Volunteers support dementia friendly Market Square
A Chorley care village is welcoming an intake of volunteers to support its dementia friendly Market Square. The newly recruited volunteers will be leading and assisting with activities, as well as providing support in the purpose-built facilities at Buckshaw Retirement Village, which includes a pub, café, pet shop and hair salon, and a dementia friendly 20-seater cinema. Husband and wife volunteers Peter and Patricia Baldwin will be helping with a range of new activities, including model building, group walks, women’s baking, knitting and flower arranging groups, which are part of a wider commitment to provide person centred activities, inclusive of all residents needs, as well as promoting the importance of physical and mental wellbeing. Penni Brown, chief executive of the Hica Group, said: “It’s great to see members of the community offering their free time to support residents and their activities. “Activities are hugely beneficial to our residents and play a big part in supporting their physical and mental wellbeing so it’s fantastic to see people wanting to support that. “It’s also a brilliant opportunity for the volunteers to see for themselves, the amazing facilities within Market Square which help our residents keep a level of independence.” Chris Durnan, Market Square coordinator at The Lodge said: “It is brilliant to see that members of the community are so enthusiastic to volunteer with us in their spare time. We are extremely grateful that members of the community are willing to help us. Their support, in general, and with activities is invaluable to us and to our residents. “Fun and engaging activities are really important to our residents. They are all looking forward to taking part in a range of new activities, and I’m looking forward to seeing the positive impact that our new volunteers have on our residents.” Buckshaw is part of The Hica Group, a not for profit organisation, which operates a portfolio of 15 residential care homes, five of which are for people with a learning disability, along with two retirement villages. The company also runs a care at home service providing approximately 11,500 hours of support and care from four regional offices in the North of England.
Care home wears red to raise funds to fight heart disease
CHESTER-le-Street care home residents brought out their bright coloured clothing to raise funds for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund. Wear Red Day is a national fundraiser to help children and adults born with congenital heart disease. The residents, staff and relatives at Pelton Grange Care Home, on Front Street, all wore their favourite red clothing for the day. They also baked and decorated cupcakes and held a hidden raffle, where the prizes were wrapped to surprise lucky winning ticket holders. Resident Lillian Maxwell, who won a bottle of wine, said: “I don’t think I’ll be sharing this.” Lindsay Sale-Thorn, activities coordinator at Pelton Grange Care Home, said: “We have family members who support the British Heart Foundation because their relatives have died due to problems with their hearts. “The Wear Red Day for the Children’s Surgery Fund was another opportunity for us to raise funds to fight heart disease. We were all keen to take part.” The care home raised £41 for the charity, which will help fund ground-breaking new equipment, resources, training and research, as well as support for children and their families Next year’s Wear Red Day takes place on Friday, 1st February 2019. Pelton Grange Care Home residents and staff don their red clothing to raise funds for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, including activities coordinator Lindsay Sale-Thorn, residents Lillian Maxwell and Norma Wright, home manager Les Burnett and carer Kim Douglas. The Pelton Grange Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net. Wear Red Day is organised by the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund. For further information visit https://chsf.org.uk/events/wear-red-day-2018/.
Gillingham Care Home Scores Top Reviews
A Dorset care home has received outstanding scores on an independent care home review site. The Malthouse residential care home in Gillingham, Dorset, has been awarded an overall score of 9.9 out of a top score of 10 on the leading UK care home review website www.carehome.co.uk. Reviews submitted by family members and residents themselves commend the high standards of care and service that the home provides and rates the facilities, dignity, cleanliness, food and hygiene, staff, management, safety and security, activities and value for money. Those writing reviews have been particularly impressed by the considerate care and attention the staff give to residents, as well as the extra activities and entertainment provided. One resident’s family member commented “Visiting my grandma is always a pleasure; it’s like seeing her in her own home. The staff are so welcoming and know my grandma so well. There is always so much going on in the home for her to join in with. The Malthouse is simply amazing.” Another resident’s family member said: “First class. Immediate positive response to our desperate phone call seeking immediate short-term stay …. At all times, the resident was treated well and all her wishes met and respected. Very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. All staff were genuinely friendly and kind and were easy to deal with. We could not have wanted anything more. The rooms were spacious and pleasant; food good and care superb.” Claire Stredwick, Manager of The Malthouse residential care home said “The team works very hard to achieve the high standards of care and service we aspire to provide. It gives us all a real sense of pride to know that our efforts are not only achieving the desired outcomes, but are also appreciated in the process. To achieve gratitude and recognition from the very people to whom we provide our services is the utmost reward and we are very proud to have received such high praise on the carehome.co.uk website.” The Malthouse is part of the Healthcare Homes Group, which has been awarded the site’s Top 20 care home group award for 2016 and 2017. The award highlights the most recommended care home groups in the UK and the current rating for Healthcare Homes is 9.3 out of 10. For reviews on care homes in the UK, please visit www.carehome.co.uk. For more information regarding The Malthouse and the range of residential and respite services provided, visit www.healthcarehomes.co.uk or call 01284 768327.
Furnishing Your Care Home: Things To Consider
Care homes should be comfortable and welcoming environments that cater to the various needs of their different residents. When it comes to caring for people with specific medical needs, such as people living with dementia or low mobility, having the right furniture and other tools in place, such as stand aids, is crucial. As well as creating a space that is warm, welcoming and of course, homely, it is also important to take hygiene and infection control into account. Anywhere that a large group of people live is going to be a hotbed for bacteria, which is why selecting the furniture that is in place wisely, is so important. When it comes to choosing furniture for your care home, it is important to realise that there is a range of guidelines that you should take into account and take note of. To help to make the process of choosing furniture for your care home that little bit easier and less stressful, we have put together the below guide. For everything that you need to know about selecting care home furniture, read on. Creating a homely space One of the most crucial factors to consider when it comes to how a care home should look and feel is how welcoming and homely it is. The fact is that for your residents, your care home will become their home, which means that it is important that you are able to create the right environment. Creating a care home that offers a comfortable and supportive environment is a key part of catering to the well-being of the people living in your care home. Studies have shown that being surrounded by welcoming and familiar surroundings can help to make people feel calmer and more in control. When selecting furniture that looks and feels welcoming, make sure to remember to take the practicalities of care home life into account, to ensure that you select pieces that are suitable. Getting room layout spot on It is important to realise that when it comes to furnishing any space, care homes included, it is not just about choosing the right furniture, but also about being selective in regards to where you place it. Think about how much space wheelchair users will need to get around, as well as how hoists can be used, and also, walking aids. By implementing a perfect room layout that is designed with your residents’ needs in mind, you can give them that little bit of independence that they crave. If you create a space where your residents can get around on their own, you can help to improve their quality of life. The more accessible the spaces are that you create in your care home, the better, as this will ensure that your residents are able to get around more easily. Consider individual needs Although your care home offers a group living environment, it is also important to take the time to cater to the individual needs of each resident living within the environment that you are creating. When it comes to choosing the furnishings for any area within your care home, it is vital that you take the time to consider the individual needs of your residents. For example, if you have non-mobile residents who spend the majority of their time in bed, being able to offer specialist beds made to prevent pressure sores is important. Or, for people who have dementia, providing them with clear cupboards and storage spaces could help to stop them constantly opening doors to see what is inside. Adding stickers to doors and other items to explain where things are could also prove useful. For people with low mobility who are prone to slips and falls, consider having additional support like grab rails and hoists installed around their rooms, to make life easier for them (and your team). The fact is that choosing to offer specialist furnishings for residents with special needs, can help to increase the quality of life that your care home is able to offer people. By doing this, you can make life better for your residents and put your care home on the map as a care facility that listens to its residents’ needs and acts upon them. Taking safety seriously A vital part of running any care facility is, of course, safety. With this in mind, it is important to understand that when it comes to choosing furniture for your care home, safety is a factor that should be taken into account. By choosing to purchase your care home furniture from specialist suppliers who offer furniture that has been adapted to meet the needs of people with a range of medical conditions, from low mobility to dementia, you can ensure that you keep your residents safe while in your care. Furniture that is made especially for seniors comes with a wide range of adaptations, from non-slip feet to rounded table corners to reduce the risk of injury. To further reduce the risk of injury, many care facilities add additional padding to any areas used by residents with mobility issues. Whenever you select a piece of furniture for your care home, it is a good idea to take the time to assess it, to ensure that it is as safe as it could possibly be. Thinking about hygiene In care home environments, hygiene is a crucial aspect that must be taken into account when choosing furniture, as infection control in care homes is a crucial part of providing quality care and is something taken seriously by the Care Quality Commission. To ensure that high levels of hygiene are upheld, all furniture in care homes needs to be easy to clean. If furniture cannot be wiped clean, then it is not safe in terms of infection control. Being able to regularly clean furniture in care home environments is crucial for the health of residents and staff, so choosing specially designed furniture that is easy to wash and keep clean is vital. For soft furnishings, removable covers that are washable is crucial,
CLH Healthcare Are Holding Their First Expo Since 2010
CLH Healthcare are delighted to announce that this year we will be holding our first expo since 2010. This two day event is going to be held on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th March 2018. The CLH South West Care Expo is to be held at Sandy Park, EX2 7NN, home ground to the Exeter Chiefs Aviva Premiership Rugby Team, running from 9:30AM until 4:30PM and is FREE to all attendees. The purpose of this event is to promote awareness and education of the products that are available from CLH to help care organisations meet their daily challenges. Including more than 20 exhibitors and 6 speakers! Tickets can be booked online at https://www.clhgroup.co.uk/clhexpo2018 or by searching for #CLHExpo2018. About CLH Healthcare CLH Healthcare is a family business which has been supplying a vast range of products & services into the healthcare sector since 1975. The foundation for our steady growth over 40 years has been our strong business ethics and values, of integrity, trust, and long-term relationships with our customers, suppliers, and all we work with. As probably the largest independent healthcare suppliers in the South West, we are able to offer the value for money that is essential for our customers, and the reliability that comes with 95% of our products being delivered on our own vehicles by our own trained drivers. All of our team aim to provide the highest levels of customer service, and strive to exceed our ethos – “Committed to Care”. After a steady growth supplying hotels, holiday camp sites, bed and breakfast establishments and laundries, Commercial Linen Supplies moved into the nursing home market supplying from domiciliary care providers to day care centres and private hospitals to supported & assisted living groups. This is when we became more commonly known and refered to as CLH Healthcare. In November 2010 a company based in Somerset called Quantock Healthcare Supplies (QHS) was acquiried who supplied many nursing & residential care homes and after an initial transitional period the hard decision was made to close the Bridgwater office and run all operations from Exeter with no detriment to deliveries across the whole of the South West. This is still now being handled by our friendly team of staff in the Devon office. Fast forward to November 2014 and the disposables section of Medaco from Bristol was purchased which further added to our product range, portfolio of clients and market share meaning the ability to offer even greater service and group buying which customers alike could benefit from. The latest development on the 1st of May 2016 was the partnership incorporated and we are now CLH Group Ltd!
Sunrise of Bassett Launches New Memory Care Neighbourhood at VIP Party
Sunrise of Bassett launched its brand new memory care neighbourhood last week, at a special VIP party featuring delicious food and drink, and live entertainment. At an event attended by the Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Les Harris, guests were treated to mouth-watering canapes and flowing champagne, and enjoyed a music performance from a soothing harpist. Councillor Harris gave an inspirational speech before declaring the luxury neighbourhood officially open, while the Head of Memory Care at Sunrise Senior Living UK, Jackie Pool, spoke to guests about the community’s beautiful surroundings, and caring, compassionate team members who go beyond the call of duty to ensure residents lead enriched lives. One of Sunrise Senior Living’s 25 communities in the UK, Sunrise of Bassett provides expert dementia care, focused on a range of individual needs. The community’s other services include first-class assisted living and nursing care. Councillor Les Harris, Mayor of Southampton, said: “I hope those who live here have a good life and visitors enjoy visiting. It feels like a real home, which is safe and secure.” Joanna Audley, General Manager at Sunrise of Bassett, said: “Launching our new memory care neighbourhood at a special VIP party was a great chance to welcome members of the local area to come and see our vibrant community. “The party gave guests the chance to enjoy delicious food and drink, enjoy the lovely sounds of a live harpist, and socialise with a diverse range of people. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Councillor Les Harris for his rousing speech, and say how much we are looking forward to hosting many more events over the coming months and years.” Jackie Pool, Head of Memory Care at Sunrise Senior Living, said: “The VIP launch of our newly refurbished memory care neighbourhood was an excellent opportunity to share our experiences, vast knowledge of memory care and how our caring, compassionate staff ensure residents continue to live enriched lives.” http://www.sunrise-care.co.uk
Elderly twitchers take part in RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch
CARE home residents across the North have been monitoring their gardens for flying visitors as part of the world’s biggest wildlife survey. Those living in Hill Care homes across Derbyshire and the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East and West have joined hundreds of thousands of others in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. The residents have submitted their findings alongside 500,000 other participants, who are all helping to monitor annual avian population changes. At Pelton Grange Care Home, in Chester-le-Street, residents made fatballs to attract birds to the garden. They spotted chaffinches, blue and great tits, pigeons, sparrows and starlings. In Lemington, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, residents at Waverley Lodge Care Home also installed feeders, attracting blue, great and coal tits, sparrows, robins and magpies. At Simonsfield Care Home, in Runcorn, local pet store Runcorn Pets and Angling loaned a canary to keep the residents company while they watched their garden. At Rotherham’s Broadacres Care Home, the residents’ homemade bird cakes attracted blue tits, dunnocks and collared doves, among others. More than two dozen Hill Care homes took part in the survey in total. Wendy Waddicor, managing director of the Hill Care Group, said: “The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is a great activity for our residents to get involved in. “Everyone enjoyed making feeders and nesting boxes and then taking note of the flying visitors coming to their care home gardens. “They spotted loads of different species, which will help the RSPB to get a better idea of the bird populations in our areas.” The Hill Care Group operates care homes in Derbyshire and East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East and West of England. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Care home bookworms celebrate National Storytelling Week
BOOKWORMS at care homes across the North have been celebrating National Storytelling Week. Residents at Hill Care homes in Derbyshire and the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East and West have been sharing their favourite yarns and fondest memories. Year 5 pupils from Mandale Mill Primary School visited Mandale House Care Home, both in Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, to read their favourite stories to residents. Toddlers from Brookhill House Day Nursery, in Stapleford, were treated to tall tales and nursery rhymes when residents at Longmoor Lodge Care Home, in Sandiacre, paid them a visit. At Barnfield Care Home, in Chesterfield, residents took a trip to Holmewood Library to pick up novels and audiobooks. And at Bannatyne Lodge Care Home, in Peterlee, residents created their own short books about some of their fondest memories. More than two dozen Hill Care homes took part in National Storytelling Week, now in its 18th year, promoted by The Society For Storytelling. Wendy Waddicor, managing director of the Hill Care Group, said: “National Storytelling Week is a great opportunity to bring the young and elderly together, to share stories and memories or simply appreciate discussing a good novel. “Stories are enjoyed by all generations, in every medium, from a physical book to the audio version, whether read on a computer, smartphone or page. They help bring everyone together. “Reading a good book is, of course, a year-round activity but everyone at Hill Care is already looking forward to celebrating National Storytelling Week again next year.” The Hill Care Group operates care homes in Derbyshire and East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East and West of England. For further information visit www.hillcare.net. Images: 1. Bannatyne Lodge Care Home residents (from left) Joyce Lewis and Gladys Matthews share some of their favourite memories for National Storytelling Week, including meeting an ordained monk and a 50th wedding anniversary cruise. 2. Longmoor Lodge Care Home residents John Parker and Thelma Harwood share stories with the children of Brookhill House Day Nursery as part of National Storytelling Week.
HORIBA Medical’s unique POC CRP analyser reducing unnecessary admissions at Marlow & Thame
Lab-quality CRP combined with Full Blood Count results rapidly available in Frailty Assessment Hubs HORIBA UK Ltd, Medical announces that Thame and Marlow Community Hubs, within Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, have each recently installed HORIBA Medical’s latest point-of-care testing analyser, the Microsemi CRP. These new analysers are now streamlining existing diagnostic pathways in the community and helping to reduce local A&E admissions for frail patients. The Microsemi CRP is a compact and user-friendly ‘near-patient’ analyser which uniquely delivers a lab-accurate, 3-part differential full blood count (FBC) combined with a C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement from a single tiny 18μL whole blood sample within just 4 minutes. Information gathered from the analyser is of great value in determining the presence of bacterial infection and inflammation, and given the rapidity of results delivered, patients can receive the treatment they need straight away, or be referred appropriately and without delay. Opened in 2017, the new Frailty Assessment Hubs located at both Thame and Marlow Community Hospitals (alongside those already existing at Stoke Mandeville & Wycombe Hospitals), offer a ‘one-stop shop’ for frail patients in the locality to receive the care they need closer to home. These also have the added benefit of reducing pressure on the local acute sites by reducing unnecessary admissions – particularly during the busier winter months. Teams of elderly care consultants, nurses, therapists, paramedics and GPs are available on site to provide expert assessments, undertake tests and agree a treatment plan with patients. If required, they can refer patients to the right community or hospital team to provide ongoing support or treatment. Commenting on the beneficial impact of the Microsemi CRP analyser, Shelagh Wojtowicz, Staff Nurse at Marlow Community Hub, said, “Patients see it as an advantage. Before the analyser was installed, we sent our samples away via two collection slots. Of course, this meant that patients were not able to access their results until 1-2 days later, whereas now, we can perform a combined FBC and CRP, see a result within 4 minutes and take the relevant course of action almost immediately. It also means that patient samples don’t get lost.” Kate Lee, Lead Nurse, added, “Although the service is in its early days at Thame and Marlow, the impact that the implementation of these analysers has had on Stoke Mandeville ED and Wycombe’s Urgent Care Centre has been invaluable, especially in the winter months.” “We are delighted that the installation of the Microsemi CRP analyser at these vanguard Community Hub sites can enhance the quality of service delivered to patients. These instruments have become an integral part of improved, streamlined local healthcare by rapidly providing laboratory-quality results in a conveniently-accessible POC setting,” said Mandy Campbell, Sales & Marketing Manager, HORIBA UK. For more information on HORIBA UK ltd. Medical and its products, please visit: www.horiba.com/uk/medical.
