Borough Care Marks World Alzheimer’s Day
Borough Care, the largest not-for-profit provider of care for older people in Stockport, marked World Alzheimer’s Day with a special afternoon tea at its eleven homes. World Alzheimer’s Day falls on 21 September each year and is part of World Alzheimer’s Month, which takes place each September. World Alzheimer’s Month is an international campaign to raise awareness and challenge the stigma that surrounds dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults. Borough Care hosted afternoon tea events at each of its homes, to enable people to share their experiences and get support from its experienced carers. Family and friends of residents were invited along to enjoy afternoon tea and chat to Borough Care staff, who were on hand to answer any dementia related questions. Residents and guests tucked in to a selection of finger sandwiches, cupcakes, fruit jelly shots, black forest trifle and scones with jam and cream. Borough Care has over 20 years of experience supporting people with dementia. All Borough Care employees, in all roles, have access to ongoing dementia training and education, to help them support residents and their families.
Rebuilding lives with Doll Therapy
A care home in Leeds is helping many of its residents with dementia to take part in daily activities, rebuild their sense of purpose and create opportunities for meaningful conversations with the help of doll therapy. Residents at Paisley Lodge, an Orchard Care Home based in Armley, now benefit from a specialist doll therapy area, thanks to the ongoing support of a partnership with Nestlé Professional, which enhances the 45-bed home’s specialist dementia care. A form of reminiscence therapy, doll therapy is designed to revive memories of parental responsibility in those living with dementia. As many as 60-90% of older people experience the distressing symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia, and therapy dolls have been shown to be extremely effective in helping to reduce this. Doll Therapy was first introduced at Paisley Lodge when one of its residents had regressed into childhood and did not recognise that her children had grown up. Her behaviour become erratic and she was hostile to staff and her loved ones when they tried to explain that her children were now adults. Home Manager Pat Woellner knew of the immense benefits that doll therapy can provide and introduced the resident to a life-like baby doll, who she was able to hold and care for. The new sense of responsibility and identity recreated the resident’s memories of being a mum and enabled her to share precious memories with family, staff and fellow residents. She became content and happy with her surroundings. This dramatic change in behaviour and the impact the doll therapy had, not only residents but also staff, has led to the introduction of other baby items in the home, such as a nursery with pushchairs, prams, baby equipment, and even a babysitting service. All too often, people with dementia become isolated in their own world and don’t recognise their loved ones, which is distressing for everyone. Doll therapy can offer a chance for them to regain a sense of purpose, caring for their charges and chatting to fellow residents and staff about their daily routines. It can also provide comfort and safety for residents experiencing grief from a loss of their partner. Pat notes: “One of our residents lost her husband, and the doll helped her to go through the grieving stages.” Caregivers sometimes report that when a loved one is holding a doll they are able to more easily provide care to their family member or resident because of the distraction and comfort the doll provides. Additionally, doll therapy is a non-pharmacologic way to address challenging emotions and behaviours that may develop in dementia. There are no medication side effects or drug interactions with doll therapy, and no cost to the NHS for medication. Pat Woellner, who has worked in the care sector for over 30 years, is passionate about the benefits that doll therapy brings to people living with dementia. “People with dementia are often anxious about their surroundings, the people with whom they interact and their own abilities. This can often result in agitation, poor appetite, loneliness and boredom. We have seen the dramatic changes that this therapy brings to our residents. In one case a lady who had been receiving treatment by specialist mental health services for challenging behaviour was discharged by her consultant after just 3 months because the doll therapy had made such a positive change to her behaviour. It’s not just women that benefit from doll therapy. Two of our male residents have enjoyed looking after them too. Now it’s a regular occurrence to see them pushing prams along the corridors, stopping to chat to staff and fellow residents about their “baby” and reliving their memories of bringing up their own children. I often hold a doll on my hip when doing my walk around the home to check everyone is happy, as it is a great way to start a conversation with residents who may otherwise not wish to engage.” Before Pat introduced doll therapy to the home she invited the families of residents to a meeting, explaining the pros and cons and provided them with information sheets, to gauge their feelings – almost all were supportive to its introduction to their loved ones. All the staff bought into the initiative and went out of their way to ensure they spent time with residents when they had their dolls, listening to them and sharing memories of their own family lives. Pat concluded “We now have 15 dolls in the home that are being used by residents and each doll is unique, to suit various individual’s needs. We have changing stations, pushchairs, feeding equipment and highchairs.” Staff and residents at Paisley Lodge certainly have a much stronger bond since the introduction of doll therapy and this common interest allows them to share opinions and memories about the many skills needed to raise children, and all the stories that accompany them, on a regular basis.
Care workforce management tech company responds to CQC State of Care report
A market-leading technology company, HAS Technology, is urging local authorities and care providers to embrace digital solutions and innovation to tackle the social care crisis, following the release of the CQC State of Care report. The CQC State of Care report, an annual assessment of health and social care in England, states that ‘the wider challenge for providers and health and social care communities is to now consider technology in the broader strategic sense, as an enabler of high-quality care’. Various barriers to adopting new technologies were identified in the report, including funding to invest in technology; attitudes of staff towards technology; IT infrastructures; and data protection. There is also the perception that technology could replace personal support and that users of adult social care are not able or do not want to embrace technology. CM, part of HAS Technology Group, has found that the person-centred technology service they provide has actually received positive feedback from everyone involved in the circle of support, including healthcare professionals, service users and their families. Moving away from a more traditional outlook on care delivery and implementing technology can provide the ability to gather intelligence, support the achievement of outcomes and ensure the right care is delivered, at the right time. Mark Kennion, CM Director, commented: “The CQC State of Care report has shown that the delivery of care in England overall is of good quality. However, it also highlighted that although there are a range of technologies being used to deliver care, these tend to be in scenarios where there is a specific need. “Although we are continually researching and developing the latest technology for our customers to implement, sometimes the very basic of innovation can make a huge difference to the quality of care delivered. Using mobile phones, instead of timesheets, for example, provides a real-time view of care delivery whilst delivering significant back-office efficiencies. “The care sector needs to be brave to embrace digital transformation. With the cost efficiencies that can be made, the simplest implementation of technology can be an affordable solution with benefits for all involved.” CM’s vision is to help improve the efficiency and quality of home care delivery with the belief that care should be good quality with services that are transparent. London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham’s Homecare Reablement Service, user of CM and rated ‘Outstanding’ by CQC, implemented technology to support efficient scheduling of visits, improved communication with field-based staff and real-time information on service delivery. Their Community Independence Service Manager commented: “Care is about people and we empower our staff to provide a responsive, caring service. This is underpinned by processes and systems that promote safe and effective delivery.” CM started as a simple visit time recording solution and has grown rapidly now supporting 122 local authorities and over 3,000 care provider branches with integrated care monitoring, scheduling, care management and financial management solutions, as well as latest innovations including wearable technology. CM has continually innovated to meet the changing needs of the social care market and has been at the forefront of supporting outcomes-based commissioning and continuity of care delivery, with over 240,000 service users currently benefiting from CM’s technology services.
Care catering’s unsung heroes honoured at the NACC Awards 2019
On the 10th October, the National Association of Care Catering – NACC celebrated outstanding contributions to the care catering sector at the NACC Awards 2019. The winners of the prestigious awards, which recognise teams and individuals from across the sector that demonstrate innovation, excellence and dedication in their field, were announced at a gala awards dinner at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham. The special event was attended by the NACC’s members, patron and ambassadors together with industry colleagues, partners and guests. The 2019 NACC Award winners are: Care Establishment of the Year Award, sponsored by Hobart: Ferndown Manor, Care UK The preferences of residents are at the centre of mealtimes at Ferndown Manor. Menus reflect their tastes and needs, whilst attractive, relaxed dining rooms create enjoyable and unhurried restaurant-quality dining experiences. The judges confirmed that their success can be summed up in the words of one resident who said: “It’s like a five-star hotel with care.” Meals on Wheels Award, sponsored by apetito: County Enterprise Foods Nottinghamshire County Council The in-house Meals on Wheels team champions the benefits of the important service. As well as delivering nutritious meals it provides valuable community support, which most recently includes Scambuster training to help protect the vulnerable from scams. The judges praised the service, saying: “It’s very clear this multi-award-winning enterprise never rests on its laurels.” Catering Team of the Year Award, sponsored by Brakes: Soil Association, Food for Life; Getting together through food The innovative, intergenerational Food for Life Better Care initiative brings together care home residents and children in nurseries and schools across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The positive results include increased food and fluid intake, improved memory recall and reduced social isolation. The judges described it as: “A superb example of teamwork across disparate organisations with a shared goal.” Catering Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions: Adriano Carvalho, Head Chef, Gracewell of Newbury Motivated to improve the quality of services for residents, families and staff, Adriano created a development programme to inspire internal progression. In the last two years, there have been no resignations and in the last year, no agency staff and less than 10% absence. The judges were impressed, stating: “Here we saw a passionate and constant innovator who never ever stands still.” Our Care Catering Hero Award, sponsored by Premier Foods: Ivan Nobrega, Service Driver, apetito In 2019, Ivan performed an outstanding act of bravery. On discovering a fire at a client’s home, he alerted the emergency services and got the husband and wife couple safely out of the property. Their home was destroyed and there’s no doubt his quick thinking saved their lives. The judges agreed with Ivan’s line manager who said: “He’s a dedicated and modest individual who sees his round as personally his own.” Region of the Year Award, sponsored by Meiko: North Region The North region held onto the hotly-contested title of Region of the Year for the second year running. An achievement the judges described as ‘well-deserved’. Pam Rhodes Outstanding Achievement Award: Berenice Pretlove The Pam Rhodes Award recognises the work and commitment of an individual that has made a lasting contribution to the NACC. For the past seven years, Berenice has supported the association, continually raising its profile through communications. She has advised executive board members, been instrumental in responding to the media, managing communications and establishing key relationships, represented the association at major events and has been editor of the NACC Yearbook since 2014. Berenice has become a font of knowledge and key member of the NACC and is well respected for her genuine passion and going above the call of duty. Chairman’s Award 2019: Adam Michallat-Cox Neel Radia, the NACC Chairman, awarded this special recognition to Adam Michallat-Cox, describing him as a NACC unsung hero. A member of the NACC for 14 years, he’s been consistently supportive, volunteering his time to help drive the growth of the association. Adam has held regional and national positions, including South West Secretary, South West Chair and National Deputy Chair and has worked tirelessly behind the scenes. As well as supporting the NACC, Adam does a lot of great work for the wider community, including being the founder and now trustee of the Bristol Dementia Action Alliance. Neel Radia, National Chair of the NACC, comments: “Congratulations to the NACC Awards 2019 winners. They are all fine examples of the exceptional talent, dedication and innovation that the care catering sector produces. “It’s an absolute privilege to honour the hard work and vision of care catering professionals up and down the country. They really are unsung heroes. Their incredible work helps ensure individuals in a care environment receive the quality care they deserve. Through innovation and unwavering commitment, person-centred nutrition, hydration and wellbeing are always at the core of mealtimes, whatever challenges the sector faces. The awards have always been a personal highlight and celebrating our inspirational and deserved winners was a wonderful way to end my six-year tenure as NACC Chairman.” For more information on the NACC Awards 2019 and the NACC visit www.thenacc.co.uk
100th Birthday Celebrations For Olive At Bryn Haven
Olive Taylor, a resident at Borough Care’s Bryn Haven home in Brinnington, Stockport, recently celebrated her 100th birthday. As well as a special birthday card and telegram from the Queen, Olive received over 140 cards from all over the UK and beyond. Some of the cards were sent as part of the Postcards of Kindness initiative, which Bryn Haven is participating in. The campaign was set up to combat loneliness and remind care home residents that there’s always someone thinking of them. Currently, over 930 care homes around the world have joined the Postcards of Kindness Facebook group, with over 28,000 members sending cards. People took the time to send Olive birthday cards from around the world, including the USA and Australia, and she and her family were overwhelmed with the kindness shown. To mark Olive’s century, singer Samantha Jones entertained her family and fellow residents at Bryn Haven before everyone tucked into her birthday cake, which was made by Care Assistant Michelle Gallimore. A 100thbirthday framed picture was made especially for Olive by Lisa-Jane Jones, Laundry Assistant at Bryn Haven. The picture now takes pride of place in Olive’s bedroom. Olive has two children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. During her working life she was a District Nurse, working around the Stockport area. After retiring, she spent many years volunteering for a number of different charities.
Churchfields Care Home owners cycle to Paris
Owners of Churchfields Care Home have raised money for Bloodwise, a charity who funds world-class research in blood cancer, by cycling the 500km from London to Paris as their supportive residents watched on. Jane and Gerry Roberts, embarked on their recent journey, departing from London as they biked their way towards Paris, travelling via Folkestone, where they made the voyage across the channel. They then made their way to Abbeville, Beauvais, and finally on to Paris, with the ride taking four days. As the duo continued on their journey, residents at the home kept track of their progress, using a board to monitor their locations. Each day, Gerry and Jane would send new photographs of different landmark’s they’d reached, giving the Churchfields community an opportunity to share in the experience. Jane and Gerry, with friends, helped raise a staggering £15,000. Jane Roberts commented; “We care for so many people who have been, or are currently battling different forms of cancer. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to raise the profile of this incredibly important charity and to help contribute donations towards much needed and ongoing research.” Continuing, she added; “The support of our residents has been incredibly important to both Gerry and I, and has been a strong source of inspiration through the more challenging sections of the ride. We’re glad it’s also given them a fantastic chance to relive some of their fondest memories, and for others, a chance to see parts of the world they’ve never had a glimpse of before.” The event as a whole featured 160 riders, all raising a grand total of £500,000 for blood cancer research. Cancer of the blood is the 3rdbiggest ‘cancer killer’ and is the 5thmost common amongst cancer sufferers making research into the disease all the more important. To find out more about Bloodwise or to donate, please visit: https://bloodwise.org.uk/ For more information on Churchfields Care Home, or to arrange a time to look around the home, please call 01865 88140 or visit http://churchfieldscarehome.co.uk/.
Promedica24 recognised with Top 20 Care Provider Award 2019
Dorset and Hampshire based live-in care provider, Promedica24, has been awarded by homecare.co.uk as one of the top 20 providers in the area. With care reviewers giving an impressive overall total score of 9.8 out of 10, Promedica24 received the accolade for being one of the most favourably reviewed home-care providers in the region. The high score follows 100% of reviewers expressing that they’d be ‘Extremely Likely’ to recommend Promedica24 to others and 90% deeming their services ‘Excellent’. With research showing that 97% of people don’t want to move into institutional care if they become unwell or less mobile*, Promedica24’s live-in care service is vital in enabling them to continue living the life they want at home, while receiving necessary care and assistance. The support offered by the Dorset and Hampshire care team ranges from companionship and assistance with household chores, to dementia and more complex care. Katrina, a wife of one of Promedica24’s clients, can’t thank the team enough: “The team are efficient to deal with, and they have made the whole process easy. The carers have all been very kind and caring and a pleasure to have living with the family.” On the award, Mark Muller, Regional Partner for Promedica24 Dorset and Hampshire, commented; “I am thrilled that our team have been recognised and celebrated for their delivery in quality care. We pride ourselves on providing compassionate care, and to hear that our clients feel safe, secure and happy is recognition of our mission to enable people to remain at home.” Homecare.co.uk is a leading UK Home Care review website and their Top 20 Home Care Awards highlight the most recommended home-care providers in each region of the UK. Promedica24 provides live-in care, as an alternative to residential care, allowing those with care needs to remain in the comfort of their own home. For more information about live-in care services in the Dorset, Hampshire and the surrounding areas, call Mark on 01202 618544 or visit https://www.promedica24.co.uk/partner/live-in-care-dorset-hampshire/
Top diabetes professor warns older people with type 1 are being overlooked
A top UK professor is urging the healthcare profession to make older people with type 1 diabetes a “priority and not an after-thought”. Professor Ketan Dhatariya, a diabetes consultant at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, wants to raise the standard for the over 60s in a bid to reduce diabetes-related hospital admissions. Professor Dhatariya said: “The number of older people with type 1 diabetes will certainly increase with time and we need to develop a strategy to ensure that long-term survival is not invariably accompanied by a fall in standards of care. “It’s crucial that carers and clinicians working with older people have the knowledge required to identify those at risk and to ensure safe management of this vulnerable group. This means simplification of insulin regimens, ability to recognise the early signs of hypoglycaemia, and knowledge of how and when to adjust insulin.” Professor Dhatariya, who is also an Honorary Professor of Medicine, will join Professor Alan Sinclair, Director of the Foundation for Diabetes Research in Older People (FDROP) and Dr David Strain, Senior Clinical Lecturer at the Diabetes and Vascular Research Centre, University of Exeter Medical School at a major diabetes conference. Together, the three leading experts will present a session entitled ‘Type 1 Diabetes in Older Adults – Key Features and Management Guidance’ at Diabetes Professional Care (DPC2019), the UK’s largest free-to-attend, CPD-accredited conference for healthcare professionals working in diabetes care. As well as discussing insulin regimen options and co-morbidity treatments, the speakers will also look at the recently launched type 1 clinical guidelines for older people and how they can be used to improve care for the over 60s with the condition. Professor Dhatariya added: “At the moment, what’s happening is older people with diabetes become frail and develop other chronic health conditions. They are being admitted to hospital because they are struggling to manage their condition competently, which is not ideal. “Then the hospital gets filled up with frail individuals and because of the lack of community support, they can’t be discharged when they should be. We need more investment into primary care so we can prevent this from happening in the first place and also support those who need it, if it does occur. It’s time we make older people with type 1 diabetes a priority and not an after-thought.” This year DPC opens on October 29 and will be in a larger hall within Olympia London to accommodate increased demand. DPC founder Maggie Meer said: “Growing old is part of everyday life, and old age is particularly concerning for those with a chronic health condition, such as type 1 diabetes. “There is a distinct lack of research into the management of diabetes in older people, mainly because the frail and elderly are generally excluded from studies. Trials tend to be more focussed on type 1 diabetes among the younger generation or type 2 diabetes among older people. But despite this, the number of elderly people with type 1 diabetes is increasing. “It’s vital we ensure all populations who have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes are included to ensure standards of diabetes care are improved. At DPC2019 we work very hard to produce a programme which ensures healthcare professionals who attend the show, leave with the confidence and skills to treat each individual based on the latest guidelines and treatment options that are currently available.” At the heart of DPC2019 will be a multi-stream conference bringing together world-class practitioners and thought leaders to share their expertise and knowledge on diabetes care and best practice. A series of informal new clinics will be at the heart of a revamped programme, with a key focus around co-morbidities and related conditions. Sessions focussing on care for older people include: Hypoglycaemia assessment in the elderly: key considerations in practice Elderly & end of life care for people with CKD Practical advice and tips for older people with diabetes: 3 avenues of assessment & management Healthcare professionals, Commissioners and Service Leads can still register a free place online or via 023 8081 1551.
Borough Care Appoints New Head of Finance
Borough Care has appointed Nick Pennell as its new Head of Finance. Borough Care is the largest not-for-profit provider of care for older people in Stockport and has eleven homes across the borough. Nick Pennell will be responsible for managing Borough Care’s finance team. The emphasis of his role will be updating the company’s financial processes and reporting capabilities, to help improve efficiency, through the introduction of new technology and systems. Commenting on what attracted him to his new role, Nick Pennell says: “The care sector as a whole is facing many challenges, especially in regards to number of beds, local authority funding and aging infrastructure. Borough Care’s leadership team is aware of the issues facing the sector and has ambitious plans to address these challenges. There is a key role for the Head of Finance to shape some of the thinking around funding, investment decisions and growth plans. The opportunity to help do this really appealed to me. This position also means I can use my skills in the area of finance transformation.” Nick continues: “I see Borough Care is a forward thinking, innovative company; characteristics which match my own values. I’m looking forward to helping the business continue growing.” Nick joins Borough Care from KPMG, one of the Big Four accounting firms. His most recent role was Deputy Finance Director of KPMG Learning Services.
