The Carer Digital - Issue #133

Welcome to the latest edition of The Carer Digital!

In October we ran a story regarding a report which revealed figures from the annual Skills for Care report showing that the number of vacancies in social care had increased by 52 per cent to 165 000 unfilled posts in 2021/22 – the largest annual increase since records began in 2012/13

It also found that almost a third of the care workforce are aged over 55, so are likely to retire in the coming decade

And we lead today with a report highlighting remuneration and safety issues are of great concern among care staff

It makes for rather disturbing reading but is nothing new The sector universally recognises pay for staff should be increased and in any industry that struggles for staff there are going to be occasions where safety concerns are raised

In fact I remember Jeremy Hunt who is now Chancellor but at the time was Health and Social Care Committee chair saying in June 2022 (just months before he took control of the nation’s finances) “Persistent understaffing in the care sector poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety a situation compounded by the absence of a long term plan by the government to tackle it We now face the greatest workforce crisis in history in the NHS and in social care with still no idea of the number of additional doctors, nurses and other professionals we actually need NHS professionals know there is no silver bullet to solve this problem but we should at least be giving them comfort that a plan is in place This must be a top priority for the new Prime Minister ”

The crisis of course was exacerbated when the government enforced mandatory vaccination policy which led to thousand of care workers leaving the sector only to see the government reverse the policy

It was a contentious policy caused massive fallout and the legacy lasts to this day so what should the government do?

In October 2022 a judge with the New York State Supreme Court ruled that New York City October 2021 mandate requiring all municipal workers to receive a Covid-19 vaccine was unlawful and ordered the city to rehire and provide back pay to all sanitation workers who lost their jobs for violating the mandate

Perhaps to help resolve the crisis the government should consider at least in part compensating those who left sector due to the mandate policy

Again this is something we reported on before https://thecareruk com/petition-toapologise-reinstate-compensate-care-workers-forced-out-by-vaccine-mandate/ and we also highlighted comments from chair of the Independent Care Group Mike Padgham who said: We warned many good kind and caring professional staff would be lost to the policy and that proved to be the case Most of those we will never get back

Only my tenpenneth but in January 2022 the DHSC said it had spent £12 6bn on PPE It estimated that up to 5% of this could have involved fraud or error – worth £630m The Public Accounts Committee which scrutinises the value for money of government spending also said a stockpile of items worth £3 9bn was not needed It added that there were disputes with more than 100 suppliers over £2 7bn worth of stock – mostly over concerns about the quality of PPE provided Reports seem to have gone quiet on how those investigations are going but if ever there was an incentive to get that money back then allocating all funds recovered through Covid PPE fraud to compensating and encouraging workers were forced to leave the sector would in my opinion be poetic justice! (And would be very interested in anybody s opinion on this)

It was also a pleasure to share some stories this week digitally and on our website on the “Big Garden Birdwatch” I am a huge fan of this and wonderful to see care homes taking part

At home I am delighted to say we reported, 4 magpies, 12 bluetits, 4 crows, 2 blackbirds 2 robins 1 sparrow 4 grey tits and we have a family of wagtails that visitors each year but unfortunately were not around the Birdwatch! Not a bad “haul”

Oh and not forgetting Chinese New Year and Burns Night! Thank you for sharing all your stories for those too!

I would also like to remind you that we are now in media partnership with premier event organisers Draw Events organisers of The Alzheimer s Dementia & Care Show taking place at the business design Centre in London March 3 and 4th

As well as media partner The Carer team with also be exhibiting at the show

We are also exhibiting the same month at UK CARE WEEK at Birmingham s NEC and will keep you updated with regional and national care shows we will be exhibiting at, so please do watch this space for announcements of our future partnerships

Tradeshows are a wonderful opportunity to engage with the sector packed with all the latest innovative products and services, plus seminars by sector experts and organisations plus the most important of all of course feedback from you those in the frontline working on a day-to-day basis

So as I say please do watch out for future announcements and I would urge you to attend as many shows they are rate invaluable insight into the care sector and how it moves forward in the coming years!

One more thing of course please do continue to share your stories of awards and any celebrations, fundraising, sports events singing and dancing or any other feelgood stories which highlight the dedication commitment and devotion staff display every day improving the well-being of the residents!

And please follow us on Twitter we have hit the magic 10,000 followers we are delighted to say and we want to get that up to 20 000 so please do follow us and encourage as many of your followers in the sector to follow us as well!

I can always be contacted at editor@thecareruk com

Editor Peter Adams

Concerns Raised Over Care Worker Pay & Safety

(CONTINUED FROM FFRONT COVER)

Despite these challenges one of the most important findings from the focus groups was how social care workers deeply value their jobs Participants spoke about how the role felt more like a ‘vocation than a job and about how much they valued the ‘rewarding’ human connections they have with clients

The report revealed that in April 2022 typical hourly pay among frontline care workers was £10 90 –below the economy-wide average of £14 47, and less than some of the rates offered in other low-paid jobs, including those in transport and call centres as well as the average rate paid to public sector nursing assistants (£11 14 an hour)

REAL TERM PAY FALLS OVER 10 YEARS

Importantly for recruitment the ‘pay premium’ social care workers historically commanded relative to most other low-paid jobs (reflecting the additional skills and challenges involved) has been slowly disappearing The Migration Advisory Committee calculated that in 2011 the average care worker s hourly pay was 5 per cent higher than other low-paid jobs By 2021 that difference had fallen to just 1 per cent

The reports key findings reveal:

• Working in social care has many positives especially compared to other low-paid jobs The human element of the role is immensely satisfying, and workers view their work as high-skilled and high-responsibility Many also enjoy a significant amount of autonomy In 2017 (the most recent year of data available) 88 per cent of social care workers reported they were satisfied with their job, compared to 83 per cent of those in other lowpaid roles

There is currently an acute shortage of care workers In 2021-22 more than one-in-ten (11 6 per cent of) frontline care jobs in England were vacant, up from fewer than one-in-twenty (4 7 per cent) in 2012-13 This has knock on effects on workload and safety In 1992 59 per cent of social care workers said they worked under a high degree of tension; by 2017 that had risen to 68 per cent 14 percentage points higher than those in other low-paid jobs (Of course this figure is likely even higher today given vacancies have risen particularly sharply in the wake of the pandemic )

Social care work is low paid relative to the skills required Median hourly pay among frontline care workers stood at £10 90 in April 2022 well below the economy-wide average of £14 47 and less than rates offered in low-paid jobs in offices call centres transport and nursing assistants in the public sector Moreover the pay ‘premium’ that social care workers have historically commanded relative to other low-paid jobs has almost vanished

• Why do social care workers put up with often poor conditions at work, especially when they are in such high demand? We suggest their power in the labour market is weak for three key reasons First the workers in our focus groups were strongly attached to their jobs and often viewed their work as a vocation Second and less positively, the feminised nature of the workforce means that for many, outside options are limited Close to one-in-five (19 per cent) of frontline care workers are women with dependent children and one-third (33 per

cent) of residential care workers live within 2 kilometres of their work, with both figures considerably higher than the economy-wide average Third at 20 per cent rates of union membership are relatively low among frontline care workers (this falls to 15 per cent for social care workers in the private sector)

CARE WORKERS 'DEEPLY VALUE JOB'

The frustrations of low pay were reflected in focus groups, where care workers said “You can basically get paid more at Lidl or Aldi and that the pay was the worst thing about their job

For care workers in residential homes – of whom there were estimated 445,000 in England in 2021-22 –issues surrounding understaffing and resultant safety breaches were a key concern Focus group participants told the Foundation that, due to widespread worker shortages, tasks that require at least two people present were often being carried out by a single worker

Despite these challenges one of the most important findings from the focus groups was how social care workers deeply value their jobs Participants spoke about how the role felt more like a vocation than a job and about how much they valued the rewarding human connections they were able to form with their clients with one worker stating that “knowing you’ve made a difference puts a smile on your face ”

The Foundation says that Britain s ageing society means that demand for care workers is likely to grow and the damaging staff shortages likely to worsen, unless policy makers substantially improve the pay and conditions for care workers to make it a more attractive vocation for people

To address these problems, the Foundation proposes:

A higher sector-specific wage floor for care work with minimum pay set at £2 above the adult minimum wage This would be £12 42 an hour from April this year (when the minimum wage will increase to £10 42) This would improve the pay of over half the existing number of frontline care workers and provide a sufficient enough buffer to materially reduce the risk of minimum wage underpayment This social care wage floor will require higher spending and taxation in the public sector and higher prices in the private sector which the Foundation says are costs worth paying

Introducing measures to ensure domiciliary care workers are paid for their travel time instead of just receiving a mileage reimbursement One solution would be to calculate travel time on the basis of the distance between jobs, with an appropriate formula based on typical travel speeds in the area and at the time of day

IMPROVING WORKING CONDITIONS 'ONLY ROUTE'

Nye Cominetti Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation said:

“Social care workers fulfil a skilled and hugely necessary role in our society and make a real difference to people’s lives That’s why they love their jobs more than other low-paid workers do

But the danger is this sense of vocation and commitment comes with a high price including unlawful under-payment of the minimum wage and unsafe working conditions for some

Addressing these problems isn t cost-free but it is urgent given the chronic shortage of care workers Improving working conditions in the care sector is the only route to making it more attractive for new recruits and giving our ageing society the level of care it deserves

C of E Report: What Kind of Social Care Do We Want?

By Tony Stein, chief executive, Healthcare Management Solutions (www.hcsolutions.co.uk)

that puts a focus on the social care crisis facing the nation however, while it reasserts the need to focus on recruiting, retaining and properly compensating a social care workforce capable of dealing with an ageing population I fear it s heavy on restating problems but light on solutions

As a nation we need to have a conversation about what we expect of our government in the context of personal care in old age With the founding of the NHS we reached a national consensus on the provision of healthcare to anyone, free at the point of need If you rock up at A&E with a broken arm we expect the NHS to fix it irrespective of your personal circumstances There s no means testing and this simplifies the system hugely - if it s broken it ll be fixed The same goes for other medical conditions though as many are finding the speed at which it s dealt with might vary depending on what it is

this decision and in Germany for example, if someone requires personal care then there is a tariff that is applied and that provides the funding towards care

If we are ever to fix the issue in the UK then we all need to agree whether we re prepared to take a collective responsibility for personal care Should the taxpayer pay to wash dress feed and toilet someone who has personal wealth that might be counted in the millions?

If we all agree that this should be the case then there is absolutely no doubt that we will need to agree, just as they did in Germany, that taxes need to increase to cover this

In the UK we dance around the issue One day we re all going to pay an additional 1 25% in NI to pay for it the next we re not One day we re going to cap the amount that someone should pay for personal care the next we’re not

Justin Welby has just issued the results of the C of E s paper on social care called Reimagining Care

If anyone was expecting anything ground-breaking then prepare for disappointment The paper should be welcomed as should anything

Personal care is somewhat different and indeed conditions such as dementia are in a ‘grey area’ This is a medical condition that warrants NHS support however people living with dementia and requiring personal care don t currently receive it The same can be said for many other chronic conditions

As the report rightly points out other countries have already made

We cannot continue to try to resolve the issue and at the same time be unprepared to commit

Firstly we must decide what kind of social care system we want then we need to cost it fund it and commit to creating a system that works The current political tinkering that goes on will never result in a coherent strategy

Launch of Dedicated Awareness Week Celebrates the Reasons Why Staff Care

Recent headlines have highlighted a care sector under pressure, with 165 000 vacancies needing to be filled In a bid to raise awareness of careers in care as well as celebrating the people already working within the sector one care sector technology platform is kicking off 2023 by calling on care staff to share the reasons they work in the industry

By launching a dedicated awareness week to underpin the activity – #ShareWhyYouCare week, which is set to fall between 30th January and 5th February 2023 – the initiative calls for the 1 5 million people who work in adult social care to share why they’ve chosen a career in care and help others appreciate the huge positives and great sense of reward

The awareness week has been initiated by Care Hires a temporary staffing management platform for the care sector as it seeks to support the workforce across the industry

Speaking of the initiative Suleman Sacranie Co-Founder of Care Hires said: So often working in the care sector is termed as vocational and seen as a ‘calling’, and while there are millions of people working

in care, we know first-hand that their reasons for doing so are often unshared yet could provide a real source of connection community and inspiration ”

He continued The care sector is under immense pressure The understaffing underfunding need for more beds and rising costs are all contributing to yet another ‘once in a lifetime event hot on the heels of the pandemic We wanted to start 2023 with something positive to celebrate the staff who are rising to meet these challenges daily while raising awareness of the sector as a career path to those who may not have previously considered it There are some incredible people working in care doing incredible things and we d love to share their stories

To engage with #sharewhyyoucare week care sector staff simply need to add their thoughts to the hashtag on Instagram Facebook Twitter or Tiktok focusing on the positive reasons behind their work and the difference they’re making Care providers and, indeed, individuals are able to visit www carehires com/sharewhyyoucare to download a dedicated toolkit as well as a selection of social assets to help drive the messaging behind the awareness week and showcase their involvement

Shefford Home Creates “Remembrance Fence” to Remember Loved Ones

A Shefford home has created a “remembrance fence” where residents and members of the community can remember their loved ones

MHA

Fee Rates Paid to Providers Do Not Cover the Cost of Care says ARC England

The Association For Real Change (ARC England) Learning Disability Research Unit today launches their Local Authority Fee Rate Map which shows that in many cases fee rates do not cover the cost of care

Over 80% of local authorities provided their fee rate data in response to our Freedom of Information request and the map shows a wide variation in fee rates between areas in England and Wales It can be seen that in many local authorities fee rates have fallen behind provider costs and that annual uplifts have not kept pace with inflationary pressures

In order to pay the Real Living Wage of £10 90 (£11 95 in London) supported living and domiciliary care providers need to receive a fee rate of £22 69

The data obtained shows that:

76 out of 78 local authorities who responded (97%) paid less than £22 69 per hour to supported living services 104 out of 114 responding local authorities (91%) paid less than £22 69 per hour to domiciliary care providers

Inflation and cost of living pressures have combined with the requirement that providers meet annual National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage increases to mean some services are now financially unsustainable We are concerned that this could lead to people with learning disability and autistic people no longer being supported to live well within their communities

For example:

– In supported living services where staff wage payments represent approximately 85% of providers costs the 2019-20 National Minimum Wage increase by 5% to £8 21 resulted in a rise in operating costs of 4 13% – By 2022-23 the NMW increase to £9 50 resulted in an operating costs rise of 8 23% this in a sector already hit by severe recruitment and retention problems due in part to low pay and competition from rival sectors like retail and hospitality which can afford to pay higher wages

Our Fee Rate Interactive Map has been designed to be a tool for collaboration between commissioners

and providers in forthcoming conversations about fee rates and inflationary uplifts for 2023/4 ARC England would therefore like to invite all local authorities to use the interactive maps as a benchmarking tool when setting fee rates and uplifts with providers (See below for Local Authority Fee Rate Interactive Map online briefing Invitation )

ARC England Director Clive Parry says: “We are hearing from our members that providers are using reserves to cover operating costs and in some cases are having to hand back contracts because they are not being paid enough to allow them to deliver safe high-quality care and support at the rate offered by commissioners

“The widening gap between fee rates and operating costs is why we are now calling on the Government to demonstrate that they understand and value learning disability and autism services by taking action to ensure that local authorities can commission services for people with a learning disability and autistic people at sustainable rates

He continues It is important to recognise however that there are examples of good practice where despite a lack of resources efforts are being made some local authorities to set fee rates that better keep pace with inflationary cost pressures

As the House of Lords Adult Social Care Committee puts it in their recent report Adult Social Care Committee A “gloriously ordinary life”: spotlight on adult social care report December 2022,

“Adult social care and the budgets of local authorities for its delivery have been chronically under-funded for many years both a cause and a consequence of the lack of attention paid to the sector For example while the total budget for publicly funded adult social care in 2022/23 is £17 1 billion the commissioning budget for the NHS for the same year is £153 billion This is despite the fact that the adult social care workforce is larger than that of the NHS

The interactive maps are arranged by local authority and by constituency and can be accessed at https://arcengland org uk/fee-rate-data-maps/

Belong Celebrates Colleagues at Champion Awards 2022

Carers from across the North West and Midlands have been celebrated at the annual Belong Champion Awards as the dementia specialist recognised the outstanding achievements of its teams in their everyday work supporting older people to live an active and fulfilling later life

Colleagues at Belong s care villages and their corresponding home care service Belong at Home picked up their trophies at the dazzling ceremony hosted at the enchanting Peckforton Castle and attended by Belong teams from across Cheshire Greater Manchester and Staffordshire

A FULL TURNKEY SERVICE

With over 300 nominations from across the not-for-profit organisation the winners in 10 categories were determined by an independent judging panel Dementia UK the National Care Forum Skills For Care The Bluecoat, Ready Generations, and Total People, as well Belong customers, who conducted a series of interviews as part of the rigorous assessment process

Summarising the event, Belong’s chief executive, Martin Rix, said: “We’ve had a fantastic evening celebrating our colleagues’ hard work and success Congratulations to all of our finalists and winners!

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Look at the Bigger Picture, Not Just Pay

The urgent problems of understaffing and attrition within the UK care sector are nothing new Issues are deep-rooted: a 2022 House of Commons report highlighted significant structural and socio-cultural barriers [that] prevent the care sector recruiting and retaining the carers and other health professionals needed

And we know that the situation is unlikely to stabilise soon given the increasingly uncertain economic climate

The jobs market is volatile too Where it might once have been expected that workers would stay where they are in a cost-of-living crisis, even if unhappy, today’s jobs market is working in favour of the employee meaning they re more likely to be looking at other options open to them

MORE JOBS = A BIGGER RETENTION CHALLENGE

Quinyx’s own research, from our annual State of the Deskless Workforce study indicates that UK care workers increasingly believe that their skills can be utilised elsewhere with more than three quarters (78%) feeling there are many job opportunities available - this is up from 47% in 2021

After years of employers having the upper hand, it s refreshing that workers feel they have some power back Yet for employers, it means they need to work much harder if they’re to retain their best staff and avoid a daily battle to ensure sufficient shift cover

So how to do that? With a recession looming and nurses’ pay at the centre of strike action this month it can be easy to view wages as the key issue that needs fixing in health and social care; the ‘silver bullet’ to cure all ills

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT MONEY

In our report focusing on UK health and social care workers, 71% of workers told us they’d be more engaged in their current job by an increased salary And of course money as a motivator cannot be ignored especially now

Yet even amidst a cost-of-living crisis it is vital to look at all aspects of the employee experience if prob-

By Toma Pagojute, HR director for workforce management solution Quinyx (www quinyx com)

lems within the sector are to be addressed

For example, we found that almost half of care workers (44%) said they’d be more engaged if their work environment was less stressful A third (34%) would be motivated by improved communication between management and staff and over a quarter (28%) would be more engaged – and less likely to leave – if they had increased flexibility

Understaffing and stress are inextricably linked In our report three quarters (72%) of health and social care workers said they’d noticed understaffing, and 90% of those said it resulted in a more stressful work environment

Furthermore, of the 59% of workers who have considered quitting in the last year, by far the biggest reason prompting them to look elsewhere was stress

SMALL STEPS TO BETTER SCHEDULING

Without sugar-coating the current situation there are certainly small steps that can be taken – today – to start tackling some of these issues Bringing in more staff isn’t always a feasible option, so using a workforce planning tool powered by AI allows managers to schedule staff based on need and demand at the click of a button

Certitude London s leading adult social care provider for people with learning disabilities autism and mental health needs recently started working with Quinyx to help automate staff schedules Employees use the app to request shift swaps and get rota updates straight to their phones

Certitude manager Benjamin said using the system has helped him better understand colleagues worklife balance” He added, “being able to schedule a month or so in advance gives people the opportunity to plan their life outside of work and get the balance they need

PRIORITISE OPEN COMMUNICATION

Being aware that staff are feeling stressed and need a break is also key We found that many frontline care workers avoid speaking to managers about topics which could be affecting their wellbeing - 56% feel uncomfortable talking about how stress is impacting their health And sadly when employees do offer feedback, a significant proportion (43%) don’t feel listened to

Open effective communication is at the heart of any successful organisation: regular check-in meetings ‘open door policies, suggestion boxes and feedback surveys are all ways of giving employees a voice It’s imperative too that all feedback is acknowledged

As the saying goes change won’t happen overnight but by putting staff first being smart with technology and looking at all aspects of the employee experience the sector can start moving in the right direction

Chinese New Year Comes to St Helens Hall

Residents and staff at St Helens Hall Care Home in Thatto Heath celebrated the start of the Chinese New Year – the year of the Rabbit

In the build up to the event the home s activity coordinator Jackie Smith and her team worked with residents to create colourful Chinese lanterns to decorate the room

On the day itself the home’s chef Phil prepared a Chinese banquet with everything from prawn toast and Chinese dumplings to a selection of curries and noodle dishes

Resident Bill Ackerley, 82, said: “I absolutely loved the day, especially the wonderful selection of Chinese food to choose from which reminded me of my younger days tucking into a Chinese meal at the end of a busy week

Resident Joan Bradshaw 92, said: “My favourite meal was the Chinese chicken curry, what a treat ”

Maureen Bennett 90 said It was good fun using the chopsticks although a little tricky My solution was to use a fork and a chop stick in tandem!

Pat Morgan, 83, said: “It was a lovely way to celebrate the Chinese New Year It felt like being out with old friends

Jackie Smith who has been Activities Co-ordinator for the Elephant Lane home for ten years said “We love coming up with interesting activities for our residents to take part in

“Chinese New Year was a chance to make some lovely crafts together to decorate the room and for our brilliant chef Phil to make some delicious Chinese food There were lots of memories from residents about Chinese meals they have loved over the years and we even played the sort of music you’d hear in a Chinese restaurant It was great fun ”

And He Drove The Fastest Milk Cart In The West...

At The Retired Nurses National Home (RNNH) Friends of the Elderly’s residential and dementia care home in Bournemouth, Dorset, the care team recently welcomed a very special visitor Just like the renowned ‘Ernie who drove the fastest milk cart in the west - so fast it was the Christmas number one in 1971 – George Smith who was visiting his friend Janine Price who was at RNNH for a respite break was the home’s original Milk Boy

George was born in 1939 and in 1948 when he was nine-years-old started delivering the care home s weekly milk alongside milkman, Lionel George said: Lionel and I liked our delivery to RNNH as we got to see the lovely nurses It was quite a large weekly delivery, about 10 to 12 half pint bottles which ensured all the residents had their daily milk allowance

I remember Lionel used to send me up to the care home with the milk and hand deliver it to the retired nurses’ rooms It was a lovely place and I got to have chats with all the residents Every Friday I d be back to collect the milk money as they always settled their bills on time ”

Originally built for the benefit of the retired nursing community RNNH is now a residential and dementia care home for everyone which sits in its own grounds of over two acres RNNH was the brainchild of Nurse Fanny Thompson who in 1929, received a letter from a nurse who was in terrible financial difficulties and had little or no money to buy food once she’d paid her rent

Fanny was so concerned about the lady s welfare that she spent the

rest of her life working to provide care for elderly nurses Fanny actually lived at RNNH for the last two years of her life before passing away in 1967

Talking about RNNH s interesting history Rob Paton the care home s Activities Coordinator said “Thanks to Nurse Thompson’s hard work and commitment RNNH’s Foundation Stone was laid in 1937 but due to World War II the official opening didn t take place until 1946 Luckily throughout the war, RNNH never suffered a direct bomb hit, even

though many fell close by

Back then RNNH only had one central building as the two front wings were completed by 1939 and further additional buildings and facilities were opened in 1952 and 1982 RNNH has always had a royal connection It is one of nine care homes run by charity Friends of the Elderly whose Royal Patron the Late Queen Elizabeth II ”

However royal links go back to 1935 when Queen Mary donated two Minton plates to be sold in aid of the original building fund Then in 1939 Queen Elizabeth (Mother of Queen Elizabeth II) sent a set of antique spoons to be sold to help raise extra funds for the care home

“When I began my milk round to RNNH in 1948 there was lots happening throughout the country,” George continued “The year saw the end of post-war bread rationing, the Olympic Games were held in London and importantly The British National Health Service Act created the NHS

I continued with my milk deliveries to RNNH for three years but then for some reason I opted for a paper round instead which meant I didn’t get to visit the lovely nurses each week I did miss my weekly visits,” George concluded

“One of our current residents, Eileen Richardson was a Volunteer and Project Coordinator, for The Memories of Nursing Project, and wrote a piece on RNNH back in 2016 Eileen told me that Fanny would be very happy to know how successful her early endeavours have been added Rob

Healthcare Job Applications Dip as Unrest in the Sector Grows

strikes continued to impact resources across the sector With jobs increasing 23% month-on-month in November the gap between supply and demand continued to increase as the year came to a close

The number of professionals applying for jobs in the healthcare sector fell consistently in November and December as unrest in the sector exacerbated skills shortages with the situation set to worsen as pay also drops That’s according tonew research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies(APSCo) the trade association for therecruitment sector

The data by Broadbean Technology revealed that job applications fell 23% and 37% in November and December respectively as

While pay is one of the core drivers of current strike action across the public sector the statistics suggested average salaries across healthcare fell 2% throughout 2022 With the Cost-of-Living crisis hitting households the lack of salary increases is likely to further impact the recruitment difficulties the NHS is facing Ann Swain CEO of APSCo comments “The recruitment landscape in the healthcare sector has clearly been hit hard by the general unrest being reported With strike action, the NHS reaching crisis point and workload pressures growing the data shows significant uncertainty in healthcare hiring The recruitment difficulties faced by hospitals and Trusts in recent years have clearly impacted hiring activity and applicant availability The resourcing struggles in the sector won’t disappear anytime soon And with pay appearing to decrease overall last year – at a time when salary-related strikes are ongoing – healthcare employers and recruiters are going to face continued difficulties in the year ahead ”

The Alzheimer’s Dementia & Care Show

The Business Design Centre London 3-4 March 2023

London on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th March, the doors open at 9 30am each day and close at 5 00pm on Friday and 4 00pm on Saturday One-day tickets are from £18 00 online £23 on the door

For further information and tickets visit www alzheimersshow co uk

At the show - NEW for 2023

Full Dementia Interpreters Course–

The main theatre hosts keynote speakers on range of topics as well as chaired daily

Question Time panels

Talks Hub: A range of practical talks covering dementia and care topics from professionals and exhibitors

CPD Accreditation: Certificates available to professional attendees

Admiral Nurses & Alzheimer’s Society

Now in its 10th year, The Alzheimer’s Dementia & Care Show is the UK s leading event for care providers healthcare professionals families and carers This is an unmissable event for those wanting to learn from leading experts find practical advice and support resources help and information develop a better understanding of dementia and further professional skills

The show features a fully accredited CPD conference programme with talks from leading experts, family carers and people living with dementia alongside professional advice clinics dementia and care exhibitors and unique individual training opportunities you won t find at any other event

Held at The Business Design Centre

Training2Care: Free taster sessions are offered to visitors who will have their ability to speak see hear and move impaired to begin to recognise the many forms communication may take for a person living with dementia Only at this event

Training2Care are offering individuals the full 1-hour workshop to allow you to experience the complete experiential practical session

Full Virtual Dementia Tour & Training

Experience – Training2Care: As well as free ‘taster’ sessions, this is the only event where visitors can book the complete training as an individual – an 8 minute immersive experience followed by 75 minute de-brief – a ‘must do’ experience for anyone involved in caring for people with dementia

Dementia and Care Matters Theatre:

Advice Clinics: Free 25 minute 1-2-1

appointments

Leading Dementia & Care Exhibitors: Practical ideas new solutions and resources from dementia and care specialists

For information and tickets visit www alzheimersshow co uk One-day tickets are from £18 00 online and £23 on the door

Local Care Home Launches Regular Free Advice Sessions

How Social Care Workers Can Support Those Who Are Grieving

By Lianna Champ Lianna has over 40 years’ experience as a grief and funeral care specialist and is author of practical guide, How to Grieve Like A Champ

In your working life as well as caring for the day-to-day physical needs of your service users, you will naturally find yourself providing support and care on an emotional level too As a carer you will develop a unique relationship and bond with each of them You will be instrumental in their welfare on many levels and will often find yourself supporting them through a loss

The value of your ability to help comes from a place of empathy and understanding of what a person is going through therefore you need to have an understanding of grief and the physical and emotional effects

Each loss we experience is totally unique to each of us and even though we may share similar emotions to others we do not follow the same pattern Grief is incredibly personal and even though we may remember how we felt at the time of our own losses, we cannot and should not compare our own loss experiences with someone else s This just minimises the importance of the other persons feelings and hijacks their experience and can cause them to withdraw and isolate

Grievers are often pre-occupied with their loss and this can present as lack of concentration forgetfulness disrupted sleeping and eating habits and even having little accidents like banging into things also nausea and headaches If their grief is ignored it can have a negative impact on their physical and mental wellbeing and can even lead to depression if left long enough

Your position as a carer is privileged You may be the only confidante and safe haven for your service users to open up to where they have no fear of judgment or criticism

Encourage your service user to talk about their relationship and share their memories Often the intense sadness can be lifted in the times we

share our happy memories We then remember and return to grieving This is normal and healthy and the more they feel able to share their sadness the lighter it can become and the easier it is to open up when they feel overwhelmed

• eat well - little and often is good It is easy to neglect their nutrition at this time but diet is important in keeping them physically well and supports positive brain function rest and sleep when they need to take in fresh air and where possible take some gentle exercise Even if we have to force ourselves we always feel that little bit better afterwards Working thorough grief is physical as well as emotional create rituals for remembering This helps to hone the love through memory When we have rituals we have something positive to focus on that we know we have to do

If you know a service user is grieving and you feel awkward starting the conversation its good to start with a question which evokes a happy memory -

Ask them how they met their special person

What was the thing they loved best about them

What didn t they like - this usually raises a smile )

Talk about photos they may have in their room and this will open doors to other significant relationships in their life

• Talk to the service user about how they themselves would like to be remembered and ask if there are things about their loved ones that they would like to be able to do or loved ones that they can incorporate in their own words, thoughts and actions

If you find yourself comforting a someone who has suffered a significant loss remember don’t jump in straight away with your own experiences Listening is one of the most important things you can do to help anyone We are so used to people planning what they are going to say to us when in conversation instead of really listening to what we are saying to them A good way to do this and to stop your mind wandering is to repeat their words in your head as they say them If they feel heard that someone has shared some of their pain, it gives a softness in their grief and they can feel the benefit of sharing a really important emotional communication Become a truly great listener – it will change your life and could make you very, very popular

Class of 2022 Graduate from the Barchester Chef Academy

Under the watchful eye of Barchester s Hospitality Development and Standards Manager, Mervyn Knights 24 talented head chefs –the Class of 2022 – have just completed a year s training and graduated in the inaugural year of the Barchester Chef Academy

The Academy is the brainchild of Knights who joined Barchester 20 years ago as a Kitchen Assistant and worked his way up through the ranks to head chef and then to his current position as part of the team overseeing hospitality training across the whole of Barchester Along with the rest of the hospitality team it is Mervyn’s job to ensure that the food being produced in all of Barchester s 250 care homes and private hospitals for residents and patients meets Barchester’s very high standards in terms of quality taste nutrition and presentation and that dishes are being prepared to the exact requirements of our individual residents

The Barchester Chef Academy helps chefs to both hone their skills and learn new ones, covering many different modules including cooking for residents living with dementia budgeting balancing flavours minimising wastage presentation skills and so much more The 24 chefs who completed this year s course were full of praise for all they had learned; the chance to perfect new techniques and recipes share hints and tips to network and make new contacts and to expand their

skill set These chefs will now act as Ambassadors back in their divisions, helping to train the hospitality teams in their sister homes

Speaking about the success of the Academy s first year

Mervyn Knights commented: “I am absolutely delighted at how well the Academy has been received by everyone who attended the course, it has been such a positive experience for all involved So much so that next year we are going to increase our intake to 34 chefs, I am very much looking forward to meeting the Academy s new Class of 2023 in January

Dr Pete Calveley CEO of Barchester Healthcare added:

“I had the pleasure of visiting the Academy and sampling some of the fantastic dishes produced by our chefs I was impressed by the high standard of cooking and by how beautifully presented everything was I am incredibly proud of all of the chefs that took part in the Academy this year, I know they produce wonderful food for our residents and patients cooked to their individual preferences every single day I am also exceptionally proud of Mervyn and all that he has achieved with the Academy, it is a brilliant initiative and one that I know will go from strength to strength under his leadership

which they seemed to enjoy

“One of our residents, Eileen kindly let us display her Chinese hanging ornament, which was originally brought over from China by her neighbour

“That was something which was really special so we want to thank Eileen for allowing us to use her ornament We put on some traditional Chinese

and everyone was in great spirits and enjoyed the night ”

Government Sets Out Vision to Reduce Ill Health and Tackle the UK’s Dementia Crisis

Alzheimer’s Research UK has welcomed new government commitments to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce ill-health in the UK, as part of its new Major Conditions Strategy

The new UK wide strategy aims to alleviate pressure on the health system as well as support the government s objective to increase healthy life expectancy and reduce the number of people out of work due to ill-health In a Written Ministerial Statement, the Department of Health and Social Care said this work combines our key commitments in mental health cancer dementia and health disparities into a single powerful strategy ”

Now the dementia research charity wants to see the concept of brain health embedded within the strategy as a holistic approach to preventing dementia and promoting healthier lifestyles

An interim report on the strategy is set to be published in the summer

Samantha Benham-Hermetz Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Alzheimer s Research UK said:

“Today’s commitment from government to publish a Major Conditions Strategy is a step in the right direction We now look forward to contributing to the government s consultation process to ensure a clear action plan emerges later this year And this plan needs to deliver for people affected by dementia who have waited far too long for action

“Given the scale of the challenges that the UK

health and care system is facing the government s holistic approach aimed at breaking down the walls between how different diseases are managed is welcome and sensible As part of this vision

Alzheimer’s Research UK wants to see the government champion the concept of brain health

“The best advice to look after our brains also has benefits beyond dementia and can help prevent other diseases too, like heart disease and cancer, which also cause thousands of deaths and drive health inequalities across the UK If this government strategy were to promote the concept of good brain health throughout our lives we believe it has the potential to make huge strides in reducing ill health and the subsequent pressure on our health and care systems

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

Local Government Workforce Shortages Adding to Ser vice Pressures

A local government workforce crisis is threatening vital local services –particularly relied on by those who urgently need support – with more than 9 in 10 councils experiencing staff recruitment and retention difficulties a new survey reveals

The Local Government Association which represents councils across England is today publishing its 2022 Workforce Survey which lays bare the scale of the issue

It said significant staff shortages in local government risk having a serious impact on councils capacity to deliver services It is also restricting their ability to help government meet key pledges such as building more homes, boosting and levelling up economic growth and reforming adult social care

For example the LGA survey finds that:

• More than 8 in 10 councils are having difficulties recruiting children s social workers and almost three quarters (72 per cent) are having problems retaining them – councils are increasingly having to turn to agency staff to plug gaps which is more costly and leave less for children s services overall

When it comes to adult social care, 57 per cent of councils are struggling to retain and 71 per cent struggling to recruit adult social care workers –national adult social care organisations including the LGA have called for government to deliver a long-term care workforce strategy and tackle the issue of care worker pay

Almost 6 in 10 councils (58 per cent) are struggling to recruit planning officers – this will impact on the ability of councils to plan and deliver new homes and ensure new housing meets local needs and has the right infrastructure

More than a fifth (22 per cent) are experiencing recruitment difficulties for HGV drivers – fast inflating HGV driver salaries in the private sector are

an issue for councils and their contractors putting pressure on gritting and waste and collection services

45 per cent of councils which run environmental health services were having difficulties recruiting environmental health officers and 43 per cent were having difficulties recruiting building control officers – this comes as councils struggle to fulfil new duties being placed on them such as implementing the new post-Grenfell building safety system and reviewing the condition of social and private rented housing Councils are trying to tackle recruitment and retention issues such as by offering more flexible working running targeted recruitment campaigns locally and offering accessible training and development opportunities To develop the pipeline of skills of which are in desperate need councils are also looking to grow their apprenticeships offer with nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) saying they were going to do this in 2022/23

However the LGA said the local government workforce has a diverse range of skills professions and occupations and the workforce challenges each face are equally complex

The LGA said one clear barrier is funding pressures faced by local government It can be difficult for councils to make long term plans for staffing and development when they continually have single year funding settlements It is therefore crucial that councils have long term funding settlements so that local services have a long-term sustainable future and can confidently make plans to develop or recruit the workforce they need

Cllr James Jamieson LGA Chairman said:

Working in local government is hugely challenging and varied but equally rewarding It is a great place to grow your skills and your career

“Our workforce changes lives for the better every day and help keep communities running They care for your family protect children from

harm ensure your favourite takeaway is safe and keep our streets clean

Local workforce shortages are adding to the challenges facing our local services

“In the coming years, some services are likely to continue to see a significant increase in demand which they will not be able to meet without an increase in the supply of skilled staff Government investment in local government and its workforce is key to ensure services are protected and also to delivering its own policy agenda

LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE CRISIS – IN NUMBERS

There are nearly 1 4 million people who work in around 800 different occupations in local government Between 2009 and 2022 the English local government staff headcount fell from 2 254 700 to 1 346 400 (fulltime equivalent (FTE) totals for the same periods falling from 1 584 200 to 1 022 000)

• The Society of Local Authority Chief Executive Officers (Solace) has warned that 33 per cent of council chief executives and senior managers in England did not have enough skilled staff to run services to an acceptable standard

Skills for Care reported that in September 2021 the vacancy rate in local authority adult social services was 7 1 per cent England s children s social work vacancy rate rose to 16 7 per cent in 2021 amounting to 6 500 empty posts and the highest rate since 2017

• Public health staff have been left exhausted from the strain of tackling the pandemic in local communities, with local authorities finding it increasingly challenging to recruit and retain staff

The LGA’s 2022 Public Health Annual Report jointly published with the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) found more than half say their public health services are running with disruptions as a result of staffing shortages

Local Care Home Joined Mayor to Remember the Holocaust

Staff at Barchester’s Elm Bank care home in Kettering joined the Mayor of Kettering – Councillor Keli Watts and the Mayor s Chaplain – Rev Helen WakefieldCarr as they led a service at the Art Gallery Gardens in Kettering on Friday 27th January 2023 to remember the Holocaust

A 2 minute silence was held as the Holocaust Memorial Day flag was raised on Bowling Green Road outside the Council Offices to remember those who lost their lives; before returning to the Art Gallery Gardens where white pebbles including those from the Residents of Elm Bank care home from were laid at the base of the fountain in memory of the victims of genocide

The service was held to remember those who died in the Jewish Holocaust and

who have been victims of genocide in conflicts around the world It was a time to remember millions of people who died or whose lives had been changed during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia Rwanda Bosnia Darfur and Ukraine

Attending on behalf of Elm Bank were Activities Coordinator; Kerrie Ashford Senior Carer; Danni and Carer; Isabelle All remarked on the importance for being there and taking time during Holocaust Memorial Day to remember those who sadly lost their lives and for those victims of more recent genocides to know that they are not alone and that we stand with them

Recruitment and Retention Crisis:

What Can Be Done To Stem The Flow Of High Turnover And Vacancy Gaps In The Care Sector?

The care sector is facing a significant recruitment and retention crisis with vacancies rising and high staff turnover putting immense pressure on the industry to find a solution The root causes stem from low wages long hours and a high level of stress and burnout among employees The Covid-19 pandemic also served to exacerbate the situation with the increased workload and risk of infection causing many staff to leave the sector With an ageing population and increasing demand for care services it is essential that this issue is addressed quickly to ensure that the elderly and vulnerable people in our communities receive the care they need

So, what can be done to stem the flow of high turnover and vacancy gaps in the care sector? Here s a few things to consider:

INCREASED WAGES

One of the most significant things that can be done to stem the flow of employees leaving the care sector and to attract other skilled workers to the industry is to increase wages and improve pay Operators must work with and apply pressure on the government to increase funding to the care sector resulting in higher local authority fees which can be used to raise wages A fair wage can help workers meet their basic needs and improve their standard of living, lead to increased motivation and productivity, and help with job security making care jobs more attractive and reducing the incentive for staff to leave

OVERSEAS RECRUITMENT

Offering Certificates of Sponsorship to overseas workers is one way to help combat the staffing crisis currently faced by the social care sector in the UK Recruiting from overseas gives operators access to a wider

By Ravi Sodha, Director of ACI Care (https://aci care/)

pool of potential staff and talent allowing care groups to decrease their dependency on temporary agency staff Carterwood recently reported that the cost of agency staff increased by 228% from January 2021 to September 2022 placing further strain on a sector heavily impacted by the cost of living crisis Overseas recruitment can be a lengthy process, but one that is proving more and more necessary due to the skills gap and high staff vacancies within the sector To facilitate this, a new Health and Social Care Visa was launched in 2022, which allows eligible health and social care professionals from outside the European Union to reside and work in the UK However, more is needed in the form of support from the government and local authorities such as a quicker turnaround on allocations from the Home Office, availability of English language classes and support to those from overseas to assimilate into local communities

CAREER BENEFITS AND PROGRESSION

Career benefits and career progression are important for attracting and retaining skilled workers, improving job satisfaction and performance, and promoting personal and professional growth Employees who have opportunities for career advancement and growth are more likely to be satisfied with their job, which can be a motivator for workers to improve their performance and overall standard of care The government s £500 million Workforce Development Fund is providing staff with hundreds of training opportunities to enhance their skills and careers Additionally to reduce stress and burnout operators can offer flexible working hours a manageable workload and an emphasis on work-life balance

To tackle the ongoing issue a multi-pronged approach is needed including a collaborative effort from the government local authorities and care operators to create a supportive and attractive work environment for care workers Increased funding for the care sector and overseas recruitment will help to address the current shortage of care staff allowing the care sector to continue providing essential care services to vulnerable people Furthermore offering career benefits and career progression to workers helps to improve the motivation morale and quality of staff already in those care roles

Magnolia Court - Thanks Fantastic Activities Team

Staff and residents at Magnolia Court care home in Golders Green, run by Barchester Healthcare are celebrating National Activity Providers Week which takes place from January 23-27 Residents and staff wanted to thank the wonderful activities team at the home whose hard work and dedication make a real difference to the lives of the Residents living there

National Activity Providers Week is an annual event to support activity professionals and thank them for all the many different varied activities they provide to residents and patients Each and every member of the team at Magnolia Court offer unique, tailored activities and entertainment to the residents every single day They always go above and beyond their role and for this everyone at the home is truly grateful

As part of the celebrations activities staff were treated to a party with live music

from Morris Tanner Head chef Asica had put together a wonderful spread of party food for everyone to enjoy Family and friends arrived throughout the afternoon to join in the fun with staff and residents Visitors took part in games and quizzes with their loved ones

Residents also gave thanks by giving handmade cards and handwritten letters to the activities coordinators with a small gift of thanks for all that they do Octavian Stanciu, General Manager said: “It is so wonderful to be able to celebrate National Activities Providers Week and thank our fantastic activities teams for all their hard work by organising something for them for a change!”

Peggy a resident at Magnolia Court commented: We ve all had such a lovely time today it really is a joy to be able to thank our wonderful activities coordinators for all that they do They really make such a difference each and every day

Major Plan to Recover Urgent and Emergency Care Ser vices

The NHS and the government have published a new blueprint to help recover urgent and emergency care services reduce waiting times and improve patient experience

Frontline capacity will be boosted further thanks to 800 new ambulances, including 100 specialist mental health vehicles and 5 000 more sustainable hospital beds backed by a £1 billion dedicated fund

The two-year delivery plan for recovery comes amid record demand for NHS services, with the latest data showing more A&E attendances than ever before growing numbers of the most serious ambulance call outs, and millions of NHS 111 calls a month over winter

Urgent care provided in the community will be expanded to ensure people can get the care they need at home, without the need for a hospital admission

These services will run for at least 12 hours a day – responding to calls normally requiring an ambulance crew – and will mean people who have fallen or are injured can get care and treatment at home within two hours

Same day emergency care units staffed by consultants and nurses will be open in every hospital with a major A&E helping to transform patients experiences and allowing thousands of people each week to avoid an overnight hospital stay

Freeing up space in hospitals and speeding up discharge for those who are medically fit to leave are key parts of the blueprint which will see pilots of a new approach to NHS step down care across the country –where patients will receive rehabilitation and physiotherapy including at home

This scheme will ensure people have a smooth transition out of hospital reducing the chances of readmission while also potentially reducing long term demand on social care

The success of virtual wards where patients receive high-tech care in their own home is set to grow

with 7,000 virtual ward beds already in the community and up to 50,000 patients a month expected to benefit by the end of 2023/24

The two-year plan aims to stabilise services to meet the NHS’s two major recovery ambitions, to help achieve A&E four-hour performance of 76% by March 2024 and improve category two ambulance response times to an average of 30 minutes over the next year, with further improvement in the following year

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard, said:

“The NHS has been under more pressure than I have ever known in my 25 years working in the service –the threat of the ‘twindemic’ of flu and covid became a reality and that was alongside huge demand for all services – from ambulance and A&E services to mental health and GP appointments

“We are incredibly grateful to the NHS staff who work day-in day-out to deliver care to hundreds of thousands of people and for the extensive preparations put in place ahead of winter

“We introduced more call handlers more beds and 24/7 system control centres to manage increased demand and this new plan sets out how we will boost that progress and help improve the experiences of patients who will benefit from quicker better care in the right setting

“The front door to the NHS is often where we can see the pressures build up – and to relieve that pressure we will continue to work with social care colleagues to free up space in hospitals so that people who are well enough to leave can be discharged and get the care they need at home or in the community

The government is making up to £14 1 billion available for health and social care over the next two years on top of record funding to improve urgent and emergency elective and primary care performance to prepandemic levels and to help alleviate the impact of inflation

Essentials for a Successful Care Business

UK Care Week is an inclusive industry-defining event with insightful seminar sessions, live product demonstrations and interactive features to equip you with the skills and knowledge to improve quality of care and care environments you provide We’re all set to raise the bar for the social care sector and celebrate the talent of care professionals at the NEC Birmingham on the 22&23 March 2023

Running a care business has become increasingly challenging in recent times With the cost-of-living crisis recruitment challenges and chronic underfunding by local authorities, many providers are exiting the market Come and hear Martyn Dawes Social Care Consultant and Paula

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Also taking the stage will be Nadra Ahmed CBE Executive Chair of National Care Association of National Care Association Adam Purnell Director of Social Care Institute of Health and Social Care Management Jayne Connery, Director/Founder, Care Campaign for the Vulnerable, Kate Terroni Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care The Care Quality Commission and Amrit Dhaliwal, CEO of Walfinch Care Homes

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Raising the standard of stair climbing solutions

The Stair Climbing Company offers an excellent range of compact, easy to use, powered Stair Climbers that are ideal for use in both home and commercial settings

Offering innovative designs, all of the company’s Stair Climbers can be separated into two pieces, for safe storage and are easily transported and charged In addition, all of its Stair Climber’s come with a two year manufacturer’s warranty

For NHS To Sur vive, Social Care Must Thrive

By Dr Sanjeev Kanoria FRCS ; MBA ; PhD, Chairman/Co -Founder & Group CEO, Advinia Health Care (www advinia co uk)

Advinia health care is a major provider of social care in UK with circa 3000 beds and employing 3500 people In the current economic climate with rising inflation there is a significant increase in interest food energy and staff costs It is vital that as a large provider of care, we fulfil our statutory duty as per the social care act to provide Safe Quality care and demonstrate financial viability The Govt commissioning bodies of social care who are the main source of funding for majority care home clients have significant market power and typically pay below the cost of care (National Audit office) and with delayed assessments and payments have created a vicious cycle of financially unviable, poor quality care and increased hospital bed blocking Any attempt to ask for appropriate fees by providers is treated unfavourably and one is played against another to keep fees low creating a cycle of deteriorating quality

As it is a provider’s statutory duty to provide safe, quality care with financial viability it is also the statutory duty of commissioners to ensure right fees which is revised as dependency of residents change which is bound to happen The shortage of nurses/care staff and commissioners unwillingness to pay for agency staff (two/three times higher), further compromises financial viability of providers Underfunded providers just cannot invest in training, quality and physical environment and bad news of safety in care homes will continue In last one year alone another 20 000 beds were lost in social care with a 400% increase in insolvency (colliers & CHP report)

Commissioners must take into account increasing dependency and an unwillingness to change initial terms is contrary to the care act (https://www gov uk/government/publications/care-act-statutory-guidance/care-and-support-statutory-guidance) requiring them; to evidence that contract terms & fees are appropriate for delivery of care packages with agreed quality of care’

Have regard to guidance on minimum fee levels necessary taking account of local economic environments Not to undertake any actions that may threaten sustainability of market as a whole by setting fees below an amount not sustainable in the long term

More recently this has been reinforced in the https://www gov uk/government/publications/marketsustainability-and-fair-cost-of-care-fund-2022-to-2023-guidance/market-sustainability-and-fair-cost-ofcare-fund-2022-to-2023-guidance The National Audit Office has reported a Department of Health assessment that most local authorities paid below the sustainable rate for care home placements for adults aged 65 and over (www nao org uk/reports/adult-social-care-markets)

A similar requirement would be applicable for Scotland This failure is having a significant impact on viability of providers who play an important role in reducing NHS bed blocking and assisting working age people to remain at work for a productive economy According to data circa 14000 older people are currently blocking the only 100 000 acute NHS beds for 63 million (FT 16 Dec 2022)

The typical cost (including NIC/pensions/training/holidays/Living

Wage/employee wellness costs) for 4 hours of care per day by a Carer is £60 and by a Nurse £100 This does not take into account energy, residential food Capex and finance costs Hence the following minm level of fees including all costs for different types of care without extras is needed for social care to survive

• Standard Residential care: £1 050 per week (£150 per day for 4 hours of care/day/resident for low dependency)

Residential care for enhanced needs: £1 150 per week (£164 per day for 4 hours of care/day/resident for med dependency)

• Standard Nursing care: £1 250: per week (£178 per day for 4 hours of care/day/resident for med dependency)

Nursing care for enhanced needs: £1 350 per week (£192 per day for 4 hours of care/day/resident for med dependency))

Where individual dependency is high fees should be adjusted Annual index linked fee increases are not sufficient and needs adjustment to reflect real wage inflation and other costs including capex where VAT reclaim is not allowed to providers It is important for providers to generate a minimum 10% cash surplus to reinvest in estate and staff and without this care ratings will suffer

Commissioners not paying the right fees creates a vicious cycle where providers cannot invest in safe quality care with financial viability This has reduced capacity in the care sector, increased NHS bed blocking and reduced productivity due to delayed healthcare delivery to the working age population

Unfortunately Govt regulation penalises providers if they are not financially viable whereas Govt funded commissioners responsible for this are not regulated to pay the right fees for care Without commissioners fulfilling their duty to pay right fees, it will be difficult for providers to fulfil their statutory duties in a market so controlled by commissioners of social care

Veterans Celebrate Burns Night at Royal Star & Garter

Burns Night has been marked in Royal Star & Garter’s Homes with bagpipers haggis and whisky

The traditional celebrations took place in the charity s three Homes in Solihull, Surbiton and High Wycombe, on Wednesday 25 January

Royal Star & Garter provides loving compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia

All three Homes were decorated to mark the event with bunting and Saltire flags Bagpipers were present and in each Home the famous Robert Burns poem ‘Address to a Haggis’ was also read out to Royal Star & Garter residents before they tucked into their meals

The Mayor and Mayoress of Kingston visited the Home in Surbiton, where they watched bagpiper Alistair Adams perform and pipe in the haggis Cllr Yogan

Yoganathan and his wife Saro along with Deputy Mayor Cllr Nicola Nardelli then joined residents for lunch which included neeps and tatties Residents also ate the shortbread they had made during a cooking activity, and took part in a quiz on Scotland

In Solihull, bagpiper Stuart McLoughlin played for residents and piped in the haggis before residents enjoyed their meal at tables dressed for the occasion with flags and tartan The haggis was also washed down with a dram of whisky

There were bagpipes and a traditional meal with whisky in High Wycombe Residents also enjoyed a whisky-tasting session, and later made shortbread during a cookery activity

Orchard Care Homes Committed to ‘Dementia Promise’

Hannah Miller Dementia Lead at Orchard Care Homes (pictured above front with Orchard’s Reconnect team Sunderland) says: “Frequently vulnerable people are referred to care homes by external partners using language that describes them in predominantly negative terms - challenging aggressive and so on This language lays the foundations of how the person is seen and thus initiates negative thinking about them from the outset This needs to change across the sector ”

Through its commitment to on-going changes in dementia care the group which is now fully digital has committed to training every colleague in three levels of bespoke evidence-based training; and continues to increase investment in technology recruitment and care home environments

Hannah continues: Our Dementia Promise aims to break the mould of what care home life has become across the country and sets out to ensure people’s care and support is firmly grounded in who they are and their abilities This contrasts with common practices which often focus on inabilities and blanket risk mitigation Through our initiative we seek to enable life to be as normal as possible for people - with them being encouraged to thrive and live life to the full ”

Orchard s Dementia Promise aims to:

• Remove conscious and unconscious stigma associated with dementia

Encourage others across the sector to stop using derogatory blaming language

Promote genuine collaboration – and provide people with dedicated communication lines with a dementia

specialist regardless of whether they use Orchard s services

Orchard’s designated dementia communities Reconnect are also expanding as part of this Dementia Promise With four established communities already in the North East West Yorkshire and Warrington and more planned for the future - the group strives to enhance wellbeing overall by providing individualised nurturing and holistic care; focusing on identity meaningful occupation and positive risk-taking

A higher staff ratio within Reconnect communities ensures social needs and engagement opportunities are met successfully as more time is available – thus significantly reducing anxiety and distress levels As such Orchard has recorded a decline in safeguarding referrals and use of psychotropic medications, plus a decline in polypharmacy In addition, weight loss has reduced as has the pain burden through using PainChek technology – which uses AI to help assess pain levels at the point of care

Orchard is encouraging others across the sector to follow suit and take steps to change language used in care which significantly impacts on dementia care culture and behaviours For example recognising people live in communities and not units’; removing the term Elderly Mentally Infirm (EMI) and re-phrasing diagnoses to irradicate words like challenging and aggressive when describing behaviours Instead the group encourages use of more positive language to remove negative images of those living with complex dementia who communicate via their behaviour

The NHS Won’t Sur vive Without Immediate Steps to Bolster Workforce, BMA Warns

Responding to the Government’s Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services Professor Phil Banfield, chair of BMA council, said: “The NHS cannot afford to wait two years for the fraction of help that the Government has proposed in this plan today If the NHS has any chance of surviving that long then we need to see immediate funding as well as steps taken to retain and boost our workforce People aren t leaving the NHS solely because they struggle to work flexibly as this plan suggests They re leaving because they aren t paid fairly are subject to punitive pension taxation and don’t feel valued It s therefore laughable that with 133 446 vacancies across the NHS the Government still hasn’t addressed the workforce crisis They may be able to source more ambulances but who is going to staff them?

“The only mention of active recruitment is in relation to NHS 111 – and that comes from recruiting healthcare workers from other already severely understaffed parts of the health service Moving existing staff and finances around is not the way to fix this “The irony of looking at new ways of delivering care in the community is not lost on hardworking GPs who

have offered to sit down to negotiate delivery of better services Virtual wards for example are an attempt to free-up capacity in hospitals but these patients still need monitoring which requires someone to do this It’s the same problem just in a different place Without a dedicated workforce and significant resource for this now it ll likely fall to already-overworked GPs and their teams to pick up the workload, pushing up waiting times in general practice and jeopardising patient safety even further As things stand, there’s no guarantee ambulances will be able to reach patients if their conditions deteriorate and we urgently need to see capacity improved in social care Doctors are repeatedly looking to innovate but must be facilitated and funded to do so

Today s plan shows that the Government still doesn t understand the health and care workforce crisis The BMA does, and will be publishing its own emergency plan in the coming days which puts valuing healthcare workers front and centre, with immediate solutions like addressing pay restoration and punitive pension taxation Only then can we retain and attract the workforce we need to deliver the care our patients deserve

Welsh Social Care Workforce to be “Given a Voice” in New Sur vey

A representative sample of the registered workforce in Wales will be invited to complete a survey that asks questions on topics such as well-being, what it’s like to work in social care pay and conditions, training and qualifications

The response to the survey will influence whether it is then rolled out every year

The survey is being run on behalf of Social Care Wales by Swanseabased research agency Opinion Research Services (ORS) The survey and what it aims to achieve is being supported by bodies that work closely with Social Care Wales, including Welsh Government and the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Cymru

Sue Evans, Chief Executive of Social Care Wales, said “The last two years have probably been the most difficult in living memory for social

care in Wales and things are not any easier now The ravages of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis have made it particularly challenging to keep providing care and support to the most vulnerable people in society

“That’s why we want to give social care workers a voice through this survey so they can tell us how things really are With this information we can make sure our work is supporting them in the most effective way

We realise the pressure people are working under and how little time they have these days So, filling in a survey is probably not high on their list of priorities But we re asking for 15 minutes of people s time to provide their views It could be time very well spent,” added Sue

Priorities For Operational Success Within The Care Home

By Nicola Whittaker, National Account Manager at Miele Professional (www mielecarehome co uk)

they expected the future of care to look like in a post-Covid environment and what needs to be the focus for long term operational success Here are three key areas that were highlighted:

1. INFECTION PREVENTION

Infection prevention has always been crucial within the care industry; however the pandemic forced care homes to implement and adhere to increased hygiene measures to help manage infection outbreaks Consequently 91% of respondents have experienced challenges with changing rules and regulations and are on the brink of information overload Despite this 88% believe that these changes have had an overall positive impact and as a result will continue to focus on infection prevention methods to achieve operational success

2. RECRUITMENT

Whilst the pressures of the pandemic have eased its lasting impact on the care industry can’t be overlooked with many carers finding it difficult to remember life before Covid-19 Last year Miele Professional conducted research with senior care professionals to find out what

The care industry suffered with recruitment and retention issues long before the pandemic yet staff turnover is rising - unfortunately this is at a time when people are increasingly needing care services According to 37% of the survey respondents Covid-19 had a direct impact on staff working hours causing ‘burnout’, additional stress and influencing workers to leave the profession 81% of senior care professionals claim that staff shortages are moderately to extremely challenging and there isn t any expectation that this will get better anytime soon

3 QUALITY OF LIFE

Isolation visitor restrictions and shielding were implemented within care homes to better protect residents from the transmission of Covid-19 but this came at a cost Nearly a third of respondents agreed that quality of life for care home residents declined substantially throughout the pandemic as they were not given the experiences they needed to live life Both short and long term the value of life needs to be at the heart of the care industry, with one forum participant commenting it s about the quality of life not longevity Now more than ever carers play an important role in helping facilitate this through the organisation of activities in tandem with ensuring infection prevention protocols are followed to keep residents both safe and engaged Download the Future of Care report by Miele Professional to learn more at www mielecarehome co uk/content-library

Bollywood Moves Energize Grateful Grandmother Nalini

A taste of Bollywood magic delighted a talented dancer and her fellow residents at a Winchester dementia care home

Nalini Bhagwat asked staff at the Colten Care home if they would make her New Year wish come true to revisit some Bollywood dance moves

Companionship Team Leader Laura Sheldrake used social media to invite any Bollywood practitioners in the community to make contact if they wanted to come in and dance with Nalini

The call was answered by dance teacher and University of Winchester business student Vaishnavi Singh

A visit was arranged and amid great excitement on the day grandmother Nalini had her hair done and dressed up in her own pink salwar kurta

Laura said: When Vaishnavi started dancing and showing her skills

Nalini didn’t take long at all to get up from her chair to dance along She had been so excited ahead of the visit

“She is always dancing and trying to teach us Bollywood moves so it was great to give her the opportunity to get up and dance with someone who like her dances authentic Bollywood

“They both looked amazing and danced to so many songs together Vaishnavi was so good with Nalini letting her lead on most of the dances and joining in with her

Nalini didn t stop smiling from ear to ear and danced away for nearly an hour to songs including Kya Baat Haii Chogada Meri Jaan Pasoori and many more

We are so thankful Vaishnavi reached out She really made Nalini s wish come true and the other residents absolutely loved it Some of the staff and residents who were watching even got up and joined in with the pair of them ”

Vaishnavi who has previously given dance tuition to children said: It was a pleasure to offer my help to make Nalini’s wish come true She is a fantastic dancer and we both had so much fun I really enjoyed getting to know her and talk about our culture

Laura added: “It was a joy and privilege to help make Nalini’s dream come true The visit was a chance for her to reminisce about dancing days gone by

“We find that the freedom of movement in dance can improve residents’ moods and is good for physical wellbeing This was an afternoon full of expression smiles and laughs

Radis Community Care Partners with Housing 21 for a New Extra Care Scheme

Radis Community Care is reinforcing its commitment to dementia care as it becomes the new care provider at Diamond Court extra care scheme in Weston-super-Mare

Celebrating over 20 years of high quality care in the community Radis will now be supporting Housing 21’s residents to live independently in the purpose-built scheme

The extra care service went live recently and provides at-home care for residents in their own homes

Paula Hoggarth group operations director at Radis said: “Extra care is a brilliant support service for those who either need a little bit of extra help at home but don t need full-time care or for those who are preparing for the care they might need later on in life

Living in an extra care residence like Diamond Court means you have your own front door, and 24/7 support services are available to you on site should you need them It s this independent living for the over 55s that we are so excited to be delivering in Weston-super-Mare ”

which is also a Housing 21 property

Paula said: “It’s great to be working with Housing 21 so that together we can ensure that the residents of Weston-super-Mare can live independently with choice and control over their care and support “We hand-pick our care teams and only select those who show a truly kind and caring nature dedicated to helping people lead happy and independent lives with the right level of care or support ”

Dawn Gill is housing manager at Diamond Court she said: Everyone welcomes the new ways of working that a new care provider can bring and Radis is a proactive company which is focused on growth but ensures its main goal is always to support the people who use its services At Diamond Court we want to help people to maintain their independence and give them choice over their own lives – their finances, social

around people when you want to, or choose to be in the privacy of your own home behind your own front door

How Can Technology Help Health and Social Care Professionals Provide Truly Person-Centred Care to the People They Support?

egardless of geographical location health and social care fields cross the world are governed by care standards which dictate that residents must receive person-centred care and be involved in every aspect of the care they receive

With the needs of residents in the health and social care setting being so diverse and complex organisations supporting people with specific needs, cannot aspire to achieve this best practice by applying a one size fits all rule when it comes to the technology they need to use, to manage both the care and operational sides of their business There is a substantial amount of published literature depicting how different types of technologies can positively ssist organisations in the health and social care industry to enhance ependence and quality of life for residents clients and patients

Equally, few articles in the information technology rubric balances these views by focusing on evidencing the drawbacks of using certain information communication technologies in this field

In her article: Ethical Issues and the Electronic Health Records (EHR) published in The Health Care Manager magazine in December 2020 Layman Elizabeth PHD student highlights the inconsistency of positive evidence about the use of EHR for disadvantaged persons in the care setting According to Layman (2020) if not used appropriately this type of technology can also come with some disadvantage which includes residents or clients not knowing who their information will be shared with; in some cases the accuracy of the information recorded about a service user is found to be incorrect Service users do not seem be able to have access to their electronic records

Over the past decade the issue around the use of technology in the health and social care industry has also been the centre of interest for Government and health care regulatory agencies Indeed (Jennifer Martin 2019) the ex-Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Inspector Director in her quest to review the strength and weaknesses of the EHR systems used in the health and social care field provided us with a very insightful blog published on the GOV uk website on the 23rd July 2019 Her work on the evaluation and review of a number of EHR technologies assisted decision makers to see that the majority of available electronic health recording systems did not have adequate functionalities For example, a major issue related to the lack of ability to give access to specific information to relevant audiences without breaching data There is also very limited evidence of EHR systems enabling residents and their families to access electronic files without the input of a staff member Despite some of the drawbacks highlighted in the digital literature it has been widely acknowledged that achieving effective sharing of information and capturing all essential aspects of an individual’s needs without using technological tools proves very challenging Hence the Government and health regulatory agencies and such as CQC NHS and Nice are supporting and will be ultimately requiring the implementation of EHR technology in health care settings A recent review of such systems (Jennifer Martin 2019) demonstrated that there has been some improvement regarding the sharing of information using EHR systems over the past few years Professional 3rd parties involved in the care of residents or patients are able to access electronic files However the risk of data breach for these systems appeared high, as not all systems could enable the professionals to see only what they needed The review of the literature on the use of technology in health and social care highlights the

By Annick Guirate, Trainer Consultant, Leecare Solutions Ltd UK (www.leecare.co.uk)

importance for leaders making decisions about the tools to be used to achieve best practice and personcentred care; to make themselves familiar with systems and functionalities that will enable them to have the service users at the centre of their care Interestingly, most literature and recommendations for best practice on this topic point to systems being able to share information effectively (Kharrazi et al, 2018)

Leecare s senior leadership team is passionate about continually improving program functionality to ensure service users remain at the centre of the care they receive The team has continually kept abreast of latest technologies and Government requirements and what is required to ensure best practice worldwide

With this in mind, Leecare s Platinum6 software, has been especially designed to make information sharing easy with an emphasis on the connection between the care of the resident staff and the organisation Particular care has been taken in developing P5MyCarePlan - our resident centred app By directly enabling service users to inform service providers the information in assessments and care plans is not solely related to the clinical observations of nursing staff but also reflects more accurately the preferences, views and feedback of the person receiving the care and support

P5MyCarePlan App also enables residents to review their care plan and what staff have written about them as well as add information that populates directly into their care plan in their own time

If the resident wishes for a family member to also have access to their information a login can be created for them so that they can contribute to providing feedback regarding the care of their loved one or just be updated about new events

Having this tool made available to residents facilitates a truly person-centred care approach as it promotes adaptability and flexibility giving room to the resident to request changes as and when their needs change, and communicate this to staff members in real time

Ensuring that residents and service users are able to easily communicate their needs is also paramount to providing person-centred care Therefore choosing a technological tool that is not just user friendly but adaptable and accessible is essential if staff are to fully capture all of their resident s different needs

Leecare P5MyCarePlan can not only be used on different type of devices such as mobile phones and tablets, but service users can also use touch screens to write their feedback or utilise voice recognition if they are unable to write Staff are then able to receive the information and take immediate and effective action Dr Caroline Lee CEO and founder of Leecare Solutions stated in her article entitled: Keeping residents and families connected-supporting Self Determination which was published on the 5th July in Hello Care Magazine: “Caring requires us to be vigilant – to know every wish and need watch out for cues for change, and to know what we need to know But obtaining the information directly from the person the care impacts using technology a system linked App ensures our care is not only about the Standards or public demands or legal responsibilities but is real and can be followed through onto the ground where it is needed most

Residents Inspire Refurbishment of Downing House Salon

Residents at Downing House have contributed their thoughts on the design and naming of their on-site hair salon which has recently been refurbished and reopened

Downing House a dementia-friendly care home in Withington managed by The Abbeyfield Society has capacity for 25 residents encourages independent decision-making as much as possible so that residents can live their life in the way they want to

As such many residents have the desire to treat themselves to a bit of occasional pampering and, before the COVID-19 pandemic, a trip to the salon was a highlight of their week For the past three years however the salon has been closed due to restrictions and used only as storage space, in an effort to keep both residents staff and visitors safe However the lifting of restrictions last year encouraged the staff to think about redecorating the facility and making it available to residents once again

Downing House Activities Coordinator, Rubina Hewitt, kick-started the campaign to refusbish the salon with a fundraising event to coincide with the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last summer She said “We raised the funds during our Jubilee party It was a great event with a cake stall tombola and raffle prizes Residents staff and relatives all came together to make the cakes and donated the prizes We had a fantastic turnout raising just under £200 for the salon

Downing House accommodates several residents living with dementia and they are encouraged to bring their own possessions furniture and dec-

orations when moving in to make it feel more like home It is important that all the rooms and facilities – including the salon – provide an enjoyable and familiar environment

A consultation with the residents revealed the desire for a 1950 s vintage theme for the salon with a light shade on the walls to keep it nice and bright

The name of the salon was chosen from a selection of name ideas that residents and staff wrote down and put in a jar said Rubina One resident then pulled a name out at random and we had our name – Pin Curls Hair & Beauty Salon

Residents and staff have expressed their gratitude to Rubina for their new salon and have been enjoying getting together for a good pamper again I really enjoyed the refurbishment project said Rubina and it was so worth it to see all our residents happy faces once we opened

Resident Dorothy Taylor said I m so pleased with how the salon has turned out I adore the 1950 s pictures on the wall – that s my favourite part Rubina wants to encourage all residents to the pay a visit to salon men and women alike We want the gentlemen at Downing House to know they can have a pamper day too she said and we have a few regulars who come along once a week Every Wednesday is hair and beauty day when we welcome Catherine our mobile hairdresser We also offer nail trimming for all and nail polish for the women which I like to give them while we have a good old catch-up

Connecting Vulnerable Adults In Care Through Their TV

We are rapidly reaching a stage in the UK where access to information and systems over the internet is fundamental to nearly every aspect of life However, statistics from the ONS show that over 50% of elderly and disabled adults do not have a sustained or installed access to the internet The hesitancy generated when interacting with new technology is denying huge swathes of the population access to data which could help both them and their careers

Rather than trying to push new technology (tablets smartphones computer smart speakers for example) on people who are least likely to accept it I would suggest we use technology they already have and are comfortable with: their television set Ironically the television used to have a data service available to use for free Teletext was officially switched off in 2012 after 38 years due to lack of use

Teletext was slow non-personalised, and not particularly user friendly

But it was simple to use I want to suggest a system which will seamlessly integrate with people s existing TV setup with no installed internet connection required

HARDWARE

The hardware blocks for such a system (image attached) There is nothing new or original in the design of this system The concept is simply to deliver a viewing portal to information which is currently accessible via the internet, at relatively low data rates Most current similar systems are used to stream ultra-high-definition video data through Wi-Fi The proposed system could easily be made up of a few Off-the-shelf technologies to reduce integration complexity

The main risks that exist in the system is secure biometrics being hacked to allow access to secure data

To overcome this all security must be encased in the remote with a processor that interprets and encodes the biometric input with secure paired connection to the dongle

It is very likely that the individual components that make up these commercially available devices are considerably cheaper, and that a complete device could be envisioned at less than £100, especially if supported by government schemes or charities

ONLINE SERVICES

The goal of the device is to merge video stream output with online retrieved data Even though most cellular data contracts now allow many gigabytes of data for a very low monthly cost this system will instead focus on orders of magnitude less data that that Basic text and low-resolution images will use much less than a megabyte to transmit If necessary the entire dataset required for services could be downloaded and stored on local memory to allow access even when wireless data connectivity stops

A service fee may be required to sustain advanced services although that will be dependent on uptake

and complexity of data provided Accessibility options such as text to speech and large print will be included as standard

Most of the setup cost, and where this device will succeed or fail, will be the utility of the services provided These can be split into different categories depending on risk

LOW RISK

These would be services very similar to those on the old Teletext system Such services based around simple personalization such as location and individual preferences As such biometric certification would not be necessary to access this level of data The relatively low cost would be on the service provider side to make sure access to the information portals is kept up to date However it is likely that these would be the ones most frequently used by users

MEDIUM RISK

As data becomes more personalised services would need more security However these could still be deemed as not causing serious harm if accessed by the incorrect people

The added risk on these kind of services stems from both the setup and integration with existing or new data platforms Devices may or may not be compatible with local devices or platforms, which means it is more likely to fail and therefore cause frustration through use The information on people and goods would only be that which is readily given out already, such as package or public transport tracking The cost of facilitating these gets more complex as the number of disparate systems supported increases

HIGH RISK

With a properly locked and authenticated system, there is the possibility of providing services which could be used to provide highly sensitive and important data

Issues arise from vulnerable people being put in a position of responsibility for this data It could be that responsibility is transferred to other carers or family members who are deemed responsible for access However it is likely that any system that could put someone at risk will be difficult to certify and keep safe in use However in the coming decade the proliferation of hyperconnectivity in technology may improve this situation For instance if a centralised personal authentication service is installed then access to personal information could be made easier In any case, it would have to be seen what is possible with the budget for the services provider

To conclude, we are proposing a low-cost and initially low-risk system which could be created and supported to provide vulnerable and elderly people with an access point to data which most of us take for granted With further development these installed devices could be updated and improved to provide hard to reach people with at least a viewing portal into information we will need to access key services in the next decade Research will need to be done on the most reliable biometric sensor to be used for these adults

Dementia Care and Washroom Design

How can washrooms help suppor t independence for those living with Dementia? Chrissie Rowlinson, marketing manager from Dudley Industries shows how washroom design and dispenser choice can help make washrooms a less confusing space

Alzheimer s Research UK reports that over 944 000 Britons currently live with dementia and by 2030 the number will exceed a million For those responsible for washroom design in the care sector this rising trend presents important challenges

Such washrooms will typically see a variety of users, so they must accommodate different demands They must satisfy all the usual conditions – safety, accessibility and ease of maintenance, for example – but as the population ages it s increasingly important that they meet the needs of users living with dementia and similar cognitive impairments

DESIGNING FOR USABILITY

The various steps involved in wetting hands applying soap rinsing and drying all demand thought observation orientation and the ability to recall in which order tasks should be performed For people with dementia, this may be especially difficult in an unfamiliar environment

The challenge may be further complicated by the fact that people with dementia often struggle to distinguish similar colours A typical washroom featuring pale-coloured dispensers on pale-coloured walls, does little to help them

However good design can remove key barriers to usability The Alzheimer’s Society reports that using sharply contrasting colours is helpful Intelligent use of colour and signage can eliminate much of the visual noise that users can find so disorientating and in a washroom colour can draw attention to key items such as soap- and towel-dispensers

Washroom dispensers are available with high-contrast coloured wall-plates The equipment then visually stands out from the surrounding wall, cutting through most distractions to guide users in the right

direction This can be particularly helpful when items are situated close together (e g a soap-dispenser above a basin beside a towel-dispenser) This saves the user from having to walk or queue at any stage in the washing process so there is less chance that he/she will lose track of what should happen next

COLOUR CHOICE

To reduce the risks of distress, designers can also consider the pacifying effects of certain colours Blue is often regarded as a particularly restful choice, so white dispensers set against blue wall-plates are a good option They offer high contrast while promoting calm

Designing in this way also permits a kind of “guidance through colour-coding ” The same colour can be used for all functional items such as toilet roll housings soap dispensers paper towel dispensers and so on Provided that each is presented in a logical order, colour-coding can then lead the user on a simple journey through the facilities

The same journey can also be aided by colour-coding in accompanying signage or posters that explain, with visual examples how to use the facilities provided It can also be enhanced with colour-coding on the floor; for example, by using coloured tiles or strips to indicate a logical path through the washroom, from basin to dryer to exit

Such cues help users to build visual associations and to develop a sense of familiarity both of which can reduce the risks of anxiety and promote more regular and effective hand-washing

LIGHTING AND SAFETY

Many older people suffer from restricted vision so adequate lighting is essential particularly if colourcoding is a feature of the room’s design Moreover, lighting should cast no strong shadows across floors and walls since they may be mistaken for obstacles and interrupt users progress through the room NOISE

Finally people living with dementia may be more easily startled by sudden noises so paper towel dispensers offer a safer quieter choice than hand-dryers They may also be better suited to residential premises where it s important to minimise disturbance at night

Laurence Weir, business development and technology implementation for biomedical and healthcare projects at Plextek (www plextek com) investigates connecting vulnerable adults in care through their TV

Healthy Lifestyle in Old Age Linked to Slower Memor y and Thinking Decline

Responding to the Government s Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services Professor Phil Banfield, chair of BMA council, said: “The NHS cannot afford to wait two years for the fraction of help that the Government has proposed in this plan today If the NHS has any chance of surviving that long then we need to see immediate funding as well as steps taken to retain and boost our workforce

“People aren’t leaving the NHS solely because they struggle to work flexibly as this plan suggests They re leaving because they aren t paid fairly, are subject to punitive pension taxation, and don t feel valued It’s therefore laughable that with 133 446 vacancies across the NHS the Government still hasn’t addressed the workforce crisis They may be able to source more ambulances but who is going to staff them?

“The only mention of active recruitment is in relation to NHS 111 – and that comes from recruiting healthcare workers from other already severely understaffed parts of the health service Moving existing staff and finances around is not the way to fix this

“The irony of looking at new ways of delivering care in the community is not lost on hardworking GPs who

have offered to sit down to negotiate delivery of better services Virtual wards for example are an attempt to free-up capacity in hospitals but these patients still need monitoring which requires someone to do this It s the same problem just in a different place Without a dedicated workforce and significant resource for this now it ll likely fall to already-overworked GPs and their teams to pick up the workload, pushing up waiting times in general practice and jeopardising patient safety even further As things stand there’s no guarantee ambulances will be able to reach patients if their conditions deteriorate and we urgently need to see capacity improved in social care Doctors are repeatedly looking to innovate, but must be facilitated and funded to do so

Today s plan shows that the Government still doesn t understand the health and care workforce crisis The BMA does and will be publishing its own emergency plan in the coming days which puts valuing healthcare workers front and centre, with immediate solutions like addressing pay restoration and punitive pension taxation Only then can we retain and attract the workforce we need to deliver the care our patients deserve

Binoculars at the

Ready

Local Care Home Supports Big Garden Birdwatch

Staff and residents at Barchester s Tewkesbury Fields care home in Tewkesbury got out their binoculars and bird books to support this year s Big Garden Birdwatch initiative

The RSPB s Big Garden Birdwatch is an annual event to try to understand what is happening to our native birds The idea is to log all the birds you see in your garden from your window or in your local park in a one hour period any time between January 27th and 29th In 2021 over 1 million people took part and between them they counted 17 million birds Sadly we have lost over 38 million birds from the UK skies in the last 50 years so it is vital we do all we can to protect our birdlife

Our resident Ambassador Vivian had a brilliant time with our team and filled up

her birdfeeder to attract the birds and then started looking up the different species in her bird book to make sure they were logged correctly We saw many different birds that day

General Manager, James Culley, said: “Our residents love to watch all the birds in the garden so the Big Garden Birdwatch is right up their street It’s important to look after our wildlife and help to conserve all the different species We have really enjoyed taking part it s amazing how many birds we saw in just an hour!

Vivian our resident ambassador said: We have a beautiful garden here and we re very lucky that we see so many different types of birds I love all birds but I have an extra soft spot for a robin you just can’t help but smile when you see one ”

Heart Conditions Before 60 Linked to Memor y and Thinking Problems in Later Life

A team of scientists in the US have found that people who had heart conditions in middle-age were more likely to have memory and thinking problems in later life Researchers say that keeping a healthy heart in early adulthood may delay the onset of cognitive decline and can help maintain brain health during our lifetime

The study was published today in the journal Neurology

Researchers analysed data from the CARDIA cohort study which wanted to understand how heart problems in middle age might affect brain health in later life Starting in 1983 people aged 18-30 were followed for thirty years, and were tested on their memory and thinking skills throughout the study The scientists used MRI scans to look for changes to assess the health of regions of the brain, associated with cognitive decline

A total of 3 146 people were included in the study and 147 (5%) of them went on to develop heart conditions such as a stroke heart attacks and coronary heart disease The average age for a first cardiovascular event was age 48

People with heart conditions in middle age scored lower across memory and thinking tests compared to those that didn’t have heart conditions Changes to regions of the brain associated with cognitive decline

were also seen more in people with heart conditions

Dr Rosa Sancho Head of Research at Alzheimer s Research UK said:

“There is strong evidence to support the idea that what’s good for your heart is also good for your brain While cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline are both more common in old age, this study found that people with heart conditions in middle-age were more likely to have issues with memory and thinking compared those with a healthy heart They also had signs of poorer brain health from their MRI scans

People weren t given memory and thinking tests at the beginning of the study, so we cannot be completely sure that cognitive skills declined following a heart condition However we know from other studies that taking action to improve heart and brain health in mid-life can help reduce the risk of heart problems and dementia later in life

“It’s never too early or too late to make changes to improve our brain health Last week we launched the Think Brain Health Check-in where people can see how well they are looking after their own brain health and the steps to improve it You can do the check-in here at www alzheimersresearchuk org/brain-health/think-brain-health/”

Care Dine With Me: Care Home Launches

Nutritional Scheme Based on Iconic TV Show

The scorecards are out at a family-run Cheshire care home as residents rate their dishes as part of a new person-centred nutritional scheme based on the popular TV show – Come Dine With Me Priesty Fields Care Home in Congleton recently launched a nutritional scheme titled ‘Care Dine With Me , which enables residents to choose their preferred menu of choice before providing a scoring system to help correlate residents’ favourite meal of choice – promoting inclusivity and interaction around the dining room

Despite there being no cash prizes for the home s head chef Barry Moorcroft a regional finalist in the category of ‘Care Home Chef Award’ at last year s prestigious Great British Care Awards it did enable a greater understanding of what residents look forward to at the dinner table – with the latest edition of the scheme including a tasty serving of the renowned French dish, Coq Au Vin’, which featured alongside the Priesty Fields Sea Food Pie

Discussing the nutritional scheme Rishi Sodha Care Director at Priesty Fields Care Home said:

We first came up with the idea as a way of getting residents to provide us with a greater understanding of what they would like to see on their plates more frequently as opposed to a standardised menu It was also a great opportunity to provide a bit of fun and laughter in the dining room

While there weren’t any tears and tantrums capable of matching some of the most iconic on-screen rants in television history one of the home’s residents, Dennis, was able to produce one of the standout moments of the day When questioned by Barry whether he enjoyed his food, Dennis jokingly replied “no, not really” Barry was able to see the funny side however as he laughingly responded with thanks Dennis I’m the chef”, having already received several 10/10 scorecards for his nutritional exploits

Rishi concluded: Care Dine With Me was a great success amongst our staff and residents At Priesty Fields we work tirelessly to create an inclusive care culture which is what Care Dine With Me is all about The opinions and thoughts of our residents influence every aspect of our care offering so we were delighted to put together an initiative which allowed us to gain vital insight regarding our residents’ likes and dislikes when it comes to food while also enjoying a laugh or two It s become an activity that everyone looks forward to weekly and is something that is definitely here to stay ”

You can watch Care Dine With Me in action at Priesty Fields Care Home here: https://vimeo com/782481563/c499a0813c

Care Village Residents Named Intergenerational Champions

Three residents at the state-of-the-art Belong Care village in Chester, which incorporates the region’s first fully integrated nursery within a care setting, have been named ‘Intergenerational Champions’ by national charity Ready Generations for advocating the benefits of connections between younger and older people

Following the village’s opening last year some of the first residents to move into the village are reporting how the pioneering project has enriched their lives and given them new purpose and meaning In response Ready Generations has recognised them as ambassadors for the mutual advantages of connections across generations

Ready Generations founder Sue Egersdorff explains: Intergenerational Champions are people who advocate for multi-generational experiences particularly those whose lives have been enhanced personally ”

Designed to research the positive effects that multi-generational relationships can have on the health, well-being and learning of young and old alike, the Nursery in Belong is situated at the heart of the care village It provides a range of indoor and outdoor shared spaces for residents, nursery children and the wider community

Belong Chester apartment tenants Alan and his wife Diana who lives with dementia both received the accolade Together they visit the nursery most days often taking their pet budgie Alan reports that the nursery has had a transformative effect on

their well-being “It has brought the joy back into our lives”, he says “Having the nursery children around reminds me of what it was like when our children were young ”

The other recipient of the Intergenerational Champion title Bill who lives in a household at Belong Chester helps the children at lunchtimes and has formed firm friendships with a number of them who enjoy him singing nursery rhymes

In recognition of the difference the nursery children have made to Bill's life, he recently gifted a book to the nursery’s library called 'People Need People', by poet Benjamin Zephaniah about the importance of belonging and connecting with others

The book was specially selected by Bill s daughter Susan as she has seen the role that the nursery has played in him settling into his new home at Belong Chester

Commenting on the impact for both children and residents Sue said: It s very encouraging that we are already seeing significant benefits so soon after opening Our older friends have more time to spend interacting with children, so they are developing their language skills faster and gaining in confidence as a result

Residents say that they love having the children around It brings vibrancy and joy to the village as well as contributing to a sense of community We enjoy each others company and caring for one another

NHS Issues Final Call to Come For ward for COVID Booster

The NHS is encouraging people to come forward for their COVID booster before the offer, part of the biggest and most successful programme in health history ends this month

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has today advised that thanks to the success of the programme the offer of an initial booster dose should end when the current autumn campaign ends which will be on Sunday 12 February

Anyone yet to come forward for their COVID booster is being urged to do so before the end of the campaign

The government has accepted the JCVI advice which recommends that the booster offer for all 16 to 49-year-olds who are not considered at risk should end at the same time as this autumn s campaign

This means that Sunday 12 February will be the last chance for anyone who has been invited for a COVID booster to take up their offer until future campaigns are agreed by the JCVI and government

It comes as the JCVI is recommending moving to a more targeted offer to those considered to be at risk of serious illness

The NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme has delivered 144 5 million doses of the vaccine since Maggie Keenan became the first in the world to receive an approved jab

NHS Director of Vaccinations and Screening Steve Russell said

Over the last two years the NHS COVID vaccination programme has administered almost 145 million doses and as a result the public have widespread protection from COVID-19 and its variants – a remarkable achievement

Following the decision by the government to accept JCVI advice today I would encourage anyone who has not yet had their COVID booster to book an appointment in the next couple of weeks and make the most of the offer available

Once the NHS receives updated guidance for the next phase of the vaccination programme our fantastic NHS staff will make sure the vaccine is as accessible and convenient to those eligible as it has been in each of the previous campaigns

Health Minster Maria Caulfield said: “Our phenomenal COVID vaccination programme has saved lives allowed us to live with COVID and eased pressure on the health service

I want to encourage anyone who hasn t had their booster jab – whether it s your first booster or if you re eligible for an autumn booster – to come forward before Sunday 12 February It will top up your immunity and keep you and your loved ones protected

The JCVI will set out further guidance on who will be eligible for COVID vaccines in future phases of the programme such as any spring campaign as well as next autumn s in due course

The JCVI has advised that over the course of 2023 the primary course offer for healthy 16 to 49-year-olds should be withdrawn in favour of a more targeted approach

The NHS will continue to operate a smaller scale vaccine offer from mid-February onwards to ensure those eligible for first and second doses can still get their jabs

The NHS is also prepared to move quickly to roll out a potential spring campaign as well as another autumn campaign later this year and will set out operational plans once further guidance is received

National Chocolate Cake Day –What’s Not to Love?

Staff and residents at Barchester s Austen House care home in Lower Earley Reading had a fantastic time celebrating National Chocolate Cake Day on January 27th, surely one of the best days of the year!

Overseen by head chef Ainsworth Brown staff and residents whipped up a selection of different chocolate cakes from chocolate logs to cupcakes chocolate fudge cake and even a Mississippi mud pie Once they had cooled everyone enjoyed tasting them We had a fabulous day and more importantly we had a good excuse to eat chocolate all day long

General Manager Seva Hashimova said: It wasn t just the residents that were excited when we found out there was a National Chocolate Cake Day the eyes of all our staff lit up too – everyone loves chocolate cake and even better when there is a good excuse to eat it!”

Katherine a resident said I have always loved baking it is so rewarding when a cake turns out well and chocolate cake has always been a family favourite I have eaten so much delicious chocolate cake today I think this has to be one of my favourite celebrations

Brits Failing to Look After Our Brains, as More than 9 out of 10 Could be Doing More

Only 2% of the public are doing everything they can to keep their brains healthy according to new figures released by Alzheimer s Research UK/

Now the dementia research charity backed by TV and radio presenter Kirsty Gallacher wants to empower people to look after their brains and reduce their risk of dementia in later life with the help of a free new digital tool The Think Brain Health Check-in prompts people to answer a series of evidence-based questions about the factors that research has shown could be influencing their brain health

According to the latest evidence up to 40% of dementia cases could be prevented if 12 risk factors could be eliminated entirely These include smoking hearing impairment high blood pressure physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption, diabetes and infrequent social contact

However, only a third of people realise that there are steps they can take to reduce their risk of dementia

According to a YouGov survey, commissioned by the charity, a staggering 98% of people have room for improvement when it comes to looking after their brain health

The Check-in is based on the latest evidence in dementia risk reduction and was developed under guidance from an expert group of researchers and members of the public It takes around 10 minutes to complete At the end it highlights the areas where people are doing well as well as giving them tips on areas where they can be doing more to look after their brains and ultimately it is hoped lower their chances of developing dementia

The Check-in covers everything from physical activity to healthy diet as well as factors like hearing sleep cognitive challenge and mental wellbeing While people of all ages are encouraged to take the Check-in it’s primarily aimed at adults in their 40s and 50s This is because research tells us that this is a particularly important window for taking action to look after our brain health and reduce our risk of dementia

Kirsty Gallacher is backing the launch of the Check-in after her grandfather died from dementia

The 46-year-old said:“I m at an stage in my life where I do worry about dementia especially after seeing the devastating effect it had on my grandfather To watch someone I loved so dearly – someone who

had previously been so strong and who had fought for their country during the war – die in that way was the most horrible thing I want to do everything I can to stop people from having to experience this heartbreak which is why I m delighted Alzheimer s Research UK has launched the Think Brain Health Check-in and I’m proud to be supporting it

It s so vital that people know there are things we can all do to take care of our brains and reduce our risk of dementia in later life The Check-in is such a simple way for people to take stock of their brain healthy behaviours and find out what they can be doing to show their brain a little more love The Check-in really opened my eyes to all the things that influence our brain health – from the amount of sleep we get at night to our hearing Now I know what I can do to keep my brain healthy, I want to help others to do the same and that’s why I’m urging the public to take the Check-in

Take the Think Brain Health Check-in here: alzheimersresearchuk org/brain-health/check-in

Global Ageing Conference 2023 Dates Announced

The 2023 Global Ageing Network s biennial conference in Glasgow in conjunction with Scottish Care and the National Care Forum takes place on 7th and 8th September and will provide the event organisers say: “an outstanding opportunity and venue for colleagues to gather in a unique forum dedicated to shared learning and professional networking ”

The conference will showcase innovative and forward-looking programmes and approaches from around the world offering a stimulating forum for the exchange of both practical knowledge and new strategies focused on the provision of high-quality care and support

The programme will cover a range of international perspectives on global issues including: Workforce; Human Rights; Music, the Visual Arts and Creativity; Models of Care; Ethical Issues and Changing Management and Leadership Practices

Katie Smith Sloan Executive Director The Global Ageing Network said

: “This conference comes at a critical time for the social care sector as we look to chart the future in a world that is ageing rapidly We look forward to being with colleagues from around the world to learn

share and innovate together ”

Delegates will consist of leaders and professionals from the United Kingdom and throughout the world including: owners, sponsors and operators; CEOs and other senior-level executives; along with a vast array of board members researchers care innovators business providers policy makers frontline managers and staff, care home residents and community-based clients with lived experience, and family carers ”

Dr Donald Macaskill Chief Executive Scottish Care said: Scottish Care is delighted to be able to welcome delegates from across the globe to this international symposium on ageing Delegates will take part in an event over two days which will be both dynamic and creative highlighting all the issues which matter to the world s older person population and to the staff and organisations which care for and support them

This is a unique opportunity which will bring together professionals in social and health care, academics, researchers and critically those who receive care and support from across the world It will provide an opportunity to learn from experiences from around the world to address common challenges and opportunities and to support one another as we celebrate older age

Scotland has a long history of welcoming peoples from across the world and delegates will receive a warm welcome in the city of Glasgow which prides itself in its motto to being all about people We are inviting our colleagues from around the world to come to Glasgow and join with us in a ceilidh for older age Conference delegates will participate in interactive sessions to gain inspiration and practical tools as they forge new partnerships both locally and abroad

Chartwell House Welcomes First Residents

Chartwell House by Boutique Care Homes Broadstairs has officially opened and welcomed it s first residents to their new home

Marking the occasion on Monday 30th of January 2023 first residents Colin and Joyce Smith officially opened the home by cutting a ribbon on their arrival

Joined by their sons Chris & Ray Colin and Joyce were greeted by team who were overcome with joy and emotion at the momentous occasion Reunited after some time apart ahead of their moving to Chartwell House, Colin gave Joyce a tender kiss, which was a fitting way to mark the start of their journey together in their new home

Home Manager of Chartwell House Diane Collins commemorated the occasion commenting

Welcoming Colin and Joyce to their new home is an immensely proud moment for all of us here at Chartwell House It has been an incredible journey working with the team to get the home to this moment but this is just the start We are ever so

excited to welcome further residents to Chartwell House and create a truly special community ”

Jude Coveney Admissions Manager at Chartwell House shared Diane’s sentiment It has been an honour to support Joyce and Colin on their journey to find Chartwell House and it was a pleasure and a very emotional moment to welcome them today I am very proud to be able to guide and help people to find the very best care home for their loved ones

Ameet Kotecha, Managing Director and Head of the Boutique Care Homes Family recognised the significance of the day

“Today is a big moment for all of us here at Boutique Care Homes Chartwell House is the third home in our family and I am incredibly proud of all of the team involved in getting us to this moment Chartwell House completely embodies our values and is at the forefront of innovation in care I am excited to see this home develop and supporting the whole team and residents on their journey

Burford Thanks Local Community Friendship Club Volunteers with Lunch and a Tour

Burford House Care Home in Chorleywood hosted a celebratory lunch to give thanks to local volunteers of St Andrews Church for their be-friending services for elders in the community

Burford House situated in the heart of Chorleywood, is surrounded by nearby amenities and offers luxury living alongside exceptional residential and nursing care and is perfectly situated within the local community

Last week the volunteers were invited into the newly built Burford House Care Home to enjoy a celebratory two course lunch prepared by the on-site chef giving thanks to their charitable work and community involvement

The volunteers Friendship Club at the local St Andrews Church support and spend time with local friends and neighbours whereby local residents can enjoy hot lunches a variety of games and activities providing social interaction in a safe, warm and comfortable environment

The afternoon was bursting with discussions about their community work during a two-course lunch followed by a tour of the new luxury care home Volunteers were then invited to the lounge to enjoy refreshments and cakes with Burford House team members to discuss the home and facilities available Brenda Sweetman Care Home Manager at Burford House Care Home said: It was an honour to meet all the incredible individuals who do so much for our local community The team wanted to thank everyone for providing such a wonderful befriending service to fellow members of the Chorleywood community and the surrounding areas We welcome them to visit our home again soon and look forward to building our relations with similar local services

A member of St Andrews Church said Thank you for hosting a delightful lunch for our group Burford House Care Home is magnificent and your food and hospitality were exemplary We truly appreciate your invitation ”

Essential Insurance Covers For Your Care Home

often determined by best practice to ensure the resident or patient is as comfortable as they can be Unfortunately, this means mistakes can creep in A single mistake can result in a negative impact on your patient whether that be from medical treatment or advice This can lead to a potential claim for medical malpractice

Medical malpractice cover is not only a legal requirement to anyone providing professional healthcare services but also offers peace of mind by covering the cost of any losses that arise from defending and settling a claim This means that during a claim your business can continue to operate with as little disruption as possible

BUILDINGS AND CONTENTS INSURANCE

As a care home owner or manager you will offer a variety of services to meet the needs of your residents

Typically the care you provide is likely to vary with anything from basic care and accommodation through to respite end-of-life and specialist care for dementia patients

Providing the very best care for your residents will be at the heart of everything you do but the care you deliver is not without risk and therefore having the right insurance in place is something that should be high on your list of priorities Not only does your insurance need to be tailored to protect the care services you provide but you also need to consider the regulatory bodies you adhere to protection for your staff as well as covering the premises and its contents

Here are some covers you must consider

LIABILITY COVER

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) states that all care and nursing homes require insurance and without it they are unable to operate The mandatory insurance requirements from the CQC are Public and Employers Liability cover Any additional covers will depend on the type of care facility you own Public Liability Insurance will cover the cost of compensation to third parties in the event of death bodily injury, or damage to their property, which occurs because of your business activities, for example, if a resident s family member slips on an upturned carpet

Unlike Public Liability Employers Liability cover is a legal requirement for anybody employing staff including volunteers It covers you financially for any compensation costs or legal fees that may occur because of company negligence Employers Liability Insurance will also cover you for employees that have long left your business and may only now bring a claim against you

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Your carers will be skilled in what they do and usually have several qualifications, but their decisions are

Of course your business is home for your residents or patients Ensuring ample furniture is provided should be a necessity If they are accidentally damaged, you may need to replace them The building itself is just as important If for instance the premises suffer a flood how would the building hold? In extreme cases such as a fire or explosion a total rebuild may be necessary which would cost a considerable amount

Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing damage to the structure of your property and provided that accurate sums insured are declared it should cover the cost to rebuild the entire property Contents insurance covers the cost of replacing or repairing your possessions if they are damaged, destroyed or stolen It includes everything you would take with you if you moved premises for example your furniture kitchen appliances and computing equipment

ARE YOU AT RISK OF UNDERINSURANCE?

If a business is underinsured in any capacity it could leave them with a financial burden should a claim be made While large corporations may be able to recover from the financial losses incurred because of underinsurance small to medium sized businesses may feel the effects of the loss more keenly owing to their sometimes already tight profit margins

Underinsurance may happen for many reasons e g using out of date estimates of your building sums insured, having inadequate or unrealistic indemnity periods, or not reviewing your level of cover as your operating models change

The most effective way of overcoming the risk of underinsurance is by talking to an experienced and knowledgeable insurance broker

The friendly team at Barnes Commercial can review your policy and make sure you have the correct level of cover in place

Send an email to enquires@barnesinsurancebroker co uk or call 01480 272727 to make an appointment

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Hidden Costs Of Caring For The Environment

Every care home needs hot water From basins to baths and showers, catering and wash down Most facilities will run successfully on a system based around gas-fired water heaters unless a new build in which case the preference is to move to electric water heating to take advantage of the increasingly less dirty grid This does have implications for running costs with electricity on average costing as much as 3 8 times that of gas So why change things? The simple answer is net zero and the need to be more sustainable Because of the ubiquitous need for hot water which can account for as much as 30% of a building s daily energy demands, addressing how it is secured is one of the best ways of making active carbon savings today

Deploying either heat pumps or solar thermal as a renewable to provision the initial preheat is the most logical approach Where problems and unnecessary costs can quickly arise is when existing gas-fired top up’ water heating is replaced with like-for-like electric which can lead to gross system oversizing Domestic hot water (DHW) systems for

Consort Claudgen Includes Wi-Fi

Enabled Heaters in LST Range

Consort Claudgen s low surface temperature heaters range now includes heaters that are Wi-Fi enabled These heaters connect directly to Wi-Fi and heating can be controlled from the digital control panel on the heater or Consort Connect app Features include a 7-day timer with 24 heating periods per day lock function open window detection and custom automations Users can also view the energy consumption statistics of all connected heaters Additionally, LST heaters with Wi-Fi and occupancy sensor have a self-learning control ability which uses in-built occupancy sen-

sors to detect and learn a user’s weekly presence in a room It then creates a heating schedule and automatically warms the room according to the detected or predicted occupancy When the room is unoccupied, the heater will conserve energy by switching to a setback temperature or frost protection mode

BIM objects are available for download from Consort s website 01646 692172

sales@consortepl com

www consortepl com

See the advert on page 23 for further informa-

Rosehill Furnishings

• Chairs which have been tested for bariatric use

Their upholstered chairs can be supplied with antimicrobial vinyl and wood finishes for hygiene and infection control

Models are available with arms to assist people getting up and down from their seat

Made to order products in a huge range of colours and finishes to fit in with your existing décor Lounge chairs side chairs and coffee tables which are designed to enhance your communal areas

commercial properties should be designed to accurately meet a business needs At Adveco our application design team has a thorough knowledge of residential care understanding the peak hour and length of the peak which are the starting point for determining demand and ensuring the hot water system is correctly sized

This demands a bespoke approach as every facility is different The number of rooms facilities such as basins showers deeper baths and guest mobility, all impact on the sizing The physical constraints of the property from plant room and roof space to noise levels all impact technology choices Adveco can advise on this sizing and provide accurate monitoring to ensure applications are fit for purpose and future proof As a result decisions to move to more sustainable operations are optimised and do not leave properties facing unwarranted capital or unexpected new operational costs from going green https://adveco co/sectors/healthcare/

See the advert on page 15 for more information

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels for Drug-Free Natural Pain Relief

include lasting pain relief improved joint movements, comfort during sleep, fewer cramps calmed nerve pain, reduced joint and muscle discomfort and faster post-activity recoveries

Rosehill are proud to have a long-standing history within the furniture industry It s their unique history and knowledge of the market which sets them apart from the rest They re committed to quality and their standards have continued to excel over the last 40 years

The expert team at Rosehill understand the market and can tailor your order to suit your exact requirements With over four decades experience in the industry, you can feel at ease knowing that you re in safe hands They take pride in the quality products they supply which are built to last while also being great value for money

Rosehill have experience working with healthcare organisations who require durable and comfortable seating for their patients and staff Rosehill specialise in seating and tables for care home lounges dining rooms visitor and waiting rooms wards staff rooms and FF&E packages

Options include bariatric seats anti-microbial vinyl and fabrics for hygiene and infection control high back chairs with head support and armchairs

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

High back chairs with head support and wingback models

Dining chairs and armchairs with stylish and durable tables in a range of shapes and sizes

Bedroom furniture with fitted items in high quality finishes

• Outdoor furniture and benches

Complimentary breakout modular and office furniture for staff areas and receptions

Their furniture is available in a variety of styles and is designed and manufactured to help you provide a safe and comfortable seating option for your staff patients and visitors Their range is high quality and built to offer great comfort, and durability for furniture that lasts

Browse their wide range of furniture for your care home clinic ward or waiting room online at www rosehill co uk or call 0161 485 1717 to request a brochure or discuss your requirements with their helpful sales team

See the advert on page 23 for details or visit www rosehill co uk

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels are natural drug-free topical cold therapy gels for muscular and joint pain, chronic arthritic pain, post-activity muscle tension general aches and overuse disorders Easy to use and fast acting BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels relieve pain, reduce inflammation and swelling without drugs and drug-related sideeffects

BIOFROST® Gels:

BIOFROST® Relief Cold Gel for pain relieving cold therapy

• BIOFROST® Active Dual-Action Cold Gel with Heat Sensation combining cold with heat to treat back pain

BIOFROST® Relief provides instant pain relief and activates body’s own healing through an optimal combination of natural ingredients including ethanol menthol eucalyptus peppermint and MSM Reported benefits of BIOFROST® Relief

BIOFROST® Active is a dual-action fast-acting cold gel with heat sensation for effective relief of muscular and joint pain Containing 10 natural herbal extracts (i e Arnica Burdock Roman Chamomile Garlic Watercress Ivy White Nettle Pine Rosemary Menthol) BIOFROST® Active relieves chronic pain releases muscular tension loosens stiff joints and effectively treats back pain Benefits of BIOFROST® Active include easier joint movements effective pain relief in treated areas discomfort-free sleep, fewer cramps and reduced post-activity muscular and joint fatigue

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels are usable standalone or alongside other pain relieving therapies (i e medication physiotherapy etc )

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels are suitable for people of any age including elderly and disabled people living independently or in nursing care

BIOFROST® Cold Therapy Gels are Class 1 Medical Devices made in Finland win Health Medical Ltd: T: 01835 864864866

E: biofrost@win-health com

w: www win-health com

See the advert on page 3

Raising the Standard of Stair Climbing Solutions

The Stair Climbing Company is one of the leading providers of powered Stair Climber solutions which have been specifically designed to assist those struggling with mobility and independence issues facing people with disabilities

The Stair Climbing Company offers an excellent range of compact, easy to use powered Stair Climbers that are ideal for use in both home and commercial settings Offering innovative designs all of the company s Stair Climbers can be separated into two pieces for safe storage and are easily transported and charged In addition all of its Stair Climber s come with a two year manufacturer’s warranty

The Stair Climbing Company maintains one main

mission; to improve quality of life through its range of highquality and custom devices with built-in seats The safety and comfort of its customers is of the utmost importance to the company and it ensures that each wheelchair carrier model is designed to cater to individual customers’ specific needs and works with all stair types

Furthermore the company provides Stair Climbers for all ages making them suitable for everyone, and offers a free assessment for customers

If you would like to find out any more information please see the details below:

T 01787 379160

www thestairclimbingcompany com

See the advert on page 11

Focus Games - Enjoyable & Effective Training

Introducing Aquarate

Hydracare

HYDRACARE

•

Aquarate have developed Hydracare- an automated fluid monitoring system that tracks how much an individual drinks using their Hydracup Hydracup is the only smart cup on the market which can produce accurate data that integrates into care systems, saving staff time, and delivering quality care The Hydracup discreetly tracks an individual s fluid intake by measuring liquid volume automatically, allowing caregivers to proactively support further fluids to those who need it the most

Yeoman Shield Fire Door Ser vices Taking the Guess Work out of Fire Doors

tation of Yeoman Shield

Works with hot and cold drinks

• Commercial dishwasher safe for quick and easy cleaning

Up to 5 day battery life with low battery indicator

Spill detection with immediate alerts so you can react fast

Get in contact to book a free demo Hydracare

Technology starts at as little as 40p per resident per day Let’s look after our loved ones!

www aquarate com

The New “Jolly Journey” from Little Islands

The new “Jolly Journey” from Little Islands is designed to simulate an oldfashioned travel carriage featuring real wood panelled wall brass luggage racks ornate wall lights and table lamp, opposite-facing seating for four including cushions, ‘First Class antimacassars and period memorabilia

The Jolly Journey creates a familiar and stimulating environment for ‘passengers to return to their fondest memories sparking conversations of time gone by Reminisce about travel and holidays with loved ones and friends over afternoon tea in your exclusive cabin, then maybe top it off with a jolly good Sing Song on the way home

Our Journeys begin with Steam Train rides through Britain, with other destinations being planned as the World opens up again Bespoke Journeys can also be created just let us have your ideas and we’ll see if we can fit them in with our filming schedule

In just one day our Little Islands Team can efficiently install and furnish your opulent First Class Carriage pod with all accessories and footage All we require is 2 5M of clear wall space a power socket and good access, to create your very own Jolly Journey

For more information please contact Little Islands: 01828 869802 or see the advert on the front cover

Fire Doors are an imperative part of fire safety and are considerations of the design and maintenance of any building but especially residential Article 17 – RRFSO states fire safety provisions (includes fire doors) must b a suitable condition and wo g

If you are the Responsible Person it’s imperative you appoint a competent person to assist in meeting your duties under the fire safety order to ensure fire safety measures including fire doors are kept in working order Yeoman Shield s Fire Door Services can help to take the guess work out of fire door maintenance by providing fire door inspections, condition reports remedial work and fire door installation all carried out by FDIS and/or FIRAS accredited team members

Having a good maintenance routine will dispel some needs of fire door replacement therefore being more cost effective

A kitchen refurbishment can cause a massive disruption to your home and residents and can prove to be overwhelming But don't worry - Inox Equip has you covered with their temporary commercial catering facili-

Protection products can also be in the long term financially beneficial by halting impact damage from the start eliminating many repairs in the future and again will extend door lifecycles

Installing Yeoman Shield door protection products such as door protection panels door edge protectors and PVCu glazing bead units will not affect the integrity of the fire door as all products have been tested, in situ to the current standard required Vulnerable frames and architraves can also be protected from impact with Yeoman Shield to prevent dangerous splintering and splitting as well as abolishing the time-consuming repetitive need for repainting

For a complete repair and protect service contact the team today frdp@yeomanshield com or visit www yeomanshield com or see the advert page 10

CLEANING & INFECTION CONTROL

Mask and Outbreak Guidance Updated in Care Settings

Guidance on the use of face masks in all care settings and on outbreaks in care homes has been updated to give settings the flexibility to ensure ongoing COVID-19 measures are proportionate

Previous guidance stated that face masks in care settings should be worn at all times and that care homes should seek advice from a local health protection team in the event of COVID-19 outbreak but this change now enables providers to further utilise their own skills and knowledge on appropriate measures

Since the guidance change last month providers are able to make risk-based decisions on when face masks are used and care homes can initiate their own outbreak risk assessments to make decisions about which outbreak measures make sense for their individual settings Decisions around masks will be based on factors like the risk to specific individuals if the setting is in an outbreak or the preferences of the individual receiving care Support remains available from health protection teams and other local partners for care homes when needed

Testing guidance has also been streamlined for small care homes to reduce the number of tests staff and residents need to take in the event of an outbreak This, alongside new flexibility for rapid response testing in these settings is in line with the latest public health advice

Social care settings will continue to be equipped with free personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep staff and people receiving care safe over winter and protected against COVID-19 where necessary

Minister of State for Care Helen Whately said: The darkest days of the pandemic are thankfully behind us But it doesn t feel like that for people living in care homes or being cared for at home, when many of the people they see are still behind a mask

So much of what we communicate is through our expressions our

faces and our smiles – especially for people who are deaf or hard of hearing Many rely on lip reading and face masks don’t make the job any easier for care workers either

That’s why we’re making this change We want care agencies and residential homes to decide what s best for the people they look after I hope this means thousands of people who are looked after by care workers will get to see a smile this Christmas

Care providers are now able to adopt a risk-based approach with decisions on the use of face masks balanced with the risk of infections spreading and considering any risks or benefits that arise from their use Care homes can make use of new flexibility in the updated guidance on outbreak management and in all circumstances should

ensure visits between loved ones are supported with each resident able to have at least one visitor even in an outbreak Outbreak measures should only be implemented if at least 2 of the cases of COVID-19 are linked and should be proportionate to factors specific to the care home such as if it s well ventilated easy to keep some parts isolated and how vulnerable people in the home are to COVID-19

Providers should continue to ensure adherence to guidance and be able to evidence this to the Care Quality Commission when asked

People receiving care can ask for staff to wear face masks, and staff should of course work in whatever way will make the person they are caring for most comfortable

Vaccination remains the best defence against flu and COVID-19 and with both viruses circulating this winter it is vital that all those eligible –including care workers – come forward to top up their immunity and protect themselves and those they care for

It is important that care workers and care recipients are protected against illness so that staffing and visitation levels can be maintained and care services can be kept safe this winter – this is why the government has supported care workers to get vaccinated by enabling them to be eligible at the same time as people receiving care Social care workers and others eligible this winter can book their appointments for both a COVID-19 autumn booster and flu vaccine via the National Booking Service or by contacting their GP

Free PPE for COVID-19 needs is available until March 2023 as previously announced, and providers will continue to be able to order this from the PPE portal

See the infection prevention and control in adult social care: COVID19 supplement for guidance on the use of face masks in all care settings and on outbreaks in care homes at https://tinyurl com/y3vycett

The Cleaning Show 2023 to Focus on Latest Industr y Trends with Stellar Line Up

With commuters returning to the workplace hitting a post-pandemic high expectations of a cleaner safer and more hygienic working environment mean the responsibilities of cleaning and hygiene professionals and facilities managers across the country have intensified In light of this the UK’s leading event for the cleaning and hygiene industry The Cleaning Show 2023 has announced some of the industry’s leading suppliers and manufacturers that are confirmed to exhibit when the event returns to the ExCeL London from 14-16 March 2023

GREENER CLEANING SOLUTIONS

Attendees at The Cleaning Show will be left feeling confident that the industry is striving for change – specifically when it comes to sustainability – when a multitude of exhibitors will have the opportunity to demonstrate how they are putting environmental concerns at the fore

THE LATEST IN CLEANING TECHNOLOGY

Whilst sustainability is a clear priority for business owners across the industry emerging developments in cleaning equipment technology are accelerating the work done by cleaning professionals in a timely manner driving efficiency especially in hospitals or football stadiums where the scale of operation is much larger TECHNOLOGY SPARKS INNOVATION

Manufacturers

The technology on display will also highlight how advances are helping some of the sectors most important business s function

Maintaining infection control

Responding to the growing need for service providers, products and new innovations in the FM & PPE industries, this year’s event will also see an increased focus on the solutions and technologies driving growth in the sector – valued to be worth over £50 billion in the UK

Commenting on this year’s line-up Jim Melvin Chairman British Cleaning Council said: The cleaning hygiene and waste sector is one of the ten biggest industries in the UK and it is important that this resonates at The Cleaning Show which brings the industry together to celebrate its crucial work

The Covid-19 pandemic changed so many perspectives on cleaning PPE and importantly the roles of cleaning and hygiene operatives so I am certain that the line-up of exhibitors will be a hit with attendees as more businesses look to improve the safety of staff in the workplace And, as we enter the winter months where viruses have an environment to thrive, it is even more important to keep our key workers and the public safe healthy and well ”

Registration for The Cleaning Show 2023 is now open To register for your free pass to attend and to find out more about this year’s event visit https://cleaningshow co uk/london/

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 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

and mould by up to 99 99%

CLEANING & INFECTION CONTROL

Noroviruses: Outbreak Management and Disinfectant Choice

By James Derham (BSc (hons)), Liam Grimshaw (MSc by research, BSc (hons))

Enteric virus (EV) outbreaks are prevalent in the care home community with 73% of cases of outbreaks in weeks 43-44 in 2022 attributed to them (UKHSA, 2022) Typically spread via contact with faeces infection can spread easily via surfaces, food and close contact from someone with the virus (NHS UK, 2021) Norovirus is a small, non-enveloped virus that’s very difficult to destroy with traditional disinfectants owing to its small size and external capsid structure (GOV 2012)

It is vital to choose a disinfectant that is efficacious against Noroviruses Chlorine-based products (bleach NaDCC tablets and chlorine dioxide) lose efficacy in soiled conditions where Noroviruses are prevalent This means that they require an additional detergent cleaning step prior to use in order to still maintain efficacy An excellent alternative is peracetic acid (PAA) which outshines chlorine-based products because PAA is not hindered by soiled conditions PAA is widely used in the food industry water treatments agriculture and many other high-level industries Independent studies have shown that 85 – 250 ppm peracetic acid was effective in reaching 99 99 % reduction in viral particles with a contact time of 1 – 5 mins It was also found that even in the presence of synthetic faeces 85 ppm peracetic acid with a contact time of 1 minute was not hindered by soiling (Girard et al 2015)

edencleen from Cleenol

Over the course of our history we at Cleenol have always produced products that offer a perfect balance between cleaning performance and efficiency with an attention to reducing the environmental impact that our products may carry edencleen our latest brand reaffirms our commitment to our credentials for environmental guardianship and represents an evolution of what has been an integral part of our DNA Edencleen has been designed to reflect in part our vision for a cleaner safer world that touches not only the environmental aspects of sustainability but has as an aim a social ambition to leave the planet in the safe care of and for future generations As such with edencleen Cleenol looks to ensure transparency in our approach which may on occasion result in some counter intuitive elements

The range covers the essential needs to cover 80% of daily cleaning and include: a washroom cleaner and toilet gel cleaner and urinal deodoriser an all-purpose surface sanitiser, a degreaser and a washing up liquid a no rinse floor degreaser, a window cleaner and a laundry detergent and fabric softener edencleen products have been developed around the following principles

and ingredients

RSPO certified palm oil derivatives

No animal der ved products

Cruelty free

Minimal petrochemical derived products

No parabens, formaldehyde, CMI/MIT, triclosan phosphates chlorine bleaches, optical brighteners, quaternary ammonium compounds

VOC free and phosphate, EDTA NTA free

Recyclable / recycled packaging

100% bio-based surfactant - made by using bio-based ethylene oxide which is manufactured from biomass

ethanol

Bioethanol naturally derived acids sugar-based surfactants bio-based solvents low impact preservatives

Combining carefully formulated products, with appropriate packaging using recycled material or recyclable componentry, the range s mostly colourless liquid and low fragrance usage are designed to convey a transparency and straightforwardness of our approach which will be a hallmark of all edencleen products and associated services

Careful use of enzymatic formulations and more traditional chemistry brings a portfolio of products that s finely attuned to delivering effective cleaning which when used as instructed helps maintain a neutral environmental impact edencleen s new range represents just the start to a fully refreshed solution to meet the most demanding of customers expectations See the advert below for further information

With Care Home Providers Facing Soaring Energy Costs, Forbes Professional Advises On How To Optimise Laundr y Room Efficiency

Facing unprecedented energy costs and an increasingly pressing climate crisis care home operators are all aiming to minimise energy consumption

According to the Carbon Trust the care sector spends over £400 million on energy each year and after heating and lighting it is irrefutable that appliances are a main contributor to this figure For any care home, laundry is a key service area and one that is absolutely critical to maintaining infection control Thankfully, whereas you can’t turn down the heating in a care environment, or turn off the lighting there are ways in which you can significantly reduce the energy consumed by your laundry function Forbes Professional helps care home operators source the most energy water and user efficient laundry solutions whilst advising on all relevant WRAS and industry requirements

When choosing dryers, it is notable that care homes are increasingly turning away from gas appliances due to increasing running costs and safety concerns

This is all the more notable now that changes to industry requirements are necessitating considerable investment in order for gas appliances to meet the current standards Forbes would generally recommend that electrical appliances should be the product of choice with heat pump dryers enabling astounding cost and energy savings

Miele s new heat pump commercial dryers are particularly highly rated for their safety functionality and energy efficiency They employ a highly efficient and economical filter system and heat exchanger to keep run times low and enable an energy saving of up to 60% when compared to vented dryers Additionally these heat pump dryers do not require any make-up air, which enables the laundry function to be installed

in the basement or in a central location within the care-home and saves on costly vent-ducting Due to the effective interaction of the Miele filter system and the maintenance-free heat exchanger fluff cannot clog the heat exchanger or adversely affect the exceptional drying efficiency

With regards to washing machines, only a commercial washing machine will suffice in a care environment as only these machines will meet the WRAS requirements for Fluid Category 5 Forbes recommends using Miele commercial washing machines as they are highly energy and water efficient whilst delivering both thermal and sluice disinfection As an illustrative example based on an electricity cost of £0 34/kWh and three machines being used four times/ day for five years, Miele machines can realise a running cost saving of £9,529 when compared to another industry brand

Auto-dosing equipment also provides a great solution for ensuring that the right amount of detergent is dispensed for each cycle; minimising waste optimising the wash cycle and saving both money and time Forbes Professional provides a range of options for commercial laundry equipment including auto-dosing equipment as well as Miele commercial laundry machines All of their products are available on a purchase rental or lease basis, with access to a comprehensive service that includes installation, commissioning, usertraining and a multi award-winning repair and maintenance response

For more info, contact: www forbespro co uk; 0345 0702335; info@forbes-professional co uk

Cash’s Labels- “The Name Behind the Name”

At Cash s we aim to capture reinforce and communicate our clients brand equity through quality and innovation from design to distribution

Our product range fully caters for the needs of both small and large retailers and brand owners alike comprising of woven and printed labels woven badges care labels branded and promotional swing tags garment accessories packaging and barcoding Our ground breaking labelling and security technologies

are also able to provide an unrivalled level of protection to our customers' brand by assisting to combat counterfeiting and grey market activity

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

The Professional Division of Miele Appoints Marketing Manager to Oversee Operations in Great Britain and Ireland

The professional division of Miele appoints Marketing Manager to oversee operations in Great Britain and Ireland

The professional division of Miele an industry leading manufacturer of commercial laundry and dishwasher appliances has appointed Egizia Maria Felice as Marketing Manager for Great Britain and Ireland Felice will be responsible for overseeing the marketing management of the hospitality care and service (HCS) sector as well as growing their laboratory, medical and dentistry (LMD) sector

Felice brings six years of experience in marketing and communications to her new role with previous

marketing roles at Oxentia a global innovation consultancy and academic publishing house Oxford University Press Her specialisms include strategic communications for international development agencies as well as marketing for academic research and publishing

Commenting on her appointment Felice said: “I have always admired the inherent quality of Miele products and its ethos of immer besser (ever better) so being able to join the Miele Professional team is a fantastic opportunity

As the organisation is dedicated to becoming the leader in sustainability within its industry one of my targets is to build relationships with businesses who also have sustainability at their core and to showcase how Miele s innovative technology can support their journey

Simon Venni County Sales Manager at Miele Professional commented: We re thrilled to have Egizia on board to lead our marketing team We’re excited to see how Egizia s broad range of perspectives will support us in reaching out to new customers

Are You Up To Date On Food Shortages That

May Impact The Catering In Your Care Home?

Everyone s acutely aware of current labour shortages but what about product shortages that may impact the food you’re offering to your residents? Planning to use products that are in short supply may mean you re faced with even higher food costs

Food procurement experts, allmanhall, provide some insight to help you plan to mitigate and to tweak your menus if needed

Like all of us UK farming is being impacted by a multitude of factors including spiralling costs The NFU has warned of a looming threat to UK food security In particular there s a risk of product shortages in the following energy intensive sectors:

Eggs - there are 4 9 million fewer hens laying eggs in the UK today compared to 2019 down 13% from 42 7 million to 37 8 million

Glasshouse grown produce including tomatoes, sweet peppers and cucumber are likely to see production levels fall to their lowest levels on

record

Pears - UK pear production is at its lowest level since records began Fears of crops rotting in fields due to a lack of temporary seasonal labour compound the problem

Furthermore UK pork prices are up 40% year on year, largely due to high energy high feed costs and reduced herd sizes

This insight can be helpful when planning your menus and how to make the most of already-squeezed budgets For more expert analysis and other useful resources why not take a look at allmanhall co uk allmanhall are achieving up to 16% food cost savings for Care groups in the UK As well as catering procurement they can help with incontinence products PPE and other frequently bought products For larger items allmanhall can support you by running a tender and ensuring the best value Visit www allmanhall co uk or see the advert below for further details

Helping to Keep Your Patients Safe at Mealtimes with It’s Made For You Softer Foods

At It s Made For You we believe that everyone should look forward to tasty, safe, and nutritious texture modified meals The It’s Made For You range is designed for the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework standards and includes valuable nutrition It s Made For You are proud to be Gold Sponsors of IDDSI

Our range of meals have been developed to ensure the nutritional content will meet the nutritional needs of your patients whilst they follow a texture modified diet Research has shown that up to 50% of people with dysphagia are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition There could be numerous reasons for this including a reduced appetite or the inability to consume large quantities of food in one sitting Our range of ‘classic’ and mini meals can help to ensure your patients are getting the most nutritional value from the food they consume The use of pre-prepared It’s Made For You meals can also be a practical time-saver and bring

peace of mind to the person with dysphagia as well as their carer

The range includes over 60 tasty dishes including chicken, beef, lamb fish and vegetarian recipes We also offer a tasty selection of desserts, and breakfast options as well as mini meals for those with smaller appetites Each meal is easy to cook in either the microwave or oven and promises to deliver delicious and tasty mealtimes every time

At It s Made For You we offer a delivery service that cares making it easy and convenient for our customers to eat delicious meals which can be delivered directly and safely to their homes This helps them if they cannot leave the house or go to the shops Plus, people love to use our service as they can rely on a regular delivery of good quality and safe meals directly to their door, by a friendly local Oakhouse Foods delivery driver Find out more at www Itsmadeforyou co uk

FOOD AND DRINK

How to Sensitively Handle Different Dietar y Requirements Within a Care Home Environment

Dietary requirements in care homes can be diverse and varied and it is important to handle them sensitively in order to ensure that residents receive the nutrition they need whilst respecting cultural and personal preferences

As a care home that manages two kitchens using one specifically dedicated to vegan and vegetarian food we’ve found there are some key tips for handling different dietary requirements which are as follows

CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE DIETARY ASSESSMENT FOR EACH RESIDENT

This should include information about allergies cultural and personal preferences and any medical conditions that may affect the resident's diet This assessment will help you to understand the specific needs of each resident and ensure that they are receiving the appropriate nutrition Double checking and being thorough not only protects you as a care provider, but also helps to ensure that residents are happy, and their preferences and needs are fulfilled

OFFER A VARIETY OF OPTIONS

By Aarti Popat, Registered Manager of Watermead Rose (Macc Care) - https://macccare com/

To accommodate residents with different dietary requirements it is important to offer a variety of options at mealtimes This may include vegetarian vegan and gluten-free options as well as dishes that cater to cultural preferences This ensures that all possibilities are covered, preventing someone from being upset or unable to eat at a mealtime where nothing suitable is offered

CONSULT WITH RESIDENTS’ AND THEIR FAMILIES

It can also be very useful to consult with a resident s family about their loved one s dietary preferences and needs This will ensure that the residents have communicated clearly about their needs and to guarantee nothing has been missed that could present an issue at a later date By including everyone in the planning process and adopting a person centred approach means that a menu can be created for each resident that is bespoke nutritious and well balanced It s important to remember that dietary planning also includes snacks and beverages ensuring there are a wide variety of tempting treats for everyone in the home to enjoy Food is fuel but it should also be something that the residents look forward to EDUCATE CARE HOME STAFF

Ensuring that care home staff are educated about different dietary requirements is paramount and can help to prevent mistakes especially

around allergies and cross contamination that could potentially lead to a medical emergency in some severe cases It also helps to be educated on different cultural and religious beliefs that might affect dietary needs as this can allow workers to engage in meaningful conversations with residents by showing they have an understanding about their choices which could lead to residents opening up and interacting with staff, who would otherwise not BE FLEXIBLE

It is important to be flexible and willing to make changes to accommodate the dietary needs of residents as ageing has no straight trajectory with resident’s needs changing all the time If a resident has a new dietary requirement be willing to adjust ensure that they are receiving the appropriate nutrition For example as dementia progresses people may experience difficulties with using cutlery, recognising food or their taste may change meaning their dietary needs change too

Handling dietary requirements in care homes can be a delicate task but it is an essential aspect of providing high-quality care for residents By prioritising the dietary needs of residents care homes can not only improve their overall health and well-being but also help foster a sense of respect inclusivity and community among the residents

Anglia Crown – Adding Warmth to the Colder Months

The winter months are a busy time for anyone in the care sector and it is important that all residents have a chance to enjoy warming nutritious food at every mealtime

Mary Wedge Business Development Manager at Anglia Crown comments: “In our experience many of the residents look forward to the desserts They often represent familiar comfort foods and even if they cannot face the main course will often go straight for the pudding

Anglia Crown offer a wide range of hot and cold desserts that are ideal for a wellbalanced, nutritional diet, including choices that do not contain gluten Our Crown Choice and Advantage ranges include some fifty-eight dishes, including our new autumnal warming Ginger Chocolate Chip Sponge and delicious, comforting custard that goes with almost any hot dessert

Our Crown Choice cold dessert includes the perennial favourites such as Chocolate Cake whilst our Crown Advantage range also offer reduced sugar desserts All individual Crown Advantage desserts come in packs of eighteen whilst the Crown Choice desserts come in packs of 3 and 6 allowing accurate portioning and cutting down on any potential waste

Many of the Anglia Crown dishes can be teamed up with fresh fruit allowing for additional choice Items

such as our Carrot Cake or Vanilla Cheesecake can be accompanied by whipped cream garnished with seasonal fresh fruit

Our hot desserts are high in energy our hot portions of 170kcal and above provide energy and protein dense options and when served with custard provide over 250 kcal per serving Our cold desserts of 250 kcal and above also meet the energy guidelines in the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Nutrition and Hydration Digest (2017) requirements

VEGAN SUITABLE CHOICES

At Anglia Crown we pride ourselves with the array of vegetarian and gluten free dishes that we offer including an impressive range of desserts This was recognised with us being named at the Vegetarian Wholesaler of the Year 2022 at the VfL Awards for Excellence in Veg n Care Catering

All the Anglia Crown hot desserts are suitable for vegetarians Most of the Anglia Crown vegan products have been registered with the Vegan Society including some thirteen of the dessert dishes Anglia Crown are here to help take the strain out of your menus throughout the year Visit www angliacrown co uk for further details

Dementia Care: Communicating with People Living with Dementia Who are Struggling to Express Their Needs

By Dr Rachel Daly, Practice Development Admiral Nurse Consultant at Dementia UK (www dementiauk org)

language Taking the time to be with a person who is struggling to communicate is one of the greatest gifts to give them Remember that all behaviour is communication, and it is our job as professional carers to TRY HARD to understand and help them If you have a question on helping someone living with dementia you can always contact Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@dementiauk org

T Take a moment Look around, what might be wrong? What might that person want or need? Give them your time

R Reactions - is the person reacting to you another resident the temperature, a noise or something else in the environment?

Y Yearning - is the person yearning for something? Are they hungry or thirsty? Are they bored? Do they miss their family? Do they need a hug?

H How can you find out their needs and emotions?Are they sad stressed, anxious, fearful confused, happy, or in pain?

Some people living with dementia may have problems communicating and expressing their needs which can leave them feeling very frustrated

For anyone providing support to a person living with dementia thinking about ways to help the person communicate with you could be beneficial Are there picture cards to hand to help the person recognise a picture of what they need (for example the toilet) and point to it, even if they cannot say the words? This helps them to express their needs and wants to their carer

Some people can write fluently long after their speech has gone Others may communicate through touch facial expressions or body

A Activities and meaningful occupation - how can you engage the person in a way that gives them some sense of choice control or fun? What did they like doing when they were younger? Would they like to plant some bulbs go for a walk or visit other residents? If the person is walking, consider why -are they looking for something or someone? Maybe they have a sore bottom from sitting too long

R Repetition - restate and use their words Reassurance - take the time to calm them down and remember they might feel frightened

D Dos, Don’ts and Distractions - Do: Smile be kind and get on their level Use more non-verbal communication like touch gestures

Otiom - Dementia Tracking System

Of the estimated 850 000 people in the UK living with dementia roughly 50% will wander with purpose and become lost during their condition When someone with dementia is reported as a missing person the police treat it as a high priority and put a lot of resources into finding that person as quickly as possible Technology can play a big part in preventing people with dementia from becoming lost and GPS technology has proven popular

Otiom is the only device of its type that is a registered class 1 medical device and has therefore undergone a rigorous testing protocol to comply with the European Medical Device Regulations

Otiom Offers peace of mind and freedom allowing people to move more freely It s a game-changing addition to the support of carers with a growing number of people living with dementia globally

Advantages include the ability to track indoors and outdoors low cost low maintenance superior battery life and improved communication stability We offer Otiom to both care homes and private users Otiom has been developed over several years backed by extensive research in the field of dementia It is the result of a collaboration with relatives, caregivers and people with dementia

Since Pentland Medical launched Otiom exclusively in the UK we have worked extensively with the Alzheimer Society and Alzheimer Scotland At the time of writing we are testing Otiom with the Alzheimer Society and expect to be listed as an official partner on their website in due course

Visit www pentlandmedical co uk or scan the QR code in the advert on this page for further details

pictures smells and show objects (like the juice box) to enhance understanding

Don t: be too loud too fast or use too many words Don t argue and remember that it is not important to correct them if they believe something to be true(like they need to go home to their mum) Distraction techniques can work well Ask them to tell you about their mum look at pictures or have a cup of tea together give a hand massage or play some music and dance with them if they are able

Music can be a wonderful therapy for people living with dementia and for it to be most effective it needs to be tailored to the individual

Find out as much as you can about the person through Life Story

Work which helps to ensure that our care always honours the person as an individual For example what job did they do? Did they have children? Do they have a religion? What are their hobbies? This is often called Person-Centred Care or Person-Centred Practice Ask the person (if they can communicate) ask their family check their records and note it in the care plan so you can share it with all your colleagues

Think about how the music you like might differ from your friends your partner or your family How can it affect your mood? That will be the same for your residents Some might like jazz or classical music whilst others might prefer music related to their religion If you find a favourite or something that calms them then make a note and use it in situations that they might find stressful If you find a tune that distresses them make a note of that too to help your colleagues to remember not to play it when they are around Music can be used passively (to listen to) or actively (for singing and dancing) – try it out always remembering to keep it personal to the individual

DEMENTIA CARE AND TRAINING

W&P Training

complement our full set of Care Home Policies and Procedures

SUPORTED LIVING / LEARNING DISABILITIES POLICIES

Designed for Supported Living and Domiciliary providers that deliver CQC regulated activities to adults with Learning

Disabilities and/ or Autism W&P’s Policies and Procedures for Supported Living Services will assist with your CQC compliance

Looking for Supported living Policies with NO Personal Care?

Visit https://www wandptraining co uk/policies-and-procedures/non-registered-care-policies/ W&P s policy and compliance team are constantly scanning and reviewing all the statutory websites and regulatory publications to track the very latest developments in the Health & Social Care Sector

Policies and Procedures are updated every 4 months or immediately if there is a critical change to regulation good practice guidance case law outcomes or just feedback from customers

To find out more about what we offer go to www wandptraining co uk or see the advert on page 2

Memor y Lane Games - An Extra Pair of Hands for Carers

Available to assisted living environments fully branded and personalised the Memory Lane Games app features reminiscence quiz games on hundreds of topics including places, hobbies, animals, history and food

The games are designed to be frustration-free and to trigger memories and conversation not to test

Improving resident wellbeing

Consistent with providing person-centred care our games encourage a sense of identity and connection and can be easily incorporated into personal care plans Our library of games has something for everyone but unique games can also be made using a resident s own memories and photographs creating a truly personalised and powerful experience

“Always on hand even on the night shift ” Northamptonshire Registered Managers Network

Improving family connections

Our app has proven to be effective at creating joyful meaningful connections between families Useful when used to prepare a resident for their family visit as well as during where they can be used as a conversation starter Games can be played and new memories made with the whole family on a topic everyone enjoys, even the grandchildren!

Calming and distracting agitated residents

Carers are able to effectively reduce agitation, aggression and distress as well as deliver personal and

therapeutic care more easily by initiating game play and allowing the app to provide respite

Alerts & Reporting

Our back office system captures and analyses game play data to alert deterioration against clinical data sets A sudden drop in game play performance for example could indicate a UTI This data is also used to generate a Reminiscence Journal’ (pictured) which can be created at the touch of a button and incorporates information on what the resident has played how long for and what they have enjoyed along with recommendations for future game play These can be sent to families and included in personal care plans ensuring everyone around the person living with dementia is aware of what they are positively engaging with

With no IT integration required the benefits to residents and carers can be realised immediately

Improved resident and staff wellbeing improved quality of family visits and a differentiated care home business

Our real-world case study covers how personalised gamification with Memory Lane Games can be used as part of a treatment plan to calm and improve quality of life for someone with severe dementia

Contact us today to receive a copy and find out more

Helpforcarehomes@MemoryLanegames com

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

Navigating the Cost of Living Crisis Without a Cost to Care Standards

Sadly, we are all too familiar with hearing that our care sector is under pressure and that we are facing a challenging time as predictions point towards a recession At a time when we have 165,000 unfilled vacancies across social care and staff retention is as much of a focus as recruitment we are also facing higher costs for energy and essentials that aid us in delivering the care that residents need Now more than ever we need solutions that can save both time and money reducing the admin workload of stretched staff and helping budgets go a little bit further

As in many other areas of our modern lives technology has a big part to play in helping to navigate the cost of living crisis without compromising standards of care Care home administration software has the ability and potential to benefit care providers at all levels of the organisation but especially care home managers and carers Where the needs of residents are paramount solutions to saving time and costs need to be found elsewhere in the care home environment and one area where few would argue would be in reducing the administrative burden

The adage ‘time is money’ can feel overused but it still rings as true now as when it was coined While we all find ways to make budgets go that little bit further saving time can be a highly effective way to achieve this Utilising software capabilities to streamline the workload frees up staff to focus on the delivery of care instead of time-consuming admin Automation within software can also make normally time intensive tasks such as filling gaps in the rota much quicker [FH2] It’s easy to underestimate how much time can be saved as each individual saving seems so small but taken together shortening these repetitive tasks can have big implications Direct messaging of staff from the rota for example is saving CoolCare customers about 11 hours per month

The CAREAudits System

CAREAudits apps and sys-

tems evolved via an associated company Kern Systems were Ken Newlove director and founding member had been developing and deploying paperless systems for EPoS and Finance in the private and public sectors since 1999

Back in 2014 the team had more than 50 years experience in IT and software development as well as having been heavily involved in the third sector with a trustee of three charities a director of a business directly involved in the care market and a consultant in a £10 million turnover charity and interim CEO and Chair at an adult hospice

Working in the Care Sector the team recognised in 2014 the sector was becoming overwhelmed with administration driven by ever increasing legislative

compliance requirements and controls and pressurised by ever increasing costs The CAREAudits apps evolved from their desire to give something back to the Care Sector; to develop systems that genuinely reduce costs and increase efficiency as well as improving accountability and quality And above all a system that would be easy to install and use by everyone

THE CAREAUDITS SYSTEM

The CAREAudits app and Web Portal Auditing Tool is now being used throughout the UK and Ireland by all care service providers in numerous locations There are thousands of carers checking everything from CQC Compliance and Safety to Medication Audits Training and Maintenance as well as service users quality and wellbeing and now Corona Virus

Steve Smith regional manager at Care Homes UK says “We were able to implement the system ourselves and are now benefitting from management

by Fiona Hale, Managing Director of CoolCare (www coolcare co uk)

alone – that’s nearly 1 5 admin days per month per care home Identifying these gaps earlier also prevents the need for emergency staffing from agencies which can come at a premium – stressing already tight budgets

From a business perspective, ensuring that care providers' time aren’t monopolised by admin makes a lot of sense Staffing is one of the biggest investments and costs for any business so having technology in place that helps them to perform their role more effectively is a wise investment on its own Where care home management software can automate and reduce admin carers have more time to spend with residents helping to deliver compliant staffing requirements If a member of the team needs to spend hours in an office on admin tasks, then additional team members are needed to ensure compliance, adding extra cost to a shift which could otherwise be used to help with energy and food costs

The cost of living crisis is not only affecting care home staff at work Where home financial pressures are mounting the stress can make it hard to focus fully on work no matter how hard an employee tries Capabilities and integrations within care home administration software to enable earned wage access give staff the ability to use their pay in a flexible way which works for them and their own financial situation Having access to forward rotas and vacant shifts also allows them to pick up additional work and money when needed Supporting staff through the crisis is also of benefit to staff retention, encouraging them to stay with the business and ensure standards of care are maintained for residents long-term and avoiding the need for recruitment in the midst of a staffing crisis

Technology has a key role to play in helping the care sector navigate the current financial climate Whether that s through reducing the admin burden streamlining roles or offering greater staff flexibility and benefits However, it’s just as important to tackle the challenges together enabling staff to feel supported in their roles so that we weather the storm together and continue to deliver exceptional care

having all the information we need at our fingertips in real time wherever we are”

The system allows care providers to audit or check just about everything and manage areas requiring actions (or non-compliances) in it’s Web Portal Encrypted date and time stamped evidence including photos is seamlessly auto attached and recorded in the system

Natalie Lawrence at Yorkare Homes says “It s a paperless system that runs alongside our existing client records system helping to make our whole operation paperless CAREAudits ensures management and staff are aware at all times of what needs checking that it s been checked actions required by whom by when including full resolution management Each CAREAudit also scores the answers so management can monitor improvement Steven Tegart from Talbot Group likes reporting and says I wish all my other systems were as easy to extract data for management reports as the CAREAudits

Excel links

The system has over 120 example audits to select from CAREAudits apps are extremely easy to use and care providers can easily add or edit their own audits in minutes ensuring simple management of everchanging requirements App auditors can use CAREAudits with virtually no training it’s that simple The Care Auditor’s Hands Free Operation guides the user through each audit each question and answer with it s own help text standard answers and standard actions required ensuring that the least skilled operative becomes the care provider s expert Users can download the app for a free trial and be up and running with the full system in minutes CAREAudits apps are a part of the Care Plus Innovation Group Priory Park Hull HU4 7DY Info:- visit www careaudits co uk email apps@careaudits co uk or call Ken Newlove operations director on 01482 238887

TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE

10 Reasons To Go Digital With Electronic Care Planning and Medication (eMAR) Systems

TIME

More time to care

Carers never have enough time to care but going digital can provide more

There are so many time-consuming tasks such as writing care notes completing paper assessments filling in charts preparing handovers and countless other administrative tasks

Going digital can automate many of these tasks and enable recording care interactions in real-time ensuring nothing is left undocumented and saving time that can be better spent providing care

CONTROL

Better Control

Controlling paper-based systems can be an onerous job It generates reams of paper that can easily be lost copied and potentially fall into the wrong hands

Digital care systems are safe and accessible, maintaining the security and confidentiality of your data This is difficult to achieve with paper because sensitive information must be locked away when not in use per

GDPR

Furthermore, digital allows you to determine who can access and what via permission controls Staff only see what they need to see based on their role AutumnCare has a number of tools that assist in maintaining security and confidentiality including this lock screen functionality for use in medication administration rounds!

PROTECTION

Protect your business

Social care is a highly regulated industry and going digital can help you safeguard your business With multiple regulatory bodies such as the

CQC CIW Care Inspectorate RQIW Local Authorities and Safeguarding

Teams not to mention families and the justice system Any of whom can make enquiries or perform inspections at any time and without notice

Going digital makes it easy and efficient to evidence the quality of care you provide In addition as a digital system has a complete audit trail you can be assured the information you are providing is accurate and complete

COSTS

Costs and environment

The most considerable cost saving that going digital can provide is time While the amount of time saved will vary between service types and roles this alone makes going digital worthwhile

Additional cost benefits include savings on printing paper stationary

and confidential waste bin collection These costs all add up very quickly and are enhanced by the savings in the administrative overhead

Furthermore going digital reduces paper use and the carbon footprint of regular deliveries Therefore, going digital can help you become more environmentally friendly

RISK

Reduced risk

Manual systems carry many risks It is challenging to manage, analyse and keep data and there is a lack of security Going digital with your care planning and eMAR can significantly reduce your risk

Using inbuilt alerts ensures that nothing is missed whether that s a care plan change or a fall report Using an eMAR will help reduce medication errors and ensure that the 6 Rs are always met

Going digital also allows the collection of data at the point of care which can be analysed to identify trends and risks and demonstrate corrective action

AutumnCare Mobile allows staff to perform clinical assessments and capture notes at the point of care for increased accuracy and care recipient involvement

RETENTION

Improve staf f retention

Staff recruitment and retention remain long-standing challenges for the care sector and many factors contribute to the successful retention of staff

Morale is a crucial factor in retaining staff Using electronic care systems to change the focus from the administration to the delivery of care helps stage engage more with service users

Additionally providing smart tools like care planning and eMAR software to reduce the administrative burden will decrease staff stress

QUALITY

Improved quality of care

With pre-built assessments covering all aspects of health you can get to know your service users intimately

But it s not just health; other characteristics such as emotion likes/dislikes and how they correspond to a wide range of activities can be recorded

Because any changes can be affected at the point of care, updates become a true reflection of the care (rather than a delayed update at the end of a long shift)

This information is then easily accessible by other system users, supporting a personalised care experience

EVIDENCE

Demonstrate quality of care deliver y

While the delivery of person-centred care is paramount care providers must also provide evidence of the care they deliver and regulatory bodies

actively encourage the use of technology

For example, the CQC states that the care provider should look to embrace technology that helps monitor care delivery During an inspection, under the Effective key line of enquiry (KLOE), question E1 3 asks

How is technology and equipment used to enhance effective care and treatment delivery and support people’s independence?

Digital care plans are the best way to achieve this!

VISIBILITY

Improved visibility

Electronic care systems ensure that managers have real-time access to notes and information to instantly understand the care provided and help identify changes that need to be made to improve the quality of care

On an electronic care system it is much easier to see what is going on if you are contacted out of hours or on the go A digital system allows you to log in remotely to see what has been happening across the entire care service at a glance

AutumnCare contains a customisable Dashboard to provide Managers with a snapshot of what is occurring across the care service at any point in time

USERS

Happier ser vice users

Last and by no means least going digital can make your service users happier

Digital systems enable you to spend more time caring and less time on administration

There are benefits to happy service users including positive reviews from family and friends which may help grow your service

WONDERING HOW TO GO DIGITAL?

If you re unsure of how to get started in your digital transformation

AutumnCare can help!

AutumnCare provides specialist digital care planning and eMAR software enabling providers to migrate to a digital system and providing the foundations for outstanding care We can walk you through what is required step by step as well as provide training and support every step of the way

To realise all of the benefits above plus many more get in touch with us today

Contact Chris Sharman

Email c sharman@autumn care

Call 0800 009 2121 website uk autumn care

AND SOFTWARE

G-Touch Wireless Care Home Solution

Genee is a UK leading manufacturer of innovative technological solutions Genee plays an integral role across all major industries including health care to support patients residents and staff

Having supported Care Homes through the pandemic The GTouch Wireless Care Home Solution is one of Genee’s most impactful solutions yet The solution includes; the G-Touch Interactive Screen Electric Mobile Trolley and a Wireless Battery Pack Its portability specially designed and simple to use interface as well as its multitude of applications are specifically built for residents and staff in mind

The G-Touch Interactive Screen is an engaging resource for residents and staff Available in 55’ , 65’’ and 75’’, the touchscreen itself has durable and toughened safety glass that can be easily cleaned The large screen provides for spectacular viewings of videos TV shows and movies In addition the size of the screen encourages residents to participate in interactive activities

With built-in 2x15w front facing speakers and an HD video conferencing camera provides the perfect communication tool to video call families, friends, and other care homes With the built-in PC and Android 8 0 operating system the user interface software is easy to use As soon as the touchscreen is turned on the system loads into a tablet style of multiple icons containing the software and Apps used daily without the

need for a PC-style login The included software also helps residents with health issues, including Dementia and Alzheimer’s

A solution that benefits all! The Electric Mobile Trolley is better suited than a traditional wall mount or trolley The mobile trolley can be electronically adjusted by height and offers 90-degree angle adjustment from horizontal to vertical ensuring easy accessibility at different chairs and wheelchair height The four lightweight and strong steel integrated castors include locking brakes for safety

The Wireless Battery Pack removes trip hazards and provides a helpful portable solution Simply add the lightweight battery pack to the trolley and easily move the touchscreen from room to room

The G-Touch Wireless Care Home Solution comes with 5 years onsite warranty as standard with no additional costs Our dedicated team will bring the equipment to the care home assemble and install the solution and test everything on site We will also support you with free online training to ensure your Care Home gets maximum use of this incredible solution get in touch +44 (0)1902 390 862 sales@genee-group com www genee-group com

Blaucomm Ltd - Telecommunications & Networks

Blaucomm s Nurse Call Messaging Service (NMS) is the market leading solution to remove the dependency on noisy nurse call panels and pagers, through its intelligent software which delivers the alerts straight to the care staff who need them

Care homes are rapidly introducing smartphones for digital care planning and eMar - now the same devices can be used to receive the nurse call alerts they need for the residents under their care

Furthermore Blaucomm NMS is deeply linked into Person Centred Software MCM, so call bell data is linked straight to care plans This unlocks a huge benefit to care homes to enhance the staff performance with how they accept and respond to residents, which ultimately promotes better response times and visibility for management to audit their performance

The best part is that Blaucomm NMS links into your existing nurse call system - we work with all major brands such as Aidcall ARM Courtney Thorne C-TEC ENS Intercall Medicare SAS and TeleAlarm

Care operators are constantly recognising Blaucomm NMS for its reliability and dependability to their care operations, which is why we’ve been chosen time and time again over other solutions

Head of IT Trudi Harrow at WCS Care had this to say about Blaucomm

NMS:

“We find Blaucomm is a genuinely fantastic company with a reliable product

We have a range of nurse call systems at different sites and the NMS system integrates to them and allows us to compare response times between sites

In addition the integration to Person Centred Software is revolutionary We would highly recommend this to anybody who wants to replace expensive pagers and silence those annoyingly loud nurse call screens!

To find out more about Blaucomm NMS visit www blaucomm co uk/healthcare

Ssee the advert on the front cover for more details

Hartford Care Joins Forces with Sensio in UK First to Reduce Risk of Falls in Care Homes

or computer If further information is required an anonymous snapshot of the incident is shared so the team knows whether they need to attend or if the resident is moving around safely It s also possible to see the current status and position for all residents in their rooms at a glance from a single screen without compromising their privacy

Kevin Shaw Chief Executive at Hartford Care comments: “It’s a very exciting prospect to be the first care home in the UK to be trialling RoomMate This is ground-breaking technology which could help our entire industry develop and evolve; I am looking forward to seeing the impact this will have on our already exceptional resident care ”

Fall Savers - Affordable Fall Monitoring Solutions

Hartford Care has teamed up with Sensio, a Norwegian company specialising in room sensors and advanced care technology to minimise the risk of resident falls in a four-month trial at its Hartford Court care home in Portsmouth – the first care home in the UK to trial this pioneering technology Sensio’s flagship solution RoomMate is proven to reduce falls, along with tracking sleep patterns and showing when people are waking or getting up during the night Privacy is ensured with an anonymised infra-red 3D sensor rather than the use of cameras and the sensors can detect many movements, from the resident sitting up in bed to them getting up from a chair or leaving the room so appropriate action can be taken by team members Importantly RoomMate can also alert carers if the resident is calling for help when they may otherwise not be able to reach their call bell

The RoomMate sensor ultimately reduces the need for nightly visits, so residents can sleep better with less interruptions In Scandinavian care homes where the technology is already being used falls have reduced on average by 60% across its 8 000 daily users

The technology works by an alarm being raised by the sensor if there is movement within a resident s room The care team can then check what kind of an alarm it is via the RoomMate app on a phone tablet

Johan Anstensrud Chief Executive at Sensio comments: We are delighted that the residents and staff at Hartford Care will reap the benefits from our revolutionary safety sensor RoomMate For years it has proven to be a success in Scandinavia preventing falls injuries and ailments and giving more time for personal care I am looking forward to continuing this exciting journey also in the UK, together with Hartford Care

Hartford Care is governed by three core principals – care comfort and companionship; and its philosophy of care is completely focussed on providing a safe and comfortable lifestyle for its residents and carers in a quality home setting

Hartford Care’s head office is based in Basingstoke Hampshire Established in 1908, its care homes are located in Bristol Berkshire (Burnham and Maidenhead) Devon (Sidmouth) Dorset (Poole) Hampshire (Barton-on-Sea Four Marks Hythe Portsmouth, Winchester and Woodlands), Isle of Wight (Bembridge Ryde and Shanklin) Oxfordshire (Witney) and Wiltshire (Downton)

Find more details about Hartford Care’s awardwinning care homes, while more information about Hartford Care Group Limited is available at: www hartfordcare co uk

Find more information about RoomMate and Sensio at www sensiocare com

Floor Sensor Pad Large Size Pad Measures (L) 91cm x (H) 61cm Options (sold separately)

Anti-slip mesh for hard surface floors See the advert on this page for further details or visit www fallsavers co uk

PLEASE MENTION THE CARER WHEN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISING

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Silent Running - Tranquility in Care Homes

Quiet and calm care homes ensure that residents are able to live in a more relaxing and pleasant home environment

Similarly carers and staff find that they too benefit from reduced stress when working in a home where noise levels are kept to a minimum There are many environmental factors that can affect those sensitive to their surroundings particularly those suffering from dementia these can be fluctuations in ambient temperature, light, and of course noise Repetitive and high levels of noise can originate from a number of internal and external sources for example telephones ringing loud conversations in corridors and call bells sounding often one of the largest contributors to increasing the levels of stress and discomfort in residents

A published study by the University of Stirling stated that unanswered Nurse Call (Call Bell) alarms can be one of the most common causes of stress in dementia sufferers The University recommends “fitting call alarms which alert nurses but do not resonate throughout the whole building Alarms can be particularly disconcerting as they may encourage the person with dementia to respond or investigate what the matter is At the very least the loss of sleep will compromise a per-

son’s ability to concentrate It can affect their attention levels and capacity to cope as well as being detrimental to their overall state of wellbeing Personal paging systems are preferable to bells and buzzers Modern Nurse Call systems can incorporate a number of methods to reduce their impact in a care home These include zoning whereby there are separate alarm types used depending upon the location of the call In these circumstances dementia sufferers and those vulnerable to noise can be located in one zone whist less vulnerable residents live in an alternative “zone” Each “zone” can operate different call tones, warning lights or other methods to alert when help is required Reducing noise levels is essential to create a tranquil environment for residents Pagers have been around for many years are a relatively simple and cost-effective measure in reducing the levels of noise and can be added to most Nurse Call systems Smart Mobile Devices are now becoming more commonplace for care home staff and hold a variety of apps for care planning e-medication etc Many Courtney Thorne clients are now utilising the “Go” app with their Nurse Call system With the Go app nurse call alarms are delivered immediately and silently straight to the handsets alerting the individual carers to all Nurse call alarms without creating any general alarm sound and rarely disturbing the rest of the residents in the home

Calmer residents ultimately means that staff are less

Lotus Care Technology

The NurseAlert pressure mat has been one of the most successful floor pressure mats due to it being non slip and carpeted which makes it feel very natural under a residents foot Lotus Care Technology Ltd have many other fall saving devices that can give you peace of mind whilst caring for this at risk of falls

Having many years of experience in fitting and maintaining

Nurse Call Systems helps the guys at Lotus Care Technology understand that every home is different and has different needs They can specify not only the best system for the environmental factors in the home but also take into consideration the best products that will make your carers and nurses jobs that little bit easier

Visit www lctuk com for details

stressed also, this creates a happier workplace where morale is greatly improved staff are retained and CQC ratings improve Clearly the positive ramifications of a quiet Care Home run deep Get in touch today to find out how we can help your home become a quieter calmer, and more tranquil environment

For more information email us at: info@c-t co uk

• Nurse Call Systems

• Fire Alarm Systems

• Door Access

Nurse Alert Mats

Designed to combat the problem of residents who are inclined to walk undetected, the Nurse Alert Mat can help protect residents especially at night that are at risk of falls and accidents

When connected to a Nurse Call system or the mobile Floor Sentry Monitor it will then alert staff, sounding the alarm with a small amount of pressure thus enabling staff to investigate

• Staff Attack

• CCTV

• Infection Control

• Dementia Care

• Electrical Contracting

In addition The Floor Pressure Mat has a heavy non slip backing, It comes professionally sealed so can easily be cleaned for liquid spills and is fully serviceable

NURSE CALL AND FALLS MONITORING

Medpage Falls Management Products

Care technologies have advanced at an amazing rate over the past decade

The digital age is a place where we all live and all use technology as a familiar part of our daily lives At Medpage we have harnessed these advancing technologies into products to support Social Care and Independent Living Medpage brand products are designed to provide affordable user-friendly care support products for domestic and professional care Our new wristband activated door egress alarm is a perfect example of how advanced technologies are transformed into a system to safeguard people prone to wandering Simple to install suitable for single or multiple residents the system allows residents to remain mobile while providing an alert to carers if they attempt to leave the building through a monitored door Further details available at www easylinkuk co uk search Doorwatcher

Medpage have supplied Care Residential Homes

and Hospitals with fall prevention and detection alarms for more than 25 years From basic bed and chair exit detection alarms to more complex cordless sensor pad systems with nurse call integration we supply quality systems that deliver cost effective performance

Our new sensor pad controller the MPCSA11 has been included into numerous falls management projects, in Hospitals and professional care establishments

The system already proven to reduce care costs allows a patient with mobility to transfer from their bed to their chair or to visit their washroom without alarm notifications to carers, providing the transfer is completed within a selectable time

Failure to return within the selected time will result in alarm notification to carers either by pager nurse call trigger or ward wall mounted alarm receiver

For further information see the advert on this page

PROFESSIONAL AND RECRUITMENT

Apprenticeships Partnership Could Help Create ‘Managers Of The Future’ For Care Sector

The co-founder of an award-winning management transformation programme believes a new class of apprenticeships could help create managers of the future for the care sector

Laura Ashley-Timms, Chief Operating Officer of Notion, believes apprenticeships that increase people management capacity in learners could be transformational for the future of care sector management

Speaking at the start of National Apprenticeship Week

Laura says:

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) now requires a specific ratio of manager level staff to patients in each care setting

But there is a shortage of care workers with the required Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care This reduces capacity in care settings which means hospitals are unable to discharge patients into those appropriate care settings, which increases demand for NHS beds If more care workers were able to access that qualification via an apprenticeship, it would increase care setting capacity and alleviate pressure on the NHS

“These areas are strategically important for the UK economy and for UK society as a whole Creating more and better managers especially in the adult care sector has the potential to relieve pressure on the NHS

Notion and Qdos Training Ltd, the Midlands based apprenticeships provider, have been working together

to launch a brand new class of management and leadership apprenticeships These will be the first in the UK to fully embed the STAR® Manager programme and management approach into selected Level 3 and 5 management and leadership apprenticeships

The partnership is initially focused on three apprenticeship programmes, Level 3 Team Leader / Supervisor Level 5 Operations / Department Manager and Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care

Speaking of the partnership Laura Ashley-Timms said:

We ve always wanted to partner with a quality apprenticeship provider because we see apprenticeships as a powerful way of unlocking untapped talent and potential within organisations of all types Qdos Training is an exceptional provider and has a very impressive programme completion rate Deborah Johnson, Engagement Director at Qdos Training, says of the partnership:

We share Notion s absolute passion to create the managers of the future Most of us are accidental managers’ and may not have ever been shown how to manage people let alone learned how to communicate in a way that invites the highest levels of collaboration in the workplace STAR® Manager is a unique approach that enables our apprentices to put into practice the people management and leadership theories they re learning The programme enables them to be more than just managers and instead become brilliant people leaders

STAR® Manager was recently subjected to one of the largest academic studies of its type The study, carried out by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the Government s Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy found statistically significant proof that the programme improves retention rates and transforms management capability at scale in as little as six months website: https://starmanager global/what-is-star/

Contact: hello@STARmanager global

The Eden Alternative is fundamentally a modern philosophy of care’ which at its core is designed to enhance the wellbeing of residents and staff in care settings, the quality of their lived experience and their fulfilment

It aims to build a truly positive culture; underpinned by close partnership working between residents the team and family members

It is also designed to empower members of the care team to think innovatively about practice to enhance their fulfilment and strengthen retention

It is worth spending 10 minutes to see the Eden Alternative in practice https://youtu be/qK3vTbckZMw

How does it work? It provides training to Care Homes management and staff and encourages Homes to train their own ‘in house trainers to run the programme if they wish

The philosophy is designed to develop a positive and vibrant culture empower members in developing a care partnership and help

c A series of relevant Eden Video clips

d An Eden course questionnaire to assist learning

e Development of an individualised project that candidates work

Providers to deliver on their ambitions

How long has Eden been going? Eden has been running such training in over 20 countries on 5 continents for nearly 30 years and started in the USA It began operating in the UK in 2005

Eden UK runs both face-to-face training and online courses which both lead to the accreditation of candidates as Certified Eden Associates of which there are over 2 000 in the UK and 20 000 worldwide

The Certified Eden Associate Courses The online course runs over 6 weeks x 1hr each week covers the same material as the 3-day Eden Associate courses and comprise 5 elements:

a 6 Online live 1-hourly tutorials running weekly

b Working through the Eden Associate workbook

Care Home Finance from Global Business Finance

Why Apprenticeships Are Crucial For Tackling Workforce Shortages Across The Care Sector

Care providers across the country have unfortunately become accustomed to workforce shortages As a recent report on health and social care workforce from the Health and Social Care Committee showed 95% of care providers are struggling to recruit staff and 75% of providers are finding it hard to retain their existing workforce This is compounded by the fact that these roles are typically paid less than 80% of the wider economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has further affected the sector s ability to recruit and retain staff – during this time the working conditions of social care workers suffered as they battled with long hours restrictive working conditions and an increased risk to their health

And on the ground these staff shortages can lead to increased frontline pressures burnout and job dissatisfaction They can also impact the quality of individual care – in October 2022, the CQC’s State of Care report said that in the first three months of 2022 2 2 million hours of homecare could not be delivered because of insufficient workforce capacity

So how can we encourage more people to pursue what can be an extremely rewarding career in care and stay in the sector?

APPRENTICESHIPS

If we are going to reverse the trend and increase the percentage of people joining and staying in social

By Steve Sawyer, Managing Director, Access Health, Support and Care

care we need to incentivise careers in the sector and create a positive environment for people to work in Doing so will improve job satisfaction – a huge factor in the departure of many health and social care workers as reported by the Nuffield Trust

At the Access Group one of the ways that we are promoting career pathways in social care is through the government’s Apprenticeship Levy Scheme, which aims to encourage work-based training in particular sectors Working with 75 000 customers across commercial and non-profit sectors we invest the money into our own apprenticeship schemes as well as sharing it with organisations from across health and care, supporting them to recover from the impact of the pandemic

The Health Support and Care division (HSC) of the company has invested £100 000 since March 2022 alleviating workforce pressures by enabling 86 health and social care apprenticeships across the country Benefactors of the financial support include residential care providers Burrow Down Support and Home2Home with Care; and domiciliary care provider Hamble Valley Care alongside a range of other care providers using the additional resource to enhance skills of new and existing staff thus providing them with more opportunities to advance their careers

As we see it apprenticeships play a crucial role in improving job satisfaction and ultimately staff retention, with unhappy and unfulfilled staff more likely to move into other roles They also motivate the next generation of talent to pursue a career in care encouraged by the support and opportunity to upskill in the sector

Admittedly apprenticeship schemes aren’t a silver bullet to the ever-growing workforce crisis but they are a positive step in the right direction to support a sector that we all value and depend on More information can be found on The Access Group s website at www theaccessgroup com