THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 32 | PAGE 23
Dementia UK Launches ‘Only Together’ Campaign ‘Only together,’ the charity’s first-ever influencing campaign, highlights the low level of specialist support currently available to families affected by dementia, and how access to quality care could be improved. The key findings include: 77% of family carer respondents were dissatisfied with the support they received from primary care services, 82% of health care professionals said they have limited time and capacity for appointments, and 58% of the charity’s own dementia specialist nurses agreed there is a lack of information and support provided to people with dementia. The findings present a stark account of the challenges facing families with dementia. The campaign report’s recommendations outline how families need access to tailored information and that the charity’s dementia specialist nurses can support in connecting up a still fractured system, through close working with families and healthcare professionals. The ongoing effects of coronavirus have exacerbated the challenges which family carers face. Some of the key issues which carers raised for the report include: 83% of carers have had fewer opportunities to take a break from their caring role, 86% reported a decline in their own mental wellbeing and a further 62% are worried about whether they can contin-
ue to care for the person with dementia at home following the arrival of the pandemic. To read the full report and its recommendations/vision paper, please see www.dementiauk.org/onlytogether The charity’s Admiral Nurses work alongside families with dementia, giving compassionate one-to-one support, expert guidance and practi-
cal solutions which can be hard to find elsewhere. They are continually trained, developed and supported by Dementia UK. Chief Admiral Nurse and CEO at Dementia UK, Dr Hilda Hayo said: “Familiesaffected bydementia have always been in the dark, but even more so during the pandemic. Information about how the condition could affect them and who to turn to in times of need has been lacking. Added to this is a climate where community support services are all but drying up. “Our Facing it alone report highlights the importance of working together to improve dementia specialist support for the thousands of families living with dementia. Our dementia specialist nurses can be at the heart of this approach, allowing GPs and other healthcare professionals to understand the complexities of the condition, and for families to live a future with more confidence and less fear.” Dementia UK is calling on families, GPs and health professionals to act in a number of ways: • By sharing experiences of best practice; • Highlighting where provision is lacking; and • Work with the charity in local areas to improve dementia specialist services If you would like to find out more about how you can support the campaign, please visit: www.dementiauk.org/onlytogether
Lincoln Care Home Create Their Very Own Bar Colleagues and Residents at HC One’s White Gables care home enjoy some time at ‘Foggy’s Bar’. Rachael Fogg, the unit manager at the Lincoln care home, had an idea to make one of the small lounges at the home into a bar. After Rachael spoke to maintenance operative Alan Trevor they came up with a plan. As the home is a late stage dementia home it would be unwise to leave a permanent bar open with bottles etc., as this could cause potential problems, so a pop up bar was just the ticket. Alan came up with an idea of a drop down bar that can be packed away when not in use. After some research online he worked on the weekends at home in his own time to make a fabulous bar that unfolds to use and folds back securely to the wall when not in use. The bar top is made from bottle tops set in resin and the bar itself has three shelves to hold glasses and bottles. The Area OD Mags Barton was in the home to see the grand unveiling and a select few Residents got to have the first drinks from Foggy’s Bar. It looked great and was a fantastic idea, the Residents have loved going to the bar again.
Heanor Park Care Home - Winner of Client of the Year at the Lux Awards* 2020
The Circadian Plus solution includes bespoke lighting design, smart lighting software and spectrum-controlled lights – creating a truly revolutionary solution that has resident health and wellbeing at the forefront. The impact of the lighting at Heanor Park has significantly reduced resident falls, increased engagement, and has improved sleep-wake cycles. Check out our case study video to understand more at www.circadianplus.com/heanor-park-case-study The term Circadian Lighting is defined as lighting that replicates natural light (as closely as possible) to support human circadian rhythms, otherwise known as our internal body clock. We are all governed, to
some degree, by our internal body clock - the timing, intensity and colour of light are key factors in regulating our sleep and wake patterns. Disturbances in the circadian rhythm can have a physiological and mental impact, and often causes poor sleep patterns. Many factors can influence our circadian rhythms, such as exercise/movement and food intake. However, by combining them with new interactions with our non-image forming light receptors, we can achieve excellent results in the care home setting where residents tend to struggle to spend time outdoor where they can be exposed to the benefits of natural light. Some of the main benefits of circadian lighting are: • Improved sleep • Improved mood • Less risk of developing certain mental and physical health conditions • Reduction in errors and accidents • Faster cognitive processing • Increased alertness at the right times of day • Can aid with the rehabilitation of certain medical conditions e.g. brain injuries • Can be beneficial for elderly residents and people with Alzheimer’s disease To understand more about the importance of care home lighting visit www.circadianplus.com/news/care-home-lighting
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‘We’re seeing a greater level of engagement from the residents during the day because the lighting is helping their body clock become alert and ready for the day…we’re not seeing people falling asleep in their chair or not wanting to engage in activities’. - David Poxton,
Managing Director of Heanor Park Care Home * The Lux Awards are designed to celebrate and reward both creativity and sustainability, recognising clients and end-users that have used lighting in exceptional ways to improve their lit environment, reduce energy and achieve business objectives.