Incontinence in care homes
It is important to remember that the risk of urinary incontinence increases with age but is not an inevitable part of ageing. It is estimated that more than 50% of residents in long-term care settings are affected by incontinence and in many cases, it is associated with embarrassment and reduced quality of life. It can be challenging alleviating embarrassment and preserving dignity of the individual but it is important to remember that incontinence can be managed, treated and in some cases cured. Providing the right solutions can provide a better quality of life, increase independence, and promote dignity. Urinary Incontinence can by classed in the following categories: stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, functional incontinence, and mixed urinary incontinence. A holistic continence assessment can help to understand the type, level, and severity of incontinence. Other factors that are considered are functional aspects, limited mobility preventing timely access to a toilet, effects of medications e.g. diuretics increasing urinary output and medical conditions that may cause excessive urination or difficulty with urination e.g. diabetes, neurological disease etc or. Once the resident’s is assessed, the choice of treatment and management can be identified and a treatment plan So, what simple measures can be taken to maintain continence There are many different treatments available to manage incontinence including medications, bladder training programmes, and pelvic floor exercises. In some cases, the individual may not respond to treatment and containment products may be required to maintain dignity. If containment products are required ensure that they meet the individual needs. Here are some tips on how to choose a containment product : Attends provide the right solution for individuals to help support best practice in continence care. If you would be interested in learning more, Attends offer an online continence training program learning.attends.co.uk. or contact our customers services team 01924 669 260.
Dimensions fully supports our workforce choosing to be vaccinated
Support providers have spoken as one on this issue. We are staggered that he has not listened and Dimensions fully supports our workforce choosing to be vaccinated, but mandatory vaccination alone will not keep people safe. Already, many good colleagues have left. We will be forced to dismiss more on Friday when the first set of new regulations come into force, and now anticipate yet more dismissals in April. The government’s own analysis says that 40,000 social care workers will leave their jobs working in registered care homes due to mandatory vaccination. In extending this regulation to those working in supported living, in home care and in a myriad of other care environments, many thousands more people will leave to work in other sectors. As a result, support providers will face unprecedented operational challenges. This decision threatens safe care for disabled people right across the country. It undermines the choice and control people have over who supports them. It will also put the viability of many providers at risk. Now is the time for government to learn about social care. To address social care in policy terms as an equal to the NHS, not a postscript. The government’s own analysis says that 40,000 social care workers will leave their jobs working in registered care homes due to mandatory vaccination. In extending this regulation to those working in supported living, in home care and in a myriad of other care environments, many thousands more people will leave to work in other sectors. As a result, support providers will face unprecedented operational challenges.few pounds on a social care recruitment campaign is very far from the answer.
Recognising the true cost of Mandating vaccination in care homes
From 11th November 2021, all staff working in a care home must be double jabbed or exempt – if not, they cannot cross the threshold into a care home from 11th November. Everyone running care services is committed to achieving as high a level of COVID vaccination as possible. However, our members have consistently stated that they do not believe mandation is the best way to achieve this; rather, finding the best results from persuasion and encouragement, with good information and support, taking the time to address concerns with respect and discussion. And, indeed, when the government consulted on this policy earlier in 2021, the majority of the general public and people using care services did not support mandation of vaccination for care home staff. In a recent survey to members operating care homes, our findings shows that care providers fear they will lose around 8% of their care home staff as a direct result of this policy. This is a very serious loss of staff and one which, given the enormous workforce pressures now, the care sector can ill afford. What does this tell us about the true cost of mandating vaccination? For the people living in care homes and their families, it means that long serving experienced staff with whom they have a trusted relationship will no longer be there to care for them and support them; For the staff who have lost their jobs it means that they can longer do the job they loved as a direct result of the government’s policy of vaccine mandation – a policy that is not yet being applied to any other workforce in the country;For care providers it means they are facing even more pressures to have enough staff to provide high quality, consistent care at a time when recruitment and retention are increasingly difficult, and For the wider health system and the NHS, it means that more requests for help to discharge people from hospital into care homes cannot be met. Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of the National Care Forum said: “Our survey shows that the true cost of implementing this policy has been very high. It has absorbed a huge amount of time and energy of staff, which could have been better devoted to recruitment and the well-being of existing staff; it has instead had to focus on working through dismissal procedures. 91% of respondents said that they had required additional HR time and 93% said they had to run additional one-to-one sessions for staff to talk them through the policy and its implications, with 74% providing whole team briefings for their workforce.” On top of internal pressures and costs, the external financial costs were also in stark view with 53% of respondents incurring additional costs for specialist legal advice on how to implement this policy. It’s reflected further in the loss of goodwill between employee/employer relationship with 58% of respondents running disciplinary hearings and 40% managing appeals. The national roll out of the policy has been chaotic. Respondents have been critical, stating that their experience on the ground is one of a policy ‘badly thought through’ and that the timing of the policy is ‘out of touch’ with the enormous pressures experienced by the care workforce. ‘It’s been a shambles. Much rests on the medical exemption process and this was a. late, b. unclear, c. poorly written and, d. lacking in ‘way points’ to allow us to manage staff through this process…’ Participants expressed strong views that the government has done little to mitigate impact of the policy, taking no direct action to support the sector in managing the fallout from both the number of staff who would be dismissed as a direct result of the policy and the overall impact on staff morale: ‘The no jab no job initiative was sent out too quickly without due consideration to the impact it would have on an already struggling sector. The divide between the NHS and social care has been made bigger. No jab no job is placing more stress on staff to work extra hours to cover staff vacancies.’ Rayner continues: “Since the introduction of this policy we have been vocal about the unnecessary high cost – in terms of human costs, financial costs and the loss in trust and goodwill amongst care staff and their employers as a direct result of this policy. Care homes have been the unwitting guinea pigs through the implementation of this policy, and the impact on people must not be swept under the carpet. It is vital that the government learns from this experience and makes changes for the wider roll out of this policy. As we face a very difficult winter ahead, lessons must be learnt in how not to introduce a policy that has long term consequences on the very people we need to deliver the care and support many people and communities rely on. www.nationalcareforum.org.uk
Tackling stress, burnout and absenteeism in the care sector
Working days lost rose from 2.7% pre-Covid to 7.5% post Covid* placing significant additional burden on care teams, a statistic which will be further impacted by the compulsory vaccination regulations and current staff shortages. Even prior to the pandemic, working long hours for typically low pay, challenges in managing the behaviour of residents, and the relentless pressure to carry on regardless, were all factors in rising stress levels among care home staff. The far-reaching consequences including high staff turnover, absenteeism, staff malpractice, and poor mental health all point to the need for cultural change across the care home sector. As stress management and staff wellbeing become an overriding priority across healthcare and care sectors in tackling work-related issues, Tidal Training has launched a new course for Post Critical Incident Stress Debrief Facilitator (CISD) training, the leading course of its kind in the UK. It is having success in NHS, medical and care environments reducing burnout and absenteeism and improving team cohesion in acute stress situations. Many are now adopting it as part of their mental health framework and creating psychological first aid teams. What is Post Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)? Following the Mitchell model, CISD is a supportive crisis intervention process, designed to support groups or teams, directly following an acute stress incident. It is not a replacement for, or delivery of psychotherapy, but aims at a reduction of distress and restoration of group cohesion at a time of acute stress. When can it be applied? The term ‘critical incident’ refers to a traumatic or crisis event that usually impacts a group of people. Critical Incident Stress Debrief Training can be particularly beneficial in a workplace or community setting, in preparation for a potential incident that causes acute stress. It can apply to any size or scale of event, for example: The size and scale of the event can be immaterial; it is the trauma, acute stress, and psychological distress that CISD seeks to help alleviate and resolve. * stats from Skills for Care Workforce Intelligence CISD in action: Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust Jon Head, Deputy Director of HR/Site HR Lead for Harefield Hospital at Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, explains why Tidal Training’s Post Critical Incident Stress Debrief Facilitator training became pivotal in supporting his staff’s mental health and wellbeing during 2020. COVID-19 has shown that prioritising NHS staff wellbeing to deliver safe and high-quality patient care, while ensuring people are safe and healthy at work, has never been more crucial. Yet traumatic events, covering a wide area from major incidents to patient deaths and inquests, are experienced by staff throughout their professional lives and can cause acute stress. Stress among NHS staff rose last year as the pandemic took its toll, with results from the 2020 NHS annual survey revealing that 44 per cent of staff reported feeling unwell from work-related anxiety, the highest rate recorded in the past five years. Jon credits the training with supporting his teams through an unprecedented period, helping to prevent them becoming overwhelmed in periods of acute stress, and ensuring the team kept functional. Last year alone, over 30 debrief sessions were attended by 300 staff across both sites, all dealing with general pressure. “We held the first of three training sessions at the beginning of 2020, as part of the Trust’s Care for the Carers strategy. Our objective was to train a number of employees to create a Psychological First Aid (PFA) team, to assist people in the immediate aftermath of specific incidents which had occurred for example during surgery or in cath labs. Our aim was not to learn clinical lessons, but to support staff experiencing pressure from delivering treatment. The basic principle of PFA is that, in the immediate aftermath of the traumatic event, support from a trained compassionate individual may aid in long-term recovery. The need for having this framework in place was evident prior to COVID, when PTSD levels were noted as being ‘high’ in some clinical areas. It is a real privilege to have a team of this calibre providing such a comprehensive psychology service.” He continues: “But then in March the pandemic struck and we found we could utilise this training effectively, albeit under a completely new, unexpected set of circumstances. Staff wellbeing has always been paramount, but given the pandemic, it was our priority to ensure sure that our people have access to our own experts on-site. This saw the mobilisation of PFA teams to support clinical and non-clinical staff involved in all aspects of care, from therapists and porters to pharmacists and medical teams, across both of our Royal Brompton and Harefield sites. We rolled this out over the next 6-9 months as part of the Staff Psychology Service which we now have permanently in place, a multidisciplinary, high-calibre team of professionals made up of psychologists, counsellors and the PFA Team. It has been able to offer support to individuals and teams during both the first and second wave. “While cumulative stress has played a major role during the pandemic, such as overwork and long shifts, there have nonetheless been periods of acute stress, for instance, losing a patient or not having enough beds, where the training has played a vital role in identifying those red flags and making sure those who needed it had access to the right support. We also found it immeasurably useful for matrons working in ITU and one particular incident concerning a traumatic cath lab death. Having an internal service has tremendous benefits – the training has ensured we have specific resources in place to support our staff with their mental and emotional wellbeing, in what has been an extremely challenging time.”
100% Hygienic Waste Disposal System For Hospitals And Care Homes
Infection control specialist DDC Dolphin has launched an advanced and inexpensive new waste disposal system to help keep hospitals and care homes hygienic and odour-free. The Vacumatic system enables clinicians and carers to dispose of medical pulp bedpans and other waste quickly, safely and discreetly – protecting patients and ensuring their dignity. Advanced Vacumatic seals infectious waste hermetically without the risks associated with normal yellow bags. It sucks the air out of waste bags and passes it through high-quality medical filters that stop viruses, bacteria and odours from escaping. The process works in four simple steps: This quick and easy process sterilises the air and condenses the waste into tightly sealed packages for safe and easy disposal. Benefits include: DDC Dolphin Marketing and Product Innovation Director Zoe Allen said: “Vacumatic is an advanced but inexpensive system that’s simple to use. “It can be deployed on a small or large scale to help improve infection control, meet CQC requirements – and make an excellent impression on patients, residents, staff and visitors.” Poole-based manufacturer DDC Dolphin is a world leader in the provision of advanced infection control equipment. It exports machines and consumables across the world. The company manufactures and supplies medical pulp macerators, incontinence product macerators, bedpan washer disinfectors, UV air purifiers, stainless steel furniture, sluice room consumables and an antimicrobial coating that protects surfaces for up to six months each time. DDC Dolphin is one of only three companies in the world specialising in the manufacture of medical pulp macerators. The machines’ hands-free technology makes it safer to dispose of human waste. For more information, please contact DDC Dolphin Marketing and Product Innovation Director Zoe Allen, 01202 731555, info@ddcdolphin.com, www.ddcdolphin.com
Lancashire care homes celebrate their vaccination rates
Longridge Hall Care Home and Ribble Court Care Home near Preston are celebrating after all of their staff received their second COVID vaccinations. The homes, which specialise in residential, dementia and short-term respite care, have achieved recognition for their 100% vaccine uptake. Longridge Hall Care Home was issued with an award for achieving a 100% staff vaccination rate by Director of Public Health, Dr Sakthi Karunanithi and Louise Taylor, the Executive Director of Adult Services and Health & Wellbeing for Lancashire County Council. The news comes ahead of the Government’s deadline of November 11 for all care home staff to be double vaccinated, excluding those with medical exemptions. Tracey Hartley is manager of Longridge Hall Care Home in Barnacre Road, which is part of the Sandstone Care group of homes. She said: “We are delighted that all of our dedicated and caring staff have been double vaccinated, all ahead of the Government’s deadline. “Everyone who has received their second jab has also been booked in for their six-month booster.” Sam Smith, Registered Manager of Ribble Court Care Home in Much Hoole, a nursing home specialising in complex care, said: “We are proud of our high standards and want to deliver the best possible care to our residents, which is why it is important to us to ensure that all our staff are vaccinated.” Steven Hamblett, Senior Operations Manager for the Sandstone Care Group, said: “At Sandstone Care Group we work closely with Public Health, Local Authorities and the Care Quality Commission to implement all guidelines regarding the coronavirus pandemic. “Our dedicated home managers work hard to ensure best practice is followed throughout each home and by every member of staff.” www.sandstonecare.co.uk
Care home residents weigh anchor and take to the high seas.
On HMS Bernard Sunley, There’s No Walking The Plank, Just Fun Whilst Sailing The Seven Seas Residents at Bernard Sunley, the Woking-based care home run by charity Friends of the Elderly, have taken to the high seas, sailing around the Mediterranean before heading off to the Caribbean, via Japan. Throughout the cruise, residents have virtually visited different countries all whilst staying safely inside their specially decorated ‘Cruise Lounge’. They have been on excursions, tried new culinary delights, made and received country-specific souvenirs and enjoyed delicious cruise-like cocktails and tipples. Following the success of their popular ‘2020 Around the World Culinary Experience’ activity, which saw residents enjoying new culinary dishes from around the world each month, Bernard Sunley’s Manager, Andy Cumper, decided to utilise one of the lounges at the care home. They used decorations to create an authentic travelling and cruising environment for residents. The Cruise Lounge has a holiday atmosphere and through clever imagery, gives the residents – or Cruise Passengers – a realistic cruise experience. During lockdown last year, the idea of bringing global experiences to our residents was a runaway success. “It provides another focus to the day for residents, their relatives and the staff here,” said Andy. “We’re always looking for ways to engage and delight our care home community and knowing how well this was received last year meant we couldn’t wait to cast off and start travelling again.” The international voyage began back in January and has continued each month, giving passengers the opportunity to experience different cultures, sights, traditions and customs. To make the virtual trip even more realistic, each trip begins with a video of a cruise boat sailing and then docking into port. Residents then go on excursions, taste the local delicacies and choose their own keepsake souvenirs. So far, passengers have sailed throughout the Mediterranean, docking in Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, France, Monaco, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus and Tunisia. Cruise Passengers were also treated to an excursion to landlocked Jordan and visited the ancient city of Petra, which has been inhabited from as early as 7000 BC. Brian Moore When HMS Bernard Sunley made port in Italy, passengers found themselves moored in the Port of Civitavecchia. They were taken on a virtual coach trip and visited beautiful Rome which was first known as The Eternal City. Using imagery and videos, residents took in all the historical sites and admired the stunning architecture. Tour stops included The Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, The Vatican City and Spanish Steps, plus a look at the 2,200-year-old Bocca delia Verita, also known as the ‘Mouth of Truth’, which was featured in the 1953 film Roman Holiday starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. One Cruise Passenger said: “We all enjoyed our tour of Rome, it’s such a romantic place. We were surprised to learn that if you reverse Roma, the Italian for Rome, you get Amor – so maybe it really is the City of Love.” When the cruise anchored along the stunning French Riviera, everyone had fun relaxing with a glass of French wine, enjoying atmospheric street café music. But their travels didn’t end there. Next on the French itinerary was a virtual day trip to the famous Shell Museum in the Musée des Coquillages in St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, which has an abundance of shells on display. One resident called them ‘amazing’ and each passenger was given a gift of real shells to keep as a memento, along with a selection of postcards. Andy Cumper, said: “Our Cruise Passengers have had a lovely year visiting a vast array of international countries and learning about different cultures and civilisations. Taking part in the cruise and visiting all the different destinations has been very stimulating and everyone has enjoyed the escapism – visiting sunnier climbs when it’s been raining outside. The virtual trips were great for reminiscing and sparked a lot of conversations about past holidays and brought back lovely memories.” To celebrate the Tokyo Olympics, the cruise took a rather large detour to Japan where the care home team arranged the Bernard Sunley ‘2021 Onboard Games’. The passengers got into the Olympic spirit and took part in a variety of sporting events, which mirrored the actual Games. Nerf Gun Target Shooting, Discus Throwing, Bean Bag Tossing, Basketball and even a unique Paper Plane game. The Cruise Passengers were brilliant at all the activities and had an amazing time competing with their friends. When HMS Bernard Sunley arrived in Portugal, the passengers made their way to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, one of Europe’s most beautiful and cosmopolitan cities and then on to the coastal city of Porto, famous for its stately bridges and port wine production. Andy concluded: “We’ve not stopped yet. Our next destination is the Caribbean. We’ve already visited the shores of Jamaica, where we tasted delicious Jamaican food and learnt about the island’s natural beauty and history. Our passengers heard all about how the Spanish colonised the country after Christopher Columbus arrived there in 1494. In addition, how in 1655, the British conquered Jamaica and established many coffee, sugar and cocoa plantations. “All the passengers are looking forward to visiting our next destination, Barbados. Whilst enjoying themselves in the Cruise Lounge, one passenger asked, “How do we know that the ocean is friendly?” Nobody knew, until he said, “It’s easy, it waves.” That had everyone laughing, which has been a common theme throughout the international journey. It’s great to see and hear everyone having a fun time.” For further information, please contact: Friends of the Elderly. Phone: 020 7881 1151 Email: pressoffice@fote.org.uk
QCS to launch ‘Building a Better Workforce Together’ Survey
Resilient, resourceful and resolute are adjectives that best describe the UK’s army of care professionals. But these are challenging times for them and their sector. A telling comment from Nuffield Trust on Skills for Care’s latest report said the workforce is “close to being overwhelmed entirely by a toxic combination of pressures”. Over 410,000 care workers left their jobs last year. COVID-19 and Brexit have exacerbated the perennial recruitment and retention hurdles, while government funding to enable care services to increase pay and to support mental wellbeing has failed to materialise. Whilst we know that funding is the key to keeping frontline managers in place, it’s just as important to understand the workforce challenges that care settings face. It is only then that we, as a sector, can begin to solve them. With over 130,000 care workers at all levels, across 6,000-plus care providers, who have all chosen Quality Compliance Systems, QCS is in a particularly strong position to take the pulse of the sector. In order to do so, we have created a Building a Better Workforce Together survey. Our aim is to find out what keeps people working in the sector and what pain-points put them at risk of leaving? And for those that choose to stay, what improvements would make their jobs easier? The results, which we plan to widely share before the end of the year, will help us to form an accurate picture. This in turn will ensure that QCS continues to lead the way in supplying the right people with the right tools at the right time, enabling them to provide outstanding care. Thank you for your help
National Care Group Director Faces Fear In Honour Of Frontline Workers
MIKE CLEASBY, quality director at National Care Group has faced his fears to plummet from 16,500 feet, raising a fantastic £2,000 by skydiving for two charities close to his heart. Mike selected Teeside Hospice and Macmillan as worthy beneficiaries of the jump, which he undertook in memory of his parents and in recognition of the hard work and resilience shown by care workers during the pandemic. Mike dedicated his jump to his mother who sadly passed away earlier this year following his first skydive seven years ago on behalf of his father. Having lost both parents to cancer, Mike said he wanted to find a way to give back. The feat was made all the more impressive by Mike’s fear of heights, and the fact that the jump came from 6,500 feet higher than initially planned due to poor weather conditions. Mike said: “Well, my thoughts were that a skydive would at least be shorter than doing the London Marathon! I am actually not very good with heights, and the cold air and strong winds took my breath away. “But I think this type of achievement brings home the message home that we are all stronger than we think. Sometimes when you’re up against it and even when you’re afraid, you just have to remember you’ve got a bit more in you. Especially if it means helping others – which I know everyone at National Care Group can relate to.” Mike enlisted the help of Peterlee Parachute Centre in County Durham where he was able to take in the view of the city and cathedral below, before the thrilling jump. “The National Care Group team has been amazing – they had a shirt designed for me that I wore on the day and have been overwhelming in their sponsorship” he added. “I couldn’t have asked for more. It has also helped bring some closure and reflect on a positive experience. Even at our worst times, we can all dig a little deeper, and the resilience from colleagues during the past couple of years has shown that.” James Allen, CEO at National Care Group, said: “Giving back is something embedded within National Care Group’s ethos, so it brings me a great sense of pride to see how the team is doing that outside of work. What Mike has achieved in memory of his parents and in recognition of our amazing team is wonderful and it is testament to his role as quality director. It was great to see the support of colleagues, who all got behind Mike in his fundraising and celebrated this achievement.” For more information please contact Danielle Hall or Kali Dennett at Cartwright Communications on 07951 560 614.
