Caring UK

October 2013

incorporating

no.209 • £4.75

The Number One magazine for the care sector

Survey finds lack of heart defibrillators

By Dominic Musgrave LESS than half of care homes in the UK are equipped with heart defibrillators, research has found.

According to a survey by DOC UK, just 46 per cent of health industry workplaces are equipped with automatic external defibrillators, an electrical device which restarts the heart of people who are suffering from ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia – the two most common symptoms of a heart attack.

Pat Maule, a senior carer at Lathbury Manor Residential Care Home in Newport Pagnell – a location which has recently had a defibrillator installed – believes that in the care home industry the proportion of firms with AEDs is likely to be even lower still, despite the increased risk of heart problems.

She said: “I’ve worked in the care industry for a very long time and this is the first location I’ve known to have a defibrillator.

“I think that the problem of heart health is sometimes ignored, often because people don’t like to think about cardiac arrests, even in the care industry.

“I suggested having a defibrillator

installed because heart problems have been a feature of my life – my parents had heart trouble, my granddaughter was born with heart trouble, and I have a minor heart disease.

“Luckily, when I suggested the idea to the management they were very receptive – but it’s a shame that homes like Lathbury are in the minority.”

The survey also found that 48 per cent of health industry respondents were concerned about injuring the casualty or being held liable if something went wrong, despite a defibrillator only working on someone who is having a genuine cardiac arrest.

There have been no cases of people being sued for using a defibrillator.

Vincent Mathieu, managing director of DOC UK, believes that more care homes should have AEDs installed.

He said: “Clearly in care homes – especially old people’s homes – the risk of cardiac arrest is higher than usual, which is why we believe that defibrillators are vital.

“Whichever model is used, it’s essential that it is kept close to hand, and that staff are confident enough to use it.”

Book your place for final two events

TV star and Alzheimer’s Society ambassador Sir Tony Robinson officially opened a new £12m care centre in Peterborough. The Blackadder actor and Time Team presenter unveiled a commemorative plaque at PJ Care’s Eagle Wood to mark the occasion. Another special guest was 11-year-old William Flanagan, a local schoolboy, who won a competition to come up with a name for the centre. William, who was joined by his parents, grandmother and three brothers, also unveiled a plaque.

TIME is running out for care home managers/ owners to book their place at Script Events’ final two care conferences of 2013.

Among the speakers at the Quality in Care events at Cedar, Court Hotel in Wakefield and the Hilton Hotel in Blackpool will be NCA chief executive Sheila Scott OBE, NACC chair Karen Oliver and ECCA chief executive Martin Green OBE (Wakefield only).

They are organised in association with Caring UK magazine and will be chaired by editor Dominic Musgrave.

He said: “The feedback we have received for the conferences held earlier in the year has been fantastic, and we are confident that our final two events of the year will build on this success.

“As well as the stellar line-up of speakers, the days will also feature an extensive exhibition which will showcase the latest products and technology.”

The events take place on October 9 and 10. To find out more visit www.scriptmedia.co.uk

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Residents take centre stage in art gallery exhibition

By Dominic Musgrave RESIDENTS from three Sanctuary Care homes in Worcestershire stepped into the spotlight when their artwork was showcased at a special public exhibition at Worcester's MOVEMENT Gallery.

Entitled ‘Creativity in Care’, the exhibition was the culmination of a series of art workshops which have been hosted by MOVEMENT at Cranham Residential Care Home in Worcester, Ravenhurst Residential Care Home in Stourport-onSevern and Hastings Residential Care Home in Malvern.

More than 20 residents picked up their brushes and got creative during the workshops where they produced an array of colourful micro-oil paintings which were displayed at the exhibition.

They have taken place over the course of the summer and were delivered by MOVEMENT thanks to a year-long sponsorship of the gallery by Sanctuary Group, the parent company of Sanctuary Care.

Nina Coulson, co-founder of MOVEMENT Gallery, said: “The workshops we have hosted at the care homes have proved very popular and it has been really encouraging to see so many people getting involved and trying their hand at contemporary visual art.

“This exhibition was a fantastic opportunity for Sanctuary Care’s residents to showcase their work and demonstrates

www.caring-uk.co.uk Advertising Sales and Marketing Director: Tony Barry Tel: 01226 734605 Email: tb@scriptmedia.co.uk National Sales Executive: Danielle Hornby Tel: 01226 734480 Email: danielleh@scriptmedia.co.uk National Sales Executive: Mandy Edwards Tel: 01226 734692 Email: mandye@caring-uk.co.uk Fax: 01226 734477

Publishers Script Media.

47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. Email: info@caring-uk.co.uk

Editorial Group Editor: Judith Halkerston Tel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Healthcare Editor: Dominic Musgrave Tel: 01226 734407 dm@scriptmedia.co.uk Reporter: Christina Eccles Tel: 01226 734463

A visitor views some of the work done by residents from Sanctuary Care homes. what can be achieved through art workshops.”

MOVEMENT will host another exhibition next Spring following further art workshops with some of Sanctuary’s local community partners.

Sophie Atkinson, Sanctuary’s head of community investment and sustainabili-

ty, added: “We are really pleased with how our support has helped make it possible for residents to get more involved in art. Our residents find art both enjoyable and therapeutic so they have relished the opportunity to participate in these exciting sessions and show their creative side.”

Studio Manager: Stewart Holt Tel: 01226 734414 sth@scriptmedia.co.uk Database enquiries to: 01226 734695 E-mail: circulation@ scriptmedia.co.uk Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all content, the publishers do not accept liability for error, printed or otherwise, that may occur.

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The team who completed the ‘Extreme Garden Makeover’ at Breme Residential Care Home.

Home showcases garden makeover at summer fete

By Dominic Musgrave RESIDENTS and the team at a Sanctuary Care home in Bromsgrove were joined by the local community for a fantastic summer fete last weekend.

Visitors to Breme Residential Care Home enjoyed an array of activities, including a raffle, demonstrations from a professional diablo and balloon sculpting artist, a live band and even a spot of face painting.

The care home used the event to proudly showcase the results of its recent ‘Extreme Garden Makeover’.

The project saw volunteers from the local community, including the Bromsgrove branch of supermarket Asda, and Sanctuary Maintenance Midlands Team get stuck into making improvements to the home’s gardens.

These included the building of raised flowerbeds, painting fence panels and creating a ‘beach’ area.

A polytunnel was also built and a

variety of sensory plants planted to enhance the garden with different smells, sounds and textures. The project was funded from the Community Investment Fund at Sanctuary Group, the parent company of Sanctuary Care.

Home manager Denise Clark said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the improvements to our garden, which is the result of a lot of hard work from our volunteers. We would like to say a massive thanks to those who volunteered from the community and our local branch of Asda and the Sanctuary Maintenance and Community Investment team who really helped us out.

“We thought what better way to show off our new garden than to hold a day of activities, entertainment and fun for people of all ages. Our residents had a wonderful day and it was lovely inviting along friends, family and the local community to join in the fun.”

Facilities to receive dementia funding FIVE care homes in the County Durham region, operated by Four Seasons Health Care, are among 116 hospitals and care homes selected to receive Department of Health funding that will facilitate projects to improve quality of life for people living with dementia.

The five homes have been allocated a £232,439 portion of the £50m ‘Dementia Friendly Environments’ state fund for the progression of their services.

The Department of Health earmarked £144,100 for Brockwell Court Care Home, while Barrington Lodge Care, a specialist dementia facility, is set to receive £13,839. £41,500 has been designated to Redwell Hills Care Home, while Abigail Lodge Care Home has secured £25,000 and Langley Park will be given £8,000.

The money will support a range of internal and external enhancements across the homes. In order to reduce stress, enable activities and encourage independence and social interaction, space within the homes will be optimised through the creation of sensory rooms and gardens. Other homes will aim to improve the delivery of their dining experience. Additional changes will also include artwork and signage.

Project submissions were made in January and proposed work is to be completed by March 31.

Marjorie Condacos, regional operations manager, who oversaw the successful submissions with the support of Durham Council, said: “I’m grateful to the Department of Health selecting the homes under my jurisdiction, and for Durham Council in assisting us with the applications.”

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State-of-the-art care centre opens in Cheltenham

By Dominic Musgrave THE Orders of St John Care Trust has officially opened Gloucestershire’s newest care facility – Windsor Street Care Centre – in Cheltenham.

His Most Eminent Highness (HMEH) Fra’ Matthew Festing, Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, attended the event to tour the new centre and unveil a commemorative plaque.

Developed as a state-of-the-art care home for older people, Windsor Street provides person-centered care, activities, hobbies, trips and entertainment, a high quality menu of food and superb facilities built with residents’ needs in mind.

Windsor Street also offers nursing care and a specialist dementia unit, in addition to respite care for those who may only require a short stay.

Equipped with 81 beds, the £6.2m care facility is divided into five separate household units, each self-contained and providing all of the personal, communal and dining space needed to care for the residents who live there.

With a hairdressing salon situated on the

ground floor, along with a number of ‘themed’ sitting rooms and pieces of textured and tactile wall art spread throughout, Among the home’s ‘themed’ sitting rooms is a Garden Room featuring realistic wooden fence wallpaper, live plants and an antique watering can, along with a Tea Room designed to look like the exterior of a cafe complete with stone brick wallpaper design, a scaled down front-of-shop facade with signage and ‘al fresco’ seating.

Andrew Cheesbrough, OSJCT’s Chief Executive, said: “Windsor Street Care Centre is the latest addition to our ongoing programme of creating care schemes and facilities that meet all current and future requirements for the care of older people in Gloucestershire. We’re sure Windsor Street will be a great asset to the local community.”

Windsor Street Care Centre is part of a £100m project to upgrade or replace care homes for older people across the Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

As part of the project, OSJCT is working in partnership with the county councils and bpha, a leading provider of affordable homes throughout central, southern and eastern England.

Somerset Care has appointed Sue Norreys as development co-ordinator for West Somerset, North Somerset and Gloucester.

In her new role she will be responsible for working with both community services and residential and nursing homes to develop links within the local communities and promote the services that Somerset Care can provide. Sue said: “I couldn’t be more proud to be working for Somerset Care. The warm welcome I have received from everyone and the dedication and hard work of all the staff here is truly breathtaking.”

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Chefs challenged to serve Britain’s best roast dinner Waypoints Plymouth resident Jess enjoys the company of a college student in the memory workshop.

Students forge links with residents RESIDENTS at Waypoints dementia care home have taken part in memory workshops with local students in a pioneering ‘city friendly’ initiative in Plymouth.

A link has been forged between Waypoints and Stoke Damerel Community College which has committed to placing dementia awareness and understanding at the heart of core curriculum learning for its pupils.

A Level students have been visiting the specialist home for activity sessions involving arts and crafts to stimulate memories and social interaction for the residents.

Head of care at Waypoints Plymouth, Susie Theobold, said: “When we heard that Stoke Damerel was applying dementiarelated issues to main curriculum subjects we recognised, as a specialist care provider, that this was a mutually beneficial opportunity for our residents to also enjoy the company of young people and the therapy from the memory workshops.

“We couldn’t have asked for a more positive response from our residents and the students and we intend to develop this initiative in the future.”

THE National Association of Care Catering and Age UK are backing the nationwide hunt for Britain’s Best Care Home Roast, sponsored by Knorr Gravy and supported by Colman’s.

Care home chefs are being challenged to create a roast with a flavoursome twist to celebrate British Roast Dinner Week 2013, which runs from September 30 to October 6.

NACC chair Karen Oliver and Age UK’s marketing and communications manager Elizabeth Whiddett will join the panel of judges searching for the care home roast which succeeds in making mealtimes the highlight of residents’ days.

Karen said: “At the NACC we’re passionate about improving food nutrition and hydration practices.

This competition puts nutrition at the top of the agenda and succeeds in making meal times the highlight of residents’ day.”

It’s simple to enter. All you need to do is celebrate British Roast Dinner Week by putting on two different roasts with a twist for residents to try and write about what was special about each one. Then ask as many residents as you can which one they

preferred and why. Give your winning roast dinner a delicious name and description and, if possible, take a picture. There are bonus points available for pictures.

The winning care home will take the Britain’s Best Care Home Roast title and receive: a hamper of Knorr and Colman’s goodies, a certificate and a giant board game for the residents. Unilever Food Solutions will also shout about the winning care home’s success in the local community by organising free PR coverage. Three runners up will win five tubs of Knorr Gravy, a certificate and a Colman’s kit (oven glove and apron) and a Dove kit for the residents. Seven finalists will also walk away with a Colman’s kit (oven glove and apron) and certificate.

Entries should be emailed to donna@williammurray.co.uk by October 18. Alternatively, post your entry to: Donna White at William Murray Communications, Cygnet House, 12-14 Sydenham Road, Croydon, CR0 2EE. Judging takes place on October 21 and the winners will be announced on October 24.

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Bupa purchases village operator

Hannah Craggs and James Henderson.

Students’ 26-hour bike ride challenge raises money for villagers TWO students have powered their way through a gruelling 26 hour bike ride in a bid to raise hundreds of pounds to help villagers in Fiji.

Hannah Craggs and James Henderson, both 20, completed the marathon ride on gym bikes at Middleton Hall Retirement Village, in Middleton St George, near Darlington, where they both work as kitchen assistants during the holidays. The pair took it in shifts to bike as they powered through the night, averaging 15km an hour and taking it in turns to fuel up on food.

They are hoping to have raised hundreds of pounds in sponsorship, which was boosted by launching a competition to ask residents at the retirement village to guess how many kilometres they would cycle in 26 hours.

The pair cycled 342km between them, which was boosted to 390km by some of the village’s fit residents and staff who joined them on the bikes throughout the challenge.

Now she is looking forward to taking the money to Fiji herself as part of a two week placement to the

country’s capital, Suva, organised by the travel organisation, Volunteer Eco Students Abroad.

Hannah, who is studying psychology at Teesside University, said: “We were going to try and cycle 19,000 km, which is the distance to Fiji, but opted instead to cycle for 26 hours – the length of time it will take me to get there.

“The Fijians really need help with their infrastructure so we’ll be helping them gain access to fresh water, build a school and animal enclosures and teach English and maths to their primary school children.

“It’s fantastic to raise this money and then to actually take it across with me. I’ll be able to see firsthand where it’s being spent. A few hundred pounds will make a real difference.”

VESA runs a programme of community-based volunteer work abroad. In Fiji. Hannah will be helping to construct rain water catchment tanks so villagers have access to fresh, clean running water and restoring the school equipment and buildings.

ECCA finalises speaker line-up ECCA has finalised its line-up of authoritative sector speakers for ‘Safe & Sound’, its conference on the future of safeguarding.

Delivering the keynote speech will be SCIE chair Lord Bichard, whose original report on safeguarding back in 2004 helped to shape the current legislation.

Jon Rouse, director general of social care at the Department of Health and Andrea Sutcliffe, the newly appointed CQC chief inspector of adult social

care, will then set out their thoughts both on the status quo and potential ways forward. A legal view on the future of safeguarding will be offered

by Andrew Parsons, a partner of the law firm RadcliffesLeBrasseur, while Bob Lewis, chair of the safeguarding board at HC-One Ltd, will round off the debate with a care provider’s perspective.

The event will take place at the Church House Conference Centre in Westminster on November 6.

BUPA has made a further step into the care village sector by acquiring Richmond Care Villages.

Richmond currently owns and operates five care villages in England which are home to over 660 people. The deal also includes three further sites for developing new care villages.

The five villages – in Gloucester, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, and Oxfordshire – include independent living apartments and assisted-living support, along with residential care, all on one site.

Managing director of Bupa Care Services, Andrew Cannon, said: “This acquisition underlines Bupa’s strategy to offer older people a wider choice and expand the range of services that we provide beyond care homes and further into the community. Richmond is an excellent company, with great people, and good locations, that will help us to meet these

ambitions. We all want to retain our independence as we age. But we also want access to high-quality services and facilities, with the reassurance that further support is on hand if we need it, without having to move elsewhere. Care villages provide this all on one site.”

Under the deal, all existing 600 Richmond staff and management will move to Bupa.

Richmond Care Villages managing director, Paddy Brice, said: “I am delighted that Richmond is to become part of Bupa – one of the best known and most trusted names in healthcare.

We both share a commitment to providing the highest-quality service, care and support for our residents.

“I believe this move will greatly assist Richmond’s future expansion, allow us all to share expertise, and bring the benefits of Bupa’s global reach to our people.”

Gareth Lye with councillor Pat Callaghan (centre) and teachers from Haverstock School and the pupils who designed the stained glass window.

Pupils’ designs unveiled as part of care home project DESIGNS by budding art students at a Camden school have been used to create a stained glass window for a new care home.

Maitland Park, which will officially open later this year, is a joint venture between Camden council and Shaw Healthcare that will provide nursing and extra care facilities for local residents. Year nine (ages 13-14) pupils at Haverstock School were asked by health and social care provider Shaw Healthcare to draw designs that reflect Camden life and the area’s history so they could be reproduced onto the window.

The drawings were taken to Camden council’s Ingestre Road and Wellesley Road care homes for their residents, who will be the first to move in to Maitland Park, to review, with several designs from the class being selected and incorporated onto the stained glass.

Councillor Pat Callaghan, cabinet member for adult social care and

health, said: “I'm delighted that Camden pupils have been able to take part in the design of the window.

“Their involvement means that the window includes images that are important to local people and that residents of Maitland Park will enjoy looking at.”

The designs were brought to life by stained glass artist Gareth Lye, and the window panels have now been installed in the café area of the care home for residents to enjoy for years to come.

Sean Tregonning, head of marketing and communications at Shaw Healthcare, said: “It’s been a fantastic project for us to oversee, and we’ve loved taking a look at some of the stories that the pupils have told about Camden life through their designs.

“The end result is terrific, and we couldn’t be happier to display the designs in our new care home, Maitland Park, which will open later this year.”

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‘Kept’ uniforms cost sector up to £10.5m

By Dominic Musgrave THE healthcare sector could be suffering crippling losses of up to £10.5 million due to staff failing to return company uniforms and equipment when they leave their jobs, it has been claimed.

Data from workwear specialists at Alexandra has found that at a time when many businesses are continuing to keep a tightened belt on core operations and shave away unnecessary costs, these losses demonstrate that significant leaks still exist in many businesses’ efficiency methods.

And even though many companies are aware that individual outgoing staff are keeping hold of their uniforms, they are often unaware of the financial hit that this involves. As a result, little is being done to recoup the impact this cost is having not only for individual businesses, but for the economy as a whole.

A major factor is a high number of employees working on temporary contracts adding to high staff turnover rates, which are already higher within healthcare than most other industries. According to the most recent industry breakdown, the healthcare sector has a staff turnover rate of 13.2 per cent, meaning they are one of the most vulnerable sectors to the potential losses

facing businesses.

Martin Lyne, managing director at Alexandra, said that businesses must review all of their procurement spend in order to identify how to make savings.

He added: “Businesses need to make sure that they do not end up overlooking areas of significant hidden costs when looking to control their finances. Identifying all areas of potential loss is essential to understanding where companies need to make cuts.

“Unfortunately, among the many costs and difficult decisions facing businesses at the moment, workwear losses have seemed unimportant, either due to lack of awareness of the value involved, or because it is a burden upon time and resources.

“However, it is important that businesses understand the true impact upon the sector and begin to take this issue seriously by closing the gap on what is essentially a very avoidable cost.

“Although losses being caused by workwear wastage are significant, businesses can protect themselves by implementing a simple, conscientious uniform policy. Being more active about getting workwear and equipment back from workers is a small time investment that will pay dividends in the long run.”

Audrey Farrell enjoys afternoon tea at Springhill served by Matt Nolan of the lifestyle support team.

Tea room goes down a treat RESIDENTS at a Lancashire care home are raising a cup to their latest facility – a traditional tea room.

A cup of tea and a chat are always on the menu at Springhill Care Home, where a tea-coffee bar has been created to provide a relaxed environment for the residents, relatives and friends alike.

The fayre on offer includes a full range of modern and traditional teas

and coffees, along with home-made scones, biscuits and cakes.

Theresa Swan, general manager at Springhill, said: “We wanted to create a special place where the residents can chat with each other and relatives and friends can share the moment with a cup of tea or coffee.

“The coffee bar has quickly become one of the focal points of the home.”

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Care home provider in Google world first

By Dominic Musgrave

Twins Daniel and Michael Smith with Layla Reid and Barchester representatives Alexa Crew and Helen Maiello.

Trio open new care home THREE inspirational youngsters unveiled a plaque and cut a celebratory cake to officially open a new care home in Cheswick Village.

Barchester’s Beaufort Grange was opened by eight-year-old Layla Reid, author of a book entitled 'Epilepsy book for kids'. Layla is a young carer for her mother Sarah and wrote the book to help other children understand more about epilepsy through the first-hand experience she has gained.

This year she was awarded runnerup in the Young Epilepsy Champions Awards and is working with Young Epilepsy to make a film, which will be

delivered in schools all over the UK to raise awareness of epilepsy.

Layla was joined by identical twins Daniel and Michael Smith, who both have an extremely rare genetic disorder – Lebers Optic Neuropathy – that has resulted in total loss of vision. Daniel is the first blind engineer ever to graduate from Bristol University, while Michael graduated from King’s College London, reading Geography, and was part of the Team GB Paralympics football team.

He will start law school shortly and has secured a training contract with a top law firm in London.

NEW luxury care home provider Gracewell Healthcare has become the first in the world to use Google street map technology to show off the inside of one of its care homes.

The virtual tour means prospective residents, their families and healthcare professionals can have a detailed guided tour of the home from anywhere in the world.

The first home to employ the technology, Parker Meadows in Fareham, Hampshire, has already seen people from as far afield as Canada and America log on to the service to take a look at the home before recommending it to their loved ones here in the UK. Home manager Geraint Williams said the virtual tour was a huge help to people deciding which care home to choose.

He added: “This makes everyone’s lives easier, from prospective residents to commissioning healthcare professionals, because they can instantly see if we are suitable for them, even before coming for a visit in person.

“This is such an important decision for families that I knew we needed to do something radical that would make the whole process of choosing a care home much more intelligent.

“Now they can simply go online and have a good look around the home to see our fabulous luxury facility via a computer, iPad, laptop or even a mobile phone.

“I firmly believe technology like this is the future of the social care sector as people demand more and more transparency.”

Geraint said he had received welcome feedback from local healthcare professionals and residents on the new Google technology.

“With so many homes in our local area no healthcare professional could know all of them and remember all the tiny details about layout and size,” he added. “Now they can simply go online and it’s all there for them.

Many professionals have told me how useful this is.

“Potential residents also benefit hugely because if they are too frail to visit when waiting for a discharge from hospital I can visit them with an iPad and introduce them to their new home and allow them to choose their new room – this takes away a lot of fear of the unknown and they then already recognise the home when they first arrive.”

How are you embracing technology at your care home? Let Dominic Musgrave know by emailing dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

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Care agency shortlisted in awards

By Dominic Musgrave A SUSSEX-based care agency is celebrating after being shortlisted in this year’s Business Matters Awards.

Avens Ltd, who has a care home in Crowborough and a care agency providing supported living for adults across the county, has been shortlisted for the prestigious education and training award.

The Business Matters Awards, which take place at the Copthorne Hotel in Effingham, celebrate the best businesses from across East and West Sussex. To be shortlisted for the education and training award entrants had to demonstrate how staff are trained, what methods are employed to do so and how objectives are met.

The shortlisted entry impressed judges by explaining how the company provides in house training and employment for over 80 members of staff. Taking a huge financial risk, the

company chose to set up its own inhouse training system which has proven to be a great success. Staff receive training regularly from one of three dedicated trainers who help staff to reach the required level of attainment.

Clair Andrews, head of education and training within the company, said: “We are thrilled to have made the shortlist for The Business Matters Awards and to be chosen from among so many other successful companies is a real honour.

“As far as we are aware we were one of the first care organisations of this size to bring training in-house to the level that we are able to offer it and we consider this to be a huge advantage over our competitors.

“Although this is recognition for the department’s efforts, we couldn’t achieve what we do without the great team of people we have around us.”

Resident Martin Johnson with St Marks Court manager Nikki Coulson.

Fifties’ street re-kindles memories RESIDENTS at St Marks Court care home in Gateshead can take a step back in time with the creation of a 1950’s style street in one of the home’s corridors.

Members of staff at the Akari Care owned facility have transformed a hallway on the third floor of the home into a quirky 1950’s street, which they have named Jackson Street.

Complete with brick wallpaper, the street displays a selection of shop fronts that look back to the past, including a newsagent, tobacconist, Co-op, greengrocers, butchers and

bakers, which are stocked with original and replica items as well as having red and white shop front canopies.

Manager Nikki Coulson said: “As St Marks Court specialises in dementia care, our new 1950’s street is a perfect way for us to encourage our residents to reminisce and re-kindle memories of their younger days.

“It is great to see our residents walking down the street and talking about the items and the shops and the members of staff are getting a fantastic insight into our residents’ pasts.”

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Care home fined over pneumonia risk to residents Home manager Keith Wilson is joined at the memorial bench ceremony by Mary Byrne’s daughters Sam Rees and Sarah Harrison, sons Ben Byrne and David Barrett and parents Richard and Lillian Pittam.

Home dedicates bench to road accident victim Mary A BRADFORD care home has dedicated a memorial bench to a much-loved member of staff who died in a road accident.

Family, friends, residents and staff were invited to a blessing of the bench at Amore Care’s Cooper House, which was conducted by the Rev Marion Gaskill, of St Michael’s and All Angels Church in Shelf.

Kitchen assistant Mary Byrne, 51, had worked at the home since 2010.

She died in a road accident in April.

Home manager Keith Wilson said: “Mary was a well-loved and respected member of staff, who is much missed by her colleagues, residents and friends at Cooper House.

“The home has a great atmosphere of support and companionship, and Mary was a big part of the Cooper House ‘family’.

“We wanted to pay tribute Mary and thought a bench in our beautiful garden would be a lovely way of honouring her memory.”

THE owners of a Wallasey care home have been ordered to pay £40,000 in fines and costs after it failed to manage the risk of elderly residents catching a potentially fatal form of pneumonia.

Mother Redcaps Care Home Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive after it failed to comply with an improvement notice to assess the risk from the legionella bacteria.

Liverpool Crown Court was told that the care home did not have a system in place for managing its hot and cold water. It was first served with an improvement notice requiring a risk assessment in November 2011, following a visit from a HSE inspector.

The company was given two extensions to a deadline to comply with the notice.

However, it had still failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment by May 2012, despite being offered help and guidance on what was required.

The court heard that up to 50 residents, as well as the nursing home's employees, could have been put at risk of contracting Legionnaires' disease if the bacteria

had been present.

Mother Redcaps Care Home Ltd in Leyland was fined £6,525 and ordered to pay £33,475 in costs after pleading guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

HSE Inspector Phil Redman said: “While there is no evidence that residents or members of staff were exposed to legionella bacteria, there was a clear and inexcusable failure to properly assess and control the risk.

“Elderly people and those with poor health are particularly susceptible to Legionnaire's disease so the company should have done more to assess and control the risks, making sure lives weren't put in danger.

“We gave Mother Redcaps several opportunities to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment after it received the Improvement Notice, but it failed to satisfy the requirements of the notice. This case should act as a warning to firms that they will find themselves in court if they ignore enforcement notices.”

Legionnaires' disease is caused by bacteria found naturally in rivers, lakes and reservoirs, but which can multiply and become dangerous in some purpose-built water systems.

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One in four care home residents ‘treated like children’ at mealtimes

By Dominic Musgrave MORE than a quarter of people with friends and relatives in care homes say their loved ones are sometimes treated as children at mealtimes, a new report from YouGov reveals.

The ‘Care Home Catering’ research interviewed relations and acquaintances of people with experience of care homes.

It found that that 28 per cent of current and 26 per cent of recent care home users say their friends or relatives are sometimes treated as children at mealtimes.

YouGov’s survey showed that most residents need help some or all of the time with eating (51 per cent of current residents, 73 per cent of recent) and a high proportion need help some or all of the time with drinking (45 per cent of current and 68 per cent of recent residents).

The study also revealed that 15 per cent of current users and 26 per cent of recent users did not think their friend or relative was helped enough to eat and 16 per cent of current users and 24 per cent of recent users did

James McCoy not think their friend or relative was given sufficient assistance to remain properly hydrated.

However, despite these concerns, more than half (53 per cent) of those with acquaintances and relations currently in care homes say food standards are better than that provided in NHS hospitals. Among those who have recently had relations and acquaintances in care, the percentage is slightly lower (48 per cent).

James McCoy, research director at YouGov, said: “As the recent stories about meal standards in the NHS

show, food and care go hand in hand.

“It is a mixed picture in the care home sector. Many view the standard of food their loved ones received in care homes to be higher than they got in hospitals.

“The quality of the meals is generally thought to be high but the area where the sector needs to improve is how the food is consumed.

“With so many residents needing help with meals, staff in homes need to make sure they are treated in a professional and sympathetic manner.”

YouGov’s research suggests that while important, food is less important than other factors such as comfortable rooms for those in care.

Nevertheless, more than half of those asked (56 per cent) consider nutritious, high-quality food to be very important with regard to friends and relatives who are currently or have recently been in care homes.

84 per cent of current users and 85 per cent of recent users believe that it is very important that all residents and patients have access to good quality food at all times.

Apprentice award for chef James

YOUNG chef James Howarth has all the ingredients of becoming a huge success at a care home in Accrington.

James, 22, who works for Springhill, has been named the apprentice of the year by his tutors at Blackburn College, where he attends the professional cookery course apprenticeship level two covering meat, sauces, fish, stock and other cookery disciplines.

The achievement was rewarded with a special presentation ceremony during which James received his certificate and special award with congratulations from his tutors.

He has also been recommended to progress on to the level three course for another year.

James said: “I thoroughly enjoy the job at Springhill and the excitement of working in a busy kitchen with a great team.

“I’d like to pursue this as a career and I’d like to thank Springhill for giving me this opportunity.”

At Springhill, a presentation was also held for James accompanied by a bottle of champagne to celebrate and mark the success.

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CARINGNEWS

New manager for Hereford care home CHARLES Court care home in Hereford has appointed an experienced new manager.

Tracy Small, a registered nurse who has more than 15 years experience in the healthcare sector, will be supported by a new deputy manager and clinical lead.

She has worked at board and subboard level within the NHS in roles including deputy director of nursing and quality and deputy director of clinical development and innovation.

Tracy moved into the care home sector in 2011, initially with Bupa until June when she joined Amore Care.

Coreen Benjamin has been promoted to deputy manager.

Also a registered nurse, with 23 years’ experience, she began working at Charles Court in 2011.

Clinical lead Sara Armstrong has worked within the care home sector since 2000 and qualified as a registered nurse in 2008.

Tracy said: “I am passionate about the quality of care for older people and, together with Coreen and Sara, will work tirelessly to ensure that the standard of care at Charles Court is consistently high.

“I am looking forward to working with the team to provide care for the residents that embodies respect, dignity and kindness.”

Residents step back in time with 1950s’ shop

By Dominic Musgrave A CORNISH care home has built a 1950s’ style shop to help its residents who have dementia.

Trevaylor Manor in Penzance is a care home for the elderly specialising in dementia care. The Swallowcourt home has built the replica shop to help its residents take comfort in reminiscence.

It has been made to look and feel like one from the 1950s with food packaging from the era – ration books, old coins, a vintage telephone, newspaper articles, sweets and even broken biscuits for three shillings.

Along with brands such as Scott’s Porage Oats, Fry’s chocolate and Marmite, the shop has a Singer sewing machine and a newspaper article with the headline “The Crowning Glory: Everest is Climbed” from 1953.

The project is the idea of Sue Godfrey, manager of the dementia care unit. She said: “The majority of people we care for are in their 80s so we’ve pitched the shop in the 1950s, when they would have been young people.

“The shop stimulates interactions as it triggers the residents’ long term memories. People engage with each other, laugh, swap memories and find

Resident Jack Reed is offered a sweet in the mock 1950s shop by Sue Godfrey, manager of the dementia care unit.

Picture credit: Nina Zietman. a common ground.”

The shop will be used for small groups and on a one-to-one basis with recreational therapists at Trevaylor Manor.

Sue added: “We practice personcentred care where we look past the dementia and see the person. By telling us what they did in their earlier life, it makes our residents feel

important. They become the teller and they tell us about their experience at that time. It has a really positive effect on their wellbeing and self-esteem.”

Families of the residents have been eager to get involved, donating 1950s memorabilia including LP records, the sewing machine, a first aid kit and men’s shaving equipment.

CARINGNEWS

Shaw Healthcare chairman Alun Thomas presents Mel Bennett with her long service certificate.

Mel celebrates 20 years THE manager of a Southborne care home celebrated her 20th year with a party for friends and residents.

Mel Bennett, 42, has been at Glebe House since 1993 when she joined as a care support worker, and has worked her way up to the top.

Around 60 people turned out for the celebration including Glebe House’s previous manager of 25 years, Penny Atherton, who was responsible for giving Mel her first job.

She said: “As a child, we would visit

the home with the school choir to sing at Christmas and harvest festivals, and it always seemed such a happy environment.

“I originally wanted to work here because a lot of my friends already had jobs here but now I can’t imagine working anywhere else.

“Knowing the residents are happy and cared for so efficiently is essential and I have a great team of staff behind me who I know are dedicated and committed to their work.”

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CARINGNEWS

Eric Pickles MP dances with Helen Garfield.

Picture credit: Karen Zetter.

Eric enjoys dance during visit SECRETARY of state for communities and local government Eric Pickles MP joined Hackney Jewish councillor Linda Kelly on a visit to Jewish Care’s Brenner community centre today.

Eric toured the building and met a range of people and groups from across the community who use the centre. He then joined Jewish Care day centre members for tea and a dance.

Jewish Care’s Brenner Centre is located in the heart of Stamford Hill and is increasingly used by the growing Charedi community as well as being the base for Jewish Care’s homecare services, a day centre for elderly people in the community, a

specialist dementia day care centre and a mental health centre for wellbeing run by JAMI. Vice chair of Jewish Care, Debbie Fox, said: “The Stamford Hill community is a growing yet changing community.

“We are increasingly reaching out to different groups within the community to ensure the centre continues to meet the changing needs of this community.

“The secretary of state was able to see much of this work in action. He understands the real value that a centre like the Brenner Centre can bring to a diverse range of people within in a community.”

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CARINGNEWS

“We’re all in” – helping the sector save for later life

By Steve Webb PEOPLE often see saving for a pension as something they can put off until tomorrow. But leave it too late, and you won’t have built up very much to live on by the time you retire.

Research shows as many as two thirds of those in the private sector do not have a workplace pension – the lowest since records began.

That is why we have introduced the biggest change to the pensions system in a century, giving up to 11 million people a helping hand. A new duty was introduced in October which requires employers to automatically enrol their staff into a workplace pension. By 2018 this will cover every workplace – from the largest to the very smallest – and applies to all workers aged between 22 and state pension age earning more than £9,440 a year.

However, anyone can opt in and it’s not always necessary to wait until your firm enrols you. Care workers can enrol straight away if their bosses already have a scheme.

For employers, the important message is to start preparing now. It is a legal duty to enrol eligible workers, so check the date for your size of company at the Pensions Regulator website www.tpr.gov.uk.

Employers with 2,000 staff or more

are now enrolling their staff. If you have fewer than 50 workers you won’t be staging until June 2015 at the earliest but the rule of thumb is to allow 18 months to prepare.

Employers should also Steve Webb choose a provider that’s right for them. The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) has been established as a lowcost, low-hassle option. But TPR can help answer any questions you have before you decide, and you may choose one of the many other providers in the market.

We’ve set contributions low to encourage as many people to stay in and start saving. Initially, employees contribute one per cent of their gross monthly salary, rising to five per cent by 2018. That is matched by one per cent from the employer, rising to three per cent which makes a minimum contribution of eight per cent.

We recognise there are some costs involved in setting up a workplace

pension scheme. But we have done much to ease the burden on employers, including staggering staging dates and an optional “postponement period” of up to three months before a worker needs to be automatically enrolled. This will save businesses around £170m a year in contribution costs. Offering a workplace pension can also enhance your reputation as an employer, and could provide an ideal opportunity to review the existing benefits you offer employees.

Some have already seen this as a chance to help them attract and retain high-quality employees by contributing more than the statutory minimum. Others know this can increase workers’ loyalty and morale.

From posters and your intranet, to letters or text messages, we have found employers can make a real difference by communicating with their workers about the pension changes.

There is material to support you with this on the TPR website. It is important to let workers know that money is also paid in by their employer, which boosts their own savings. A million people have already been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, and we are seeing stunningly high participation rates among some of our biggest employers.

Steve Webb is the Minister for Pensions.

Anonymous donor’s gift celebrated A GROUP of retirement housing tenants have celebrated the gift of a legacy at a garden party held in honour of a generous donor.

Residents at Bield’s Fountain Quay complex at Kirn, Argyll are enjoying new additions to their garden and communal areas thanks to a donation from a former tenant. The anonymous donor lived at the Fountain Quay retirement housing development before her death.

She bequeathed a substantial undisclosed sum which has been spent on improvements to the garden as well as a refurbished conservatory, an entertainment system and new access doors.

Alice Williamson, manager at Bield Fountain Quay, said: “This lady was happy here and left us a sum of money in her will that was to be used for the good of the tenants. The tenants and staff got together and decided how the legacy should be spent.

“This lady enjoyed the garden so it was fitting for us to plant some new rose bushes as well as put up a plaque in the garden in her honour. We also put in some new doors that are easier for the tenants to use, and refurbished the conservatory.”

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CARINGNEWS

The Virgin Media volunteer team with Heartly Green resident Terence Jordan.

Volunteers brighten up care home’s gardens RESIDENTS and staff at a Salford care home welcomed a team of volunteers from Virgin Media’s customer care department.

Heartly Green, a specialist residential facility for older people and part of national social care charity Community Integrated Care was chosen by the 11-strong volunteer team for their volunteer day, donated as part of Virgin’s corporate volunteering scheme.

Their packed day involved jetwashing the paving area and weeding and tidying flowerbeds.

The team also created a special enhancement for one resident in

particular, when they laid an area paving stones so that he could safely access the potting sheds in his wheelchair.

Home manager Tina Callan said: “The team from Virgin Media has done a wonderful job and on behalf of everyone here, I would like to thank them for generously donating their time to us.

“They have put so much thought and effort into how they could make the area more accessible and beautiful for our residents, who benefit significantly from being able to spend time in the gardens when the sun is out.”

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CARINGNEWS

Home trials new memory aid site A NEW ‘home help’ website giving dementia patients timely reminders and reassuring them of key visits of family, relatives, social activities and carers is being trialled in a Sheffield care home.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has become the first NHS organisation in the country to start using an innovative memory aid system called myhomehelper – inspired by former computer programmer Kevin Marsch’s own personal experience of dementia.

Kevin, 39, of Hull, has been caring for his mum, Patricia, for the last two years after she was diagnosed with vascular dementia, the second commonest form of the illness which occurs when the oxygen supply fails and brain cells die.

During the early stages of her illness he started receiving 10 to 20 anxious calls a day at work simply because she was unable to remember what time he was due back home or when he was popping round for a visit.

As a result, Kevin started putting simple messages on her computer when he was on a holiday. This made her a lot less anxious and the technology developed from there.

Now a new online system based on Kevin’s experiences is being tested by Royal Hallamshire staff caring for dementia patients in the community.

The facility allows them to post practical messages and reminders to residents about scheduled events taking place at the care home on to a computer monitor displayed in the home’s lounge area. This includes what time lunch is due to be served and when the hairdresser and podiatrist will be visiting all patients.

Jayne Stocks, a specialist nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Although technology will never replace face to face care, in conjunction with formal and informal care it can help meet individual and families care needs.

“Kevin developed this system for use with individuals in their own home, and we’ve been trialling the system in the community to see how it works. Since the care home has started using the technology, fewer relatives have been asking what time daily events are scheduled to happen as this information is available on the system. It’s also reduced the number of questions about key visits, such as when the chiropodist is coming, freeing up time for staff to spend more time assisting patients.”

The technology has been installed in the lounge area of the Pexton Grange care home, which has a number of NHS intermediate care beds and therapy staff work alongside care home staff to promote rehabilitation.

Dr Kevin O’Sullivan receives the award from Robert Goodwill MP and Dave Allan, managing director of Excellence Squared Ltd.

Home receives excellence award ROBERT Goodwill MP presented Dr Kevin and Teresa O’Sullivan, owners of Peregrine House in Whitby, with an Excellence in Care Standard award.

The home is the first in the country to be presented with the accolade.

A new accreditation, it is a national and international benchmark for recognising care establishments which can demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement.

Homes achieving the standard are recognised as providing superlative care over and above regulatory com-

pliance.

Dave Allan, managing director of Excellence Squared Ltd, who own and developed the standard, said: “Many congratulations to the team at Peregrine House on achieving the high levels of performance distinguished by the Excellence in Care Standard.

“It was confirmed by all the people interviewed by the EiCS assessor that Peregrine House truly is a great place to live and a rewarding working environment for the staff.”

CARINGNEWS Advertiser’s announcement

Working together to improve adult social care and support across the sector ADULT social care employers and workers are already signing up the Social Care Commitment which aims to improve the quality of care and support offered across the sector.

Employers and employees sign up online to seven clear commitments designed to help develop the skills and knowledge of the growing care workforce.

They focus on real workplace issues including effective communication, upholding dignity and protecting privacy, with the focus on helping people working to deliver safe, high quality care and support.

The commitment has been developed by partners from across the sector who understand how busy people working in care are.

Signing up has been designed to be easy and time spent signing up is worthwhile as it will help make a real difference to the quality of service offered.

Signing up is free and all you have do is: Register your details and create your login.

Go through seven commitments.

The commitments are made up of straightforward ‘I will..’ statements and are backed by tasks that help workers and employers put the commitment into practice.

The tasks can be used to generate evidence for the Common Induction Standards and adult social care qualifications.

When you have signed up to the commitment you will get access to a range of resources that will help with workforce development and key issues including recruitment and retention and worker safety.

The resources will help employers embed the commitments across their

organisation and can be used to support both employers and employees to complete the tasks.

It has been created so employers and workers are linked when they make their commitment. Employers or parent organisations should register first and then they can send a unique code to their workers so anyone working in the same organisation is linked together.

To help organisations and individual employers train and develop their workforce the commitment uses the information you enter to produce organisational and personal development plans.

These plans can be used to support learning and development which mean the commitment is not just words but has a real, practical impact.

As well as improving the standards across the sector the commitment will play a key role in raising public confidence in care services.

From December people thinking about using care and support services will be able to visit the NHS Choices website to see which CQC registered employers have signed up.

At the same time the public will be able to use the search function on the Social Care Commitment website and search to see which care providers in their area have made the commitment.

The public will be able to see which organisation has signed up, which will inform what care and support services they will choose for themselves or their families.

As one employer said: ‘why wouldn’t you sign up?’

To sign up today and for more information visit www.thesocialcarecommitment.org.uk

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CARINGNEWS

Apartments named after local family ONE of Essex’s most famous historical families – the Maynards – are being remembered in the naming of a new retirement apartment development in Great Easton.

Maynard House is the chosen name of the apartment project currently under construction by Retirement Villages Group Ltd which is using this latest building work to rename its entire village in Great Easton from The Moat House to Moat Park.

“The name changes mark a new era for this village,” explained Sarah Burgess, group sales and marketing director. ”We specifically wanted to include the Maynard title as this family have a rich heritage connected with this area and we wanted to celebrate this fact.”

The Maynards were a local family dating back to the 18th Century and were great benefactors throughout Little and Great Easton. 26 apartments are being built in the grounds of Moat Park which is already the setting for an established care home. It has been known as The Moat House for many years and will keep its name to retain a sense of continuity.

Group marks anniversary of first home opening

By Dominic Musgrave A WEST Yorkshire-based care group marked the 30th anniversary of opening its first home with a charity dinner that raised £500 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Czajka Care Group opened Staveley Birk Leas Nursing Home in 1983 before opening Fairmount Nursing Home and Brookfield Care Home, which are all in Nab Wood. In 2003 the firm opened Currergate Nursing Home in Steeton and Beanlands Nursing Home in Cross Hills.

The company also offers a range of purpose-built retirement houses and apartments and launched Czajka Community Care Services in 2001.

Today Czajka Care Group has a turnover of approximately £10m and employs a 550-strong team.

Managing director Konrad Czajka said: “When we launched the business in 1983 the main aim was to always put our residents first and offer an exceptional level of care in high quality homes that surpass anything else in the area. Today this ethos remains the same and has been key to our success. Even after 30 years we still continually strive to push the boundaries and promote the fact that people living in care homes deserve to continue living life to the full so we offer lots of amenities that can

Konrad Czajka presents a cheque for £500 to Yorkshire Air Ambulance's Sheila Robinson. include Wi-Fi internet, restaurants, a health club, swimming pool, snooker, a bowling green, putting green, as well as a full schedule of entertainment and activities.

“Marking our 30th anniversary is a fantastic milestone for Czajka Care Group. We’ve been well-supported throughout our celebrations and

we’re delighted to be able to present a cheque to Yorkshire Air Ambulance which offers a fantastic service to the region and plays an important role in saving lives on a daily basis.”

The money was raised at the event for employees, friends of the company, residents and their families during a tombola and raffle.

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CARINGNEWS

The importance of being clear about misconduct

By Ben Stepney THE recent case of Tayeh v Barchester Healthcare Limited demonstrates the importance of having clear and upto-date disciplinary procedures.

It also confirms established law that an employment tribunal, in considering whether a dismissal is fair, must assess whether dismissal comes within the reasonable band of responses available to an employer and must not to substitute its own view as to whether it would have chosen to dismiss in the circumstances.

The claimant in this case was a nurse at a care home. At 2am on December 2 2009 the general manager of the home made an unannounced visit. She found that a number of fire doors were propped open, a number of nurses were asleep and the claimant appeared to be asleep.

It was later discovered that the claimant had made a false entry in a resident’s record. At 3am the claimant had recorded that a procedure known as a PEG feed had taken place at 6am that morning. No feed was in fact given at 3am and so the entry was a false one.

On February 10 2010, while the employer was still carrying out its investigation into the above matters, a new resident, RF, suffered a fall within an hour of being admitted to

the home. The claimant failed to make any assessment of the resident, failed to carry out any observations following the fall and failed to complete the necessary transfer form when RF was transferred to hospital.

The employer’s disciplinary procedure set out a non-exhaustive list of conduct which would amount to gross misconduct.

This included: Breach of safety rules or any action that endangers the health or safety of residents.

Failure to administer or mismanaging drugs in respect of residents.

Falsification of timesheets.

Falsification of the written records of the company.

The claimant attended a disciplinary hearing to consider all of the above matters. In respect of obstructing fire doors, allowing other nurses to be asleep and sleeping herself, she was given a final written warning for each offence. In respect of falsifying the PEG feed documentation and neglect of care towards RF, the employer found that this constituted gross misconduct and the claimant was summarily dismissed.

An employment tribunal found that the claimant’s dismissal was unfair. It considered the employer’s disciplinary policy and found that falsification of records was in a different cate-

gory of seriousness from the types of gross misconduct which appeared above and below it in that list.

The employer appealed and the employment appeal tribunal found that the dismissal was fair. The EAT found that the tribunal had substituted its own view as to whether the dismissal was fair rather than consider whether dismissal was within the range of reasonable responses open to the employer. On further appeal, the court of appeal upheld the EAT’s finding. The EAT and court of appeal placed importance on the fact that falsification of records was expressly stated in the employer’s disciplinary policy to constitute gross misconduct. They found that it was not open to the employment tribunal to substitute its own view as to whether falsification of records was less serious than the other types of gross misconduct specified in the policy.

This case serves to show that a well drafted disciplinary policy, which clearly shows the employer’s view on what constitutes gross misconduct, will greatly assist an employer in justifying a decision to dismiss. I recommend managers regularly review their employment contracts and policies to ensure they are suitable.

Ben Stepney is a solicitor in the employment team at Thomson Snell and Passmore.

Nightingale Hammerson has appointed Helen Simmons as its new chief executive to lead the care home organisation. She will assume her new role from November 11 this year.

The recruitment process began in May following the announcement that Leon Smith will be taking on the new role of executive vice president after serving 16 years as chief executive and 40 years with the charity.

Helen said: “I am thrilled to be joining Nightingale Hammerson, an organisation with which I have the highest regard. The reputation of Nightingale Hammerson as a leader in the sector is immense and I am looking forward to working with a super team and to building on the successes of my predecessor.”

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CARINGACTIVITIES, ENTERTAINMENT AND DEMENTIA

Silver Lining help over 50s to support their peers and elders Catherine Church, artistic director for Platform 4 (centre), at a workshop session with residents at The Aldbury. With her are, from left, Jean Trill, Colten Care activities organiser Bianca Turner, Platform 4 designer Su Houser and Elsie Allner.

Memories go centre stage for residents

By Dominic Musgrave

RESIDENTS and team members at a Poole dementia care home are helping a theatre company stage a show inspired by the power of memory.

Hands-on arts and crafts sessions at Colten Care’s The Aldbury home will coincide with performances of the production Memory Points at the Lighthouse Poole.

The show, by Winchester-based Platform 4, involves being taken on a backstage tour of mini-installations and memory prompts guided by a bespoke soundtrack.

Audience members are encouraged to reflect on the costumes, pieces of film and music, and other sensory props they encounter.

Platform 4 artistic director Catherine Church said the sessions with The Aldbury residents will help make the Lighthouse performances distinct from those in other venues.

She added: “While we have the same core show, working in advance with people locally who have

dementia ensures each performance is both individual and geographically linked to the place we are visiting.”

The Aldbury is hosting eight hours of sessions with Platform 4 artists focusing on arts and crafts with paper. The workshops are taking place in the home’s summerhouse and gardens and will culminate in an afternoon tea party.

Denise Arthur-Briskham, home manager, said: "Our residents are invited to participate in the sessions if they choose to. The focus is on very gentle, practical activities that help to stimulate discussion in a friendly, supervised setting.

“It’s the same approach we take in our memory themed rooms and garden spaces and it’s something that our residents will find very therapeutic."

The show follows four years of collaborative work between Platform 4 and the Alzheimer’s Society.

As well as Lighthouse Poole, forthcoming venues include the South Bank Centre in London and Brighton Dome.

Pack designed for ease of use to enhance residents’ lives AS passionate gardeners, we want to promote the use of gardening as an effective therapy, to brighten and enhance the lives of those living in residential care.

The Garden Memories Activity Pack is designed for ease of use and sessions can be led by any staff member, following the easy-to-use guides.

The pack comprises of a comprehensive month by month guide, packed full of interesting activities that all can enjoy, along with lots of interesting facts and information that can be added into each meeting, including sections on wildlife, famous gardeners, house plants, herbs and spices.

Also, 30 laminated double sided A4 sheets, with large colour photo and description of 60 popular plants to stimulate conversation.

In these difficult financial times, they provide a cost effective, and long lasting resource, which will help improve or retain your CQC rating.

Enquiries: See more or order at www.gardenmemories.org.uk

A UNIQUE project involving people aged 50 and over, supporting the health and well-being of older people, including those living with dementia, their carers and families, has been launched.

Silver Lining, which uses singing and ukulele playing, is delivered by Sage Gateshead’s Silver Programme.

The sessions aim to be fun, accessible and confidence building for people living with the disease, as well as those who look after them.

Participants from Sage Gateshead’s Silver Programme volunteer to attend and support sessions in residential homes, supported living schemes and day care settings. This peer support of residents provides knowledge of common repertoire, similar life experiences and a mutual history, which has proven to be invaluable in assisting reminiscence and shared conversation between residents, carers and volunteers.

Meg Middleton, who runs the Silver Lining project for Sage Gateshead, said: “People with dementia often feel excluded from the outside world and the Silver Lining project works by connecting individuals with experienced artists and people of their own age.

“Music is a wonderful and very powerful unifier and the sessions are very interactive. Music can help unlock memories and is also a very rewarding experience for those involved with the Silver Programme.”

Karen Turnbull, an activity coordinator at Harton Grange Care Home in South Shields, believes that this type of musical activity should be widely available.

She said: “We learned about the Silver Lining project through one of our resident’s families and it’s one of the best things to have ever happened here.

“Those who come have a lot of empathy and spread real joy – when they’re here the whole room comes alight. Some of our residents live in their own worlds but when they hear the songs, all of a sudden they reconnect, make eye contact, get up and dance. It’s very special to watch.

“The Silver Lining project offers a lasting legacy that has been quite unexpected. Meg and her team taught me to play the ukulele following their sessions and now I can bring a little of the magic they do to smaller groups from time to time.

It’s brought a lot of happiness to all involved.”

The Barchester Thames River Challenge team presented a cheque for £10,000 to husband and wife team, Bryn Parry OBE and Emma Parry OBE, at the Help for Heroes tin hut in Tidworth. The team were joined for the week's row by The Band of Brothers from Tedworth House Recovery Centre and Help for Heroes staff and set off from Hunters care home in Cirencester. With three Canadian-style canoes, support vehicles, camping along the river in tents and tackling 40-mile an hour winds, the team completed the 123-mile challenge on time. The team is hopeful of reaching its £20,000 target, and are on track to collect another £10,000 for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation.

Welcome your residents with Say It Personally YORKSHIRE based company Say It Personally specialises in unique, quality gifts with a difference, delivered to your door to make any occasion extra special.

Our range includes a luxury care home welcome gift to help new residents feel at home.

This contains a photograph frame to hold precious memories, fragrance drawer sachet, pen and handy notebook.

Other useful items include a cord for spectacles, towel and face cloth.

Also for the ladies we have created an elegantly wrapped ‘Thinking of you’ bouquet (as shown in photograph) replicating a beautiful floral arrangement. This beautifully hand-tied bouquet is crammed with practical goodies to aid relaxation including toiletries, snuggle socks, eye mask, towel and face cloth along with lots of other useful items.

Not forgetting the gentlemen, we have created a similar gift which comes beautifully presented in a gift box.

Enquiries: Call 01482 638355, email hello@sayitpersonally.co.uk or visit www.sayitpersonally.co.uk

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CARINGACTIVITIES, ENTERTAINMENT AND DEMENTIA

Football clubs take part in pilot scheme to stimulate people

By Dominic Musgrave

St John’s House Choir celebrate their good news.

Choir confirmed as world’s oldest A YORK care home’s choir which has a combined age of 1,180 years has secured their place in Guinness world record history by becoming the oldest choir in the world.

In April this year the St John’s House Kirk Hammerton choir, with an average age of 91 years, attempted to break the existing world record of 81 years by performing in concert at their residential home, in front of adjudicators, staff, families and wellwishers.

The dozen ladies and one man, who are all residents at the home, have also launched their first CD. St John’s House manager Andrea Marks said: “There is no doubt that

our choir has grown in confidence and ability since they first sang together in 2012.

“They’ve performed in a music hall at St. John’s House, a community concert alongside the children and residents of our local community and most recently in an open air 40’s style concert.

“We are absolutely delighted to witness the many positive benefits that singing is bringing to our residents.

“Our weekly choir practices, public performances and now this latest accolade have given them a real sense of purpose and well being. We are so proud of them.”

HIBERNIAN, Hearts and other professional football teams are set to play a key role in an innovative pilot project that aims to stimulate the memories of people with dementia in Edinburgh.

Bield’s care home in the city has pioneered the scheme which involves volunteers taking residents to football matches at Easter Road and Tynecastle or further afield.

The Extra Time project will also ensure residents who cannot get to the grounds because of mobility issues will also have the chance to get involved in rekindling memories of Scotland’s footballing greats through the creation of a reminiscence group.

The idea for the project was conceived by Bield’s service manager Kathryn Telford along with staff member Lynn Gibson, who realised that the attractions of Hibernian and Hearts, in particular, run deep in the memories of people from Edinburgh.

Kathryn said: “Many of the residents are avid football fans who have watched and supported their teams for years. While we know most of the residents will have followed Hibernian or Hearts but it’s also likely others will have connections with

teams from Glasgow and the central belt.

“It is hoped that we can extend the scheme to outside Edinburgh so that residents could also visit for example Parkhead or Stirling Albion’s Forthbank.

“The objective of the project is to provide memory stimulation by revisiting former passions and pastimes.

“The trips to football matches offer a welcome distraction, will build confidence and can have a lasting effect by evoking fond memories which have been clouded by old age or the loss of independence.”

Funding for the project, which will mostly pay for staffing and ticket costs, is being provided in part by the Care Home Small Investment Fund which donated £5,235 and by the Queensberry Housing Trust which gave £5,000.

The home is now looking for volunteers to get involved with the initiative by taking residents to the games – volunteers would receive their ticket for free.

A group is also being created for residents who cannot make it to the grounds to reminisce about football memories from as far back as the 1930s.

CARINGACTIVITIES, ENTERTAINMENT AND DEMENTIA

Home plants bulbs for honey bees RESIDENTS at West Hall care home in Surrey and local children planted bulbs in the grounds to launch a nationwide campaign to help save the British honey bee.

Anchor’s Bee Friendly campaign will see older people and schoolchildren across England working with the British Beekeepers’ Association to make gardens attractive to the honey bee. The event was the first of 150 planned at Anchor locations over the

next few weeks. West Hall residents and children from Positive Steps Day Nursery also made honey cakes and bee collages and some had their faces painted with yellow and black stripes to mark the occasion.

Anchor’s customer engagement advisor Debbie Kirkbride MBE said: “We wanted to do our bit because helping the honey bee will secure the diverse wildlife of this country for future generations.”

Resident Irene Sarginson with a representative from Henpower.

Residents welcome hens RESIDENTS at Philips Court in Gateshead have welcomed some cracking new additions to their home.

The Akari Care facility took delivery of 10 hens that will live in a chicken coop in the garden and will provide the home with eggs, which will be sold to raise funds for extra treats for the residents.

The hens were provided by HenPower, a project managed by Equal Arts, a registered charity that aims to provide creative opportunities for older people. The project is funded through the BIG Lottery Fund Silver Dreams programme.

A volunteer from HenPower has regularly visited Philips Court since March to help set up hen keeping at

the home and suggest stimulating activities based on the new additions, including cookery lessons, creative writing and digital photography. The end result is that Philips Court will manage the hens independently after 12 months on the programme.

Manager Karleen Taylor-Williams said: “We are always trying to think of beneficial activities that are a little bit different and stimulating for our residents. The hens are a great addition to our home and the residents are really enjoying having them here.

“They have benefited from lots of different interesting activities about hen-keeping and looking after the hens means that our residents have that little bit more independence and responsibility.”

Residents enjoy the new Humphry Repton Arms.

Nostalgic pub opens at home HUMPHRY Repton House has become one of the first dementia nursing homes in the country to have a fully-working nostalgic pub.

Staff at the Bristol facility opened the doors of the Humphry Repton Arms to provide a stimulating community hub for residents and their families.

“It blurs the line between nursing home and normal life,” says Mike Jessup, activities coordinator. Mike and his colleague Nicola Taylor came up with the idea after seeing how much residents enjoyed the ‘pub afternoons’ they regularly held at the home.

“We’ve opened three times so far,” added Nicola, “and each time it has

been relatives, staff and residents socialising together, there were no lines. Arthur spent all afternoon here with his daughters, and they said he was like a new man.”

The bar was built from scratch, while much of the nostalgic paraphernalia was donated by a former pub landlord who now lives at the home. Staff papered the walls and created the wood paneling to make it into an authentic pub. Visitors can play cards, darts, dominoes and other games, and choose tunes on the juke box. The bar is not licensed but does offer free drinks and snacks.

Nicola said: “We wanted it to be a real pub and for you to feel like you could walk up to the bar and get a

A coconut shy, hook-a-duck and a tin can alley were just some of the stalls on offer at a traditional seaside fun day. Staff at Middleton Hall Retirement Village, near Darlington, were dressed in traditional fun fair costumes for the summer event, which was for residents, staff and their families. Activities included a plastic pig race and tombola, while residents and staff could pose for a picture at the giant seaside postcard created by 19-year-old artist Samantha Hunt.

Living Well manager Audra Hunt is pictured with Abby Weighell.

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CARINGHYGIENE, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY

Armstrong offers excellent reliability and service LAUNDRY is a vital part of any care home, and the installation of a compliant laundry can represent a significant capital outlay for the operator.

Armstrong Commercial Laundry Systems understands the financial pressures of running care homes, and offers a wide choice of alternatives to outright purchase including an increasingly popular fixed price scheme.

Energy efficiency and equipment reliability are also vital to care homes.

Armstrong claims that their Amazon HSF, coupled with a Huebsch OPT dryer, provides the most energy efficient on premises laundry there is – and can justify early re-equipping on grounds of cost

saving. These machines were installed in the 25room Brookfield Nursing Home in West Kirby after the owner/ manager Jason Jones looked at a number of options.

Brookfield cares for residents with complex medical needs and the Armstrong equipment handles all the laundry generated by the home – the 11kg washer incorporates a thermal disinfect cycle which is essential for compliance in a nursing home laundry.

Jason Jones told us he was very happy with the equipment and the Armstrong service.

Enquiries: Telephone 01635 263410 or visit www.armstrong-laundry.co.uk

FX washing machines help save money, energy and water WITH the constant increases in water, electricity and gas prices, reducing your utility usage can create substantial savings on your bills, which is why PHS Laundryserv — one of the UK’s leading suppliers of commercial laundry equipment — has introduced the energy saving FX range of Primus washing machines.

Laundryserv’s FX washers can create substantial savings as they use 15 per cent less water and 20 per cent less energy without compromising on wash quality, and the enhanced water extraction reduces the energy required for drying by up to 25 per cent.

As the latest addition to Laundryserv’s range of commercial equipment, the FX washers have been ergonomically designed, making the equipment easy to use with intuitive digital controls and capacities ranging from 8kg to 28kg.

Lynne Vanes, Laundryserv’s managing director, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to offer the FX washers, as they offer businesses real savings on their energy and water bills, without compromising on wash quality.”

Enquiries: For further information visit www.laundryserv.co.uk/energysaving.aspx

Concentrated formulations deliver a standard of clean guests will notice TO help operators up their game and deliver a new level of clean that guests will really notice, P&G Professional has launched a new range of cleaning and disinfecting products designed for direct distribution.

To help businesses meet heightened expectations, P&G Professional has launched 15 cleaning and disinfecting products.

This is the first time in the brand’s history in the UK, that operators will be able to order products from a P&G Professional range direct to their establishment – giving business owners easy access to high quality products.

The new P&G Professional range includes 15 easy-to-use, colour-coded products for public spaces (blue), kitchens (green) and sanitary areas (red) as well as professional usage aids and hygiene

plans. Simple labelling highlights key usage areas and with a concentrated solution, users need only dose small amounts to do an effective job; vital in the current climate when business margins are squeezed.

Jayne Clark, P&G Professional Sales Director for UK & Ireland, said: “We’re excited to offer distributors a new suite of professional cleaning and disinfecting products because we’re confident there is consumer appetite for high quality products that deliver a new level of clean. We urge operators to think beyond the basics and consider the added benefits that products like the new P&G Professional range can bring.”

Enquiries: For free-to-download training materials, product samples, coupons and videos, visit www.pgpro.co.uk/academy

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34

CARINGHYGIENE, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY

Stand to show visitors how to meet CQC requirements GIRBAU UK’s stand (C37) at the Birmingham Care Show will be dedicated to showing visitors how best to meet CQC requirements for infection control in care and nursing home on-premise laundries (OPLs).

The stand itself has been designed as a laundry, complete with demarcated clean and dirty areas and all the required equipment for safe handling, processing and disinfection of laundry.

Girbau laundry consultants will be on hand throughout the event to advise on all aspects of laundry design and operation in order to meet the latest CFPP-01-04 requirements for laundry decontamination.

Visitors can also learn about Girbau UK’s

Complete Laundry Care package offering the latest energy efficient washers, dryers and ironers with a fixed monthly rental that includes all service and maintenance. Under the terms of the unique Pay No Rental Guarantee, Girbau will pay a whole month’s rental if it is ever unable to attend a service call in the promised time.

Girbau is the only company in the UK to manufacture, install and maintain laundry equipment.

Girbau Group is a global family-owned company that puts quality, reliability and customer care above short-term profits for shareholders.

Enquiries: For more information visit www.completelaundrycare.co.uk

Stop diseases and save on running costs with Electrolux ELECTROLUX Professional Laundry has produced a comprehensive Good Laundry Practice Guide and information pack on how to control the spread of infections with good laundry practice and the latest energy efficient equipment.

Continually preventing infection and prioritising hygiene are essential to ensure that people who use health and social care services receive safe and effective care. It is a challenge that Healthcare providers face on a daily basis.

As a leading laundry equipment provider to the care and health sector, Electrolux is committed to reducing diseases and infections, and is continually developing equipment to tackle the problem more efficiently as well as producing the lowest cost in use machines in the market.

Using the best equipment available is a primary factor, but a well designed laundry can also offer significant cost savings. Electrolux Professional offers a free laundry audit to determine the overall requirements.

For example, where the laundry is located, the different levels of care being offered and the functions of the equipment to be installed. Getting this right at the beginning will reduce the need to make good the facilities at a later date.

As well as the Good Laundry Practice Guide, the information pack contains a laundry poster, a service reminder sticker and a training dvd.

Enquiries: For further information, a free pack, and a free laundry audit visit www.electrolux.co.uk/laundrysystems

CARINGHYGIENE, CLEANING AND LAUNDRY

Don’t let bacteria lurk within your mattresses this winter IT HAS been an unusually good summer but the weather has turned and the sound of sniffing and sneezing is becoming increasingly common again.

While most of us have strong enough immune systems to see off many bacteria with a warm drink and a bit of rest, for your elderly and vulnerable residents, they can be lethal.

To minimise the spread of infection it’s critical to ensure regular cleaning of bed linen, seating and the mattress itself, which is sometimes overlooked.

Mattresses can allow bacteria to penetrate the surface either through the stitched seams on the mattress fabric surface or when the surface loses its waterproof quality through damage or wear from use and cleaning.

This winter you can minimise the

Sheet, duvet and pillow can save your home money SleepKnit Non Iron Bedding Our smart sheet can not only profile with the mattress without the annoyance of the sheet coming loose but it is now fire retardant to European Standard EN ISO 12952 and available in seven stunning colours.

Impress infection control as this bedding can also be washed at 95 degrees and doesn’t require ironing, think of the time saving element.

Latex free and contains no elastic – a true innovation in the textile industry.

MRSA Resistant Duvet & Pillow Infection control alert – Our heat sealed (not an inferior stitched product) is yet another innovation.

Not only is our MRSA resistant duvet and pillow fire retardant from its unique polyurethane outer, but for a limited time only you can purchase both for only £39.99 plus Vat. Simply wipe clean , save money on laundering. Breathable and impermeable cover.

Enquiries: Visit www.commerciallinen.co.uk

risk to your residents by asking your mattress suppliers about their Dartex Care coated mattresses which are waterproof, weldable, wipe cleanable and can be washed at 95°C.

Electrolux to showcase its range at the Care Show ELECTROLUX Professional will show its credentials as the only supplier offering a complete range of high performance products for both professional laundries and kitchen at the upcoming Care Show.

Among the products on display

on stand C5 will be the new Evolution range of barrier washerextractors, providing the healthcare industry with the most durable solution for infection control, hygiene and maintenance while optimising cost, safety and labour effectiveness.

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36

CARINGNEWS

Cutting through jargon and care costs

By Darren Richardson ENERGY bills are crippling some residential and care homes as the cost of gas and oil continue to spiral.

So what can you do about it other than take the cost firmly on the chin?

That is one option but another is to look at one of the sustainable energy options and, as in the case of one of our care home clients, make £20,000 a year difference into the bargain.

It has to be said that the Government has managed to confuse the whole sustainability energy issue with its various cash incentives. there’s the Feed in Tariff Scheme, Green Deals and Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme.

But what do they all mean and are they aimed at the tree hugging fraternity as opposed to those of us who want to run an efficient business, reduce our costs and maybe be a bit greener into the bargain?

Well the good news is that actually the schemes can make a huge difference to your energy bills and also generate strong revenue lines, as well, but first you have to work through some of the technologies and the possible pay offs.

A little while ago we did an exercise on a care home which accommodates 22 residents and, as with many properties of this type, it was heated by oil. The savings we came up with were nothing short of staggering.

The sustainable energy options are: Solar pv – panels on the roof

generate electricity which you can use and also sell back to the grid under the FiTs. Solar thermal – a roof top mounted system which heats water.

Air sourced heat pumps - air is drawn in and provides heating and hot water.

Ground sourced heat pumps – pipes buried in ground transfers heat to a pump which heats water and radiators.

Biomass – this is a technology which is particularly well suited to the care and residential home sector and I have some actual figures which will illustrate the point well.

The East Anglian care home in question was predominantly heated by oil. The boiler used about 6,000 litres a year costing around £4,000 to run.

We looked at the biomass option and found that the boiler would cost 40 per cent less to run than oil and, for the environmentally minded, will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 17 tonnes.

Biomass boilers are fuelled by woodchips, or pellets and have proved not only hugely cost effective, but also, very reliable and easy to maintain.

We calculated what the home’s conventional oil fuelled boiler would cost to run over the next 20 years factoring in a four per cent annual increase. It came to just under £123,000.

Changing to biomass and installing

Darren Richardson a similar size unit would use 13.7 tonnes of biomass a year and equate to £2,670 in wood chip or pellets.

Even if you allow for a four per cent annual increase in biomass prices, the average fuel cost over the next 20 years would be £85,000…an annual saving of nearly £2,000 a year and £37,000 over the 20-year period.

Now if you take into account the RHI the numbers are nothing short of amazing.

For this particular project the annual payments back to the home under the scheme would be more than £15,000. That means over a 20-

year period the payments would equate to more than £300,000.

This annual payment, along with the saving in fuel will mean installing the boiler will pay nearly £20,000 a year.

The payback on the boiler installation would equate to 3.4 years.

The various tariffs and Government backed schemes continue to change but sustainable energy technologies can save you and make you money.

And at the same time you are doing your bit for the environment.

Darren Richardson is technical manager of Princeenergy.

A Must-attend event for care home owners and managers for 2013...

Quality in Care How to achieve and maintain the highest levels of care using trusted methods and incorporating the latest technology.

Quality in Care is the theme for this year's care conferences hosted by Caring UK's sister company Script Events.

Many aspects of quality will be covered by our stellar lineup of speakers – everything from nutrition and hydration to the care home environment itself and fitness for residents.

The final two conferences will be held at the Cedar Court Hotel, Wakefield and the Hilton Hotel, Blackpool in October.

As always we promise a day full of talks from top industry experts, who will be passing on their knowledge. Running alongside the conferences will be an extensive exhibition, which will showcase all the latest products and technology for your care home.

This really is a conference not to be missed so to avoid disappointment please complete the booking form to guarantee your place.

Pri

ces: Single d eleg £25 ate Two de lega £40 tes

BO OK

BO OK

NO W

NO W

DATES FOR OCTOBER 2013

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

th

th

9 October

10 October

Cedar Court Hotel Wakefield

Hilton Hotel Blackpool

08.00: Doors open for registration, refreshments and exhibition viewing.

09.30: Welcome and opening remarks: Tony Barry – Sales & Marketing Director, Script Media Group 09.40: Getting the Funding Right in 2013 Sheila Scott OBE – CEO National Care Association 10.20: Nutrition & Hydration Karen Oliver – Chair, National Association of Care Catering 11.00: Refreshments, networking and exhibition viewing visit stands to enter the free prize draw.

11.40: Partnerships & Integrated Care Professor Martin Green OBE – CEO English Community Care Association 12.00: Records, Reputation & Data Protection Gary Shipsey – Managing Director, Protecture 12.40: Vision & Dementia Jennifer Roberts - Visioncall 13.20: Buffet lunch, networking and exhibition viewing – visit stands to enter the free prize draw.

14.00: Practical aspects of Dysphagia Carolina Ballesteros-Wood – Rosemont Pharmaceuticals 14.40: The Benefits of Exercise for Residents Tara Hammett – Health Coach & Health Club Manager 15.00: Confused about new build prices?

Steve Pippard – Managing Director, Decs Group 15.20: Ron White – Managing Director, Condy Lofthouse Architects 15.40: The Next Phase Wendy Dixon - Care Quality Commission 16.10: New compliance assessment tools Peter Hawkins, Managing Director – Required Systems 16.20: Q&A Session chaired by Tony Barry – followed by prize draw, review and closing remarks.

16.30: Close.

08.00: Doors open for registration, refreshments and exhibition viewing.

09.30: Welcome and opening remarks: Dominic Musgrave – Editor, Caring UK Conference Chair 09.40: Getting the Funding Right in 2013 Sheila Scott OBE, CEO National Care Association 10.20: Nutrition & Hydration Karen Oliver – Chair, National Association of Care Catering 11.00: Refreshments, networking and exhibition viewing - visit stands to enter the free prize draw.

11.40: Practical aspects of Dysphagia. Sue Irving – Rosemont Pharmaceuticals 12.20: Vision & Dementia. Jennifer Roberts - Visioncall 13.00: Buffet lunch, networking and exhibition viewing – visit stands to enter the free prize draw.

13.45: Confused about new build prices?

Steve Pippard – Managing Director, Decs Group 14.05: Ron White – Director, Condy Lofthouse Architects 14.25: The Benefits of Exercise For Residents Tara Hammett – Health Coach & Health Club Manager 14.45: Clydesdale Bank 15.05: A B C D For Care Homes. Mike Conroy – Duplex Cleaning 15.25: The Next Phase. Ann Ford - Care Quality Commission 15.55: New compliance assessment tools Peter Hawkins, Managing Director – Required Systems 16.05: Q&A Session chaired by Tony Barry – followed by prize draw, review and closing remarks.

16.15: Close

For more information contact us: www.scriptmedia.co.uk Tony Barry - Sales & marketing director. Tel: 01226 734 333 Email: tb@scriptmedia.co.uk Lucy Dickinson - Circulation and Sales Support. Tel: 01226 734 473 Email: circulation@scriptmedia.co.uk

39

CARINGNEWS

Trial scheme uses Belong launches first multimedia to help Admiral Nurse service dementia sufferers

By Dominic Musgrave

A GROUNDBREAKING new scheme to help people with dementia is being trialled across Waltham Forest.

The scheme began at the beginning of 2013 and makes use of technology such as MP3 players, iPads and other multimedia equipment to offer those with the condition new ways to make choices and tell adult social care staff how they want to live their lives as well as reminisce, communicate with their loved ones and combat the feelings of isolation that some might feel.

The equipment is being used across all of the council’s in-house services, including older people’s residential care homes, outreach support and day services for those with dementia.

The scheme was championed by Waltham Forest Council’s cabinet member for adults and older people, Councillor Angie Bean, who secured funding for the project via the council’s Portfolio Innovation Fund, which offers small grants for innovative projects aimed at improving services.

“Even though it’s only been up and running since January the scheme has already proven to be enormously popular and successful,” she said.

“Carers, family members and social care staff have been really enthusias-

tic, but most important has been the phenomenal response we’ve had from the people who use our services.

“On a really basic level, helping people share their thoughts, opinions and memories makes them happy, and this is something really fundamental that can all-too-easily get forgotten in a climate dominated by savings and number-crunching.

“By reminiscing with friends and family members over digital photographs or listening to their favourite music some of our service users have been able to reconnect with their loved ones, and while it’s obviously not a cure for complex conditions we’ve seen old memories reawaken and given family members a glimpse of the person they knew before dementia took hold.”

The council hopes to have 250 members of staff trained on how to use the new technology by the end of the year.

“Staff and service users alike have been brilliant in terms of getting to grips with the new equipment,” added Coun Bean. “It’s been so popular that some carers and family members have actually been digging deep and buying similar kit for the people they look after, having seen what a difference it has made.”

A NORTH west care provider has launched an Admiral Nurse service, giving families of customers at its community villages access to specialist dementia support and advice.

Caroline Clifton has been recruited as Belong’s first Admiral Nurse following a new partnership with Dementia UK, designed to further enhance the organisation’s expertise and resources in this area.

She will support the families and carers of residents and customers, both in the village and people living in the wider community. Caroline will also provide advice and support to Belong staff in how best to care for the person living with dementia.

She said: “Ever since starting out as a student nurse, I have been working towards realising my ambition of becoming an Admiral Nurse. It is a privilege to be working with carers in the Belong community to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and their families."

Previously, Caroline worked for the Cheshire and Wirral NHS Foundation Trust for 15 years, where she worked with people living with mental health problems, including dementia. Her most recent post was as a community mental health nurse for older people with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Tracy Paine, operations director at Belong, said: “Every aspect of the

Caroline Clifton Belong village model has been designed around supporting people with dementia, and we are delighted to have formed this new partnership with Dementia UK, which further strengthens our expertise in this field.

“I know that our staff, families and customers will benefit from the knowledge and experience that Caroline can share.”

Caroline recently completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Advanced Practice in Mental Health Interventions, within the Dementia Care Pathway at the University of Manchester.

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Fiona officially opens home’s new dementia unit

By Dominic Musgrave DEMENTIA care campaigner and TV presenter Fiona Phillips officially opened Morris Care’s new dementia unit, Cedar Court in Audlem.

The former GMTV presenter toured the new building to see the specialist adaptations which have been designed into the home for those living with dementia.

Morris Care has worked closely with Stirling University to pioneer a new approach to interior design, providing visual and sensory aspects that help reassure residents.

This is coupled by an evolutionary approach to caring, lead by the home’s manager, Carolyn Farmer, where residents are given freedom to decide their daily routine, together with those caring for them.

Richard Pollock, director of architecture at Stirling University, who co-

ordinated the dementia design school course undertaken by interior specialist for Morris Care, Amanda Morris, said: “Having visited Cedar Court myself, it is wonderful to see how the lectures taught at Stirling have been translated into all the interior design features, furniture and soft furnishings in the home.

“Amanda, who has followed the principles taught at the Stirling design school, has really done a fantastic job bringing to life our ethos on best practice in dementia care.”

Tim Morris, director of Morris Care, which operates six other nursing homes in the Shropshire and Cheshire region, added: “It was a privilege to invite Fiona to meet our wonderful care team and see the work developed here at our home, as her charity work and efforts to raise awareness of the disease are inspirational.”

Morton House joint venture revealed DECS Group are pleased to announce a joint venture with the owners to redevelop the site of Morton House at Fernhill Heath in Worcester.

The existing home which currently provides for up to 32 service users will be demolished to make way for a state-of-the-art 66 bedroom care facility built in two phases.

The first phase including 42 bedrooms will be built within the

grounds of the home and the residents moved across before the existing home is demolished to complete the remaining 24 bedrooms.

Steve Pippard from Decs Group said: “The home has been designed

by CondyLofthouse Architects to provide the latest facilities including a café, hairdressing room and first floor external terrace areas, all within a mature landscaped setting.”

Fiona Phillips chats with Morris Care director Tim Morris in the new dementia unit at Cedar Court.

41

CARINGCOMMERCE

Group marks centenary of classical musician’s birth with home name

By Dominic Musgrave A CARE group has chosen to mark the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten with a fitting name for a new care home which will be built in Lowestoft, Suffolk – the town where the composer was born.

Care UK ran a competition inviting local people to submit a name for the facility to be built on the site of the former Roman Hill Primary School.

Over 25 entries were submitted and,the winning name ‘Britten Court’ was chosen to mark the special year in the classical music calendar.

It was nominated by Nicola Chilton, who works at Blyford care home in Lowestoft.

She said: “I am overjoyed that ‘Britten Court’ has been chosen as the name for the new Care UK home.

“It will be a wonderful celebration of Benjamin Britten and his historical connections with Lowestoft. I am looking forward to seeing the name up there once the new home is open.”

Work has just begun on the new home with the opening date for the new care home and wellbeing centre scheduled for late summer 2014.

‘Britten Court’ is one of 10 new Care UK homes being built as part of a £60 million investment into care provision in Suffolk.

The investment is part of a Suffolkwide plan to fulfil Suffolk County

50 jobs at new home A NEW Haydock care home will create more than 50 jobs for local people when it opens shortly.

The Highpoint Care home Colliers Croft, which is built on the site of the former Wagon and Horses public house, will provide state-of-the-art residential and dementia care for 60 older people in en suite accommodation.

The new facility was designed and built by Leeds company LNT Construction, which specialises in developing homes which incorporate the latest facilities in dementia care and age appropriate design.

Green light for facility Competition winner Nicola Chilton receives her prize from Chris Hopkinson, regional operations director at Care UK. Council’s vision for older people’s care in the county by increasing the provision of nursing and dementia care for older people and building bespoke new care homes and wellbeing centres with state-of-the art facilities and services to meet growing need.

Britten Court will accommodate up

to 80 people in spacious en-suite rooms and will provide 24-hour nursing care.

There will also be an adjacent new wellbeing centre offering a range of facilities and opportunities for older people who live in their own homes, helping them to stay active and retain their independence.

A YORKSHIRE-based operator has secured planning consent for the construction of a purpose-built 82-bed care home in Colne.

Located on Gibfield Road on the site of the now demolished Boulsworth Residential Centre, Silk Healthcare’s new facility will provide residential, dementia and nursing care. It will bring approximately 100 full and part time jobs to the area, spacious rooms – all with en-suite, a coffee lounge for residents and their families and landscaped gardens.

42

CARINGCOMMERCE

Work begins on new £4.75m development Swinton Lodge in Mexborough.

Home set to reopen its doors A CARE home near Rotherham is preparing to reopen its doors to elderly residents who require residential care.

Swinton Lodge in Mexborough closed earlier this year after its former owner entered administration, but it has now been acquired by leading care home operator, Pathways Care Group.

The home was taken over by administrators Begbies Traynor, who instructed specialist property agents DC Care and their redevelopment arm Vertere to market the property. At the end of the process, Pathways Care was chosen as the new owner.

The care provider previously owned the home under the Kingsclear brand, before selling it in 1996.

Mahesh Patel, director of Pathways Care Group, said; “Swinton Lodge is a well-designed, 63-bed, purpose-built care home in a densely populated area.

“We hope to reopen the care home in a few weeks following a full refurbishment, and we intend to offer the highest standards of care to residents. This particular care home is at the very heart of the community and we look forward to opening the doors again and welcoming local residents and their families.”

Avon adds fifth home to portfolio SPECIALIST property adviser Christie and Co has brokered an off-market deal to sell South Cary House to Avon Care Homes.

The Grade II Listed Georgian property in the village of Castle Cary is registered for 23.

The home, the fifth in the portfolio, sold for an undisclosed sum.

New owner Cristina Bila said: “We specialise in providing the highest standard of care in charming and stylish surroundings and South Cary was a natural fit.”

WORK is underway on a new care home development project to construct Howard Lodge II, a care home for the elderly located within park like gardens, surrounded by Essex countryside.

The home is owned and run by St Michaels Homes Ltd who secured funding to support the project from The Royal Bank of Scotland using the bank’s Funding for Lending scheme.

The care provider was awarded planning permission to construct a new care home in the grounds of its existing home Howard Lodge. The new improved facility will provide improved facilities for residents and staff with more accommodation.

Works are planned to take 64 weeks from commencement and the opening of the new home is planned for next June, which will see the demolition of the old Howard Lodge home upon completion.

Sean Watson, director at St Michaels, said: “Due to the extensive three acre grounds we have around Howard Lodge, these works will not

affect the day-to-day running of the existing home. Our commitment of care to our residents is our utmost priority and we are very excited about the plans for this impressive new home. We have a well established reputation for quality care and are proud to be a family run business. I work alongside my mum Sheila, brother Peter and sister Claire Tyler.

The A star care provided by our staff will now be matched by A star facilities with the completion of the new home, which will increase the bed capacity offered in the old home from 44 to 68.

“Howard Lodge II will bring unrivalled facilities including spacious rooms – all with en-suite, hairdressers, sun terrace/balcony’s, activities and training facilities, day care centre, coffee lounge for residents with dining and living rooms on each wing and landscaped gardens. The new facilities will benefit existing residents as well as providing increased space for newcomers welcomed to the home.”

DC Care complete sale of nursing home DC CARE has completed the sale of Hurstead House Nursing Home in Rochdale.

Nick Frost had owned the home for over a decade but decided he wanted to relocate to Devon.

The purchaser owns a domiciliary care business and is expanding into nursing care. The sale was managed

by Clare Jones at DC Care, along with Mark Ashton of M. K. Ashton and Co solicitors.

44

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

Beaucare launches new Furniture4care catalogue

PREPARING delicious dishes has been made even easier thanks to the new ‘Tasty Recipes’ book from the creators of the Made Easy range at Aimia Foods.

The collection, containing 28 mouth-watering recipes, has been designed to help caterers create tasty nutritional recipes using products from within the Made Easy range; which comprises of drinks, desserts and baking ingredients that are either ready to consume or can be prepared in seconds with the addition of water.

Simple to follow recipes include Strawberry and Ginger Cheesecake, Bread and Butter Pudding and Chocolate Rice Pudding, made with Moosebreak, Milfresh Milk Powder and Chocolate Milkbreak Powder respectively.

Every detail has been considered, from portion size to handy tips on how to enhance dishes with extra finishing touches.

Enquiries: Contact Aimia Foods on 01942 408600 or visit www.simplymadeeasy.co.uk

BEAUCARE has launched its new Furniture4care catalogue, expanding its range which includes bedroom, living and dining room furniture, seating, bathing equipment and related room accessories.

The new contract furnishings package complements the furniture range, incorporating a stylish and contemporary mix of fabrics.

The soft furnishings service includes a site assessment and measurements for curtains, upholstery and matching accessories.

This enables Beaucare to provide a complete refurbishing or new build interior solution.

Beaucare® Medical Ltd has been established 20 years and is the UK’s premier supplier of hygiene, medical supplies and equipment to individual care homes, care home groups, hospitals and NHS Trusts.

Enquiries: Call 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com or visit www.beaucare.com

Independent healthcare finance CHANDLER & Co has been finance specialists in the healthcare sector since 1995.

Our bespoke finance packages cover all aspects of funding for acquisition, refinance, development, expansion and financial re-structuring.

Chandler & Co’s status as an independent healthcare specialist means we have strong links with a comprehensive range of lenders.

The combined experience of the Partners including financial, management and care home ownership offers first hand knowledge and expertise in the healthcare sector.

As we offer a unique service to the market we have access to the lowest margins, 25 year loan terms, base rate lending and up to 100 per cent finance options available.

Once we have identified the best lender and

finance package in the market for you, we will guide your application through the process to ensure a prompt response. Once funding is secured, our consultants will continue to liaise on your behalf to ensure a quick completion.

At all stages Chandler & Co representatives will be on hand to offer the best advice.

Enquiries: Call 01622 817484, email info@chandlerandco.co.uk or visit www.chandlerandco.co.uk

Knightsbridge extend care portfolio SEATING, tables and cabinet furniture designed to meet the specialist demands of care homes and residential facilities are being shown by Knightsbridge Furniture at the Care Show Birmingham in November.

Newcomers to the Knightsbridge Care portfolio include the Sorrento high-back armchair, part of a range where a simple, contemporary elegance is epitomised by the graceful arc sweeping from arms to back. Applications include lounge areas and social hubs within care homes, and the Sorrento is also finding favour as a statement piece in residents’ bedrooms.

As with all Knightsbridge upholstered furniture for the care sector, Sorrento seating is available in a diversity of waterproof fabrics, vinyls and faux hide. Show-wood comes in six standard finishes – Cherry, Natural Beech, Bleached Beech, Wenge, Walnut or Oak. In addition to its selection of stylish upholstered seating, the Knightsbridge Care portfolio covers a wide diversity of product options, from comfortable recliners for community spaces to smart upright chairs for dining and activity rooms.

Fireco sees rise in Smartbel sales FIRECO has seen sales of its intelligent door bell Smartbel soar, as draft legislation is proposed to protect vulnerable and elderly consumers against rogue traders With recent statistics revealing around 3.8 million older people live alone in the UK there are more vulnerable people than ever before.

A 2009 Consumer Focus report found that over 60 per cent of the population had been the target of an unfair commercial practice.

Aware of this trend, Fireco, one of the leading fire and security providers in the UK, launched Smartbel, an intelligent doorbell that calls a homeowner’s mobile when rung, allowing them to speak to the visitor remotely.

Smartbel can also be programmed to ring a third party mobile, allowing friends and family to vet callers before the householder opens the door to them. Smartbel operates using a sim card and existing mobile phone technology and retails at just £129.99.

For the first 100 customers the cost includes 12

months of airtime – an exclusive offer from Fireco Ltd. Enquiries: Visit www.firecoltd.com

Simple solutions

Enquiries: For details visit stand D11 at the Care Show Birmingham or call 01274 731442, email enquiries@knightsbridgefurniture.co.uk or visit www.knightsbridge-furniture.co.uk

Impey re-engineers the shower seat WETROOM specialist Impey Showers has revealed a stylish and revolutionary new shower seat and bench.

Shower seats are essential for those with mobility issues but traditional shower seats are very clinical in appearance, bulky, create trip hazards, act as dirt traps and can damage floors.

Impey’s SlimFold shower seat is stylish, safe and functional, bears weight of up to 40 stone and has a profile of just 111mm when folded. The Slimfold bench has a profile of 55mm. The thin profile enables the shower door to fold fully inwards without colliding with the seat.

The new SlimFold is available in 10 colours and ensures maximum strength, support and durability.

The products include a double curvature wall mount, cross bracing support and triangular structure which can support a weight of up to 300kg (40 stone). SlimFold has an RRP of £175 (plus VAT) and can be fitted from heights of 417mm which ensures safe transfer between standing and sitting or from a wheelchair. There is no maximum height restriction.

Enquiries: Visit www.impeyshowers.com/slimfold or call 01460 256 090.

Tasty recipes made even easier thanks to new book

SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based, Richards Residential Supplies have concentrated upon supplying simple solutions to common nursing home problems.

The new WACMAT® adheres strongly to this tradition.

With its ultra absorbent cotton pile and 100 per cent waterproof backing, the remarkable WACMAT® is an ideal accessory where spills may occur.

Used as a commode mat, in bedrooms or bathrooms, the WACMAT® ensures full carpet protection. Then, after use, simply machine wash and tumble dry!

It’s that simple...

The WACMAT® will then be clean and odour-free, ready to perform time and time again. Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat, saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costs alone.

Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.

Claim VAT back on your home even if you are not VAT registered IT is true, care providers can reclaim VAT worth about £3,000 per bed for any residents who stayed in your home between 1993 and 2002 paid for by the local authority.

You don’t have to be VAT registered to make a claim. We can usually find the information required with minimal disruption to your business.

How is this possible? Well in 2002 a care provider called Kingscrest challenged the view held by HMRC and won. There is no cost to you unless we are successful.

Typical claims: 50 beds – £240,000; 40 beds – £170,000; 287 beds – £1.25m.

And the best part is that you get the money in your bank account before you pay us. Don’t forget the tax repayment is free of tax – it is extra profit.

Enquiries: Call 01233 640985 and ask for Howard to find out more.

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CARINGPRODUCT NEWS

Gainsborough launches new assisted showers GAINSBOROUGH Specialist Bathing has launched a new range of modular shower units with low-level access.

These new assisted showers offer care providers, contractors and healthcare professionals several advantages and are ideally suited to high traffic areas in long term care environments.

Ergonomically designed, each shower unit increases safety for carers, while client dignity and comfort is maximised.

Half-height assisted shower doors or flat tempered safety glass screen options are available as well as integrated folding shower seats with armrests and grab rails for enhanced safety and versatility.

Exceptionally durable, the new shower modules are available in three sizes to accommodate a range of room layouts and come with MicroGuard antimicrobial protection, a choice of seven decorative wall

Active Minds’ range grows board finishes and WRAS approved thermostatic shower options.

With a network of skilled engineers, Gainsborough also provides a complete end-to-end installation service.

Try before you buy with Sensorcare COVENTRY Myton and Warick Myton Hospice can attest to the success of trying before you buy when it comes to looking after their patients.

The hospices undertook a free 14day trial of a SensorCare bed and chair system to evaluate the effectiveness in reducing the rate of falls of the elderly under their care.

Following a successful trial, the sys-

tem was rented for one month to further investigate the success of using sensor alarms.

The reduction in the number of falls during the free trial and month rental of the system, led Coventry Myton to purchase four bed and chair systems for the hospice and a further two bed and chair systems were purchased by Warwick Myton Hospice.

WHEN Ben’s grandfather developed Alzheimer’s it soon became apparent to him that there was very little available in terms of appropriate activity products for those with dementia.

At a similar time, Ben, who was studying product design at University, was set project that asked students to respond to a brief urging them to design a product responding to a social need.

Ben decided it was the perfect opportunity to develop something that would help his grandfather.

As he loved doing puzzles, Ben set about designing and thoroughly researching a dementia-appropriate puzzle.

Ben won his first award for the design and soon after Active Minds was born.

Ben’s Puzzles became a huge suc-

cess and Active Minds has gone on to design further products such as its Aquapaint: reusable canvases with outlines of images that, when dabbed with water on a brush, reveal a colourful picture hidden beneath which offers users a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment and also an image to engage with.

Three years later, and now with major investment from the Albion Group, Active Minds offers a growing range of activity products that include cards for reminiscence, a paint colouring book, spa balls for seated exercise with accompanying workout DVDs, picture books for reminiscence and personalised puzzles, providing appropriate and stimulating activities to be enjoyed by those with dementia, and those that care for them.

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Tips for improving vision Burford celebrates third anniversary DR. Scott Mackie, director of professional services from award winning Visioncall home eye care, offers some practical tips that will improve vision levels and the vision of those we care for: Keep independent and reduce the risk of falls by getting an eye test.

Most people are unaware of the link between poor eyesight and falls among those aged over 65. Figures released by Age UK reveal more than a third on this age group suffer a fall which can lead to injury. An eye test can detect reasons attributed to falls such as cataract which reduces contrast; macular degeneration which reduces central vision (pictured above); Diabetes which can cause a rapid reduction in vision and Glaucoma which can reduce mobility.

Early detection of eye disease can greatly improve your visual quality of life.

Give up the cigarettes – smoking is directly linked to blindness.

Current smokers are four times more likely to develop age related macular degeneration, a major cause of sight loss. Cut out the cigarettes and make a long-term positive investment in your health.

Don’t give up.

Poor vision can lead to depression and a lack of motivation and can result in seeing things which are not actually there (Charles bonnet syndrome). However with specialist low vision aids vision can be restored to allow activities to be resumed and enable the fundamental right to sight.

Be relaxed in the knowledge that an eye specialist is in attendance.

Moving out of familiar environments can be stressful. Using optical equipment specially designed for portable eye tests in conjunction with optometrists who have received specialist dementia and cognitive impairment training on how this disease can impact on your eyesight and how best to communication is crucial in getting the best patient outcome.

Visioncall can carry out professional and personalised FREE NHS eye care that comes to your home. For booking contact Visioncall on 0845 677 3337 or request a home visit online at www.visioncall.co.uk

danfloor to exhibit range at Show danfloor is taking its innovative range of healthcare carpets to the Birmingham Dementia Show, which is part of the Care Show taking place at the NEC on November 12 and 13.

In addition to its own exhibition stand, Stirling University has also selected its carpet to appear in the bedroom of this year’s Dementia Design Academy, which showcases a selection of the best products on the market for use within dementia care

settings. The bedroom will showcase Pacific Storm from the stunning and distinctive Equinox Tones range.

With an LRV of 9.85 this colour is ideal for dementia friendly design.

The Equinox Collection has outstanding performance characteristics, is made from hard wearing carpet fibres, and includes an impervious layer and maedical ilink anti-microbial coating, making the carpet ideal for the care sector.

IT IS three years since Paul and Vicky Burford established Burford Care Homes, and their vision of offering a highly professional and confidential service to care home owners wishing to sell their businesses has proved tremendously successful.

Paul has been selling care homes since 1987 and has sold and acquired for most of the large operators, as well as for individual care home owners across the UK. Burford Care Homes currently has a number of high quality homes going through the legal process and continue to attract home owners wishing to take advantage of their personal, bespoke approach, which results in sales being conducted seamlessly, with the directors being

available to their clients at all times.

Paul said: “I would urge homeowners contemplating selling to give me a call for a confidential, no obligation chat to establish where their home would fit in the current market place.

“Although there is a certain amount of caution prevailing, we are currently experiencing a very high demand from quality purchasers who have access to funds from the enthusiastic and committed lenders in the market.”

Robust systems are the key IF YOU are a provider in the social care sector you will be very aware of the importance of having an effective governance system embedded into your organisation.

This not only ensures that a high quality of care provision is delivered but it also fully protects your business by providing evidence of compliance for regulators and commissioners alike.

Social care governance is a framework for making sure social care services provide excellent ethical standards of care provision and continues to improve on them.

Care Charts

Transport

Signs

Your values, behaviours, decisions and processes are open to scrutiny as you develop safe and effective evidence-based practice. Having a good governance system embedded into your organisation means that you recognise your accountability, act on lessons learned and are honest and open in seeking the best possible outcomes and results for people.

At Networkcare UK, we work closely with our client base introducing effective governance systems that ensures they have an effective quality assurance programme that enables full compliance in all areas.