Making care home security both safe and attractive
Care home security has never been so important. The UK’s population is ageing at a significant rate, with the proportion of those aged 65 and above now making up 18% of our population, says Peter Jackson, MD at Jacksons Fencing. Currently, just under half a million people (4% of the population) in the UK reside in care homes, and with a predicted 24.8% of the population over the ages of 65 by 2050, demand on these buildings is likely to continue to rise. These often-large premises operate all day, every day, and given the constant, essential work carried out by care home staff, the utmost must be done to ensure their wellbeing and protect them from physical attack. Residential care homes often house high volumes of expensive items, including specialist medical and IT equipment, as well as personal possessions belonging to the residents. This makes them hugely attractive targets for thieves looking for an easy loot. So what needs to be considered, and whose responsibility is it to ensure these homes are safe and secure? Fundamentally, the responsibility lies with the facilities managers, care home owners and specifiers to incorporate carefully balanced physical security strategies to protect people and property alike. As demand for care homes rises, fencing, gates, storage enclosures and access control are all crucial components needed to secure this sector, enabling it to operate effectively 365 days a year. Effective access control Care homes should provide restful environments for residents while allowing for the fast-paced environment of busy staff, who are often responsible for the welfare of numerous patients. To ensure this happens, efficient, seamless access is key. All gates and access points around the perimeter must be assessed and considered, and should be installed and controlled centrally or be regularly monitored. Consider the types of vehicles that require access; the appropriate solution should ensure that, where necessary, emergency vehicles can enter and exit the site unhindered. If automated gates are specified, internal operators are highly recommended to remove any visible signs of surveillance on display. When designing pedestrian and vehicular access, gates should be DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliant. Crucially, the design of fencing and gates must accommodate rapid evacuation and access for emergency services. In terms of car parks, rising arm barriers or bollards are useful to help keep them secure, controlling access and protecting pedestrians from vehicle traffic. Promoting wellness through aesthetics Creating a welcoming environment is also a priority when specifying care home security. Whilst razor or barbed wire may be effective deterrents to potential trespassers, they can create an intimidating and unwelcoming aesthetic, far removed from the sense of wellbeing these developments should encourage. A solution which offers both visual appeal and high levels of security is vertical bar security fencing or welded mesh panels. They provide strong boundary protection and excellent visibility for surveillance while offering greater protection than other alternatives. For areas requiring a ‘softer’ appearance, such as gardens and outdoor recreational areas, timber fencing is an ideal option. This material has a natural, welcoming appearance and promotes a sense of wellbeing and privacy. It can also provide a high level of noise protection. This makes it well suited for acoustic fencing, which can improve recreational and recovery areas by protecting them from high levels of noise and transforming them into oases of calm ideal for recuperation. Addressing care home security risks Risk assessments are vital to ensuring the correct safety solution is installed. Products accredited by standards including Secured by Design or the Loss Prevention Certification Board’s LPS 1175 are proven to reduce the likelihood of crime. It’s recommended that high fencing is specified to deter climbing attempts and any external storage areas holding waste should be located away from climbing aids such as lamp posts or trees. There are countless options when it comes to specifying effective care home security measures. The requirements for each site will be unique and should be judged on an individual basis. Every home will require a bespoke plan of security structures to protect people, possessions and property while upholding the restful ambience of these crucial establishments.
Reducing the risk of coronavirus in care homes
Care & Nursing Essentials’ round-up of news and advice on the coronavirus outbreak for those working in care homes, including a printable guide… Care homes urge visitors to stay away As coronavirus cases in the UK continue to rise, many care homes have now taken the decision to ban visitors unless absolutely necessary. Despite the government’s decision not to advise distancing, many care providers took the decision to reduce the number of people coming in and out of care home settings in order to help stem the spread of the virus. Pharmacist and NHS Digital adviser Mohammed Hussain tweeted that the move by care homes was “another example of organisations taking the lead where government guidance is behind the curve”. Meanwhile Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales and owner of eight care homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon, said: “In my organisation, Pendine Park, we’re already significantly reducing the number people entering homes and we’ve introduced washing stations outside each of them. “We’ve got to do everything that we can to ensure that people are safe, and I would say this to anybody who wants to visit a loved one in a care home to think very, very carefully because totally accidentally this virus could be transmitted. “Simply put, not visiting care homes is likely to save people’s lives. “I think it’s very important that we recognise that care homes will be a safe haven.” Spring Budget’s extra funding to tackle coronavirus As the coronavirus outbreak reaches epidemic level globally, the UK government has pledged funds to help stop the spread of the virus and to ease financial difficulty caused by Covid-19. During the Spring Budget, Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged to make it easier for people to claim sick pay and outlined measures for self-employed people. He also announced extra funding to help public services cope. Mr Sunak stated: “I know how worried people are. What everyone needs to know is we are doing everything we can to keep this country and our people healthy and financially secure. This is an issue above party.” Despite the extra funds announced regarding the coronavirus outbreak, Siva Anandaciva, Chief Analyst at The King’s Fund said social care had been “overlooked” in the budget. He said: “The coronavirus outbreak has understandably altered the government’s priorities for this Budget so the extra £5bn announced for the NHS, social care and other public services to support their response to the coronavirus is very welcome. As the situation develops the government will need to keep under review how much funding public services need. “The Budget also included an additional £6bn for the NHS to deliver on some of the government’s headline manifesto commitments. Chronic workforce shortages remain the single biggest issue currently facing the NHS and social care, yet the Budget was light on detail of how it would boost recruitment and retention, and support under pressure staff. The publication of a long-term, comprehensive NHS People Plan has been repeatedly delayed and held back to allow for today’s Budget commitments, so it is now essential to get this published as soon as possible. “Adult social care remains a pressing and overlooked issue and despite the Prime Minister’s election commitment to ‘fix it once and for all’ the pressures have only increased in recent months. It is hugely disappointing that this Budget does not include an emergency cash injection to help local government to address social care needs beyond coronavirus. In writing to MPs and Peers last week, the government has still not come forward with any proposals for long term reform of social care.” Printable poster for your care home The team at Log my Care – a care management app provider – has created this poster with a list of handy information as well as a quick instruction set as to how to log a suspected coronavirus incident within the Carer App: Advice on reducing spread risk A scientist has published some useful advice on how to help prevent the spread of coronavirus which can help you prevent yourself and care home residents from catching the disease. Scientist James Robb (MD FCAP) was a professor of pathology at the University of California San Diego and one of the first molecular virologists in the world to work on coronaviruses in the 1970s. His tips are fairly self-explanatory but explain clearly why these precautions are needed – and his advice on stocking up on zinc lozenges has sparked a worldwide spike in sales of the product. Dr Robb said: “I was the first to demonstrate the number of genes the virus contained. Since then, I have kept up with the coronavirus field and its multiple clinical transfers into the human population (e.g., SARS, MERS), from different animal sources. The current projections for its expansion in the US are only probable, due to continued insufficient worldwide data, but it is most likely to be widespread in the US by mid to late March and April.” He said coronavirus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you but all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average.Therefore, everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. He added: “The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon.“The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth. How to prevent the spread of coronavirus Dr Robb listed the precautions he was currently using as coronavirus said – adding that he took the same precautions during any flu season, except for the mask and gloves: 1) No handshaking! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc.2) Use only your knuckle to touch light switches. elevator buttons, etc. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove. 3) Open doors with your closed fist
Poor care home staff retention can lead to Special Measures
Helen Fuller, Managing Director at Care 4 Quality, discusses the shortage in care home staff and how a positive working environment can boost staff retention… Research has shown that rising numbers of care homes do not have enough staff to meet people’s needs efficiently (as was the case in 72% of ‘special measures’ care providers analysed); and this is becoming a growing problem. There are of course, multiple reasons for this but the likelihood is, more residential homes are providing care and support for individuals with greater physical and psychological complexities and longevity than ever before. What were historically, fairly localised issues around recruiting care home staff, have now escalated to a national level with many care and support staff still being paid the minimum wage for what is a very physically challenging and emotionally demanding vocation. More worryingly, care managers are constantly tasked with weighing up the level of dependency versus the availability and financial implications of recruiting extra care home staff. The problem is, right now there is no legislation from the regulator in terms of what constitutes safe staffing, which leaves this wide open to interpretation and exploitation. So many factors impact staffing requirements Whilst some care operators argue that set ratios are too prescriptive, on the flipside, the result of having no clear quantifiable system means that induvial interpretation as to what safe staffing actually looks like is very ambiguous and lacks consistency. Although there are a number of recognised tools available to help calculate dependency and quality staffing levels, there are so many other factors that can affect the staffing requirement in a care home. Everything from the building layout, the layout of converted buildings, the mix of available staff skill set to the team dynamics in terms of strength and weakness, will all affect the cohesion and effectiveness of a care team. Increased financial constraint also means that care homes have to be more imaginative when assessing and reviewing their staffing levels. Current trends to manage staffing include using other resources such as volunteers, apprenticeships and management time to fulfil the dependency need however, this does present its own risks certainly around limiting the amount of contingency that can be built into staffing rotas. It also begs the question: what sustainable staffing options do care homes have in place for the future? Developing a sustainable empowered workforce The care sector can only develop a sustainable and empowered future workforce by supporting staff in a positive working environment, with appropriate training, which supports their continuous professional development as well as managing staff mental health and wellbeing. Essentially this is about caring for those who care for others. Reports confirm that a large majority of care workers and one in two care managers, are over the age of 50 years and predictions of a staff shortage is estimated by 2028. As such, care providers must start to formulate plans to foster a robust staffing environment of continuous development and career progression within their workforce. Supporting and encouraging staff to specialise in and champion various areas of the care industry will help to strengthen the quality of service provision while empowering staff to take ownership and to develop their own vocational pathway. It is also imperative for care homes to be able to justify incremental increases in their fee rates and to have the courage to challenge where necessary. Being consistent in special costing requests from Local Authorities and commissioners will make this sustainable longer term. Creating a robust and quantifiable dependency framework that evidences the direct correlation between individual resident complexity/dependency and staff time, can go some way to supporting this. Mind the gap Care provision is such an exciting and challenging sector, one that is ever evolving and totally adaptable. From changing regulations to change of regulator and inspection methods, not to mention changing consumer demand, many care providers have had to diversify their services to even remain viable in the marketplace. Reviewing future sustainable options for safer staffing is an extension of the need for change in the sector. Yet this is a sector to be celebrated in a positive light. Much of the care home headlines are focused on everything that is ‘wrong’ with the industry. Safe staffing matters and there are ways to improve this, it doesn’t seem right that this is open to individual interpretation, the gap is too wide. The sector should work to keep the emphasis on the positive side of care, ensuring that there are enough staff to meet the needs of those receiving care, but also as a welcome support to staff within teams. The unique sense of team satisfaction gained through supporting people in a person-centred way, helps goals and achievements come to life in a real and meaningful way. *Research carried out by R.Drury, S.Bawden, R.Dowson-Wallace, H.Fuller (Care 4 Quality Ltd) Analysis of Inadequate CQC published reports between October 2018 – March 2019.
Holmes Care Group in £47.5m deal with Impact Healthcare REIT
Holmes Care Group has finalised a long-term partnership with Impact Healthcare REIT, in which nine of its properties in Scotland will be acquired by Impact Healthcare REIT and leased back to Holmes Care. This deal will see Impact provide a cash injection of £47.5m to Holmes Care Group, who will continue to operate all of the homes as before. The agreement will allow Holmes Care Group to make substantial investments across its homes and services, enhancing the reach and quality of its already award-winning care across the country. The properties have been bought in a sale and leaseback transaction, with a fixed 25-year lease, allowing the Group to continue to seamlessly provide the long-term, high-quality, enriching care and support for which it has routinely been recognised since it was founded in 1982. Nines home will be boosted by deal Sharifa Lakhani, Managing Director of Holmes Care Group, said: “Providing excellent care to everyone who makes their home with us is our absolute priority. “We are very pleased to have concluded this deal, which will allow us to continuously invest in our homes across Scotland whilst maintaining our proud tradition as a family-run business. “This long-term arrangement will see us continue to operate all of the homes, and is great news for residents, their families and our team.” The nine homes involved in the agreement represent 649 beds at present, with two services located in Drumchapel, Glasgow, and the remaining seven located across Aberdeen, Wishaw, Banknock in Stirlingshire, Renfrew, Greenock, Armadale in West Lothian and Stevenston in Ayrshire. All nine homes already hold high ratings from Scotland’s healthcare regulator, the Care Inspectorate, and will be boosted by this beneficial deal. Holmes Care Group, which received the Top 20 Award by carehome.co.uk in 2017, is a family-run business and offers a range of services including residential, palliative, nursing and dementia care, as well as day services for the elderly and support for young people with disabilities. In addition to continuing to operate the nine homes involved in this acquisition, Holmes Care Group will maintain ownership and operation of its four homes in England. In total, the Group provides care and support to over 800 people across both England and Scotland, employing over 1200 staff.
Wiltshire Farm Foods unveils a new Softer Foods range
The UK’s leading frozen meals delivery service, Wiltshire Farm Foods, has unveiled an enhanced range of dishes to improve the visual quality of its award-winning Level 4 Puréed meals. Its Purée Petite range now features sausages which look freshly sizzled, chips and potatoes that are beautifully browned and grill steaks which appear lightly seared, all to enhance the aesthetics of its texture modified food selection. When it comes to first impressions, food presentation is of paramount importance to Wiltshire Farm Foods and creating dishes which allows its customers to dine with dignity, no matter their medical condition. Containing a similar calorie and protein content as Wiltshire Farm Foods’ Purée Classic dishes, its Purée Petite range provides a similar nutritional value for those with a smaller appetite. The range has been created specifically for those with swallowing difficulties; a condition known as dysphagia. Dishes with this texture are pureed and smooth with a consistent texture, each one meeting with IDDSI Level 4 requirements. With over 500 calories and 15g of protein in every 275g portion size, the Purée Petite range makes mealtimes more manageable for those living with dysphagia; a condition which can account for severe malnutrition amongst those living with it. Phil Rimmer, Head Chef for Wiltshire Farm Foods, says, “After spending a number of months developing this innovation, we are thrilled to bring the new and improved Purée Petite range to our customers. The team is passionate about providing quality nutrition and we have created these dishes to support healthcare professionals in all the fantastic work they do with some of society’s most vulnerable.” Dishes include perennial favourites such as Pork Sausages and Mash, Steak and Chips, Fish and Chips and All-Day Breakfast. There are numerous challenges in creating safe, compliant meals via home blending with the process being both time consuming for carers and potentially hazardous for patients if the correct texture is not achieved. Wiltshire Farm Foods eliminates any need for home blending with its texture modified range. Wiltshire Farm Foods will be launching its new Purée Petite range at Naidex on 17th and 18th March at NEC, Birmingham. You can find them on Stand N527. For more information on the Purée Petite range visit: specialistnutrition.com
Castle View: The powerful effect of independent living
“We don’t celebrate maturity, we don’t celebrate wisdom,” commented actress Kirsten Scott Thomas (almost 60) recently in an interview with The Telegraph Magazine – but that’s exactly what happens at Castle View, the new retirement village that has opened recently in Windsor. “Our approach is to treat everyone as an individual – be they single or part of a couple,” says Robin Hughes, CEO of Castle View and the man responsible for designing and building the new independent retirement village. Residents at Castle View purchase their own homes where there are 64 apartments starting in price from £375,000. Now gaining in popularity and springing up across the country, retirement villages are seen as an excellent way to look after our ageing population while providing a really good lifestyle throughout later life. Villages generally provide a range of apartments for purchase and are designed for those aged 55 plus to live as independently as they want, with care and support close at hand should it ever be needed. These homes usually have one or two bedrooms and include a shower room/bathroom and a kitchen, with central facilities such as a restaurant, café, bar, library etc, with social events and activities arranged for the residents. “In my experience, retirement-age residents want a secure home with good basic services, plus the availability of affordable care should it ever be required,” says Robin. As with where they used to live, they want to be next to like-minded people, but are not expecting continuous cruise ship-style entertainment or unnecessary interference in their lives. “Today’s retired are fiercely independent and want to do their own thing without the intervention or support from others for as long as possible. At the same time, their ‘grown-up’ children live where their work is, often at some distance from their parents or even overseas, and so the idea of care being provided by the family or even just helping-out is less likely, while the concept of the granny annexe is increasingly being consigned to history. “Independent living in a retirement village is a ‘win-win’ for the person living there and their family who can be safe in the knowledge that their mum or dad is getting on with their life yet surrounded by kindred spirits and a caring team of staff keeping an eye out for them to ensure they are well, eating and drinking properly and generally looked after,” adds Robin. “But this older generation is also becoming increasingly discerning, and people won’t move anywhere that doesn’t meet their exacting demands, which includes being able to pursue their preferred lifestyle. Keeping fit, staying busy, active and entertained is often central to this so having a cinema, theatre, library or sports centre nearby is essential. This means that an urban location is preferred over one in the country so you can walk to where you want to get to or take a short bus ride rather than getting the car out and all the cost and hassle that involves. Castle View is like a small village within the town of Windsor.” Would you let your mother live there? Most retirement villages have arrangements in place where care can be delivered to suit, or have a care home within the complex so convalescent or respite care can be quickly accessed and the partner easily visited. Residents are also freed from the burden of worrying about looking after and paying for a large family home and garden they have long since grown out of. The ultimate benchmark for any new retirement village is ‘would you let your mother live there’ and would she be happy? Robin’s own mum, Betty, moved to Castle View 15 months ago and is very content, comfortable, living independently and enjoying many new friendships, and all at the age of 86. “We must do everything to encourage the older generation to remain independent for as long as possible and out of long term care to avoid becoming institutionalised, unless it is absolutely needed,” says Robin. “The highly beneficial effect of sociability helps counter loneliness, while having activities and events on tap stimulates the mind, all of which leads to a longer more fulfilling life, and a reduced burden on the NHS.”
The future of social care post-Brexit
Stephen Wilson, CEO of Netli.co, discusses the impact which the points-based immigration system could have on social care in the UK. With almost 1/10 of staff working in health and social care coming from the EU, care providers are still unsure what impact Brexit will have on recruiting EU nationals. It is undoubtedly a time of uncertainty: So, who are we to believe in these mixed messages? With needs increasing and capacity decreasing, any loss of staff from the EU would be disastrous. Unfortunately, the government’s proposed “points-based immigration system’ for those from the EU, looking to work in the UK, will not be a support. The largest proportion of the current 122,000 vacancies would fail to meet the points-based criteria, due to the potential salary that care workers receive falling below the level set by the government. Currently, the role of a care worker is not classed as skilled or does not appear on the shortage occupation list. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) were asked to consider impacts on, and potential mitigations for, “sectors that provide high public value to society and the economy, but which might not necessarily pay as high wages”. MAC reported that: “The most obvious examples of these might be public sector jobs like health and social care workers and teachers.” However, to date there has been no response from the UK Government if a mitigation strategy for health and social care workers will be introduced. With so much uncertainty you may be surprised to learn that care companies access Brexit grant support has been pulled. This leaves the most vulnerable in society at risk of losing their care packages as care providers struggle to navigate the impact of the Brexit transition. More so than ever, recruitment must go on, that is why Netli have been in discussions with Scottish Government to support a national recruitment campaign. This includes CareJob.co, the first job board from advert to recruitment specifically for the health and social care sector. Additionally, Netli are hoping to support in these challenging times by providing free services for HSCPs, NHS, Local Authorities, Professional and Representative Bodies and Trade Unions. Whilst we can’t predict the exact impact of Brexit we can prepare. With support and guidance any health and social care provider can weather this perfect storm.
Are your care home’s LST radiators harbouring bacteria?
It’s essential for care and nursing homes to be easy and efficient to clean as it has to be done so often. Care homes can become quite busy as the staff occupy the residents, care for them and during visiting hours. Part of the staff’s role involves the use of lifting and manoeuvring equipment, transporting users from one room to the next and ensuring that daily activities-like mealtimes are efficiently carried out. Ass care and nursing environments can be busy, the need for resources that are low maintenance is essential. Contour’s DeepClean LST (low surface temperature) radiators and radiator covers provide the ideal solution, they’ve been designed to safely heat your care home whilst requiring little-to-no maintenance. LST radiators and radiator covers Contour’s complete radiator systems come with high-quality Herz Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) for either internal or external fitting. An external TRV kit is where the TRV head is on the outside of the cover, this allows the staff to adjust and control the temperature of the room themselves without having to remove any covers. To read more about Contour’s TRV options, click here. Cleaning Contour’s LST radiators Having clean surroundings in a care and nursing environment is crucial, especially when residents can have weakened immune systems. Contour’s LST radiators provide full access to the radiator for thorough cleaning. By using a simple quarter turn lock, the one-piece casing can be dropped down to floor level effortlessly. For even more movement and efficiency, Rotarad fittings can be installed with the LST radiator, allowing the radiator itself to be tilted downwards to floor level for a full clean and access to the wall behind the radiator. Efficiency cleaning A thorough clean can take a team of people to achieve results, however easy access to and behind the radiators means it can be achieved efficiently with just one person. When you remove a regular radiator cover for cleaning, you’ll often need to cut the existing sealant away so that you don’t damage the existing paintwork or the wall that it’s sealed up to. In contrast, the DeepClean radiator cover design allows you to remove the top and front of the door for cleaning and maintenance, without the need for removing any screws or sealant from the wall. We estimate that in seven hours, two people can clean fourteen regular radiators, whereas one person can clean eighty-four DeepClean LST radiators in the same amount of time! Conclusion All of our radiators contain BioCote antimicrobial protection incorporated into the paintwork, minimising the spread of harmful bacteria, including MRSA and E.Coli. Maintaining Contour’s radiator and guard range has never been easier. The easy drop down front allows for efficient and effective cleaning. Easy maintenance allows you to focus on the things that are most important in a care facility which is the quality of care and wellness of your residents.
Why is a Lasting Power Of Attorney so important?
Nicola Finbow, Head of Private Client at Clough & Willis Solicitors, discusses why care home residents should consider setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney… The daily life of a care home employee can be extremely busy, with lots of moving parts to consider to ensure the correct care is administered to all of the residents – but things can get a lot busier if a patient has an accident or falls ill and it isn’t clear who to speak to about their needs. For this reason, it’s important that care home residents and their loved ones consider setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney to ensure everyone knows who is able to make healthcare and financial decisions on behalf of the resident if a time comes when they are unable to do so themselves. What is a Lasting Power of Attorney? A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows an individual to appoint someone they trust to take control of, or assist with, their financial or personal welfare decisions if they lose the capability to make decisions for themselves. With an ageing population, these types of agreements are becoming more and more essential to ensure that the healthcare wishes of an individual and their loved ones are adhered to. However, research by the Office of the Public Guardian from 2014 revealed that almost half (45%) of respondents had never heard of the term ‘Lasting Power of Attorney’ and, once they were told about the document, almost two thirds (61%) said they weren’t interested. There are several reasons for the lack of interest – such as, many doubting they would lose the mental capacity to make decisions of this nature, while others didn’t want to give someone else the power to make decisions for them. However for care home residents, this is more important than for most. Statistics from Alzheimer’s Society show that 70% of people in care homes have either dementia or severe memory problems and that 225,000 people will develop dementia this year, meaning that it’s important to get all of the paperwork agreed before it’s too late. If an individual no longer has the mental capacity to create a valid Lasting Power of Attorney, it becomes much more difficult for someone to authorise important financial and welfare decisions – an application to the Court of Protection would be required. These applications are much more lengthy, complicated and expensive. This can cause problems for residents and care providers, as it can mean that relatives are unable to access finances to pay for specialist care while the application is pending and the care home can be left in a difficult position as their bills start to become overdue. For the sake of protecting the best interests of care providers, residents and their loved ones, it’s recommended that all care home owners create a policy to promote setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney for all new and existing residents. Working with a solicitor can take a lot of the stress out of the process of getting the appointment in place. The expert solicitors at Clough & Willis have been providing this vital service for many years. Find out more about our Lasting Power of Attorney and Deputyship service here.
