Care home resident’s life saved using Dechoker
As part of its ongoing commitment to resident safety, earlier this year New Care took the decision to install Dechoker devices across its existing and increasing portfolio of high-quality care homes. Last month, it was this decision that resulted in the first UK life to be saved using a Dechoker since the device was launched here late last year. In April, a resident at New Care’s Ashland Manor Care Home in Sale, Manchester began to choke on a piece of food whilst eating breakfast. Care Staff responded immediately however within a very short space of time the 97-year old became unresponsive and started to turn blue. Using a Dechoker, staff removed the obstruction within seconds and very shortly afterwards the resident came around and was able to talk to those with her. Paramedics, who had already been called as part of New Care safety protocol attended and took the female to hospital as a precaution. After spending just 4 hours in A&E she was released and allowed to return to her care home having made a full recovery. “This is exactly what the Dechoker was designed for.” said Matt Oakley, Director for Dechoker UK. “We were all thrilled when New Care called to tell us the news and how effective Dechoker had been in a choking emergency. With the number of our devices now in care and nursing homes throughout the UK, and how frequently choking emergencies occur in the sector it was only a matter of time before a Dechoker would be called in to action. It certainly won’t be the last.” Dechoker – Airway Clearance Device Chief operating officer at New Care, Cath Fairhurst, commented: “At New Care we are committed to sourcing and installing the latest technology to improve and enhance the lives of our residents, and are delighted that the use of Dechoker across all of our homes has already saved a life.” Launched late last year, Dechoker works by creating directed suction over the airway to remove an obstruction causing a person to choke. It can be deployed and used in seconds by a member of staff, used regardless if a person is either sitting up, lying down and even when they are unconscious. In 2016 over 540 people in the UK died from choking, up 8% from the year before. 76% of all choking deaths occur in the over 60s who saw a larger increase of 10% overall. For further information on Dechoker, please visit www.dechoker.co.uk New Care is one of the UK’s fastest growing development-led care home operators. Catering for the aspiring needs of its residents, homes provide high quality, person-centred care and an exceptional clinical offering, including residential, general nursing and specialist dementia care services, in an expertly designed purpose-built environment. In addition to communal lounges, formal dining rooms and gardens, residents enjoy the privacy of their own well appointed and restful bedroom, complete with en suite wet rooms, and a host of hotel-style services including fine dining, a hair salon, nail bar, concierge and a busy and varied programme of activities and events. For further information Dechoker UK, please click here
Nurse at Balhousie Care Group uses A&E experience to make difference to elderly residents
When Kate, a nurse and re-enablement champion at Balhousie Coupar Angus care home, joined Balhousie Care Group in late 2016 she thought it would be a temporary move for her. After four decades working in a range of demanding, high-octane nursing roles, Kate’s perception of what it took to work in a care home has altered dramatically. “When I qualified as a nurse, I wanted to work in A&E so that’s what I did for 14 years,” Kate explained. “It was hard work, but always interesting and no one day was ever the same. After I had a career break to have my three children, I went into occupational health working for companies such as NCR in Dundee and Gleneagles Hotel. Each job was diverse and I was always learning.” A move from Dundee to Dunkeld in the past few years forced Kate to reconsider how and where she could continue to practice nursing. “Moving out of the city made it more difficult to find occupational health roles so I had to consider other nursing paths.” That’s when an agency called Kate and suggested a nursing position with Balhousie Care Group. “I never thought I’d work in a care home”, Kate said. “Having never done it before, I thought it would be very different from what I had experienced in previous jobs, so I thought I’d do it for a little while and see how I got on. 18 months later I’m still here and loving it.” Since joining the team at Balhousie Coupar Angus, Kate has used her clinical background to make a difference to residents. In particular, one resident, Sheila Pirie has gone from being wheelchair bound to walking again with Kate’s encouragement. “When Sheila arrived here last August I asked why she was in a wheelchair and she explained she’d had a spinal abscess and had lost the feeling in her legs,” Kate said. “When she began complaining of electric shock-like pains in her legs, as uncomfortable as it was for Sheila, I knew that was a sign of nerve regeneration and that she could walk again.” Kate then arranged for a physiotherapist to visit Sheila who gave her a range of exercises to help her build the strength in her legs. In the eight months since Sheila arrived at Balhousie Coupar Angus, she has gone from needing a hoist to get out of bed to walking with a tri-wheeler mobility aid. Kate is humble about the impact she has had on Sheila’s quality of life. “What I noticed with Sheila is just something from all my years of experience working in clinical environments. It is a bit more unusual to see this in a care home, but the principles are the same and Sheila had every chance of regaining the use of her legs and the whole team here have been fantastic in encouraging her to keep up her exercises. The next goal for Sheila is to get her walking unaided and she is well on her way to getting there.” Even with 40 years of nursing experience under her belt, Kate is still learning all the time and admits she has been pleasantly surprised by the fast-paced and challenging nature of the work at Coupar Angus. “Throughout my career, I’ve always been learning and here is no different. If anything, there is an even steeper learning curve. There’s so many things to consider – compliance, the Care Inspectorate, social workers as well as the day-to-day and long-term care of our residents.” “What’s been most surprising is how similar care home nursing is to working in an A&E department because you never know what you’re going into. You know the residents, but anything can happen during a shift, so you are always prepared for any potential scenario.” To find out more about Balhousie Care Group please click here
Public invited to view Fulwood care home with new dementia care service
A leading Sheffield care home, Fulwood Lodge, is opening its doors to the public next weekend in order to introduce its move into high quality dementia care. Fulwood Lodge Care Home is launching the new service in addition to its existing nursing and residential care following its recent CQC report. The home – set over three floors – can cater for up to 40 residents. Fulwood Lodge Care Home is now duel registered and able to offer both nursing care together with high-quality dementia care and residential care. The open day will be an opportunity to meet staff, view the home, ask questions about all aspects of the services and get a feel for the high standards of care on offer. Fulwood Lodge Care Home is run by Sheffield-based Silver Healthcare Ltd that also runs two additional homes – Rosebank and Leahyrst. Roy Young, managing director of Silver Healthcare, said: “The past year has been a difficult year for all care providers nevertheless we are committed to providing nothing but the very highest standard of care for all our residents. This is their home at the end of day and we do everything within our power to make it feel like a home from home. “Everything from en-suite rooms to a beautiful outdoor area and our excellent in house catering team is on offer.” The open day is set for Saturday, May 26th, from 11am until 4pm. The event offers complimentary lunch, entertainment and more. Fulwood Lodge Care Home is situated at 379a Fulwood Road, Ranmoor, Sheffield S10 3GA. More information from the home’s manager Lesley Christian on 0114 230 2666 or more company information can be found on: www.silver-healthcare.co.uk, & www.carehome.co.uk
Elderly residents’ fitness and wellbeing boosted by dance aerobics
A dance aerobics class has seen elderly Teesside residents making the most of the sunshine in their care home garden. Residents at Ingleby Care Home, in Ingleby Barwick, are benefitting from the fitness and wellbeing sessions following a Lottery grant last year. They are being run by Billingham-based social enterprise Nouveau Wellbeing, who won the grant to engage with more than 600 people over the age of 60. The firm’s specialist practitioners have been visiting the care home to put the residents through their paces. Emma Bryan, a member of the dance aerobics Nouveau Tees Valley Team, decided to run the latest session in the care home garden to take advantage of the spell of good weather. They have also taken part in armchair exercises and dancing during previous sessions, aiming to improve their mobility, confidence and social interaction. Carol Singleton, home manager at Ingleby Care Home, on Lamb Lane, said: “The residents have absolutely loved the dance aerobics sessions run by Emma from Nouveau Wellbeing. They have been a great way to get the residents active and engaged. There are visible improvements in their mood, sociability and mobility during the sessions and lasting for days afterwards. “We’re so grateful to Nouveau Wellbeing for selecting Ingleby Care Home to benefit from these dance aerobics sessions and we hope to continue working with them in future.” Photo caption: Residents at Ingleby Care Home, Ingleby Barwick, take part in a dance aerobics class run by Billingham-based Nouveau Wellbeing. Ingleby Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information on dance aerobics visit www.hillcare.net.
NHS Driving Assessment Centre celebrates keeping people safe on the roads for 25 years
NHS staff, former clients and representatives from the Department of Transport and Driving Mobility came together in Haydock on 8 May to celebrate The North West Driving Assessment Centre’s 25th anniversary. The service, based in Haydock, Merseyside and delivered by Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Bridgewater), welcomed over 650 people with a range of disabilities, illnesses and health conditions across the region through its doors last year. It is one of only a handful of NHS driving assessment centres in the country and has a dedicated and friendly team of occupational therapists, driving instructors and administrators on hand to offer comprehensive advice and assessments on both vehicle adaptations and driving ability. The centre also has a fleet of specially adapted dual control vehicles on site which are used as part of the assessments and it offers driving lessons to people with specialist health conditions who are unable to learn in a normal vehicle. At the event, the service’s Clinical Lead Deborah Murgatroyd also celebrated being in her role for 25 years. She is the only original member of staff remaining from service’s launch in 1993. Deborah said: “Everyone in the service is delighted to celebrate the North West Driving Assessment Centre’s 25th birthday. I am incredibly proud that the robust support, assessments and expert advice we have provided has helped many people with complex health needs in the North West to stay independent and driving. Our assessments have also helped to keep people across the North West safe on the roads.” “We welcome anyone in the region who needs help and support with vehicle adaptations or an assessment to contact the centre directly or speak to their GP or health professional.” Another attendee at the event was Claire Holtaway, a 26 year old artist from Wirral who has Cerebral Palsy. She started visiting the centre six years ago in order to learn to drive. Claire said: “I had ongoing driving assessments at the centre over the course of two years in order to find out which vehicle adaptations I needed. My instructor Dave was great and helped me understand which adaptations worked and which didn’t so I could start to learn to drive. Following this, Martin, a driving instructor from the centre visited me at home once a week and taught me to drive in a specially adapted vehicle that included a left foot accelerator and a special handle on the steering wheel which I also used to control the car’s indicators and window wipers.” “Martin was fantastic and it took quite a while but after lots of practice, I passed my test last year. It was such a brilliant feeling. I got my first car three weeks ago and it has opened the door to me being more independent.” To find out more about the support available from The North West Driving Assessment Centre visit www.bridgewater.nhs.uk or call 01942 483713.
Hundreds raised for Stroke Association by care home workers
CARE home workers held a supermarket collection for the Stroke Association – raising hundreds of pounds for the charity. Staff from The Oaks Care Home, in Blyth, Northumberland, spent two days in the town’s Morrisons store with collection buckets. They raised £442 before running a raffle and taking collections at the care home to bump the total up to £542. Residents’ family members, staff and friends of the home all donated prizes for the raffle and put hands in pockets to donate an extra £100. Paige Gallagher, activities coordinator at The Oaks Care Home, on Durban Street, said: “We just wanted to do our bit to help the Stroke Association as they do brilliant work.” Ann Mielnik, home manager, added: “We’d like to thank everyone who donated prizes and bought tickets for the home’s Stroke Association raffle as well as those who dropped money into our collection buckets at Morrisons. We’d also like to say a big thank you to the supermarket for helping us collect for the charity in the store. Their customers were incredibly generous and helped us raised a brilliant amount.” 1 – The Oaks Care Home activities coordinator Paige Gallagher, domestic assistant Maureen Ord and her mother Margaret Allen collecting money for the Stroke Association at the Blyth Morrisons store. 2 – Collecting funds for the Stroke Association at the Blyth Morrisons store are The Oaks Care Home domestic workers Diane Nesbitt and Colleen McDougal and care assistant Angela Hedley, joined by Morrisons representative Lauren Parker. For ore information about the Stroke Association or The Oaks Care Home which is part of the Hill Care Group visit www.hillcare.net.
Surprise party marks care home manager’s 25 years
Louise Spooner has worked at The Laurels Care Home, on Manchester Road, Sheffield, since 1993. The home was originally opened in 1987 and bought by the Hill Care Group in 2008, one of the company’s 38 homes across the north of England. Owner John Hill attended the surprise party to congratulate Louise personally and present a gift from everyone at the company. Directors, regional managers, nurses and care assistants were also among those at the surprise party Louise said: “I was lead into our indoor Garden Café to see over a dozen Hill Care staff and John Hill. I had an inkling something was going on but didn’t expect this. I’m so grateful to everyone at Hill Care for celebrating my 25th work anniversary with me. I have worked with some amazing people during my career at The Laurels and I wouldn’t have been here for 25 years if it wasn’t for this amazing team.” Louise is the longest serving member of staff at The Laurels Care Home, having started as a secretary and receptionist, before sister home The Limes was constructed on the same site. She then became liaison officer, managing the marketing, social workers and admissions. Shortly after The Limes was built, Louise took on the role of administrative manager, managing the buildings and ancillary staff, and working alongside the registered nurse manager. In this role, she completed a Level 4 Certificate in Management with the Chartered Management Institute, before being promoted to home manager. Louise said: “The Laurels provides specialised personal care for those living with dementia, while our sister home The Limes provides nursing and residential care. It is a hugely fulfilling job. We prepare personalised plans for each of our residents, after liaising with their relatives, ensuring we provide a stimulating place for them to live. I’m originally from Sheffield myself and I jokingly asked John at the party whether I could get a discounted room at the home myself for when I retire.” The Laurels and The Limes Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Yorkshire Care Equipment Launch the Lento Care Chair
Yorkshire Care Equipment have announced that it is launching its own care chair – the Lento. This is the first time that the care and mobility equipment company has developed and designed its own chair. Having worked with healthcare professionals for so long, Yorkshire Care wanted to create a care chair that would fill a gap in the market. The company estimate that the Lento will suit the needs of approximately 80% of the population. Padraig Finn, band 6 physiotherapist at Yorkshire Care said: “The Lento is leaps ahead of other care chairs due to its adjustability. It’s a single chair that can cater for optimal postural support in many people with even the most complex postural presentations is an exceptionally useful quality in care equipment. Having such an adaptable chair saves time and money without compromising on the quality of care. That’s precisely why the Lento will suit nearly all environments, from clinical settings, to private ones.” “Yorkshire Care’s work with occupational therapists, physios, and other healthcare professions over the years has made the business uniquely qualified to develop the Lento. With its name meaning ‘to flex’ in Latin, this care chair provides a solution to care homes and NHS loan stores where several different patients will use the same chair. The versatility of the Lento allows care facilities to provide excellent support and comfort to their patients with just one chair, minimising the need to keep buying and hiring new chairs.” Tom Hulbert, Yorkshire Care’s CEO said: “The Lento will fit a higher proportion of people than other care chairs on the market, which is excellent for multi-user environments where different patient’s needs have to be met. The sheer adjustability of the Lento along with all its different built-in features make it incredible value for money.” This is a great step forward for Yorkshire Care Equipment. The versatility of the Lento means that we don’t need to waste time waiting for made-to-measure seating to be made by a different supplier. We can immediately provide and fit the Lento, which saves a lot of time and money. As a family-run business, we’re taking an ambitious step by creating our own product. The Lento is just the beginning for our own Yorkshire Care prod For more information about Yorkshire Care please click here
Care home resident wishes for seaside fish and chip supper
Alex Dawson is one of many residents at Waverley Lodge Care Home, in Lemington, to add his name to the home’s wish list. The staff are aiming to fulfil as many wishes as possible, with the latest being Alex’s trip to the coastal town. He traveled on the bus to Newcastle and then the Metro to Cullercoats with the home’s activities coordinator, Michelle Park. The pair talked about the pubs that used to line Scotswood Road and stopped for a chat with soldiers holding a meet and greet in Newcastle town centre. Alex spoke of his time in the Army doing his national service. He was then treated to a fish and chip supper on the seafront, after taking a tour of the town. He said: “I hadn’t been on a day out to the seaside for years. I wished to have proper fish and chips by the sea like when I was a lad. I had the best day out ever. The sea was beautiful and the sun came out. I really appreciate Michelle taking me out for the day.” Michelle added: “You know it’s a good day when you go to the seaside with a gentleman as lovely as Alex for your job. We both had a brilliant day out.” Julie Booth, home manager at Waverley Lodge Care Home, on Bewick Crescent, said: “We came up with the Waverley wish list as a way for the residents to express what they would like to do. One gentleman said he wished to attend a Newcastle United match, another said she’d like to go to the cinema to see an old fashioned romance and, of course, Alex wanted to eat fish and chips by the seaside. We specialise in person-centred care at Waverley Lodge and the wish list is another way for us to tailor the service we provide to each of our residents.” For more information about Waverley Lodge Care Home please visit www.hillcare.net
