“I told Brunelcare they were the only family I had and they offered me a job at the charity”
“I told Brunelcare they were the only family I had and they offered me a job at the charity” Phil, 85, previously received home care visits from Brunelcare to assist him in caring for his poorly wife, Friedl. After her passing, and Phil’s declaration that Brunelcare were the only family he had, he now works at the charity as a Community Support Worker three times a week, helping Brunelcare customers across South Gloucestershire with their shopping and day-to-day tasks. Phil said: “After Friedl passed away, I felt like I was at a loose end, not only did I lose my wife of 47-years, but I also lost the magnificent carers that would come and visit Friedl and I. So I started volunteering at a day centre. The centre then closed due to Covid and the South Gloucestershire team didn’t want to lose me, so offered me a role at the charity I simply couldn’t turn down! Friedl was visited in her home by the South Gloucestershire Community Care team for eight years. Friedl’s primary carer, Cherry, was a massive support to both Phil and Friedl, and after her passing, Cherry knew Phil needed some additional support. Cherry said: “I could see that Phil was giving up hope but I knew he still had so much more to give. So I suggested he volunteer at Brunelcare, he started driving the buses and volunteering at some of our sites. Obviously, our customers loved him, and then Clare, the Operations at South Glos then offered him a role as a Community Support Worker.” Clare Hall, Operations Manager for South Gloucestershire, said: “Everyone absolutely loves Phil, he’s a breath of fresh air, and it’s a pleasure to have him work for us. We would truly be lost without him.” To learn more about Brunelcare, visit: www.brunelcare.org.uk
Barbara celebrates her 101st Birthday !
Resident at New Copford Place Celebrates Her Landmark Birthday Saying The Secret To A Long And Happy Life Is ‘Men’. At Friends of the Elderly’s New Copford Place care home in Colchester, Essex, the care team has been celebrating Barbara Purves’ milestone 101’st Birthday with gifts, cards and a special birthday afternoon tea treat complete with music and singing with her care home friends. Barbara, who has been a resident at New Copford Place since September 2019, grew up in Surrey and has many happy memories of attending school, where Sports was her favourite subject as “I was quite good at it,” Barbara recalls. Talking about her move to New Copford Place, Barbara said: “I decided to come to New Copford Place as I was so taken with the home’s beautiful gardens. I love gardening, it’s always been a hobby of mine and it’s lovely to be able to enjoy the delightful, picturesque grounds.” Daniel Sabau, the Care Home Manager at New Copford Place said: “Barbara is an amazing woman; always smiling, cheerful and a very proud lady. Even when she had problems with her legs that caused her massive pain every time she had her dressings changed, she’d squeeze my hand, but then joke and laugh about it. She is also quite a character.” “Everyone here at New Copford Place wanted to make sure Barbara had a wonderful, unforgettable 101st Birthday,” said Camilla Korgba, the care home’s Activities Coordinator. “Barbara is a fun, lovely lady who likes to get involved with our activities, she’s particularly keen on Balloon Tennis. Barbara is a real personality and a well-loved and caring member of our New Copford Place family. Barbara continued: “I had a really lovely 101st birthday, it was a very special day. I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday tea, not only the delicious birthday cake, but all the music, singing, laughter and chatter, it really made my day.” Daniel added: “Barbara is always “shooting” us with her walking stick or “chasing” us throughout the home, making us all laugh. I met Barbara on my first day at New Copford Place and I can’t imagine this place without her. We’re all so glad Barbara enjoyed her landmark day, we wanted it to be special, just like her.” “The other day I was asked what was my secret to a long and happy life? I’d have to say men!” concluded Barbara.
Care settings with touch screen technology
With an extremely challenging last 24 months in the care sector, 100s of residential and nursing homes across the UK have opted for the highly engaging option of Inspired Inspirations giant touch screen activity tables, enhancing the well-being of all service users. With external activities and entertainers visiting limited, 1,000s of residents have been kept physically, mentally and emotionally active through touch screen technology. Often described as an “activity coordinator on wheels”, you can keep residents stimulated either in groups or individually, with 100s of activities to choose from at the touch of a screen. This being particularly important for those who can’t or won’t leave their rooms, allowing you to take a huge array of activities to your service users. When Inspired Inspirations initially brought their Tiny Tablets to market, they listened to the care sector, who quite firmly told the team that they wanted a one price solution. Because of this, Inspired Inspirations have no on-going service fees. Their price lists include delivery, 3 year warranty and unlimited training & support for your nominated member of staff. Using an app based system, rather than Windows, Inspired Inspirations = can supply access to the Google Play store. This allows you the opportunity to download 1,000s of free and engaging apps, so you have the most cost effective and person centred care, mobile, all-in-one activity solution. Inspired Inspirations directors have spent the last 5 years working closely with the care sector to perfect their offering, not just as a product, but to include free and continuous training after you have purchased your table. With an online learning hub, they have amassed a training portfolio to ensure your service users enjoy maximum engagement with your touch screen devices. There is no danger of your table collecting dust after a few weeks of use, as Inspired Inspirations are always on hand to help you and your residents maximise the enjoyment through the use of touch screen technology. They have even collated a list of 160 tried and tested apps to download, allowing you to keep the daily engagement with your service users fresh and exciting. With staff availability and enthusiasm being even more important now than it ever has been, using their time wisely is key! Time taken to set up and clear away usual activities is decreased. We can even supply a 7 day a week activity plan, to ensure you get maximum fun with your residents. At the touch of a screen you can access 1,000s of quizzes, rather than making your own. Enjoy bingo, create song & dance playlists on a streaming service, complete arts and crafts without the mess and so many more activities to enjoy. To find out more, visit www.inspired-inspirations.com email info@inspired-inspirations.com or call the team on 01746866715
Healthcare Ireland acquires Priory Adult Care’s seven Northern Ireland homes
Healthcare Ireland (HCI), the Holywood, County Down headquartered care home operator, has completed the purchase of Priory Adult Care’s portfolio of seven Northern Ireland facilities. The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, accelerates the group’s ambitious expansion plans and makes Healthcare Ireland the largest privately-owned care home group in Northern Ireland with some 24 sites and over 2,000 staff. The new additions include seven homes across Northern Ireland: Carlingford Lodge Care Home in Warrenpoint, Bannview Care Home in Banbridge, Cairnmartin Care Home in Belfast, Bohill Residential Care Home in Coleraine, Ben Madigan Care Home in Newtownabbey, Blair House Care Home in Newtownards, and it has also purchased the learning disability facility at Bohill House Care Home in Coleraine which will be operated by Gold Healthcare, the specialist adult services division of HCI. All the homes are purpose built. One of these was constructed by HCI for Priory Adult Care in 2011 and the purchase follows negotiations over the last 2.5 years. Gilbert Yates, Chief Executive Officer of HCI, said: “At Healthcare Ireland, we are focused on providing the best possible care for each and every one of our residents and the seven new homes will allow us to bring our person-centred approach to more and more people. We are proud to acquire this portfolio of high-quality care facilities which will dovetail perfectly with our range of homes across Northern Ireland. “With the addition of these homes as well as a strong pipeline of new build sites across Northern Ireland, we are further enhancing the provision of top-quality living environments for our residents and we will continue to focus on building world class facilities going forward. We are deeply proud that with this latest purchase we are now one of the fastest-growing healthcare groups in the UK and can bring our person focused approach to more and more people, who deserve the very best care available.” HCI has a further six new-build care home sites planned across Northern Ireland, with the next project in East Belfast and a five-acre healthcare village also in the Greater Belfast area. The company has an excellent working relationship with the Healthcare Trusts across Northern Ireland, working in partnership to bring the highest quality of care possible to residents.
Care with Focus
At Willow we are working to save caregivers time and stress. We aim to do that with our sensor textile mats that can detect bed exits and body fluids such as urine, blood, vomit or faeces. When a vulnerable person is leaving their bed or body fluids come into contact with the mat the sensor sends a signal to either a call system or our app (search TEXIBLE Wisbi on either google play or the app store). The mat initially connects to the smart device you have the app on via Wi-Fi, however once you have connected once you will automatically reconnect as soon as the mat is activated. These prompt signals support the caregivers in their daily work while also improving the vulnerable persons safety and well-being. As long as you have either data signal or Wi-Fi connection you will receive the signals not matter how far you are from the mat. We also provide a range of high-quality Incontinence Disposables that includes Diapers, Pull-Ups, Under Pads, Wearable Pads and more. Interested? Get in touch:dylan.napier@willowdesign.uk.com 07384 528046willowdesign.uk.com
The Duplex Steam floor cleaning machine!
Rose Lodge Care Home in Market Deeping epitomises the Country Court philosophy of ‘Our family, caring for yours’. The recently refurbished home offers luxury facilities in a calming, homely environment which coupled with a compassionate care team means that residents enjoy a safe and comfortable life with a varied programme of events and activities to ensure that everyone gets the most out of every day at Rose Lodge. With maintaining high standards of cleaning and hygiene in mind the group have already installed Duplex Steam floor cleaning machines into a number of their homes as part of a planned rollout to the remaining sites in the coming months. The Duplex Steam floor cleaning machine washes, mops, scrubs, dries, polishes and sanitises all floor surfaces from slip-resistant safety floors and tiles, to rubber, wood, vinyl, carpet and many more. It is available in both steam and standard models and with its contra-rotating cylindrical brushes, it produces an exceptionally thorough clean on all floor types. The steam models are unique in their class being the only steam-injected cylindrical brush floor cleaning machine on the market. On carpets steam is excellent for refreshing and revitalising fibres and removing stains.On hard floors, particularly profiled and safety flooring, which can be amongst the most challenging types of flooring to maintain, the Duplex delivers a thorough clean and leaves surfaces dry in seconds and is approved by Altro to clean their slip-resistant safety flooring. Benefits of Steam From bedrooms, bathrooms and dining rooms to kitchens, lounges and corridors, Duplex can supply a solution to most cleaning needs with a range of models to suit different sized areas. To demonstrate the efficacy of its products, Duplex have commissioned independent tests by the Hospital Infection Research Laboratory in Birmingham and have certified data that proves their machines kill the bacterium most common in the environment including Clostridium Difficile. The Duplex Steam floor cleaning machine is surprisingly light and easy to use and highly manoeuvrable around furniture and fixtures. A well received training and installation session was carried out at Rose Lodge recently where the Duplex 340 Steam made light work of the laminate flooring – reducing the need for chemicals which is not only great for the environment but also helped make the hard working housekeepers job easier to maintain a cleaner safer living space for clients and support staff alike.
Paperless systems, improving quality of care, because we care
Background CAREAudits apps and systems evolved via an associated company Kern Systems were Ken Newlove director and founding member had been developing and deploying paperless systems for EPoS and Finance in the private and public sectors since 1999. Back in 2014 the team had more than 50 years experience in IT and software development as well as having been heavily involved in the third sector, with a trustee of three charities, a director of a business directly involved in the care market and a consultant in a £10 million turnover charity and interim CEO and Chair at an adult hospice. Working in the Care Sector the team recognised in 2014 the sector was becoming overwhelmed with administration driven by ever increasing legislative compliance requirements and controls and pressurised by ever increasing costs. The CAREAudits apps evolved from their desire to give something back to the Care Sector; to develop systems that genuinely reduce costs and increase efficiency as well as improving accountability and quality. And above all a system that would be easy to install and use by everyone. The CAREAudits System The CAREAudits app and Web Portal Auditing Tool is now being used throughout the UK and Ireland in numerous Care Homes and Care Services. CAREAudits managers are checking everything from CQC Compliance and Safety, to Medication Audits, Training and Maintenance as well as residents and patients quality and wellbeing, and now helping manage Corona Virus, to name but a few. Steve Smith regional manager at Care Homes UK says “We were able to implement the system ourselves and are now benefitting from management having all the information we need at our fingertips in real time wherever we are”. The system allows care providers to audit or check via the app just about everything and manage areas requiring actions (or non-compliances) in it’s Web Portal. Encrypted date and time stamped evidence including photos is seamlessly auto attached and recorded in the system.Natalie Lawrence at Yorkare Homes says “It’s a paperless system that runs alongside our existing client records system helping to make our whole operation paperless.” CAREAudits ensures management and staff are aware at all times of what needs checking, that it’s been checked, actions required by whom, by when including full resolution management. Each CAREAudit also scores the answers so management can monitor improvement. The system has over 100 example audits to select from. CAREAudits is extremely easy to use and care providers can easily add or edit their own audits in minutes ensuring simple management of ever- changing requirements. App users can use CAREAudits with virtually no training, it’s that simple with help text and standard answers available to every question ensuring that the least skilled operative becomes the care provider’s expert. Users can download the app for a trial and be up and running with the full system in only a few days. CAREAudits the company is a part of the Care Plus Innovation Group and is based in new offices in the MWS building, Priory Park, Hull, HU4 7DY on the A63 near the Humber Bridge. Info:- visit https://www.careaudits.co.uk email apps@careaudits.co.uk Click here to view our YouTube Training Videos! https://www.careaudits.co.uk/training-and-help-videosor call Ken Newlove operations director on 01482 238887
What is Connected Health?
Connected Health is a model for the delivery of healthcare that harnesses the power of technology to enable care to be delivered where and when it is needed most, making more efficient use of available resources. It connects patients and clinicians, providing insight which enables more proactive, preventative and person-centred care, reducing costs, improving outcomes and enhancing the patient experience. Connected Health solutions combine software, hardware and pathway redesign to support individuals in the community and help clinicians to manage caseloads more effectively. The benefits of Connected Health Connected Health technology can support patients to manage their condition at home, helping them to understand the effects of their behaviour on their health and stabilise their condition. It can also enable any deterioration in health to be identified and treated at an early stage, avoiding the need for more complex interventions. There are a number of connected health benefits for managing heart failure including the early identification of and response to deterioration, the provision of objective information to improve clinical decision making, contribution to the stabilising of patients and reduction in the number of hospital admissions. Connected care also supports timely discharge and reduces delayed transfers of care, identifies trends over time to aid proactive care planning, provides patients with the confidence to self manage and aids medication and activity compliance with reminders and coaching. Connected Health in reality In my role as Lead Clinical Application Specialist, I work with a number of Trusts around the UK, helping them to include RPM in pathways to improve the patient experience and support better outcomes. This kind of monitoring can be useful for a wide range of cohorts, including patients with long term conditions such as COPD, and children with eating disorders. For patients with heart failure, criteria for selection includes high risk patients, patients who are decompensating, patients who need prompting to act on the exacerbation of their condition, patients whose medication is titrated, and patients who may have difficulties with transportation for clinic-based care. In a typical telehealth service for heart failure, patients use peripherals to take their vital signs readings each day, and these results are reviewed daily and triaged for action by nurses at the Heart Failure Unit at the local hospital. Results outside of the set parameters for that patient will raise an alert, enabling a specialist heart failure nurse to be notified and take appropriate action such as advising the patient to take diuretics, clinic review or a home visit. Nurses can also view individual patient’s results over time, enabling them to identify trends. Feedback from nursing staff is that they find digital health monitoring to be a really useful tool, helping them to see at a glance who needs them the most, and treat patients who are decompensating before they deteriorate to the point of needing admission to hospital. Sadly, some patients have a life limiting condition, and the service helps to keep them stable and at home with their loved ones as much as possible. The digital service has enabled a number of positive outcomes for both clinicians and patients including the easy prioritisation of care, the close monitoring of patients with a reduction in the need for face-to-face meetings, and early intervention to prevent deterioration and the need for more complex care. Results have been more objective than patients reporting their own symptoms, supporting informed clinical decision making and avoiding the issues of patients who delay reporting any deterioration in their health until they are very ill. Patients find it reassuring to be monitored every day, and many become more aware of their condition as a result and better able to manage it. The initiative is in line with Government objectives to increase the use of technology and work innovatively to address some of the challenges facing the NHS. For more information on Connected Health services and the support available for people living with cardiovascular disease, www.tunstall.co.uk.
Why your care facility needs to consider Cyber Insurance
Why your care facility should consider Cyber Insurance As our reliance on the digital world increases it is no real wonder that cybercrime is on the increase, and this has been clearly evident in the last two years. For the opportunistic cybercriminal, it’s been a good time to commit cybercrime, as the pandemic has forced us to move away from our usual routines and reliable systems, leaving an exploitable gap in our security as we quickly adapted to new ways of working. Between April and June 2021, the ICO reported that there were 2552 data security incidents in the UK with 688 of those related to a cybercrime. The healthcare sector was one of the most affected with 607 data security incidents in total – 108 a direct result of a cyberattack. According to Police data analysed by cyber security company Nexor, there was a 31% increase in cyber related cases over May and June 2020. The most common attack occurred through email or social media, and accounted for 53% of all attacks on businesses, leading to substantial multi-million pound losses. Healthcare, financial institutions, manufacturing, real estate, and education were the most targeted industries. Whether a big or small-scale event, a cyber-attack is likely to have serious consequences for any business – shutting systems, deleting data, preventing data access or stopping them from trading altogether. Dealing with the fall out of a cyber-attack can be complicated and stressful, not to mention time-consuming and potentially expensive. Not convinced you need it? Read on to find out more about the types of cyber incidents that could affect your care facility. Types of Cyber Attack Cyber-attacks can take many forms, all engineered to get the victim to disclose information or take action, or to infect systems with malicious software. Phishing, malware attacks and ransomware pose a threat to all businesses. It’s common to think that cyber threats against businesses come from unrelated hackers, cyber-attacks or ransomware (known as external threats) and are significant events, but sometimes they can be more subtle and come from sources a little closer to home. There are four categories that cyber threats against a business typically originate; insider threats, human error or negligence, external threats and third-party threats. Insider threats may come from disgruntled employees who could steal personal or business data and sell it online, for example. Third party threats are those you are exposed to when third party systems, software, individuals or businesses, have access to your data – such as cloud-based storage systems, your data systems and even your website. But by far the largest cause of data breaches occurs from human error, and is easily done. Perhaps sensitive data is sent to the wrong person or company, or a memory stick containing patient data is lost. Negligence also includes weak passwords that are not updated regularly, which can allow cyber-attacks to take place more easily. Wherever the threat originates the bottom line is how you to respond. Have you thought about how you would continue to run your care home if you lost access to all your data? You could lose access to client records and supplier data, order information, diary appointments, financial data, your website and more. If you are held to ransom for access to patient files, the financial consequences could be significant. Additionally, you may be affected by reputational damage, which could affect existing relationships and damage future prosperity. You may need to rebuild and replace lost systems or create a new website. And, if a data breach occurred you are likely to face significant fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office. All of the above will require money, time and resources and need to be addressed in a timely manner to help you retain customers, employees, your reputation and may ultimately affect the future of your care facility. Having a comprehensive contingency and business interruption plan in place along with adequate insurance will help you to address and quickly overcome any fallout from a cyber-attack. A robust plan is vital to make sure you meet your legal obligations regarding data breaches and to reassure your customers. The benefits of cyber insurance Cyber liability insurance is a must for any care home business because it provides you with protection and peace of mind, should the worst happen. It will help against denial of service, which may occur with ransomware, the recovery from computer virus damage, which may have resulted in a significant loss of data, and other data breaches such as the loss of a memory stick or laptop. Getting assistance quickly and from reputable, knowledgeable and reliable sources will be key in ensuring your business can continue to operate with minimal disruption. If your care home holds data on a computer system, even with anti-virus software in place, you can still be vulnerable to a breach. Cyber liability insurance is relatively inexpensive and will provide you and your business with complete reassurance in the face of a data breach crisis. Every business is different and will have specific needs, so make sure you get advice for your unique situation and requirements. Don’t wait until you have experienced a cyber-attack to put measures in place, be proactive and help protect your business now. At Barnes Commercial we specialise in arranging robust insurance for those operating in the care home sector. As an independent broker we provide completely impartial advice on the best solution for your specific needs. Telephone: 01480 272727 Email: enquiries@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk www.barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk
