Street signs help dementia residents navigate their care home
A grant from Halton Borough Council’s Area Forum budget has helped Simonsfield Care Home install the signs around the building. Staff are finding the residents can now recall which number and street name they live on, helping them to find their way around. The names were suggested by staff and residents, with Ivy Street named after Ivy Shaw, a previous resident who was loved by all at the home. Debbie Smith, home manager at Simonsfield Care Home, on Boston Avenue, said: “The street signs have made a huge difference for our residents, as they can recall the names of where they live within the home. The residents are calling their rooms by the street names they now live on, so 25 Cherryblossom Road, for example. They can also recall our hair salon is on Woodlands Lane and the tea room on Ivy Street.” She added: “We’d like to thank the Halton Borough Council Community Development Team, who supported us with the grant application and sourcing the street signs.” On behalf of the Halton Brook ward Councillors, Cllr Carol Plumpton-Walsh said: “Through Local Area Forum funding, Halton Brook ward were able to fund a project at Simonsfield Care Home for residents to feel like their homes have an identity with the look and design of a local street. Street names were chosen by the care home staff that reflected well known Runcorn street names to give some authenticity and the home had decorated the walls with brick effect and indoor hanging baskets. Our Area Forum budget allowed the project to be completed with authentic street signs. It’s important for all residents in the ward to feel part of the community of Halton Brook and this project supported the connection between residential care and the wider community.” Photo captions: Simonsfield Care Home residents (from left) Dorothy Duckers and Emma Adams showing the new street signs that are helping residents with dementia navigate the home. For more information about Simonsfield Care Home please visit www.carehome.co.uk/carehome.cfm
Maritime care home welcomes public to open day
In celebration of Seafarers Awareness Week 2018, Banstead based care home The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society opened its doors on 27 June, to welcome members of the public and local community to join staff and residents in raising awareness of the sector at the Society’s annual Open Day. The event was attended by trustees, the Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, and a children’s choir from Warren Mead Junior School. Guests were invited to attend the home and meet residents whilst celebrating the work of Seafarers UK, which supports charities that look after the welfare needs of seafarers, ex-seafarers and their dependants. Guests enjoyed the day in beautiful sunshine, showcasing the care home’s facilities which include its very own bar, salon, specialist dementia annexe, and extensive grounds. Residents shared stories of their time at sea with visitors, while pupils from Warren Mead Primary School hosted a sing-along and the Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, Cllr Mrs Dorothy Ross-Tomlin, who is also a long-standing Society trustee, joined in with the festivities. At a celebratory lunch, five long-standing staff members received long service awards having each worked at the home for more than ten years. They were Estates Manager Richard Condie, Housekeeping Manager Shirley Campbell, Night Care Assistants Ruth Mukasa and Laarni Guillermo, and Chef, Nana Dapaah, who received her award the following day. Mayor, Mrs Dorothy Ross-Tomlin said: “The atmosphere here at the Royal Alfred is remarkable; it’s like walking into a nice, friendly hotel. I first came here 11 years ago and fell in love with the home and its residents. The residents here are relaxed, clearly well looked after, well fed and full of fun. Because they are ex-seafarers they all have interesting tales to tell and I just love hearing them. Today we have seen the general excellence of the home and the great progress that has been made on the new leisure area. Spending time with the residents and seeing them enjoy the school children sing was quite splendid.” Meanwhile, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, Chief Executive of the Society, said: “As an island nation which relies on seafarers for 95 per cent of imports and exports, it’s important to recognise the contribution of seafarers, both past and present, at every opportunity, our annual Open Day being one of them. As a not-for-profit organisation, the Royal Alfred relies on Seafarers UK and other grant-giving charities for vital support and it was a pleasure to hold today’s event in recognition of Seafarers Awareness Week.” The Society has massively invested into the home over the years, with the care and attentiveness of the staff demonstrating just how devoted the Royal Alfred team is to providing outstanding care for its residents; the staff at the Society were recently named finalists in the Leadership Team of the Year category at the Toast of Surrey Business Awards. Seafarers Awareness Week takes place every year to help support the maritime community and raise awareness of Britain’s dependence on seafarers. Seafarers UK coordinates the campaign which also promotes the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy. Photo caption: L-R: Cllr Mrs Dorothy Ross-Tomlin, Mayor of Reigate and Banstead; long-service award winner Shirley Campbell, Housekeeping Manager; Captain Duncan Glass, Chairman; and Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, Chief Executive, of The Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society For more information about Seafarers Awareness Week 2018 please click here
Hilton Nursing Partners is an A1 Service
Hilton Nursing Partners are as proud as punch to receive glowing feedback from one very satisfied customer. Mrs Rennie recently relied on the service to help her manage her trepidation at being discharged from hospital. Although positively managing her life with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and living a very independent life, Mrs Rennie was suddenly admitted to hospital due to complications. Unfortunately the timing couldn’t have been any worse as her family had just gone away on a short trip abroad. However upon her discharge Hilton Nursing Partners were there to meet and greet her from hospital and settle her back at home providing the personal support she required. Mrs Rennie says: “I could not let my recent experience go by without comment. Hilton Nursing Partners is an A1 service and if I could grant it 10 stars I’d give it. An extremely well run professional team, not just the high quality of nursing staff but also the admin team who deal with such a high volume of daily discharges and areas. Thank you, I know it has gone a long way to aid my rapid recovery as I’m sure it has to many others.” Ann Taylor, CEO of Hilton Nursing Partners says: “Receiving feedback like this actually makes me glow, I am delighted and extremely proud of the team who always strive to deliver an outstanding service to the patients that are referred to our service. This could have been a very different story. Suffering from COPD and discharged from hospital whilst her family were away could have placed undue stress and strain on Mrs Rennie resulting in severe shortness of breath and ultimately re-admission to hospital. Ann continues: “By offering Mrs Rennie support and security we were able to build her confidence allowing her to get back to normal in her own home in just a couple of days. She simply needed the reassurance to trust herself.” Awarded an Outstanding rating from the CQC Hilton Nursing Partners works with the NHS and Social Care Commissioners to successfully deliver safe, timely and supportive hospital discharges, patient assessments and patient recovery programmes. Delivered via a team of nurses, therapists and nurse led personal nursing assistants the service has a proven track record in freeing hospital beds, as well as reducing re-admissions and on-going social services support. Caption: Pictured left-right Rachel Wilson from Hilton Nursing Partners presenting satisfied customer Mrs Rennie with a thank you bunch of flowers. For more information about Hilton Nursing Partners please click here
Care home car wash raises funds for Stroke Association
PURPLE stocks and a charity car wash helped a Rotherham care home, Broadacres Care Home, raise funds for the Stroke Association. Broadacres Care Home, on Naylor Street, collected £109 from dozens of customers wanting to get their car cleaned. While waiting, they were invited to throw a wet sponge at senior carer Scott Needham, who was locked into the Stroke Association stocks. The event raised £109 for the charity, which will go towards supporting stroke survivors and funding research. Luke Owens, home manager at Broadacres Care Home, said: “We held the event on one of the hottest days of the year so far and it was a huge success. Even the residents got involved throwing wet sponges at Luke in the stocks. We’d like to thank everyone who came along for the car wash and donated to a very worthy cause.” Photo captions: Broadacres Care Home senior carer Scott Needham gets soaked in the stocks for the Stroke Association. Broadacres Care Home resident Iris Needham throws a wet sponge at the stocks as carer Denis Hitchins watches on. Diane Rice, activities coordinator, and Lee Crawshaw, customer relations officer, take part in a charity car wash at Broadacres Care Home for the Stroke Association. Broadacres Care Home are part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net For more information and all media enquiries please contact Sam Schofield on 07895 127353 or email sam@schofieldcomms.co.uk. About Hill Care We specialise in providing residential, nursing and dementia care, personalised for you and your family. Our experienced professional healthcare teams and safe, comfortable accommodation provide residents with bespoke healthcare support. Including the privacy, dignity and the opportunity to make their own choices and maintain as much independence as possible. Planned daily routines as well as stimulating activities and events, create a positive experience for the whole family.
LifeCare Residences to Host Open Day at the Albert Suites, Battersea Place
LifeCare Residences, the luxury retirement community operator with over 35 years’ experience, is hosting an open day at the Albert Suites, its boutique, luxury nursing and rehabilitation facility, located opposite Battersea Park, on Tuesday 3rd July. Between 10.30am and 8.00pm, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the facility and find out about the on-site services, including the dedicated therapist and physiotherapy room, top-of-the range physio equipment, butler and concierge service, and tailored activity programme. Guided viewing tours will run from 10.30am – 1.00pm, 3.00pm – 5.00pm and 6.30pm – 8.00pm with light refreshments on offer throughout. The open day will also offer an opportunity to experience the recent renovations first hand, which are set to enhance each resident’s experience of the Albert Suites, amidst an established infrastructure designed to deliver enriched quality of life, through discreet, dignified, tailored care. Over the course of 12 weeks, LifeCare Residences has transformed 15,000 sq ft of space. Existing facilities such as the reception area and dining room have been upgraded, while new facilities, including a club lounge and physiotherapy suite have been created. Providing a striking introduction to the new-look Albert Suites, the reception area has been remodelled to increase the size and practical nature of the space, while retaining a welcoming, homely atmosphere. Feature wallpaper with a woodland-inspired print adorns the walls, complemented by contemporary gold furnishings for that extra attention to detail. Working with O1 Creative – an independent multi-disciplinary design practice responsible for delivering The Sky Garden at the top of the Walkie Talkie – the existing dining room has been upgraded to create a space which is fluid and versatile to suit the needs of residents. A soft seating area has been introduced, ideal for catching up with family and friends over barista coffee and cake, while a formal seating area sets the scene for residents and their guests to enjoy a nutritious menu of restaurant-plated meals. A carefully arranged layout in the club lounge ensures that residents can navigate the multipurpose space with ease regardless of their mobility. As well as an ideal setting for relaxation, the club lounge also doubles as home for a calendar of activities arranged by the full-time lifestyle coordinator; notable opportunities include yoga classes and singing lessons, as well as cinema, for example. The new physiotherapy suite has been intelligently designed to enable personalised programmes that will help residents to rebuild strength, aid recovery and galvanise wellbeing. Equipment includes MOTOMed technology, in the form of a cutting-edge, motorised therapy device, to assist those residents with restricted mobility, or who are wheelchair bound, as well as those who simply need to rebuild strength. Nigel Sibley, Chief Executive, LifeCare Residences, comments: “As a company, we regularly invest in our portfolio to elevate the experience of our residents, ensuring care, peace of mind, and ultimately recovery. Every facet of care is considered, starting with a high calibre yet calm and comforting environment. The refurbishment of the Albert Suites is the most recent demonstration of our dedication to this.” “As well as creating a premium look, spaces have been especially designed for the over 65s, with much emphasis placed on safety. The furnishings embody the elegance of a five-star hotel, while sensitively integrated features, such as carefully positioned seat heights, and sturdy yet stylish chair arms offer support to residents who might need to lean on furniture or a helping hand when sitting or standing. Offering residents individualised professional care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in the privacy of their own well-appointed suite, complemented by the communal spaces available, the Albert Suites provides a range of services including rehabilitation, short-term convalescence and post-operative support.” Located at the heart of the capital, residents at the Albert Suites enjoy the best of both worlds – combining the vibrancy of city living, with the tranquillity afforded by close proximity to Battersea Park, ideal for outings with family and friends. For those considering a stay at the LifeCare Residences, to arrange a site visit, or simply to find out more, please contact the team on 020 7129 7856 or visit www.albertsuites.co.uk. To RSVP to this event, please email Seamus at sgray@batterseaplace.co.uk or call 020 7129 7856.
Another award-winning week for Balhousie Care Group as it scoops more accolades, looks to the future
It’s been another award-winning week for Balhousie Care Group as the 25-strong care home group celebrates three more wins in a long run of accolades. Karen Buchan, Senior People Services Advisor at Balhousie Care Group, won the Fantastic HR Advisor category in the cHeRries Awards 2018, organised by The Press and Journal. Abertay University educated Karen has been an integral part of the repositioning of Balhousie Care Group’s human resources team, now called the people services team. Balhousie Clement Park care home in Dundee won a Scottish Social Services Award for Personalised Environment for interior design changes and multi-sensory therapy aimed at addressing dementia in residents. And Balhousie Stormont Lodge care home in Blairgowrie picked up two awards in Perthshire’s annual Go for Gold challenge, which saw teams from across the region participate in a range of sporting activities. The home won first place in the poster design category and second overall in the challenge. One of Stormont Lodge’s residents, George Taylor, stole the show by using his ice hockey experience from his younger days to shine in the curling competition. The awards mark the latest in a long run of accolades for Balhousie Care Group. In May finance director Mike Reid was named Finance Director of the Year at the FDs’ Excellence Awards. Last November Operations Director Louise Barnett took the title of Operations Manager of the Year at the National Care Awards. Dementia nurse consultant Yvonne Manson is a finalist in the RCNI Nurse Awards, which celebrates excellence in nursing care U.K.-wide. Yvonne will hear if she has won in July. This recognition has been topped off with two of the group’s care homes achieving the highest Care Inspectorate rank in the last 12 months. The new raft of accolades come on the eve of Balhousie Care’s latest stage in a deep cultural and operational shift which has affected the whole group, from recruitment to day-to-day care. On Thursday, June 14, it will launch a new core set of values to take the company into the next stage of its revival. The care home group, with homes across north and central Scotland, marked the occasion with an endorsement from multi-award-winning businessman Bob Keiller, Chairman of Scottish Enterprise and TED speaker. Tony Banks said: “Saying that people are the core of a customer-oriented service may sound obvious, but there’s no other way of describing Balhousie Care Group. Our strength really is in numbers – the number of excellent staff we have, from homes right up to head office, and the number of residents and family members who contribute to how we operate. The past 12 months, our 25th year, has been a remarkable period with a string of awards and some top ratings from the Care Inspectorate. It’s extremely rewarding to see our new vision put into action, and I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner.” To find out more about Balhousie Care Group please click here
Borough Care Residents Get Out And About With Oomph!
Borough Care, the largest not for profit provider of care for older people in Stockport, has partnered with Oomph! to provide its residents with more day trips out to destinations further afield. Oomph! provides wellbeing and activity programmes specifically designed for older people. Borough Care will work with the Oomph! Out & About service, to offer residents regular visits to places of interest. Oomph! Out & About provides a tailored programme of fully managed excursions, which make it easier to keep elderly residents connected to the people and places that matter to them. Each of Borough Care’s eleven homes will participate in one Oomph! trip each month. Recent trips have included a day at the seaside in Blackpool, a chance to see the animals at Chester Zoo and a visit to Knowsley Safari Park. Commenting on the Oomph! partnership, Sophie Gardiner, Area Support at Borough Care, says: “At Borough Care, we believe people should continue to do the things they love and that a person’s life shouldn’t come to a standstill when they move to a care home. We are committed to providing a wide range of activities, to ensure our residents live an enriched life and are able to participate in everything they wish. The link up with Oomph! offers people the chance to get out and about in a safe environment.” Matt Hamblin, Senior Business Manager at Oomph!, says: “We are excited to partner with Borough Care, to ensure that all residents live a full life for life. Research shows there are proven health and wellbeing benefits of continuing to get outdoors as you get older so we are delighted to be able to provide this service for Borough Care residents.” The health and wellbeing benefits to Borough Care residents, participating in the Oomph! trips, include the excitement of doing something different; the opportunity to reminisce by revisiting places they may not have visited for many years; improving relationships with fellow residents through shared experiences; and spending more time outdoors in the fresh air, which is beneficial to both a person’s physical and mental health. For more information about Borough Care and to view their website please click here
Southern Care Maintenance Ltd introduced a new on-line and secure customer portal
With so much equipment now requiring routine testing and servicing, it is now increasingly difficult to have all the paperwork, inspection certificates, LOLER certificates etc up-to date and readily available when needed. It is all too easy for these to become lost, or filed away in the wrong place. Two years ago, SCM, Southern Care Maintenance Ltd introduced a new on-line and secure customer portal, mySCM, which has been providing a real benefit to their customers. This provides, free of charge to all customers who have a service contract, a central repository which is available 24/7 and stores all this information together in one place. Copies of job sheets, certificates and invoices can easily be retrieved and printed out again should the originals become misplaced providing peace of mind. Continuing with the technological advancements of the modern day, it is now possible to upgrade an old Nurse Call System in under a week. Gone are the days of engineers installing cables and being present on site for a number of weeks as, with the new Radio Nurse Call, a call point can be fitted in a resident’s room within only a matter of minutes. Flexibility is another benefit with the new Radio Nurse Call, as units can easily be repositioned when necessary, and multiple displays can be positioned around the care home to ensure staff never miss a call which further improves efficiency. SCM have two divisions which between them cover a huge range of equipment and systems for both supply and servicing, from Hoists, Fire Alarm systems and Nurse Call. They operate throughout the south-east, including Kent, East and West Sussex, Surrey, Essex and South London postcodes. For more information follow the link to mySCM from www.southerncare.co.uk. You can also use the Live Chat there or ring 01580 890089.
High Quality Care is a Winner
At RedRoyal Consultancy our passion is to raise the standards of Health and Social Care in pursuit of excellence. At the centre of any Health Care and Support, the emphasis must always be on the individual customer. The Care and Support therefore should always support the individual to live as independently as possible, maintaining their rights, dignity, health and wellbeing. As providers of Health and Social Care Services we are all aware of what it means to provide high quality care, which essentially means that by providing high quality care we can meet the compliance standards. Yet very few services appear to maintain constant high standards with only 2% achieving the Outstanding Grading. In our experience the reasons are very often a result of the financial pressures tinged with complacency and lack of communication of staff teams. When a staff member comes on shift and is not given a full handover, simply told what duty they should perform and they begin working flat out for the full shift. All their dedication, hard work and caring cannot compensate for the lack of a full handover and comprehensive up to date information. There are so many examples, recently while supporting a service with Person-Centred Care Planning we discovered that the Care Plans were, to use the Manager’s description “generic”. As some residents were happy to sit in their rooms and watch TV, this had been written into the care plans of other residents who did not like watching TV. Other specifics included a preference to bath every other day, this customer had been lucky if she had received a bath most weeks. Another example recently where a Dementia sufferer was asked for and gave consent with staff approval for research into falls. The residents daughter who has Lasting Power of Attorney and is legally responsible for making decisions was not consulted. Further examples include a medicine chart indicating that a topical cream should be applied twice daily, records indicate that it was applied just once daily. Most of these examples can be explained by the lack of communication and observation. The care planning in the example was very clearly not person centred. All of the above are very simply rectified, staff should be encouraged to ask questions and challenge. At RedRoyal Consultancy as part of our drive to support services to deliver a high quality Social Care service we often run promotions and offers for providers. We are currently offering a full one-day consultancy service which is completely free of charge and without obligation. The opportunity to win this valuable offer can be obtained by entering into our prize draw. Simply visit our home page at www.redroyalconsultancy.co.uk and register with your email address. The service can be used on any part of your service to give you the greatest benefit.
