Planned Preventative Maintenance Reinforces Infection Control
Planned preventative maintenance (PPM) of sluice room machines is vital in the battle against healthcare-associated infections, warns leading equipment manufacturer DDC Dolphin. Covid-19 can be present in faeces, blood and urine. Care homes and hospitals are being urged to invest their government infection control funding in vital sluice room maintenance and upgrades. The government has extended the Infection Control Fund until March 2021 with a further £546 million, enabling care homes to: A further £300 million will help 117 NHS trusts to reduce overcrowding and improve infection control at A&E facilities. DDC Dolphin Marketing Director Zoe Allen said: “The sluice room is a vital piece of infection control in any healthcare setting. “Now it is even more important than ever because the Covid-19 virus can be present in human waste. “This means it is essential to ensure the sluice room is fully functional at all times to ensure proper management of human waste.”Care home and hospital managers should act now while funding is still available – and before the annual winter cold and ‘flu season adds to the impact of the coronavirus crisis. DDC Dolphin is offering care homes and hospitals support to: Its service engineers carry out regular servicing of medical pulp macerators, bedpan washers and other sluice room equipment to safeguard care home residents, carers, hospital patients and staff. Visits by DDC Dolphin engineers are a vital opportunity for care homes and hospitals to: Ms Allen said: “The only way to ensure your sluice room is fully functioning at all times is to have a service contract in place. “Best practice – based on DDC Dolphin’s recommendations and 30 years of experience – would be to have your sluice room equipment checked and serviced every six months. “Annual check-ups and servicing intervals are possible but six months would be the better option, given the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic.” Regular servicing of sluice room equipment helps establishments to comply with the Health and Social Care Act 2008. It is also an important consideration with regard to Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections. Regulation 15 (1)(e) of the Health and Social Care Act (enforced by the CQC) states: “There should be suitable arrangements for the purchase, service, maintenance, renewal and replacement of premises (including grounds) and equipment.” Ms Allen said: “Failure to service your sluice room equipment can result in higher repair bills and machine downtime. “This can create a higher risk of infection – viruses are more likely to spread if care staff cannot macerate medical pulp or are forced to wash bedpans by hand.” DDC Dolphin is a global leader in the manufacture and supply of sluice room machines. It is seeing growing demand for its 360° care and maintenance packages that: PPM packages offered by DDC Dolphin include 360° Care – three levels of packages (Ultimate, Essential and Lite) that provide a machine, along with a five-year parts and labour warranty, five years of service and maintenance visits, a chemical dosing system, chemicals and a lockable cabinet. Options for 360° Care also include sluice room site surveys and health checks, staff training, bedpans, urinal bottles and a wall storage rack. DDC Dolphin also offers a 360° Service package (Ultimate, Essential, Lite) package that includes annual or twice-yearly service visits, discounts on chemicals (15%, 10%, 5%) and parts for its machines (25%, 15%, 5%), sluice room health checks, water hardness and scale level checks. Options include full asset management/reporting, testing to NHS guidelines and quarterly periodic testing. The company also has a 360° Chemicals package that spreads the supply and cost of eco-friendly bedpan wash/scale inhibitor and macerator disinfectant into monthly, quarterly or yearly deliveries and payments. Ms Allen said: “With the global coronavirus pandemic, infection control has never been more important. “Regular servicing ensures that vital sluice room equipment remains fully operational – providing essential infection control for the most vulnerable members of society and the healthcare professionals that look after them.” She added: “These are very difficult times for care homes in particular. Planned preventative maintenance helps owners and operators to reinforce their infection control procedures while also managing costs.” Poole-based DDC Dolphin manufactures and supplies sluice room equipment including: This equipment is essential for the safe disposal of human waste in hospitals and care homes – preventing the spread of infections including superbugs. DDC Dolphin is the leading manufacturer of medical pulp macerators. It is one of only three companies in the world specialising in the manufacture of these machines. The company exports sluice room equipment and accessories across the world, protecting patients and clinicians from dangerous infections. Key markets include Europe and Asia. For more information, please contact DDC Dolphin Marketing Director Zoe Allen, 01202 731555, info@ddcdolphin.com, www.ddcdolphin.com
30 Years of Cleaning & Sanitising with Steam
In hospital and care home establishments the knowledge that cleaning can be combined with a proven infection control programme is a vitally important factor to be taken into account when considering a cleaning machine purchase and never more important than in these difficult times of Covid 19. To demonstrate the efficacy of the products from the Duplex range most used in the healthcare sector we commissioned independent tests by the Hospital Infection Research Laboratory, Birmingham which proved exceptional kill rates of bacteria found in the hospital environment. The test protocol covered the following organisms: Staphylococcus aureus (NCTC 10788), a gram positive bacterium that survives well in the environment. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCTC 6749) A gram negative bacterium that may be representative of faecal contamination and Bacillus subtilis (NCTC 10073), a sporing organism that will not be killed by the recommended cleaning methods so physical removal can be assessed. This spore may be representative of contamination with Clostridium difficile. As can be seen from the Log 10 reductions shown in the charts below our equipment demonstrated exceptional kill rates, especially when compared to traditional mopping methods used as a benchmark. Quite simply results achieved by cleaning mechanically are superior to mopping alone and by cleaning mechanically with steam, significantly so. The Duplex range of cleaning equipment includes the Duplex Steam models with their unique ability to clean and sanitise all types of floor surfaces including carpets, Altro, vinyl, ceramic tiles, profiled rubber and wood with the power of steam. On carpets steam is excellent for refreshing and revitalising fibres and removing stains and odours. This is particularly important in the care environment where incontinence can be an issue and by killing the bacteria in the carpet fibres, odours are thereby removed leaving rooms smelling fresh and clean for the benefit of residents, staff and visitors. An additional benefit of having such a thorough clean is that carpet life is prolonged meaning less financial outlay on replacing floor-coverings. On hard floors, particularly profiled and safety flooring, the Duplex leaves surfaces dry in seconds and is approved by well-known manufacturer of slip-resistant safety flooring, Altro. This is particularly important to safe-guard elderly care-home residents who may be liable to slips, trips and falls. The secret to the Duplex machine’s remarkable performance is its’ contra-rotating cylindrical brushes which disperse the steam over the length of the brushes giving an even temperature spread allowing the high temperature of the steam to kill bacteria over the full contact area of the brushes. This design produces an exceptionally thorough clean on all floor types and effectively lifts dirt, water and grime from the floor surface. To assist with the prevention of cross-contamination colour coded brushes are available. The off-set design of the brushes allows cleaning right up to the edges, along skirtings, around furniture and fixtures and into corners. Quite simply, Duplex allows you to clean the most difficult to access areas with ease and when steam is combined with brush agitation it delivers clean and sanitised results using minimal water. A useful side effect of this is that very small amounts of effluent is produced and therefore returned to the eco-system via waste-water drains and contains no harmful chemicals. Duplex has a model to suit every size of floor so whether a small resident’s bedroom or a large lounge or dining hall Duplex has a cost effective solution. The range starts with the exceptionally compact Duplex 280 (which is also available in a battery version) through to the mid-range Duplex 340 and Duplex 420 models suitable for the small to medium size facility right up to the Duplex 620 which has a cleaning width of 55cm. Stains and odours can also pose a problem on upholstery and although chairs specifically designed for the care home environment are generally covered with impervious –backed fabric, top surfaces can become soiled. This can be effectively removed using the Duplex range of vacumated multi-surface steam cleaners and their specialist upholstery cleaning tools. By combining these tools with the power of super-heated steam stains are removed and odour-causing bacteria is eliminated. This is also equally applicable to the pressure-relief mattresses commonly found in care homes. Like the Duplex range of steam floor cleaners, this also has the added benefit of prolonging the life of expensive specialist furniture. Steam is also highly effective at cleaning and sanitising a wide variety of hard surfaces. Tiles, sinks, toilets, grouting, walls and kitchen surfaces can be tackled with the cleaning and sanitising power of steam and without the need for expensive and potentially harmful chemicals. A range of specialist tools are available including a particularly useful little accessory which when placed over a sink plughole, blasts a high-pressure jet of steam through the trap removing any build-up of grease, fat, grime and bacteria. Models from the range especially aimed at the care sector include water-filter vacuums for unbeatable filtration and in conjunction with a heap filter, are able to filter microns equal or less than 0.3 microns. Integrated trollies mean that the machines can be moved around the home quickly and easily with no heavy lifting involved. Adding an optional extendable steam mop increases the versatility even further meaning high-level cleaning of walls and flat-mopping of smooth floors can be achieved. By using the combination of a Duplex floor steam cleaner and a Duplex multi-surface steam cleaner virtually every routine cleaning task likely to be encountered in the care home environment can be successfully completed. Free, on-site, no obligation demonstrations on a nationwide basis are available so that potential clients can see for themselves in their own environments the exceptional results Duplex machines can achieve. Each machine is installed upon purchase and a certificated training session provided so that operators can learn how to use the equipment safely and effectively. For similar article visit our features section
How Can Care Homes Create a Pleasant Environment for Their Residents?
A care home must make sure that it is a welcoming and pleasurable place to live for both current and future residents. For example, what does the home smell like when you first walk in? Does it smell like fresh flowers or is there a hint of urine? If you own a care home, it is absolutely crucial that your reception and lobby areas are friendly and hospitable for visitors. This will undoubtedly encourage new residents to regard your home as a place where they would enjoy living, especially if you have adorned it with fresh flowers or created an aroma of fresh bread. People will quickly form a favourable opinion and they may even imagine that they are visiting a five-star hotel and therefore look forward to their stay. This article will provide some guidance on how to improve your care home and make it more accommodating for new and existing residents. Remember, you should try to create a customer experience based on the ideal resident you have in mind. Ensure that the home always smells fresh The care home must have a pleasant aroma at all times. You therefore need to employ a well-trained cleaning team and ensure that every part of the building is maintained to the highest standards. Pay careful attention to; Housekeepers will also need to use the best cleaning materials and keep an appropriate work schedule. Another issue that management should consider relates to continence. For example, there should be an action plan in place to assess its impact on the home’s floors and furnishings. You may have to deal with two types of incontinence. The first type is urinary incontinence and this is a common problem, especially among the elderly. Care home managers can reduce incidents by making it easier for residents to access the toilets. It may also be beneficial to provide protective products such as pads and pants. Unfortunately, when residents remove these items, it is likely to affect the home’s physical environment. These types of situations can be managed by choosing appropriate furniture or by installing hard flooring. The second type is faecal incontinence. This does not happen often but it can be a problem for the environment. Physical disabilities and mental conditions such as dementia, or a reaction to certain medications, can be the root cause. Decisions and policies made for the benefit of residents Management should strive to ensure that every decision is made with the benefit of residents in mind. In this respect, it wouldn’t hurt for managers to put themselves in the shoes of their residents once in a while. Remember, the residents will have expectations about the type of service they want to receive. If they are not satisfied, they will move elsewhere. Nurture a culture of positivity and dedication among staff In order to improve your care home, you need to attract potential residents and convince existing ones to remain with you. From the first moment a visitor arrives, you should surround them with positivity. Don’t be afraid to highlight the level of professionalism that exists within the home. By taking care of even the smallest details, you can create an excellent first impression. For example: Management and staff should be proud of their home Reputable care homes will always attract the best staff, including those who want to work as a care home nurse. To ensure your facility maintains its high standards, you will need to: Management and staff should always follow a customer-oriented culture. This will involve being friendly and accessible to visitors and residents. The team should provide a warm welcome to anyone who enters the home and this must include making positive eye contact. Your residents’ families and friends will appreciate a show of positive emotional support and interaction. They will view it as an assurance that their loved ones are being well treated. Determine what type of residents your home can accommodate First of all, management and staff should nurture an inclusive sense of community with the residents. This could comprise acts of friendship and celebrating events to highlight the bond between staff and residents. Unfortunately, sometimes a resident may have undergone so many changes that the home can no longer accommodate their needs. Their continued stay may even disrupt their fellow residents’ quality of life. In this scenario, managers may have to make the difficult decision of recommending that they are transferred to an appropriate facility elsewhere. Otherwise, they could negatively affect the lifestyles of the other residents. Conclusion When it comes to attracting potential residents and engaging existing ones, it is essential that care homes adopt a customer-oriented approach. Positive first impressions are vital if the business is going to expand. You can start by designing a professional-looking reception area and lobby. Next, make sure that visitors are met by fresh smells when they walk through the door. Although there will of course be challenges, management and staff can overcome them by adopting a professional and positive attitude.
Care UK announced as Health and Social Care Sponsor of The Big ‘Green’ Draw Festival 2020
The Big Draw Team is thrilled to announce that Care UK is the official health and social care sponsors of The Big Draw Festival 2020 which this year is themed: The Big Green Draw: A Climate of Change. For the second year running, Care UK is hosting Big Draw Festival events in over 50 of its care homes across the UK throughout October. As an organisation that leads the way in integrating arts into care homes, Care UK is well-placed to inspire other care homes to engage with the arts particularly during this uncertain time. For The Big Draw Festival 2019, more than half of Care UK’s 123 homes teamed up with schools, nurseries and groups of young people to draw, craft and create together alongside residents as part of their Big Draw Festival ‘Drawn to Life’ activities. Thanks to the challenges brought about by Covid-19, Care UK is exploring a more digital approach to its Big Draw events in 2020 by continuing to encourage intergenerational participation – but remotely. Activities will reflect this year’s Festival theme by encouraging participants to embrace their creative sides, get back to nature and explore environmental and wildlife themes . Care UK homes have already come up with some exciting creative ideas – for example, Bowes House in Hailsham is preparing to take residents on a virtual safari with the help of Knockhatch Adventure Park, colleagues and residents at Larkland House in Ascot are creating an autumn scene after discussing their relationship with nature to inspire their artwork, and at Harrier Lodge in Whitstable, they are producing their interpretation of Kandinsky’s Concentric Circles. Care UK’s dementia expert Suzanne Mumford said: “We are very proud to be the official health and social care sponsor for The Big Green Draw Festival 2020. “The recent pandemic has shown very powerfully how important and rewarding creative activities can be to care home residents, particularly when some of the more usual trips out and visitors have not been accessible. “The Big Draw initiative really resonates with our activity-based approach to care. As we did last year we plan to involve young people participating alongside residents in our homes. Although visits in person are not going to be possible so that we can keep everyone safe, we’ve got some cunning plans up our sleeves to use things like zoom and facebook to link with schools and other groups. “Arts are an essential part of life in our care homes and I’ve seen first-hand how drawing and painting can bring satisfaction and pride to older people. Using art materials can also be a powerful reminiscence activity for people living with dementia – prompting long forgotten skills and bringing into focus memories of a person’s earlier life. “After last year’s life drawing class, I can’t wait to see what our teams and residents come up with for their Big Green Draw Festival celebrations this year. “ Director of The Big Draw Kate Mason said: “Care UK has a history and track record in supporting individuals to feel fulfilled, active and supported in their environment – often through challenging times for them and their families. The Big Draw charity shares Care UK’s approach around the focusing on the nurturing of an individual to help them unleash new (or rediscover forgotten) talents, fresh curiosity or interests that make them happy and feel connected to those around them. Curiosity, play and creativity are what make us human and help maintain vitality of body, heart and soul – whatever our age or stage of life. Kate added: “ I visited Sherwood Grange (Care UK home) for a Big Draw event in 2019 which proved to be a truly life-affirming and uplifting experience. The commitment from all involved – and quality of artwork produced was a delight to witness. An added benefit was to have the opportunity to chat with some of the artist residents and hear a little about their own stories and adventures. “The Big Draw has always championed the power of lifelong learning and the positive impact of creative participatory activities for ourselves and the planet. For The Big Green Draw Festival 2020 we will explore sustainable methods of engagement and rediscover the ways in which we do, and do not harmonise with nature. We look forward to supporting new digital methods of engagement with the arts and drawing this year. “Care UK – like The Big Draw – values and embeds opportunities for creative engagement across its national portfolio of care homes- seeing first-hand the impact that little things can have. Small things can often lead to big things and act as a positive catalyst for an individual’s quality of life and increased self-confidence. Like The Big Draw, Care UK are also able to share the stories of normal ‘everyday’ people who do extraordinary things and continually surprise those around them with their invention, tenacity and energy. “With all the above in mind, we are delighted that Care UK has agreed to be the official health and social care sponsor for The Big Green Draw Festival 2020: A Climate of Change. Care UK shares our ambitions, passion and core values around quality of life and the right for everyone to be respected and express themselves creatively. We are looking forward to what we know will be a fruitful and dynamic partnership.”
Collaboration for a Better Future – Tomorrow will be a Better Day
Life after COVID-19 The challenges around our ageing demographic are growing, with additional incidents like COVID-19 putting a magnifying glass on the problems we already have and need to address. Action is required to ensure we can all Age Well without fear of loneliness, isolation, avoidable ill health and poor living conditions. In less than 20 years, it’s estimated that 25% of the population will be over the age of 65. Evidence dictates England needs to improve the quality of housing to be accessible, affordable, safe and comfortable to live in and the environment in which our housing sits is just as essential to support wellbeing. Zero carbon infrastructure and assistive technology will be vital to the effectiveness of housing, supporting people to live well and age well at home. Following the events of Covid-19 in 2020 it is more evident than ever that access to quality open space, to support health and wellbeing and the ability to meet and socialise in places that are attractive, comfortable and safe are essential components in the places we design and create. The accessibility of safe technology to provide virtual interaction, activity and social engagement will be vital to supporting people’s mental health and in preventing loneliness and isolation. The Good Home Inquiry launched data earlier this year showing approximately 10 million people in England spent the coronavirus lockdown in a home that presents a serious threat to their health and safety. With about 1.8 million adults living in damp and/or cold housing and, of these, more than one in ten people are living with health conditions potentially caused or exacerbated by poor housing, causing them to be ‘at greater risk’ of contracting and dying from coronavirus. According to data cited in the report, 4.3 million homes in England are what the government defines as ‘non-decent’ putting the health and wellbeing of their estimated 10 million inhabitants at risk. The report highlights that people who have been identified as most at risk of COVID-19, including older people, those with pre-existing health conditions and Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority groups, are more likely to be living in non-decent homes, along with those on low incomes. The issues a winter lockdown could generate, with increased fuel bills and exacerbated fuel poverty and people spending more time in their homes struggling to keep poorly insulated homes warm for longer periods are causing real concern to health and social care as the health of those most vulnerable will be negatively impact. The report calls on government to make sure at-risk groups have the support they need now to make their homes warmer, free from damp and mold, and safer. For some this means providing trusted information and advice to signpost them towards those who can help. For others, this will require more direct intervention such as financial support from Government to ensure homes are safe. In the longer term, much more needs to be done to fix the poor state of England’s housing with our existing housing stock amongst the worst in Europe. It will require collaboration of the highest scale across the public and private sectors to address these challenges, as no one organisation or body will have the capacity to meet the demand. Listening and learning from past and recent living experiences of people is essential to creating places fit for the future and innovation is vital to achieving better outcomes. As Henry Ford said, ‘if you always do what you’ve have always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got’, so it’s time for change. History demonstrates that challenging times promote creativity and some of the best new inventions came out of worldwide conflict and deprivation. For example, much of the technology we take for granted today was developed in the 2nd world war and has helped shape the world today and the invention of pressurised cabins to protect health has enabled safer flying, growth of worldwide economies and travel experiences for mankind. We have the next worldwide conflict on the horizon the pandemic which there is no vaccine for ‘Climate Change’ and an opportunity to create a better place and to slow down considerably its impact on the world and its future. It is all our responsibility to act now to prevent the catastrophic impact climate change will have on our future generation’s lives. As well as to address the inequalities and devastating impact of poor housing on today’s society. So, let’s be bold and ambitious like we had to be in the 1st and 2nd world wars and invest in innovative solutions for infrastructure, products and services which hit zero-carbon transitional targets and decentralise services. Localised solutions maximise positive outcomes for community wellbeing. Creating opportunity for effective collaboration bringing together the best ideas, best skills and best production of zero carbon accessible and affordable lifelong solutions, is a challenge we can all embrace if we work together. I am proud to work for ENGIE in a position where I can influence and be part of solutions for a better place and I am excited by the potential of what we can achieve with the support of our customers and partners. Sir Captain Tom Moore is spot on! ‘Tomorrow will be a better day’ if we want it to be and is an example of what good can come out of the simplest idea… Paula Broadbent – Retirement Solutions Director Places & Communities ENGIE UK & Ireland For similar articles please visit our features section.
1st October 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of International Day of Older Persons.
Over the next three decades, the number of older persons worldwide is projected to double, reaching more than 1.5 billion by 2050. This year, the International Day of Older Persons aims to raise awareness of the special health needs of older persons and of their contributions to their own health and to the functioning of the societies in which they live. Tarkett are dedicated to designing inclusive elderly care environments which is why we partnered with the creators of VR-EP, a virtual reality tool endorsed by the leading experts in dementia-friendly design. Designing for dementia: how inclusive design can transform lives Shaz Hawkins, Health & Aged Care Marketing Manager at Tarkett explains how empathy-led design can improve medical and social care environments for people with dementia. Dementia has been described as one of the most significant health crises of the 21st century. In the absence of a cure and with an ageing population, we need to design environments that take into account how people with dementia behave and see the world. Spaces to explore Those living with dementia often feel a strong urge to wander, which can cause problems if they become disorientated and forget where they are. Nurses list “wandering” in their top five challenges. However, it is possible to design spaces in a way that works with this urge rather than trying to subdue it. Designing a care home with a focal point that gives the wandering resident the sense that they’re going somewhere, an area with resources like books and a television, or a communal area that encourages socialising. The key point is that the space feels different from the space they’ve just left and offers some kind of stimulation. Signposting is a powerful tool for dealing with possible disorientation during wandering. Simple, well-lit and easy to read signs with recognisable objects will aid orientation. Being and feeling safe It’s obviously essential for any space used by vulnerable people to be safe, but to encourage people to stay mobile, you also need to think about their perception of safety. Someone designing the flooring for a care home would probably think about factors such as the evenness of surfaces, wheelchair access and avoiding trip hazards such as clutter or rugs. However, a person with dementia might still view a perfectly level, clear floor as a hazard and refuse to step onto it. Why? Tarkett’s extensive research into how people with dementia view their surroundings has found that colour contrasts are much more important than most of us realise. People with dementia tend to have trouble with three-dimensional vision, which means that they use changes in colour to fill in the spatial cues they’re missing. (Think about how artists use colour to create the illusion of depth or distance in a two-dimensional painting.) A contrast in colour on a floor could be perceived as a change in depth, making the floor seem uneven and unsafe to walk on. Likewise, if colour contrasts are missing from your design, the person with dementia will miss important information. For example, if a door is painted the same colour as surrounding walls, they may not notice the door at all and may not be able to leave the room unaided. It’s hard to understand how someone could miss a door that’s right in front of them, or feel anxiety over walking on a perfectly level floor. But if we are to design spaces that work for vulnerable and neurodiverse people, we need to try. That’s why Tarkett has adopted a virtual reality (VR) tool that allows professionals, including interior designers, to see the world through the eyes of a person living with dementia. This “virtual reality empathy platform” is the world’s first and only evidence-based dementia filter and through it you’ll see scary changes in depth that make a floor seem dangerous to walk on. Knowing what the users of your space actually see will allow you to design dementia friendly facilities. Visual cues The use of visual cues such as painting a door and its frame in contrasting colours will do a lot to help a person with dementia move around with ease. But as well as selecting appropriate levels of colour contrast, it is also important to choose the right colours and textures. A black or dark grey floor could be perceived by someone with dementia as an empty space like a black hole. Asking them to step onto it is like asking someone to walk off a cliff. Likewise, a very shiny floor could look like water. Visual cues can also be used to discourage unsafe behaviour; if there is a specific door that you don’t want accessed, painting it the exact same colour as the doorframe and surrounding walls will make it less noticeable. Maximising light Good lighting is one of the most important tools for making a space dementia-friendly. Maximising access to natural light will help to remove the shadows that might be perceived as a danger and it will also help people with dementia to regulate their body clock, which is an increasing problem as the condition progresses. Good natural light in the day combined with the use of blackout blinds at night helps to regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle as well as providing obvious visual cues about whether it’s night or day. If there isn’t as much daylight as you might wish, the light reflectance value (LRV) of surfaces becomes even more important. Most older people have some sight impairment but also difficulty with glare, so an LRV of between 10% and 40% is perfect for floors. Walls should have a significantly different LRV so that people with poor 3D perception can easily tell where the floor ends and the wall begins. This gives people the confidence to move through the space without fear. Hearing Of course, it’s not just about sight. A truly dementia-friendly environment is designed with consideration for all the senses. People with dementia get more easily overwhelmed by
Mexican Partido day for Tividale care home residents
HC-One’s Warrens Hall care home in Tividale, West Midlands, put on a rather exciting Mexican themed day in both the Clent and Malvern Lounges. And there were smiles all round! Colleagues had decorated the loungers with Mexican decorations, flags & buntings. Then there were all sorts of exciting things for the Residents to do such as trying on sombreros, listening to Mexican music and having photos taken in the Mexican frame. Of course, this was followed by drinking Tequila Sunrise cocktails and eating nachos and salsa dips. The residents, including Betty, Doris, Vera, June, Mary, Linda and May enjoyed playing the ‘Hoopla Toss Game’ and beating the traditional Pinata as they could receiving delicious sweets and treats once the Donkey had been broken! Residents enjoyed listening to ‘Senora Suzi’ (a colleague at Warrens Hall) sing for them and also having a dance to the music. One of the residents said with a beaming smile on her face, “This has been one of the best days here yet, everyone has had a wonderful day”Home Manager, Kalmit Jagpal, commented, “This party has been fun, I really enjoy the theme days we have, it would be good if we could celebrate another countries culture.” Founded in 2011, HC-One is ‘The Kind Care Company’ who work with colleagues, Residents and relatives as they strive to provide the kindest care. They promote positive wellbeing, creating individual plans for Residents that support the mind, body and soul. HC-One’s Warrens Hall is a purpose-built home offering nursing and care, in the town of Oldbury. For more information, or to view the home, visit www.hc-one.co.uk or call 0333 321 4752
Digitally enabled
UK adults are now spending 4 hours a day online – this is the highest on record according to Ofcom’s annual Online Nation report. COVID-19 has significantly changed the way we communicate and people are now looking for new ways to keep connected, informed, entertained and well – both physically and mentally – in the pandemic. However, in an increasingly digital world, anyone not engaging with the internet is at risk of being left behind. The latest UK Consumer Digital Index 2020 report states that an estimated 7% of the UK population are still offline and 9 million people struggle to get online by themselves. Age and vulnerability are significant factors with the data showing that 77% of over 70s have very low digital engagement and 44% of those offline are under the age of 60. Furthermore, the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, or people with an impairment, are also less likely to have the skills they need to access the internet or use digital devices to get themselves online. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic members of the National Care Forum (NCF), the leading representative body for not for profit social care providers throughout the UK, have seen inspiring and creative ways professional care teams have found to keep those receiving care and support connected to their loved ones and to life. Care providers are using more digital forms of connectivity to create vibrant and stimulating activities to enable residents to stay in contact with friends and family beyond the doors of the care home. Care providers have highlighted the increasing importance of their staff being digitally enabled and digitally confident, and the current COVID-19 crisis has made this even more vital. Essential digital skills can be a lifeline for people and turn isolation from lack of connectivity into inclusion. The NCF has responded to this challenge by developing a series of simple practical resources (15 Crib sheets) to help care providers – big and small – make the best use of digital technology for their staff and residents in a COVID-19 world. The Crib sheets are designed to equip both staff and residents, or anyone using care and support services, with the basic skills they need to get online and to enjoy the experience of using technology. The Crib sheets are simple to use, bright and written in plain English to ensure the guidelines are straightforward to understand and accessible to all. The Crib sheets can be printed and laminated and are useful to help anyone in a care setting, in their own homes, or carers, families and friends benefit from learning new digital skills. The Crib sheets are grouped into three key themes, starting with basic skills on how to get started and connected to the internet, to providing helpful tips on using search engines to look for information, finding a website, using social networks, video calling and messaging. Vic Rayner, Executive Director at the NCF said: “Digital skills are becoming increasingly important, but as research shows, many older people and people with impairment and vulnerabilities are not always confident to get online by themselves. The changing demands as a result of the pandemic means that digital skills now play an important part in connecting people with others, helping people access important information and services, and maintain their health and wellbeing. It is absolutely essential that people are not excluded from the benefits that the internet and digital technologies can have in their lives, simply because they lack the skills to get online by themselves. This is the reason why we’ve developed the Crib sheets, to help care providers support their staff and residents with essential digital skills, to make sure that everyone who wants to has the opportunity to be connected, included and supported in using technology.” The Crib sheets can be downloaded and printed from the NCF website at www.nationalcareforum.org.uk
Stay Connected at the Care Virtual Summit
On the 8th October, the Care Virtual Summit is returning to our screens and promises a line-up of speakers comprising of the most influential, passionate people in the sector. Representing many areas of care, the summit will explore technology, leadership, dementia, well-being, funding, staffing and how to make a real positive impact in your care business and the sector as a whole. Check out the full programme here The Care Virtual Summit is not just a day well spent, it’s a day of real value. Attending the summit means you get an entire days content of CPD training, which you can choose to watch live or on-demand at a time that suits you! This includes informative and inspirational seminars such as a one stop guide to Dementia, led by Professor June Andrews from the Dementia Services Development Trust and how to build a high-performance culture in your care business, delivered by Simon Parker, Founder at SP&P. Join care manager Jonathan Cunningham in an inspirational and emotional journey, where he’ll demonstrate the importance of leadership (plus a whole lot of singing, musical instruments and laughter!). Throughout the day they’ll be a number of fascinating discussions with a range of incredible speakers. Firstly, you’ll hear from Yvonne Hignell, Chief Operating Officer at Cera Care and Tony Stein, CEO of Larchwood Care, who’ll be discussing the role of technology in home care and care homes. Next is the summits sought after panel discussion between Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive at Care England, Colin Angel, Policy and Campaigns Director at UKHCA, Avnish Goyal, Founder and Chairman at Hallmark Care Homes and Raina Summerson, CEO of Agincare Group. They will be addressing the highly requested topic of funding in care and asking the question, where does it go? Lastly, Sophie Chester-Glynn, Director at Coproduce Care and Arnie King, Equalities Lead at Manor Community, will be giving an extremely useful talk on how we as individuals can influence social care law and policy – so get your pen and paper ready. Not only do you get all of the above, every attendee will be entered into a raffle to win an Aeroguard Mini provided by Care Shop and be entitled to 50% off the Future of Care Conference! You’ll even have exclusive access to a live magic show from Britain’s Got Talent Magician, Alan Hudson, sponsored by QCS! Book your ticket now so you can stay up to date and engaged with the sector you love and feel inspired to make positive change so you can start making a difference. Book your place here
