Clean Smarter with SmartDose from Diversey
Cleaning can be a time-consuming and arduous task but ultimately a necessary one, especially when it comes to the private and public care and nursing facilities. Regular cleaning is essential in these settings with visitors and residents of such accommodations demanding the highest levels of hygiene and requiring a certain visual standard for their own piece of mind. But with so many surfaces, areas and high-volume touch points to clean, along with caring for individuals. Staff need an easy and straight forward product range to make cleaning efficient. Enter Diversey’s SmartDose range of concentrates designed to make cleaning simpler, smarter and safer. The Bottle The SmartDose bottle has been designed to allow for easy, quick and precise mixing of concentrates making cleaning staffs jobs simpler. Located on the top of the bottle is a bright yellow head which features two clearly marked dosage levels. The purpose of this is so the user can select between two different solution options which are outlined on the bottle (normally these are a 750ml solution for spray bottles and a larger size such as 5 litres for mopping options). The mechanics of the top is a simple pump action which works as follows: Please note the action of pushing down the top once it has been pulled up will dispense a shot of the concentrate so ensure the nozzle is positioned over the container you wish to make the solution up in. The design of the bottle lends itself to being easily transportable around larger multiroom sites and due to it being a concentrate means smaller bottle sizes. With this decrease in size comes a reduction in waste produced. The Range SmartDose offers a complete range of cleaning solutions all which have specific purposes. It also features cross-system options meaning SmartDose has products which work alongside other Diversey systems such as Taski, Suma and Oxivir. For more environmentally friendly options there is the Pur-Eco and SURE ranges both of which can help your business reach its green goals. The numerous options all provide cleaning solutions for the following areas and more: Environmental Responsibility If your care or nursing home is looking to improve its sustainability credentials, Diversey had the following to say regarding what figures you can expect when using SmartDose. A 1.4L SmartDose product typically equates to 280 ready to use (RTU) products. If you use an average of 100 cases of 6 x 750ml RTU product per year, the typical annual sustainability improvements are: SmartDose’s range is ultimately one which aims at making cleaning simpler, safer, smarter and more sustainable and its design and operation delivers on these key areas. For more information about SmartDose please contact us on 0844 844 4300 or email us at hello@allianceonline.co.uk. Equally, for a full product offering of commercial cleaning equipment, chemicals and janitorial appliances browse Alliance Online today. http://www.allianceonline.co.uk/
Meallmore achieves IIP Gold accreditation
Leading care provider, Meallmore Ltd has achieved the prestigious Investors in People (IIP) Gold Accreditation. For nearly 30 years, Investors in People has been recognised internationally as a leading people accreditation. By achieving this award, Meallmore is demonstrating its commitment to its people. Fewer than 1,000 organisations in the whole of the UK currently have IIP Gold Accreditation, and only 62 of those are classified as care providers – with just six in Scotland. The accreditation is the culmination of a three year process, which assesses how the organisation leads, supports and improves its people. After an initial assessment, all staff are surveyed and some are interviewed to indicate how they feel about working at the company and how they’re supported. The report deemed that ‘through 2020-2021 and the challenges associated with COVID-19 pandemic’, Meallmore has shown ‘the ethos and philosophy of a ‘gold-standard organisation’, and ‘clearly demonstrate a shared sense of purpose, together with a common set of values, leadership behaviours; and philosophy of care’. It further added, ‘your principles and values were not only highly visible – yet also provided a clear roadmap throughout COVID-19.’ Valid for three years and regularly assessed throughout this period, a gold accreditation demonstrates that all staff and leadership take full ownership of the practices in place to support people, and are actively trying to make work better for the entire team. Meallmore employs over 1,700 members of staff, working in 26 care homes around Scotland. Gerry Hennessey, Managing Director of Meallmore, said: “This is a hugely important achievement for us. In this industry, our people are crucial to what we do, and we are committed to making sure they get the best experience working with us, which also results in us getting the best out of them. It was a very proud moment to hear that in the most challenging of times, all of our staff reported feeling safe and valued, and have so many positive things to say about being a part of Meallmore. “We believe in continual improvement, so we’re fully prepared to go beyond Gold, and we’re already planning our next steps to take things even further. Thank you to everyone for all of their hard work and dedication, which makes us what we are today, and makes every Meallmore home such an excellent place to work and live.” Bonnie Clarke, Interim Chief Executive of Remarkable, the organisation licensed to deliver Investors in People in Scotland, said, “This is a fantastic achievement for Meallmore. Investors in People recognises organisations who are truly committed to their people, continuous improvement and customer service. We have supported Meallmore since (2001) and we’re delighted to see their ongoing dedication recognised with this Gold award. Many congratulations!” Meallmore is committed to providing high quality care and support, investing in staff training, engagement and communication to ensure residents have access to the best possible care. The company provides a range of residential nursing, dementia and mental health care across Scotland. For more information about Meallmore, please visit www.meallmore.co.uk.
Resident Reminisces About His Youth And Community-Focused Career 100th Birthday
At The Lawn, the Alton-based residential care home run by charity Friends of the Elderly, resident Donald Swann, OBE had a wonderful day celebrating his milestone 100th birthday. Donald, who has been a resident for nearly two years, marked his Centenarian Day in style with a delicious birthday lunch with his son, Ian. Following lunch, Donald continued the celebrations at The Lawn care home, enjoying a special birthday cake and a fun afternoon chatting and reminiscing with the care team and friends about his extraordinary life. Donald received his OBE in the 1977 Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours List which were announced on 11th June that year. An OBE, standing for Officer of the Order of the British Empire, is the second highest ranking Order of the British Empire award and is presented to people who have made a noticeable and positive impact in their line of work. Donald received his award in recognition for his work with the Youth and Community Services in Huddersfield and Bradford. At Buckingham Palace, his wife Jean and his children Janet and Ian, looked on as Her Majesty the Queen presented Donald with the iconic gold cross and red ribbon. That same year, Donald was the Queen’s escort at a major event at Elland Road, the Leeds United Football Stadium, which was arranged to celebrate the achievements of youth groups throughout Yorkshire. The stands were packed with 40,000 young people who had turned out to welcome the Queen and Prince Philip, in what was reported as ‘the biggest and the noisiest festival so far’ of the Queen’s Jubilee Tour (1). …2 Continued… Donald’s work towards the recognition of the OBE really began back in 1961, when he became the first Principal Youth and Community Officer at Bradford Council and, with his team, transformed the service into one of the most enterprising authorities in the country. One of his most memorable achievements was establishing international links which enabled youth groups to travel across Europe and even to the then Soviet Union. Donald was also heavily involved with The Duke of Edinburgh Awards, which are open to all 14 to 24-year-olds regardless of background, location, ability or gender. He worked tirelessly to bring the Awards closer to the Youth Services throughout the country and established a purpose-built Awards Centre in Bradford. Donald said: “I was passionate about my work. I believed – and still do – that it is important for young people to have fun, make friends, improve their self-esteem and build their individual confidence. By taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and achieving the different elements, the young people I worked with learnt essential skills such as problem solving and team work, alongside becoming resilient and good communicators. All things that help in life. It was a wonderful thing to be involved with, it really did help transform lives.” When Donald retired he continued playing golf, a game that he loved – but not as much as ‘the beautiful game’ football. Both he and Jean were season ticket holders and followed The Whites (or Peacocks) at Leeds United. However, his passion was, and still is his beloved Terriers, Huddersfield Town FC, who he has supported for nearly 95 years, having attended his first match when he was five. “I remember being lifted over the turnstiles to get into the ground, I can’t imagine that happening nowadays,” Donald added. Another hobby Donald is enthusiastic about is singing. He was in The Honley Male Voice Choir and was their Secretary, then Chairman and is now Honorary Vice President. He was absolutely delighted to receive a personalised engraved glass from his friends at The Honley Male Choir as a gift on his milestone birthday. Donald still loves to sing, and one of his favourite activities at The Lawn are the singing sessions. …3 Continued… Alina Gutu, the Care Home Manager at The Lawn said: “We really wanted to make Donald’s 100th Birthday extra special and ensure he had a wonderful, memorable day. He’s a well-loved and well-liked member of the Lawn family and is a joy to be around. He’s always singing and enthusiastic about the activities he takes part in. We’re so glad he had a great day – a great day for a great man.” Donald concluded: “I came to The Lawn as my family and I had heard of its good reputation, and I have to agree. All the care team really look after me and we are always chatting, singing and up to something. “I received my OBE from Her Majesty in 1977 and now in 2021 have received my 100th Birthday card – and to top it all, she’s the Royal Patron of Friends of the Elderly. I’m honoured to have been fortunate enough to meet her. “I have had a truly unforgettable day. We were chatting earlier and I was asked what my secret to a long and happy life was? I’d have to say my wonderful family, good friends, singing, football and definitely early retirement.”
“… never did I think an apron could be game changing, but I do now!”
These are the words of a Limon Attire customer, Alexandra, about their specially designed Dining drApron® from Limon Attire. The rest of her note read – “I can’t tell you the difference it has made at mealtimes! We have no more arguments, nothing has seeped through, comes up brilliantly and, most importantly, Mum can put it on herself! Until Mum fell ill, never did I think an apron could be game changing but I do now! Sometimes it really is the little things in life.” Barbara Lewis designed the Dining drApron® for her mother who had dementia and was having difficulty eating. She didn’t want to ask her stylish mother to wear an ugly, demeaning bib so she designed an attractive and practical apron for her to wear at mealtimes. Mum was quite happy in an apron to protect her clothes; she had worn aprons all her life and there was no stigma with them. They have no unnecessary straps to get tangled in the wash, fit neatly around the neck and have a hidden towelling layer to soak up spills. Best of all, they are attractive and, with many designs to choose from, they help preserve dignity, identity and individuality. Barbara was inspired to make them with the pattern facing Mum as she had seen her interacting with the design and realised how frustrating it must be to see everything in her closest environment upside down. They are not only a hit with people living at home they are also popular with residents in care homes; When making a delivery of Dining drAprons® to Heathlands Village in Prestwich, the lunch time carers were asked how many people would require one for lunch and they said about 10 out of the 20 residents generally wore the institutional plastic aprons they currently used. Barbara was so pleased when every one of those twenty residents (both ladies and gents), when offered of Limon Dining drApron®, accepted it with delight. One lady stated that she didn’t “like it, she ‘bloomin’ loved it”! The dining drAprons® were a huge hit and showed that a person’s appearance still mattered to them even though they were living with dementia. People who usually preferred to risk dropping food on their clothes rather than wear a plastic apron were very happy to wear a drApron®. The drAprons® were such a hit at Heathlands that they placed a repeat order for another section. Karen Johnson (Director of Clinical Services) says that the residents love them and feel more dignified than using a blue plastic pinnie. Another care home, Woodlands Care Centre in Macclesfield, has also placed repeat orders saying after 18 months of use that the drAprons® were still in daily use and enjoyed by residents. Wearing a Limon Dining drApron® a person can retain their dignity, identity and individuality whilst protecting their clothing. There are lots joyful designs to choose from to suit differing interests for both men and women and they make wonderful presents. Go to www.limonattire.com to learn more and see the other helpful products they make.
Charity Launches Its Christmas Appeal – Giving The Gift of Warmth
Friends of the Elderly, the charity which runs care homes, day care services and a grant giving service for older people living on low incomes throughout England, has launched its 2021 Winter Warmth Appeal as part of its ongoing commitment to put the care, mental and physical health and wellbeing of older people at the heart of all its activities particularly during this especially lonely and cold time of year. One of the biggest problems facing many older adults, especially those living on their own, is not staying warm enough in their homes through the cold and chilly winter months. When temperatures fall below 8°C (46.4°F), older people can be vulnerable and susceptible to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, flu, pneumonia and in extreme, serious cases of low temperatures – hypothermia. Talking about the Appeal, Mark Wilson, Friends of the Elderly’s Engagement Director said: “Every day we receive downhearted and discouraged calls from many older people who may be living on their own, who are desperate for help and support, are living in unsafe conditions or facing dire situations. More often than not, they have nowhere else to turn and Friends of the Elderly is their last and only hope. “Many of the callers need financial support, others physical or material help and some, emotional comfort. The requests we receive are not excessive or elaborate, just modest asks that make a positive, constructive and helpful difference to that older person’s daily life and wellbeing.” Heating – and being able to have hot water – is essential, as for an older person a body temperature of 95°F (35°C) or lower can cause many health problems, such as a heart attack, kidney problems, liver damage, or worse. Older people have a thinner layer of fat under their skin, making them more susceptible to cold and conditions like diabetes, peripheral artery disease and kidney disease can restrict blood flow and lower body temperature; and living in a very cold house, can in severe conditions, lead to hypothermia. …2 Continued… Mark continued: “After receiving a touching and emotional call from a vulnerable older couple – Vera and Henry – we were able to contribute £500 towards their new boiler. The couple live in a 1930s bungalow and, sadly, when their boiler broke last winter, they didn’t have the money to get a new one. “Vera told us that they had exhausted all other avenues and that we were their last hope. Henry is a pensioner and Vera retired early due to her arthritis. They had worked all their lives – Henry a motor mechanic and Vera an optician. In 2014, Vera had her spine fused, due to a degenerative illness and that, coupled with her arthritis, meant she was unable to continue working. The couple don’t qualify for any government support and survive off Henry’s pension. “Vera also told us that if Friends of the Elderly hadn’t helped, they would have had to borrow the money which would have incurred a high interest rate, so they are very grateful for our help and are both relieved to have a working boiler to keep their home – and them – warm this winter.” Another beneficiary of the charity’s Winter Warmth Appeal is 72-year-old Frank. To support his family, Frank worked for the same lorry company for 26 years, moving dangerous chemicals around Europe and the UK. Frank said it was a great life if you were single, but he missed his family when he was away only doing the tyring work to give his family a good life. Sadly, in 2017 Frank’s wife passed away from cancer and for the first time his house felt unusually quiet. With the added onset of the COVID pandemic, financial issues and not having his family and friends around him and being able to visit, his day-to-day life became increasingly challenging and Frank’s health suffered. Frank, who is on Pension Credit, works out his finances every week to the penny. His gas and electric is for everything in his home – hot water, heating, the cooker and his stair lift. Frank found that he never had enough money and it was always seemed to be a choice between eating or topping up the utilities. Frank, who has type 2 diabetes which has caused painful nerve damage to his feet and legs, a heart condition and very high blood pressure, coupled with stress, was told by his doctors to eat better, but he just didn’t have the money to do so – consequently, his multiple health conditions worsened. …3 Continued… The cold, dark days brought further hardship for Frank. Having no lights or electricity meant that he was unable to use his stair lift to get up to bed at night, leaving him trying to sleep on the couch and sometimes even on the floor wrapped in a blanket in the cold. Frank was in such a bad way that one really bad night, he had to press his emergency button to call for an ambulance which led to a stay in hospital for a few days before he was allowed to return home. Help was on hand when Frank’s Housing Officer, applied to Friends of the Elderly for a £400 grant to top up the gas and electric which has made an incredible difference. Frank said that he’s a lot better now, his home is warm, he has hot water and can use his stair lift to go upstairs and sleep in his bed. In addition, as Frank doesn’t have the added worry about his gas and electric costs, he’s now got the added bit of money to buy and enjoy proper food. Frank said that he couldn’t believe the difference the grant has made and that it’s helped him 100% with his stress and anxiety – calling the charity a lifesaver. Shockingly, two million pensioners in the UK live in poverty(1) and, earlier this year, it was reported that almost three million elderly people turn
Over half of healthcare workers have experienced bad behaviour at work
Incontinence in care homes
It is important to remember that the risk of urinary incontinence increases with age but is not an inevitable part of ageing. It is estimated that more than 50% of residents in long-term care settings are affected by incontinence and in many cases, it is associated with embarrassment and reduced quality of life. It can be challenging alleviating embarrassment and preserving dignity of the individual but it is important to remember that incontinence can be managed, treated and in some cases cured. Providing the right solutions can provide a better quality of life, increase independence, and promote dignity. Urinary Incontinence can by classed in the following categories: stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, functional incontinence, and mixed urinary incontinence. A holistic continence assessment can help to understand the type, level, and severity of incontinence. Other factors that are considered are functional aspects, limited mobility preventing timely access to a toilet, effects of medications e.g. diuretics increasing urinary output and medical conditions that may cause excessive urination or difficulty with urination e.g. diabetes, neurological disease etc or. Once the resident’s is assessed, the choice of treatment and management can be identified and a treatment plan So, what simple measures can be taken to maintain continence There are many different treatments available to manage incontinence including medications, bladder training programmes, and pelvic floor exercises. In some cases, the individual may not respond to treatment and containment products may be required to maintain dignity. If containment products are required ensure that they meet the individual needs. Here are some tips on how to choose a containment product : Attends provide the right solution for individuals to help support best practice in continence care. If you would be interested in learning more, Attends offer an online continence training program learning.attends.co.uk. or contact our customers services team 01924 669 260.
Dimensions fully supports our workforce choosing to be vaccinated
Support providers have spoken as one on this issue. We are staggered that he has not listened and Dimensions fully supports our workforce choosing to be vaccinated, but mandatory vaccination alone will not keep people safe. Already, many good colleagues have left. We will be forced to dismiss more on Friday when the first set of new regulations come into force, and now anticipate yet more dismissals in April. The government’s own analysis says that 40,000 social care workers will leave their jobs working in registered care homes due to mandatory vaccination. In extending this regulation to those working in supported living, in home care and in a myriad of other care environments, many thousands more people will leave to work in other sectors. As a result, support providers will face unprecedented operational challenges. This decision threatens safe care for disabled people right across the country. It undermines the choice and control people have over who supports them. It will also put the viability of many providers at risk. Now is the time for government to learn about social care. To address social care in policy terms as an equal to the NHS, not a postscript. The government’s own analysis says that 40,000 social care workers will leave their jobs working in registered care homes due to mandatory vaccination. In extending this regulation to those working in supported living, in home care and in a myriad of other care environments, many thousands more people will leave to work in other sectors. As a result, support providers will face unprecedented operational challenges.few pounds on a social care recruitment campaign is very far from the answer.
Recognising the true cost of Mandating vaccination in care homes
From 11th November 2021, all staff working in a care home must be double jabbed or exempt – if not, they cannot cross the threshold into a care home from 11th November. Everyone running care services is committed to achieving as high a level of COVID vaccination as possible. However, our members have consistently stated that they do not believe mandation is the best way to achieve this; rather, finding the best results from persuasion and encouragement, with good information and support, taking the time to address concerns with respect and discussion. And, indeed, when the government consulted on this policy earlier in 2021, the majority of the general public and people using care services did not support mandation of vaccination for care home staff. In a recent survey to members operating care homes, our findings shows that care providers fear they will lose around 8% of their care home staff as a direct result of this policy. This is a very serious loss of staff and one which, given the enormous workforce pressures now, the care sector can ill afford. What does this tell us about the true cost of mandating vaccination? For the people living in care homes and their families, it means that long serving experienced staff with whom they have a trusted relationship will no longer be there to care for them and support them; For the staff who have lost their jobs it means that they can longer do the job they loved as a direct result of the government’s policy of vaccine mandation – a policy that is not yet being applied to any other workforce in the country;For care providers it means they are facing even more pressures to have enough staff to provide high quality, consistent care at a time when recruitment and retention are increasingly difficult, and For the wider health system and the NHS, it means that more requests for help to discharge people from hospital into care homes cannot be met. Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of the National Care Forum said: “Our survey shows that the true cost of implementing this policy has been very high. It has absorbed a huge amount of time and energy of staff, which could have been better devoted to recruitment and the well-being of existing staff; it has instead had to focus on working through dismissal procedures. 91% of respondents said that they had required additional HR time and 93% said they had to run additional one-to-one sessions for staff to talk them through the policy and its implications, with 74% providing whole team briefings for their workforce.” On top of internal pressures and costs, the external financial costs were also in stark view with 53% of respondents incurring additional costs for specialist legal advice on how to implement this policy. It’s reflected further in the loss of goodwill between employee/employer relationship with 58% of respondents running disciplinary hearings and 40% managing appeals. The national roll out of the policy has been chaotic. Respondents have been critical, stating that their experience on the ground is one of a policy ‘badly thought through’ and that the timing of the policy is ‘out of touch’ with the enormous pressures experienced by the care workforce. ‘It’s been a shambles. Much rests on the medical exemption process and this was a. late, b. unclear, c. poorly written and, d. lacking in ‘way points’ to allow us to manage staff through this process…’ Participants expressed strong views that the government has done little to mitigate impact of the policy, taking no direct action to support the sector in managing the fallout from both the number of staff who would be dismissed as a direct result of the policy and the overall impact on staff morale: ‘The no jab no job initiative was sent out too quickly without due consideration to the impact it would have on an already struggling sector. The divide between the NHS and social care has been made bigger. No jab no job is placing more stress on staff to work extra hours to cover staff vacancies.’ Rayner continues: “Since the introduction of this policy we have been vocal about the unnecessary high cost – in terms of human costs, financial costs and the loss in trust and goodwill amongst care staff and their employers as a direct result of this policy. Care homes have been the unwitting guinea pigs through the implementation of this policy, and the impact on people must not be swept under the carpet. It is vital that the government learns from this experience and makes changes for the wider roll out of this policy. As we face a very difficult winter ahead, lessons must be learnt in how not to introduce a policy that has long term consequences on the very people we need to deliver the care and support many people and communities rely on. www.nationalcareforum.org.uk
