Girbau adds HS-6028 Washer to Six Series Family
High spin machine offers class leading production efficiency and water extraction Girbau has expanded its HS 6 Series of washer extractors with the launch of a new model offering class leading production efficiency and water extraction. The HS-6028, with 28-31kg capacity, fills the gap that previously existed between the smaller HS-6024 (24kg) and larger HS-6032 (32kg) machines.The HS-6028 washer has a 280-litre drum making it ideal for larger on-premise laundries in hotels, spas and care homes as well as medium sized commercial laundries processing 28-31kg batches of linen. The new machine offers a market-leading centrifugal spin force of 405G for 99.8 per cent of loads to leave clothes with residual moisture levels as low as 48%. This very high water extraction ability offers laundries significant energy and cost savings in the subsequent drying process. The new model comes with INTELI controls including Girbau’s Smart Load function, which offers additional in-use economies by automatically weighing loads and optimising water, energy and chemical consumption. The HS-6028 machine is also Wet Clean Ready, making it ideal for use as a dual-use laundry and wet cleaning machine for delicate fabrics. Washer heating options include electric, steam or hot water. Girbau now offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of high spin washers, with ten different HS 6 Series models ranging from 9kg to 122kg in capacity. The soft-mount machines are free standing and easy to install. For more information visit: http://www.girbau.co.uk/hs-6028-washer/p/51 About Girbau UK is part of the Girbau Group, world-leading manufacturer of commercial and industrial laundry equipment for washing, finishing and handling textiles. With more than 55 years’ experience and a commitment to customer service, Girbau meets the requirements of a wide variety of industries including hotels and guest houses, residential and nursing homes, hospitals, charities, leisure organisations, colleges, schools, sheltered housing, the emergency services, hairdressers, veterinary surgeries, kennels and catteries. Girbau UK offers a free laundry design service and its service department caters for all makes and models of commercial laundry equipment. Tel: 01462 427780 Web: www.girbau.co.uk
New Dementia Care Programme at Abbotswood Court Unlocks Tender Moment
Utilising their new NAMASTE Care Programme, the Dementia Team at Abbotswood Court has helped to enable meaningful interactions with loved ones. Home to a dedicated Dementia Care Team, they currently have 21 residents living with dementia. To aid this growing dementia community, Abbotswood Court has recently introduced a new NAMASTE Care Programme. Providing stimulating and meaningful experiences, this initiative has enabled an elderly female resident with dementia to share a tender moment with her husband. Situated in Romsey, the Abbotswood Court Care Home offers non-residential day care, short-term respite care, residential care, nursing care and specialised dementia care. Bringing the NAMASTE Care Programme to Romsey they are meeting the needs of people with advanced dementia through human contact, sensory stimulation and meaningful activity. Assisting a lady resident who is living with advanced dementia, Sarah Delves Dementia Manager at Abbotswood Court has highlighted an instance of positive behaviour encouraged by her through the use of the NAMASTE Care Programme. Sarah said: “Dementia can be incredibly challenging for family members and we have a female resident with advanced dementia whose husband often feels like he has lost his wife to the illness. Prior to one of his visits, on the day of the Royal Wedding, we gave the lady a sensory hand massage using oils in our NAMASTE area. As her husband came down from the lift I said, here comes your husband! He sat next to her, she stroked his face and said, I love you. Gifting the pair a tender moment, this represents our team’s ability to help ease the severity of some dementia symptoms through the new programme.” Developed in the US, NAMASTE combines compassionate care with music, therapeutic touch, colour, food treats and scents. This gives people with Dementia the best possible quality of life and encourages positive behaviour. Adopted by the Abbotswood Court Dementia Care Team, NAMASTE was introduced following a study of five UK care homes. The study found that the programme enhanced the quality of life of residents with advanced dementia and age-related neurological conditions. Sarah continues: “Aside from our NAMASTE Care Programme, every member of the Dementia Care Team is specially trained, experienced and cares deeply about enhancing thelives of our dementia residents. Our work can include small things such as spending time, chatting with and listening to individuals with dementia. We will alsodo activities which are meaningful to sufferers, for example watering plants, playing music, knitting, going for a walk in the garden or looking at the wildlife. Furthermore, we will encourage residents to do purposeful tasks, such as washing up, sweeping and laying tables. By encouraging someone with dementia to do something creative, some gentle exercise, or take part in a stimulating activity, Abbotswood Court helps residents withdementia to realise their potential, improve their happiness and share quality time with loved ones. They also host regular ‘Forget-Me-Not Café’. These give the family members of residents and carers in the community the opportunity to meet over coffee, speak to like-minded individuals and combat loneliness. To find out more about Abbotswood Court, visit: www.cinnamoncc.com/care-homes/abbotswood-court.
Great Oaks care home hits a high note with the local community
Great Oaks care home in Bournemouth recently opened its doors to the community to provide unique entertainment including an aerial hoop display and Milo the dancing dog. The state-of-the-art specialist residential care put on a spectacular show of live entertainment throughout the day for its ‘Making a Song & Dance’ open day. Crazy Circus, a local dance group, wowed guests with a variety of elegant aerial hoop display performances, as well as an intricate floor dance and a special routine with Milo the dancing dog. Local singer Paul Spencer performed several classic songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s which had many of the home’s residents and staff dancing and reminiscing about fond memories from times gone by. Sue Harvey, deputy manager of Great Oaks, explained: “At Great Oaks we pride ourselves on continually offering our residents a choice when it comes to experiencing new and progressive activities which have a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. “No two days are the same at Great Oaks, and by hosting this community open day we had the opportunity to showcase some examples of the type of activities our residents experience as part of their weekly activities programme. Our care staff get involved with the daily activities and enjoy them with residents, as well as inviting outside entertainers into the home. We listen to our residents in order to create personalised care programmes which allow us to connect with every person in an imaginative way.” Visitors also had the chance to meet with the professional care team, as well as viewing the grounds of Great Oaks and the state-of-the-art facilities that the care home provides. Great Oaks is the latest addition of an established family of care homes managed by Encore Care Homes, with two other care homes in Dorset and Hampshire. The 80-bed care home is designed to enable staff to provide the highest standard of 24 hour, personalised care and ensure residents are comfortable and happy in their surroundings. For more information about Great Oaks care home, please visit www.greatoaksbournemouth.co.uk or call 01202 087444 to speak to a member of the team.
Canine companions bring joy to care home residents
FURRY friends have been helping care home residents with dementia by providing company and cuddles. Lindsey Dixon and her dog Shadow visit The Oaks Care Home, Blyth, twice a week. Lindsey, who is from Blyth, is a volunteer with North East based friendship dogs charity, Wag and Company. They enable visiting dog teams to build meaningful new friendships with older dog lovers. Ann Mielnik, Home manager at The Oaks, said: “Our residents love to see Shadow visiting and the smiles on their faces just say it all. “Volunteers with just a small amount of spare time each week work with their own pets to bring joy and comfort to many individuals who appreciate being able to touch and stroke a friendly animal. “Thousands of people of all ages benefit every week in residential homes like ours, as well as hospitals, hospices, schools and day care centres.” PAT (Pets in Therapy) dogs provide companionship and friendship to help tackle loneliness. They also support those with mental and physical health conditions such as autism, dementia and strokes as part of their therapeutic treatment. Volunteer Lindsay and Shadow, a Siberian Husky, have been visiting The Oaks for two years. She said: “I was a bit sceptical at first as I wasn’t sure it would go down well with people. “However, if Shadow and I can make just one person’s day better than we’ve had a good day. “I’m so proud of Shadow. I can do anything with him and the residents particularly love his gorgeous soft fur.” Resident Jena Mills said: “I love dogs and I had some of my own throughout my life. Shadow’s visits are lovely because he reminds of them. I really look forward to seeing him each week.” You can find out more about volunteering with your pet at www.petsastherapy.org.
Training must be a key focus for the care sector
Fay Gibbin, Chief Executive Officer, BB Training Academy, talks about the recruitment and retention challenges in the health and social care sector and why training has to be a key focus of the upcoming green paper. We know the health and social care sector is facing significant recruitment and retention challenges. These issues aren’t new but without meaningful action, they’re a concern that grow day by day. With the UK’s impending exit from the EU, forecasts predict that these challenges will only be exacerbated as the pool of talent to choose from is reduced further. Last year, 95,000 people working in the health and social care sector were EU migrants, that’s 7 per cent of the sectors entire workforce. Since the referendum, there seems to have been little impact to date, but that’s widely expected to change once the UK officially leaves the European Union. Worrying forecasts by the Nuffield Trust predict that the shortfall in workers needed in the sector is expected to reach 70,000 by 2025[i].Funding and a strategy for recruitment needs to be put in place to ensure significantly more people work in health and social care and have access to quality training and a fair salary. The scale of funding for care workers required year on year is suggested in analysis by the Office for National Statistics. It’s found that every year the UK economy saves almost £60bn[ii]on unpaid carers. Without highly skilled carers, the right care and support cannot be provided for the people who need it most and their families. It means the sector will need significant investment even higher than the £60bn quoted. Aging population It isn’t just Brexit that is posing a challenge to the care sector’s workforce. Advances in healthcare and higher living standards means the UK’s over-65 population is set to increase by almost half by the mid-2030s and the number of people living with complex care needs continues to grow. This will have a direct effect on the number of health and social care workers needed on a scale never see before. It cannot be ignored, we need to see radical action before it is too late. Sector retention The issues with recruitment are only made more prevalent by low retention rates and considerable churn within the industry. The Health Foundation[iii]found in a report in 2017 that 900 social care workers were estimated to leave the sector every day. It also found that 27 per cent of workers left the industry citing better pay and less pressures in industries such as hospitality as the main reasons for leaving. Incentives like training, which offers opportunities for progression and a clear career path and gives them the skills to deliver outstanding care, can be part of the solution to retain care workers. In England there is more than 80,000 vacancies in health and social care at any one time. The industry is already at tipping point but with the increased number of people needing complex care and a significant lack of highly-skilled carers, action must be taken now to attract and retain more talent. Is change coming? New roles and skills are needed going forward to meet the change in the number of people requiring complex care with more focus on person centred care. In research by Skills For Care it found that only 21 per cent of carers have taken person centred care training[iv]. This needs to be at the forefront of future care. This autumn, the government plans to outline its proposals for health and social care in its green paper. We want to see new thinking that includes significant funding for training and that’s considered the thoughts of people living with disabilities to ensure they receive care that provides them with independence, opportunity and control. It has to be about the individuals. We hope that worry about change, won’t undermine the ambition required to end the funding crisis. With or without the issue of Brexit, the system going forwards has to change full stop. [i]https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/the-end-state-and-the-nhs [ii]https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40560827 [iii]https://www.health.org.uk/news/one-four-social-care-staff-leaving-profession-every-year [iv]https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/NMDS-SC-intelligence/Workforce-intelligence/publications/The-state-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx
Former nurse with dementia perfectly recalls healthcare skills
AN 84-YEAR-OLD former nurse has been recalling her healthcare skills at the care home where she worked – despite her advanced dementia. June Jennings is now a resident at Holmewood Care Home, where she worked for 25 years as a sister, along with fellow home Barnfield. Her former duties included caring for the residents and managing the staff, some of whom still work at the two homes, on Barnfield Close, in Chesterfield. She moved into the home in June 2018, having lived in Grassmoor and Holmewood during her career and eventual retirement. Staff at Holmewood gave June the opportunity to relive her time as a sister, providing a uniform, stethoscope, thermometer and bandages. Home manager Kathleen Richardson pretended to be unwell and June sprang to action, checking her chest, placing a saturation device on her finger to monitor oxygen levels and perfectly wrapping a bandage around her wrist. Kathleen said: “When June first came to Holmewood, she already liked the environment, and despite the fact she had dementia you could tell she felt at home. “With this in mind, we wanted to give her an opportunity to be able to relive her time as a sister. “I pretended to be unwell and June was very willing to assist in finding out what was wrong. She knew exactly what to do and put the bandage on perfectly. “I was amazed, as it shows clearly dementia may take your memory, but it does not take away who you are as a person. June will always and forever be a healthcare professional.”
Menagerie make unlikely friends with care home residents
A MENAGERIE including exotic reptiles and birds visited elderly care home residents to provide companionship and smiles. Kirkleatham Owl Centre, in Redcar, helped residents at Hazelgrove Court Care Home make some unlikely friends during their visit. The home, on Randolph Street, Saltburn, welcomed a host of creatures such as snakes, tarantulas and tortoises. Tina Temple, home manager at Hazelgrove Court Care Home, said: “It was wonderful to see the residents interacting with the animals. “The big hit of the day was the skinny pigs, which are hairless guinea pigs. “None of the residents had ever seen them before and they wanted us to adopt them immediately. “We already have chickens, budgies and fish living at Hazelgrove Court so, unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of room for skinny pigs too.” Animal therapy is widely used in residential homes to provide stimulation and friendship to help tackle loneliness. They can also support those with mental and physical health conditions such as autism, dementia and strokes as part of their therapeutic treatment. Resident Joyce Baxtrum said: “The owl was my favourite because its feathers were so soft. The skinny pigs are so ugly but beautiful in their own way.” Hazelgrove Court Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
National charity calls time on pancreatic cancer in the North West with their GP Awareness Campaign
National charity, Pancreatic Cancer Action, are running a 6-month campaign targeting GP surgeries in the North West and South West to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer amongst the public and to provide supporting resources to GPs. Starting in September, the campaign will consist of large posters and leaflets for the public in waiting rooms, along with resource packs including the latest updates on the disease and information on PCA’s e-learning module for the GPs. Survival rates for pancreatic cancer remain very low at just under 7% of patients surviving 5 years. This can be attributed to symptoms of the disease being vague, low public awareness, and there currently being no effective screening test to detect the disease. It is because of these factors that pancreatic cancer can be difficult for GPs to diagnose and why Pancreatic Cancer Action are providing free resources to help GPs diagnose the disease as early as possible. Pancreatic Cancer Action are targeting the North West as it has a higher than average incidence rate of cancer as 1071 people were diagnosed and 977 died from the disease in 2015. Statistics show that the 1-year net survival for pancreatic patients diagnosed by their GP is 31%, in comparison to patients who were diagnosed by emergency which is 12%. The campaign was first piloted in Glasgow and Surrey in 2017 and proved hugely successful. A GP in Glasgow said: “I had a few patients that presented with possible symptoms that I checked out due to this campaign.” Pancreatic cancer, the UK’s 5th biggest cancer killer, is becoming an increasingly urgent problem in the UK. By 2025 deaths from pancreatic cancer are predicted to be 25% higher than breast cancer in the EU. Ellen Anthony, Health and Information Officer at Pancreatic Cancer Action, says, “GPs play a vital role in making the crucial early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer which can give patients a much higher chance of longer-term survival if they are diagnosed in time for surgery, currently the only potential we have for a cure. We understand how difficult it can be for GPs to diagnose pancreatic cancer, especially in the early stages, that’s why running both a public-centred awareness campaign and providing free resources for GPs is so important.” Pancreatic Cancer Action is committed to working towards earlier diagnosis of the disease so that surgery, currently the only cure, is made available to the sufferer. The charity fund research into early diagnosis, provide medical education programmes, and launch awareness campaigns. If you would like to find out more information about the charity or support us, go to www.pancreaticcanceraction.org If you are a GP and would like a pack or if you would like a pack for your GP surgery then you can get your free pack here www.panact.org/gp-pack alternatively call 0303 040 1770 or emailenquiries@panact.org.
Park residents fuel their minibus appeal with grand gala
Fundraising at The Elms retirement park in Lincolnshire was in top gear recently when residents held a highly successful gala day to support their minibus appeal. Organisers went into overdrive with a line-up of attractions ranging from a mobile zoo to free farm food tastings plus competitions and a series of fun challenges. And when the brakes were finally put on the day, residents were delighted to find that they had raised over £1,200 to fuel their minibus fund. It means that homeowners at The Elms in Torksey can now continue looking forward to regular outings, expeditions and shopping trips using their own dedicated transport. Planning the gala day and putting it into action were members of the park’s 14-strong minibus fundraising committee, some of whom also work as volunteer drivers of the vehicle. Residents at The Elms bought their first minibus almost 20 years ago with a view to gaining even greater freedom and flexibility for those wanting to get out and about. Replacement vehicles and running costs are funded entirely by money raised through various events, and by donations from the family-run park business. The residents’ current minibus was acquired two years ago, and is the largest to date with a capacity to carry up to 16 passengers on their regular forays from the park. Tracey Coulson, a director of The Elms and a member of the park-owning Kinch family, said the minibus was a real asset to residents of the 340 homes on the park: “There is a fantastic community atmosphere here, and the minibus is a great way for people to explore the surrounding area, visit attractions, and take shopping trips together,” she said. “It also plays an important part in the social life of many residents by ensuring that there are plenty of regular opportunities for people to meet up and share new experiences. “We were delighted to supply marquees for the gala day which drew hundreds of guests including residents’ friends and relations as well as members of the local community,” Tracey added. Tracey and her colleague Emma added to the fun by creating a pop-up photo booth in which residents could be pictured with a variety of props and disguises. As well as the mobile zoo which included a python, bearded dragon lizard, owl and a giant snail, the gala day offered cake and wine stands, a tombola and a silent auction. The Elms has been under the Kinch family’s ownership for over 35 years, and its park homes for people aged 50-plus are located in 65 acres of landscaped grounds. There is more information about the park on its website at www.elmsretirementpark.co.uk.
