Care home’s seaside appeal for resident Eddie’s 85th birthday
AN APPEAL has been issued to give an elderly care home resident a seaside birthday party – despite being almost 70 miles from the nearest coastal town. Staff at Aden Lodge Care Home, in Clayton West, near Huddersfield, are hoping to fulfil resident Edward “Eddie” Case’s 85thbirthday wish. Unfortunately, Eddie is not able to travel to the coast, so the home is planning on bringing the coast to Eddie. Staff will be creating an indoor beach for the day, complete with sandcastle making, volleyball and other beach games, mocktails and more. They are also hoping to have an ice cream van and a donkey or pony visit the home and are appealing to anyone who can provide the traditional seaside attractions. Kim Hardy, home manager at Aden Lodge Care Home, said: “Eddie is a hug fan of the great outdoors. “On a recent walk around his home village of Clayton West, he was able to recall when he was a young lad and he would walk to school because “only well-off families could afford a car”, he said. “He said he loved visits to the beach as a child, despite living a good one and a half hours drive away, so we thought we’d bring to beach to him for his 85th birthday. “We need support to pull this off, however, so we’re appealing to anyone who can provide traditional seaside attractions such as an ice cream van, candyfloss maker, a donkey or pony rides. Anything that brings back memories of the seaside. “We’re opening up the party to anyone who would like to join us for our seaside day on 23rd March. We’d like to see as many visitors as possible.” Kim added: “We’re also appealing to the local community to see if we can get 85 birthday cards for his 85th– but all themed with the great outdoors, from beech themes to our wonderful countryside.” For further information about the appeal call Aden Lodge Care Home on 01484 866602 or email adenlodgemanager@hillcare.net. To send a card to Eddie Case for his 85th birthday, address it to Eddie Case, Aden Lodge Care Home, Long Lane, Clayton West, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 9PR. Aden Lodge Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Bristol Trainee to become one of First Nursing Associates
A trainee from Bristol will become one of the country’s first Nursing Associates when she completes her apprenticeship qualification next month in April. Michelle Alderson, 29, who works at Sirona care & health’s Charlton House Community Resource Centre in Keynsham, is one of the pioneers for the new nursing role having participated in one of the country’s first pilots for the qualification. Nursing Associates will work with healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver care. A Qualified Nursing Associate can also go on to train as a registered nurse which is Michelle’s long-term goal. Michelle enrolled on the new Nursing Associate apprenticeship degree course in 2017, studying one day a week at the University of the West of England. She says: “I started at Sirona as a support worker which I enjoyed but knew I wanted to go further. Sirona has supported me all the way. It was really exciting being part of the pilot course and that we are one of the first sites to implement it. I like to think we have paved the way for the Nursing Associates of the future.” Karen Gleave, Professional Development Facilitator at Sirona care & health, says: “Michelle and the Sirona team have together helped pioneer this important qualification. It will not only create an invaluable new role but will act as a stepping stone for those who wish to go on and train as a registered nurse. I enrolled Michelle on the course and am very proud that she will qualify next month.” Once qualified, Michelle will complete her preceptorship year at Charlton House Community Resource Centre. She then plans to complete the additional two- year top up to become a registered nurse. Sirona care & health currently has 60 apprentices. Its ethos of developing and progressing staff means that, whether you are 16 or 66, you can learn and grow with the organisation.
Nutrition & Hydration Week 11th – 17th March
Nutrition and Hydration Week has taken place every March since 2012. Its purpose is to bring people together to create energy, focus and fun in order to highlight and educate people on the value of food and drink in maintaining health and well being in health and social care. Organisations from around the world and from all areas of health and social care take part and new organisations are welcome to join in the fun. Get involved with Nutrition and Hydration Week Nutrition and Hydration Week is open to absolutely anyone who wants to join our shared cause of helping people understand the importance of nutrition and hydration in health and social care. It’s fun and its free to join and all the resources on this website are available to downloaded for free and be customised as you wish. Getting involved is easy and its really up to you to decide what you would like to do for your organisation. To help we have produced a Nutrition and Hydration Week handbook which gives you loads of ideas and practical tips and advice on how to make your week a huge success! We also recommend subscribing to our e-newsletter so you can stay up to date with the latest news about Nutrition and Hydration Week. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Across the rest of the year when we aren’t busy with planning Nutrition and Hydration Week we also have some focus days to help continue the momentum generated by Nutrition and Hydration Week, and give you an opportunity to keep highlighting the important messages about nutrition and hydration. The focus days for 2019 are: Big Breakfast – 21 January 2019, Thirsty Thursday – 13 June 2019, Fruity Friday – 20 September 2019, Tasty Suppers –26 November 2019. So please make a note of them in your calendar and we will be talking more about them closer to the time in our e-newsletter. Find out more
Pets charm residents at Teesside care home
A HERD of fluffy, four-legged friends were the latest visitors to a Middlesbrough care home. Rabbits and guinea pigs hopped in to see residents at The Gables Care Home, on Highfield Road, for an animal therapy session. Staff from Pets at Home, on Teesside Park, Stockton-on-Tees, brought the animals for residents to hold and stroke. Having contact with the cute, cuddly creatures provides therapeutic benefits for those living with dementia, according to home manager Pam Rodgers. She said: “Watching, stroking and holding guinea pigs, rabbits and other animals can have a calming and positive impact on everyone – but especially those living with dementia. “They might bring back fond memories of their own pets or give them something to focus on and care for. Everyone had big smiles on their faces at the end of the session.” After holding the rabbit, resident Maureen Hall said: “How wonderful is he. I could hold him all day.” Fellow resident James Haslam said: “It’s great being able to meet animals like this. Thank you. They are beautiful.” The Gables Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
LOROS Hospice raises palliative care nursing profile
LOROS Hospice is one of five major health and social care employers behind the recently launched recruitment campaign Y/Our Future that is encouraging doctors, nurses and health and social care workers to relocate to live and work in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Latest figures from NHS Improvement show that 11.8% of nurse posts in England were not filled – a shortage of nearly 42,000[i]. Experts described the situation as at risk of becoming a “national emergency” given the rising demands on the NHS[ii]. An NHS report last year highlighted the negative impact this is having on specialist nurses, including cancer and palliative care nurses[iii]. Hospice UK has also reported that staff shortages and increased caseloads prevent effective pain management at home for dying people. As part of the Y/Our Future campaign, LOROS Hospice is keen to promote the Hospice and the role of palliative nursing to encourage more nurses and healthcare workers interested in working in this field to relocate to the region. LOROS Hospice provides free, high-quality, compassionate care and support to terminally ill patients, their family and carers, both at the Hospice and in patients’ own homes. LOROS delivers palliative care to around 2,500 people a year across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Clare Green works as a Community Nurse Specialist at LOROS Hospice and goes out to see patients in their homes. Clare has been a nurse all her working life and has worked in a community nursing role for the past 20 years. Clare relocated to work at LOROS Hospice from Peterborough because she particularly enjoys palliative care. She explains why: “People often ask why we do the job we do and I just hope that I can make small differences to both the patients and their families during really difficult times. If we can improve symptoms and provide support to the family then we will help make the overall situation slightly more bearable.” The role entails visiting patients at home – predominately referred from GPs and hospitals, but sometimes from colleagues at LOROS as well – to resolve complex issues and provide psychological support. Clare says that LOROS is a unique place to work. She highlights there is a really high retention rate amongst staff and that’s because LOROS is a relatively small organisation, it’s got a great atmosphere. She says: “I have been here for six and a half years. It provides the team with a lot of experience as there only three people who have been here for less time than me. It’s a friendly place to work – everyone speaks in the corridor and you really feel that everyone is trying to strive for the patients and their families. “We are able to discuss the patients so there is a great sense of teamwork here. We are very lucky we have many volunteers helping out too, which also creates a good atmosphere and gives a better patient experience.” Clare says Leicester is a good location for nurses, doctors and health and social care workers to pursue their careers, given its central location and plenty of health care facilities, including specialist centres. It’s also a great place to live. Clare adds: “It is a really diverse area, as well as being an easy place to get around. I live in quite a rural area but can quickly get into the city centre. You can also get to places quickly throughout the UK because of the good motorway network, plus the trains are really good in this area too.” LOROS Hospice is part of the Y/Our Future recruitment campaign that unites five major health and social care employers – University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Rutland County Council and Leicester City Council – to recruit doctors, nurses and health and social care workers to work in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Y/Our Future aims to promote Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland as a leading career destination for health and social care professionals, with great career and lifestyle opportunities. LOROS Hospice currently has vacancies for Registered Nurses, a Discharge Liaison Nurse and a Social Worker. For current vacancies across the county visit: https://www.your-future.co.uk/
Farm animals bring smiles to elderly residents’ faces
HOOVES clattered through the halls of an Ellesmere Port care home when residents were treated to an animal therapy session. Two miniature ponies, a goat and a rabbit were among the latest visitors to Aaron Court Care Home, on Princes Road. The four-legged farm animals were brought to the home by pet therapy company Doolittles Animal Therapy. The residents were given the opportunity to stroke, cuddle and talk to the animals during the session. One resident, Mavis Shaw, was brought to tears upon seeing the goat and repeatedly said “thank you” to the company’s expert handlers. Animal therapy sessions helps to reduce stress, ease anxiety and improve overall wellbeing, according to home manager Lindsey Bevan. She said: “You only have to watch the residents with the animals to see how beneficial these sorts of therapy session are. “Particularly for those with dementia, as it can bring back fond memories, which has a positive impact on stress and anxiety. “Everyone was very excited when the animals got here and the smiles on the residents’ faces said it all. It’s not every day ponies and a goat visit a care home.” Aaron Court Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Older Women Share Their Wisdom On International Women’s Day
“Make sure you know what you want to do, and be determined to do it” – older women share their wisdom. To celebrate International Women’s Day on Friday 8th March, 12 female care home residents across the UK have been sharing the advice they’d give to their younger selves. The ladies, aged between 82 and 93, also shared what they think young women today should know. The advice overwhelmingly focuses on being yourself and enjoying life to the full, with most women advising to trust yourself and strive for your dreams. Margaret Crowther, 91, said: “Make sure you know what you want to do, and be determined to do it”. Anne Gallagher, aged 82, agreed, adding: “Go for it, go for what you want to do – and give it your best shot.” The ladies also advised compassion and humanity, with Rita Atkinson, aged 87, saying she’d ask women of today to: “Always to be truthful, and most of all, always to be kind and understanding.” Mary Scates, aged 92, thought this was important too: “Be honest to other people, to yourself – just be yourself. Enjoy yourself, without doing any harm to anybody else”. For Pam Alleyne, aged 85, the most important life lesson was to remember that life is too short – she said she would advise her younger self: “Live every moment and take each day as it comes, because nobody knows how long we’ve got”. International Women’s Day is a global day which has been marked since 1911, and celebrates women’s achievements while calling for a more gender-balanced world. Jacqui White, marketing director at Care UK, said: “International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate the successes and stories of women, and we want society to recognise the wealth of expertise and knowledge stored in the minds of older ladies like those in our video. We’re proud to have created a platform on which a group of older women have shared their most valuable life lessons for young women today and hope that other individuals and organisations will follow our lead. “It was wonderful to hear about the lives of women who lived through a social revolution, witnessing the changing attitude towards equality – but also to hear that the attitude of determination was fiercely alive in these women at a time when equality wasn’t a given. “The residents enjoyed sharing their advice. Researching, filming and watching the video has been a really valuable reminiscence activity prompting lots of interesting conversations in our homes. It’s been wonderful for residents to share their life experiences and memories, and we hope young women today agree that their wisdom is valuable and inspiring.” To view the life lessons video please visit: careuk.com/care-homes/IWD For more general information, please visit: careuk.com
Superfan Malcolm enjoys T-Rex tribute concert
T-REX superfan Malcolm Temke got to see his favourite band live again when tribute act T-Rextasy played Middlesbrough Theatre. Despite his dementia, Malcolm recalled many of the band’s lyrics and sang along to classics including “20th Century Boy”, “Get It On” and “Children Of The Revolution”. He was taken to the concert along with fellow resident Christine Standley by carers at Briarwood Care Home, in Eston, Middlesbrough, where they both live. After the show, he met the band and lookalike singer, bringing back memories of the many occasions he met T-Rex’s lead singer, Marc Bolan. Malcom first saw T-Rex play live in 1969, when he was 15-years-old. He has a photo of himself and Marc from the concert. He keeps a scrapbook of T-Rex memories, including ticket stubs, programmes and photos. One ticket, from a concert at ABC Theatre in Stockton-on-Tees, on 4th November 1971, shows he paid 60p for a seat in the stalls. His first T-Rex album was White Swan, released in 1970. Julie Foster, home manager at Briarwood Care Home, said: “Malcolm is a very quiet gentleman and rarely speaks. However, he was singing along to all the songs and asked our activities coordinator Norma Dobie if she was going to share her crisps. “It was lovely we could take Malcolm and Christine out to enjoy the show and both had such a fantastic time.” Dawn Temke, Malcolm’s wife, said: “I was delighted staff at Briarwood Care Home took Malcom to see the show. He loved it. Briarwood Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Bow The Pat Dog shares the love with vulnerable people
A Somerset woman with a life-long passion for dogs is sharing the love with vulnerable people near her home in Bridgwater, thanks to the charity Pets As Therapy. Four-year-old Bow, Bev Stanley’s schnoodle – a schnauzer/poodle cross – has become a firm favourite with the people living with dementia at Wellington care home Camelot House and Lodge. Bev first got involved with Pets As Therapy after the death of her elderly father, for whom she was a carer. Bow used to accompany Bev on visits to see her dad in a nursing home during his last illness. She had been part of his life since she was a puppy, and Bev says it was always obvious how Bow’s presence used to brighten him up. With some time on her hands after her father passed on, Bev heard about the Pets As Therapy scheme and thought Bow would be a perfect candidate. Bev said: “We met the assessor in a noisy coffee shop so she could see how Bow would react to sudden noises – it wouldn’t do if she was easily alarmed or got over-excited around people. “The assessor agreed that Bow has the ideal temperament for a PAT dog, so we registered and did the training. “Naturally health and safety precautions must be observed, but Bow is such a loving and gentle dog and the residents at Camelot House and Lodge all adore her. “She delicately picks up her front paws to show she’d like to sit on a chair beside them, if they’d like that. It clearly brings them such pleasure to stroke and talk to her, and she loves it too.” Bev’s 17-year-old daughter Evie – a pupil at Wellington School – is jointly registered with her mother so she can accompany her on the fortnightly visits with Bow to Camelot House and Lodge in Wellington. Bev said: “We usually stay about an hour and a half, and there’s always a proper buzz in the air. I’m awestruck by the range of activities provided for residents. “Bow and I have been visiting regularly since June last year, and I can honestly say there’s always something engaging going on at Camelot House and Lodge – such a genuinely inspiring and happy place. We’re glad to be part of it.” Richard Dempslake, activities co-ordinator at Camelot House and Lodge, said: “Research shows that stroking or playing with an animal increases certain hormone levels, and brings about an improved sense of well-being on many levels, so we know Bow’s visits provide a real therapeutic boost for the people we support “And it’s lovely to see how happy it makes our residents when they are able to spend time with her.” Experts have shown that spending time with animals can genuinely benefit people’s physical health, with those who pet or play with a dog or cat, even for just five minutes, benefitting from lowered blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health. It is also known that enjoying a pet’s company promotes a feeling of relaxation, which in turn can help to relieve symptoms of anxiety and reduce physical issues such as pain. Further details are available from www.petsastherapy.org Camelot House & Lodge is run by award-winning specialist dementia care provider Camelot Care, which also runs Avalon Nursing Home in Bridgwater and Freshfields in Plymouth www.camelotcare.co.uk
