Features Archives - Page 35 of 36 - Care and Nursing Essentials

Bow The Pat Dog shares the love with vulnerable people

A Somerset woman with a life-long passion for dogs is sharing the love with vulnerable people near her home in Bridgwater, thanks to the charity Pets As Therapy. Four-year-old Bow, Bev Stanley’s schnoodle – a schnauzer/poodle cross – has become a firm favourite with the people living with dementia at Wellington care home Camelot House and Lodge. Bev first got involved with Pets As Therapy after the death of her elderly father, for whom she was a carer. Bow used to accompany Bev on visits to see her dad in a nursing home during his last illness. She had been part of his life since she was a puppy, and Bev says it was always obvious how Bow’s presence used to brighten him up. With some time on her hands after her father passed on, Bev heard about the Pets As Therapy scheme and thought Bow would be a perfect candidate. Bev said: “We met the assessor in a noisy coffee shop so she could see how Bow would react to sudden noises – it wouldn’t do if she was easily alarmed or got over-excited around people. “The assessor agreed that Bow has the ideal temperament for a PAT dog, so we registered and did the training. “Naturally health and safety precautions must be observed, but Bow is such a loving and gentle dog and the residents at Camelot House and Lodge all adore her. “She delicately picks up her front paws to show she’d like to sit on a chair beside them, if they’d like that. It clearly brings them such pleasure to stroke and talk to her, and she loves it too.” Bev’s 17-year-old daughter Evie – a pupil at Wellington School – is jointly registered with her mother so she can accompany her on the fortnightly visits with Bow to Camelot House and Lodge in Wellington. Bev said: “We usually stay about an hour and a half, and there’s always a proper buzz in the air. I’m awestruck by the range of activities provided for residents. “Bow and I have been visiting regularly since June last year, and I can honestly say there’s always something engaging going on at Camelot House and Lodge – such a genuinely inspiring and happy place. We’re glad to be part of it.” Richard Dempslake, activities co-ordinator at Camelot House and Lodge, said: “Research shows that stroking or playing with an animal increases certain hormone levels, and brings about an improved sense of well-being on many levels, so we know Bow’s visits provide a real therapeutic boost for the people we support “And it’s lovely to see how happy it makes our residents when they are able to spend time with her.” Experts have shown that spending time with animals can genuinely benefit people’s physical health, with those who pet or play with a dog or cat, even for just five minutes, benefitting from lowered blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health. It is also known that enjoying a pet’s company promotes a feeling of relaxation, which in turn can help to relieve symptoms of anxiety and reduce physical issues such as pain. Further details are available from www.petsastherapy.org Camelot House & Lodge is run by award-winning specialist dementia care provider Camelot Care, which also runs Avalon Nursing Home in Bridgwater and Freshfields in Plymouth www.camelotcare.co.uk

Mayor of Lincoln celebrates the launch of Bernadette House’s homecare service

A care home in Lincoln was joined by the Mayor to celebrate the launch of their new homecare service, with an official cake cutting. The Mayor of Lincoln, Councillor Keith Weaver, was invited to launch the new service at Bernadette House and to learn more about the valuable homecare that care workers would be providing to the local community. Owner of Bernadette House care home and homecare service, Elizabeth Stephens, welcomed the Mayor and introduced him to homecare staff, as well as local health partners who also attended the event. Elizabeth, commented: “We were honoured to have the Mayor of Lincoln and Cllr Chris Burke join us to celebrate the launch of our new homecare service. “I was delighted to introduce him to Bernadette Homecare and share with him the plans we have to expand our healthcare service within the area, to those who have care and support needs at home.” Following the cake cutting, the Mayor enjoyed refreshments with social workers, staff and other members of the community, who attended the event. The Mayor said he was pleased to see a “care home with a strong reputation progressing into new business areas that will service the community.” Bernadette’s Homecare offers the same high standard of care delivered to residents of the care home, but out in the local community. All aspects of personal care are provided including assistance with administration of medication, preparation of meals, and general housework. The service also offers companionship and live-in care. For more information about Bernadette’s homecare service, call Bernadette House on 01522 521926 or click here

Mayor of Lincoln celebrates launch of Bernadette House’s homecare service

Music study investigates communication in people living with dementia

Chelsea Court Place, a residential home for individuals living with dementia, is working with the University of Roehampton in a research project entitled Beyond Words, which uses ‘micro-songs’ to recapture and sustain functional language in people with advanced dementia. The study aims to investigate the power of music, enabling people living with dementia to retain their speech and help communicate their wishes and needs for a longer period than would be normally be the case in the natural deterioration caused by the disease. Researchers, Professor Adam Ockelford, Dr Fiona Costa, Catlin Shanghnessya PhD student and ‘savant’ pianist Derek Paravacini are leading this innovative project with residents from 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. The project launched in October 2017 and is proving to be extremely popular with the residents. Key finding from this period through to July 2018 have so far included: The key findings were as follows: • Almost all the participants were able to learn the new songs and sing them following demonstrations by the research team. • The songs were recalled initially over a period of a week, a month, and then three months (with no exposure between times). • The songs were motivating, providing participants with information that could be interesting and helpful: for example, introducing the name of the person sitting next to them (and in some cases their own name); the day of the week. Other songs encouraged movement and reinforced laterality. Some afforded the opportunity to express how they were feeling, which engendered some tactile responses. Some allowed participants to indicate their wants and needs. For example: • Contrary to the initial concerns of the research team, they were not interpreted as patronising, but engaging and fun. It appeared that, once they were familiar, the participants did not distinguish between the songs they had known for many years and the new ones. Background There are increasing numbers of people with dementia in the UK. Current estimates by the Alzheimer’s Society suggest that there are as many as 850,000. This number is expected to rise to over one million by 2025 and to two million by 2051. A cure for dementia is still a long way off. It is therefore imperative to find ways of improving the quality of life of those with the disease. To this end, several health bodies have recommended the development of non-pharmacological approaches to care. One such approach is the use of music. Various research studies have shown that participatory music programmes can regulate symptoms of anxiety and depression, reduce agitation and aggression, facilitate social interaction, retain memory and improve general wellbeing. One of the most debilitating symptoms of dementia is a decline in the capacity to speak. This leads to social isolation, a loss of a sense of time and place, and a reduced capacity to make choices. However, it appears that many musical abilities and memories remain intact during the course of the disease. This raises the possibility that music can be used to rekindle and sustain verbal communication – an idea that was the main focus of the ‘MIND: Phase 2’ study. For 10 months, the research team led weekly music sessions with two groups of people with moderate to severe dementia, all in residential care. Each session was preceded with 45 minutes of singing, using preferred music from the participants’ teens and twenties. This was in itself a positive experience. Almost all joined in the singing and were invariably able to recall at least some of the lyrics, thereby accessing language that was normally unavailable to them. Following the large-group session, further, smaller groups were engaged in singing for a further 45 minutes, using, within the preferred pieces, specially composed ‘micro-songs’. These set everyday words and phrases to simple tunes as shown below. Conclusion and next steps These songs, each very simple in content, were relevant to the participant’s lives, and a way for them to navigate their social environments. Taking part raised their confidence in their ability to sing and in their memory, often accessing language that was no longer part of their day-to-day vocabulary. The wider effects, such as improved social interaction with other residents and increased self-awareness were, even if short-term, of benefit to them. It is hoped to initiate a further project that will embed the materials in the daily lives of participants, enabling them to express their feelings and communicate their wishes and needs for a longer period than would normally be the case in the course of the disease. Professor Adam Ockelford comments: “Beyond Words hopes to see successful results showing an improvement in sustained use of language for participants and ultimately offering them an improved quality of life. Evidence has so far suggested that music has a powerful role to play in communication with individuals who have complex needs and we are very proud to be working with the Chelsea Court Place team and residents to investigate and hopefully prove the theory.” Christine Valentine-Bunce, Head of Commissioning and Operations at Chelsea Court Place adds: “Music is very powerful and evocative and the sheer joy experienced by our residents in the Beyond Words sessions is remarkable. We have been very impressed with the way in which our residents have embraced the weekly sessions and are very excited about seeing the results.” About Derek Paravacini Derek Paravacini is a world-renowned ‘savant’ pianist who is working with the University of Roehampton on a ground-breaking research project “Beyond Words” at Chelsea Court Place. Derek first shot to fame when he was just nine years old, playing jazz with the Royal Philharmonic Pops Orchestra at the Barbican Centre in London. Numerous television

Lincoln care home grants resident’s wish

A resident at a care home in Lincoln had her wish come true when she was surprised by a new hair salon at the home. Yvonne Radford, who is a long-term resident at Bernadette House, in South Park, has always enjoyed visits to the hairdressers and a dream of hers was that the home would have their own salon one day. After undergoing refurbishment, Bernadette House wanted to fulfil Yvonne’s wish, so they decided to build a salon in the home. “I’ve always loved having my hair done, said Yvonne, “and now it feels even more exciting. Everyone loves the salon.” Elizabeth Stephens, owner of Bernadette House care home, commented: “We’ve wanted to build a hair salon for some time, but it was always a question of space. “Adding en-suites to all the bedrooms enabled us to convert a communal bathroom into the salon.” Staff and residents at Bernadette House chose the colour scheme. They opted for grey brick effect walls and wood effect vinyl flooring, giving the salon a contemporary feel. Hairdresser Diane Bird has been cutting resident’s hair at Bernadette House for six years and is delighted with the new salon. She said: “The salon is lovely. It has the feel of a real hairdressers and has all the features you need to ensure residents living with dementia feel comfortable.” Bernadette House has recently been extended with three new bedrooms and a new lounge. The 35-bedroom period care home is situated in an acre of gardens to the south of Lincoln city centre. For more information about the home, and to organise a tour to view the new extension, call Bernadette House on 01522 521926.

Mabon & Ray specialise in healthcare businesses

Mabon & Ray is a business and consultancy agency specialising in healthcare businesses. Mabon & Ray has been founded by former care home owner, whose ultimate aim is to ensure both parties are guided through the whole process to ensure it runs smoothly. Rachel said she is drawing on her own experiences of buying and selling her care home to help others. When buying and selling a healthcare business is very different to other businesses due to regulations and the reliance on the purchaser having the registration in place and are able to buy the business. Mabon & Ray are currently developing technology to help support the process of selling a care home to be more efficient and provide a much information to the seller and buyer. The specialised agents will support sellers and buyers through out the whole process up to completion. The consultancy service at Mabon & Ray specialise in homes that have received a ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ rating. The consultants act quickly and will work with the home to improve the rating. The consultants are here to support and guide providers throughout the whole process. For further information visit http://mabonandray.uk or call Rachel Nemchand on 0203 488 3013.

St Budeaux Pupils Get Creative

Residents at a care home in Plymouth say that regular visits from pupils of nearby St Budeaux Foundation School are ‘a breath of fresh air.’ The Year 4 pupils come to see their older friends at Freshfields care home as part of the Archie Project, a scheme that links local schools with people with dementia. Freshfields’ activities co-ordinator Paul Hutt said: “This is the fourth year that St Budeaux children have been coming here and our residents just love their visits. “They sit side by side and enjoy a whole different variety of activities when they come here. “On their most recent visit they did seasonal arts and crafts activities.” The Archie Project is a project created to reduce the stigma and fear associated with the word dementia that links to local primary schools, care homes, sheltered housing schemes, businesses, and community members. Swedish designed and purpose-built, Freshfields in Agaton Road, Plymouth, is a specialist 38-bed dementia care facility which overlooks the Tamar Estuary. Camelot Care also has homes in Bridgwater and Wellington in Somerset. For more information see www.camelotcare.co.uk

Mepilex dressings use state-of-the-art technology

To promote efficient healing Care & Nursing Essentials editor Victoria Galligan heard three different views on the new Swedish-deigned dressing Mepilex, which promise to decrease healing time and reduce infection… DEVELOPER – Molnlycke How and where were the dressings developed? Mepilex dressings were developed by Molnlycke, we are a Swedish-based leading medical solutions company that equips healthcare professionals to achieve the best patient, clinical and economic outcomes. Mepilex Border Comfort was developed with proprietary Flex Technology – the benefits of which have been analysed using an established method called finite element modelling. They also incorporate the new Exudate Progress Monitor – a dot pattern that allows you to easily track and record fluid as it spreads, without disturbing the wound. Which features make the dressings so effective? Mepilex Border Comfort addresses the challenges that many patients with chronic wounds face. The Cutting-edge Flex Technology means that the dressing can adapt to every day movement, allowing it to stay in place for longer and making wear more comfortable. Not only that, but superior exudate management means the dressing more effectively handles fluid and traps bacteria, reducing concerns about infection and meaning that dressings need to be less frequently changed. PATIENT –Nicholas Booth How long have you had the wounds for, are they new wounds or have you been suffering for a while? There have been two wounds, the first on my right leg and the second on my left. Both are on the Achilles tendon (pictured). I picked up the first wound in about April last year. It was my own fault. I wore some weights around my ankle in order to exercise my legs more while walking my dog. These was some abrasion to the back of my leg but I ignored it as cuts always heal up. This time the cut didn’t. I didn’t notice at first, but pain started to build up. By May, it was hurting enough to make me go to a drop-in centre. I thought it might be too trivial to bother them with but the nurse said: “You’ve got an ulcer. You must get this properly treated.” She told me to go down to my GP personally and make sure I got an appointment to see the practice nurse. Ever since that day I’ve been in pain. I have oedema, which makes the legs swell up, and if you have a cut that forces your wound, however tiny, to swell up too. When I used to take bandages off I used to dread looking at the results. It’s like watching your leg slowly burst open. How did the Mepilex dressings help? At one stage the bandages I was using (bought from supermarkets) were roughing up the skin around the wound, which effectively spread the area of pain. I never had that problem with the Mepilex bandages. They stay on too, which is a massive relief, as some of my bandages were coming off. The padding is brilliant too. At one stage, when I was cycling, I accidentally clunked the back of my ankle against the spiky bike pedal. I was in the middle of Richmond Park, swearing like hell and wailing, because the bandage I had on that day had given me no protection. The Mepilex give you a bit of protection. They stick to you like limpets too, without being uncomfortable. They also seem fairly absorbent and are very comfortable. It’s a shame I didn’t discover them earlier. Would you recommend them to a friend over other dressings, and if so, why? Oh absolutely. The application of the dressing, and keeping it in place, is crucial and the Mepilex is easily the best bandage for holding everything in place. At times, when I (or the medics) used other bandages, I was in agony when the bandage or the dressing slipped. I think Mepilex is great, used in conjunction with a support stocking. DOCTOR –Dr Paul Chadwick What are the common issues with regular dressings? There a lots of issues related to conformability and adhesion particularly on difficult to dress areas such as the feet. This leads to slippage and trauma to the wound and periwound and can prolong treatment time and increase risk of complications such as infection. With dressings that you can leave on for a week, isn’t there an increased risk of infection? There is no increased risk of infection providing the wound dressing is designed to be in place for that period. The risk is the development of infection which can occur whether the dressing is on for two days or seven and it is undetected. This is a particular issue in patients who have neuropathy (loss of feeling commonly seen in people with diabetes) where pain may not be present. In all cases patients should be encouraged to check the surrounding area and report any signs of heat, redness, swelling, odour and pain. Equally the patient should report urgently if they have any flu-like symptoms such as temperature. It is recognised in other areas of practice that things remain undisturbed for a week. For example in diabetic foot management gold standard treatment for a non-ischemic non-infected foot ulceration a total contact cast is used which remain undisturbed for a week. Are there cost savings to be made with Mepilex? Considering they require fewer changes, this will no doubt reduce staffing costs, and the reduction of secondary complications such as trauma associated with continually removing dressings will reduce costs. For more information on Mepilex dressing, see molnlycke.co.uk

Christmas card appeal for Huddersfield’s elderly

Make an elderly resident’s Christmas by sending them a card, care home staff have appealed. The festive holidays can be a lonely time for those with no family and friends to celebrate with, says Aden Lodge Care Home manager Kim Hardy. So the home, on Long Lane, Clayton West, is asking the community to consider sending a Christmas card. Kim said: “Staff do everything they can to make Christmas a special time of year for residents, while providing the care they need. “A simple Christmas card to our residents will help make their Christmas that much more special. “Many of our residents don’t have family and friends anymore and a card will make all the difference. “We’d like to receive as many cards as possible to show our residents they are not forgotten this Christmas and are still part of the wider community.” Anyone interested in sending a Christmas card should address it to: The Residents, Aden Lodge Care Home, Long Lane, Clayton West, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD8 9PR. Aden Lodge Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.