co.uk

Cromwell Polythene is a major supplier of waste management solutions to the healthcare sector and an active member of the Sanitary Medical Disposal Services Association. We offer a full range of sacks for clinical waste management, from ultra-strong sacks with very high tear resistance to economically priced sacks with a high recycled content. It is essential that care staff, who work so hard to protect us, have the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) to help prevent the spread of infection. Our Wave® range of disposable gloves are both latex and powder free, for comfort and performance.

New VIRALERT 3 Human Body Temperature Screening System Delivers COVID-19 Protection for the Care Sector Care facilities have been severely affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 across the world. Protecting the safety and wellbeing of people in these facilities including patients, staff and visitors, is a key priority for managers of care organisations in this current pandemic. AMETEK Land, a global leader in temperature measurement technologies based in the UK, has used the expertise and knowledge of its workforce to support this vital sector by develop a new human skin temperature screening system, VIRALERT 3. Designed to screen visitors at an entry point without slowing the flow of people, VIRALERT 3 scans temperatures without any person-to-person contact, keeping all parties safe. VIRALERT 3 is easy to use, and can be left to operate automatically, with audible and visual alarms alerting when high temperatures are discovered. VIRALERT 3 is the first of its kind, providing a camera and a temperature-controlled reference source on a single mounting. This makes for a compact system that won’t get in the way of queueing people and can be easily wall-mounted. Using automatic face detection, it locates the best areas for temperature detection, taking a reading that is accurate to within 0.5°C, then calculates core body temperature through a rapid test procedure in less than two seconds. The system has recently been installed at the Dronfield Medical Practice, where it has brought extra confidence to staff and patients visiting the site. “At Dronfield Medical Practice we wanted to see

how we could all work together to “Stay Alert” by ensuring patients are seen appropriately, and by keeping all staff secure with the knowledge they are being looked after,” said Kathryn Wileman, Practice Manager, Dronfield Medical Practice. She continued, “The installation of VIRALERT 3 has been a very effective way to achieve this. If a visitor’s temperature is high, we can ask them to leave the premises, then arrange to see them safely without putting anyone at risk.” Division Vice President Justin Smith at AMETEK Land said: ““VIRALERT 3 is a major global technology in keeping people safe in the fight against COVID-19. Highly accurate readings mean that anyone with an elevated temperature will be identified before fully entering the building, thereby reducing the spread of infection”. In addition to the care sector, the roll-out of VIRALERT 3 has attracted interest across a variety of sectors including hospitals and healthcare, commercial areas, education facilities, and public spaces, transportation entry points, offices and manufacturing locations, and sports and leisure sites. Visit www.landviralert.com for further details.

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PAGE 30 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL 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 supporting 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

Haigh Engineering Callero Shield for Care Homes and Clinics 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

For over 40 years, Gratnells Medical products have been widely used for hospital storage. From trolleys and frames, to trays and accessories, the wide range of products makes up the ideal storage solution for any medical environment. Designed with a multitude of settings in mind, the Gratnells Medical range would fit suitably into care homes, dental practices and other surgeries.

The Gratnells Callero Shield range is a complete collection of products designed to offer ample storage that is easily moveable and fits neatly into any environment. Treated with BioCote® antimicrobial additive, the trays and trolleys in the range protect against the spread of various viruses, bacteria and germs. Callero Shield trolleys are available in double and treble column width and with multiple tray combinations. Suitable for the safe storage of PPE, medical files and equipment, uniform and beyond, the trolleys are easily movable between locations and can be set in place with lockable castors. They’re also popularly used as sanitation and cleaning stations due to the ample storage space and the antimicrobial metal worksurface. The antimicrobial Gratnells Rover allows the movement of heavier loads with ease. Robust, hygienic and practical, safely carry medical equipment over any terrain and up and down stairs. With a safety strap to secure antimicrobial trays in place and the option to add antimicrobial lids to trays, contents will be safe on

their journey from place to place. Recently added to the Gratnells antimicrobial range are the new SortED inserts. SortED is a new range of removable, modular inserts designed to fit and create separate sections in shallow and deep Gratnells trays. Also treated with BioCote® additive, the dishwasher safe inserts offer a safe and hygienic solution for the storage and distribution of smaller medical equipment or PPE. Browse the full Gratnells Medical range: www.gratnellsmedical.com

Airdri Launches Air Purifier To Flush Away Washroom Bacteria Airdri, a leading designer and manufacturer of hand dryers, has added a new air purifier unit to its portfolio, to tackle washroom bacteria and eliminate odours. Complementing its range of hand drying solutions, the Airdri Air Purifier uses custom thermal convection technology to kill airborne and surface bacteria and viruses, eliminating the bad odours they cause, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Offering both odour and infection control, the unit is ideal for use in busy washrooms. Its compact profile means it can sit discretely in the top corner of a washroom, yet can service the entire space, covering a floor area of up to 30m2. With minimal maintenance and low energy consumption of 10w, the Airdri Air Purifier is a green solution for providing constant sanitised washroom air. Trudi Osborne, Marketing Manager at Airdri, says “Washrooms are the primary source of infections, with many housing bacteria and viruses that are unseen to the eye. Given

that in just eight hours a single bacterium can multiply into over eight million cells, it is vital to ensure washrooms are kept clean and hygienic at all times. Cleaning and disinfecting alone are only a partial solution – they do not stop ongoing surface contamination or tackle airborne bacteria. Equally, fragrances or fresheners simply mask the associated odours, doing nothing towards hygiene. “The Airdri Air Purifier kills both surface and airborne bacteria, removing the unpleasant odours that they bring with them. The unit processes contaminated air in the purifying chamber, emitting an efficient cleaning agent. Other solutions, which may feature a HEPA filter or have an antibacterial coating, only clean the area immediately surrounding the dryer. The Airdri Air Purifier provides a complete hygiene solution for the whole washroom ensuring that the whole environment is clean, hygienic and odour free.” For more information visit www.airdri.com

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 33

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL Show How Much You Care with DispenserONE ®

In a world where building and operations managers in every sector fight to make their premises COVID secure and prevent the spread of coronavirus, nowhere is the importance of safe, effective hand hygiene starker than in care homes. With around 30% of all nursing and residential care home deaths attributable to coronavirus and operators striving to control its spread, conventional sanitizer dispensers are a common sight. However, such systems, with their limited capacity, reliance on batteries and fragile dosing mechanisms, can only be considered a short-term fix. For a permanent solution, professionals choose SEKO’s DispenserONE® hand sanitizer system. Designed specifically to handle the high demand for hand sanitizer during and post-COVID19, DispenserONE® features robust, revolutionary pump technology – unprecedented in hand sanitizer dispensers – that automatically delivers the same pre-defined dosage every time. That’s without the spillages typical of manual systems as their dosing mechanism wears out, meaning that as well as removing a potential slip hazard, operators can minimize product wastage. The DispenserONE® series boasts a broad capacity range that enables between 3,000 and 25,000 doses to be delivered between refills, compared to 1,000 when using traditional 1-litre systems. This allows operators to select a system ideally suited to their facility and guarantee residents, visitors and staff alike access to sanitizer 24/7 while avoiding the common problem of

dispensers running dry as busy maintenance staff struggle to keep them topped up. Meanwhile, DispenserONE®’s built-in Wi-Fi hotspot enables operators to access the unit wherever they are via smartphone, PC or laptop by logging into their personal online dashboard. This allows managers to view the live status of all their DispenserONE® units across multiple sites, using key information such as product level to ensure maintenance staff refill only when necessary. As a failsafe, operators also receive notifications when product quantity falls below a pre-set level to help guarantee sanitizer on demand. DispenserONE® helps operators to prevent virus transmission with its automatic sensoractivated delivery, using touch-free technology to ensure users do not need to contact the unit with their hands. Encapsulating the attention to detail in the system’s design is the delivery nozzle position, set at a height that makes it accessible for wheelchair users. Finally, DispenserONE®’s mains power connection frees operators of their reliance on batteries, guaranteeing continuous use and removing the environmental impact of battery disposal. Helping nursing home managers to properly protect residents, visitors and staff alike, nothing says “we care” better than DispenserONE®. Find out more – visit the dedicated DispenserONE® website today: www.dispenserone.com or see the advert opposite.

New Mobile Hands-Free Wash Basins from Hygiene Does Not Stop At The Washroom says Kimberly-Clark Professional Mechline Have the X Factor Mechline Developments has extended its line-up of BaSix hand wash stations with an all new range of space-saving, mobile, hands-free basins. The range facilitates hygienic handwashing in any location—even where water, waste and electric utilities are not available—and the completely portable ‘X’ model provides double the washes per litre of any comparable product on the market. As Nick Falco, Product and Technical Director at Mechline, explains: “As Coronavirus lockdown measures are eased and many businesses reopen their sites, hand washing remains key to mitigating against the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Every business needs to encourage customers and visitors to wash their hands, especially when first entering venues, and the new BaSix mobile hands-free basin range makes this very easy to do. Models in the range are slimline, easy to manoeuvre thanks to removable castors and a splashback grab handle, and the ‘X’ model can be used in locations without any utilities at all—as it all comes integrated. This means it

can be wheeled out daily if necessary, to sit outside an establishment, and with a compact footprint of just 384 x 360mm it is an ideal and reassuring addition to entrances and other small spaces. We have also used our experience to incorporate water-saving technology into the range, adding value to the basins by providing unique water saving benefits for the end-user. Using the ultra water-saving diffuser supplied, the ‘X’ model can provide up to an impressive 304 hand washes per water container, so users can rest assured it will last a long time between refills! Furthermore, with its hands-free design, the new mobile basin maximises user hygiene. Unlike traditional taps, where the lever or handle must be touched with dirty hands, and then revisited with clean hands to turn it off, our mobile BaSix range removes the need for manual contact—reducing the risk of cross-contamination.” BaSix mobile hands-free basins are operated via a foot pump or time flow foot valve, depending on which model is required. All models can be fitted with an optional hanging bin, soap/sanitiser dispenser, and towel dispenser, to provide a complete hygiene station in any location. The ‘X’ range stores water and waste containers within the unit, which can be easily accessed via a hinged door with a ¼ turn thumb latch. For further information please contact Mechline at info@mechline.com or call +44 (0)1908 261511

Now more than ever we all want to know that we are doing everything we can to keep ourselves, our colleagues and visitors safe and well. To do this requires understanding the science behind surface wiping and cleaning, says Kimberly-Clark Professional. We want to know that people have washed their hands properly and that places are as clean and as hygienic as possible. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends prioritising the daily cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces. Cleaning vs. Disinfecting Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and other impurities

from surfaces or objects by using detergent (or soap and water) to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects by using chemicals1. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection. The CDC recommends a two-step daily routine to clean frequently touched surfaces. For Step 1 clean surface with a detergent or soap and water. With Step 2 disinfect the surface using an EN-registered disinfectant. Surfaces considered hot spots for germs include computer keyboards, phones and light switches. Science indicates why these surfaces need daily hygiene protocols in addition to hand hygiene standards in facilities For more information about how to make your facility truly exceptional – a place where everyone feels equipped and empowered to contribute to a more hygienic environment – visit our hand and surface cleaning page. https://youtu.be/WHNYNtVeymM https://home.kcprofessional.com/UK_Healthy_ Workplace_Cleaning_0520

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HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL 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.

Environmental Science Limited (ESL) Restructures its Business to Launch Unique and Effective Palm Tree Foaming Hand Sanitisers

PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

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 Environmental Science are committed to pro-

ducing 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 gelbased 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

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 35

HYGIENE & INFECTION CONTROL CTU Services' Thermal Access System With the introduction of various measures to constrain and manage the emergency of COVID-19 in the UK, CTU Services Thermal Access System presents the ideal solution. To address the challenge of social distancing many public places are implementing restrictions on customer flow. This includes locations such as the hospitality industry and the retail sector. CTU Services perfectly resolves the problem of "how to accurately and efficiently control customer flow in a premises" Their system detects how many people are present in the targeted area and display the figure in real-time. If the capacity is reached the system's display immediately indicates no more people should enter. The two systems that CTU Services supply can be merged together to give you more security and social distancing. The Thermal camera can be wall mounted or comes on a sleek stand. It will also notify

any number of members of staff of any issues with potential clients entering the premisses via text or email. • Facial recognition is fully integrated with body temperature monitoring. This means no additional staff are required. • The solution is contactless, reducing the risk of cross infection. • Extensive storage of facial images and temperature information enabling easy historical access. • Fast facial recognition and temperature monitoring reducing access congestion. In Scotland will detect if you are or are not wearing a mask / face covering. • Integration with third party products such as turnstiles and VMS. See a demonstration of the system at https://youtu.be/lcQllOytA7Y For further information, see the advert this page, call 01257 477060 or visit www.ctuservices.com

Airox Face Masks - Protection. Quality. Comfort. Airox face masks are made from advanced textile technology from Baltex one of the UK's leading textile companies. They provide you comfort and security. The Airox AX100 and Airox AX110 are textile face covering masks produced with stretchy 3XD Spacer fabric - developed for medical textiles by our parent company Baltex in the UK. It provides: • Snug fit and comfort • Good coverage of face and mouth

• Anti-bacterial • Machine washable - 40oC • Breathable • Reusable • Treated with Viral Off treatment* The fabric is made from Polyester and Lycra and is treated with a durable water repellent finish to avoid the absorption of droplets. They are also anti-bacterial reducing odour and providing superior comfort compared to basic textile masks. Many masks are made from Cotton and will absorb moisture and water droplets. For further information and to order, please visit www.airox.co.uk

www.airox.co.uk

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 37

LAUNDRY SOLUTIONS A Reliable Service Partner is Key to an Efficient Laundry Function - FORBES PROFESSIONAL A laundry function is a central service in any care home and commercial laundry equipment is an important procurement area in terms of hygiene adherence, day-to-day logistical operations and financial projections. As such, it is vital to source the right service partner, who will support the smooth running of your operation and offer the relevant industry, planning and technical advice. You need to ensure the reliability and stability of any supplier, and to feel confident that they are capable of delivering a service that you can depend upon. Forbes Professional has been providing an awarding winning first class customer service since 1926 and has a solid understanding of the specific requirements of the healthcare sector. With depots across The South East, The Midlands, The South West, The North East and Scotland, we deliver a local service on a nationwide basis. We have flexible finance options and can provide commercial washers, dryers, rotary ironers and dishwashers on a rental, lease or purchase basis. We can also provide chemical detergents and auto-dosing equipment for a complete solution. From the initial site survey, we assume a consultative and advisory approach to business, with all clients being assigned a dedicated account manager who remains their contact for all on-going account management or service requirements. We advise upon all plumbing, electrical and regulation requirements, and ensure that the right product decisions are made for the

specific project. Our team of manufacturer and City and Guilds trained field engineers fully install and commission all equipment, as well as providing any necessary user training to enable the products to be fully optimised. Forbes runs a centralised administrative and customer support operation from our head office in Surrey, which enables us to deliver a streamlined and efficient response to our clients. If a service requirement arises, we provide a same/next day engineer response. Our clients have total peace of mind in that they know that they will receive the on-going service that their organisation requires. For more information contact Forbes Professional info@forbes-professional.co.uk or 0345 0702335.

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 operator’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

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CATERING FOR CARE

Five Ways to Futureproof Your Veg*n Diet From Dementia September 2020 is World Alzheimer’s Month and a chance to reflect on two things that most of us don’t like to think about at all: Where will I be in older age? What will happen to me should I develop cognitive impairment? Some of our most cherished beliefs can be threatened by dementia, including our dietary choices. Individuals choose veganism and vegetarianism for a number of reasons, whether it is ethical, environmental or even religious. In fact, being vegan or vegetarian can often be the most powerful conviction that people hold, guiding their everyday lives, careers and relationships. However charity Vegetarian for Life is only aware of two fully vegetarian care homes in the UK, offering Indian/Gujarati food. So if you are a vegan or vegetarian, it’s very likely that you would be a minority group in a care setting. Some years ago, an older woman, who had been a dedicated animal rights campaigner, entered care after developing dementia. While in care, she was given foods containing meat products – a practice considered acceptable by staff because she ‘wouldn't know any different’. Yet in spite of this she still identified herself as vegan. Recently, care providers have highlighted instances where a vegan/vegetarian with dementia has demanded meat, or tried to take it from someone else's plate. In such circumstances, those who care for them are faced with a difficult ethical dilemma. Here are Vegetarian for Life’s top tips on measures to take now, to help to avoid this happening to you in the future:

practical issues, such as care for your pets. Visit Vegetarian for Life’s website for a free template.

3. MAKE A LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY A Lasting Power of Attorney, or LPA, is a legal document that enables you to nominate people you trust to make decisions for you. Your nominated advocates will then be able to make decisions regarding your care and health, if you choose for them to do so. The document gives people you trust the authority to speak up for you and enforce your choices, even when you are no longer able to do so yourself. If there were any confusion about what foods you should eat, the LPA would give your advocates the power to set things straight.

4. CAREFULLY CRAFT THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU USE Straight-talking, simple language can make all the difference in times of confusion or worry. If you make your choices clear for all to see, not only does it provide unquestionable guidelines for your care providers to follow, but it also gives your advocates confidence in what they are supporting you on. For example: “In the future, if my decision-making capacity is questionable and I appear to want meat, please consider providing me with mock meat products in their place.” Not only does this make it clear that you don’t wish to eat meat, but it affirms your commitment to that choice – even if it appears that you have changed your mind.

5. CHOOSE YOUR CARE PROVIDERS AHEAD OF TIME We could find ourselves in many types of care setting in later life, from care homes and sheltered accommodation to staying at home with a visiting carer. In cases where your shopping is done, or your meals are prepared for you, it’s comforting to know that you can trust those providers. One way to make sure is by checking the Vegetarian for Life UK List – a list of care establishments that have agreed to make a special effort to cater well for vegans and vegetarians. An increasing number of care establishments in the UK are joining the UK List – and this can give you a good indication of whether an organisation that you have in mind is committed to catering to someone like you. Additionally, some have also signed the Vegetarian for Life Memory Care Pledge – a specific commitment to respecting the veg*n wishes of those who are experiencing issues with capacity or cognition. If there is a care establishment that you like that isn’t on the List, or hasn’t signed the VfL Memory Care Pledge, just ask them to get in touch. Please contact Vegetarian for Life for any further information, or any of our publications aimed at older vegans and vegetarians.

1. HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR WISHES Discuss your wishes with your care provider beforehand, preferably with friends or loved ones with you, or someone else to bear witness. Make it clear what you will and won’t accept as part of your diet and lifestyle. Having this conversation ahead of time lets the carer know clearly and in no uncertain circumstances that you wish your diet to be adhered to at all times.

2. PUT IT IN WRITING To make your wishes absolutely clear, it’s recommended that you make an advance statement ahead of time. This is a written statement that sets down your preferences, wishes, beliefs and values regarding your care. Having everything written in a statement gives all parties interested in your care a clear idea of what things are important to you, even if the day comes that you can no longer express those wishes yourself. It can include everything from how you want your beliefs to be reflected in your care, what sort of things you enjoy and don’t enjoy, and concerns about

Martin McKee’s Croque Madame

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)

Method:

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

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

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CATERING FOR CARE

Are You in Need of Dysphagia Training ? *

*This training is intended for healthcare professionals only. Did you know that between 50-75% of nursing home residents suffer from dysphagia1? Nutricia has a training solution for you, a FREE e-learning 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 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 continuing 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 e-learning 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, 172183.( https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy/clinical-information/dysphagia) See the advert on page 37 for further information.

Renowned Care Home Chef Launches A Series Of Cracking Lion Egg Dishes NACC Care Chef of the Year, Martin McKee, has created a series of new videos showing how Lion eggs can bring inspiration to care home menus across the country. The recipes have been developed to reflect the growing trend for menu simplification that has been seen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The five easy-to-make recipes have been tailored to meet various nutritional requirements of residents, ranging from undernourishment, to dementia, or dysphagia. The dishes, designed to serve 10 or more people, include: an egg and bacon breakfast muffin; salmon and broccoli stuffed pepper with baked egg; smoked bacon, scrambled egg and potato waffles; spinach, ricotta and cherry tomato frittata; chocolate fondant with vanilla bean ice cream; and Mediterranean vegetable scotch eggs. The latest Food Standards Agency advice means that vulnerable groups, including care home residents, can eat runny, or even raw, eggs, as long as they are produced to British Lion standards.  Eggs meeting the Lion standard will carry a red

Lion and best before date on every egg. Previously, care homes had to restrict the way they served eggs, but they can now make the most of this nutritious, versatile, and cost-effective food. Martin said: ‘’Eggs are an essential ingredient in every kitchen, and it is brilliant that we can now serve them runny as long as they meet Lion standards.  The recipes I’ve created are easy to replicate and have been designed to make the most of the nutritional benefits of eggs, including key vitamins and minerals, as well as providing an abundance of protein which is vital for care home residents’ diets. ‘’I always use British Lion eggs and I would strongly urge any other care home chef to follow suit when sourcing and cooking with eggs, to guarantee highquality, safe dishes.’’ The video recipes are available to view on British Lion eggs YouTube channel and can also be found on www.eggrecipes.co.uk See the advert on page 19 for further information.

Microwave Specialist Launches Its Biggest Ever Giveaway Regale Microwave Ovens is offering a free Panasonic rice cooker with every purchase of some of the brand’s microwave ovens. Users can now benefit from a free Panasonic rice cooker when they certain Panasonic microwaves via specialist supplier, Regale Microwave Ovens. Panasonic Rice Cookers are Ideal for cooking porridge at breakfast and keeps it hot for late risers when on standby without it drying out! One of the models where the giveaway applies is the Panasonic NE-1878, a 1,800W inverter-powered microwave designed to feature the benefits of an all metal door. With each purchase, companies can receive a free model SRGA421 rice cooker, worth over £120, which will also come with 2kg of FOC Tilda rice inside. All enquiries received by Regale will be passed to the nearest geographical dealer, and both units will be dispatched by Regale to the operators on the UK mainland with next day delivery, free of charge. There are three other Panasonic ovens included in the promotion, but these

qualifying for a FOC 7.2L Panasonic rice cooker. The ovens are the:• Panasonic NE-C1275 13A plug-in combination microwave oven with ‘five-way’ cooking methods. • Panasonic NE-1880 & NE-3280. The extra-large and very powerful microwave ovens can take 2 x full size (1:1) Gastronorm pans. • Each of these ovens comes with a 7.2litre Panasonic (model SRGA721) rice cooker, Free Of Charge. Each rice cooker comes with a complimentary 5kg of Tilda Basmati rice. Furthermore, Regale will deliver the equipment free to any UK mainland operator on the next working day. Regale deputy MD Iain Phillips said: “Of course there are a few terms and conditions with this fantastic giveaway, the main one being that it is restricted to ‘whilst stocks last’, however we are hoping that we can run it from now to somewhere towards the end of August.” See the advert on page 10 for details or call 01329 285518..

EF Group Launches CaterCloud - The Secret Ingredient for Menu Management Success Manchester-based, EF Group has announced it is offering free for life access to its new cloud-based, menu management platform, CaterCloud, which launched this week. The easy-to-use, next generation allergen, nutrition, menu planning and costing system offers a wealth of enhanced functionality to help caterers gain significant efficiencies in their operations, to control costs and increase profits. CaterCloud helps businesses ensure food safety remains a key focus. With food labelling regulations set to change in October 2021, as a result of Natasha’s Law, all England-based businesses working in the food industry will be required to clearly label all foods produced and packed on their premises with a full list of ingredients detailing the full allergen profile. Designed to help businesses prepare for this upcoming regulation, CaterCloud provides sub-allergen information and tagging; QR Code scanning for live allergen and nutritional information, along with the ability to print Natasha’s Law compliant food labels. CaterCloud also offers customers access to a range of accredited training for allergen awareness and food safety. CaterCloud’s innovative functionality also boasts many other benefits to enable simple menu management for caterers across the hospitality, healthcare, education and retail sectors. It offers effective menu planning with dish and menu costings; access to a nutritional database with 1,000s of ingredients and customisable dashboards to record KPIs.

Users of CaterCloud can also join the e-foods’ Buyers’ Club and benefit from its substantial buying power. The Buyers’ Club is made up of a network of trusted accredited suppliers across the UK. Users can purchase food and non-food goods from these suppliers with savings of between 5 to 10%. Paul Mizen, Chief Executive, EF Group said: “The service industries are moving at pace towards technology to help meet their stock ordering,

menu planning and compliance challenges. Our experience shows that there is increasing demand for more advanced dish and menu costing tools, as well as detailed, easy to use product data. “Catering managers require their menu management software to seamlessly integrate with their ordering systems and demand best value from their food suppliers. With CaterCloud, we will remain at the forefront of delivering the innovative features the industry needs. “The entire catering industry has been heavily impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic and as businesses work hard to recover, we are providing CaterCloud for free to help maximise efficiencies and reduce costs. This is our way of giving something back to the industry upon which our business is founded.” CaterCloud is a web-based menu planning, nutrition, allergen and costing system which is part of the E-F Group. CaterCloud helps hundreds of hospitality businesses deliver performance and control costs while reducing food safety risks. CaterCloud is committed to innovation in food management, its leading-edge platform helps to manage food offerings from front desk to kitchens, with the aim of improving efficiency in catering operations. Live menu costings help businesses to see how their business is performing every day, enabling them to focus on producing quality food and increasing profitability. CaterCloud’s clients are mainly in the following sectors: healthcare, education, hospitality and retail. For more information, see the advert on the facing page.

PAGE 42 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

NURSE CALL AND FALL PREVENTION Call Aid UK - Cost Effective NURSE CALL Nurse Call Systems IT’S NOT OBSOLETE UNTIL THE OPERA LADY SINGS

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

At Call Aid UK we like to let our clients speak for us! “We were introduced to the PAM system a year ago and are delighted with the difference it has made since its introduction. The system is very reliable and offers a couple of sound options for day and night mode, ensuring that residents are not disturbed during quiet hours. The system notifies you as soon as movement is detected which in many cases decreases the risk of falls. Call Aid are also helpful and offer a personalised service. We have a single point of contact that ensures actions are taken quickly if required and also contact us to see how

we are getting on. I cannot fault the system nor the services “ West Lodge Nursing Home Call Aid UK is an electronics design and manufacturing company specialising in providing electronic solutions to the healthcare market. We are committed to delivering innovative solutions with easy to use systems and we recognise the importance of listening to our customers’ needs. We produce systems that use the latest technology, compliment the decor and are competitively priced. Visit www.callaiduk.com or see the advert on this page for details.

TumbleCare from Easylink 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. Visit www.easylinkuk.co.uk or see the advert on page 2 for details.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 43

NURSE CALL AND FALL PREVENTION

Wireless Fall Prevention A Digital Future of Care in a Post COVID-19 Era By Ben Kilbey – Business Development Manager, Spearhead Healthcare

The last thing any care home wants to have to deal with is an elderly resident falling in their home. However, with over 255,000 hospital admissions in England a year relating to the elderly suffering injury after a fall, being alert and aware as soon as a fall happens is critically important in the administration of aid; as well as helping reduce emotional distress. For years, the care industry has used a tremendous range of call alert solutions to help care home staff respond to these falls quickly and easily. The most popular and regularly used of these are systems which plug in to nurse call systems. Nonetheless, these come with their own issues and can often create their own risks in regard to falling; largely in the use of trailing cables that need to be plugged in to make them work. These potential trip hazards can cause the exact issues they are trying to prevent. But with new innovations come new solutions, and we are increasingly seeing a range of wireless solutions that provide a variety of benefits. Below we list things to look out for when selecting these systems:

NO LOOSE WIRES When looking at a wireless solution, make sure it truly is wireless and that any receivers, or sending features on the items are contained and are not left loose where someone can catch a foot on it, or accidently rip it out.

WIRELESS CALL BUTTONS Care home staff cannot be chained to their desk and need to be checking on residents and conducting all the

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 exten-

duties that are required to create a smooth-running home, filled with happy residents. A wireless alert that can be carried in a pocket allows the user to respond as swiftly as possible to potential falls, helping homes provide the highest level of care. A centralized alert system is an option that also presents many benefits, as homes can ensure that the right person in the right place is alerted in a timely manner. Making sure that a system works both centrally and on the move, giving you the best range of options to help provide a high level of care.

PLUGS While this might very well be viewed as a smaller issue, nurse call systems come with a huge variety of plug types; and ensuring that your receivers have the correct plugs for your call system is key.

LOOK AND FEEL Make sure the system you choose is as unobtrusive as possible. Often fall prevention equipment is designed to be as hidden as possible. Should the item be particularly obvious make sure you are happy it fits as well as possible into the decor of the room it sits in and think about choosing a floormat that corresponds with the flooring in the room e.g. wood effect vinyl or carpet. Spearhead are proud to distribute the entire Alerta wireless range that has been launched this year. For further information visit www.www.spearheadhealthcare.com sion to 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

After 50 years being at the forefront of advances in Nurse Call solutions, Courtney Thorne continue to develop solutions which now seem more relevant and important than at any time before. The introduction of digital care planning and medication solutions has enabled forward thinking care homeowners to go paperless, giving more accurate, timely and readily available information on those in their care. These same digital devices, tablets and smart mobiles can now be used to view calls and emergencies generated by a Courtney Thorne nurse call system. Both new installations and many existing Courtney Thorne systems can benefit with calls being delivered straight to the carer. Monitoring of resident’s care planning and medications are just two areas that reduces the amount of paperwork and administration, freeing up carers to spend more time actually caring. The monitoring of the caring staff themselves can become arduous and time consuming for management, not with a Courtney Thorne nurse call solution. The introduction of Staff ID tags of fobs is nothing new, there are so called systems on the market which use simple magnets which carers need to remember to press onto a room sensor when they attend, and again when they leave a resident’s room. With Courtney Thorne’s Altra Tag the process of logging who attended, what time they attended and how long they remained in the resident’s room is all logged automatically and seamlessly. No longer are there management and staff disputes about forgetting to “fob in/fob out”. The volume and detail of the data captured automatically by a Courtney Thorne nurse call system is vast. All the data is available to management using the reporting function built into the main touch screen server. However, where visiting the home is difficult due to COVID-19 restrictions or time and distance problems, owners and managers may find retrieving data difficult, resulting in a lack of monitoring and possible reduction in quality of care delivered. Courtney Thorne’s CT-Cloud service provides ready complied, detailed reports daily, coupled with a “live” view of all data contained in the server from any location with an internet connection. Carrying out regular checks on sleeping residents is

time consuming and often counter-productive as residents often wake, have poor sleep and can even fall after attempting to use the toilet once awake. Acoustic monitoring means that only those who actually need assistance get it, those who are sound asleep do not get disturbed and carers can concentrate on more productive tasks. So, in this new COVID-19 and Digital world what other new solutions are on the horizon? Nurse call devices around a care home become intelligent enough to identify a resident in need. Already we can measure changes in levels of noise, but monitoring light, temperature coupled with wearable devices monitoring vital signs, now a deterioration in a resident’s wellbeing can raise an alert or be recorded. A resident ‘connected’ with a wearable device can have their movement, location, heart rate, sleep, blood pressure etc., monitored automatically. Instead of intrusive, often unsocial physical monitoring, at-risk residents have vital signs checked and recorded continuously. If an emergency occurs, the nurse call system will still summon help, only now one of its key functions will be to record, store and make available critical data. Thereby reducing the touch points, minimising transmission of disease, freeing up carers time and providing a safer and healthier life for both residents and staff. For further information visit www.nursecallsystems.co.uk or see the advert below.

www.nursecallsystems.co.uk

PAGE 44 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE Putting the ‘Home’ Back into Care Homes: How Innovative Technologies Can Help Carers Give Residents a Better Quality of Life By Phillip Moorcraft, UK Director, CLB (global.clb.nl) When a person moves into a residential care home, the quality of their medical and social care is hugely important to that individual and their loved ones. However, they also want a place that feels genuinely welcoming and homely, and which allows its residents to enjoy appropriate levels of privacy and independence. Striking that delicate balance, between providing a ‘home from home’ and ensuring that residents’ medical and social care needs are met, can be hard for residents, families and care home staff alike. And it is a widespread problem – with about 21,556 care homes in the UK alone, there is lots of pressure on care staff to make residents feel ‘at home’, while also meeting each person’s (often complex) needs. This pressure has greatly intensified with the challenges of the pandemic. Technologies can ease the pressure of regular and unnecessary ad-hoc welfare checks on top of providing personal quality care, while giving residents more privacy and independence. For example, acoustic monitoring technology, which has been used in many countries worldwide for more than 25 years, can monitor for adverse events and reduce their potential to cause life-changing effects. What is more, residents with acoustic monitoring can establish better sleep patterns because they are less frequently disturbed by staff visits, and better sleep conveys multiple health and wellbeing benefits. Meanwhile, the technology alerts staff as soon as an event occurs, which also improves quality of life and can make a crucial – even life-saving – difference to medical outcomes in the case of health emergencies. Furthermore, acoustic monitoring gives greater privacy and autonomy for each resident. For example, those who prefer to go to bed later/earlier than their peers are no longer restricted by the facility’s monitoring schedule and can enjoy more flexibility, and those with particular concerns about privacy can be left in peace without having to compromise their safety. What do good care homes provide? The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told service users and those who care for them what they should expect of a good care home. The expectation that residents will be treated with respect and able to exercise their rights (to privacy, to self-determination, to care of high quality, to dignity) is woven like a golden thread through that document. No reasonable care professional would argue with those values, but they can be tough to achieve simultaneously. The need to monitor residents is a prime example. Many homes carry out periodic checks on residents – often, every two hours or so – and this is a critical element of providing good social/clinical care. However, it is also highly disruptive for patients, who may be disturbed several times during the night, and it takes carers away from other duties. Residents who are disturbed during the night (even for the best of reasons) may suffer chronic or recurrent sleep deprivation, which has a serious impact on their quality of life. Sleep deprivation causes grogginess, mood changes (in some cases, aggression, anxiety or

depression) and increases vulnerability to illness. So, an action that is intended to protect a resident can also make them ill. Meanwhile, carers may become frustrated with the constant need to interrupt whatever they are doing to carry out welfare checks, particularly if this takes them away from providing personalised care for individuals, and their morale, along with the broader functionality and productivity of the care home, can suffer as a result. Acoustic technology meets the needs of care home staff and residents Unsurprisingly, some care homes have tried to solve this problem with technology. And the CQC agrees that care homes’ use of innovative technology is key to maximising their performance. The challenge lies in knowing which type of technology to use. For example, some care homes have used voice and video baby monitors, or alarmed mats that detect movement. However, these are primarily for domestic use and often cannot cope with the demands of a care home. They can be hard to maintain and may not have an appropriate radio frequency; all are intrusive but video monitors in particular compromise residents’ privacy. And they can lead to a delayed response by care staff, which has significant implications in time-critical events like a heart attack or stroke. Acoustic technology, in contrast, is not intrusive and has been designed for care home settings. Acoustic technology allows individual sensitivity settings for each resident and will alert staff when the thresholds are exceeded. It is highly accurate, so will sound if a resident falls, for example, or if a resident (e.g. with mobility problems) tries to get out of bed. When acoustic technology is used in an intelligent nurse alert system, it monitors resident welfare with a high level of accuracy. When triggered, an alert is sent to a professional operator who can assess the situation and forward the alarm directly to a carer’s device if applicable. That allows an immediate response, giving the resident the best outcome, including in cases of medical emergency. Acoustic technology also reduces adverse events, thanks to the quality and consistency of its monitoring that allows swift and preventive action. For example, it reduced resident falls by 35% in one facility. Meanwhile, carers can reduce the number of in-person visits and can maintain their focus on other work, such as meeting the needs of individual residents, which increases morale and productivity. For the residents, acoustic monitoring delivers the privacy, dignity, self-determination and appropriate independence that good care homes provide for their residents. It gives them a more relaxing and homely environment and allows healthy sleep cycles that enhance their quality of life. Above all, it keeps them safe. It is time for care homes to make technologies work for them The pandemic has caused much anxiety for care home providers, residents and their families. It has also focused national attention, perhaps more than ever before, on the most vulnerable members of our society and the people who dedicate their lives to caring for them. It has been an incredibly hard and draining time. Innovative technologies in care homes, such as acoustic monitoring, provide an exciting opportunity to move the emphasis from intrusive and unnecessary checks to discreet, yet continuous, monitoring that gives both residents and carers the comfort and security that a home should have. By putting the right technology to work in care homes, we can relieve that burden and grow a care sector that genuinely provides the relaxing and homely environment that all residents, families and staff desire, along with the top-quality care and working conditions they deserve.

Workforce Scheduling Solutions 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.

THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22 | PAGE 45

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE Technology in a Post-Covid World Let’s not beat around the bush: It’s been a terrible year so far. Healthcare around the world has been pushed to the limits. Here in the UK our amazing NHS pulled out all the stops, despite being hugely underfunded even before the pandemic. The unsung heroes were the Social Care sector. We heard many appalling stories of both staff and residents falling victim to this indiscriminatory virus and but also stories of people’s love and determination to help the more vulnerable amongst us. As we move towards a new post lockdown phase, we ask ourselves: How have we survived so far and what does the future have in store?  Since the prime minister announced in March that we were to stay at home, we have clung on to two factors to help our mental health manage the dramatic change to our lives: long walks and video conferencing and sometimes, but not being too over indulgent, both at the same time. As many of us prepare to work from home, the discovery of “Zoom”, mainly known as a colourful ice lolly to many before March, transformed the way we began to communicate. Zoom saw its number of users explode from 10 million a day to 200 million over lockdown. Video conferencing isn’t just for business though. It allowed families and friends to remain connected throughout. Crowd funding appeals began to help raise money to pay for tablets. These were given to residents in care homes to ensure they too weren’t missing out on the digital party.   It’s not just the video conferencing either. We’ve exercised with Joe Wicks and we’ve written

or partaken in online quizzes. Most of us have had more time to interact with friends and family because other distractions have been taken away.  Now we’ve been able to move away from lockdown thanks to government initiatives such as Test and Trace. So, we must ask ourselves, where would we have been without technology?  Amazingly, despite most of us having access to computers, tablets and smart phones, almost three quarters of our sector are still operating paper-based systems within their homes? We have fully embraced technology for our personal use, but why not our business? We’ve relied on it for months, it’s enriched our lives, imagine what it could do in our places of work.  Will changing to a computer-based care system, like Ablyss CMS, change our lives? No. But, will it make a positive impact to the way we operate and run our businesses? Yes.  We need to learn from the lessons of 2020. We don’t know what’s around the corner, so it’s impossible to be ready for the next challenge. But we can do our best to be prepared. The future is not written on a piece of paper, it is changeable, it will adapt and will, occasionally, throw us a Covid-shaped curve ball! We need adaptive systems in place to help us navigate the road ahead. We need to fully embrace and invest in the technology and advances that are available to us. Put faith in technology. We’ve tested it to its limits and now we know, we DO need it. See the advert on this page for more information about Ablyss.

Mainteno Facilities Maintenance and Management Software 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

www.mainteno.com

sales@redro.co.uk

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

PAGE 46 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE 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)

when invoicing? 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 17.

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

WristPIT from Pinpoint The WristPIT from Pinpoint,is a bespoke patient call transmitter designed to be worn on the wrist. This wrist-worn personal infrared transmitter (WristPIT) is easily accessible and allows patients to activate a call for even if they are away from their bed or a fixed call-point. Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology (usually worn by staff for personal safety) has, for the first time, been designed around patient use. The WristPIT can withstand showering and brief submersion in water and also incorporates antimicrobial product protection, reducing the ability for bacteria to grow. According to figures published by the National Reporting and Learning System, around 250,000 incidents where patients required assistance in hospital were reported in 2015/16. In many cases, nursing staff remained 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 requesting help and informs staff exactly where the patient is. The call button is recessed and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms. Pinpoint Alarm Systems are installed in thousands of medical facilities throughout the UK and USA. The new WristPIT is backward compatible and easily integrated into existing Pinpoint Systems. A green LED indicates the WristPIT is ‘activated’ with good battery level. When the battery requires changing, the LED flashes red until the battery is changed and the device has been retested. In addition to being water-resistant, the WristPIT has been designed to withstand harsh environments and user tampering, meaning suitability for facilities where service users may be at risk of self-harm. For more information: www.pinpointlimited.com or see the advert on this page.

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-inone, 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

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

that 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 45 for details.

PAGE 48 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 22

PROFESSIONAL AND TRAINING

Meaningful Care Matters Established in 2019, Meaningful Care Matters (MCM) focuses on the development of resilient relationshipcentred cultures of care shaped by the people living and working within them. MCM believe that when cultures of care express the personhood of people within them, caregiving is meaningful for everyone involved. In these person-centred services both “caregivers” and recipients of care can flourish. Meaningful Care Matters recognises that individual well-being is not an ‘individual’ matter. Our relationships with the people, places and things that have shaped our life journey make us who we are and sustain our sense of personhood. Engaging in moments, experiences and activities that resonate with who we are and meet our needs for love, attachment, belonging, agency, occupation, comfort and attachment makes life meaningful. Individual ill-being occurs when these relationships are undermined and life lacks meaning and purpose when such connections are absent in our daily lives. Meaningful relationships make us feel secure, free and able and help us to feel at home in ourselves. Having a diagnosis, disease, cognitive or physical impairments does not take these feelings away from us,

it just makes these relationships matter even more. Nurturing these person-centred relationships is therefore key to sustaining individual well-being and developing an emotionally resilient culture of care. MCM believe that care is most meaningful when it is informed by carers' lived experience as well as an empathic understanding of what matters most to each recipient of care. This means that every person-centred practice and relationship is unique, reflecting the individuality of the people giving and receiving care and the specificity of the context in which it occurs. This stance establishes self-awareness, emotional intelligence and spontaneity as a key competency for carers. Person-centred care is therefore enhanced when carers have the confidence to be themselves, the insight to know what makes each encounter meaningful and the freedom to be guided by their empathy and practiced wisdom. MCM helps care providers optimise healthcare outcomes and realize their full potential by transforming the features of their service that undermine relationships and developing the features of care that help person-centred relationships to flourish. Meaningful Care Matters facilitates transformation of care cultures and works across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Australia with an approach to support people to be ‘free to be me’. See the advert opposite for further details.

Employee Engagement: Employee Retention

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

Are you spending too much time on recruitment and not enough time engaging with your current employees? This is not an uncommon situation to find yourself in and is magnified by the current COVID-19 crisis where you may have to be making difficult decisions with redundancies or unable to meet your demand for care worker. It’s important to note, these are not just a couple of buzz words used by HR managers; engaging with your employees can have a significant, positive impact on your business and its performance. This handy checklist will help create a more employee focused organisation and help towards retaining your valued employees: Selection – Be open and honest about the role and

responsibilities at the initial recruitment stage Development and progression – Offer opportunities for employees to gain skills and build on their career Engage employees – ensure you’re having regular performance conversations and reviews, conduct surveys and have in place a grievance procedure Be flexible - Wherever possible, accommodate individual preferences on working hours and times Manage work load - Monitor workload and ensure it is manageable within working hours Employee well-being - Support employees with issues such as workplace stress For further information, contact The Policy Library. See the advert below for details.

Without QCS we wouldn’t have been rated as an ‘outstanding service’ Rupert Stocks Registered Manager, Guyatt House

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