Experts Share Why Nutrition is Important for Older Adults
For older adults (65+), especially those with less mobility and cognitive function, it can be harder to produce healthy and nutritious meals regularly. And not getting the right nutritional intake can have a big impact on the body and mind. To raise awareness of this issue, Danforth Care Group have collaborated with Dr. Theocharis Ispoglou, a Leeds Beckett University Reader specialising in nutrition to discuss the importance of a highly nutritious diet, especially in older adults. Danforth’s chefs also share how you can help if you’re looking after someone at home to produce healthy and nutritious meals. The importance of nutrition “For older adults, prioritising a nutrient-rich diet is crucial,” says Dr Ispoglou . “As with anyone, older adults who do not consume the necessary nutrients our body needs – and in the correct amounts -can lead to a range of physical effects and health complications. This is due to the risk of sarcopenia, a muscle-wasting disorder, which is a key contributing factor to many diseases and health complications. “ “Poor nutrition can contribute to feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and lack of energy, which are common symptoms of depression; inadequate intake of essential nutrients can impair cognitive function and therefore increase the risk of cognitive decline and neurological disorders such as dementia.” Getting the right nutrition “If you’re looking after someone at home, ensure they have the support they need to be able to buy fresh food,” says Greta Hoxha, chef at the care home Heatherton House. “Make sure they have the right equipment to cook meals safely and have the correct glassware to stay hydrated. You can also support with cooking batch meals, as they are easier to then reheat for an older adult.” “At Danforth, we ensure that our menus are nutritionally well balanced”, says Greta. “We look at everything from protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and even colour so they have a visual appeal”. “It can also help to create meal plans around what your loved one likes to eat,” adds Louise Brown, head chef at Old Norse Lodge care home. “We hold monthly nutrition meetings with the residents, which allows them to give new ideas for menus and foods they wish to see on these.” “For those living with dementia who may not be able to express their likes and dislikes, we seek support and information from families to help us with this information.” The importance of hydration “Dehydration can impair cognitive functions such as memory, focus, and alertness, which in turn can affect daily life and overall well-being.” warns Dr. Ispoglou. “Hospitalisations, medical complications, and an increased risk of kidney and metabolic diseases are further consequences of not staying properly hydrated, and symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, and mood changes can disrupt daily activities.” “However, it is also important not to overlook the risks of overhydration, which can also have serious consequences. Overhydration can also affect cognitive function, causing confusion, disorientation, and in severe cases seizures or coma.” Getting the right hydration “To prevent dehydration and underhydration for older adults, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) recommends a daily water intake from drinks of about 1600 ml (approximately 6-7 cups) for women and 2000 ml (about 8-9 cups) for men,” says Dr Ispoglou. “While these recommendations relate to fluids consumed through drinks, it is important to note that about 20-30% of our hydration needs can be met through the consumption of water-rich foods such as soups, stews, fruits, and vegetables. Hence, achieving proper hydration in older individuals should involve a balanced intake of both water from drinks and water-rich foods.” adds Dr. Ispoglou. “If you’re looking after a loved one at home, to ensure they stay hydrated, ensure a minimum of two drinks are offered with each meal, and offer tea and cold drinks throughout the day. Make sure they have access to a drink at all times, and record the amount they have consumed,” recommends Chef Louise Brown.
Wigan care home win two titles
Celebrations are taking place at HC-One’s Westwood Lodge care home, in Wigan, after winning double this awards season, including ‘Care Setting of the Year’ and ‘Deputy Home Manager of the Year’ at the annual Wigan Borough Palliative and End of Life Awards. The awards ceremony took place on Friday, October 11 at Leigh Sports Village. This event showcases and celebrates all the amazing healthcare professionals in the Wigan borough, who go above and beyond to make a difference to the people they care for at the end of life. Many HC-One colleagues at the nursing care home had been nominated in different categories for their kindness and care shown to people receiving end of life care. Eight colleagues attended the event, including Michelle Quinn, who snapped up the ‘Deputy Manager Award’. Westwood Lodge also walked away with the prestigious ‘Care Setting of the Year’ award. Karen McGrady, Home Manager at Westwood Lodge, commented: “We are committed to working in partnership with external providers to deliver the best possible care for our residents and to building on this success by continuing to develop our team’s skills with training and support from the hospice. “The trophies and certificates are now proudly displayed in Westwood Lodge’s reception area and are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team. We are all so pleased for Michelle, the award is very much deserved. I am very proud. What an amazing team to work with.” https://www.hc-one.co.uk/carehomes/westwood-lodge.aspx
Cake4Kindness Day
Many of us want to help to make a difference to others but don’t know where to start. Cake4Kindness is a simple way to make that difference without needing to raise a penny. Bake a cake, pass it on, spread the kindness -that’s all it takes 21st November 2024 will mark Cake4Kindness Day with its vision to alleviate loneliness and social isolation for those experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable groups, through the distribution of cakes. Cake4Kindness Day 2024 is a day to come together and bake in your community, with friends, family, work colleagues and through conscious giving donate those bakes with local homeless charities to build local relationships whilst helping to create a more inclusive, kinder and supportive community. Last year for Cake4Kindness Day, the first Cake4Kindness Day the initiative saw many businesses including care homes, schools and other organisations take part, baking cupcakes and decorating them as a team, then choosing a local homeless charity or food bank to distribute them to as an act of giving, with over 1400 cupcakes distributed on this day. This year the organiser of the initiative wishes to double the outreach within our community with your help, and invites you to join in. Neel Radia, Founder for Cake4Kindness said “Homeless people experience some of the highest rates of loneliness and isolation amongst the UK population and lack the companionship that many of us take for granted. Our community project works in bringing people together to bake together, and through conscious giving share what we bake with those experiencing homelessness. It’s incredible to see how something as small as a cupcake, something that we take for granted can make such a positive impact for the individual receiving it and how this helps to generate conversation. Cake4Kindness Day has been set up to allow others across the community to get involved and support charities more local to them, so together we can make more connections, and spread more kindness together”. This year Cake4Kindness Day has received support from industry partners including, EF-Group, Avery Collection, Oyster Care Homes, TLC Care Group, Signature Dining and Raj Foods. If you would like to get involved in your local community for Cake4Kindness Day please visit https://www.cake4kindness.org
Young people working in social care are ‘essential’
Two Assistant Psychologists (APs) at HC-One Scotland’s Darnley Court care home, in Glasgow, believe that young people working in social care is “essential” for supporting the complex needs of an ageing population. Following the launch of the care home’s ‘Carmichael’ Specialist Dementia Care Community (SDCC) earlier this year, colleagues at the home have implemented a more therapeutic approach to dementia care, placing young Assistant Psychologists like Maria and Abigail at the heart of the solution. As psychology graduates who aspire to become Clinical Psychologists, Maria and Abigail require experience before they apply for training courses to get their appropriate qualifications. Working with residents directly in an innovative SDCC environment has not only provided them with an excellent opportunity to learn and develop within a care home environment, but their contributions and efforts have been to the benefit of many residents. Maria McGinlay, Assistant Psychologist at Darnley Court care home, said: “Young people in care are essential as they’re the future. With an ageing population and even more people in care homes affected by dementia over the next ten years, we need even more young people to get involved in the sector. “I have personal experience with dementia in my own family and I think this not only helps drive me to do everything I can for the care of every resident, but it also means that I can use what I learn at work when I’m supporting members of my own family. “At HC-One, everything that I’ve said has been taken on board and I feel valued, and we feel as though our work is having a real impact on the lives of the residents.” Working closely with Darnley Court’s Dementia Specialist Lead, Rosamma Matthew, the young APs have been integrated as part of the core care team, observing behaviour and recording distress to discover what might trigger or cause each person to feel upset or angry. Subsequently, the APs use this information for de-escalation intervention to prevent this from occurring. People living with dementia may become frustrated by not being able to verbally communicate well, being frightened by misinterpreting a situation and upset by their loss of independence. This can then make them become physically or verbally defensive, or sometimes withdrawn. Through their observations, the young APs can enhance the way the home supports people who display distressed behaviour. As core members of the care team, they help design bespoke wellbeing interventions, as well as engaging them in everyday opportunities such as reminiscing, giving them a relaxing hand massage, playing familiar songs or going for a walk in the garden to help or stop someone from becoming stressed or distressed. This is completely unique to the SDCC model, and it means that every resident’s care plan is personalised and clinically evidence-based. Professor Graham Stokes, Director of Dementia Care at HC-One, commented: “Assistant Psychologists enable us to bring to life our commitment to understanding why people we care for in our SDCCs are distressed, present with behaviours that carers find challenging and concerning, or present as disengaged and apathetic. “Attracting these young graduates to HC-One not only means we’re tapping into new ways of psychological thinking but we’re also gaining a fresh set of eyes that can question accepted practice and bring new insights.” For young people like Abigail and Maria, both 23-years-old, entering these roles early in their careers in social care, to support an SDCC model will help them develop within a framework that enables them to learn how to engage compassionately with residents and build confidence in handling complex behaviours. In Scotland alone, It is estimated that between 2019 – 2040 there will be a 104 per cent increase in the number of people living with severe dementia meaning that care homes will need to introduce new ways of supporting those experiencing symptoms of dementia. The SDCC model is just one of the pioneering ways in which dementia care can be advanced for its residents. By using a person-centred approach, every care plan or document associated with resident is made with their desires and best interests at the forefront. This approach values the person with dementia while striving to maintain and support the abilities that they possess while helping the resident in situations where things are becoming trickier. When faced with more difficult situations, an AP’s job is to look deeper into the behaviour and not just see the situation as it was, but to look further something that comes naturally to the young and curious minds of HC-One’s Assistant Psychologists. Abigail Graham, Assistant Psychologist at Darnley Court care home, stated: “We differ a lot compared to other services because at HC-One we have more responsibility and opportunity to see residents before they come in and have a say in if they should be admitted into our homes. “We use our pre-assessment tool which we’ve been using a lot recently as we welcomed our first resident at the start of September. We do data analysis and interpretation, which we will do more and more of as we get to really know the residents in the home. “As young people, we can add a new perspective in social care on how to understand people and that helps everyone in the care home especially residents.” The relationships that the young care workers form within the home are particularly pertinent. Maria is often called a “pal”, demonstrating the bond that can be struck within the community. At HC-One, the young APs have been provided an opportunity to gain valuable work experience in social care, as well as by working with people with chronic and enduring dementia care needs. While the experience is particularly valuable to the young APs, their ability to offer a new perspective and inject fresh ideas into the care home has helped Darnley Court and others to offer even more exceptional and kinder care to all residents. https://www.hc-one.co.uk/carehomes/darnley-court
Musical resources to support people living with dementia
Researchers at the University of Roehampton have created an innovative set of resources – a website and cards – called Take Note, that feature 100 music-based ideas for carers to use with older people and those living with dementia. Created by Dr Fi Costa and Professor Adam Ockelford from the University of Roehampton, the set is based on the findings of over 50 research studies about the relationship between music and dementia such as music having the power to awaken old skills, enable the learning of new ones and rekindle memories. The extensive research findings have been incorporated into the tactile musical resources and presented in a simple, easy-to-access and use format. The main objective of the Take Note resources is to encourage and equip those working with older people to use music effectively and without the need for extensive preparation or training. Music is now understood to be a powerful tool to help people with dementia to develop and maintain social relationships and improve their wellbeing. Music can help people with dementia to engage in group activities, express their feelings and stories, and reduce distress. The resources, which have been in development for four years, are a key milestone in an extended research project by Dr Costa and Professor Ockelford. Since 2022, the strategies have been piloted by the Cinnamon Care Collection in five of their care homes in London, Hampshire and East Sussex: Eden Court, Rectory Court, Leah Lodge, Mornington Court and Earlsfield Court. The website will be accessible at www.takenote.org.uk from Tuesday 22nd October. It features more than 50 videos which showcase how the musical activities can work: The cards are available to buy through Amazon, Routledge, Waterstones, Abe Books and other major booksellers and retailers. They will be available for purchase by music practitioners and therapists working in hospitals or daycare centres to use in their day to day activities for patients, as well as for home and personal use by people looking for ways to effectively use music to enrich the experience of family members who have dementia. Professor Adam Ockelford, Professor of Music and Director of the Applied Music Research Centre at the University of Roehampton, said: “Having worked on a number of music projects in care homes over several years, we saw the need to help care homes provide effective music interventions for their residents. There is a general understanding that music is helpful for older people, particularly those with dementia. However, relatively few care homes know what music to use or how to deliver it. That is why we are so excited to see the rollout of the Take Note resources, and how these can help the elderly and those living with dementia.” Geoff Pride, Engagement and Activities Manager at the Cinnamon Care Collection, said: “We are delighted to be supporting research that can assist us in improving and developing our ‘Activities and Dementia Care’. We have been aware for some time as to how music and singing bring such joy to so many of our residents, create a very powerful platform for communication and enhance the atmosphere in our Homes, which in turn benefits our team members through enjoyment and motivation. It seemed like a wonderful opportunity to work with the University of Roehampton to enhance our knowledge and skills in this area.” The Take Note resources will be officially launched on 22 October 2024 at the ‘Take Note Conference’ at the University of Roehampton. For more information visit the newly launched Take Note website.
Charity Santa Walk Raises over £400 for Hull Dementia Care
With 66 days to go until Christmas, the festive season started early at a Hull-based dementia care home with a sponsored charity Santa walk. The event, at Overton House, saw 40 participants, including 10 residents, staff members, family and friends, all donning their best festive attire for a short walk around Cottingham. Even dogs joined in the fun, making it a memorable day for all involved which raised £403 in total for the charity Santa walk. The walk, which was organised to raise money for the residents’ fund, was followed by a tombola and refreshments back at Overton House, where residents, their relatives, staff and other members of the local community continued the festive inspired afternoon. Margaret Walker, home manager of Overton House, which is owned and managed by Yorkshire headquartered social care group HICA, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with how many people came to support the Santa fun walk. It’s wonderful to see our residents, staff and the community come together to raise funds that will directly benefit our residents. The festive spirit was truly in the air, and we’re looking forward to putting the funds raised to good use.” The money raised will go towards organising specialised activities for the residents, from day trips to in-house entertainment, ensuring that they can continue to enjoy a variety of meaningful and engaging experiences. For more information about Overton House, visit: https://www.hica-uk.com/care-homes/overton-house/
It’s a family affair!
Residents from Bernard Sunley, the residential, nursing and dementia care home in Woking, Surrey and clients from the Woking Day Care Service which are both run by charity Friends of the Elderly, have been going head to head in their monthly family affair cup game of Family Fortunes. Each month, the care teams recreate the iconic family TV game show for the residents and clients to enjoy. It has become quite competitive as the teams work together to correctly answer as many of the open-ended survey questions as possible, with the winning team taking the coveted Challenge Cup. “The Challenge Cup goes to the monthly winning team – either the Bernard Sunley Residents or the Woking Day Care Clients,” said Monika Ahmed, one of the Activity Coordinators at the care home. “The monthly Family Fortunes Challenge Cup is now one of the must do activities on the calendar. The games are always highly spirited and great fun, especially when the acting compare says the legendary words ‘Our Survey Said….’, there’s always a resounding ‘Uh-Uh’ like the famous TV computerised sound when wrong answers are given. It has everyone giggling.” “We have slightly adapted the traditional game, so our two teams – Bernard Sunley and Woking Day Care – do not have to stand up in turn and answer a question, it’s the first team to shout out an answer,” said Fran Simpson, the Manager at Woking Day Care. “The questions are the same as the TV show with our teams having to guess the results of open-ended survey questions which 100 people have been asked. Such as ‘We asked 100 people to name a sport played with a ball’, or ‘We asked 100 people to name a breed of dog’,” added Ewelina Wagner, one of the Activities Coordinators at Bernard Sunley. The much loved television family game show originally aired from 1980 to 2002 on ITV. It was hosted by Bob Monkhouse from 1980 to 1983 and later in 1983, by Max Bygraves, who hosted the show until 1985. When Family Fortunes came back in 1987, it was hosted by Les Dennis until 2002. A celebrity version followed from 2006 to 2015 with Gino D’Acampo taking over as host when the programme returned to the television in 2020. “The Family Fortunes Challenge is actually a great reminiscing activity for the clients and residents,” continued Fran. “The residents and clients remember the original Family Fortunes with much affection and often natter about Bob Monkhouse, Max Bygraves and Les Dennis and the other shows they remember them hosting like the Golden Shot, Celebrity Squares, Russ Abbott’s Mad House and The Laughter Show.” Monika, Ewelina and Fran create a wide and varied range of meaningful activities for the residents and clients at Bernard Sunley Care Home and Woking Day Care to take part in. “We are all focused on enhancing the residents’ and clients’ days with interesting, engaging, inclusive and person-centred activities,” continued Monika. “The activities we run are varied and tailored to the residents’ and clients’ individual likes, preferences, favourite pastimes and hobbies. We all try to ensure that there is something for everyone to take part in and enjoy.” At Bernard Sunley, in addition to the monthly Family Fortunes Challenge Cup, the activities include a Boules Club, quizzes, Scrabble Club, arts and crafts sessions, exercise classes, Dominoes, Bingo, food tasting, Cooking Club, card games, musical entertainment, themed afternoons, afternoon teas and movie nights. “We also have individual or group games on our large interactive ‘Rainbow’ tablet screen and the very popular interactive armchair travel around the world trips, which take place in the HMS Bernard Sunley Cruise Lounge,” added Ewelina. Friends of the Elderly’s Woking Day Care Service cares for and supports older people who are living with dementia and a range of age-related conditions and Fran works hard to give clients a great day, every day, despite them living with dementia. “In addition to all our meaningful, interactive and inclusive activities, I also host the monthly ‘Have Your Say’ session,” continued Fran. “This is a great way for clients and their families to give feedback on how they think the activities at the day care centre have gone, what they think worked, what they enjoyed, what they want to see more of and what they feel didn’t work. “This constructive feedback has enabled me to introduce a number of new initiatives such as our Afternoon Walking Club and a Past Histories Game which is tailored to the non-verbal clients or clients who find it hard to converse.” “The monthly Family Fortunes Challenge Cup gets everyone animated and enthused,” added Monika. “Ewelina, Fran and I take it in turns as Games Master or Compare, and it is truly wonderful to see each client and resident engaged and enjoying the competition.” Currently, the Bernard Sunley Team is on top of the Challenge Cup leaderboard. “The Woking Day Care Team is ready for the next game,” said Fran. “They are really looking forward to taking part and are full of fun, competition fighting talk.” “The Bernard Sunley Team won’t sit on their laurels. They don’t want to hand over the Challenge Cup. Roll on the next game and may the best team win,” concluded a smiling Monika. Every day, Monika, Ewelina and Fran make sure they have activities tailored to what each resident or client wants to do, when they want to do it. https://www.fote.org.uk/
Improving care for older people worldwide
A leading expert in health and social care for older people from Northumbria University has shared his views on what could be done to improve care for older people at a special event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Peter Lloyd Sherlock, Professor of Gerontology and Global Health is a leading authority on public policy for older people in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Having previously held positions at the World Health Organization and the UK Department for International Development, he was invited to speak at the United Nations at an event bringing together experts to discuss policies, legislations and practices that strengthen care and support systems for older people worldwide. Professor Lloyd-Sherlock used his presentation to stress the urgency for societies and governments to start taking robust and concerted measures to meet older people’s health and care needs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Highlighting the issues individuals, families and healthcare systems face as society ages, Professor Lloyd-Sherlock called on governments worldwide to act quickly to address the issue. He explained: “In many low and middle-income countries the numbers of older people will nearly treble over the next generation. As somebody from a high-income country, I’m often told these families will continue to provide for the health and care needs of all their old and young, but this cannot be an excuse for government inaction. “Growing numbers of family carers, mainly women, are left to shoulder ever growing burdens of care responsibility without support from the state. Governments must stop denying that this is just a family issue; a private responsibility without any need for public action on a grand scale.” He called on governments and the private sector to do more to promote healthy ageing. “I am keen to avoid language around the “problem” of ageing as this can promote ageism and negative attitudes towards later life, but on the other hand, the danger of complacency is very great,” he said. “Generally, the health of older populations is not improving, especially for the poor, yet there are many simple and affordable things that could be implemented now which could make a big difference in averting unnecessary suffering and increasingly overwhelmed health and social care systems. We must not deny the massive scale of the consequences of not taking action now.” Professor Lloyd-Sherlock, who is based in Northumbria’s Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, travelled to the United Nations event direct from Brazil, where he has been evaluating a pioneering community-based care programme which has had a significant impact on individuals. Programa Maior Cuidado provides trained family care support to people living in the country’s poorest and most vulnerable neighbourhoods. Initially launched in the city of Belo Horizonte, the programme has proven to be highly effective, with strong evidence that it improves the quality of life for older people and their family carers and also reduces unnecessary hospitals stays. The results have been so positive that politicians have announced that the scheme is being scaled up across Brazil. He praised the impact of the scheme, saying: “there are many things we can do which are often quite simple and affordable, but they can make a big difference. Inspiring actions already being taken by some countries, as we see in Brazil, for example, provide evidence and guidance about what can and, perhaps more importantly, must be done on a far greater scale. “If proper action is not taken soon enough then achieving health for all will remain an impossible dream, as will many of the other UN SDG targets,” he warned. The full United Nations Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide event is available to view on UN Web TV. Professor Lloyd-Sherlock’s presentation can be viewed from just after two hours into the session at 02:01:15. Northumbria University is dedicated to reducing health and social inequalities, contributing to the regional and national workforce and improving social, economic and health outcomes for the most marginalised in society. Through its new Centre for Health and Social Equity, known as CHASE, the University will bring together researchers who are working to deliver world-leading health and social equity research and creating innovative, evidence-based policies and data-driven solutions to bring impactful change across the region, the UK and globally. Its aim is to develop and harness Northumbria’s research, education and knowledge exchange expertise to help meet the health and social needs of multiple stakeholders and communities in the city, region and beyond.
Devon care home group wins outstanding care credentials
The Southern Healthcare family of four care homes in Devon care home group, has become the first group in the country to have achieved four outstanding accreditations for dementia care from a highly regarded organisation which specialises in auditing the care industry. Southern Healthcare, which owns award-winning homes in Devon care home group in, Exeter, Plymouth, Dawlish, and Seaton, has won the accolade for its Butterfly and Dragonfly programmes from Meaningful Care Matters. Meaningful Care Matters Auditors Sally Knocker and Nancy Cunningham said: “To achieve the highest level of Butterfly and Dragonfly accreditation, all four homes demonstrated a whole team approach to making each moment matter for every individual. As one of their activity coordinators said, “We could make the opening of a bag of crisps a big thing here!” ” Founded in 2019, MCM aims to change the culture of care by ensuring people have purpose, are empowered to be themselves and have meaningful relationships within their care setting. MCM rate care providers on the care environment, the individual care plans (including the use of medication) and the meaningful relationships between staff and residents. Those care providers who demonstrate a high number of meaningful interactions against a long list of criteria, are awarded the status of a Butterfly Home. The auditors went on to say: “The homes have perfected the art of creating a true sense of home and family, where no one gets forgotten, and the environment is full of pictures, objects and items linked to people’s life stories and interests. Meaningful Care Matters is proud to partner with Southern Healthcare in celebrating that people in care homes can be ‘Free to be Me’ and do still live a good life supported by a fantastic team.” The Dragonfly programme has several key features including creating a high-quality person-centred care environment that has a sense of home, where staff do not wear uniforms and are comfortable with being in the company of residents (rather than merely performing tasks for them). Activities are organically integrated into all parts of the day and all team members play a role (including housekeeping, food services and maintenance). Families, children, and animals are welcome as informal and regular visitors, not just for special occasions. Geoffrey Cox, the Managing Director of Southern Healthcare, said: “A Level 1 Outstanding rating from Meaningful Care Matters is an amazing outcome. I feel very humbled to hear the auditors speaking of witnessing the huge love our teams feel for the people they support and how much they care. This is a testament not only to the quality of the skills and knowledge of the people in our team, but also to their compassion, heart, and meaningful connection to the people they are caring for. https://www.southernhealthcare.co.uk/why-choose-us/
