Issue 9 27.05.20 We are committed to supporting customers in these unprecedented times, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me or a member of my team to talk about how we can help Derek Breingan, Head of Health and Social Care 07818 454674
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Keep up the pressure to avoid spike CARERS have warned there is no room for complacency in the fight against coronavirus. While welcoming another fall in care and nursing home deaths, the Independent Care Group said the country had to keep up the pressure on the virus to avoid a second spike. It also says now should be the time when the Government starts to plan social care’s recovery once Covid-19 is clear. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 1,660 people died in care and nursing homes from Covid-19 in the week up to May 15. That is down from 1,666 the previous week, 2,423 the week before that and 2,800 the week before that. ICG chair Mike Padgham said: “The trend continues to be a downward one, which is encouraging. But we have to remember that each death is a tragedy – someone’s mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or friend and for that reason we cannot let up. “We have seen evidence of people on beaches and in parks failing to observe proper social distancing and we have to keep up the pressure and not let a second spike in this virus come and take away more people.”
The ICG says providers are still facing some issues with personal protective equipment and proper testing. They also need more financial support as many are struggling. Mike added: “Much still needs to be done as PPE and testing are patchy to say the least and providers need more financial support. We have to remain vigilant to avoid a second spike in cases. If we keep up the pressure we will get through this. Then the real priority is to get started urgently on a complete reform of care. “During this pandemic we have seen in the most horrific fashion, what happens when social care and NHS healthcare are not properly integrated. “Chronically under-funded and under-resourced, social care was not in a position to cope with a pandemic and has been brutally exposed.” The ICG says the £3.2bn pledged for local authorities to help them support social care is not reaching care and nursing homes and homecare providers. The ICG is calling for the CQC to waive registration fees for the next 12 months and for social care to be zero-rated for VAT.
Residents enjoy ‘trip’ to seaside
Home Instead Senior Care has launched a campaign to keep people busy and having a bit of fun during lockdown. Dame Esther Rantzen, founder of the The Silver Line, the only confidential, free helpline for older people in the UK, is supporting ‘Home Challenges’ and will be announcing a new challenge every week via Home Instead’s social media channels. She said: “I can’t wait to see people’s entries to Home Challenges. We’ve all got to try to have some fun whilst our movements are restricted and that’s what this is all about. If we can raise some funds for The Silver Line in doing so, all the better.”
A BIG THANK YOU
FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR MOST VULNERABLE SAFE AND HAPPY …
WE’RE IN AWE OF YOUR SELFLESS HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
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A VISITING artist has brought the seaside to a Thornton-le-Dale care home where residents were missing their visits to the beach during lockdown. After residents told staff they missed visiting the seaside, staff at The Hall asked local artist June Appleton, whose mother and mother-in-law both live at the home, to paint a seascape for the garden to give the feel of being at the beach. Under normal circumstances June is a regular visitor to The Hall, engaging the residents in a range of arts and crafts activities. She also provided some seathemed artworks to display inside the home’s new orangery. One of the paintings is of a donkey, which the residents have named ‘Joy’. June said: “Since my mother and mother-in-law moved into The Hall a year ago I have been involved as visiting artist. “Because of my activities with the residents from crafts, special event days and being part of the village hub and junior school activities, I’d like to think I was part of the unofficial team, and I have become fond of the residents. “So, it is with sadness that I am now on the other side of the window when we have a phone visit, and watch with eagerness, the activities on Facebook.” To complete the experience residents were treated to fish and chips to top off their afternoon ‘trip to the seaside’.
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CARINGWEEKLY
Nina gets children to write to residents
A 16-year-old student has set up Community Senior Letters – an initiative to help more than 35 primary schools write letters to elderly residents in their area during the Covid-19 crisis. The mastermind behind the innovative project is Nina Andersen from London. She has previously set up Community Senior Music, where semi-professional musicians performed concerts at various care homes. Due to lockdown she has had to switch from musical entertainment to handwritten letters to keep the elderly connected during these unprecedented times. Community Senior Letters aims to match primary schools to care homes in the same borough to provide human connection during lockdown. This allows hope and happiness to be brought to the elderly residents at care homes, and for them to form wonderful friendships. Likewise, students are able to form friendships by unleashing their inner creativity as they send letters and drawings to the care homes. Nina said: “I believe that letters and drawings have the power to affect empathy and connection between two people from different generations, contexts and walks of life. “Sending and receiving these letters helps to uplift spirits, ease stress and
Nina Andersen
Resident Cynthia Cobley helping out at ‘The Corner Shop’ .
relax the mind. “Not only does it provide elderly people with some form of human connection during isolation, but it also helps to alleviate any boredom the pupils may be feeling.” “I am currently working on this project alongside my schoolwork, and find it challenging at times to manage the workload, but it makes my day when I receive pictures of handwritten letters from primary school children, or emails from care homes expressing their gratitude and appreciation for this project.” The World Health Organization has announced there is currently no evidence indicating Covid-19 can be spread through post, allowing letters to be received safely by the care homes.
Residents enjoy some retail therapy to keep spirits up RESIDENTS at Beaumont Hall in Leicester have been enjoying a spot of retail therapy as staff unveil the newest addition to their care home: its own on-site convenience store. It has been a huge success since its launch, as residents are able to shop at their leisure in the safety of the care home environment. The store stocks a range of items including toiletries, vintage sweets and other snacks, greetings cards, stationery, knitting wool, underwear, make-up and various other accessories. Residents have been heavily involved in the renovation from the start, helping to pick the name and decoration for their store by creating mood boards which saw them settle
on a ‘vintage chic’ theme. ‘The Corner Shop’, which is located on the second floor of the home is open to residents every day, with the help of the dedicated care team and activities co-ordinators. However, some residents have been enjoying trying their hand at working behind the counter as well as being customers of the shop. Lifestyle manager Emma HudsonBeaver said: ‘I am very pleased to see how much of a positive impact having our own little shop has made on our residents. “The store stocks all of our residents favourite knickknacks such as wool for knitting, which has really come in handy during the past couple of weeks.”
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CARINGWEEKLY
Kath to run almost 20 marathons for charity
Residents Zoom to fitness RESIDENTS of Wren House in Warminster haven’t let recent visiting restrictions get in the way of their regular exercise regimes, with fitness classes being streamed direct to the home on Zoom. Hannah Beswick, who leads the armchair fitness classes, would normally visit the care home every week to keep residents active. But since the temporary restriction of non-essential visitors to the home in March, staff have arranged for the sessions to be conducted via Zoom. Manager Lynn Boon said: “We’ve had to look to all kinds of new ways
to keep our residents connected and ensure they don’t miss out on anything they would normally enjoy. “As part of this, we’ve brought the 21st Century to Wren House, not just enabling our residents to have video-chats with their loved ones, but making sure their regular activities like exercise classes and music sessions can still go ahead. “The health and happiness of our residents are our top priorities at Wren House and we’re doing everything we can in these unprecedented times to keep our residents fit and active.”
Family’s 90th birthday surprise THE family of Joseph Maurice Parkinson, a resident at The Farmstead in Telford, ensured he would still have a wonderful 90th birthday despite not being able to visit as usual. Joseph, who goes by his middle name Maurice, received lots of birthday presents, left on the doorstep of the care home by his loved ones to make sure he could still celebrate in style. He said: “I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t celebrate my birthday with my wife and family like I usually would, but I know that’s what is best to keep everyone safe and well for now.” Maurice is a former principal lecturer from Wolverhampton and is married to Rita, with whom he has two children, four grandchildren and
KATH Embling is running a massive 510 miles for a care provider in just 20 weeks – 40 miles more than the distance from London to Scotland. The number 510 represents the number of tenants and residents across Brunelcare’s homes and extra care housing sites, and the 30-yearold wants to run a mile for each of them. Kath will be running 3.3 miles around her local area, St Werburghs in Bristol. She’ll continue to run 23 miles – almost a marathon – each week, with no rest days, until the 154day challenge has been completed on October 14. She believes the challenge will take her an average of 103 hours in total. Kath’s original target was to raise £500 for the charity to buy wellbeing supplies for the operator’s five care homes and three extra care housing sites. However, much to her surprise, the digital marketing coordinator at Brunelcare managed to smash her target before she even started the challenge. Kath is now hoping to double her donations to raise £1,000
for the charity. She said: “I wanted to do something special for Brunelcare, something that meant a lot to our tenants and residents and something they could get involved in. “The money I raise will fund wellbeing activities within our care homes and will go towards future day trips for our residents to look forward to once we’re out of lockdown. “I’ve never taken part in a challenge like this before, but I can’t wait to get my trainers on later and complete my first run!” Kath, previously an avid runner, used to regularly take part in races all over the UK, until she sustained a foot injury six years ago. Her injury was so bad that she believed it was unlikely she could run again and some days even struggled to walk without pain. After years of intensive physiotherapy to heal her injury, Kath has only started running again recently. She will document her daily run using Strava that can also be accessed via her Just Giving page for tenants and residents to keep an eye on. The daughter of Sheila Dean, a resident at Borough Care’s Shepley House in Hazel Grove, was keen to show her appreciation and thank staff for all they’re doing. Liz Dean has made a generous donation for flowers to brighten up the home’s garden, which staff and residents can enjoy. She said: “I will never be able to repay the kindness and generosity of spirit the whole team at Shepley House has shown in these unprecedented times; not to mention everyone’s dedication and hard work. Some beautiful plants for the garden at Shepley House, which everyone can enjoy looking at, is a token of my immense gratitude. Seeing the colourful flowers will hopefully help keep everyone’s spirits up.”
five great grandchildren. Despite being unable to celebrate with a proper party for all the family, the home made sure Maurice’s birthday was still special, and ensured he enjoyed the gifts his family left for him including lots of fizz to share with the other residents.
Royal (Zoom) appointment for Suraya A CAREGIVER from Home Instead Senior Care was given the opportunity of a lifetime to have a chat about her job with the future King of England. Senior caregiver Suraya Alvi from Home Instead Stockport was one of five key workers from the care sector who were invited to join a Zoom call with HRH The Duke of Cambridge. Prince William wanted to find out directly from those on the frontline of care what their experience of working during COVID-19 was like, how it had changed the way they delivered care and how the job affected their wellbeing. Speaking directly to HRH about her experience of caring for older people throughout COVID-19, Suraya said: “The main thing we face is uncertainty from clients. We aim to reassure them that we will still provide the best level of care regardless of the pandemic. “The main aspect is keeping people safe in their homes at this time and providing that level of care that we
did before but just with the added PPE and handwashing.” She spoke about the emotional turmoil it can bring for both clients and caregivers as the situation can be a strain both physically and mentally. “The support from the office has been fantastic,” Suraya added. “We have a support system at the office
and wellbeing sessions, and you can always pick up the phone and chat to people. “The office sends us thankyou notes and leave gifts on our doorstep, it’s lovely. The main thing is keeping well emotionally, and it can be really tough.” She talked about how she had been enjoying cooking at home with her
21-year-old daughter and how it benefitted their mental health during this time. Ending the call, HRH added a thank-you to all the care workers and their colleagues for the ‘fantastic job’ they were doing. “It’s hugely appreciated and acknowledged,” he said. “I hope we see a shift in attitudes towards the care sector and an appreciation for all the wonderful things you all do.” The call was set up by the Care Workers Charity, which exists to support current and former care workers with one-off crisis grants and advice. Executive director Karolina Gerlich said: “The call was a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on the amazing work of care workers and we really appreciate Suraya’s input from a homecare point of view. “HRH really took time to find out what it was like working in care, hear some of the challenges and recognise the important job our care workers do.”
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CARINGWEEKLY
Staff help resident Ernest mark his 100th birthday
Sunrise of Fleet resident Isobel Gilmour.
Residents create art for Tate Modern exhibition RESIDENTS in the dedicated Memory Care Neighbourhood at Sunrise of Fleet have created individual, personalised postcards as part of a project with Creative Minds. Creative Minds is a social enterprise consisting of a nationwide community of artists who deliver fun, therapeutic and engaging art sessions to people of all ages. The home was invited to take part by Sarah Fenner, who has been delivering therapy sessions in Fleet for the past few years. The project Sunrise of Fleet residents took part in was named ‘Filtered Reality’. The theme of Filtered Reality is to explore people’s feelings and emotions about social distancing. Lucy Jesse, director of community relations at Sunrise of Fleet, said: “From a personal point of view, and my experience having done art
classes with residents, art is such a free and equal activity. “There is no right or wrong and it is a particularly therapeutic for those that maybe struggle to express feelings or emotions with words. “A brush to paper can be more beneficial and can really give that individual power to express themselves. “I often see our residents so engaged when they are creating art, so it is clearly relaxing but also stimulating too. It is lovely to see their sense of achievement from completing artwork, and the sense of purpose they get. “This is an exciting opportunity not just for residents to take part, but hopefully visit the exhibition once we are able to.” Creative Minds is working alongside the Tate Exchange, and the project will be featured in an exhibition.
ERNEST Barnes has celebrated his milestone 100th birthday with the help of the Lydgate Lodge care staff in Batley. To mark his birthday he spent much of his morning on FaceTime calls to loved ones and opening his many birthday cards and gifts, including a card from the Queen which he was thrilled to receive. Ernest’s friends at the home gathered together to sing happy birthday and present him with his favourite sponge cake that was freshly made and decorated by the home’s chef. He was extremely moved by all the fuss he received and ensured his cake was shared around all the residents and staff. Ernest added: “I have survived many things in my life, and it was my goal to celebrate my 100th birthday and receive a card from the Queen. I am very pleased to have done just that. “I would like to thank all of the fantastic staff at Lydgate Lodge for the effort they put in to helping me celebrate my birthday. I had a fantastic day and I have been truly spoilt.” Ernest was born in 1920 and lived in Paignton, Devon with his parents as the youngest of seven siblings. Throughout his childhood he was a keen sportsman and took part in many clubs and teams including the Sea Scouts and was the Coxswain for a local rowing club. Ernest followed in his father’s footsteps, working in the building trade as a joiner. During the war he volunteered to join the Army where he was recruited to the Royal Engineers in the Waverley’s 8th Army to serve in North Africa. It was Ernest’s responsibility to unload the ships at Alexandra Docks,
Ernest Barnes celebrates his 100th birthday with the help of the Lydgate Lodge care staff in Batley. which would often be a dangerous role with overhead bomber planes attacking them. Following the war he met the love of his life during a chance meeting in a local park when a small dog stole his cap. Ernest chased the dog to retrieve his cap and met the dog’s owner Doreen. They married in December 1945 and the spark the couple felt during that first meeting remained with them for more than 60 years of marriage. Home manager Gary Kent said: “Ernest is a wonderful gent. I am thrilled to have been able to help him celebrate such a special day. We will be sure Ernest celebrates his birthday again with his loved ones as soon as we can.”
Operator celebrates its nurses on International Nurses Day
FLOWERS, doughnuts and a ‘digital takeover’ were all used to celebrate Nurse Heroes on an International Nurses Day with a difference at Morris Care. The care provider has delivered the tokens of appreciation to its six nursing homes in Shropshire and Cheshire with a personal thank you note from CEO Lucy Holl. “This year has certainly brought its own set of challenges, but our nurses been never been more appreciated and praised,” she said. “Finally, they have the spotlight they deserve. “Our teams are fully protected with all the relevant PPE to allow them to continue to excel at what they do. “These nurses are insightful, skilled and sensitive and most importantly they stand together, united in continuing to care so compassionately for the elderly and vulnerable during the impact of the
Morris Care CEO Lucy Holl (centre) with nurses Charlotte Mabukela (left) and Giby Varghese (right) at Isle Court in Shrewsbury. Coronavirus pandemic. and every day as true heroes.” “Our nurses have demonstrated Across the world, the valued staying power and resilience and contribution of nurses is celebrated that’s why we recognise them today annually on May 12, the anniversary
of Florence Nightingale’s birth in 1820. It promised to be a big year as the World Health Organization designated 2020 ‘International Year of the Nurse’ to mark the 200th anniversary of Florence’s birth. To mark the extra special year, Morris Care launched a week-long ‘Nurses Takeover’ on its website and across its social media channels. This included celebrating in pictures and profiles some of the frontline nursing staff with reasons why they are so special to the team. The website featured a special perspective and thank you video from Lucy Holl, together with a feature exploring how nursing in a nursing home demands a special kind of nurse who not only possesses all the right caring skills but the ability to build lasting relationships with residents too.
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CARINGWEEKLY
New app will help to prevent falls
‘Musical love letters’ sent to locked down residents A RENOWNED cellist and a leading violinist are sending ‘musical love letters’ to residents of a care organisation in Wrexham. Pendine Park went into partnership with the world-famous Hallé orchestra more than a decade ago to create an enrichment programme that sees musicians visit their care homes to work with residents on musical projects. The project has had to be suspended as a result of the coronavirus pandemic because non-essential visits to the homes have been stopped. But cellist David Petri (who plays piano on the videos) and violinist Caroline Abbott were keen to ensure the residents did not miss out. Independently of the Hallé, the duo have worked together to send videos of some of the residents’ favourite musical numbers for them to enjoy during the lockdown.
Pendine Park artist in residence Sarah Edwards was delighted to receive the gift of the musical videos. She said: “We all, residents and staff, look forward to the visits of the Hallé musicians. The Halle project has been running for more than a decade and has proved to be very successful. “However, the videos David and Caroline have sent us are personal gifts from them. It’s an act of kindness we all really appreciate. “Caroline refers to the videos as musical love letters for their Pendine Park friends which is a lovely sentiment and something we really appreciate. “It’s a difficult time at the moment as families can’t visit as we have to keep residents safe. “Having these videos that residents can watch and listen to is fantastic and we can’t thank David and Caroline enough.”
EXPERTS at the University of Nottingham have developed a new app that will help to reduce the number of times residents in care homes fall over. The new ‘React To Falls’ app is available to download on iPhone and Android, from the Apple and Google Play app stores. Pip Logan, professor of rehabilitation research in the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham, and one of the researchers who developed the app, said: “Based on our research, we know that all care home residents are at high risk of falls, we know that families and care home staff work hard to keep residents healthy, safe and happy. We also know that falls have a huge financial and personal impact. “That is why we have worked with care home residents and staff on this fall prevention app, which we are confident will help to reduce the number of times people fall over.” The app will guide users through different areas that might cause a fall, giving practical tips in bite size pieces of information that have been shown to reduce falls and reduce the effects of falling over. The app can be used by anyone wanting to prevent someone they know having a fall, including residents themselves and their families. The app can: n Provide practical suggestions of what carers or care home staff can do. n Has prompts to tailor the actions to support each individual resident. n Provides detail that will give carers the confidence that they are doing the
Pip Logan
right things. n Helps carers react to falls before they happen. n Supports residents to remain active and make their own lifestyle choices. n Recognises managing falls is a continuing process. Dr Jane Horne, senior research fellow and occupational therapist at the University and one of the researchers who helped develop the app, added: “We look forward to seeing the app being used in care homes. We hope that people will find this a useful resource, and any feedback they have to help improve any future versions is welcome.” The development of the new app has been a collaboration between experts from the University’s Division of Rehabilitation, Ageing and Wellbeing along with colleagues from the University’s Mobile App Product Team. Agile delivery and scrum methodology techniques were used to ensure excellent cross department collaboration was maintained throughout and ensured that the app was efficiently and speedily released to the app stores.
Operator celebrates pride in nursing THE care, commitment and hope that nurses bring to people every day has been celebrated by a family-owned care home provider. All 21 Colten Care homes in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Sussex marked the recent International Nurses’ Day with presentations of gifts and cakes to nursing staff while observing social distance restrictions. International Nurses’ Day takes place each year on the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the famous ‘Lady with the Lamp’ often cited as the founder of modern nursing. This year’s commemoration marked the 200th anniversary of her birth and also coincides with International Year of the Nurse. But the occasion has taken on even greater significance with the focus on nursing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Elaine Farrer, Colten Care operations director and a registered nurse, said: “As we stand united in our response to this global threat, it’s more important than ever to highlight and appreciate the remarkable work nurses do every day. “International Nurses Day gives all of us an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary value that nursing
Nurses at Wellington Grange in Chichester are presented with a cake on International Nurses’ Day while holding their bags and cards. presented with cakes baked specially brings to hospital patients, care for the occasion by the provider’s home residents and others in the in-house chefs. community. They included a creation by chef “By providing the highest standards Hannah Clark at Court Lodge in of professional nursing here at Colten Lymington. Care, we help our residents to lead Hannah, who last year won lives that are as full, and fulfilling, as possible.” a Colten-wide cake-making At each home, nurses were competition, used decorative icing to
add features such as a stethoscope, red-cross hat, plasters, bottles of pills and a syringe. Nurses also received a personal card from their home managers, along with pens and canvas carrier bags bearing the message ‘Proud to be a Nurse’. Elaine added: “We are committed to supporting and developing our nurses in many different ways. This is at the very heart of our approach to care. “For example, we offer a Royal College of Nursing-accredited preceptorship for all new recruits who are recently qualified, returning to work, or new to the UK. “We also work in partnership with Solent University where 15 of our care staff are currently studying for the new Trainee Nursing Associate qualification. “Further in post, we enable our nurses to take on more leadership and complex clinical roles while putting great store on reflective learning, team conferences and best practice sharing. “In a recent survey of our nurses, more than nine out of 10 say they feel valued in their home team and have the variety and freedom to provide consistently good care, putting residents first.”
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CARINGWEEKLY
10
For Sue Ferry, an asthma sufferer and carer at Dene Holm Residential Care Home in Northfleet, the threat of contracting Covid-19 was a real concern. But having endured the virus and returned to work she shared her story with us.
Gifts donated to care staff CARE assistants from Bluebird Care Richmond and Twickenham were generously gifted care packages from Superdrug’s Twickenham branch. Store managers Helen Miles and Aneel Kalyan personally brought the packages containing pamper products such as body lotion, shower gel, body scrubs, shampoo and conditioner to the team. They also included plenty of hand sanitiser. There are more than 90 members of staff at Bluebird Care Richmond and Twickenham, and the Superdrug team made sure there was enough for all of them. “Thank you to Superdrug for this wonderful gesture,” said Natasha Coombes, care manager at Bluebird Care Richmond and Twickenham. “All of our care assistants were so grateful for the packages that they were gifted. It is so lovely seeing the community come together at this time. We are so proud of our care assistants working so hard to continue to provide an exceptional service to their customers. “They truly are heroes and definitely deserve a treat.”
Operator tucks in for charity A TUCK shop at a care group’s central office has so far raised £250 for charity. Avery Healthcare is a major sponsor and supporter of the Care Workers’ Charity, a UK organisation that supports current and former care workers with crisis grants. Rachael Bisiker, project manager in the company’s estates department, set up the tuck shop to exploit the staff’s need for snacks. She said: “We used to get a range of food vans visit our business park here so it seemed that we would be better off supplying some of this ourselves and generating some funds for our favoured charity; so ‘Munch for Money’ has really paid off.” From small beginnings just a few months ago, the shelves are now stocked with cereals and breakfast bars, soups, noodle and pasta meals, drinks, and an array of sweet treats. To support the CWC’s new Coronavirus Emergency Fund, Avery has participated in recent events such as its Sparkle Day and a Skirt Rip Challenge, which was based on Eurovision Song Contest winners Bucks Fizz.
Working in a care home and beating Covid-19 “I WAS really worried when Covid-19 started to become more serious, as an asthma sufferer, I knew I would be high risk if I caught it, so when I started to feel unwell over the Easter weekend, I was concerned,” she said. “I got home from an evening shift at about 10pm and felt really tired and lethargic. I was coughing a lot, I cough quite a lot anyway as I suffer from asthma, but my husband picked up on this, which was unusual. “After taking myself off to bed, it really hit me in the night, the high temperature and the headaches were unbearable. I phoned in sick to work and called 111, who advised me to isolate for five days, I could barely get out of bed to get to the toilet, so that was no problem.” A few days later Sue tested positive for Covid-19 and continued to isolate, but unfortunately her condition worsened and 111 advised her husband to call an ambulance for her. She added: “The paramedics wanted me to go to the hospital, but I didn’t want to go. I genuinely thought if I went to hospital, I wouldn’t come back. “So I contacted my GP and arranged to have my observations done safely as they had a tent set up for safe visiting. Unfortunately, my GP recommended calling an ambulance again and this time, my oxygen was
Sue Ferry so low, I had to go in. Watching my daughter’s face as we drove away was awful, she was mortified.” Sue spent the next two weeks in hospital, she had pneumonia, and was put on oxygen as well as IV as she was unable to eat. Using a walking frame to get to the toilet and taking morphine for the excruciating headaches, she slowly started to feel better and was able to
go home and eventually, return to work. “The recovery was slow, I stayed at home for days, not wanting to go out,” she added. “But when I returned to work my team were fantastic. “At the start of the pandemic it felt like care homes were not acknowledged by the government with regard to PPE and testing. Everything took a long time. “But now we have all we need and so I actually felt really safe coming back to work. “Being at Dene Holm actually feels very safe as we are in our own little bubble. We stopped accepting visitors quickly once the situation started to escalate and the situation with testing is now much better. “When we come on shift we’re given masks, visors, hand gel and we ensure we use it correctly. We all take it very seriously as we are aware of the risks. “I have worked at Dene Holm for 16 years and as a team,we’re really pulling together. I received so many well wishes from my colleagues while I was off so it was lovely to be back. “We are upbeat, and morale is so much better than it was at the beginning. Of course, we have good days and bad days, but we help each other through as we’re all in it together.”
Home uses pedal power with a 24-hour continuous cycle STAFF at an Aberdeenshire care home have not let the current national restrictions stop them getting on their bike to fundraise for the residents. The team at Balhousie Alastrean care home near Tarland decided to continue to raise money for the residents’ comfort fund during this difficult time by participating in a 24-hour cycle, with staff volunteering to cycle for an allotted time over the period. Bearing in mind current government safety guidelines, the team had to come up with fundraising ideas that were a little different. Following suggestions from their residents, they decided a 24-hour cycle on an exercise bike was a good option. Home administrator Emma Robertson kicked off the cycle in a full dinosaur outfit. Many more colourful characters, including Scooby Doo, a cow and a banana, as well as many residents, took part during the 24 hours with a live video of the event streamed on the home’s relatives’ Facebook page so families could watch the progress and join in the fun. Home manager Lori Fisher said: “In such challenging times it has
been great to still be able to organise fundraising events like these and have some fun at the same time. “The team did brilliantly on the cycle and made it so much fun, with the many interesting outfits that featured on the bike during the 24 hours. “Thank you to our cyclists, our residents who cheered us on and to everyone who donated.”
With an initial target of raising £500 to introduce a movie projector for residents to enjoy their favourite films on the big screen, the team have smashed their target and, at the latest count, have raised more than £1,000. Balhousie Alastrean is currently recruiting with care, nursing, domestic, kitchen and chef vacancies, and £1,000 ‘Golden Hellos’ are being offered for care positions.
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CARINGWEEKLY
Exercise goes digital at provider’s care villages
FITNESS instructors at a state-ofthe-art care provider have launched a YouTube channel to keep their clients and the nation’s older community healthy during the coronavirus lockdown. The ‘Belong Active’ channel provides access to free, online videos, devised specifically to help older people continue exercising while isolating at home, through a series of standing, sitting and even bed-based routines. Lead exercise instructor Anthony Harley launched the initiative, recording the videos to support residents at the care villages in the group operated by Belong, following the temporary closure of on-site gym facilities. He said: “We know our work with residents in the village gyms makes a huge difference to their quality of life, so it was really important to find a way to keep this going, even if we couldn’t access the same equipment. “We felt inspired by Joe Wicks’ online PE lessons for the nation’s schoolchildren and thought, ‘why not do the same for older people?” The not-for-profit care provider’s channel consists of a variety of routines, designed to improve both physical and emotional wellbeing.
Anthony Harley
Activities are targeted to specific muscles, such as arms, hands, legs and hips, aiding recovery from operations and reducing stiffness and pain. Building strength, balance and coordination, they also help reduce the risk of falls at this critical time. Anthony added: “The videos have been well received by residents, who now have the basics they need to continue their daily exercise routines, no matter where they are. “Even short daily sessions can improve mobility and help older people retain their independence, so we hope more people will take advantage of this valuable, free resource.”
Residents enjoying twice weekly virtual meetings THE team at Kepplegate House Care Home in Preesall, Lancashire has been thinking of innovative ways to make sure the residents (known as the Kepplegate family) are entertained when they are unable to have the usual visits from their loved ones during the current lockdown. Members of the family have been chatting to relatives on Skype, loving messages and drawings from great grandchildren have been emailed to the home and entertainers have sung in the garden for the family to watch through the windows of the conservatory. Seated exercise sessions and tai chi classes from instructors online have also been enjoyed. However, one of the biggest hits
during lockdown has been the virtual meetings held twice weekly with people living in care homes in different parts of the country, including Devon, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight. Sam McAughey, who organises the virtual meetings, said: “It’s great seeing everyone smiling and building friendships with people living miles away during this difficult time.” During the meetings there have been darts competitions, games of Pictionary played and various quizzes and word association games, resulting in friendly rivalry, but lots of laughter too. Lined up in the future is a game of Countdown, a quoits competition and a picture quiz.
Hand sanitiser comes in 100ml bottle HANSAN hand sanitiser is made in the UK in GMP Accredited facility and comes in a handy 100ml bottle. The World Health Organization has set a specific formula that must be used to ensure that sanitising products are effective and this product is independently lab tested to verify that it meets these criteria and will kill 99.9 per cent of all bacteria. With the vast array of hand sanitiser products on the market we know it’s difficult to find a company that you can trust to provide you with only the finest products. This product is guaranteed to be 70 per cent alcohol by volume and made to exacting EN-1276 standards. For further information please visit www.musclefinessewholesale.com/ hygieneppe.html
Community donates gifts to care home RESIDENTS at HC-One’s Summerhill care home in Kendal were the recipients of some generous donations from their local community. Hayes Garden World in Ambleside kindly delivered a huge number of floral gifts to the home including bulbs, orchids and bedding plants. The gifts were delivered to help lift the spirits of residents and staff in the home as they have been going through a tough time recently. The bulbs helped with the residents’ wellbeing and mood as it meant they engaged with the outdoor environment at the care home. Some enjoyed planting bulbs in the sun and making a lovely display, whereas others were overjoyed to
have a fresh plant in their room to improve their environment. Home manager Kathleen Dean said: “The acts of kindness people have shown across the whole community have been lovely and this donation was very heart-warming, the feeling of the community coming together is amazing.” Residents were also gifted clothes bags by local community artist Lana Grindley who runs Love Art to help them with storage and taking their belongings to and from the home. Sarah Nelson from Grasmere Gingerbread shop in Kendal also joined in with the community spirit as she donated lots of gingerbread so residents and staff could enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee.
Coming together as a force for good – caring for our care homes By Davina Ludlow WHILE most have settled into a new ‘normal’ several weeks into the UK lockdown, huge challenges are still being navigated in the care sector, where key workers are delivering safe care to residents up and down the country around the clock. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff working incredibly hard to perform their duties in these challenging environments. As concerns surrounding infection control continue to make headlines, I am awed by staff who continue to carry out their duties in the safest manner possible, whilst also stepping up to provide the added emotional support that is so critical to residents at this time. It is universally acknowledged that the care sector is one of the most rewarding, but also demanding environments to work in. Without a doubt, the usual physical and mental challenges are exacerbated in the current climate for workers, particularly as fears surrounding infection control in care homes continue to dominate. In many cases, care staff develop loving relationships with their residents and, especially during this time, kindness and compassion will be key to their well-being. These critical workers are undoubtedly bringing a light in time of darkness to many whilst also performing their usual duties. If there is one positive outcome to highlight today, it is our nation’s astounding ability to pull together to make a positive impact in times of crisis. Communities and companies across all industries, the care sector included, are working in harmony to pull together their resources and unite as a force for good. An inspired example of this is the incredible work of Q3 Academy Tipton who used their school resources to manufacture and deliver more than 4,000 face masks to their local care homes. This act of united kindness has been replicated in numerous locations and provides confirmation that our nation supports and is behind the tireless efforts of our care home staff. Another example comes from Procter & Gamble. In thanks of the tireless efforts made by care workers over the last several weeks, P&G has supported relief agencies in their work to provide aid to those whose lives have been severely affected
by the pandemic. For more than 17 years the company has partnered with In Kind Direct, a charity which supplies a large network of other charities with essential goods donated from manufacturers and retailers. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, I praise P&G’s efforts in donating multiple truckloads of essential products with brands like Ariel, Fairy and Flash. Additional activity includes P&G’s Gillette Reading plant producing and donating one litre bottles of hand sanitiser. You can read more about P&G’s efforts on their website, of which the stories are very inspirational. Every day we will face new challenges and continue to adapt our processes, but, if we continue to come together we can navigate these difficult times and build a brighter future for everyone. n Davina Ludlow is a consultant to the care home sector and a member of the P&G Professional Expert Advisory Council. Enquiries: To learn more about P&G Professional and its professional cleaning systems visit https://pgpro. co.uk/?utm_source=caringuk&utm_ campaign=May_2020&utm_ medium=newsletter or call 0800 716 854.
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