What does maintaining the ability to have a bath mean to you?
Enabling people to continue enjoying what they’ve always done and having the opportunity to try new things is an overriding philosophy of care at Newlands, part of Warwickshire-based charity WCS Care, where freedom, choice and dignity are paramount.Being able to bathe is an essential part of maintaining a routine of normality – for many with reducing functional decline and change, bathing can be one of the first areas of an individual’s routine that becomes affected. But Newlands believe your life doesn’t have to change when you move into a care home.We spoke to Bonnie Burbury, Home Manager at Newlands in Kenilworth, about the importance of enabling a ‘normal’ routine, especially when it comes to bathing. “It is really important to us that we create a homely, inviting atmosphere and promote WCS Care’s values along the way. Our ambition is to make every day well lived for each and every person in our care. Personal care can sometimes seem daunting for residents, so to be able to offer a comfortable, relaxing environment with facilities such as the Reval Cocoon Ergo bath is great – it increases the length of time a person may spend in the bath; beneficial for both personal hygiene and wellbeing. There are a lot of physical benefits too – with Multiple Sclerosis for example, or conditions that affect muscles, being able to soak in the bath may relax or stimulate muscles and have a positive impact. “Many residents living at Newlands are unable to address their balance, meaning that bathing can be difficult at times. The moulded shape of the Ergo Bath provides the feeling of stability, support, and safety, meaning bathing feels safer and becomes a much more enjoyable experience.” Bonnie adds: “The Ergo has encouraged residents to use bathing facilities other than the shower. It enables them to relax and wind-down comfortably, whilst increasing a sense of well-being and independence. It also provides freedom when attending to personal hygiene routines by enabling those that can to independently wash their own hair – something that can often be taken for granted but provides a sense of empowerment and independence.“We have a gentleman that much prefers a bath but before we had the Ergo Bath he refused and often used the shower instead. Since having the Reval bath, he uses it frequently, as the moulded seated end makes him feel secure yet free.”Ergonomically shaped, with posture management built in, the Ergo range of high dependency bathing systems raise the bar in improving patient outcomes and wellbeing. The bath supports users to immerse deeper into the bath providing a more comfortable and relaxing experience, giving back to the user freedom of choice between a bath or shower. Reval’s vision is to transform the lives of people living with health and mobility challenges by promoting hygiene and rehabilitative solutions that focus on the safe and dignified needs of each individual and the overall impact on their sustainable well-being. By providing innovative product solutions with exceptional levels of service, we are recognised globally as industry experts and the first-choice supplier for acute and long-term care.
Orchard Care Homes take on Mount Snowdon
Employees from Orchard Care Homes, one of the UK’s leading care providers for the elderly, have gone above and beyond to raise money for a leading industry charity by climbing the highest mountain in Wales. Last month, an intrepid team of twenty staff took on the challenge of climbing Mount Snowdon by night! At 1,085 metres above sea level and located in Snowdonia National Park, it was truly a daunting proposition and one that the Support Centre and field-based staff took on with anticipation. The team were raising money and awareness for the Care Workers Charity, an organisation that supports the basic welfare of current and former retired care workers. As a vulnerable workforce, when life takes a turn for the worse, the Care Workers Charity provides the support needed to weather the storm. With figures indicating that by 2025 one million people in the UK will be suffering from the effects of dementia and this number predicted to rise to 1,700,000 by 2051, the Orchard Care Home team wanted to highlight the importance that carers receive the support they need. The team trekked through cold temperatures, wind, rain and fog and completed their journey in around four and a half hours, which is an astounding achievement, and raised an impressive £6,600 for the efforts. Tom Brookes, CEO at Orchard Care Homes, led the expedition. After reaching the summit, he said; “I am so proud of the team, everyone was supporting each other to keep going, new friendships were built and most importantly, we raised money for a very important cause – the Carers Charity.” Despite their exhaustion, the brave team laughed and joked as they were given a true hero’s welcome back at the company’s Support Centre in Harrogate, where they were greeted by a surprise welcoming committee complete with decorations, food and drinks. Jennie Gaunt, Business Support Coordinators, shared her thoughts after the climb. “We spent lots of time together, sharing thoughts and personal goals, and I felt truly part of an amazing, supportive, family-friendly and motivated team. The welcoming committee was a great surprise as well and incredibly appreciated.”
MP praises “brilliant” team after visit to ‘outstanding’ local care home
The Member of Parliament for Morley and Outwood, Andrea Jenkyns, praised an ‘outstanding’ care home after she took part in its 20th birthday celebrations. Andrea Jenkyns MP said it was “fantastic to visit Dolphin Lane”, a care home that is rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the health and social care watchdog. The local MP praised the “brilliant team for all they do”. She also described the residents’ art exhibition as “amazing”. The MP met residents and the care team at Dolphin Lane, which supports people with autism and learning disabilities. In the CQC’s most recent report of Dolphin Lane, inspectors said, “People and their relatives were universally positive about staff’s care and compassion”. The CQC described staff as “kind, attentive and patient”. Residents from another home managed by Dolphin Lane’s provider, Daisy Vale House, also attended the birthday celebrations. Both Dolphin Lane and Daisy Vale House are located in Thorpe, near Wakefield, and support adults with autism and learning disabilities. They are managedby Priory Adult Care, a division within the renowned Priory Group, the mental healthcare specialists. Adele Taylor, Registered Manager at Dolphin Lane, said: “It was a real privilege to meet Andrea Jenkyns MP and introduce her to the residents and staff team. We all had a great time celebrating the home’s 20thanniversary and our residents’ successes.” Rebekah Cresswell, Chief Operating Officer at Priory Adult Care, said: “I enjoyed the celebrations because it was a really good opportunity to reflect on the great work taking place at Dolphin Lane and Daisy Vale House. I am grateful that Andrea Jenkyns MP came along to meet staff and residents. It was a pleasure talking to her about the excellent support we give to residents at both homes.”
Infection Prevention Society Care Home Special Interest Group
Care Homes have an important role in the epidemiology of antibiotic resistant bacteria due to the frequent admissions to hospital. It is important to remember that some of the bacteria we are preventing the spread of have a mortality rate attached to them and not necessarily just harmless colonising. This is going to be increasingly important because we are going to see more antibiotic resistant bacteria and need to act to prevent infections and onward transmission. The Infection Prevention Society (IPS) is an independent charity with a 2,000 strong membership network of healthcare professionals with an interest in IPC. The IPS Care Home SIG was formed in February 2019 and aims to raise the profile of IPC in care homes and promote best practice whilst providing members with networking opportunities and a forum for sharing their expertise. Each year the Society holds their conference and this year, it is taking place in Liverpool at the ACC from the 22 – 24 September. Leading experts in their field will present on the latest current and emerging threats and state- of- the-art research to help improve your team, your practice and your patients’/ clients’ outcomes. There will be a comprehensive series of presentations, meet-the-expert sessions and specialist streams. Infection Prevention 2019 is the premier educational event for all those working and interested in infection prevention and control. This year the Society will celebrate 60 years of Infection Control Nursing and hope that you can attend and take part in an exciting, educational and practice- enhancing conference. Visit: www.ips.uk.net/conference
Wright Care Solutions Ltd
Wright Care Solutions Ltd. an award winning Advisory Team, originally established in 2006, moving to a Limited Company in 2012. Our services include: supporting homes to reach compliance with CQC, CCG and Local Authority Quality Monitoring Teams. We achieve this by visiting your care environment to review the services that are offered. The visit can be informal or if required the visit can be in the form of an external audits or a mock inspection. We also provide Regulation 17 visits and can support with increasing occupancy, marketing of the home and we have experience of commissioning new builds. During the last 3 years there has been an increase in homes engaging us to support with reaching compliance following receipt of an adverse CQC inspection. We have a “hands on” approach and provide advice, support, action plans and reports, but where needed, roll up our sleeves and support to put things right. This may include undertaking competency checks with staff, providing audit tools or other documentation required. Julie Wright, Lead Advisor, is a qualified nurse with an in-date PIN number and 40 years’ experience in the sector. Her particular areas of expertise are in the fields of Mental Health, Dementia Care and Environment and Learning Disabilities. Recent contracts include: www.wright-care.co.uk
Borough Care launches new menus with apetito
Borough Care, the largest not-for-profit provider of care of older people in Stockport, has launched new menus at all of its eleven homes in conjunction with its catering partner apetito. The new menus have been created with the help of residents, their families and staff. Regular tasting sessions have been held and the preferred dishes chosen. Overwhelmingly, at each home, residents preferred softer food options and favoured a wider choice of vegetarian and fish dishes. Taking the views of residents into consideration, the new menus have the option of a meat, fish or vegetarian dish available every day. Borough Care has also introduced regular food-related theme nights, as residents are really adventurous and love to try new dishes. The curry night is proving particularly popular. Mark Dale, Catering & Hospitality Manager at Borough Care, says: “The new menus we have recently rolled out across our homes are being very well received by residents. Our catering team has worked hard to create delicious, nutritious choices based on feedback from both residents and staff. “At Borough Care, we know how important a well-balanced, nutritious diet is to the health and wellbeing of our residents. It’s important we serve dishes that both look appetising and taste great so residents enjoy eating them and get the essential nutrients they need.” apetitio is the leading food producer for the health and social care sector, providing delicious, nutritious and sustainable meals for people at home or in care.Based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, apetito produces nutritious, great-tasting meals for hospitals, care homes and community services across the UK and in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Canada. apetito is also the parent company of Wiltshire Farm Foods, the UK’s premier home-delivery service for ready-made meals. Through a wide range of well-presented, nutritious meals to suit every taste and dietary need, apetito aims to make a real difference to lives of elderly and vulnerable people in care.
mikrozid® universal – tough on germs, gentle on equipment
mikrozid® universal from schülke UK – experts in infection prevention – has a unique low alcohol formulation, with a dual action. Offering both cleaning and disinfection of surfaces in a single product, mikrozid universal is ideal where short contact times are required and prolonged exposure to moisture could cause damage. Effective against bacteria including TB, and viruses like norovirus, mikrozid universal is compatible with a wide range of materials including keyboards, touch screens, leatherette furniture, surfaces of medical equipment and work surfaces. mikrozid universal is fast acting (bactericidal in 15 seconds), has excellent material compatibility and contains added surfactants to boost cleaning performance. It is available in both liquid with integrated spray and high quality fleece wipes for enhanced coverage. To find out more about how schülke’s extensive infection prevention and control range can help your care home, contact:schülke UK, Cygnet House, 1 Jenkin Road, Meadowhall, Sheffield, S9 1AT0114 254 3500 / www.schuelke.com / email: mail.uk@schuelke.com
‘Living in a care home shouldn’t be a barrier to being heard’ – say Broomgrove residents
A group of Sheffield nursing home residents are helping shape the city’s health services. Broomgrove – which is sited just off Ecclesall Road – has become the first home in the region to work in partnership with Healthwatch Sheffield on a project run with the city’s Accountable Care Partnership. The residents chose to look at ways to assess the disabled provision currently offered by the city’s community dentists and opticians as an area to study. Broomgrove residents have spent the past few weeks working with Healthwatch Sheffield’s Laura Cook to produce a comprehensive questionnaire to be given to care home residents across the city. The feedback will inform improvement recommendations to health and care providers and decision makers. Donna Pierpoint, the manager at Broomgrove Care Home, said: “Our residents have really appreciated the chance to be involved in something like this. They have a lot to offer and they are keen to see improvements to disabled access to community facilities like this.” Healthwatch Sheffield is the local consumer watchdog for health and social care facilities. It works with adults, children and young people to help them influence and improve how services are designed and run. Healthwatch’s Laura Cook said: “Living in a care home shouldn’t be a barrier to being heard. The residents of Broomgrove have demonstrated – given the opportunity and support – they can continue to make a positive contribution to society. The Nursing Home is situated at 30 Broomgrove Road, Sheffield S10 2LR. Tel: 0114 266 1311. More information from www.broomgrove-trust.co.uk
Orchard Care Homes give activities some Oomph!
Orchard Care Homes, one of the UK’s leading care providers for the elderly, is pulling out all the stops to create fun, engaging and inclusive activities for its residents. The organisation has partnered with Oomph!, a company that aims to enhance mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of people through innovative exercise and activities, in an activities programme for all of its 40 homes across the country. Tom Brookes, CEO at Orchard Care Homes, says the company will continue to deliver the very highest standard of care to every resident. He commented: “My commitment to the residents across all of our care homes is to have hope and optimism for their future and to enjoy life to the full. Activities in our homes are tailored to the wishes, needs, life stories and interests of our residents and our partnership with Oomph! enables us to provide activities that create a genuine connection between the past and present.” Taking a whole-home approach to activities, staff have undergone training on Oomph!’s Wellbeing Leadership programme, designed to give them the skills to create and sustain a person-centred plan of varied exercise and activities for residents to enjoy. The programme includes a series of skills workshops, including Oomph! Nature, which has been designed in partnership with Kew Gardens. Homes have already completed a vast range of skills workshops, including one which focused on music therapy and one which focused on mindfulness and relaxation. These workshops aim to encourage residents to try something new – or rediscover lost passions. Through Oomph! Nature, residents will be encouraged to get outdoors and appreciate nature more – or have the opportunity to bring the outside in, through adaptations to fit their needs and abilities. The new content will ensure that the wellbeing programmes at the homes are continually fresh and exciting. Additionally, engaging days out to a range of destinations will be run, with trip experiences created through partnerships with the National Trust and HQ Theatres. The trips aim to connect residents to the people and places that matter most to them and have previously included unexpected locations, such as gin distilleries, monkey sanctuaries and racing tracks. Getting out and about is an essential part of both mental and physical wellbeing, and these trips will provide stimulating and fun experiences for both residents and staff alike. Jackie Murray, Regional Director for Orchard Care Homes, says; “Oomph! Out and About is an amazing programme that has impacted massively on residents’ health and wellbeing throughout our homes in the North East. The feedback from residents, families, managers and staff is always so positive and uplifting.” Ben Allen, Oomph!’s CEO and Founder, said: “Oomph! is delighted to be working with the Orchard Care Homes’ team. It’s a privilege to be an integral part of the organisation’s activity provision. We share the same values and drive for innovation and are delighted to be adding additional fun and engagement to resident activities!”
