Fears for wound care patients after COVID pandemic
Around 28% of patients are managing their own wounds due to the pandemic, according to a new report.[ii] One in fifty people in Britain – around 3.8 million – currently rely on wound care services, but variation in standards means patients are having mixed experiences of care across the country. The new report, published today, has been jointly produced by The Patients Association and Mölnlycke; it calls for action to ensure people living with a chronic wound are not forgotten by healthcare leaders in the service recovery, and that both patients and nurses are involved in discussions about wound care service redesign post-pandemic. The report highlights the impact that chronic wounds can have on patients, both physically and mentally. It also reveals how many patients were forced to manage their own wounds throughout the pandemic, finding that while some had a level of confidence in doing this, a large proportion (30%) did not.[iii] Commenting on the report, Rachel Power, Chief Executive of The Patients Association said: “This report shows the impact the pandemic is having on patients who live with a chronic wound and need wound care services to stay well and active. In England, many of these patients have had to manage their own care or access support remotely. The report makes it clear that many found managing on their own hard. “The brighter news is that some patients found they liked being in control of their own wound care, while still having the remote support of nurses. The report shows how important it is for healthcare professionals to work in partnership with patients to understand their needs. Practising patient partnership and shared decision making are the way to make wound care work for the 3.8 million people living with a chronic wound.” The majority (88%) of nurses fear that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on wound care services as they struggle to cope with the pressures of the pandemic, such as staff being redeployed to other services. Eight out of ten nurses also expressed concern about the delays to seeing patients that COVID-19 has caused, which they worry are affecting patient outcomes.[iv]Sarah Gardner, Independent Tissue Viability Consultant, WoundMatters Ltd and Trustee of the Society of Tissue Viability: “As we recover from the pandemic and consider how wound care services should be designed, we shouldn’t just assume that changes made in the middle of a crisis will remain suitable at all other times. Instead, we should take time to reflect on what worked well and not so well, have a conversation around what patients actually need, and then redesign services that are based on innovation, collaboration and patient partnership.” The report calls for action to drive change in a way that works best for patients and staff, by listening to their experiences of the pandemic to bring positive innovation to wound care services. Oliver Law, Business Director, Wound Care and UK&I General Manager at Mölnlycke said: “Going back to business as usual is just not an option – wound care services were under strain before the pandemic hit. It is vital that as services rebuild in the wake of the pandemic that the voice of both patients and HCPs is heard – and Mölnlycke are committed to supporting this every step of the way.” The report is the first part of a Mölnlycke project aimed at improving the provision of wound care services for both patients and those delivering care.
FRIENDS OF THE ELDERLY ENCOURAGING TEAMS TO ‘UNMIND’ Charity Boosts Its Commitment To Staff Wellbeing
Friends of the Elderly, the charity which runs care homes, day care services and a grant giving service for older people living on low incomes, has continued to build on its commitment to its teams by expanding upon its Wellbeing Pledge and introducing a new online workplace mental health platform. Through engaging with the Unmind platform, the charity is empowering all its employees to proactively measure, understand and improve their mental wellbeing and see, first hand, how it can, and will, change over time. The outcomes and results of the collected – anonymous – data will help the management team to make more informed decisions about wellbeing of the charity’s workforce. The team at Unmind collaborates with clinicians, authors and academics to provide interactive digital tools that encourage and promote all aspects of mental wellbeing. From sleep to calmness, fulfilment to happiness, the platform can be accessed and used from any device – a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone – at any time the member of staff needs it. Commenting on the Unmind platform, Friends of the Elderly’s Head of Human Resources, Mathew Yates said: “The wellbeing of our teams is our top priority. Respecting everyone’s individual needs albeit physical, emotional, mental or occupational is essential to us. Working in the care sector and caring for others is so important as well as rewarding; however, it can also be very challenging and put a strain on a person’s mental health and wellbeing. At Friends of the Elderly we recognise this important issue and have made it our priority to ensure that our teams’ mental and physical wellbeing, health and welfare are looked after. “By using the Unmind platform, our teams can easily access a wide range of proactive mental health and wellbeing exercises, courses and tools to help and support their own, specific needs. “This could be mindfulness meditations and breathing exercises, sleep melodies, storytelling, yoga or healthy recipes. Being able to do this wherever they are, at whatever time of the day or night helps an individual to relax, focus, unwind and recharge.” Back in 2020, the charity hosted a series of employee workshops to discover and put into action, how it could deliver better support and improve wellbeing in the workplace for each team member. The feedback from the workshops led to the creation of the Friends of the Elderly’s Wellbeing Pledge, which outlines the charity’s ethos, values, future and ongoing plans to ensure its teams’ workplace wellbeing. Using and maximising the new Unmind platform is an additional element to the Pledge and continues to reaffirm the charity’s commitment to everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing. Rachel North, the charity’s Learning and Development Advisor added: “Unmind is an extremely useful, easy to use tool. Another feature we have utilised is the ability for the charity to add bespoke signposting information to our internal support systems such as our Employee Assistance Programme, the HR Team, Learning & Development Team support and to the financial support that we offer our staff. “Apart from our bespoke signposting function, we have extended the rest of the Unmind platform to family members of our teams. This has been very well received – and used. For example, my Mum uses it on a daily basis and thoroughly loves it. Another unique feature is the ability to send praise to your colleagues, to say thank you and show how they have inspired you. I’ve definitely found this a lovely tool to use.” Mathew concluded: “Our Wellbeing Pledge was the first step in our wellbeing journey as an organisation and adding Unmind is another valuable component in our ongoing commitments to our valued teams.”
St Bartholomew’s Hospital welcomes the public for first in-person View Day for two years, ahead of 900th anniversary in 2023
St Bartholomew’s, the UK’s oldest working hospital, has today opened its doors to the public for the first in-person View Day since the pandemic began in a tradition which has endured for at least 471 years. Dating back to King Henry VIII, the traditional purpose of View Day was to connect the community with the work of the hospital, including a formal inspection of its patients, property and services. Back then, patients were walked through the city streets so that citizens might see them and make donations towards their care. In modern times, View Day is an opportunity for City residents and the wider East London community which the NHS hospital proudly serves, to hear about its vital work and how staff plan to mark St Bartholomew’s 900th anniversary in 2023. Guests can join tours of the hospital, including the North Wing featuring the magnificent Great Hall and Hogarth staircase. Built in the 1700s, the North Wing is the focus of a multi-million pound restoration project lead by the charity Barts Heritage. There will also be entertainment in the hospital square and stalls run by organisations who work across the hospital campus, followed by an evening service at the historic Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great which was founded in the same year. Held on the second Wednesday in May every year, View Day comes just a few months before the hospital celebrates its 900th birthday in 2023. To mark this incredible milestone, an ambitious fundraising campaign – called Barts900 – has been launched. Barts Charity, the hospital’s charity partner, aims to raise £30 million to build two state-of-the-art healthcare facilities – a dedicated centre for breast surgery at St Bartholomew’s and a clinical research facility at The Royal London Hospital (also part of the Barts NHS Health Trust). These will transform care for millions of Londoners, whilst boosting the hospital’s reputation as a centre of excellence. The Barts900 campaign, which brings together the past, present and future of this iconic institution, will unite the entire Barts Family, including Barts Health NHS Trust, Barts Charity, Barts Heritage and St Bartholomew’s the Great Church, to mark this first-of-its-kind milestone for a UK hospital. More events and celebrations will be announced as the anniversary year approaches. St Bartholomew’s Hospital chief executive Professor Charles Knight OBE said: “After two tough years battling Covid, it is wonderful to invite the public back. View Day has always been about connecting the hospital to our community, and we are celebrating this unique relationship again today. To welcome people back on the eve of our 900th birthday makes it all the more special.” Nickie Aiken, MP for Cities of London and Westminster said: “I’m delighted to attend St Bartholomew’s first in person View day since the start of the pandemic. It is an honour to meet and thank the hardworking staff who have worked tirelessly during the difficult Covid period. Barts plays a huge part within its community and I look forward to celebrating its 900th anniversary next year.”
Why care homes need to pay attention to increasing water rates.
In April 2022, business water rates will increase due to the bad debt accumulated throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Ofwat, the water regulator, has introduced the price rise to protect business water suppliers by allowing them to pass on the cost of bad debt to their customers. Most English care homes have never switched water suppliers. Most business decision-makers are not even aware that changing water suppliers is possible. Businesses that have never switched water suppliers pay out of contract business water rates with their default supplier. Default water rates increase each year slightly as the cost of maintaining the water network increases. April 2022 is different; not only will care homes be hit with inflationary increases in water rates they will also be charged more due to Ofwat’s decision to raise prices. You can do two things to combat these price hikes: one is to switch business water suppliers, and the other is to reduce your water consumption as a business. To compare business water suppliers and switch to a new deal, click here. How to reduce your water rates For care homes, it’s imperative to be running a business that uses water efficiently and drives down the cost of any bills. Here are a few tips to help you reduce your water consumption and lower your bills. Use water efficiency devices. Using water efficiency devices like tap aerators reduces the annual consumption of water. Consider using flush efficiency devices to reduce the amount of water needed to flush toilets on your premises.
CoolCare Releases Major Software Update
Less than a year after its official launch in June 2018, care home software provider CoolCare has updated its CoolCare4 product with a major release. The CoolCare 4.2 release includes a redesigned staff calendar and the ability to export custom made reports into Excel, alongside a wide range of smaller improvements across the system. Commenting on this milestone in the software’s development, CoolCare Tech Director, Leigh Ellis, said: “Using the latest software development techniques means we are now able to make improvements and release them to our customers on a regular basis. Since our launch, we’ve made a series of smaller update releases but 4.2 is our biggest to date. It follows initial positive user feedback about our staff calendar and how it was helping them drive improvements in their home. We’ve therefore given it an even stronger focus on managing training compliance in an even more intuitive way. Direct access to data has also been a frequent request from customers. CoolCare has a suite of reports already so by making CoolCare4’s custom-built reports exportable to Excel as well as PDF, CoolCare customers will be able to tap further into that wealth of data they have acquired. It gives care providers the flexibility to be able to sort and analyse the data available exactly as their business requires.” CoolCare has as full roadmap of planned development which is automatically provided to CoolCare4 customers through the regular, often fortnightly, updates. The roadmap remains under constant review, listening to the needs of the sector and ensuring the highest priority features are developed first. Taking this approach gives CoolCare great flexibility in adjusting its plans in the face of the ever-changing realities of the social care sector. To find out more about CoolCare4 please visit: www.coolcare4.co.uk<http://www.coolcare4.co.uk/>
Go Green with these Eco-Conscious Alternatives
With more and more government bills being passed to urge businesses to become greener, you may be trying to find ways to make your care or nursing home more eco-conscious too. There are numerous ways you can achieve this which are as follows: Green Cleaning with InnuScience Due to the use of commercial chemicals, finding environmentally conscious ways to clean can be difficult. They are notorious for being harmful for the environment if spilled and any cleaning solutions which promote eco-credentials normally carry a higher cost. However, we at Alliance would promote the green cleaning power of the range offered by InnuScience. InnuScience were founded in 1992 with their vision and goal to be to harness nature and produce cleaning chemicals designed to be harmless to the environment with minimal waste production. The company is at the forefront of eco-cleaning and by way of their research and development team they utilise biotechnology in their products. Regarding their cleaning products the biotechnology comes in the form of microbes and enzymes which tackle dirt, grease and grime whilst also eliminating odours as well. Their range of products also boast their dragonfly hallmark which acts as a sign of their biotechnology and eco-credentials. The range of products helps users cut through dirt with ease without impacting the immediate ecosystem of the surrounding area. InnuScience pledge that their cleaning products are safe for the environment and through their research contribute towards a clean and sustainable future for all. Eco-Cloths from Chicopee Having green cleaning chemicals is a great start to pushing your care home towards a more environmentally positive future, but don’t stop there. If you are wiping down surfaces with an eco-solution it makes sense to also use an equally eco-friendly cloth too. Enter the J-Cloth 3000 by Chicopee. The cloths offer users a range of benefits including both biodegradability and a compostable structure. In addition, the manufacturer has gone one step further and made the packaging compostable too. The benefits are not just based on their environmentally friendly nature, they are also brilliant at cleaning. Its open weave structure is not just key to its environmental credentials, but also makes it a marvel when it comes to picking up dirt. The wavy nature of the material provides excellent food, dirt and dust pick up and the cloths also work brilliantly on all surfaces with a wide range of chemical solutions. Cheeky Panda’s Paper Range Paper hygiene is a huge part of running a residential or care establishment, so why not look to invest in a more environmentally friendly option? One of the most eco-conscious ranges of paper products on the market at present is Cheeky Panda’s. The range includes toilet roll and two tissue options with one being in a square box, the other rectangular. The toilet paper is a 3-ply product and is 100% hypoallergenic whilst also being free of pesticides, fertiliser and fragrance. Its packaging is also recyclable whilst the paper itself is completely biodegradable. The tissues follow the same mantra with them also being free of pesticides, fertiliser and fragrance offering your care institute a low carbon and sustainable solution to paper hygiene. At Alliance Online, we understand that running a care, nursing or residential home is challenging enough on its own. Equally, we appreciate budgets must be met whilst the costs of energy and inflation are increasing However, with the environment becoming a larger and more internationally discussed issue it is within most businesses interest to start sourcing some eco-products. The ranges mentioned in this article do not carry a huge increase in price compared with industry standard options meaning you can make changes now without too large an impact. We are proud to work alongside eco-suppliers and promote their environmental products to our customers to help them achieve their own green goals. To view our full range of environmental products click here. Equally, download our Environmentally Conscious Guide now to see how we can help you.
Social-Ability brings Happiness
London, 20 April 2022: Social-Ability, a social venture aimed at supporting the lives of people living with cognitive challenges such as dementia, has announced its partnership with Wolverhampton Council and Durham County Council to introduce its Happiness Programme to care homes and day services across the districts. The deals include the provision of Social-Ability’s Happiness Programme to 5 care homes in Wolverhampton, along with 10 care homes and day centres in Durham. Social-Ability’s Happiness Programme is a holistic therapy for people living with cognitive challenges such as dementia, aiming to improve care outcomes and individuals’ wellbeing. The programme uses interactive light technology, via a projector called the magic table 360, to project images onto a surface allowing those with care needs to play games, listen to music, and interact with pictures. This technology facilitates social, sensory, and cognitive activity, encouraging people to play games with each other, with the aim of improving their wellbeing through keeping them active and social. Each activity on the projector has a different purpose, with some, such as the Happy Memories feature, allowing family members to share pictures with their loved ones in care homes, stimulating reminiscence that is particularly beneficial for people living with dementia. The Happiness Programme has played a vital role throughout the pandemic, as care home residents and those living with care needs out in society have been some of the people most affected by lockdowns. For many, it’s been vital in providing meaningful and stimulating activity, sustaining the wellbeing of residents and easing the workload and pressure of care workers. Dementia is particularly prevalent in UK care homes, and the condition is expected to grow in the coming years, with the latest findings from the Lancet Public Health predicting a trebling of cases by 2050. With the NHS already facing a backlog of 50,000, it is crucial that councils are making the necessary investments to help mitigate the impact of dementia. John Ramsay, Managing Director of Social-Ability, said: “We welcome the investments from Wolverhampton and Durham councils to bring the Happiness Programme to local care homes and day centres. It is fantastic to be delivering positive, feel-good change all across the country and hear from care staff and residents about the substantial difference the technology has made. We look forward to continuing our relationships with these councils and hope to further expand the programme across the country.”
“I told Brunelcare they were the only family I had and they offered me a job at the charity”
“I told Brunelcare they were the only family I had and they offered me a job at the charity” Phil, 85, previously received home care visits from Brunelcare to assist him in caring for his poorly wife, Friedl. After her passing, and Phil’s declaration that Brunelcare were the only family he had, he now works at the charity as a Community Support Worker three times a week, helping Brunelcare customers across South Gloucestershire with their shopping and day-to-day tasks. Phil said: “After Friedl passed away, I felt like I was at a loose end, not only did I lose my wife of 47-years, but I also lost the magnificent carers that would come and visit Friedl and I. So I started volunteering at a day centre. The centre then closed due to Covid and the South Gloucestershire team didn’t want to lose me, so offered me a role at the charity I simply couldn’t turn down! Friedl was visited in her home by the South Gloucestershire Community Care team for eight years. Friedl’s primary carer, Cherry, was a massive support to both Phil and Friedl, and after her passing, Cherry knew Phil needed some additional support. Cherry said: “I could see that Phil was giving up hope but I knew he still had so much more to give. So I suggested he volunteer at Brunelcare, he started driving the buses and volunteering at some of our sites. Obviously, our customers loved him, and then Clare, the Operations at South Glos then offered him a role as a Community Support Worker.” Clare Hall, Operations Manager for South Gloucestershire, said: “Everyone absolutely loves Phil, he’s a breath of fresh air, and it’s a pleasure to have him work for us. We would truly be lost without him.” To learn more about Brunelcare, visit: www.brunelcare.org.uk
Care home provider’s actions caused vulnerable resident’s death after tragic fire in supported living accommodation, inquest finds
Ashlie Timms, aged 46, died in supported living accommodation in April 2018 after staff failed to call 999 promptly and evacuate her during a fire. The jury concluded that the actions of Sequence Care Group (SCG), Ramsay Safety Solutions and the London Fire Brigade all contributed to her death, following an inquest before Area Coroner Graeme Irvine at Walthamstow Coroners Court that concluded today. The inquest today found the death of Ashlie Timms was caused by the following: At the time of her death, Ashlie Timms was living at Connington Court in Waltham Forest, a residential care home run by Sequence Care Group (SCG). Timms suffered from a personality disorder as well as restricted mobility and had a care package and Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) which required staff to approach her immediately and instruct her regarding evacuation in the event of a fire. The fire alarm sounded at a time between 1:30 am and 2 am on 20th April 2018, but staff did not immediately evacuate Timms due to ignorance of the fire procedures as well as the fire alarm being mislabelled which led some staff to check the wrong side of the building first. By the time staff reached the correct side of the building, they claim they were unable to enter Ashlie’s flat from the corridor due to being overwhelmed by smoke. The fire brigade were not called until 2:13 am, up to 45 minutes after the fire alarm sounded. The jury heard that a staff member knocked at a neighbour’s door to inquire about the number to call for the emergency services. The jury also heard from support workers on shift that night who said that they had never seen Ashlie’s PEEP. Ashlie’s family, led by her niece Bryony Timms, and represented at the inquest hearing by barrister, Patrick Roche of Garden Court Chambers, are particularly concerned about the shocking failures of SCG employees on the night of the fire, as well as fire procedures being completely unfit for purpose, having been copied from fire procedures for commercial premises. In a report conducted by the London Fire Brigade (LFB), Watch Manager Drummond concluded that if a staff member had implemented the PEEP properly, “it is likely that in the initial stages of the fire, the staff member would have been able to assist Ms Timms away from danger into an area of safety”. This is consistent with his conclusion that at the time the alarm first went off, the fire was still quite small, readily survivable and that the conditions were tenable for evacuation. Fire safety expert Colin Todd also described the delay in staff calling the LFB as ‘totally unacceptable’. Robert Dalrymple, acting CEO of SCG told the Coroner that if staff had called 999 and evacuated Ms Timms immediately, in line with her PEEP and national guidance for supported living accommodation, then Ashlie would have been rescued and taken to safety. The manager of Connington Court at the time agreed that Ashlie’s death was avoidable. Mr Dalrymple told the jury that he was also alarmed that one of the staff members, who still works at SCG, still does not know the correct fire procedure, four years after Ashlie’s death. Despite the accepted failings, SCG have yet to apologise to the family. Furthermore in recent changes made to the premises, SCG had installed a combination lock on the inside of Ashlie’s flat door that required her to enter a four digit number to exit the flat. Without having a form of manual override, this was described by Colin Todd as ‘dangerous’ and a practice that he had never seen before. During the fire, Ashlie was able to exit her bedroom and reach this flat door unassisted but she did not manage to escape from the flat. Mr Todd also points towards the failures of Ramsay Safety Solutions (RSS), who were responsible for advising SCG about their fire procedures and conducting fire risk assessments. The representative of RSS accepted in the inquest that they were not qualified to conduct these risk assessments and draft these procedures for supported living accommodation. Todd described the last risk assessment in 2017 as ‘absurd’ and deficient in a number of respects, including the failure to highlight the absence of automatic transmission of alarm signals. The same fire risk assessment, as well as an audit carried out by London Fire Brigade (LFB) in October 2017, also failed to identify the fact that the fire safety procedures were not fit for purpose. The LFB audit in October 2017 was described by LFB Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stephen Norman as ‘flawed’. The inquest also exposed that after the incident, the LFB discovered that 45% of care homes sampled had unsuitable fire risk assessments and 21% had missing/defective/lack of fire detectors. This is despite the fact that care homes and supported living accommodation are considered amongst the most at risk premises from fire. DAC Stephen Norman accepted at the inquest that at the time of the the fire, there had been ‘significant failures’ in the LFB audit process. The LFB report indicates that it is likely that the fire started in Ashlie’s bedroom between the bed and the table. Jury stated the fire was likely caused by the ingition of fabric materials by a fan heater. Bryony Timms, Ashlie’s niece, said: “Given the number of serious failures that all contributed to Ashlie’s death, this was a very difficult hearing to sit through for us but we welcome today’s conclusion. I will never get back the many years of friendship that I had to look forward to with my Aunt, Ashlie, and while no verdict can bring Ashlie back to us, we hope desperately that lessons will be learnt, and the competency of care staff improve, to stop other families from suffering similar tragedy in the future.” Aston Luff, Solicitor at Hodge Jones & Allen, representing the family of Ashlie Timms, added: “The circumstances of Ashlie Timms’ death are shocking. Her family were entitled to trust that she
