Duplex Cleaning Machines are proud to be preferred supply partners to Cinnamon Care
Cinnamon Care Collection is an exclusive group of luxury care homes and retirement developments in beautiful locations throughout the country. The Cinnamon team have a strong commitment to Cinnamon’s vision and values to help transform their residents’ lives for the better. Duplex Cleaning Machines are proud to be preferred supply partners to Cinnamon equipping their homes with high performance floor and multi-surface steam cleaning machines which not only clean but also sanitise with the power of steam.Our picture shows members of the team at the brand new Cinnamon Care Home in Stourbridge, Parkfield Grange following an installation and training session carried out by one of Duplex’s knowledgeable and experienced Business Development Managers. Duplex shares Cinnamon’s company values displayed on the wall in our picture and the principles such as Passionate, Dedicated, Respectful, Inspired & United apply equally to the Duplex ethos with an emphasis on supplying robust and well-built machines designed to tackle the most demanding cleaning tasks backed up by certificated training and friendly and helpful aftercare and customer service.
Care home residents can stay overnight as visiting restrictions ease
Care home residents will be able to spend more time with family and friends, including overnight stays as part of an easing of visiting restrictions announced. Currently residents can only leave the care home for a visit if outdoors or for high-priority reasons, such as a dental or GP appointment, but will now be able to leave the home for more social reasons without having to isolate. From 21 June, people admitted to a care home from the community will no longer have to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival, so residents will have a less disruptive introduction to their new home. To ensure this happens safely, residents will undergo an enhanced testing regime – a PCR test before admission, a PCR test on the day of admission and a further PCR test 7 days later. Minister for Care, Helen Whately said: “I have heard first-hand from those living and working in care homes how difficult the restrictions around visiting have been and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone working in the sector who has helped reunite families safely. “Thanks to the continued success of the vaccine rollout, I am pleased we can now take another step towards normality, helping more people enjoy visits out of the care home while protecting them from the continued risk of COVID-19.” The government has also strengthened the role of the ‘Essential Care Giver’, which means every resident should be able to nominate a friend or family member to provide extra care on their visits. Essential Care Givers can continue to visit during outbreaks. The Essential Care Giver role is intended to provide additional support from someone with a unique personal relationship with the resident. They have access to the same PPE and testing supply as care home workers and should be allowed to continue to visit during periods of isolation or where there is an outbreak. Care home residents would still need to isolate for 14 days following a visit out that would be deemed high risk through a risk assessment or after an overnight stay at hospital. If a person is admitted from a hospital or another care home they must also self-isolate. The government has worked to do everything it can to make sure staff are kept as safe as possible while they support others, including prioritising them for the COVID-19 vaccine, increased testing and a constant supply of free PPE. Almost £1.8 billion has been made available for adult social care including infection prevention and control measures to support providers to pay staff who are self-isolating and limit the movement of staff where possible.
Home care company gets MP’s vote.
Staff at a Hampshire care company were joined by Eastleigh MP Paul Holmes last week to celebrate the occasion of their 4th birthday. Whispers Care Solutions, based in Colden Common, started in 2017 and has grown rapidly to become one of the leading domiciliary care providers in the South. The company supportsmany of Mr. Holmes’ constituents in and around the Eastleigh area, and has over 120 fully trained staff operating right across south Hampshire. Sean Brewer, Whispers’ Marketing Officer, said: “Our staff all work extremely hard to ensure that our service users receive exceptional levels of care, and it gives us all a real boost to know that our collective efforts are widely recognized and truly appreciated. Mr. Holmes was genuinely interested to know more about how we help vulnerable people out in the community, and it was great to have him join us for our special occasion.” Whispers is currently recruiting care assistants for full time, part time and weekend shifts. For more details visit www.whisperscare.co.uk or call them on 02380 010600.
Care home residents raise funds to mark Dementia Awareness Week
Residents and team members at an Epsom care home have put their best foot forward and raised almost £800 for a cause close to their hearts. The team at Care UK’s Appleby House, wanted to create an exciting fundraising activity for residents and their relatives, which everyone could participate in no matter what their walking ability might be – and so the ‘Appleby Chair to 5km Challenge’ was born. With the aim of raising £300 for the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Action Week by completing a 5km walk within the home’s ground, residents and team members donned trainers and set out to have some fun and get their steps in. The outdoor challenge saw 17 residents taking part, some covering just a few steps, others walking more. Residents enjoyed every moment of the challenge, and cheered on by relatives and team members, completed well over the target of 5km – making it to 13,124 steps, and smashing their fundraising goal, raising a total of £798. Resident Milly said: “It felt wonderful to be able to raise money for a good cause, be part of something special and be able to help others”. Shona Bradbury, Home Manager at Appleby House, said “A fantastic day was had by everyone involved – and I’m thrilled we raised such a wonderful amount for charity. “One of the residents, who uses a frame, got to 70 steps then spurred herself on to go further and further, until she reached the road where she was cheered by some passing workmen. Another passer-by donated all the money in his pocket, which was a very heartening moment. “The Alzheimer’s Society’s care and research to help people with dementia and their families is vital, and we hope this donation will play a part in supporting their invaluable work. We loved getting our steps in for a good cause, and we’re already looking forward to taking on our next challenge.” Dementia Action Week, an initiative organised by the Alzheimer’s Society, is a national event that inspires the public to come together to take action to improve the lives of people living with dementia. To donate to the home’s fundraising challenge, please visit their online donation page. https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=Appleby_House&pageUrl=2 Appleby House has been designed to encourage residents to live active and fulfilling lives, while remaining as independent as possible in a safe environment. The modern care home provides full-time residential, nursing and specialist dementia care.
5 Benefits of Outdoor Cover in Care Settings
With the summer in full swing and the recent pandemic situation, the need to spend time outdoors has never been so prevalent. We’ve therefore outlined five of the greatest benefits that a canopy brings to care settings when paired with a nature garden. 1. It’s Safer to Socialise Outside Right now, it’s safer to spend time with others outside making your residents, staff and visitors feel much safer and at ease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that “Indoor spaces are more risky than outdoor spaces where it might be harder to keep people apart and there’s less ventilation.” Correspondingly, spending time outside when the weather is pleasant seems to make the occasion more enjoyable for all involved. The sun has put a smile on everyone’s faces, particularly after being cooped up indoors all winter. 2. Nature Heals It is well known that nature heals and spending time within nature can help patients to feel better in themselves. Over the years, several studies have found that something as simple as windows that look out into a natural outdoor area with trees, foliage and flowers, can improve attention span, reduce stress and even help hospital patients heal after surgery. Alongside many other studies, Roger S. Ulrich, Ph.D. published a paper in 2002 titled Health Benefits of Gardens in Hospitals which stated that “simply looking at environments dominated by greenery, flowers, or water — as compared to built-up scenes lacking nature (rooms, buildings, towns) — is significantly more effective in promoting recovery or restoration from stress. (See Ulrich, 1999, for a survey of studies.) A limited amount of research suggests that viewing settings with plants or other nature for a few minutes can promote measurable restoration even in hospital patients who are acutely stressed.” 3. It’s Great for Our Mental Health In relation to healing, spending time within nature is also known to be highly beneficial to our mental health. The mental health charity Mind explains: “Spending time in nature has been found to help with mental health problems including anxiety and depression. For example, research into ecotherapy (a type of formal treatment which involves doing activities outside in nature) has shown it can help with mild to moderate depression. This might be due to combining regular physical activity and social contact with being outside in nature. Being outside in natural light can also be helpful if you experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that affects people during particular seasons or times of the year. And people tell us that getting into nature has helped them with many other types of mental health problems.” 4. A Covered Outdoor Space Encourages Movement For patients with limited mobility, they may be put off going outside by worrying that it may rain or be too hot and the effort to go outside won’t be worth it. However, if they have a canopy that they can sit under, without the need to rush indoors if it rains, they may be more inclined to venture outside and reap the benefits of the great outdoors. This will also keep them more physically active my moving about instead of staying seated indoors. 5. All-Year-Round Outdoor Protection A canopy enables your nature garden to be used all year round as it provides protection from both the sun and rain, keeping you cooler in the hot, summer months by creating a cooling shade underneath the canopy. It also protects from the rain by providing a sheltered area where residents and staff can take time out to recharge sit outside with a beverage and listen to the calming sounds of the rain whilst keeping dry. A canopy therefore gives your residents the chance to enjoy the healing benefits of nature throughout every month of the year. If you are thinking of adding a canopy to your care home or healthcare setting, contact the canopy experts Able Canopies Ltd. on 0800 389 9072 or email sales@ablecanopies.co.uk you can also visit: www.ablecanopies.co.uk
English National Ballet: Dance for Dementia
English National Ballet announces plans to support people whose lives are affected by dementia. Central to English National Ballet’s Dance for Dementia programme is a new partnership with Barchester Healthcare which will see the Company deliver an in-house professional development programme for staff as well as a range of dance and music focussed live events and workshops for residents. The focussed training programme will have the Company work with a number of Barchester staff in selected homes and begin in Autumn 2021 led by English National Ballet Associate Dance Artists and Musicians. Barchester staff will attend a number of special training sessions with the Company and help lead dance workshops for their residents. In addition, all of Barchester’s care homes will be invited to join in with a number of virtual event sessions which include taking part in creative dance classes and hearing from ENB’s Philharmonic Orchestra, costume department and other artists of the company. The virtual sessions will coincide with days of celebration including International Youth Day, Last Night of the Proms, Remembrance Day and a Christmas Special. From January 2022, a series of workshops will then be delivered in person at selected homes. Barchester Healthcare has been supporting families with pioneering dementia care in specially designed, dementia-friendly Memory Lane communities since 1992. The company strongly believes people living with dementia should enjoy a fulfilled and happy life, with specialist support to continue doing the things they love every day. All Barchester staff receive specialist dementia care training to ensure they provide the best care for residents. English National Ballet’s Executive Director, Patrick Harrison, said: “We are delighted to be working with Barchester Healthcare on this innovative partnership as part of our Dance for Dementia programme. English National Ballet is committed to making ballet accessible and inclusive for all and these sessions will allow us to bring the joy of dance to residents. The specialised training programme for staff at the homes will ensure creativity through dance can flourish in all settings.” Barchester Healthcare’s CEO, Pete Calveley, said: “At Barchester, we embrace the very latest technology and techniques to ensure our residents can live a life that feels comfortable, enriching and connected. We are always looking at new ways to enhance our resident experience through partnerships and initiatives. We are delighted to build on our existing relationship with English National Ballet to bring our residents a whole host of unique virtual experiences, workshops and training sessions throughout what I am sure will be a hugely beneficial year-long programme of activity. We are incredibly grateful to English National Ballet for their support.” The partnership follows a successful events programme in December 2020 which saw over 130 of Barchester Care Homes engage across 3 live Nutcracker themed events that explored movement, dance, music and costume for residents and patients to enjoy.
Future of Care Conference
Returning with their most outstanding speaker line-up yet, the Future of Care Conference sets to showcase the leading innovators in the care sector. With the Early Bird ticket offer ending on the 25th May, book now to avoid missing out. ITV’s anchor Sameena Ali Khan is set to chair the highly-anticipated conference, returning to The King’s Fund in London on the 22nd June 2021. The day will consist of seminars, panel debates and an exciting fireside chat. Duncan Baker, the Conservative MP for North Norfolk, will first be addressing the delegates in a short welcome speech, where he will advise why social care workers deserve parity of esteem. Following the COVID-19 crisis, the conference sets to tackle the past, present and future effects of the virus. Speaking on how we can prepare for future pressures is Kate Terroni, Chief Inspector at the Care Quality Commission, Eileen Rocard, Junior Economist at OECD and Dr. Laura Shallcross, who was the academic lead for the VIVALDI research programme for COVID-19. Dr. Shallcross will be delving into the research and data of the pandemic to understand the burden and impact on Care Homes.As always, speakers push the need for stronger support across the sector. Looking at the support required for both those who receive and deliver social care is Sam Monaghan, Chief Executive Officer at MHA. Andy Briggs, Group Chief Executive at The Phoenix Group, will look to how the sector, government and society must adapt to an ageing society in the new normal. Highlighting the equal importance for maintaining the level of priority for Dementia is Fiona Carragher, Director of Research and Influencing at Alzheimer’s Society. The conference will host two panel sessions on current concerns for social care – comprising of some of the most prominent names in the industry. First, ‘The Road to Recovery’, sponsored by the Access Group will take place. Later in the day, ‘A New Deal for Care Sector Workers, Recruitment and Retention’ will be hosted, focusing on Brexit, COVID-19, immigration and the domestic workforce. Returning as a coveted speaker is Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive at Care England, who will be speaking on the way forward for adult social care. Kathryn Smith will also discuss the way forward, focusing on how a strengths based approach can inspire improvement. Ending the conference is the Fireside Chat between Tricia Pereira, Director of Operations at Skills for Care and Clenton Farquharson MBE, Director at Community Navigator Services CIC. Tricia and Clenton will set to challenge perspective as they deliberate on how we can build a better future for all workers within the care sector. Avoid disappointment and book now for Early Bird discount rates. The organisers and venue are working closely to make sure the conference is safe, secure and in-line with any government measurements that may be in place. You can read the venues safety guidelines at https://www.futureofcare.co.uk/venue/covid-guidelines/.
Infection control has never been more important, let’s use innovation to solve this ongoing issue in our healthcare
In our lifetime, there has rarely been a greater sense of camaraderie than over the past year. The nation united under a common health threat and the common good delivered by a National Health Service at their time of need. In March 2020 the world was forced to stop, readjust, and overcome the barriers this virus has inflicted upon us all. Whilst it has sadly been a tragedy for so many businesses, households, and livelihoods, it has by no means stopped great British ideas, ingenuity, and innovation. The 5.9 million UK SMEs, which make up 99% of all business, generating 54% of all UK employment, have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of such adversity, and are at the forefront of the Government’s Levelling-Up agenda in the post-Covid-19 world that we are all starting to see at the end of the tunnel. The “Patch & Hope” Problem Our NHS struggled to bear the brunt of this virus, and the staff should not also have to constantly concern themselves with the risks of being additionally exposed to the virus. Existing measures are not allowing this concern to be allayed. In Intensive Care Units (ICU) the NHS has to “negatively-pressurise” each ICU Ward to prevent COVID19 infection contagion to the rest of the hospital. However, if the air permeability of ICU Wards is not sufficiently low, negative-pressurisation cannot be achieved effectively. The methods presently being undertaken to verify air permeability, are disruptive, costly and do not allow operators to identify specific areas of leakage. The maintenance teams have limited means to monitor the airflow that sustains negative or positive pressurisation or identify the location and size of any specific leaks, leaving any remedial action down to mere speculation. So limited are these means that healthcare personnel are forced to adopt an approach that can only be described as “Patch and Hope”. What is the Solution? Our Portascanner® COVID-19 brings a non-invasive answer to this ‘patch and hope’ measure, and with minimal training, allows healthcare and pharmaceutical personnel to locate and then quantify the leaks in hospital wards, cleanrooms, and sterilisation departments. The user can calculate the air flow rate through these leaks, generating an air permeability value for an entire room/ward which the user can compare against the required value for pressurisation. Quantifying the extent of the leak, or the air permeability rate, is crucial to ensuring positive/negative pressurisation in order to help prevent the spread of disease. During Covid-19 maintenance of the wards has never been more important, and this new hand-held instrument significantly improves the efficiency and air quality of the room, providing confidence in the ability of a ward to contain the virus. Furthermore, it saves considerable time and resources in preventing FPE (fan pressurisation equipment) from being installed within an unsuitable room. The downtime required for existing test procedures is simply infeasible given the disruption to treatment this would cause. So, through using ultrasound, this innovation ensures minimum disruption to any room or facility, lending more time for the staff to treat their patients. This pressurisation is also crucial to hazardous pharmaceutical drugs, and highly infectious diseases such as Ebola, where sterilised environments must be maintained, therefore this solution allows sterilisation to never be compromised. Go Above and Beyond Compliance According to BSRIA³, the air permeability of a negatively pressurised isolation ward must not exceed 2.5m³/(h-m²) at a reference pressure of 50 Pascals. It is this value that is used in the reporting feature of the Portascanner® COVID-19. The user can provide evidence of the maintenance programme, through the camera feature, and with the tap of a finger, export a test report, all in one small portable instrument. Each leak is therefore marked and quantified in terms of the air flow rate, and its contribution to the total air permeability. This is then calculated and compared to the threshold value, whilst the cross-sectional area of the leak is also recorded. No third party is required, and all the user has to do, is a quick test, scanning any possible leak sites with the receiver, whilst the generator is directed at the structure from the opposite side. Any peaks in the received intensity should be marked as a leak for potential investigation and remedial measures undertaken if necessary. A full test is then carried out to decipher the leak size. Sufficient airtightness is required to facilitate good ventilation and filtration practices, so that ‘safe working’ conditions be achieved, which is at the heart of improving the ‘health’ of a building. This simple instrument can be used regularly by in-house maintenance teams when required, with no disruption, enabling leaks to be detected and remedied as they occur. Overcoming a Global Pandemic Coltraco Ultrasonics have proudly developed Portascanner® COVID19 from its rich heritage in Naval ultrasonic technologies to monitor watertightness in warships and submarines. At the beginning of 2020, we were predominantly a two-market sector company. However, in March we realised the vulnerability that this posed, and the possible opportunity for change. So, through great diversification we are now a multi sectoral one, working across 25 different sectors, delivered by an exclusive global distribution network. One of these new sectors that we are most proud to support, is the Healthcare sector. During the coronavirus crisis, Coltraco Ultrasonics worked tirelessly to fulfil a UK-Government funded COVID19 emergency technology requirement in June 2020, to design the Portascanner® COVID-19, which we have now successfully done, created by a team of British Physicists working at the cutting edge of compartmentation integrity. Helping our Healthcare build resilience and security within Our primary aim when developed this exciting new technology, was to support our NHS: to protect the lives of both our staff, and patients. The Portascanner® COVID-19 is based on the technology of our award winning globally recognised Portascanner® WATERTIGHT, an ultrasonic watertight integrity monitor used by our Royal Navy, which has been re-designed specifically. It aims to reduce the spread of airborne disease by inspecting rooms for any leakage and establishing the pressurised airflow rates that,
Boost your cleaning regime with the power of steam!
The Cambridgeshire Care Home is an attractive, modern purpose-built care home with beautiful landscaped gardens situated in the Cambridgeshire countryside providing care for up to 72 elderly people. The home prides itself on providing bespoke care for residential, nursing and dementia residents whether their stay is for a short respite period or as a permanent resident. Their use of modern technology helps them to provide the best quality, personalised care for their residents and activities on site include a cinema, Sky tv, 64inch Yeti tablet, Wi-Fi throughout, therapy room and hair salon, private dining facilities and a bistro where they are proud to maintain a 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating. With such high standards it goes without saying that the same principles apply to cleaning and hygiene throughout the home. Hotel Services Manager, Rosita Sanoja had experience of the Duplex Steam range of floor cleaning machines whilst working for a previous care home group and was so impressed she recommended them here.
