Transport solutions for disabled passengers at North East garage
South Shields based converter Vic Young Ltd has been providing wheelchair accessible vehicles for over 20 years. The latest addition to their mobility conversions is an upfront passenger vehicle using the Fiat Doblo model, allowing the disabled passenger to sit side by side with the driver. Disabled passengers can sit safely and securely beside the driver thanks to nearside wheelchair loading. This is achieved by a ramp which can be manually deployed after the extra wide nearside passenger door and sliding side door have been opened. Space between the up front wheelchair user and the ceiling is not an issue, with up to 5.85” headroom. Lowered flooring provides eye-line height for the mobility passenger. This is not the only comfort guaranteed by the vehicle; the wheelchair is secured up by a four-point restraint system. Passengers can feel safe with this robust, easy to use operation. The Fiat Doblo has five points of entry. These include two front doors, two side sliding doors and a rear door that lifts up. Boot space is large which is ideal for storing wheelchairs and extra equipment. Because of the nature of the up front design, there is no loss of seating or luggage space. The Up Front Fiat Doblo is the perfect mobility vehicle and ticks all the boxes for wheelchair users who wish to sit next to the driver. Due to its intricate specification, the vehicle can be relied upon to continue meeting the requirements of passengers. Vic Young is an award-winning car dealership in the North East. A family-run business which has been trading for over 40 years, and have a large, loyal customer base throughout the North East and beyond. They pride themselves on their ability to provide best in class service to all customers across all their main areas of business: new and used cars sales, conversions, contract hire, car hire, van hire, after sales and servicing. Visit our website
Care Home Residents deliver letters of kindness to local school children
A Buxton Nursing home has recently posted a series of handwritten joyful letters to local school children who wrote to them over the Christmas period. During the festive season, Portland Nursing Home received Christmas letters from Chapel-en-le-Frith High School children. The letters contained beautiful drawings including rainbows, Christmas decorations and snowmen. Thanks to the partnership, every resident at Portland Nursing Home enjoyed reading the letters and has now written and delivered their letters in reply, forging intergenerational friendships. Portland Nursing Home also paired with local Buxton Parish Churches during 2021, in order to enable residents to make new connections with local people through receiving postcards. Emilie Shrimpton, activities coordinator at Portland Nursing Home facilitated the partnership with Chapel-en-le-FrithHigh School. Speaking of the letters, Emilie said; “It was so lovely for the residents to receive such kind letters from the school children over the Christmas period. It’s so important for our residents to feel connected to people of all ages in their local community. The residents have been eager to write their letters in response to the school children, so to post them recently was really exciting for them!” Emilie recently accompanied Ruth, a resident at Portland Nursing Home when she went to deliver the letters. Chapel-en-le-Frith High School teacher, Rosie Scott, who has been organising the letters said: “It is wonderful to see our community coming together. The project has brought so much joy to our students”. Social connection for elderly people is critical, playing an essential role in their mental, emotional and physical health. Allowing elderly people to develop strong social networks with the local community provides a sense of comfort, togetherness and is also a healthy hobby that allows a better quality of life and superior overall health and wellness. Portland Nursing Home is pleased to be welcoming new residents. They have specific procedures in place to continue to support families who are looking for care for a loved one, while minimising the risk of the pandemic for residents and staff. The specialist home has a team of dedicated care staff who provide around the clock nursing care for residents. For more information on Portland Nursing Home, or to take a look around the home, please call 01298 23040 or visit https://www.portlandnursinghome.co.uk
BALLROOM DANCING ENTHUSIAST’S 101ST BIRTHDAY IS FULL OF SURPRISES
At Friends of the Elderly’s Little Bramingham Farm care home in Luton, Bedfordshire, the care team has been celebrating Blanche Fromenton’s milestone 101st Birthday with gifts, balloons, cards and a special birthday afternoon tea treat in the home’s beautiful tea room with her family and care home friends. Blanche, who has been a resident at Little Bramingham Farm for just over a year, grew up in Camberwell, South London, a place which appears in the Domesday Book as Cambrewelle, meaning ‘Well of the Britons’. Blanche enjoyed growing up in the area and has many happy memories of attending St. John’s School, where English was her favourite subject, taught by Miss Garrett. The eldest child of six, Blanche always looked after her siblings so it’s no surprise her first job was as a Nanny, caring for a two-year-old toddler. Blanche met her husband whilst she was working in a grocery store on Drury Lane in London. They married at St. Mary’s Church in Hornsey and had two sons and is now a proud Grandmother to three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Emma Lawrance, the Care Home Manager at Little Bramingham Farm said: “Blanche is a quiet lady who is kind and considerate. She’s very independent and her intelligence shines through. She loves her family dearly and is an absolute pleasure to be around.” Blanche said: “I decided to come to Little Bramingham Farm as it’s close to where I was living and I really liked the look of it. I’ve lived a very active life, with a love of ballroom dancing, so liked that there’s always something going on at the home. I particularly enjoy playing Scrabble and taking part in Musical Bingo.” Emma added: “All the care team wanted to make sure Blanche had a fantastic and memorable 101st Birthday. She’s such a lovely lady who always has a smile for everyone, she’s such a well-loved, friendly and caring member of our Little Bramingham Farm family. We’re so glad Blanche has enjoyed her special day, we wanted to make it as special for her to show just how special she is to us.” Blanche concluded: “I have had a really wonderful 101st birthday, it’s been a lovely day. Seeing my family and care home friends, having a smashingly delicious afternoon tea, chatting and laughing, it has been wonderful. It’s definitely a day I’ll never forget. “The other day I was asked what was my secret to a long and happy life? Thinking about it, I’d have to say it must stem back from my school days when I was rather athletic, no alcohol and eating a healthy diet – and perhaps all my ballroom dancing has helped too.”
Holmes Care Group recognises colleagues for going the extra mile
The national ‘Going the Extra Mile’ competition, run by Holmes Care Group and Impact Healthcare to recognise care workers’ tireless hard work to deliver the best standards of care, celebrates five colleagues at four homes with awards: Sarah Keeton, Senior Carer at Baytree Court Care Home in Scunthorpe Helen Miller, Activities Coordinator at Beechwood Care Home in Wishaw Linda Williamson, Deputy Service Manager at Heatherfield Nursing Home in Armadale June Shields and Jacqueline Knox, Care Assistants at Larkfield View Care Home in Greenock During the initial phase of the pandemic, when shielding advice meant Service Managers at Baytree Court and Heatherfield needed to self-isolate at home for their own safety, Sarah and Linda stepped in to manage their homes. Working closely with Public Health and Clinical Commissioning Groups, they made sure ever-changing health and safety advice was implemented across care, food, hygiene and maintenance teams, while caring for residents and organising video calls with their loved ones. When Beechwood was closed to everyone but essential visitors, Helen sewed costumes, decorated lounge areas, gathered props, and baked delicious treats to launch the Beechwood Airlines and Bus Tours. Her engaging activities programme saw residents ‘travel’ to London for afternoon tea with the Queen, ‘jet off’ to Dublin on St Patrick’s Day with a Guinness and ‘attend’ Wimbledon for a tennis match. Larkfield View’s June and Jacqueline stepped up to take over food preparation over a week when COVID-19 restrictions meant kitchen staff were forced to self-isolate. They quickly got to grips with preparing a care home’s full menu safely, taking into account the food textures and dietary requirements of meal plans in a 90-bed home. Each home will receive £1,000 to spend on the welfare and wellbeing of all staff members, which so far has included the purchase of garden benches where colleagues can socialise, a bike rack to encourage cycling to work and indoor plants or radios to boost wellness at work. Stella Brackenbury, Service Manager at Baytree Court Care Home said: “It’s always difficult to choose just one of our team for an award like this. When I, and the home, needed her, Sarah was 100% there for us, keeping me informed of everything going on when I needed to self-isolate, and managing risk assessments, care plans and testing in the home. She made sure people were as happy and safe as possible despite really challenging circumstances. When I returned to work, we promoted her to Deputy Manager, and she has continued to go the extra mile.” Cathy Togneri, Service Manager at Beechwood Care Home said: “Helen’s efforts to keep the people we support engaged and entertained are admirable. Her activities empower some of the most vulnerable people in our community to choose how they spend each day, and her conversations with them help unearth all the memories of childhood, family life and holidays, so that they can relive them while creating many more in the home. She goes the extra mile and I am grateful to her for making all of us smile and laugh through a difficult time.” Hazel McFie, Service Manager at Heatherfield Nursing Home said: “I could tell from the minute I joined Heatherfield that Linda is known as a trusted, upbeat and highly skilled member of the team. All of us are very grateful for the work she did to keep everything running over a difficult time and ensure no disruption to the care provided in the home. When the home needs her, she is there for us, so this award is well deserved.” Elsie MacLennan, Service Manager at Larkfield View Care Home said: “Nominating June and Jacqueline for this award was my way of making sure they were recognised for all their hard work over the last two years. They go above and beyond to make sure everything runs smoothly. I thought that we would be forced to reduce our menu, but they worked so hard to offer a full one with options for our residents – and even managed to bake treats and a birthday cake. We are very lucky to have them.”
Social care opens doors for Jane
A nurse looking after Crewe residents is encouraging people to consider the numerous professional pathways available in the care sector, having built her own successful career in the field after ‘falling into’ a job caring for others. Jane Hughes, 35, never thought she would dedicate her life to nursing older people at dementia care specialist, Belong Crewe. But over a decade ago, fresh from finishing a degree reading Criminology and Psychology, she unwittingly embarked on what would turn out to be the first day of a fulfilling vocation. She explains: “Like many graduates, I didn’t know what sort of job I wanted or even where to start. I applied for a role as a care assistant and, to be honest, it wasn’t really what I wanted to do, and so it surprised me when I fell in love with it straight away – I hadn’t anticipated how gratifying it would be.” During the subsequent years, Jane worked hard to progress through senior care assistant and care team leader positions, before pursuing a nursing degree. Once qualified, she worked in local hospitals but felt something was missing and eventually returned to the Belong village on Brookhouse Drive, having secured the Registered General Nurse (RGN) post. “I came back to social care because I missed the closeness and the relationships you can build with people, over time,” Jane continues. “Working in hospitals, you help patients get better; but then you never see them again. Nursing at Belong enables me to support older people’s physical health needs, as well as their social and psychological wellbeing, on a long-term basis, and so I can get to know them.” “I’m now the village’s lead nurse which affords me autonomy to influence and implement my ideas, coach and train my own team, and continually learn whilst networking with local GPs and nurse practitioners. The best part is being able to work with and help our customers thrive independently in a compassionate setting – it’s a lovely way to spend your career.” Cheryl Davies, general manager at Belong Crewe, commented: “We’re very pleased to have supported Jane’s development and congratulate her on what she’s achieved. It goes to show the opportunities that social care has to offer and how rewarding the profession can be. We provide extensive on-the-job training, meaning people can join us without care qualifications and go on to realise their ambitions, just like Jane.” www.belong.org.uk
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More freedom, with our help!
If you are one of the millions of people affected by incontinence, you will know that choosing the right product is absolutely vital for your comfort and security. Whether you are looking for disposable or washable items, pads or briefs, mattress or seat protection, we specialise in supplying a range of high quality continence care products to help with toileting, bathing and other aspects of day-to-day life. As a company with over 20 years of experience, we are very happy to advise you by telephone or email, discuss your needs and recommend the best product for your condition. We take great pride in our discreet, confidential and personalised service; we don’t use a call centre, and we never put you on hold! If we are busy, just leave a message and we will call you back. Calls are free from landlines and most mobiles. Alternatively you are welcome to visit our website to view our range and place an order. Most orders will arrive to you on the next working day. If you already use incontinence products, we are highly confident we can supply equivalents or better. And if our products do not meet your expectations, then, subject to terms and conditions, you can return them and receive a full refund. So why not give us a call and try us out? We’d be delighted to send you a brochure and a free sample of one of our disposable products. In summary, we offer: Quality products: we only stock high quality products which are more effective, with an improved fit, offer better comfort and with higher eco-credentials than their cheaper counterpart. Excellent value: quality products mean you will need fewer of them because they will work more efficiently – ultimately saving you money. Greater choice: we have a wide range of products to manage different types of incontinence and cater for all different sizes. Multi-buy offers: buying in larger volumes means you get the lowest prices for the products you use the most – as much as 15% off, usually with free postage! Personal service: if you need any help in choosing the right product for you, please do give us a ring 0800 389 3597. For friendly advice and support, call us on Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm or visit www.arelle.com for more information. We are here to help.
Limbkeepers,non-compression knitted sleeves
Limbkeepers are non-compression knitted sleeves, a new solution helping to protect fragile, thinning skin on arms, hands, and legs from abrasion, skin tears and bruising. These versatile products, which help reduce injuries, allow for continued daily activities, and help to maintain quality of life and independence. Limbkeepers provide cushioned comfort and warmth without added bulk. The universal design allows them to fit either limb. Limbkeepers unisex sleeves are made to look and feel like clothing, worn under everyday apparel, giving confidence and dignity to the wearer. There are many factors contributing to fragile skin, medication induced skin disorders, sun damage, post-surgery healing, wound care management and the normal ageing process. The many features of Limbkeepers help protect these vulnerable areas. They are form fitting without compression, attractive, soft, and comfortable. There are no seams and no fasteners for easy wear and moisture management for easy care, making them perfect for people who do not want or need a compression product. Limbkeepers are manufactured in the USA, are registered with the MHRC in the UK and carry the UKCA mark. More information can be found at https://www.limbkeepers.co.uk/
Manfred Sauer UK launch two new products
Manfred Sauer UK Ltd, are delighted to announce the launch of two new single use catheters. One for male/paediatric use and the other solely for females. They are available to order on prescription now, or if you would like a sample, please get in touch. Male/paediatric Female catheter Not all catheters are the same The hydrophilic catheters have been designed for convenience. They are immersed in saline and ready for immediate use. The male/paediatric version has a non-touch sleeve which permits a no-touch insertion, which helps ensure a clean intermittent self-catheterisation technique. Whilst the female one is completely sterile and available in three sizes. Going the extra mile Manfred Sauer manufacture and distribute innovative urology products. They always put the wellbeing, comfort and happiness of patients first, going the extra mile to provide specialist advice, help and the most suitable products for continence care needs. Their high-quality products are designed by patients and healthcare professionals with unique features and benefits to ensure effective and user-friendly solutions that work. This means many incontinence issues can be managed independently, without worrying about frequent emptying or toilet access and do not impinge on anyone’s ability to live life to the full. Get in touch For more information, advice or to order a sample, call 01604 595696, email helpline@manfred-sauer.co.uk or visit https://manfred-sauer.co.uk/
