Tania Plahay on her book: Yoga for Dementia
Care homes are embracing yoga as a method of promoting mindfulness through meditation, as well as improving cardiovascular fitness and reducing depression. Tania Plahay runs a pilot therapeutic yoga programme for people with dementia in care homes and her book Yoga For Dementia is based on the findings from that programme. Tania has a dedicated page to Yoga for Dementia on her website yogafordementia.com. Here, she tells Care & Nursing Essentials editor Victoria Galligan about her book and the benefits of yoga for residents, families and staff… How does yoga help people living with dementia? Yoga, guided meditations and mindfulness can help people living with dementia on many levels: On a physical level yoga asana (physical) sequences can help people work towards recommended exercise targets and improve cardiovascular fitness Many people living with dementia also have depression: yoga and meditation have been seen to be effective in helping reduce this Yoga exercises can help people release anger, reduce agitation and promote calm. Breathing exercises help improve how people breath. This has many benefits, including promoting the production of positive feel-good hormones. Physical postures help people to locate themselves in space, promoting better orientation and balance. How and where are Yoga for Dementia sessions run? Yoga sessions can be run in care homes and private homes by carers, activities coordinators, or yoga teachers. It is best to run the physical sessions before mealtimes. I recommend starting with short sessions, maybe lasting 10 – 15 minutes and increasing the length of these as groups get familiar with the activities. There are also very nice calming yoga-based activates that can be done before bed. Can carers and family members practice yoga with dementia patients? Yes! I would encourage carers and family members to practice alongside those living with dementia. The majority of activities within ‘Yoga for Dementia’ work very well if practised together. Carers and family members will benefit immensely from the postures and breathing exercises. For example, people living with dementia may have poor posture with tight shoulders and necks, and many carers carry stress and tension in their shoulders. Therefore, doing something very simple like the shoulder sequences together can help both carers and clients feel better together. What does your website Yoga for Dementia offer for carers? My website offers more information about how yoga can help those living with dementia. It includes links to up-to-date research and studies on yoga and dementia including the results of the 18-month trial I ran. It also includes some video of short practices carers can do with their clients. How can your book Yoga for Dementia help carers who want to run sessions? As well as providing a comprehensive background to what yoga is, and how yoga works to counter the effects of ageing and dementia, my book contains a whole chapter on how to run yoga sessions for those living with dementia. This chapter provides everything you need to know, including what you’ll need before you start, tips on when you should practice and how you should begin, as well as important principles to remember. The information within the chapter is tried and tested with carers and activities coordinators providing a go to guide to those wishing to start a yoga programme in their home. For more information see: yoga4dementia.com Yoga for Dementia: A Guide for People with Dementia, Their Families and Caregivers is available to purchase via Amazon. Or if you buy via Jessica Kingsley Publishers, you can use code Y18 at the checkout for a 10% discount.
Automower: could your care home use a robotic lawnmower?
Automower robotic lawnmowers: cutting the time spent on lawns Gardens bring joy to care home residents, staff and visitors alike – but how much time and money is spent on maintaining the lawn? Meanwhile, many homeowners with larger gardens feel the only option is to give up their home – or hire a gardener. Husqvarna – the Swedish brand which started off in the 1600s making shotguns, and today also sells under the brands Flymo, Gardena, Weed Eater and McCulloch among others – launched its first robotic lawnmower 23 years ago as a solution for people who can’t, or don’t have time to, mow their lawns by hand. The Automower lawnmowers range from small models which can cut large gardens of up to 600m2, to larger models which can cope with the grounds of buildings such as schools and care homes. Working as a fleet, even parks and cemeteries can be mowed by the robotic lawnmower. Husqvarna gathered press from around the world at its UK plant in County Durham to show off its high-speed, ultra-silent Automower and to prove to sceptics – Britain hasn’t embraced the robotic models as much as the USA or Germany – that the mowers work well and reduce manual labour and maintenance to almost zero. At the beginning of the press launch, there were many questions in my mind. The main one being: how is the Automower powered? The answer is simple: it has an outdoor charging dock, which it finds by itself when the battery is running low, docks and charges until ready to out again. My second question was aisles answered quickly: how does the Automower find its way around your garden? Thanks to a perimeter cable, which goes around the edge of your garden as well as large fixed objects like ponds, flower beds and trees, the Automower can navigate around your lawn in a random fashion to give a smooth, carpet-like finish. And for those thinking of the ugly, raised cables this will result in: fear not. If pegged flat to the ground, the grass soon covers the cable and more particular horticulturists can ask a Husqvarna dealer to come and lay it underneath the soil with their specialist equipment. So how about the weeds? Well, given the fact that the Automower goes out daily to keep the grass at a level which you decide, the weeds are literally cut off in their prime. They don’t get a chance to grow. And the moss? The pressure of the wheels, the constant cutting and the short clippings which are produced and act as mini-mulching heroes means the moss is eliminated too. Not convinced yet? Perhaps you’re concerned about a particularly large lawn or a garden with steep slopes. Husqvarna have dealt with that: their machines can tackle steep slopes of up to 24º (45%), with some models covering lawns of up to 5000m2and an area capacity of up to 208 m2 an hour. If the Automower does get into a scraper and encounters a slope which is too steep for it, it will, after a little exploring, retreat from the area to avoid getting stuck. Depending on the model, a fleet service can be run where, via the cloud, operators have a complete overview of multiple models as well as full remote control from one unified system. An unlimited number of models can be added to the fleet, so there really are very few green spaces which cannot be mowed. And advancements in smart technology mean that from September, Automowers will be sold which are compatible with Alexa home hubs. Another obvious concern of users will be about accidents: if the blade comes into contact with a stone, animal, foot or finger, what will happen? Faced with a gang of sceptical journalists, Patrik Jägenstedt – who as director of primary development, concept and features at Husqvarna Group has worked on the development of the Automower for years – got out three props: a stuffed hedgehog, a wooden foot and a model of a hand. He showed how the casing of the Automower has been designed to a specific size, so that hands, feet and even small animals won’t come into contact with the blade without lifting the lawnmower – which triggers an emergency stop. Wildlife rangers at one park where the mower was being rolled out were so concerned about newts and toads coming a cropper, that Husqvarna added a special brush around the edge of the casing to sweep the creatures away. Environmentalists will also be impressed with the zero-emissions policy of Husqvarna: compared to petrol-powered mowers – especially ride-ons in larger lawned areas – the robotic models are much more environmentally friendly. A solar-powered hub for the Automower is also being developed, which will further reduce the energy consumption from fossil fuels. The set of pivoting blades are also ingenious. There is less energy required to run the blades as they are so light – weighing less than 10g as opposed to a heavier fixed blade used in traditional machines. The rectangular-shaped blades fold away when they come into contact with a hard object, reducing the risk of breakage. And to top off the features of the pivoting blades, they leave a clear cut and reduce the tearing of grass as caused by fixed blades, which can result in brown, frayed edges. Husqvarna have thought of the noise element of running a mower, too. Thanks to being so lightweight, electric powered and with lighter pivoting blades, noise is minimal. I would liken it to hearing a car drive past the garden at night, in a quiet area, with the bedroom windows shut. Husqvarna have not only delivered a reliable model which can be used in gardens, parks, schools and even cemeteries, but they have carried out a test at public green spaces in Edinburgh, Almere in the Netherlands and Aalborg in Denmark. On the 500 series, Olle Markusson, director of product management in robotics, says, “Our objective is to allow
Accountable care explained by the King’s Fund’s Anna Charles
The health sector is seeing a shift from competition between organisations to a collaborative, locally-controlled approach: accountable care. It’s the latest health policy buzz phrase but where did the model come from and what does it really mean? Here Anna Charles of The King’s Fund – the independent charity working to improve health care in England – has the answers to how accountable care works… What is accountable care? The basic idea behind accountable care is that different organisations from the health and care system work together to improve the health of their local population by integrating services and tackling the causes of ill health. It marks a shift away from policies that have encouraged competition towards an approach that relies on collaboration between the different organisations delivering care – such as hospitals, GPs, community services, mental health services and social care – and the organisations paying for it – including clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local authorities. This represents a different way of working for the NHS – the emphasis is on places, populations and systems rather than organisations. If successful, accountable care will accelerate the implementation of new care models designed to integrate care and promote population health. It will also enable local leaders to take more control of funding and performance in their areas with much less involvement by national bodies and regulators. The model of accountable care began in the USA amid President Obama’s health reforms Where does the term ‘accountable care’ come from? The language of accountable care comes from the US, where accountable care organisations (ACOs) were set up under President Obama’s health reforms in an attempt to improve care and reduce growing costs. In England, the term ‘accountable care’ has been adopted and adapted to describe the arrangements developing to support more collaborative working between organisations across the health and care system. These are variously described as accountable care systems (ACSs), accountable care partnerships (ACPs) and accountable care organisations (ACOs) (see below for definitions). While the term accountable care is relatively new, the underlying concept is not. Accountable care is the latest attempt to make a reality of ambitions for health care organisations to work more closely together to improve care and maximise value from available resources. There is widespread agreement that changes to integrate care need to happen for health and care services to meet the needs of an ageing population. Does accountable care mean we are moving to a US-style health system or that the NHS is being privatised? No. The aspect of accountable care that has been adopted from the United States is the idea of holding providers to account for improving health and outcomes for defined populations. Elements such as who pays for the care or who delivers it are not being adopted. Like current NHS services, the English version of accountable care would be tax funded. Some areas developing accountable care might choose to buy in support and expertise from private companies, for example to introduce IT systems, but there is a long history of NHS organisations accessing this type of support. There is nothing to suggest that accountable care will lead to private providers playing a bigger role in delivering clinical services than they do now. What does accountable care mean for commissioning? One of the consequences of these developments is that the commissioner/provider split that has underpinned health policy since the early 1990s is unravelling. CCGs are working more closely with each other and with local authorities to develop joint or integrated commissioning, and with providers to plan care for their populations. Commissioning is likely to become more strategic, focusing on the planning and funding of new models of integrated care rather than being based on annual contracting rounds as it is currently. It is also likely to involve use of longer term, outcome-based contracts in place of the current system of Payment by Results, which was designed to support choice and competition. Are ACPs, ACOs and ACSs the same thing? The terms ACP, ACO and ACS are used interchangeably by some, but there are differences between them. Accountable care partnerships (ACPs) are alliances of NHS providers that work together to deliver care by agreeing to collaborate rather than compete. These providers include hospitals, community services, mental health services and GPs. Social care and independent and third sector providers may also be involved. Accountable care organisations(ACOs) are a more formal version of an ACP that may result when NHS providers agree to merge to create a single organisation or when commissioners use competitive procurement to invite bids from organisations capable of taking on a contract to deliver services to a defined population. Accountable care systems(ACSs) have evolved from STPs and take the lead in planning and commissioning care for their populations and providing system leadership. They bring together NHS providers and commissioners and local authorities to work in partnership in improving health and care in their area. In many cases, several ACPs may sit within a larger ACS area. How are accountable care systems developing in practice? Since NHS England outlined ambitions for sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) to evolve into ACSs, 10 areas have been selected to lead their development. Two of these – Greater Manchester and Surrey Heartlands – are part of the government’s devolution programme. All 10 areas have been working to put in place the structures that are needed for an accountable care system to work. For example, they are forming boards, appointing leaders to oversee the system, and making agreements to share money and responsibility for performance. The most important test of the success of ACSs is whether they can improve health and care for local people. Areas developing ACSs are building on the work of the 50 vanguard sites across England that have been implementing new models of care to change how care is delivered, for example, by introducing multi-professional community teams to support older people. Early evidence suggests that this work is beginning to improve services and moderate demand
What does the 2018 Spring Statement mean for healthcare?
Hitesh Dodhia, Superintendent Pharmacist at PharmacyOutlet.co.uk on the Chancellor’s Spring Statement and why it is “a disappointment” where the NHS is concerned… “Announcing prior to his speech that the Spring Statement would contain ‘no red box, no spending increases, no tax changes,’ Philip Hammond certainly kept to his word with a somewhat watered down speech. Being a more mundane affair than previous years, the Chancellor has decided to break with tradition and save any key announcements or major changes to spending until the new Autumn Budget later in the year. “Despite delivering a lighter speech than previous iterations, this did not mean that the Spring Statement was void of any noteworthy moments. Upgraded growth projections for the economy and the claim that the UK had reached a ‘turning point’ gave people something to talk about. But for the NHS and healthcare more generally, the speech was a disappointment – failing to announce any new funding commitments that are sorely needed. “Although the Chancellor did promise to provide the NHS with extra funding ‘if management and unions can reach a deal’, he was unclear about how much this would be and where the money would be spent. And as the NHS tries to claw itself out of the depths of another winter crisis, the Government should instead be announcing more spending and more digital initiatives to help the health service. “From the pressures of an aging population and nationwide pharmacy closures through to the inefficiencies of the NHS, Philip Hammond refused to address the underlying problems in the healthcare industry. In doing so, the Chancellor has risked entrenching the impact these issues will have on the sector. “In last year’s inaugural Autumn Budget, the Government stated that it is committed to reforming the NHS. One of its methods for doing so was to fund the new Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs), which aim to invest £10 billion into creating ‘an NHS which is fit for the future’. Yet despite this positive step forward, much more needs to be done to alleviate the pressure on healthcare services, and this week’s Spring Statement was a good opportunity to do so – or at very least, Hammond could have provided an update on how the Government’s plan to modernise the NHS is progressing. Unfortunately, he chose to do neither. “Bringing the NHS into the 21st century is rightly a key priority for Hammond and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Indeed, the healthcare sector as a whole should be embracing new digital solutions as well as focusing on educating the public about already established schemes such as the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). “By digitising the prescription processes, EPS helps to alleviate pressure on GPs and pharmacies; it also provides patients with the option to have repeat prescriptions delivered straight to their door, with no extra charge. And yet, research from PharmacyOutlet.co.uk found that 60% of people across the UK do not know what EPS is; this is a clear example of the need to not only introduce more efficient digital solutions – which EPS certainly is – but also to increase awareness and uptake of such initiatives. “While there have been small steps towards the digital transformation of the NHS, progress is still lacking. Despite the call for change becoming louder, funding to support digital solutions will, for the meantime, have to come from within existing NHS budgets. Holding its breath until later in the year, it is clear that without the Chancellor promising extra funding in the Autumn Budget, the NHS will not be able to fully modernise anytime soon. As day-to-day healthcare becomes more expensive and adds more strain on worn out services, the Government needs to rethink its health policy and fund digital projects now, rather than later.”
Parkinson’s patients helped by rock music, say Chroma Therapies
The pulsing beat of the Dire Straits song Walk of Life has helped a Parkinson’s patient recover balance and brain function, found healthcare provider Chroma Therapies. Scientists have discovered that certain rhythms allow the brain to by-pass sections that have been damaged by stroke, traumatic injury or degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia. Rhythmic beats or songs with a strong connection to the patient have been shown to reactivate nerve cells and reboot the brain’s sensory pathways to enable patients to communicate or recover physical ability. “The emphatic rhythm and strong melody found in songs like A Message To You Rudy or Dire Straits’ Walk Of Life make them songs ideal in the rehabilitation of speech, language and cognitive functions,” says Daniel Thomas, managing director of Chroma Therapies – the UK’s only national provider of arts therapies services, which staged a major acquired brain injury conference last week. “There is strong neurological evidence that music activates many different areas across the brain. The motor system is very sensitive to picking up cues from the auditory system so when we hear music, particularly pulse or rhythm, it kicks straight into the motor system going around the brain,” according to eminent music therapy professor Dr Wendy Magee, from Temple University Philadelphia. Chroma Therapies staged a brain injury conference last week with experts from all over the world “Music can engage alternative pathways for a specific function, such as language, depending on the size of the lesion or even effect changes to brain structures. Studies have shown that music might excite activity around small lesions to activate function and, with larger lesions, it seems the healthy side of the brain might take on roles and mechanisms the damaged side was previously responsible for.” Also attending the Chroma Therapies conference, Dr Tamplin of the University of Melbourne added: “The brain uses different areas to produce words through singing than damaged speech and language areas do. “Rhythmic music has an amazing effect on movement coordination. Music can bypass damaged areas in the brain, providing a scaffold to do the part of the work the brain is not doing in coordinating movement. But there is also the basic ‘use it or lose it principle’ and music stimulates movement. When you exercise muscles they get stronger and the more you exercise, the stronger you get. In the gym, you work out longer and harder with music that motivates you.” Daniel expanded: “We are currently treating a client who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about two years ago and while he listens to the radio, he has never played an instrument or ever experienced arts-based therapy but had heard of neurologic music therapy through a family member and felt it would be something to try. “While he worked with an occupational therapist his condition continued to deteriorate but within a few neurologic music therapy sessions, he began to notice improvements in his balance and gait and importantly for him in his confidence. His OT also noticed a difference in his gait and balance. The Chroma Therapies conference took place on 15 March at the British Medical Association House in London. The all-day event titled ‘Arts Therapies and Brain Injury: Optimising Outcomes Across Assessment, Treatment and Care’ hosted seminars and workshops based on Arts Therapies and its use within brain injury rehab. Chroma Therapies is the UK’s leading national provider of arts therapy, using music, drama and visual arts to help people of all ages facing issues ranging from neurological damage such as dementia through to emotional and social problems. The company’s client base includes schools, hospitals, local councils, businesses and individuals, and it has strong links with leading arts therapy organisations across the world, often acting as a leader in pioneering new techniques and new thinking. Arts therapy is an official allied health profession, has been practiced in the UK for more than 70 years and enjoys a well-researched evidential base.
Rohit Patni, CEO and co-founder of wellness management app WeMa Life
From booking home carers to physio sessions, WeMa Life is an online marketplace and app that brings together health and care providers with individuals seeking a wide range of services. The multi-service HealthTech platform offers benefits to both consumers and businesses. For people seeking health, care and wellbeing services – either for themselves or someone close to them – WeMa Life makes it easy to source, book and pay reputable providers. Services include: social care, domiciliary care, nursing, domestic help, personal care and hygiene, massages, yoga and Pilates instructors, nutritionists, physiotherapists, personal trainers and more. Users can book one-off and on-going sessions, as well as services from multiple providers in one transaction. Meanwhile, the tools available through the online portal and app also enable businesses to improve the management and delivery of their services. Here, Rohit Patni – one of the three family co-founders of the app – talks to Care & Nursing about how WeMa Life came to being and how it can help make life easier for both users and service providers. What gave you the idea for the app? As three co-founders, we all came from quite different backgrounds. Prior to the creation of WeMa Life in 2017, I was working in IT and had recently sold my company YESPay to WorldPay for more than £20million. My wife, Rajal, was helping a range of businesses grow through implementing operational and strategic plans; while my son, Vivek, was working in professional services after completing his degree in Biomedical Sciences. And then the idea for WeMa Life – or rather, the dramatic need for a solution of this nature – became apparent to all of us. After experiencing first-hand how slow and complicated it was to find and book reputable healthcare services for an unwell elderly relative, we were inspired to develop a way of making the process simpler with more choice for consumers. Drawing on our collective talents, we started work on making WeMa Life a reality – self-funding the company through the development stage, before proudly launching the app and online marketplace in February this year. How did you choose which service providers to include on the app? Before permitting any service provider onto WeMa Life, our team performs rigorous due diligence to ensure only reputable providers are listed. Away from developing the tech, a major focus leading up to the launch of the solution was to get as many health, care and wellbeing businesses accessible through the platform, and this remains a key objective. From nursing to nutritionists, WeMa Life is continuing to expand the services available – with many more expected to join after the app’s launch. But quality will always supersede quantity, and diligent checks remains essential before we on-board a new provider. Which services would be useful to the elderly? With WeMa Live being borne out of our family’s own experiences of looking after an elderly relative, one of the major elements we wanted to address in the design of the online platform and app was to make the process of sourcing, booking and paying reputable providers easier for older generations in mind. As WeMa Life has grown so has the services available. The app now includes a range of services: social care, domiciliary care, nursing, domestic help, personal care and hygiene, massages and more. Each of these could prove useful for an elderly person, depending on their specific situation. Importantly, through WeMa Life family members and friends can also book services on behalf of an older person – this is a real benefit for informal carers responsible for looking after a grandparent or neighbour, for example. If someone needed care in an emergency, would they be able to book immediately? WeMa Life doesn’t replace the need for acute medical services in cases of emergency – it is certainly not a replacement to ambulances or A&E. But by organising carers to help in people’s everyday life, it does make an emergency less likely to happen. Indeed, we like to stress how WeMa Life empowers people by putting them in control of their own health or a loved one’s’ wellbeing, scheduling support as and when they need it. Services and appointments can be arranged at short notice, of course, but for medical emergencies people should naturally call 999 or contact the appropriate services. Where do you see WeMa going in the future? As WeMa Life has offices in London and India, the immediate future will see the company focus on becoming more prevalent in both countries, with the possibility to expand into other potential markets. Just as we have seen through the rise of FinTech and PropTech, it seems certain that the global HealthTech market is going to increase in size dramatically over the coming months and years. In turn, it means that the number of consumers and businesses embracing tech in the health and care space is likely to explode – at WeMa Life we look forward to being at the forefront of this digital revolution, using tech to make people’s lives a lot easier. Visit WeMa Life – short for Wellness Management for Life – at www.lavanyaplus.com/wema-life
Innovative new Droplet mug helps carers tackle dehydration
A new smart mug that helps people to independently hydrate thanks to a light and sound alert has boosted water intake in clinical trials. Droplet is the new modular hydration solution that encourages people to drink more. Featuring a simple and engaging design, the Droplet mug has been specifically created to lessen the risk of dehydration and support the work of healthcare providers in hospitals and care homes. Available in mug and tumbler form, the Droplet sits on a light and sound reminder base, and is fitted with a flow control lid. The heart of Droplet is the highly sophisticated base: this identifies when the user has not drunk for some time and uses flashing lights and recorded audio messages to remind the person to take a drink. It also alerts the carer so they can monitor hydration levels and patterns in patients whilst spotting the signs of potential dehydration early on. Initial trials held in December 2017 at Musgrove Hospital in Taunton showed a 63% increase in patients taking a drink with excellent feedback from care workers. Facilities manager Philip Shelley said, “Droplet supports the crucial element of hydration for healthcare professionals to monitor, manage and improve patients’ fluid intake. This is why at Musgrove Park we are introducing Droplet in every ward.” Four wards participated for five days, involving 43 patients with similar illnesses a 50:50 gender split with and without Droplet. Those patients that used the Droplet mug drank on average 63% more fluids on a daily basis than those without – an extra 500ml each day. In one ward, gastroenterology, fluid intake nearly doubled. The innovative base seamlessly attaches to either the Droplet mug or tumbler and can be customised to suit the environment and needs of the user. Encouraging and supportive messages can be either be pre-set or recorded whilst a night light glows to help carers & users easily identify the cup at night. Other key design features include: • The Droplet mug, tumbler and lid is made from Tritan which is scratch, shatter, odour and stain resistant and it can be easily cleaned in a dishwasher. • A broad stable base and chunky open ended handle, whilst being lightweight & comfortable to use, allowing people with weak or swollen hands to easily grip the handle or body of the mug with one or both hands. • A discreet measuring lines at 100ml and 200ml help carers record fluid levels and make thickened drinks. • The Droplet mug insulates the heat of the drink which means users can hold the cup without burning their hands. • Flow control lid provides dignified support to those who suffer from tremors or swallowing problems. It easily clips on and off the Droplet mug or tumbler and has a hole for either a Pat Saunders straw or a regular straw. • Flow control lid has a discreet recessed spout that controls the flow of liquids including stage 2 thickened drinks. • Designed with speech and language therapists, who have stressed the importance of the user drinking normally. When the user drinks from the Droplet flow control lid they will not need to learn a new way of drinking. Created by Spearmark product designer Ellie van Leeuwen, who was inspired to design Droplet after her own grandmother left hospital severely dehydrated, the product has already been welcomed into care homes and hospitals as part of pre-launch trials. Commenting on the launch, Ellie said: “I wanted to create a product that made it easier for patients to self-hydrate, but also supported healthcare professionals in spotting the signs of dehydration. I’m so proud of the final result and it’s wonderful to now see patients and carers benefiting so greatly from it – the feedback we’ve had from both healthcare professionals and patients has been phenomenal.” Who can benefit from the Droplet mug? The Droplet mug is designed to support anybody who might be struggling to keep themselves well hydrated. Elderly people are often vulnerable due to physiological changes in the ageing process, whilst mental and physical frailty can further increase risk of dehydration. Patients suffering from health conditions such as dementia, diabetes, Parkinson’s, arthritis and Alzheimer’s can also benefit from Droplet. Droplet officially launches in April 2018. Find further information at droplet-hydration.co.uk or follow our progress on Twitter @Droplet_UK
Dementia research programme investigates the power of music
A dementia research programme at a residential care home is investigating the power of music and whether it can be used to sustain language in older people. Chelsea Court Place has collaborated with the University of Roehampton to launch the exciting music project, called Beyond Words. Researchers Prof. Adam Ockelford, Dr Fiona Costa, PhD student Caitlin Shaughnessy and “savant” pianist Derek Paravicini – who is blind and held his first concert at the age of seven – are leading this this innovative project with residents from Chelsea Court Place. Here, Care & Nursing Essentials magazine speaks with Professor Adam Ockelford about the dementia research … What does the Beyond Words dementia research programme hope to achieve? The year-long study aims to investigate the power of music and if it can be used to sustain language in older people with dementia, enabling them to communicate their wishes and needs for a longer period than would be normally be the case in the natural deterioration caused by the disease. One of the symptoms of dementia in its later stages is a decline in verbal communication. Together with the deterioration of memory, often an early stage of the disease, this can create a major challenge of communication. For many people in the severe stage of dementia, the ability to communicate is completely lost. There is no cure for dementia. There is no stopping the decline in the ability to communicate and its accompanying frustration. Several health institutions recommend the development of non-pharmacological approaches (NICE, 2016). There is wide acceptance for the use of music as a therapeutic intervention for dementia patients. In a recent study of their responses to music ‘music was highlighted as one of the few mediums to which most people could still access’. This was particularly true of personal, meaningful music (McDermott et al. 2015). It has also been suggested that musical abilities and memories may not be connected to neurological deterioration relating to speech and language. This raises the possibility of using music as a non-verbal form of communication for people with dementia (Aldridge, 2000; Hubbard et al. 2002). What happens during the dementia research music sessions at Chelsea Court Place? The weekly, 45-minute sessions include a repertoire of familiar songs (requested by the audience) and proceed into a series of ‘micro-songs’; short rhythmic melodies associated with key functional language. Such micro-songs have been successfully used with children and young people with complex needs to scaffold or substitute language, but no research has been conducted to understand the extent to which this happens. Can you explain how music can help to scaffold language? Melodies provide a simple framework in sound on which words can be ‘hung’ – rather like pegs on a washing line. Research has shown that it is easier to remember the words in songs than it is to try to learn and recall words on their own. This is because music uses simple, repetitive structures that the brain finds easy to process, and in the brain, the words and the music are stored together, and can be recalled at the same time. Have you seen examples before in the elderly where music has triggered a response? In our work with elderly people with memory difficulties in the past, we have observed how listening to familiar music heard earlier in life can have a dramatic, positive effect: those who seem to have little or no speech (or an unwillingness to use it) suddenly ‘come alive’ and will sing and even dance! There is emotional engagement too, and often memories can be stirred that have been dormant, perhaps for a long time. There can often be a ‘halo’ effect, whereby once the brain has been ‘kick-started’ into action, language returns, conversations can take place once more, and there is a sense of being together with others, replacing the feeling of isolation that can be so distressing. Music seems to have the ability to reach the parts of the brain that other interventions cannot, and it has a power beyond its notes to rekindle memories, words and a sense of well-being. If the dementia research findings show an improvement in speech, what could care home providers do to use music effectively? Which types of music might be best to play and for how long? Based on our work at Chelsea Court, we will make the materials we are developing generally available online to relatives and carers who wish to use them. This resource will take a while to develop, but if any readers would like pre-publication copies of the songs and activities we are developing, then please get in touch with Dr Fi Costa at Fiona.Costa@roehampton.ac.uk Chelsea Court Place in west London is a residential home and Day Club specialising in dementia and senior care. Fusing cutting-edge, dementia-friendly interior design with state-of-the-art technology, Chelsea Court Place employs the latest dementia research and techniques to support and improve the quality of life for its members and residents.
Connect2Care launches healthcare apprenticeships with United Lincolnshire Hospitals
Connect2Care, an expert provider of training and apprenticeships in the care sector, has expanded its offer with the launch of its first healthcare apprenticeship standards across hospitals within Lincolnshire. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and its Talent Academy has teamed up with Connect2Care to deliver bespoke nursing development apprenticeships in Boston, Grantham, Lincoln and Louth. Eleven cadets are already enrolled on the scheme – which started in October – and plans are in place for a further 70 to commence a Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship. The tailored scheme is part of a new workforce development strategy, spearheaded by the Lincolnshire Talent Academy, to nurture local talent and address the nursing shortage. The course aims to progress the skills of the healthcare support and nursing teams through a holistic approach to learning, including workshops, observations and practical work. Incorporating the new Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship Standard and Senior Healthcare Support Worker Standard, the programme allows new and existing staff to benefit from training that can take them from the beginning of their Level 2 apprenticeship, right through to a degree-level qualification, over the course of seven years. Speaking about the new apprenticeships, Kevin Goodger, Operations Manager at Connect2Care, said, “It’s a pleasure to work with United Lincolnshire Hospitals and support its next generation of nurses. With an industry-wide demand for skilled staff and mounting pressures on the NHS, there has never been a more crucial time to invest in training. Our objective for the nursing development programme is to provide apprentices with a core set of skills that give them the confidence to excel in their careers and progress into more senior positions.” Claire Flavell, Strategic Lead for the Lincolnshire Talent Academy at United Lincolnshire Hospitals, added, “Recruitment within our industry is a hot topic as businesses struggle to find and retain the right candidates. Developing a high-quality training programme that is accessible for our current and future workforce is key to attracting and retaining talent within the county, while also tackling the decline of healthcare professionals entering the sector. Ultimately it will help to strengthen the quality of care within our hospitals. “It was important for us to work with the right training provider to help deliver the new programme. Connect2Care has provided expert advice and support every step of the way and I’m excited to work with the team to continue developing our training programme, so that we can grow and nurture local talent in Lincolnshire.” Connect2Care (C2C) are an expert training and apprenticeship provider for the adult and early years care sector. They train professional staff throughout the country, and are a wholly owned subsidiary of training provider Hospitality Industry Training (HIT Training). C2C frequently work in the same care organisations, with HIT working with the catering, cleaning, housekeeping and administrative staff while Connect2Care trains the care teams. See www.connect2care.net for more details on the healthcare apprenticeships.
