Care company provides staff with free nutritional snacks to promote healthy eating
Following recent reports on healthy eating, claim that middle-aged millennials are set to be the most overweight generation since records began, one of Kent’s leading home care providers, Bluebird Care Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, has launched a new healthy eating initiative to coincide with the start of Nutrition and Hydration Week (12 – 18 March). Under the new scheme, Bluebird Care Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells’s staff will be able to choose from a range of delicious and nutritious snacks, which will be provided free of charge. The options will include nutritionally balanced items such as dried and fresh fruits, high-fibre wholefood cereal bars, biltong, wholegrain popcorn, nuts, seeds and olives. Nathan Brown, Community Liaison Manager at Bluebird Care Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, said: “The health and wellbeing of our staff is of great importance to us. With so much media attention being paid to the health risks of being overweight or obese, we felt it was our duty as an employer to provide our staff with the opportunity to snack healthily at work. “Snacking is an effective way to fit in extra nutrients, prevent overeating at mealtimes and maintain energy levels throughout the day, but we’re often faced with unhealthy choices, particularly foods that are high in sugar or saturated fats. “By providing nutritionally-balanced snacks to all our staff, we can help them to make better choices about what they eat, as part of our commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle. As our Care Assistants are also responsible for monitoring the nutrition and hydration of our customers, it’s important that they have a keen understanding of the foodstuffs that should be included as part of a healthy diet.” Bluebird Care is one of the UK’s leading national providers of care in the home, with over 200 offices around the UK delivering 20,000 visits to customers in their homes each day. For more information about the healthy eating snacks provided please visit www.bluebirdcare.co.uk
Margaret Shares Exotic Travel Stories Thanks to Innovative Care System
A pensioner who enjoyed her first ever foreign trip has been able to share her holiday photos with the boss of the charity who developed the Blackwoods Clever Cogs innovative care system that allowed her to travel to Vietnam. Margaret Sancken, 65, felt confident enough to book her first ever holiday to Vietnam thanks to Blackwood’s Clever Cogs system, a digitally enhanced product which aims to keep people as independent as possible. Blackwood has a commitment to push the boundaries of technology to allow property adaptations which make a huge difference to people with disabilities. After hearing the amazing success story and Margaret’s rave reviews of Clever Cogs, Blackwood Chief Executive Fanchea Kelly was keen to visit her at the St Leonard’s Court development in Ayr to see the travel photos and hear about what she’d done on the trip. Fanchea said: “I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that Margaret had been able to book her first ever holiday thanks to the Clever Cogs system. It was brilliant that she felt confident enough to do so thanks to the technology and having been to Vietnam myself, I was excited to hear all about her travels. The trip itself looked amazing and the fact Margaret felt comfortable enough to book such an exotic holiday for her first ever break is testament to the quality and usability of the product.” The Clever Cogs system tailors each device to the wants and needs of the individual and gives users control over their care and support. It also enables customers to browse the web, email, do their shopping and even catch up with friends and family. Margaret was joined on the 6,223 mile trip by St Leonard’s Team Leader, Gina McClinton, and the pair spent 11 days discovering the country in Southeast Asia. The pair took in all that Vietnam has to offer and even spent one night eating dinner with a local family. The holiday was so successful that Margaret now has plans to take a longer break to Australia next year and explore the country by train. Fanchea added: “Margaret has been a tenant at St Leonards for 23 years and it’s great to see that we’re still able to help her become even more independent thanks to developments in technology and care. Margaret herself admits that she can’t imagine life without the Clever Cogs technology that has given her a new lease of confidence.” She said: “Clever Cogs is very easy to use and after using it for a while now, I couldn’t imagine life without it. Beforehand, I’d never have though this sort of trip was possible but the system as given me the confidence to try new things and allowed me to go to places I never thought I’d visit. My trip to Vietnam is one I’ll never forget. It’s a beautiful place and it was amazing to take in the different sights and cultures.” For more information about the Blackwoods Clever Cogs system click here
New online platform connecting RGNs and care homes with the best temporary shifts
Florence is a pioneering online platform that takes a new and different approach to providing temporary staffing to care homes in health and social care. The platform works by directly connecting healthcare managers with pre-vetted registered nurses (RGNs and RMNs) by cutting out recruitment agencies. Using more traditional recruitment agencies to fill temporary positions can be very costly, meaning money is taken out the system and doesn’t reach those who deserve it. The new online platform provides a mutually beneficial service that delivers cost and time saving for managers and increased flexibility and pay for staff. Nurses create their own profile on Florence and simply filter and choose the shifts they want to work, whilst Managers offer any temporary shifts they have available. A genius algorithm ensures nurses who have worked with care homes previously appear at the top of the list when a new shift is posted, allowing managers to make a decision based on previous engagements and ensuring high quality staff and care. “You can see all the available shifts, the money you’ll earn and the location you have to go to…it’s so easy to use” – Florentina, registered nurse. Similar to technologies such as Uber, the platform allows nurses and employers to provide ratings for both parties. This means healthcare managers can source the best staff for the job and RGNs choose the most ideal working environment for them. Florence does not charge the Care Home if they wish to employ the nurse full time, also aiding the staffing crisis “Using Florence for filling our temporary nursing shifts has revolutionised how we work and reduced our costs significantly” – Steve Winter, Operations Director, Care Home Managing Director and Co-Founder of Florence, Charles Armitage spent over three years working as a young locum doctor alongside nurses in Emergency Medicines and Surgery. As a millennial, Charles was already familiar with the benefits of disruptive technologies such as AirBnB, Deliveroo and Uber have provided. Combined with his passion for providing care, this sparked him to create Florence. “As a doctor working in South London I found it frustrating I had no choice over the work I could pick being given shifts by an agency who felt like they lacked a sense of care. I set up Florence with the aim to empower nurses and homes and give control back to those doing the actual caring” said Charles. Since its creation, more than 6000 registered nurses and over 100 care homes within the London and the South East area have already signed up to Florence. With a recent successful launch in the North West, Florence is quickly starting to look like a modern day Florence Nightingale for the care sector. To find out more about Florence visit www.florenceapp.co.uk and for useful advice and updates see www.florenceapp.co.uk/blog. For further information please contact: Bunie Anyaegbunam, Chief Marketing Officer at bunie@florenceapp.co.uk or +44 (0) 203 911 2555
Outsourcing is the key to compliance
ECO is urging care homes to outsource help desk facilities to help ensure they stay on the right side of the law. ECO Integrated Property Solutions (IPS) is advising managers that using a professional and expert supplier to co-ordinate and oversee any works in their property will not only lighten their load but will ensure compliance with rules and regulations. Managing a schedule of repairs, refurbishments and maintenance can be a time consuming distraction and it would be easy to overlook smaller details or rush processes through lack of time. But trusting a specialist team to take on all aspects of property care will ensure accuracy, consistency and compliance, particularly if they’re invested in the latest technological advances. ECO IPS has recently implemented a cutting edge cloud-based work management system that holds all reactive, planned and statutory compliance documents that connects to ECO’s on site app ensuring peace of mind that all necessary documentation is safely stored. An outsourced helpdesk system will also manage third party activity, ensure contractors are approved, gather quotes and consolidate invoices in a single outgoing. Robin Harris, client services director explains: “The burden on care homes is becoming greater and with so many other regulations to adhere to, increasing numbers of our customers in the care sector are outsourcing some of their responsibilities. “Our mantra is ‘record, document and store’ and we’re able to dedicate all our time and specialist experience to overseeing contractor relations, ensuring work is executed, completing all necessary documentation and safe storage to deliver total compliance. It gives customers great peace of mind!” The cloud technology used by ECO IPS is imported from the USA and thought to be the first of its kind used by a property management company in the UK. It centralises all processes and procedures to allow greater flexibility in remote working and real-time reporting to the client. Robin adds: “Investment in this technology has allowed us to revolutionise the efficiency of our processes which has a direct impact on the level of service we can provide to customers allowing them to concentrate on their core responsibilities and giving peace of mind that their property is maintained to the highest standard and all work is correctly documented.” ECO IPS employs more than 20 people from its offices in West Yorkshire, and provides total property solutions to sectors including commercial, leisure, retail, healthcare and education. For more information on ECO please click here
She’s making a career out of caring – with ‘ridiculously amazing’ success
Jozi Stables’ story is one of hard work and dedication. She progressed from doing dishes in a care home kitchen to becoming the youngest care home manager at Balhousie Care Group. “Make Today Ridiculously Amazing” says a piece of art on Jozi Stables’ office wall. It joins other words of encouragement as well as many photos – of the residents and staff of the care home where Jozi has just been appointed manager. At the age of 27, Jozi is the youngest care home manager at Balhousie Care Group. She heads up 48 full- and part-time staff at Balhousie Ruthven Towers, a Scottish care home which has achieved top Grade 6 ratings from the Care Inspectorate for its management, leadership and standards of care. Jozi is a two-time finalist in the Scottish Care Awards, for her innovative practice techniques and for a training and development programme between Balhousie Care Group and the Prince’s Trust Scotland. Balhousie Care joined forces with the Trust to offer young people the opportunity to train for a career in the care sector. For Jozi it was important to help raise awareness about working in the care sector, and the prospects awaiting young people who entered it. “There are many different perceptions about what a care role looks like and there is a lack of awareness about how rewarding and varied it can be. By introducing young people to the industry in partnership with organisations such as the Prince’s Trust, we have been able to open up the care sector to people who perhaps wouldn’t have considered it before,” she says. You might say Jozi’s achievements are “ridiculously amazing”, just like that quote on her wall. But ask anyone who knows her and they’ll say they’re not the least bit surprised. At the age of 14 Jozi began working in a care home kitchen part time doing dishes and soon realised that she wanted to make this sector her career. She joined Balhousie Care Group as a shift leader in Huntly, Aberdeenshire. She was asked by the company to work at its head office in Perth in a learning and development position. “But I missed being in the homes too much,” says Jozi. After joining Ruthven Towers in the town of Auchterarder as an assistant care home manager in June 2015, Jozi was promoted to care home manager in October 2016. Among her qualifications are distance learning courses in health and social care, and Scottish Vocational Qualifications, including a Leadership & Management in Cares Services SVQ. Ruthven Towers was awarded the Grade 6 ratings for Management and Leadership and also Care and Support after measures were introduced which saw residents, their families and staff involved in everything from policy and recruitment to activities at the home. Jozi is modest about her achievements, emphasising the support of her colleagues and managers at Balhousie. Meanwhile, it seems that Jozi’s enthusiasm is a little infectious. “She brings so much energy to the position and it’s refreshing to be around her,” says Kirstene Feenan, marketing manager for the group, which has 25 care homes across Scotland. Balhousie Care’s Together We’re Great policy recognises the skills, talents and attributes of every person in the organisation. What that means for a care home manager like Jozi is that staff recognition is high on her list. In the case of Ruthven Towers it usually takes the form of something fun – a Mr & Mrs style game show, for example. “It may sound cheesy but working here is like being part of a family. Some of the staff have been here for 20 plus years. To me that’s important because you’ve got consistency for the residents,” says Jozi. The feeling of family and support is strong within Ruthven Towers and it’s a theme that spills over into the home’s local community work too. For Jozi and her staff, community involvement could be anything from meeting local councillors to inviting preschoolers for storytime sessions to donating Oor Wullie annuals to a local school. “I’m passionate about community engagement. Right now I’m doing a lot of networking and learning, attending community meetings and meeting local councillors and GPs. It’s good to hear other people’s ideas and how things work in different companies and organisations. I’m a bit like a sponge at the moment!” she laughs. Louise Barnett, operations director at Balhousie Care Group, said: “Jozi is a great example of how development pathways can really help someone succeed within their chosen career. She’s always shown the passion and desire towards learning and progressing and now has the opportunity to shine as a great manager and leader for her team.” There are many ideas percolating for Jozi at Ruthven Towers, from extending accommodation options to developing the residents’ garden to building even closer relations between staff. Amazing? Certainly. Ridiculous? Not at all. For more information on the Balhousie Care group please click here
Combined Care Initiative Benefits Old and Young in Romsey
Encouraging greater happiness, mental stimulation and increased longevity amongst their elderly residents, Abbotswood Court care home in Romsey has been welcoming pre-school children from nearby Yellow Dot Nursery. In the UK one in three over 65s see family members, including grandchildren, less than once a month. This can lead to feelings of isolation and mental decline. Providing positive mental and emotional stimulation, Abbotswood Court in Romsey has been connecting elderly residents with a group of pre-schoolers from the nearby Yellow Dot Nursery. Benefiting both generations, Abbotswood Court has been encouraging residents and children from the Yellow Dot Nursery to interreact and play. Attending the Abbotswood Court luxury care home and retirement development fortnightly, children from the Yellow Dot Nursery have been participating in a range of activities. Combining nursery day care and retirement care with a little fun, residents have also served as the audience for the children’s singing and nativity play rehearsals. Gemma Ridout-Bowden, General Manager of Abbotswood, said: “We are pleased to see residents enjoying some quality time with children from the Yellow Dot Nursery. It provides them with great mental stimulation, something which is essential for health and increased longevity. Simultaneously the children can learn new ways to interact, socialise and communicate, this is incredibly important as they grow and mature.” The dual care initiative was introduced by staff at Abbotswood, following international studies and popular TV shows such as Channel 4’s ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’. These have highlighted the multiple benefits of close intergenerational connections. Hayley James, Manager of Yellow Dot Nursery said:”Since starting our visits it has been fantastic to see the children grow in confidence and build relationships with the residents. The children often recall their visits and are always excited for their trips to the care home. Through our Froebelian practice we understand the importance of being a part of the wider community. These visits are reinforcing the positive impact this has on both generations” Gemma Ridout-Bowden, continues: “Older adults who are actively involved in childcare report much greater happiness, better physical health, and higher degrees of life satisfaction. Mutually beneficial, interactions with the elderly can help to enhance children’s personal development. Older people can pass on their patience, knowledge and skills, attributes which are retained by children throughout their lives.” For more information about the care, accommodation and services Abbotswood Court provides, visit www.cinnamoncc.com or follow them on Facebook.com@abbotswoodcourt.
Youth and experience brought together at Oundle care home
Oundle care home care home is leading the way in bridging the generational gap by opening its doors to local young people. Abbott House has welcomed pupils from Oundle School, who have been volunteering at the Oundle care home by helping staff at meal times, playing board games with residents and providing entertainment using their own musical instruments. Three pupils have also been painting murals on the bathroom walls, while others have given talks on their varied backgrounds, sharing experiences with residents. The volunteering doubles up for some pupils as a contribution towards the service element of their silver or gold Duke of Edinburgh awards. Operated by Shaw healthcare, Abbott House provides residential and dementia care and was rated ‘good’ in its December 2017 inspection by health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission. The Oundle care home is managed by Julie Chinnick, who was recently recognised in Shaw’s UK-wide ‘Star Awards’ programme. Julie beat off competition from several other Shaw healthcare facilities across the UK and received the ‘exceptional leader’ award for 2017. Commenting, Ms Chinnick said: “Staff and residents are always really pleased to welcome the pupils into the home. It’s been wonderful to watch relationships develop between them and our residents over the course of their DofE work, sharing youth and experience in equal measure. Some of the pupils have built up such a good rapport with our residents that they intend to continue to visit us after their studies. “The home is a great place to work and our volunteers add to the feel-good atmosphere here. They have been a marvellous addition to the Shaw family at Abbott House and we look forward to continuing to work with more Oundle pupils in the future.” Liz Turnbull, head of community action at Oundle School, commented: “Our pupils undoubtedly enjoy their visits to Abbott House and benefit from the wonderful relationships they develop with the residents. It is a mutually beneficial partnership and we will continue to look at ways to develop it further.” For more information about the Oundle care home please click here
Information Suite Launches at Edinburgh’s Finest Care Home
Locals across Edinburgh and the Lothians are invited for an exclusive first look of the city’s newest, luxury care home as it officially launches its Information Suite this week. The much-anticipated Cramond Residence is welcoming guests to its beautifully-designed suite on Thursday 8 March from 3-7pm, to showcase the high quality of accommodation and facilities that will be available when it opens later this year. This drop in event is an opportunity for a short tour of the sample bedroom, complete with en-suite shower room, and sample lounge layout, giving visitors the chance to experience the distinctly homely feel of the Residence first-hand. There will also be the opportunity to meet and chat with the expert senior management team, who will be working closely together to ensure residents have a smooth transition into life at Cramond. Eileen Gray, General Manager, said: “We are very excited to invite the local community along to the unveiling of our luxurious Information Suite. “Cramond Residence is set to be somewhere people can really enjoy their later years and has been specially designed to offer the highest quality of living and personalised care in elegant and comfortable surroundings. “This is a great opportunity for anyone interested to drop by, meet our care team and find out more about all the fantastic facilities that the Residence will offer when we open our doors later this year. “We look forward to meeting and welcoming as many guests as possible this coming Thursday.” The Information Suite launch will take place on Thursday 8th March from 3-7pm at Cramond Residence, 49 Cramond Road North, Edinburgh, EH4 6NQ. As the Suite is likely to be busy, private appointments can also be arranged for those interested or unable to attend, by phoning Dorothy Brown, Client Relationship Manager, on 07971 992 843. Managed exclusively by Walker Healthcare, Cramond Residence has been designed to promote small community living. It comprises nine distinct houses, each with its own identity and selection of generous en-suite rooms, lounges, quiet spaces, dining areas and activity spaces. For more information on the launching of the Information Suite visit www.cramondresidence.co.uk
How HealthUnlocked is changing how people care for their loved ones
Every single day an extra 6,000 people take on the responsibility of being a carer. Back in December 2016, a completely new type of online support was set up on the social network HealthUnlocked. This regular, ongoing support of another person can change people’s lives. In fact for many, life will never be the same again. It’s not all a struggle though, and many people report finding it a rewarding and positive experience. One of the biggest factors in how people experience being a carer is dependent on the support they are getting, knowing where to turn, understanding when to get extra help and when to ask for or turn to professional support. The platform, which connects people to share experiences, already had hundreds of online support communities and forums for people with chronic and long term health conditions. But this was different; it aimed to address and provide a safe space for carers to come together and ask the difficult questions and importantly, the ones they didn’t know who else to ask. The brainchild of Simplyhealth, as part of their commitment to support informal and unpaid carers, the Care Community has quickly grown to over 3000 followers. The forum discusses the complexities and realities of being a carer from the perspective of the person carrying out the caring. One of the most impressive things that you see instantly on the forum is that everyone on it understands the realities and everyday issues that people are facing, whether it is managing another person’s finances, or choosing a care home. Research on the forum showed the common concerns, problems and needs people caring for others were experiencing. 81% of those surveyed said they had problems accessing the help they need; 87% said they felt anxious about their caring responsibilities and lives; and 84% of respondents said they need more support from family or friends. All of the discussions on the forum bring home the realities of caring for a loved one. None more so than the discussions around when and how to bring in extra support from paid carers or how to choose a care home. “Does anyone have any advice/tips on how to introduce carers to help in the home? My family care for my nan (who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s) and grandad (currently in hospital after a fall) but my nan doesn’t think she needs any help. If anyone has been through a similar situation and has had success on getting through to someone with dementia, I’d really appreciate hearing your advice please.” “My dad now lives off tinned soup and in increasing squalor. My sister is 60 miles away, I’m 120 and my brother 80 miles away. He is happy for us to help but has declared he will get rid of the carers arranged by the hospital within 2-3 weeks. He won’t even accept new slippers. He insists on driving despite my warning in the presence of his doctors that he’s not in control of his car. I refuse to go in the car with him. Other people must face similar problems. How do you cope?” There is nothing unusual about either of these statements, and it’s very relatable. The responses given to these posts are incredibly moving, with many people showing that they truly understand the concerns and stresses expressed, having also been on the same journey and made similar difficult decisions. “I looked after my Mum who lived with us until it became physically impossible for me, and it was such a difficult decision to find a care home who would look after her like I did, and like your Mum she didn’t want it at all, but she was taken to hospital after falling and then a social worker got involved and we all finally persuaded her that she couldn’t go back to live on her own it wasn’t safe for her.” Commenting on the forum, Carolyn Barkin from Simplyhealth said: “We knew from our research that carers wanted not only support but also the opportunity to connect with people in the same situation. Reading the powerful conversations taking place between our 3,000+ community members, you can see that the Simplyhealth Care Community is fulfilling that need. It’s not just about advice; it’s about talking to people who truly understand what you’re going through.” Being a family with someone who has care needs, no matter how complex, is life changing. Whether it starts with managing the additional responsibility yourself, or making the right decision over paid carer support or care homes, it has never been more important to make sure people have the right resources and help to enable them to make proper and informed decisions. The emotional aspect of caring for someone you love together with the complexity of the system means we expect forums like the Simplyhealth Care Community to become even more important over coming years. HealthUnlocked is a social network for health. They connect people with the same health conditions and wellbeing needs in over 700 online communities and forums. They cover everything from cancer, to dementia, brain injury, weight loss and caring. For more information about the online support from HealthUnlocked click here
