Hughes Pro – commercial laundry and dishwashing equipment
Hughes Pro is a specialist provider of commercial laundry and dishwashing equipment as well as providing aftercare, authorised by the manufacturer, to local businesses. The service work undertaken is fully guaranteed and carried out by a team of over 30 highly trained and well-equipped engineers. The team are proficient in all of the famous commercial laundry brands, including Miele, Speed Queen, Primus, Amazon, Schulthess, Primus, ADC, Huebsch, Electrolux, Maidaid, Hobart and others. The most popular spare parts are held on all engineer vans to promote first fix. The company also has the unique position of having a huge in-house central spares store with extensive inventory of genuine parts for immediate dispatch via laundryspares.co.uk. As an official Miele Partner, and one of the fastest growing businesses, providing services for Miele and their national customers in 14 UK postcode areas. The Miele Professional products are highly specified equipment that represents strong value for laundry operators due to the superior quality of wash and build. We are also the main dealer for Alliance, the world’s favourite commercial laundry products, including well-known and respected brands Speed Queen, Huebsch, Primus and others. When considering commercial dishwashing applications, Maidaid is often the manufacturer of choice, with substantial experience borne from Hughes Pro’s own rental fleet. Hughes Pro customers can rest easy in the knowledge that it has laundry experts on hand to assist with machine selection, offering outright purchase, lease and popular rental options. With stocks held in multiple branches, customers can expect high quality competitive installations and a quicker than expected turnaround. Hughes Pro is also Gas Safe, Constructionline, Safe Contractor, CHAS. In addition to being proud holders of multiple contracts and agreements including Procurement for Housing, Procurement for All and ESPO framework 24 with commercial engineer-based branches in Leicester, Newbury, Norwich, Rochester and Glasgow. For laundry specialist services, Hughes Pro can offer a variety of payment options with both coin and card payment options or a machine-only supply to fully bespoke turnkey solutions borne from extensive experience. The company is also a prominent UK provider of domestic electrical products to business and trade via sister company Hughes Trade. The department supplies a whopping 8500 active customers such as construction companies, holiday parks and councils. They supply these account holders with domestic appliances and televisions from 14 regional branches and a national fulfilment office including an exclusive web site. In addition to commonly used electrical products, the trade team offers hospitality TVs, digital signage, commercial refrigeration and a recently introduced range of exclusive, no-frills, easy-budget lines, including washing machine, fridges and small appliances under the brand Homark. Hughes is a large, family-owned electrical retail business, which has experience on its side. Established 1921, it now owns 40 shops, a well-known web site, provides specialist smart product services, and is the largest renter of electrical products in the UK. Over the years, it has proven that it is a forward thinking and healthy business with the appetite to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with other quality businesses. New businesses that wish to query Hughes’ various service areas can contact the company’s contracts department. Your orders are in safe hands. Tel: 0800 052 0555 Email: sales@hughespro.co.uk Web: www.hughespro.co.uk
St Budeaux Pupils Get Creative
Residents at a care home in Plymouth say that regular visits from pupils of nearby St Budeaux Foundation School are ‘a breath of fresh air.’ The Year 4 pupils come to see their older friends at Freshfields care home as part of the Archie Project, a scheme that links local schools with people with dementia. Freshfields’ activities co-ordinator Paul Hutt said: “This is the fourth year that St Budeaux children have been coming here and our residents just love their visits. “They sit side by side and enjoy a whole different variety of activities when they come here. “On their most recent visit they did seasonal arts and crafts activities.” The Archie Project is a project created to reduce the stigma and fear associated with the word dementia that links to local primary schools, care homes, sheltered housing schemes, businesses, and community members. Swedish designed and purpose-built, Freshfields in Agaton Road, Plymouth, is a specialist 38-bed dementia care facility which overlooks the Tamar Estuary. Camelot Care also has homes in Bridgwater and Wellington in Somerset. For more information see www.camelotcare.co.uk
Living with Dementia and the benefits of gardening
Gardening can have a profound impact on someone’s quality of life, especially those living with dementia. Gardens provide a familiar environment of relaxation, sensory stimulation and can also help to create a sense of community. With a wide range of benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing, gardening provides an excellent activity for someone living with dementia. Reminiscence Gardens are often perceived as places of happiness and joy, whether from childhood memories of playing, seeing and smelling your favourite flowers, or taking part in gardening as a relaxing hobby in later life, they can often spark brilliant memories. As gardening is a familiar activity for many, taking part in activities designed around the garden will help encourage memories and conversation for someone living with dementia. For those who may not be able to take part in physical gardening, simply setting up a place where they can sit and relax will help spark conversations as they reflect and reminisce. Sensory Stimulation As we get older our senses can diminish and it is important to provide dementia activities which can engage and stimulate a variety of senses. Gardens are an excellent platform for multi-sensory stimulation. The scent of a favourite flower can bring back memories of the past, seeing the colours of the garden partnered with the ability to touch petals and hear wildlife can also help aid relaxation and create a brilliant sensory environment for someone living with dementia. Physical Exercise Gardening can be a very active hobby and has been shown to improve health and wellbeing. The acts of planting, using a trowel, sweeping or simply walking around a garden can have great health benefits. As well as providing a way to exercise, gardening can also help improve hand eye coordination and strength. Socialisation Loneliness often occurs in later life, and can become more prevalent with someone living with dementia if they struggle to communicate. Setting up a place where people can garden together can help bring about a sense of community and encourage socialisation. Relaxation Providing a place where someone can relax will help reduce agitation and aggression, plus improve sleep and increase energy. Gardens have been proven as excellent places for relaxation. Sitting amongst the wildlife, or taking care of the plants can help someone living with dementia as they take part in something which is familiar and known to be relaxing to them. Whether you set up a small garden outside a care home, set up gardening activities indoors during poor weather or perhaps take your loved one to a garden centre where they can be amongst the flowers, the calming effect of gardens can have a resounding positive effect on your loved ones quality of life. Contact Details: Active Minds www.active-minds.org info@active-minds.org +44 (0) 203 488 2001
Could Carer Technology Help Battle Elderly Loneliness?
The government recently announced that it would be launching the first ever loneliness strategy, aiming to empower all GPs in England to be able to refer patients suffering from loneliness to community activities and voluntary services by 2023, but how can impacts be made in the meantime? Loneliness can affect any individual of any age, but with 3.6million of the elderly living by themselves and 1.9million saying they often feel alone or invisible, it’s particularly an issue for those in later life. People can become socially isolated for many reasons but those with mobility issues or other health conditions are often unable to engage with many activities outside of their home, and with families now regularly separated by great distances, any social time with others is highly valued. Carers can play a key part in reducing feelings of loneliness, but only if they are given the right tools to tackle the problem. The implementation of technology can help carers to give better care and increase the face-to-face time with their client. The amount of paperwork required to record any visits means that currently carers can spend the majority of their time filling out forms, but if this process was digitally transformed, less time would be spent on admin and more on the client. If carers used an app that combined a simple user interface with voice recognition, then this admin burden would be reduced and the information more detailed as it would be easier for carers to record more personal patient information such as a mood or extra activities. This more in-depth report can then be shared with the families of the individual to help alleviate any worries over whether their loved one has been visited and cared for while also letting them know what that individual has been doing. This means that when they pick up the phone or come to visit, family members will already have things to talk about and feel more connected to one another, helping individuals to feel less isolated and alone. As well as allowing the regular carer to spend more time with the client, this system also allows other carers to access the information and provide more personalised care experiences, should they happen to be assigned to that individual for the day. Introducing a non-intrusive system of IoT based sensors alongside the app can also help to provide a better care experience. Sensors can make the delivery of 24/7 care possible by tracking habitual behaviour and spotting changes in real time. This technology then facilitates carers to confidently monitor how well their client is doing at home, and organise their visits more effectively. As a result of this carers can ask more well-informed lifestyle questions and identify any problems faster. It’s not always possible for the elderly to go out and make new connections, so the connections they do have are vital. In order to minimise the levels of loneliness felt by clients and loved ones, carers and families need to find ways to ensure not only that more time is spent with the individual but that they feel they are connected to others and vice versa. Loneliness is a complex issue to solve but little changes could make a big difference.
Castle View Windsor had to be ‘Good enough for Mum’
Just completed, Castle View Windsor, had to be ‘good enough for Mum’ – that was the vision of Robin Hughes, Founder and CEO, Castle Retirement Living, set out to achieve – and an urban retirement development with a difference. With a third of apartments already reserved, Castle View Windsor offers some of the most spectacular castle views in town from its own rooftop sky lounge, bar and terrace. One of the largest and most innovative urban retirement villages in the UK, the £50 million development provides a total of 64 apartments including five spectacular rooftop apartments, along with a neighbouring 72 bed care home, which is being operated by Care UK. With Robin’s Mum amongst its first residents, prices at Castle View Windsor start from £390,000 for a one bed to £790,000 for a three bed or two bed plus apartment with dining or study on the first-third floors, while prices will be released for the rooftop apartments shortly. Ranging in size from 605 sq ft to 1,185 sq ft, each contemporary living apartment has its own private entrance and most also have a large balcony along with fully equipped kitchens, large spacious bathrooms with walk-in showers – with ease of use and comfort key throughout. Set in three acres of landscaped grounds, about a mile from the castle with lift access to all floors, underground car parking and 24-hour reception and concierge provides security around the clock, offering peace of mind and great ‘lock and leave’ living. Regular activities and village events are being provided to create a full community environment while all apartments can be purchased exclusively by those over 55. Mum’s story Robin’s Mum, aged 85, Betty Hughes said: “Having lived in Windsor since I was 20, I didn’t want to move away from family and friends when I couldn’t manage the stairs anymore in the family home and Robin has ensured I don’t have to. I’m close to all my usual facilities and services in Windsor and still see my old friends too – but without worrying about the upkeep of the house, or the stairs – all in a comfortable new home.” “It already feels like we’ve got a great community and I’ve lots of new friends. I’m looking forward to joining all the village events, putting my feet up more and enjoying the castle views.” “Robin has always been enterprising and likes building things. He’d seen retirement villages in New Zealand about 15 years ago and liked the concept. After building a couple for other companies about 10 years ago he told me about his plan of creating his own retirement village in Windsor near our family home including a home for me. “I knew it would happen given his tenacity. He’s a force of energy, gets everyone involved and makes things work! It’s great to have moved into my new two bedroom apartment. “Castle View is so central and convenient to my local church, the town centre and friends who have been my neighbours for years. After a fall last year, the family home became too much and the idea of enjoying my future with Castle Retirement taking care of chores and running the building makes a great deal of sense.” Says son, Robin Hughes, Founder and CEO, Castle Retirement Living, who worked in the property and care sector for over 20 years before creating his own vision as an independent retirement developer: “For me, everything about the development from start to finish has been attention to detail in every aspect which has to be ‘good enough for Mum’. “I want her to be very happy and comfortable here along with other residents and retirees with as much support as and when they need it with our range of assisted living packages. Having lived in the town all my life I wanted to create a great quality, affordable local retirement village. “We’re running the building and creating a community environment. Most of the purchasers are local, so Mum is amongst friends and like-minded residents. “While along with our stunning castle views, we’re offering residents access to great local facilities such as Windsor Lawn Tennis Club and Windsor Leisure centre, a pet friendly policy in all ground floor apartments, and no smoking across the development. “Working with a first class team, I’m very proud of what we’re creating at Castle View Windsor for all our residents. Building a project of this scale and complexity and delivering it on time is setting a new standard for urban retirement villages in the UK. I’m delighted to have achieved this in my home town and that Mum is one of our first residents.” Heathrow is just 20 minutes away, while London can be reached in about 35 minutes on the train. Offering additional excellent facilities to the village, Windsor town centre is just a mile away, while the M4 can be reached in just two miles. For further information on Castle View Windsor please call 01753 378127 or visit www.castleviewwindsor.co.uk.
Care home staff say residents have dementia dolls
52% of care home staff say their residents have dementia dolls, according to a new survey by the leading care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk. The poll of 2,491 care home owners, managers and staff, also found 72% think there are benefits to people with dementia using the dolls. Nearly three quarters of care staff view the dolls in a positive light, but doll therapy has left some respondents sitting on the fence, with 23% ‘unsure’ whether they provide a benefit, while 5% say they do not. Robotic therapy pets, which respond to touch and sound and provide stimulation and companionship, are also growing in popularity in care homes, with one in 10 care home staff (11%), saying their care homes have them. Robotic therapy pets mimic real animals and include life-like dogs which bark and furry cats which miaow and purr. Doll therapy and robotic pet therapy are becoming more recognised as a way of calming and comforting people with dementia, although doll therapy in particular can be controversial as it can be challenging for relatives to see their family member cradling a doll and there have been suggestions it infantilises people with dementia. Experts in the field have a number of tips for those considering the therapy. These include introducing the doll gradually, using the doll at appropriate times and ensuring people do not neglect their own needs in favour of the dolls. Sue Learner, editor of carehome.co.uk, the leading reviews site for care homes, said: “To see your mum or grandma cuddling a doll and caring for it like a real baby can be very disturbing. But if the residents are getting comfort from this, it is good so many care homes are embracing this controversial therapy. “People with dementia can be anxious and distressed and doll therapy has been found to be very calming. However to allay relatives’ concerns, it is important care homes fully explain what doll therapy is and how it can help. Caring for a doll or a robotic dog or cat may make those with dementia feel needed and wanted and it may remind them of a time when they were a parent of a young child. “There are cases where the person with dementia will forego food so they can feed their baby or sleep on the floor so the baby can have the bed. So the way they relate to the doll or robotic pet does need to be closely monitored.” Lynne Loughlin, senior activities coordinator at Barchester Iddenshall Hall and Beeston View Dementia Unit in Tarporley, uses therapy dolls for its residents with dementia. She said: “We have found they work really well. We don’t give them directly to the residents. We wait for the residents to approach the dolls themselves. “They tend to think they are real and enjoy cuddling them and taking care of them. They like sitting with the dolls and talking to them. It offers them comfort and seems to give the residents a sense of calm. “We have explained to the residents’ relatives and friends about the dolls and how they can bring about a real sense of wellbeing for their loved ones with dementia. They have had no objections as they can see they work and the residents enjoy having them.” Dr Gary Mitchell, who wrote ‘Doll Therapy in Dementia Care’ and teaches nursing at Queen’s University in Belfast, said: “The research has consistently demonstrated that doll therapy can have a life-changing impact for some people living with dementia by increasing levels of wellbeing and reducing need for behaviour modifying medication. “So it is excellent to see a high percentage of care homes utilising the therapy in their practice. It is also encouraging to that care homes are also utilising robotic therapy pets – this intervention builds on the same principles of attachment for which doll therapy works so well. “While these interventions are very positive and the care homes who have introduced these innovative practices should be commended, I would always caution that provision of doll therapy or robotic pet therapy should never be a substitution for human contact. Instead the interventions should be incorporated into an already socially enriched day at the care home for the person living with dementia.” Full data Do residents in your care home have dementia dolls? 52% of respondents say that residents do have dementia dolls 36% say that they do not have dolls 12% are unsure whether residents have dolls Do you think dementia dolls are beneficial for people with dementia? 72% of respondents say that they are beneficial 5% say they are not 23% say that they are unsure whether they are beneficial. Do residents in your care home have robotic therapy pets? 11% of respondents say that residents do have robotic therapy pets 78% say they do not have robotic therapy pets 11% are unsure
When Things Work We Should Get On And Do It
Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care and Busy Bees have come together to develop an innovative and practical solution to help people fund their long term care. This initiative was developed from the successful salary sacrifice scheme for childcare which Busy Bees developed. Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England says: “Social care shouldn’t be seen in a vacuum. It is staggering how much common ground there is whether people are parents, carers, employees or employers. The salary sacrifice scheme invented by Busy Bees is an excellent means to make care more affordable alongside other ideas including those involving intergenerational aspects. We need to think global but act local and judge on outcomes and whether it delivers”. Care England and Busy Bees both share a passion for crafting solutions to the long term funding of social care and agree on the need for societal solutions rather than political ones in order to bring about change. John Woodward OBE, Founder President of Busy Bees says:“Our relationship with Care England will help open up options for intergenerational care. Faced with the demographic time bomb we need to have more money going into the system and a salary sacrifice scheme is one means of bring innovation and promoting opening dialogue” Martin and John have produced a podcast where they thrash out some issues around the long term funding of social care (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPg2Y0CkLHg&index=1&list=UUSO06k8BcZnvbb…) and call for a healthy dialogue to lead to much needed change. Martin Green continues:“We are delighted that Karen Mackay, Head of External Affairs at Busy Bees, will be compering the 2019 Care Pub Quiz”.
BGF investment in Scottish Highlands, £5m for Parklands
Parklands Group, one of the largest independent care home providers in the north of Scotland, has received a £5m investment from BGF, the UK’s most active investor in growing businesses, to further accelerate its growth. Set up in 1993 in Buckie by Ron Taylor, Parklands provides high-quality residential care for older people at eight care homes across Moray and the Highlands, the most recent being its newly opened state-of-the-art Lynemore home in Grantown on Spey. Parklands was one of the first nursing care providers in Scotland to achieve Investors in People status and the group has won a series of awards for the quality of its care and its commitment to staff development and training. The investment marks BGF’s first investment in the Highlands and Moray, having invested more than £200m across 27 businesses in Scotland since 2011. The growth capital from BGF will be used to support the building of a £4m 40-bed care home in Fortrose and a £6.5m care hub in Inverness, comprising a 48-bed care home and 16 assisted living suites. Through its Talent Network, BGF introduced Maurice McBride who will join the board as non-executive chairman. McBride is an experienced non-executive director who will bring expertise, guidance and knowledge to support the growth. Ron Taylor, managing director of Parklands, said: “This investment by BGF, one of the world’s leading growth investors, is a major vote of confidence in Parklands. It will help fund our next stage of expansion and enhance the quality of care provision in the Highlands. “By 2020, we will have invested around £16 million on new and expanded care homes, facilities that are much needed in the Highlands. Our investment will create hundreds of new jobs in the region and deliver a significant boost to the wider economy. It will also ensure that older people can continue to live in their local community, keeping families closer together. “My team and I will continue to lead the company with the support and financial backing of the BGF team. Their expertise and Maurice’s experience will be invaluable as the company expands in the coming years. Fortrose and Inverness are our immediate priorities but this investment unlocks other opportunities to improve residential care in the region. This is an exciting time for the company as we mark our 25th anniversary and look forward to further growth and investment.” Keith Barclay, an investor at BGF covering the Highlands and Islands, said: “We’re really pleased to have made our first investment in a business based in the Highlands and Moray. It is a really important part of the country for BGF as there are some great businesses here and we hope it will be the first of many. We are backing a well-established and successful business which has developed a leading position in the market. Parklands has a strong management team, a great culture and impressive growth plans. We look forward to helping them take advantage of opportunities in the region, whilst remaining focused on providing the highest standards of care for their residents.” Find out more
Bluebird Care Edinburgh Achieves Highest Grades
Bluebird Care Edinburgh is celebrating after achieving ratings of Grade 6 across the board from the Care Inspectorate, the independent regulator of care services in Scotland. The grades were received after a comprehensive inspection in December 2018 which deemed the care provider’s quality of care and support and quality of staffing both ‘Excellent,’ in its Quality Framework, the highest rating possible. The news follows a great 2018 for Bluebird Care in Scotland. Earlier on in the year, Bluebird Care Glasgow South was inspected and maintained its ‘Excellent’ Grade 6s for the fifth year in a row. Bluebird Care Edinburgh provides home care across Edinburgh, including a range of services that aim to ensure people have the freedom to live as safely and comfortably as possible in their own homes for as long as they are able to. It currently provides care to 129 individuals. The Care Inspectorate’s report highlighted that the service ensured that “care tasks were completed to a very high standard and in a personal way, paying attention to things that were important to the person.” This personalised approach to care was also identified by individuals and relatives who inspectors talked to, with the report recognising that “everyone spoke very highly of their carers.” Comments included; “Bluebird are very good and reliable. If anything is wrong they are quick to rectify” and, “We’re very, very satisfied with the service. Continuity is important. We’ve got that.” Inspectors themselves recognised that “consistency, continuity and reliability are very important, particularly for people receiving care in their own home” and that at Bluebird Care Edinburgh, “people experienced stability in their care from staff who knew their needs, choices and wishes well.” The report also praised staff members at Bluebird Care Edinburgh, stating that “people were treated with respect and were confident staff had the skills to care for them. The service was careful to employ staff who were safe to work with vulnerable people, who would treat people with dignity, respect and compassion and who really wanted to care for people.” These successes ensured that “staff could feel valued, involved and an important part of Bluebird Care service.” Care Inspectorate’s report has praised the culture of care and dedication at the service that makes everyone proud to be a part of Bluebird Care Edinburgh. Jane Perry, Director of Bluebird Care Edinburgh and Bluebird Care Glasgow South, said: “This brilliant news rounds off what has been a truly amazing year for Bluebird Care Edinburgh and Bluebird Care Glasgow South. I am so proud of both teams. “Providing the highest quality of personalised and tailored care is at the heart of what we do and we are delighted that the Care Inspectorate has recognised this. “What fantastic recognition of all the hard work of every single one of our dedicated team members.” Find out more
