Social group for the elderly aims to tackle isolation
TACKLING isolation is the aim of a new community group for elderly people living in Pelton and the surrounding area. The Hawthorn Project & Eat With Me initiative is a drop in social group to support elderly members of the community, their families, carers and friends. It aims to tackle social isolation and improve the wellbeing of elderly residents through regular gatherings and activities. The project is funded by Durham County Council through the Older People’s Social Isolation Fund, part of Chester-le-Street and District Area Action Partnership. Meetings are being held at Pelton Community Centre, on Front Street, with attendees from nearby Pelton Grange Care Home, alongside others from the area. The home’s activities coordinator took resident Brenda Clifford to the first session, where she painted her own mug and chatted to other visitors. Brenda said: “I’ve never painted anything like a mug. It has pride of place in my bedroom now. “I hope more people get involved with the project.” Brenda has since encouraged several of her fellow residents to go to the sessions with her, including Dennis Fullerton, Jean Noddles and Barry Wyatt. Lyndsey Sale-Thorn, activities coordinator at Pelton Grange Care Home, said: “The sessions have been a great success, with lots of attendees from Pelton and the wider area. “It’s a great opportunity for our residents to mix with likeminded people and do activities in a different environment. “I’m pleased the community centre is putting on more events and we’re really glad to be able to support them.” Hyleen Wood, from Pelton Community Centre, said: “It’s lovely to have residents from Pelton Grange coming along to the sessions. “We see different residents coming along each time. They’re really enjoying the sessions. “Community members are also joining in and we’re seeing an increase in their participation at the sessions.” Hawthorn Project & Eat With Me sessions take place every Wednesday and Friday, from 10am to 11am, at the Pelton Community Centre, Front Street, Pelton. All are welcome. Pelton Grange Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Toddlers and elderly both benefit from joint play
TEESSIDE toddlers and elderly care home residents are taking part in mutually beneficial intergenerational sessions. Drawing, dancing, singing and chatting brought together the youngsters at Busy Bees Nursery, in Thornaby, with residents from Ingleby Care Home, in Ingleby Barwick. The youngsters, aged three and four years old, gave a warm welcome to the care home’s two visiting residents, Joyce Muir, 83, and Moira Hall, 79. Despite the age difference between the groups, both have benefitted from spending time in each other’s company, which has included several previous sessions at both the nursery and care home. Kelly Nicholson, manager at Busy Bees Nursery, said: “We have one very shy, quiet little boy. When our friends from Ingleby Care Home came over, he came right out of his shell. “He was sat talking to Moira on the cushion, who started to bring him out of his comfort zone by chatting away, and then in no time he was taking Joyce over to the drawing board and they were chatting away on what to draw. “He then ended the day of their visit by getting up dancing and singing away with Joyce. Staff couldn’t believe how much he had responded to the ladies and how different he was around them compared to how he is with his nursery friends.” Kirsty Walsh, activities coordinator at Ingleby Care Home, said: “We’ve had several sessions with Busy Bees Nursery now and they’re always a lot of fun for both our residents and the children. “This year, sessions have included pancake making and tossing as well as a sensory session, and we’re planning a picnic in the park later this year. “Residents always enjoy spending time with them. Their energy and enthusiasm rubs off on the residents, who always come away smiling and full of life. “We’re delighted to hear the sessions are having such a positive impact on the children as well and looking forward to further activities throughout the year.” Ingleby Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Platform to help seniors stay independent longer
A platform to help seniors stay independent longer and improve their quality of life Oscar Senior, the company that develops solutions to connect seniors with caregivers and family members, is coming to the UK. Upon invitation by the British Government, Oscar Senior management has visited care-related companies in the London area in April. Because of the need for healthcare innovation as well as technology enhancement in the UK, Oscar Senior has decided to take the initiative to help the UK’s aging population stay connected and age at home. Caregiving made easier with technology The Oscar Senior platform for care organizations evolved from the idea of an easy to use app for the elderly, with the goal of simplifying technology so they can stay in touch with their loved ones. Following the demand for an age-specific solution, Oscar Senior has become present in 80 countries worldwide. “More and more care-related businesses expressed interest in Oscar Senior as they realized the potential of technology used to provide better care at a lower cost, ” said Tomas Posker, CEO of Oscar Senior. Years of experience in the field of aging helps Oscar Senior deliver the solution that care organizations are looking for – customizable, open platform and device-agnostic. Seniors who are less lonely and more connected Oscar Senior is a fully customizable platform that helps care organizations enhance their quality of care, reduce costs and improve efficiency. This is achieved by connecting caregivers and care recipients via video calls and message sharing to provide real-time insights and information. At the same time, Oscar Senior helps seniors age independently and remain socially included by staying connected to caregivers and family through an easy-to use interface. Oscar Senior platform is a product developed by the Oscar Senior company, which was established in 2017 in the Czech Republic. Oscar Senior is a response to a need for technology innovations in the caregiving sector, as well as a desire for improved efficiency, cost cutting and saving costs. On the other hand, for seniors, it is a response to the demand for an age-specific solution that respects differences in abilities. It was developed as a result of pilot projects conducted with home health care agencies both in the EU and in the USA, as well as consultation and feedback from families and users.
Unique training programme launched at Encore Care Homes
Son of local care home resident launches unique training programme at Encore Care Homes Encore Care Homes has added a new module to its successful ‘Mind the Gap’ dementia training programme, which was launched last year across the care homes it manages in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Fareham. The new module, which is called ‘The Lived Experience’, will be led by Andy Babbage from September 2019. Andy’s mother has dementia and lives at Fairmile Grange care home in Christchurch, which is managed by Encore. This complimentary training will be available to both staff members at Encore, as well as the family members of residents across all three homes. During the workshop given by Andy, attendees will learn the importance of understanding what a resident was like before they were diagnosed with dementia, and why it is essential to continue to interact with each individual in a way that they are comfortable and familiar with. There is also an opportunity for staff at Encore to learn from Andy, his first-hand experience on what impact the diagnosis of dementia can have on a person, as well as their family and the crucial role the care team should play in ensuring that each relative receives the correct support. Andy will also be sharing ideas on what care and support people outside a care home environment, should show to someone who has dementia. Commenting on this new module, Andy, said: “Following my mother moving into Fairmile Grange, I contacted the team at Encore and explained that I was keen to improve my knowledge of dementia and understand in greater detail the person-centred care that is given to every resident by the Encore care team. I felt this was important as it would help me to provide the best care possible for my mother and also help me when interacting with other residents during my visit. “This was when I was introduced to the ‘Mind the Gap’ training programme, which was extremely beneficial. When I completed all the modules, I decided to approach Encore about the possibility of me bringing my first-hand experience of knowing someone before and after they have been diagnosed with dementia, into Encore to benefit the care team and other relatives who were in the same situation as me. “Ultimately, ‘The Lived Experience’ module has been created to emphasise the importance of making sure there is a comprehensive life story available for every resident, which the care team can refer to in order to provide the highest standard of care going forward.” Luke Wiltshire, training manager for Encore, added: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Andy, who has a significant amount of experience in delivering various training programmes across numerous sectors. “The purpose of this training programme is to create more awareness about dementia and the impact it can have on the person who has been diagnosed, as well as their family. ‘The Lived Experience’ module will be a great addition to ‘Mind the Gap’ training and we look forward to the first workshop in September.” To find out more information about ‘The Lived Experience’ module, contact the Encore team on learning@encorecarehomes.co.uk or call 01202 087 444.
Cats and care home residents make purrfect friends
CARE home residents enjoyed a close encounter with cats at a Sheffield café – bringing back memories of their own kitties. Several residents living at The Laurels Care Home, on Manchester Road, made a trip into the city centre to visit Tabby Teas Cat Café, on Cemetery Road. The elderly visitors made lots of furry friends while enjoying a cuppa, stroking the cats and feeding them treats. Resident Edith Keech said: “I had a black cat for 11 years. We named him Kilty as he was a Scot and it stuck. “It’s been lovely to see all of the moggys here. They’ve brought back lovely memories.” Jo MacGregor, activities coordinator at The Laurels Care Home, said: “Everyone enjoyed giving the cats lots of treats and fusses as they relaxed with a cuppa. And they were amazed at how friendly they all were. “A huge thank you to the staff at Tabby Teas, who made our visit even more enjoyable.” The Laurels Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
3 New Faux Leather Fabrics for Contract Interiors
Skopos is excited to bring to market 3 new flame retardant, Crib 5 faux leathers this month. With 3 distinctly different finishes, the faux leathers provide a neat and elegant finishing touch for a variety of contract interiors. With an antiqued/aged effect, in a range of leather-look colours the Kiri design mimics the sophisticated feel of leather. With a clear emboss Hiakois offered in a range of colours, suited to a variety of contract interiors. Hiako pushes the palette for designers to include both colours and neutrals into any contract scheme. With clear simplicity Tama delivers a bold and confident statement. The emboss on Tama vinyl is light and understated, pushing the boundaries of colour to include vibrant shades, as well as neutrals, to potentially appeal to a younger audience. With all 3 qualities waterproof, wipe-clean and offering an antimicrobial finish – applications are well suited for care environments. Skopos Fabrics Ltd are dedicated to design, service and best performance. Our full service or fabric only option provides choice for our customers, with expertise in design, make-up (curtains, cushions and bedding), fitting and installation. Our Bespoke design and colour matching service provide the opportunity to create unique solutions. View the new Faux Leather fabrics on the Skopos website: www.skoposfabrics.com
Ensuring free movement for care residents
Fire safety regulations require care settings to have heavy and self-closing fire doors on resident’s bedrooms. Whilst being a vital component of your fire management strategy they can lead to residents feeling trapped and isolated, unable to leave their bedrooms unaided. Many residents like to have their bedroom doors open, enabling them to see people passing, giving them the opportunity to engage in conversation throughout the day. Not being able to leave the bedroom independently or engage in conversation can lead residents to feel lonely and can impact on their self-esteem and mental wellbeing. Being able to leave their doors open makes all the difference to the independence of disabled or frail people and can aid in maintaining good mental health, which also has a positive impact on their general health, too. Under the Equality Act 2010 reasonable measures must be undertaken in a setting to make it as inclusive as possible. This includes removing barriers that prevent people from accessing and using all parts of a building. This issue has led some care settings to resort to the illegal practice of wedging bedroom doors open, leaving residents vulnerable in case of fire and endangering lives. Managers of care settings hold the legal responsibility to ensure that they have a robust fire safety management system. Breaching the regulations of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Order) 2005 by wedging fire doors open could land managers with a heavy fine or even a custodial sentence. However, they also have a legal duty to ensure their setting is as inclusive as possible. Finding a solution to ensure that you are meeting both obligations is not as difficult as you might have thought. Dorgard have developed a range of door retainers that are wire free, battery operated and easy to install. They will allow you to keep your fire doors open legally and will automatically release the door to close on the sounding of your fire alarm, maintaining a safe environment for residents, staff and visitors. With a range of Dorgards to choose from you will find a solution that is ideal for your particular setting. The original Dorgard is perfect for small to medium settings with normal or low noise levels. For a noisier environment, where enhanced sound recognition is beneficial, Dorgard SmartSound offers a great solution. If you have large premises or if you require the possibility to do a ‘one glance’ check that your system is working the Dorgard Pro can offer you the ability to manage up to 500 fire doors on one site. You also have the option of wiring the Pro into your alarm system. Fitting Dorgards to your fire doors will set your residents free, enabling them to achieve maximum independence whilst you ensure you are meeting all your obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Order) 2005. If you would like to discuss your needs further with one of our knowledgeable customer care team please contact them on 0800 978 8746 visit www.safelincs.co.uk/dorgards.
National fundraiser focuses the organisation on health, fitness and wellbeing
Care UK’s national fundraiser focuses the organisation on health, fitness and wellbeing Hundreds of Care UK’s care home team members, residents and their relatives have come together in a nationwide fundraising programme based around cycling and fitness to raise over £41,000 for three national charities. The centrepiece of the fundraiser was Ride800, a gruelling 800 mile, 15 day cycling challenge from Care UK’s southern-most care home in Poole to its northern-most in Aberdeen. This ride was undertaken by Andrew Knight, chief executive of residential care, Jacqui White, marketing director, and Tony Weedon, strategic programme director. Dozens of care home colleagues also rode individual stages of the route which zig-zagged across England and Scotland to visit 26 Care UK homes. Care UK’s chief executive for residential care Andrew Knight said: “This has been an incredibly rewarding experience, not without its physical and mental challenges. The day we cycled over the Pennines and through Yorkshire in atrocious weather stands out, as does quite a hairy couple of miles sharing the A1 with some enormous lorries as we crossed into Scotland. However, the warmth and energy from residents, colleagues and relatives has been incredible, as has the support from many of our corporate partners who have helped us raise this fantastic amount of money.” To support the ride, teams across Care UK undertook a variety of fundraising ventures including sponsored static bike challenges, raffles, music events and cake sales to boost the final total which will be shared between the Care Workers Charity, the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer Scotland. The Ride800 team visits also gave care home residents the chance to be part of the experience on a supported bike. This bike accommodates two riders – a driver and a passenger – and was transported around the route in the support vehicle that accompanied the Ride800 team. “One of the highlights of the trip was seeing the amount of joy that the supported bike brought to residents, relatives and colleagues,” said Jacqui White, marketing director. “Many of the residents who thought their cycling days were behind them were beaming when they came back from their ride – it was incredibly humbling and definitely inspired us on.” Each of the homes on the route staged an event themed around the cycle ride and took part in a competition to win a supported bike, based on how well they decorated a vintage bicycle and embraced the Ride800 spirit. The effort made by the homes was such that, at the end of the ride, the judges, Andrew, Jacqui and Tony, awarded bikes to three winners: · Chandler Court in Bromsgrove, where residents and colleagues raised over £1,800 via a series of intergenerational events with residents and children from the local Castle Nursery, all of which linked to the 26 locations on the Ride800 route · Tor na Dee in Aberdeen, where residents and colleagues laid on an amazing finale to the ride, with a balloon arch, a piper, visiting school children, a giant cake showing the full route and commemorative Ride800 mini bottles of scotch · The West London team, where five homes worked together to arrange a series of welcome events for the riders, ranging from a wedding to a knighthood being bestowed on Andrew Knight by one of the residents of Mountbatten Grange The fundraising efforts were supported by a wide variety of Care UK’s partners and suppliers. In particular, five companies made significant donations which helped raise the bar on the Ride800 total: CBRE, In-line Safety, ITG, Knight Frank Healthcare, RBS and Ruggles and Jeffery Tony Weedon, strategic programme director added: “We are hugely grateful to everyone who contributed to this initiative in so many ways. From residents who baked energy bars, relatives who joined in with the Ride800 events, colleagues who cycled along with us and put so much effort into fundraising, and to the companies that donated to help us reach this incredible total.” Other corporate supporters included: * 2 Pure products * McBains * Bidfood * McLeod+Aitken * Britton Price * Octopus Healthcare * carehome.co.uk * Outwood care * Carson Powell Construction Ltd * QRS market research * Circom Waste management * Shred station * Curti lifts * TVC Technology solutions * DDC Dolphin * Unigraph * Electric airwaves * Unilever Food Solutions * Foodcare * Vision! * GRI * WPR * Ian Williams Ltd
Armitage Shanks Enhances DOC M Offering
Armitage Shanks Enhances DOC M Offering To Better Support Sight Loss And Dementia Sufferers Armitage Shanks, the renowned commercial washroom solutions provider, has enhanced its industry-leading DOC M package alongside new research around sight loss and dementia. For the last few decades, Armitage Shanks has worked closely with occupational therapists to create the most inclusive solutions which guarantee compliance in commercial and residential care sector washrooms. Now, the manufacturer has adapted its DOC M offering to comprise more visually distinctive products. Due to the colour’s optimum visual properties, Armitage Shanks’ easy to specify DOC M packages now include red toilet seats, hinged arms, toilet roll holders and back rests. The products, suitable for residential care, hospitality, leisure and office environments, are all quick to install and maximise accessibility for those suffering from sight loss and dementia. At the same time, they also help ensure building owners comply with legislation and maintain high levels of hygiene. Tony Rheinberg, Senior Sector Marketing Manager, Armitage Shanks, commented: “Our DOC M package was pioneering when it was first released and we’re extremely proud to have created a solution which supports thousands of vulnerable people in the UK who need it. “At the same time, we’re constantly researching new areas for insight with experts at the forefront of their fields which will allow us to enhance our offering to better suit the needs of disabled people and those who cater for them. Through our work with occupational therapists, we’ve identified the colour red as being the most effective in helping boost confidence within inclusive washrooms.” Kate Sheehan, Occupational Therapist and Director of The OT Service, added: “All over the world we associate red with warning and danger, as we are can see it more clearly than other colours. This is because red light is scattered the least by air molecules. Recent evidence suggests that red can help people with dementia and sight loss recognise and navigate different rooms and environments. It has also been proven to promote continence in some cases.” Armitage Shanks revamped DOC M offering also includes new, easy to install, exposed shower packs within the range which guarantee compliance in facilities with inclusive wet rooms. For more information on this and how to best specify Armitage Shanks DOC M offering, visit http://bit.ly/2IQnuGF or watch this video: https://bit.ly/2Lwfehm.
