Issue 36 02.12.20
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Hobby boxes beat Covid restrictions
A BORDERS care home has created personalised hobby boxes for its residents, enabling them to continue to enjoy their favourite activities while adhering with social distancing measures. After residents of Mansfield Care’s Galahill House in Galashiels could no longer use communal areas following Covid-19 restrictions, staff had the creative idea to organise individual activity boxes for each resident to enjoy in their rooms. The care home’s staff have created personalised activity boxes for its 20 residents, filled with hobbies each resident enjoys, such as knitting needles, CDs and DVDs, crosswords and magazines. Tracy McGeown, activities coordinator at Galahill House, said: “After restrictions were introduced to keep our residents safe, we had to adapt to new ways to ensure everyone is cared for and kept entertained and socialised. “We came up with the idea of a personalised activity box which are catered to everyone’s different interests. “The boxes stay in our residents’ rooms so they can enjoy them whenever they want, and are updated regularly. “As well as being entertaining, we’ve included activities in the
boxes for cognitive and sensory engagement. “For example, one of our residents used to be a farmer and likes to read a particular farmer’s magazine which he gets from his friend, we ensure he receives every new edition of the magazine in his activity box. Another of our residents adores playing dominoes, so our care staff regularly take time to play with him. “This ensures he’s still playing the game he loves every day, but he’s also minimising contact with other residents.” “Our residents love what we’ve been doing. With every box being unique to each of them, it really gives them a sense of enjoyment as well as a feeling of appreciation.” The personalised activity boxes have been a great success with the residents and staff. Residents at another of Mansfield Care’s 11 homes have been taking part in a sensory activity called ‘Conversation Ball’, which is designed to stimulate cognitive behaviour and spark fond memories to those suffering with dementia. The Mansfield Care ethos is inspired by the kind of care we would wish for ourselves in later life – supportive, friendly, bright, positive, empathetic, respectful and homely.
New singing guidance is launched
Strictly Come Dancing star Flavia Cacace was the guest of honour as Launton Grange, operated by Ideal Carehomes, held its official ‘virtual’ opening ceremony. The Bicester care home has created more than 30 jobs for local people during its first phase of recruitment and will provide a home for 66 people. To celebrate the launch of the luxurious home, residents and their friends and families, as well as the local community, were invited to join the Launton Grange team ‘live’ on Facebook to safely watch the ribbon cutting ceremony. Flavia gave a heart-warming speech, before she officially announced Launton Grange as open as Joyce Teat, the first resident at the home, cut the ribbon on her behalf.
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FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR MOST VULNERABLE SAFE AND HAPPY …
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A GROUP of sector leaders in music and care is helping care settings to keep singing as a part of their Christmas activities. The collaborative group has published a leaflet which draws together current guidance, research and safe practice consideration and resources to help keep singing and music going. This includes ‘suggested principles of safer singing’ Public Health England guidance published recently. The group is led by the Musical Care Taskforce, co-convened by Music for Dementia and Live Music Now, working in partnership with National Care Forum, National Activity Providers Association and Care England. Grace Meadows, programme director for Music for Dementia, said: “Christmas and singing are synonymous, and we want everyone – carers and residents alike – to be able to experience that uplifting feeling of joining in with familiar festive songs and carols in a Covid-safe way.” ‘Keeping singing in tune with Covid-19 restrictions’ will help carers and care providers decide whether and how to lead singing and music activities over the Christmas period and beyond, as well as setting out steps in planning and risk assessing a session. The leaflet highlights why singing is important, especially during current times, and stresses that it’s not about how well you can do it, it’s about having a go, joining in and having fun.
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CARINGWEEKLY
Residents travel back to ‘the good old days’
Caring for the carers A NORTH East spa has thrown its support behind front line County Durham care home staff. As the region battles a second wave of coronavirus, The Spa at Ramside Hall Hotel has teamed up with Belmont Grange Nursing Home to offer free treatments to carers. And the aim is several fold – to thank them for their tireless work in protecting some of society’s most vulnerable members, to ease stress and to help guard their skin from the ravaging effects of wearing PPE for long periods. The Spa – one of the most prestigious in the region – has an established reputation for promoting wellness and was one of the first in the UK to introduce a treatment programme specifically for cancer patients. Now, it is collaborating with leading Spanish skincare brand Natura Bissé to provide free facials to 20 carers at Belmont Grange. Each 60-minute treatment is designed to restore sensitive, irritated or damaged skin by maximising hydration to soothe and comfort the face. Spa director Joanne Green said: “As we know, healthcare workers have suffered hugely through prolonged
PPE use during long days of tireless work fighting the virus. “They have also been under considerable emotional stress – so now it’s time for them to enjoy a little care. “If one good thing has come out of this pandemic, it’s that people are working together and supporting each other where they can,” she added. “They are saving our skins so we are doing what we can to save theirs.” June Shaw, manager at Belmont Grange, said The Spa’s offer had given her entire team a real boost. “The community spirit has been amazing and we have been very humbled by the support we have received throughout this very challenging and difficult time,” she added. “We’re always very grateful for any support we are given, but when The Spa got in touch it was just so uplifting. “You have no idea what it’s like to wear PPE day in, day out and so all of us here would like to say a very big thank you to The Spa at Ramside.” The Spa at Ramside is fully compliant with all current Government guidelines concerning Covid safety.
RESIDENTS at Thirsk care home Hambleton Grange have been transported through ‘five eras in five days’ thanks to an idea from the care team to reminisce with residents about ‘the good old days’. Following the success of the recent ‘Holiday Cruise’ week which saw residents ‘visit’ five luxury holiday destinations, staff decided to replicate the themed week but with a new and fun twist to travel ‘Through the Eras’. Throughout the week, residents were thrilled each morning to wake up and find their home had been transformed into a scene from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s with handmade decorations to match. Lifestyle manager Linzi Williamson said: “We have all had such a wonderful time this week, being able to ‘go back in time’ and find out more about life during each decade was excellent – we have heard such brilliant stories. “It’s been fun planning each day and to have had such fabulous feedback from our residents and their families makes it all the more rewarding.” The team organised traditional meals from the eras and the daily activities and entertainment were centred around the decade, such as the end of the war, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, the introduction of household appliances and England winning the World Cup. The team also chose to dress up each day in homage to each era, which was a hit with residents who gave them fashion tips and even
wanted to join in and dress up too. Some of the highlights from the week were: daily ‘Through the Eras’ quizzes, learning to jive, making ‘groovy’ tie-dye shirts and even recreating their own 80’s classic ‘The Price is Right’ gameshow. Staff used residents’ #thisisme life history booklets to identify any key activities and themes for the week that would be personal to the residents. One resident stated in her booklet that she was a huge Queen fan, so of course, famous music from the band such as ‘We Will Rock You’ was incorporated in the agenda for the 70’s day.
‘Outstanding’ owners take over franchise Mercy is our latest hero
WE received this nomination from Amanda Hendy, registered manager at Belvedere Lodge in Bristol. She wrote: “I would like to nominate Mercy Rhuppiah. My reasons are: “Mercy has grown from a quiet busy senior Care Assistant to a reliable, knowledgeable and great deputy manager. “Mercy has taken to this role with determination, courage and enthusiasm. “She has shown her strengths and abilities to not only fulfil her role but go beyond it. “Mercy has shown her determination to learn how to support the running of the home, she is proficient in managing her role and has taken staff under her wing to support them alongside me with their developments including medication competencies. “Mercy has taken the role seriously and works flexibly to ensure the home is safe and is in the best interests of the people who live here. “Mercy has a real passion to get things right and learn the next job role. “Mercy is a massive support to
me and we have become a great partnership, which has been noticed throughout the home. “Mercy is not afraid of hard work and is a perfect role model for all the staff and she is a credit to Belvedere Lodge and Ablecare. “The staff love working alongside her and she has a great rapport with both residents and families. “I believe Mercy is proud of what she has achieved and yet remains humble in her aptitude. Keep going Mercy.” Please send your nomination to events@scriptmedia.co.uk Closing date is Friday December 4.
MASEN and Selvie Naidoo, owners of Bluebird Care’s offices in Mendip and Ferndown, have recently taken over local home care provider Bluebird Care Swindon. The husband and wife have added the Swindon office to their Bluebird Care group, also known as iCAPS Enterprises, after successfully managing their other franchises for a number of years. Masen said: “Selvie and I are really excited to welcome Katrina and her team to the iCAPS family. She has built and leads a strong and caring team most of whom have been in the Swindon business for over five years. “Over the forthcoming months we look forward to integrating the teams and best practises to provide our customers with the best possible Bluebird Care experience.” The couple purchased the Bluebird Care Mendip office in 2014 and went on to take on the Ferndown franchise in 2017. Their management of Mendip saw the Care Quality Commission recognise it as ‘Outstanding’ in August 2019, with Ferndown also transformed from ‘Requires Improvement to be rated ‘Good’ under their leadership. The Swindon office is also rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the regulator.
Masen and Selvie Naidoo.
The couple now hope to see all three offices become recognised as ‘Outstanding’ as they begin this new journey with their expanded iCAPS group. Katrina Simms, operations director and registered manager at Bluebird Care Swindon, said: “The transition to iCAPS Enterprises has been seen as a positive step for the Swindon business. We have a team of passionate and caring Care Professionals who take pride in the critical service they provide. “We are excited to be part of a growing organisation which strives to deliver the best possible care for its customers. “We are looking forward to working closely with the team in Mendip and Ferndown, as it brings exciting opportunities for our team to further develop their careers and skills and I look forward to working closely with Masen and Selvie.”
CARINGWEEKLY
Christmas cards have gone on sale to raise money for Royal Star & Garter. They are part of the charity’s 2020 Christmas card catalogue, which also features wrapping paper and tags, gift wallets and virtual gifts. Royal Star & Garter provides loving, compassionate care for veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia from Homes in Solihull, Surbiton and High Wycombe. Four of the 22 cards on sale have been designed by the charity’s residents. They include a Christmas pudding and Christmas robin from Army veteran Dick, and a Christmas wreath by Lila. Also featured is a Christmas tree painted by former resident Johnnie before she passed away in July 2019 at the age of 102. Residents of Dene Holm in Northfleet decided it was time to spruce things up, so they spent a morning making some handmade tree decorations. With their seasonal decorations due to go up in the coming days, staff and residents of the care home got into the festive spirit and enjoyed some Christmas crafting. Assisted by the activity staff, the group of creative crafters had a tree-mendous morning getting stuck into the job at hand and making their very own handmade hanging baubles. Using empty glass baubles, they filled them with a variety of tiny festive decorations and adorned them with an array of colourful ribbons and bows. n Resident Barbara Gapp is pictured with her creations.
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A south coast care home provider has joined forces with local food banks to help families and individuals in desperate need this winter. Colten Care is inviting donors to drop off food in collection boxes at all 21 of its homes in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and West Sussex, and its Colten House head office in Ringwood. The donations will be distributed to food banks battling to meet a surge in demand from families facing financial hardship and food poverty. As well as providing collection boxes, Colten Care is donating food directly and inviting its regular suppliers to do the same. The first to come on board is the Downton, Wiltshire-based wholesaler Bidfood who are contributing a range of tinned and dry foods.
Residents and Colleagues at HC One’s Brandon House have been getting involved with the shoebox appeal. A number of the residents at the Coventry care home have been helping the staff to put together shoe boxes filled with items. The home’s wellbeing coordinator Ree Bolton saw the appeal mentioned on Facebook and told others at the home and everyone wanted to get involved. Overall the home has now put together 43 boxes for the Coventry Carries of Hope charity, who will deliver the boxes to children of all ages at Christmas who have very little.
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CARINGWEEKLY
New Covid regulations will mean further staff shortages, survey finds
Roseland Court care home in Truro.
Group’s homes take part in testing pilot HC-One’s Roseland Court Care Home in Truro, Gittisham Hill House Care Home in Honiton and Bereweeke Court Care Home in Winchester are taking part in the Department of Health and Social Care’s pilot to give residents’ loved one’s access to regular testing. This will enable more meaningful visits, with residents and their loved ones being able to hug each other after such a long time. They are three of around twenty residential care homes across England to be included in the visitor testing trial across Hampshire, Cornwall and Devon. Through the pilot a designated visitor is given regular access to testing. The testing of visitors, alongside other infection control measures in place, including wearing Personal Protective Equipment, will enable, where possible and safe to do so, indoor visits without a screen to take place between residents and their loved ones, as well as physical contact. There are currently two different types of visitor testing being trialled across the care homes participating in the pilot. These are the lateral flow test and the PCR test. Roseland Court and Gittisham Hill House are trialling the LFT’s,
which provides a result within a swift 30-minute timeframe. Bereweeke Court is piloting the PCR tests, which is a test where the visitor takes a swab sample before visiting the care home and receives their test result back within a few days. Once the visitor receives confirmation of a negative result, they can visit their loved one in the care home. Liz Whyte, director of standards and Covid-19 lead at HC-One, said: “We are delighted to be involved in the Department of Health and Social Care’s pilot for testing care home visitors. “This is an exciting and very welcome step. We have seen firsthand how much of a difference that testing residents and colleagues made to our response to Covid-19, and we are very pleased that testing is now being extended to care home visitors through this pilot. “We are committed to doing everything we can to support safe visits in our care homes and we can’t wait to reunite more Residents with their loved ones.” The testing of visitors has already seen and allowed for many emotional reunions to take place between residents and their loved ones, with residents now being able to reach out and touch their loved ones, to hold hands and hug each other, after a long time apart.
Operator to host its annual Alzheimer’s Society event COUNTY Carers, a domiciliary care agency based in Berkshire, will be hosting its annual charity event in support of The Alzheimer’s Society on December 4. The 12-hour event, which is inspired by Joe Wicks’ 24 Hour PE Challenge and will this year feature an Elf Day theme, will see staff complete various exercise activities while dressed as elves to raise money for people living with dementia. The fundraising event will be live streamed via the County Carers’ Facebook page every hour between 8.30am and 8.30pm, with carers and clients invited to join in the fun by taking part over Zoom. Activities will include treadmill and exercise bike sessions, rope skipping, boxing workouts and high intensity interval training – all fuelled by healthy snacks from the Joe Wicks cookbook series. Eloise Wakeford, founder and
managing director of County Carers, said: “Our annual charity day is a great opportunity to raise vital funds and recognition for The Alzheimer’s Society, especially at a time when things are particularly difficult for those experiencing a lack of interaction with their loved ones. “With many dementia sufferers currently experiencing reduced contact with their families and support networks due to the implications of Covid-19, Elf Day intends to be just as much a celebration of togetherness as an opportunity to generate funds and awareness.” This year’s Elf Day hopes to exceed the success of the company’s last charity event, which raised more than £1,400 after the team walked the Wokingham Nine Mile Ride. County Carers is extending an invitation to this event to anyone who would like to take part.
CARE providers are gearing up for further staff shortages in advance of new rules that will prevent the movement of staff between care settings introduced through the Regulation 18 clause, a poll of care providers by law firm Royds Withy King has found. The poll of 136 care home operators held on November 23 reports that 70 per cent are bracing themselves for staff shortages if the proposed changes to Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 is adopted in its current form. James Sage, head of the social care team and a specialist employment lawyer at Royds Withy King, said: “Regulation 18 is a temporary measure that would prevent care providers from allowing staff to work in more than one care setting without first placing that member of staff into a two-week quarantine. “This would seriously impact the ability of care providers to adequately resource care provision at a time when the sector is under immense pressure due to Covid and facing a staffing crisis.” The proposed changes to Regulation 18 would:
James Sage
n Apply to residential care services. n Restrict staff that provide nursing or personal care in one setting from doing so in another within a 14-day period. n Extend to bank and agency staff. James added: “The proposals do include a limited number of exceptions permitting care providers to break these rules in emergencies or to ensure they have enough staff to provide the care needed whilst they look to comply with the regulations. “In those instances, care providers will need to demonstrate that they have plans in place and are activity taking steps to comply with the changes to Regulation 18. “Where providers need to rely on agency staff to fill shifts, they should agree contracts for exclusive use of particular agency workers.”
Experience the iVario: Rational launches new online events
FOLLOWING the success of the interactive live online events introducing the iCombi Pro combi-steamer, Rational has developed a similar programme covering the iVario Pro. This new event gives foodservice operators the chance to see how Rational’s multifunctional cooking system offers a modern, practical, energy efficient and time-saving solution to their hot food preparation requirements. Plus, how it produces outstanding cooking results. Of course, Rational is best known for combi steamers – the company invented the technology in 1976 and recently launched its latest range, the iCombi Pro. At this live online event, attendees can find out about ‘the other’ Rational – the exciting and innovative iVario cooking system. Rational’s iVario range is available in four different models, with a choice of one or two cooking pans. It can be used to boil, pan fry, deep fry, griddle, pressure cook and confit – in one space-saving unit. That’s how, in the live online sessions, chefs can use the iVario to cook dishes as varied as deep fried fish and chips, beef bourguignon with mash potato, chicken stir fry, and chocolate mousse. Rational’s live online programme is produced in the UK by Rational chefs and focuses on UK-specific menus and operations.
The events look at how the iVario Pro’s advanced functions can enhance the kitchen operation. iZoneControl allows different foods to be cooked in the same pan at the same time but at different temperatures – the live online events will show how to get the most out of this application, and the other iVario intelligent assistants. Rational live online events are hosted by expert chefs who can be quizzed by attendees at any time during the session, to get specialist information and cooking solutions about particular needs and menus. “We started these Live online events at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Adam Knights, marketing director of Rational UK. “They allow us to let customers see and experience the equipment, safely from their own home or business. “We’ve invested heavily in them, not only to ensure customers continue to have access to these types of events, even if they are in lockdown, but also because they are proving very popular. “It’s become an even bigger project as we are developing dedicated market sector events to be launched online early next year.” Each Rational live online lasts about 45 minutes, including the Q&A session at the end. Enquiries: Book your free place at rational-online.com
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Cheshire provider fined after unsafe care contributed to vulnerable woman’s injury A CARE provider has been ordered to pay almost £220,000 at Chester Magistrates’ Court following an incident which contributed to an 89-year-old woman’s injury. Vivo Care Choices Limited previously pleaded guilty to the criminal offence of failing to provide safe care and treatment, which exposed Elli Figgins to significant risk of avoidable harm while she was a resident at the group’s Curzon House in Saltney near Chester. Curzon House is a care home for up to 35 older people and those living with dementia. The court also ordered Vivo Care Choices Limited to pay a £170 victim surcharge and £19,305.94 costs as a result of the prosecution brought by the Care Quality Commission. Mrs Figgins arrived at Curzon House for respite care on June 2 2017. She lived with her daughter, who was her main carer, but had used the service twice previously for respite care following falls. Mrs Figgins lived with numerous health conditions including vascular dementia, osteoporosis, poor vision and hearing loss. She also had Ménière’s disease – a condition affecting a person’s balance – and was known to leave her bed up to eight times a night to use the toilet. Despite Mrs Figgins’ documented medical conditions and information given to the home’s staff by her daughter, a robust assessment of her needs was not undertaken prior to her admission. Neither did staff implement a plan to monitor her throughout the night. The risk of Mrs Figgins suffering injury was increased by the service’s failure to use any assistive technology, such as motion sensors to monitor her when she was alone in her bedroom, or safety mats to
protect her if she fell. She was only given a call bell which she could not use. After retiring to bed on June 2 2017, Mrs Figgins was checked by staff just after 10pm and just after 2am. At 4.10am on June 3 2017, Mrs Figgins was found on the floor of her room after another resident alerted staff to her calls for help. It is not known how long she had been on the floor, but it may have been up to two hours. As a result of her fall, Mrs Figgins was admitted to the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she was found to have suffered a hip fracture. She underwent surgery on June 4 2017 and was transferred to the Hospice of the Good Shepherd, Chester, on June 9 2017. Mrs Figgins died at the hospice on June 11 2017. The injuries suffered during her fall were cited on her death certificate as a contributing factor. Sue Howard, a CQC deputy chief inspector for adult social care, said: “This is a distressing case and my sympathies are with everyone affected by Elli Figgins’ death. “Mrs Figgins had every right to expect safe care at Curzon House. Vivo Care Choices Limited has a specific legal duty to ensure care and treatment is provided safely at the home, but it failed to implement basic measures – such as motion sensors and safety mats – to mitigate the known risk of her falling. “The majority of care providers do an excellent job. However, when a provider puts people in its care at risk of harm, we take action to hold it to account and protect people. “We hope this prosecution reminds care providers that they must always ensure people’s safety and manage risks to their wellbeing.”
London home receives Good rating from CQC HC-One’s Tower Bridge Home in London is celebrating having received a glowing report from the Care Quality Commission. The team at Tower Bridge was delighted to have received an impressive report that rated the home as ‘Good’ in all areas, demonstrating that the home is providing high standards of care for residents and that it is Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsible, and Well-Led. Manager Christen San Pedro said: “We are delighted with this report which is a testament to the hard work and kind care that each and every
member of the team puts in, day in day out.” Inspectors were full of praise for colleagues at Tower Bridge, highlighting the kind ways in which they provide care for residents. Inspectors also commented on the responsiveness of the service Tower Bridge provides, indicating that people’s care to ensure their personalised needs are met. Residents are consulted in relation to their care plans and care workers demonstrate a good level of understanding about people’s personal needs.
Head of Facilities/ Facilities Director with considerable experience requires a position in a care home environment – South East of England (would consider full time or a consultancy position)
Residents of Rogers House in Wigmore added an autumnal twist to their regular craft club, painting pinecones in a variety of seasonal colours. The creative residents enjoy a different craft activity each week, and with the season now in full swing, an imaginative autumnal activity seemed like a great idea. Armed with all of their orange, red and yellow paints, the keen artists spent a morning carefully hand painting a number of pinecones, to use as decoration for the upcoming seasons. As they painted pinecone after pinecone, they discussed their favourite memories and traditions from this time of year.
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