Caring UK Weekly Issue 7

Issue 7 13.05.20 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

Association fears spike in deaths CARE providers fear a spike in the number of care and nursing home deaths from coronavirus if lockdown restrictions are lifted too quickly.

Responding to figures on the latest Covid-19 deaths in care and nursing homes, a provider group has urged caution.

The Independent Care Group said while some restrictions were being eased elsewhere, the battle against Covid-19 in homes was still raging.

There were 2,423 care home deaths linked to Covid-19 registered in the week ending May 1, figures from the Office for National Statistics show.

That is down from almost 2,800 for the week before. It was reported that for the first time, overall care home deaths exceeded hospital deaths during that week.

Meanwhile social care market analyst Carterwood has warned that Covid-19 could increase care home deaths in the over 65s in England by as many as 36,000 in the coming year, based on its research.

ICG chair, Mike Padgham said: “While the figures do demonstrate a downward trend, care providers are very conscious that death and sickness from coronavirus is

still very real and frightening within care and nursing homes and that we must not ease up.

“Homes have to maintain lockdown restrictions, even though it might be frustrating for relatives and friends, because we are not through this yet, not by a long way.

“We must always remember that behind every statistic is a human loss, the tragic passing of a much-loved mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or friend.

“It is good news that death rates appear to be falling and that the Government is starting to ease lockdown measures.

“But as far as the situation in care and nursing homes is concerned, we have to stay as we are; otherwise we will get more and more deaths.

“What we also need now is some expert guidance from the Government on how we move forward, particularly over lifting restrictions on people visiting their loved ones. We have to be extremely cautious but our residents cannot remain in lockdown for ever.”

The Office for National Statistics recently revealed that 86 women and 45 men working in social care had died from Covid-19 up to April 20.

Providers sign up to NHSmail

Residents at Barking Hall nursing home near Needham Market, Suffolk have received some special ‘Royal’ mail thanks to the work of manager Sue Oates. She sent a letter to Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, enquiring after their health on behalf of her residents, and sending on their compliments following the Queen’s recent address to the nation and commonwealth. Sue recently received a personal response from one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting, thanking her on behalf of the Royal couple and enclosing a special photo postcard. Everyone at the home, which is part of the Healthcare Homes Group and provides residential and nursing care for up to 49 people with a range of needs, was thrilled to receive the delivery; many of whom are keen supporters of the Royal Family. n Resident Jean Watson is pictured with the letter and postcard

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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THE number of care providers using NHSmail, the NHS’ centrally-funded email service, has more than doubled in the last six weeks from 4,141 to 10,186, to support staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NHSmail gives staff in care homes and domiciliary care the ability to safely share residents’ data and queries with doctors, nurses and GPs involved in their resident’s direct care, and get timely responses.

It also connects them to pharmacists, dentists and anyone else in health and care who also has secure email, such as NHSmail. It can be accessed from mobile devices as well as desktops and includes a full directory of all NHSmail users, as well as collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams.

Chris Parsons, NHSmail product owner at NHS Digital, said: “I am so pleased that more than one in three social care providers in England is now taking advantage of the benefits NHSmail offers.

“These care providers are now able to discuss their residents’ prescriptions with pharmacists, communicate securely with doctors to get a quick medical opinion and much more.

“This ability to communicate quickly, securely and effectively with colleagues across the sector means real benefits to staff and better care for the people they support.”

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CARINGWEEKLY

First Minister of Wales unveils £500 payment for care staff THE Welsh Government will fund a £500 extra payment for all social care workers in Wales, the First Minister has announced.

Speaking at the daily Welsh Government press conference, First Minister Mark Drakeford said the payment provides further recognition for an often “under-valued and overlooked” workforce.

The payment will be available to some 64,600 care home workers and domiciliary care workers throughout Wales.

It comes after the Welsh Government has provided an initial £40m extra funding for adult social care services to help meet the extra costs associated with responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mark said: “Tens of thousands of people work in social care in Wales, looking after some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and are doing so with great dedication in often challenging circumstances.

“They are undertaking tasks, which involve a high level of intimate personal care, often accepting a greater degree of risk and responsibility. Many of our social care workers are juggling their own personal caring responsibilities with their professional ones.

“I want our social care workforce

Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford to know their hard work is both appreciated and recognised. This payment is designed to provide some further recognition of the value we attach to everything they are doing – it recognises this group of people are providing the invisible scaffolding of services, which support both our NHS and our wider society.”

Further details about the extra payment will be announced shortly.

The Welsh Government is working with local authorities, who commission social care services in Wales, and with trade unions and Care Forum Wales, to finalise details.

The First Minister has called on the UK Government not to tax the extra payment, enabling social care workers to keep the full amount.

The Welsh Government is also

working with the Department for Work and Pensions to make sure it does not impact on people’s benefit entitlements.

Mark added: “We are urging the UK Government and the HMRC to make an exception in these truly exceptional circumstances.”

The announcement follows the recent news of the death in service payment for the families of all NHS and social care staff made by health and social services minister Vaughan Gething.

This scheme will provide eligible beneficiaries with a one-off sum of £60,000 and will apply to those working in frontline roles and locations where personal care is provided to individuals who may have contracted coronavirus.

One of the things residents at Borough Care’s Bryn Haven home for older people in Brinnington are missing most during lockdown is having a cup of tea with their families. Activity lifestyle facilitator Joanne Best said: “We are making sure there are lots of opportunities for residents to keep in touch with their families via video and telephone calls, but lots of our residents say they miss having a cuppa together. These are difficult times for everyone and I am always looking for ways to brighten the lives of our residents and help keep them connected to their families. I have sourced some tea bag holders featuring a special message and residents have put a tea bag in to be posted to their families. They love the idea of being able to send a cup of tea to their loved ones and I’m sure their families will be delighted to receive the special gift.”

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CARINGWEEKLY

Campaign connects schools and homes

The team at Skylarks in West Bridgford.

Operator looking for ‘big hearted’ carers NOTTINGHAM-based Church Farm Care Ltd, has launched a search for 10 new employees in care assistant and nursing roles.

The care group, which offers specialist dementia, palliative, respite, nursing, and day care, has four homes: Church Farm at Cotgrave, Church Farm at Skylarks (West Bridgford), Church Farm at Field House (Radcliffe-on-Trent) and Church Farm at Rusticus (Cotgrave).

Its recruitment drive follows the company’s on-going expansion as well as being part of its mission to build a team with a “big heart” to deliver its care.

Patrick Atkinson, owner of Church Farm Care Ltd, said: “It’s always been important to us that our homes are places for people to enjoy their time, be they residents, staff or the local community.

“We view those who live and work with us as family and our homes are places where people can share their life histories and support each other to live well – we’re always looking for the right people to join us and provide a standard of care that goes way beyond the level required by law.

“We are looking for people with a big heart and a desire to help others. We offer full training and a ‘buddy’ system, so experience is not necessary.

“If you are a people person and care about others, then we want you as part of our large family.”

The nursing position is for a night

nurse for Church Farm at Rusticus in Cotgrave, and care assistant vacancies are available in all four care locations, with both day and night hours available.

All positions are paid above the minimum wage and come with a number of perks, from the provision of on-shift meals to supermarket discounts.

Church Farm Care Ltd takes an innovative approach to the care it provides as one of few facilities in the world that follows the Dutch approach pioneered by the Hogeweyk ‘dementia village’.

In 2019, Church Farm at Skylarks and Church Farm at Rusticus gained planning permission to continue expanding its offering with additional bed spaces and facilities such as an onsite cinema and walk through bird aviary.

All four homes are rated a band five home by Nottingham County Council; the highest rating that can be achieved on the quality of care and service used by the council.

Patrick added: “We are aware that many people are currently in need of employment and so, it seemed the ideal time to formally launch our search for 10 new team members.

“We want to reassure any applicants in the current climate that we have plenty of medical specification masks, PPE and equipment for all of our staff, having acted quickly to acquire what we needed for the current health crisis.”

AN ACADEMY trust is extending its innovative reading campaign into care homes throughout the coronavirus crisis to keep its students motivated, support the elderly – and connect young and old.

The scheme will see Northern Education Trust, which runs 21 academies in the north of England, send hundreds of books for care home residents that its students will also be reading, with the elderly and students then encouraged to send book reviews to one another.

NET has developed a secondary school reading programme called “Reading Routes” to help students foster a love of reading. Based on the London Underground map, there are three routes, with railway lines translated into genres of book and each station expressed as a book.

The Trust and its schools buy students the books they want to read and each time pupils read a book they get a stamp. After three years they could have read all 90 books on the 18 routes, which connect the Trust’s schools from Bolton to Barnsley, Stockton to Sunderland, and Northumberland to Gateshead.

Now the Trust is going to buy hundreds of books to send to care homes in the areas where it has

academies. Care home residents will be encouraged to write and send reviews of the books to the students, who will then use those recommendations to decide whether they will read them.

The students will be encouraged to write back with their thoughts on the book, and make their own suggestions of other books the residents may want to read.

Rob Tarn, the chief executive of Northern Education Trust, said: “Reading Routes has been incredibly successful within our schools and we recognise that over the next three months students will be away from school and motivation may sometimes be difficult.

“We are of course also aware that the elderly in care homes are having to isolate and may become lonely because of the lack of social interaction.

“So we have decided to send hundreds of our books to the elderly, and then they and our students can connect with each other about which books they have read and which they would recommend.”

A number of care homes have already signed up to take part including two in Barnsley, two in Bolton and one in Gateshead.

Public-spirited businesses have responded to a plea for help circulated by a dementia care home with donations of face-masks, goggles, visors, gloves, shoe covers and antibacterial spray and wipes for use by residents and staff. Bonnie Frear, deputy manager of Camelot Care’s Camelot House and Lodge in Wellington, wrote to neighbouring organisations requesting their support in the face of initial shortages of personal protective equipment, and has been delighted with the response. She said: “I cannot thank those businesses and members of the public enough for their generosity.

It is wonderful how the community has pulled together – everyone really appears to be wanting to help each other.” n Staff are pictured with resident Philip Bowden who has recovered from coronavirus.

Meals delivered to staff by relative of former resident STAFF at Magnolia House care home in Cottingham have taken a surprise delivery of hot meals, arranged by the daughter of a resident who passed away in their care last year.

Hannah Hussain, of Hull-based Peregrine Property, whose father passed away while in the care of Magnolia House in April 2019, previously delivered Easter eggs to the home’s 140 residents and staff.

Now, through her company, she has arranged for takeaway-alternative Pheast to provide 25 hot meals to staff, paying tribute to their care for her late father and commitment as key workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hannah said: “April 14 was the anniversary of my dad’s passing and the current crisis seemed like the perfect time to give something back to the team at Magnolia House, who were so kind and caring in his final days.

“I’ve always intended to get involved with the

Some of the team at Magnolia House show their thanks to Pheast. fantastic work at Magnolia House, but my work commitments have got in the way over the past year so I’m glad to be able to support them now, during what must be a challenging time for care homes everywhere.”

Lindsay Altoft, manager of Magnolia House, added: “We were absolutely over the moon when Hannah brought in all the Easter eggs for residents and staff, and the recent tasty surprise was the icing on the cake.

“We’ve been bowled over by the support we have received from the community during the pandemic.

“Our top priority is the health and happiness of our residents, and to date we have no reported cases of the virus in our homes.

“It’s testament to the commitment of our staff who have been working around the clock to make sure our residents have all the care and support they need.

“Receiving treats like this are a wonderful boost for our team. Huge thanks to Hannah and the team at Peregrine Property.”

Magnolia House is a residential care home for up to 94 people.

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CARINGWEEKLY

Is stopping care home visits against our human rights?

By Stuart Wright DID you know, legally speaking, temporarily suspending visits to loved ones at care homes, extra care housing sites or community living schemes is fundamentally against a person’s human rights?

It infringes not only a right to family and a private life but also our freedom of choice. With the majority of care homes closing their doors to visiting loved ones across the UK, our human rights are cast away to protect the people we care for.

Morally, it’s the duty of each and every care provider to protect residents, tenants and guests, allowing carers to continue providing top quality care with residents’ best interests at heart.

We know the lack of family visits can be very frustrating and isolating for people during this difficult time, but equally we have NHS and Government advice that supersedes in this public health emergency.

These temporary regulations aren’t made up, they’ve been put in place to keep older and vulnerable people safe and must be followed.

Of course we would like to maintain visiting but have to protect the rights of the many not the few. The virus poses a threat to the people who are highly vulnerable – alongside the dedicated employees continuing to help care for the elderly people.

We also need to protect the key workers here and allowing continued visitation is dangerous to all parties.

As a nation, we have been told very clearly to stay home, enforcement of this telling isn’t written into any law – people have the capacity to understand the information and people don’t want to put themselves or others at risk.

Stuart Wright This is where our human rights become secondary and basic common sense comes into play, alongside a hope that people will follow the Government enforcements.

Technology – friend or foe?

A court in Northern Ireland ruled just last month that a care home needed to make “effective communication” between a family member and one of the home’s residents.

But isn’t this what each and every care provider across the UK is attempting to do? At this time we have seen that technology can be our friend, allowing people with capacity to maintain a connection, whether this is talking to a loved one via a video call, sending and receiving text messages or daily phone calls.

However, there is a thin line between technology being our friend and our foe.

Technology and lack of understanding and/or capacity could cause more distress and concern than it does good.

Someone living with a dementia, for example, could find it extremely difficult to understand why their

loved one isn’t visiting, or why their loved one is on a small screen in front of them.

The majority of us rely on physical contact within relationships – this is how they flourish, how they grow.

When thinking about contacting a loved one, think about how they would feel, not how the contact with them would make you feel.

Odds are, a person living with a dementia isn’t aware of how long ago you visited. If you decide technology could hinder relationships or cause confusion there are alternative ways to stay connected.

Why not write letters? Something that will be more familiar to the people in care. Ask carers and key workers to take pictures of your loved one taking part in activities or simply enjoying their time relaxing in their home.

Homemakers work extremely hard to ensure family and friends are kept up to date with how loved ones are getting on, all you have to do is ask.

If care homes did allow visits, what might this look like?

The clinical and moral response to visiting a loved one during this time is simple, it’s a no.

However, we could, hypothetically, consider what this may look like. In short, it would look scary, visitors would have to wear masks, gowns and gloves and would all look unrecognisable to loved ones.

All a person will get each visit is communication from the eyes, whereas personable communication and interaction comes from the entire face – this could increase stress and confusion not only for the person in care but for the loved one visiting as well.

Some people in care may be

cognitively able to understand, but others, a person living with a dementia, will not.

What about visits through the window?

There’s been a lot of press about loved ones visiting family and friends in care through a window.

This isn’t okay, it simply brings a stark realisation of distance that some people can not understand.

We can no longer kiss, cuddle and touch our relatives, primarily, with this in mind, and if a loved one is already living with a dementia, why would people want to visit loved ones in care through a window?

This also leads to non-essential journeys and people being out of their homes for a reason the government isn’t deeming as essential travel.

Are there any exceptions?

There is one exception for end-oflife care visits. The Gold Standards Framework is recognised across all of our homes.

Managers are aware of when a resident, tenant or guest may sadly pass. This is when the centre manager would make the difficult decision as to when family and friends need to come to say goodbye to someone in care.

PPE would have to be worn, hands would need to be washed and the fastest, safest route to get to the loved one would be thoroughly thought out. This will be a much more surreal experience, very controlled and also time limited.

We have a public health emergency declared please don’t ignore it. Stay home, protect our care homes and stay safe. n Stuart Wright is the dementia care lead at Brunelcare.

Care group acquires interactive projector A CAMBRIDGESHIRE care community has surprised residents with a state-of-the-art, dementiafriendly interactive projector to help keep them stimulated during lockdown – having put forward £6,000 to complete its staff fundraising target.

Askham Village Community, a specialist rehabilitation and care group near Doddington, unveiled its new OM Interactive projector to delighted residents, having put forward the remaining money to complete a year of fund-raising efforts.

The OM Interactive projector is designed to stimulate, relax and encourage memory recall through scenes and sounds from nature, including virtual water effects and therapeutic colouring; social games promoting physical dexterity and joint effort, and nostalgic themes and music.

Despite the current coronavirus lockdown measures stopping

fundraising activity, Askham proceeded in acquiring the projector as the senior team knew the value and positivity it would bring to residents in their care during the crisis.

With restrictions in movement in place across the five homes that make up the community, the

projector will play a vital part in keeping residents’ minds healthy, active and stimulated through a range of cognitive experiences.

Joanne Monaghan, head of care and nursing and registered manager at Askham Hall and Askham House, said: “The projector has already brought a lot of joy and positivity in

light of what is going on in the world at the moment.

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“It has wheels so is easily transferable and can project on tables, the floor or a bed, the latter being really beneficial to those who are bed-bound.

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Askham has also joined a list of care providers across the country that have reassured residents and their families they will not be increasing fees, despite daily care costs rising by more than a third amid the pandemic.

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CARINGWEEKLY

Letters put smiles on residents’ faces

Nadia Rehman with husband Hamaad and Maryam.

Retired Major General and new mum take on 26-mile challenges THE chairman of a care charity has taken part in a 26-mile indoor row to kick-start a long, gruelling challenge.

Major General Tim Tyler is rowing the equivalent distance from his home in Ovington, Hampshire to Royal Star & Garter’s Surbiton Home before ‘rowing’ between the Surbiton, High Wycombe and Solihull homes.

He will cover 156 miles in total.

Tim used the recent 2.6 Challenge to kick-start his initiative, by rowing the first 26 miles.

He is looking to build on the £4,000 he has already raised for Royal Star & Garter, which provides care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia.

After completing the first 26 miles in three hours, 48 minutes, Tim said: “I have been using the rower regularly since February and gradually increasing my speed and distance.

“In the last week I have been testing myself at increasing distances to see how fast I should take it. I’m fairly fit, but I had not rowed the whole 26 miles so the last leg was tough.

“Like all organisations, the coronavirus outbreak has pushed our operations in a way that I could never have imagined.

“Our amazing staff are caring with courage on a daily basis to support vulnerable residents.

“I want to lead by example and do my bit to ensure Royal Star & Garter can continue offering the very best care through this pandemic and beyond.”

He praised the support he’s receiving from his wife, children and grandchildren, who are encouraging him and helped with fundraising, and daughter Felicity, who joined him via video from Switzerland on her rower for the last leg of his 26-mile row.

Also raising money through the 2.6 Challenge is the charity’s marketing and communications officer Nadia Rehman, who is walking 26 miles over a number of days with her husband Hamaad and four-month-old daughter Maryam.

Nadia, who wants to raise £2,000,

A CHARITY is offering to send packs of letters from young people into care homes to put smiles on the faces of residents.

In normal times YOPEY runs befriending schemes where young people – known as YOPEY Befrienders or YOPEY Dementia Befrienders – visit care homes, mainly in the east of England.

“These visits stopped with the lockdown, but our young volunteers still wanted to do their bit,” said charity founder Tony Gearing MBE. “So we started a letter-writing scheme where young people write to care home residents.

“Some are writing to the elderly people they made friends with before the lockdown, but many want to do more and are writing to residents in any care homes.

“We have also recruited young people from outside our area who were not YOPEY Befrienders before and also want to do their bit. The young want to show they are thinking of the elderly and concerned for their safety, and some are forming penpal friendships with particular residents.”

YOPEY has already sent out hundreds of letters to more than 100 care homes nationwide, but is looking for more care homes to take part.

All letters are sent in packs of about 20 – illustrated with photos of the young people, their hobbies and their artwork – to each care home that asks to take part by emailing hello@yopey. org The charity is not putting anything

in the post to avoid the risk of transmitting Covid-19 from one location to another.

Once one pack has been read by residents – and maybe a few of the letter writers have received replies from those residents able to write back – the home can request another pack.

Tony added: “This is a free service we are offering to all care homes in the UK. It is not compulsory to reply to the letters as we know care homes are under huge pressure.

“The feedback we are getting from the care homes already taking part is that their elderly residents really love the letters from the young people.”

Group’s care homes join in live gig from singer

Major General Tim Tyler after rowing 26 miles. was motivated by the work of the charity, and her faith in Islam.

She added: “We’re really excited to be raising funds for Royal Star & Garter who provide such amazing care to the veterans who have already sacrificed so much for our country.

“It was really important to us as a family and as part of our faith that we do our small part towards helping those that are vulnerable and in need of support.

“We decided that there was no better time for little Maryam’s first fundraiser.”

The 2.6 Challenge is a nationwide initiative aimed at helping charities which are feeling the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic from the result of cancelled mass-participation fundraising events such as the London Marathon.

A GROUP of residents across a number of care homes were able to attend the same gig when singer Katie Nicoll live streamed a performance at Balhousie Lisden in Kirriemuir.

Katie, who comes from Kirriemuir, performed a medley of songs on Lisden’s patio as residents watched from the window and spilled out into the garden for a dance and a sing.

The performance was enjoyed by several of Balhousie Care Group’s homes across Angus and Perthshire, and had almost 3,000 views as members of the public tuned in as well.

The event marks the latest innovative approach to entertaining residents who, under normal circumstances, receive regular visitors from live entertainers.

Head of operations Sheilah Harvey said: “The Coronavirus situation has forced us to take a different look at how we entertain our residents and new technology has been at the forefront of this.

“We’re very proud of how imaginative our staff are being in the activities they’ve put on.

“We’ve seen musicians performing outside and online, as well as live streamed exercise classes across

several homes at the same time.”

Katie said: “I miss playing to an audience and because a lot of residents are not able to see their families right now, I thought it would be nice to put a smile on people’s faces with some good music.”

Franziska Hany of DD8 Music in Kirriemuir, which promotes involvement in musical activities to people of all ages in the local area, said: “The idea to do a gig in the car park is part of a community challenge we set for our young people during the coronavirus crisis.

“We’re trying to do something every week that involves music, art and chat to keep up activities during the lockdown.”

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11

CARINGWEEKLY

New homecare firm aims to alleviate NHS pressure BUSINESSWOMAN Dunni Ilori has launched a new in-home care company.

Visiting Angels will support the elderly and vulnerable, as well as combat the rise in loneliness that residents are facing, even more so now in the wake of COVID-19.

Alongside her registered care manager Anna Homer, the pair are ready to rise up to tackle the crisis head on.

“While many businesses have had no choice but to close, we were determined to carry on with our launch,” said Dunni, who moved to Windsor 18 months ago.

“This is the time when people need us the most and I am determined to put my knowledge and experience of delivering care to good use.

“I can help and be one of the ones providing a solution right now – why would I delay that? My first love is to help people – I get extreme satisfaction from helping others and making them happy. Visiting Angels is my way of doing just that.”

Initially from the US, Dunni has owned and operated a care business in the States for more than 15 years.

She visited Windsor with her husband and children in 2017 and instantly fell in love. Dunni remembers telling herself they would all live there one day.

‘One day’ turned out to be just two years later, and the family moved to the UK in 2019.

Determined to put her passion and experience to good use, she began

Dunni Ilori preparations for the launch of Visiting Angels soon after.

“I’ve seen it myself; care staff are often paid minimum wage, given very little support and stretched to the extreme,” she added.

“We want to change that and believe in investing in our carers, empowering them to be the best they can be.

“We commit to taking them through an extensive training programme to ensure they are right for the role.

“Once they’ve been through that process, we continue to champion them with great pay, a strong team culture and a suite of benefits.

“This has an impact on their attitudes towards work, which in turn improves the quality of care they deliver. Our carers feel valued and appreciated. And a happy carer is a good carer.”

Dunni and Anna recently received registration from the Care Quality

Commission.

Located on the High Street in Burnham, Visiting Angels is now on the hunt for local care workers to satisfy the growing demand for its service.

Dunni hopes to bring more than 30 jobs to the community within the next 12 months.

Amidst the ever-evolving coronavirus outbreak, Visiting Angels hopes to alleviate pressure on local hospitals by helping to get people back into their homes, freeing up beds for virus patients.

Classified as essential workers, Dunni’s team will work tirelessly in the community to provide care and companionship to the elderly and vulnerable who are self-isolating – as well as those whose families can no longer support them due to their own isolation or illness.

She added: “I’m proud to be in the position where I can serve my community and make a difference to people’s lives.

“In the current situation, it’s imperative for us to focus on the health and safety of our care workers and clients, while ensuring this vital work gets done.

“We will assess each situation carefully, highlight the ways in which we can help and showcase the measures we have in place to make it as safe as possible. Together, we can win the fight against this virus.”

Visiting Angels Windsor will serve the families of Maidenhead, Windsor and Slough.

Care operator unveils raft of staff benefits

A CARE group has introduced a raft of new benefits and additional supportive measures for its staff during these challenging times.

These have included delivery of over 400 free food parcels to every Encore Care Homes team member across its four homes in the south, improved access to mental wellbeing support and a 10 per cent bonus payment for the next three months.

CEO Rachel Dryden has also made national headlines by successfully championing better local access to coronavirus testing for the team and residents.

She said: “We have never had a greater sense of pride of working in the social care sector and the privilege of looking after our residents.

“As an organisation we are fully committed to ensuring that every team member is fully supported and we provide access to emotional, financial, mental and wellbeing support.

“We are so appreciative of everything they are doing, all the care and support teams across all our care homes will be receiving a 10 per cent bonus payment for the next three months as an additional thank you.”

Encore is currently recruiting additional staff on a full and part time basis in key roles such as healthcare assistants and in key teams including catering, wellbeing and reception/admin. There are also opportunities to volunteer.

Tech used to fight COVID-19 in care homes

Carehomeshopping.com launched to solve the PPE crisis in social care

WE had the following problems when sourcing PPE for our care clients: 1. Overpriced products because of price gouging.

2. Poor quality or fake products.

3. Hours wasted with unreliable suppliers.

That is why we created carehomeshopping. com The marketplace brings genuine PPE suppliers and buyers together. We vet all suppliers so you can trust what you are buying.

We have multiple suppliers per product to give you more choice and cheaper prices.

We are a team of care home managers, PPE verification specialists, and technologists. And our mission is to help the social sector access the PPE it needs in a cheap and reliable way.

Our vetting process We have a strict vetting process to ensure

product quality and reliable delivery.

We verify company details, products meet UK regulations, and products were delivered reliability through customer feedback.

The team behind it Issac Theophilos, author of the Amazon bestseller ‘How to get outstanding?’

Issac was frustrated with the government’s broken promises about supplying PPE to the social care sector.

He set up the marketplace to solve the problems managers across the UK are having.

If you would like to help us, please share this with those who need it or contact us.

Let us together help the social care sector to solve the PPE crisis.

Enquiries: View our products at carehomeshopping.com or call 333 577 8599.

IT IS more important than ever to safely care for residents without increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19 within a care home.

Here’s how one care provider is making the best use of technology before and during the pandemic.

Friends of the Elderly installed Ally Labs’ wireless acoustic monitoring devices in 2019 to improve night time care.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, the charity now also uses Ally’s acoustic monitoring during the day to keep isolated residents safe 24/7.

Ally Labs released an update to the product that automatically detects coughing, helping care home managers make informed decisions as early as possible about whether to isolate residents.

Read more about the service at https://www. allycares.com/our-covid-1 9 -approach/ Friends of the Elderly chief executive Steve Allen said: “The welfare and safety of our residents is our key priority at all times.

The ability to monitor remotely day and night is a huge benefit to our teams who are under additional pressure due to COVID-19 .

“The system is a solid asset which helps them to continue to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our residents.”

With staff unavailable due to self-isolating, childcare requirements, sickness or other demands, Friends of the Elderly is leading the sector by using tech to enable its teams to provide safe care while reducing the risk of transmission.

Teams using Ally report how they: n Have more time to care for higher dependency residents. n Can identify residents in need of care using the acoustic monitoring system – including coughing, calls for assistance and other nonCOVID-19 related care needs. n Have more awareness of the wellbeing of

every resident, even while they are isolated in their room. n Waste less time, precious PPE and other resources preparing to enter each room when there is no need.

Enquiries: Email Tom Tredinnick, CEO of Ally Cares, at tom@ally.is

12

CARINGWEEKLY

Homecare agency is rated Outstanding Team members at Colten Care’s Newstone House care home in Sturminster Newton, Dorset following the CQC’s inspection report.

Inspection hands group a ‘magnificent seven’ SEVEN of Colten Care’s 21 nursing homes have now been officially rated Outstanding by sector regulator the Care Quality Commission.

It follows an inspection at the south coast operator’s Dorset home, Newstone House, which was found to be ‘exceptionally well-led and effective’.

The Sturminster Newton home, which cares for up to 59 residents including some living with dementia, was also praised for being ‘safe, caring and responsive’.

Amanda Stride, the CQC’s head of inspection in the South West, said: “Staff are passionate about making a real difference in people’s lives. They are knowledgeable and have the skills to care for people with varying needs.

“They have created a home away from home, with each area of the service thoughtfully designed and adapted to suit people’s needs and interests.”

Inspectors praised the expertise of Colten Care’s Admiral Nurse team who support and offer specialist advice to families and the wider community on living with dementia.

Community links were also

highlighted in the home’s approach to providing companionship for residents.

The 20-page report states: “For example, one person had a passion for classic cars, so the staff arranged for the local classic car club to visit the home with their cars.

“This was an event which everyone at the home and their relatives could also enjoy.”

Home manager April King added: “You need a really strong team delivering exceptional care day in, day out to achieve Outstanding.

“We’re immensely proud that everyone’s input has been recognised in this way.

“The rating is very much in line with the consistently positive feedback we receive from residents, their families and fellow health professionals.”

The success at Newstone House comes just weeks after the retention of an Outstanding rating for Colten Care’s Kingfishers home in New Milton, Hampshire.

It means that a third of the provider’s homes, including two offering dementia care, now have the top CQC grade.

Home improves to Outstanding rating THE Care Quality Commission has rated a Bedfordshire residential care home Outstanding following a recent inspection.

CQC inspected Little Bramingham Farm in Luton in February.

The service supports up to 25 people with various care needs, including dementia.

In addition to being rated Outstanding overall, the service was rated Outstanding for being caring, responsive and well-led. It is rated Good for being safe and effective.

Matthew Jenkins, CQC interim head of inspection for adult social care, said: “It is excellent to see this service delivering first-rate care.

“People and their relatives told us staff were exceptionally kind and caring.

“This compassionate approach helped people transition smoothly when they began to use the service, putting them and their families at ease during a potentially unsettling

time. The home offered a lively atmosphere, where people enjoyed cheerful social interaction. Plans for a Valentine’s Day event were being made during our inspection, incorporating decorations and singing.

“People also valued meeting the children of staff and the wide range of regular social events and celebrations that were offered.

“All this improved people’s wellbeing.

“The service’s success was supported by excellent leadership, where meeting people’s needs was the top priority. Staff were well supported, enabling them to fulfil their roles effectively.

“An Outstanding rating is the result of considerable hard work, so I congratulate everyone at Little Bramingham Farm who made this achievement possible.”

The service was previously rated Good following a 2017 inspection.

A WORCESTERSHIRE domiciliary care agency has been rated Outstanding following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

The regulator inspected North Star Foundation, Droitwich in March.

At the time of inspection, the service supported 19 people – including people living with learning disabilities – in their own homes.

The service was last inspected in 2017, when it was rated Good overall. North Star Foundation has now been rated Outstanding for being caring, responsive and wellled. It is rated Good for being safe and effective.

Amanda Lyndon, CQC interim head of inspection for adult social care, said: “Our inspection team was very impressed by the level of care and support offered by North Star Foundation.

“People received exceptional care from compassionate and kind staff.

They were treated with dignity and respect, boosting their wellbeing and helping them enjoy good outcomes.

“Staff supported people to have independence. One person told us staff helped them have more freedom by supporting them to attend an activity alone.

“This involved practicing the route to the venue, with staff providing reassurance, and ensuring the person could use their mobile telephone. The person glowed with joy when they told us about their achievement.

“People’s care plans were built around their needs and preferences.

Staff and leaders listened to people’s feedback, and they used this to drive improvement in the service.

“An Outstanding rating is the result of considerable hard work so I congratulate everyone who made this achievement possible.”

‘Good’ times celebrated at Coventry care home HERALD Lodge care home in Coventry has received the green light from the Care Quality Commission after achieving a ‘Good’ rating across the board in its latest inspection.

The home has retained its CQC rating for the third time since 2015, following an unannounced inspection last month.

Herald Lodge upheld its ratings across all five areas of care: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

Inspectors praised staff for being ‘understanding, supportive and respective to residents’ equality and diversity’.

Care manager Angie Rose, who was commended throughout the report for being ‘supportive’ to both her staff team and residents, said: “I am so proud of all of my team. They are incredibly dedicated to providing the highest standards of care to our residents and that is reflected in our CQC score.”

The 13-page report cited that both staff and residents speak highly of the culture within the home, and praised it for having such a diverse team that understand and value the importance of celebrating people’s individual lives.

Staff at Herald Lodge include an LGBT Champion who actively promotes an open and inclusive environment where people are encouraged to share as much or as little about their lifestyle choices as they like.

The report details how residents and staff celebrate milestone birthdays and anniversaries and relatives told inspectors that they are always invited to take part in activities within the home and the local community.

Inspectors noted staff’s compassion and kindness to ensure they get to know each resident as soon as they move in by completing the ‘This is Me’ initiative, which was developed

Care manager Angie Rose displays the home’s CQC score with the help of resident Josephine Canham. and rolled out by provider Ideal Carehomes last year.

‘This is Me’ encourages care staff to find out about a resident’s life history, likes, dislikes and interests with the help of their loved ones.

The information is then used to ‘buddy up’ staff and residents with similar interests to create stronger bonds.

Regional director Kay Paul added: “I am thrilled that Herald Lodge has retained its overall ‘Good’ rating by the CQC for a third time.

“The score hugely reflects the consistent commitment and enthusiasm by all the staff team who work hard to make the home such an exciting and aspirational environment for our residents.

“Congratulations to everybody involved. I am sure this very encouraging news will spur us on to continue our ‘good’ work.”

Herald Lodge is a residential and dementia care home boasting a hair salon, cinema room and spacious lounges overlooking landscaped sensory gardens.

CARINGWEEKLY

How homes are adapting to provide vital care during the coronavirus outbreak THERE are 179 care homes across Worcestershire that are continuing to provide vital care for some of the county’s most vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak.

Howbury House is a residential home providing permanent care for people with care and support needs, including dementia.

The first main impact of changes in the way the home was run was felt on March 20 when the decision was taken to close it to visitors.

From this date the home had to review the way they worked in many different ways.

With a number of workers identified as being in at risk groups, the home faces daily challenges in staffing.

Manager Jackie Creese said: “To enable me to be able to manage the rotas, the staff team have shown great commitment and flexibility.

“They have gone above and beyond to support me, and one member of the senior staff has even moved into the house to ensure senior cover during the night. This highlights the care, love and dedication our staff have towards our residents.”

The home is being supported by colleagues who have transferred over from other teams within the County Council.

This has offered support to the current home team and has also

provided an opportunity for staff to learn new skills.

One of the toughest impacts of the pandemic is that residents aren’t allowed to have any visitors.

To combat this the home has installed an iPad to enable the resident’s families to contact them, this has been so successful, that the home intends to continue using the technology in the future.

Jackie added: “The joy that our residents get from seeing and speaking to their families is great to witness. There is no better job satisfaction than seeing our residents happy and learning new things too.”

Dementia can, at times, cause high levels of anxiety, insecurity and emotions and people living with dementia do not always understand or remember why things need to happen and it is vitally important that carers support them through this and respond to their individual needs and help them feel safe.

Jackie added: “Social distancing is challenging and near on impossible, as we still need to provide personal care, reassurance and meaningful activities.

“This is now done with the use of full PPE including wearing masks, which is something our residents are

not used to on a regular basis.

“Masks also hide our smiles which is very important to us and to our residents. Smiling and facial expressions are a vital form of communication; however, we can still sing.”

Another challenge has been ensuring that residents have access to medical support, particularly with the local GP Practice.

The County Council has helped to support with this, as in partnership with health colleagues, an iPad has been supplied to enable virtual nurse and GP consultations and this has seen a positive response from residents and staff.

Jackie concluded: “These are tough times, but the desire and dedication shown by the staff at Howbury is great to see.

“We have one focus and that’s to provide the best care possible for our residents.

“Families keep in touch and we have received lots of thank you cards, chocolates, biscuits, flowers and plants which is lovely and keeps us going.

“I’m very proud of the whole team at Howbury for their hard work, loyalty and commitment to our residents, home and Worcestershire County Council. A massive thank you to each and every one of them.”

Group rolls out benefits A CARE operator has rolled out wellbeing schemes for their staff during this challenging period.

While Hales Care is following the latest Public Health England guidance on coronavirus, it is understandably concerned about the physical and emotional wellbeing of its staff during such anxious and uneasy times.

Exercising is such an integral part of health and wellbeing during the lockdown, which is why the group is rolling out free online Zumba classes for anyone to join.

Professional instructor Andy Brown will be leading the sessions to help encourage engagement and light-

Sunrise of Hale Barns resident Donald Baird.

hearted fun, to bring a smile to the faces of those who need it most.

The first Zumba fitness video is available for anyone to join at https:// halescare.co.uk/zumba-workout/ The group has also issued an urgent plea for help as it is facing an immediate shortage of face masks.

If you have spare fabric and a little bit of time on your hands, Hales Care is on the lookout for thousands of face masks to distribute to its front line workers – machine washable, double cotton layers are all they need in order to protect those working closely with the most vulnerable members of society.

Walk raises more than £3,000 A RESIDENT has raised more than £3,000 for the NHS by completing a 10-mile walk around the gardens at the care home where he lives.

Donald Baird is a 95-year-old resident at Sunrise of Hale Barns, where he has lived for two years.

When the UK Government announced a nationwide lockdown he was unable to go into the local village for his walk as he normally would. Donald began instead doing laps of the gardens at the care home to stay active.

The Sunrise team suggested he did his daily walk to raise money for the NHS. Donald was delighted with this idea, and set himself a target to walk 10 miles in just five days, MondayFriday.

Using a fitness watch to track his steps he worked out how many he would need to do to complete one

mile. Upon calculation, he figured out he would need to do 20 laps per day to reach his 10-mile target.

Sharon Parkes, director of community relations at Sunrise of Hale Barns, said: “I decided to see if Donald would like to embark on this challenge because we as a community wanted to give something back to the NHS and I also felt it would give Donald a focus during lockdown.

“I put the benchmark at just £300 on ‘Just Giving’ so was overwhelmed with the final amount. We would like to thank everyone who donated and supported Donald, it gave him an immense sense of pride and achievement.”

Donald has so far raised more than £3,000 as a result of completing 10 laps each morning and 10 each evening over the five days.

13

Two lifelong best friends have been reunited at The Chanters care home in Atherton, Greater Manchester, during the Covid-19 outbreak. Annie Strike, 96, and May Bradbury, 98, have been best friends since the age of 14. They both attended Atherton School and went on to work together in the cutting room at the weaving shed, now known as Ena Mill. The pair had lost touch for many years, however, now have plans to make up for lost time. Home manager Anne Hargreaves said: “The ladies are still the best of friends and I hope they can share some fantastic stories of years gone by with the staff at the home.” Annie has lived at the home since July 2017 and May joined her in March at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.

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