Why Should I Invest in Care Management Software?
You have probably heard about the ways that technology can improve the way you run your care business. So what are the things you need to consider when choosing Care Management Software? It might be best to start by asking yourself what you want the software investment to achieve? Many factors will affect your decision, from inspection ratings, GDPR readiness to staff retention and morale. The desire to improve quality of care within the organisation must drive everything. What Do You Need from the Software? Understanding the drivers is probably the best place to start. In other words, what parts of your business do you need to improve? For example: Operational efficiency Better care environment Regulatory compliance Inspection performance Information management Staff turnover Get Creative! Start by reviewing the basics – scheduling, rosters, staff & client management, invoicing or payroll. It might be worth getting creative and asking – Wouldn’t it be great if we could…? This gives you the opportunity to start a relationship with the software provider. They should want to work with you and develop their products to suit you. It is also good to engage your staff and get a picture of where software could help improve things for everyone. This will give you buy in from the organisation, which will help with implementation. Change is easier to implement when driven by the whole organisation not just the management. Juggling the Benefits Moving from a paper based system to a digital care management system, gives significant business improvements. But how broad can the range of improvements be? Some will have clear financial benefits while others improve quality of care. A key advantage is the possibility to measure improvement. Every action can be recorded in a single digital record. Tasks can be marked as done and reports filed instantly. Every driver can be measured. By measuring, it can be improved. This goes for CQC inspections, financial performance and efficiency. It all adds to a better care environment. A comprehensive system should give you benefits across the whole business, so it is important to understand where you are and what needs improving. Less functional software may need to be replaced early while many vendors may not have the experience when bringing new products to the market. Do your homework, ask questions and above all, understand what you need. Jim Ward, UK Director, Fastroi UK https://fastroi.fi/en/
Best ancillary worker in the North East care industry is…
HANDYMAN Chris Sogorkski has been named the best ancillary worker in the North East care industry. The Oaks Care Home maintenance man picked up the award at The Great North East Care Awards 2018 gala dinner at the Hilton Hotel, in Gateshead. The accolade recognises Chris’s person-centred service, excellence and pride in his work and the dignity and respect he shows residents and staff at the home, in Blyth, Northumberland. He said: “I can’t believe it. I love working at The Oaks. The residents are lovely and the staff are wonderful. “I can’t thank home manager Ann Mielnik enough for nominating me. It’s a great honour to have been given this award.” After winning the regional Ancillary Worker award, Chris is now shortlisted for the national award, with a ceremony taking place on 8th March 2019, in Birmingham. The Oaks Care Home staff were also shortlisted for four other awards at The Great North East Care Awards 2018. The home’s housekeeper Lesley Russell and domestic assistants Maureen Ord, Colleen McDougal, Diane Nesbitt and Christine Roddum were up for The Care Team Award. Speaking on behalf of her team, Lesley said: “We all think it’s great. It’s good to be recognised after 24 years of service to the home.” Activities coordinator Paige Gallagher was shortlisted for the Activities Coordinator Award. She said: “It’s great to feel what you are doing is good and to be recognised for it.” Cook Yvonne Gibson was shortlisted for the Chef/Cook Award. She said: “I am very honoured and proud to have been nominated.” And former deputy manager Julia Rose was shortlisted for The Good Nurse Award. The Oaks Care Home manager Ann Mielnik and Hill Care Group regional manager Jane Mack attended the awards ceremony with the nominees. Ann said: “I cannot put into words how proud I am of such a wonderful proactive team of people. “They truly deserve this recognition as they have worked so hard. They are all winners in my eyes.” The Oaks Care Home is part of the Hill Care Group. For further information visit www.hillcare.net.
Borough Care Residents Enjoying New Meal Service
Borough Care residents have welcomed the changes to the food on offer at meal times since the service was brought back in–house earlier this year. Borough Care is the largest not-for-profit provider of care for older people in Stockport and has eleven homes in the area. As part of Borough Care’s commitment to ensuring its residents eat healthily, the company appointed apetito as its catering partner six months ago. apetito is the leading producer and supplier of meals for the health and social care sectors. Commenting on the new meal service, Mark Dale, Catering & Hospitality Manager at Borough Care, says: “The feedback from residents on the new meals has been really positive. Staff have also embraced the changes, as they can see the difference it has made to residents’ eating habits. We have standardised the food choices, along with raising the quality of what’s on offer throughout our homes. We’ve also introduced a great nutritional tool, which can track a resident’s food consumption, enabling us to make sure people are receiving the correct nutrients in their diet. Dishes that have proved particularly popular include; cottage pie, roast beef dinners, lasagne and chicken korma, along with all the desserts.” As Christmas approaches, residents are looking forward to enjoying a number of festive meals. In addition to the traditional Christmas Day lunch of turkey and all the trimmings, Borough Care is hosting festive buffets for residents and their families throughout the festive period. www.boroughcare.org.uk
Nantwich Retirement Village Rated ‘Outstanding’ For It’s Domiciliary Care
Regulators gave Richmond Nantwich Retirement Village the highest possible rating, putting in the top 3% of services in England A retirement village in Cheshire has been rated as ‘Outstanding’ for its domiciliary care after a visit from regulators, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The inspection report puts the Richmond Nantwich amongst the top 3% of home care providers in England. Opened in 1996, Richmond Nantwich provides a range of independent and assisted living suites for residents aged 55 and over. As part of this the village provides personalised care packages for residents as required – employing its own domiciliary care team who can help residents with things including personal care, shopping, preparing light meals and accessing local facilities. Set in an inclusive village environment, Richmond Nantwich has a range of high-end facilities including an on-site hairdresser and beautician, bowling green and landscaped gardens. It also offers a wide range of activities, and helps residents with regular shopping trips and outings, including theatre trips and visits to the local marina. The inspector praised the village for supporting people to live independently for as long as possible, whilst also providing compassionate care. The report commented that “a remarkable standard of person-centred care was being achieved and delivered for people. Staff knew people’s background, previous occupation, likes and dislikes extremely well and went the extra mile to create positive experiences for people.” In another example of excellence, the report highlights a ‘rhythm and rhyme’ group which brought together visitors from the age of eight months to 102 years old, to create a “heartfelt warming experience for everyone involved.” Elsewhere it notes how colleagues helped residents connect with their past. One resident with expressed how they used to work on a farm, and so colleagues arranged for a local farmer to bring down Midnight – a prize-winning cow. The report notes how this left the resident “with an expression of joy and fulfilment on their face”. Lynne Griffin, Village Manager at Richmond Nantwich said: “We’re over the moon to be recognised for the hard work that our domiciliary care team puts in. They go above and beyond for our residents every day, and so this means a lot to us.” Philippa Fieldhouse, Managing Director for Richmond Villages, added: “The Richmond Nantwich team are a shining example of outstanding domiciliary care, putting the residents’ interests at the heart of everything they do. This is a fantastic achievement and the whole team should be very proud.” Debbie Westhead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care for the CQC commented: “It was clear to us when we visited this service that the provider has reviewed the care they provided and committed to improve it further for the benefit of the people they support. We saw how the management team continually sought people’s views on their care, and engaged with technology based solutions to overcome some health care barriers. “This showed us that the service really valued people receiving person-centred care and worked hard to enrich people’s lives, whilst promoting their independence and respecting their dignity. “Staffs efforts were recognised and celebrated, and were clearly respected by the provider. The leadership team had a clear demonstrable vision to enable staff in delivering high quality, meaningful, person-centred care people deserve. A fantastic improvement and well deserved Outstanding rating, well done.” The CQC’s inspection gave Richmond Nantwich an Outstanding rating for it’s overall domiciliary care, finding it Outstanding in both the ‘responsive’ and ‘well-led’ categories. The home care offering was also rated as Good for within the ‘safe’, ‘effective’ and ‘caring’ categories. In addition to the independent and assisted living suites, Richmond Nantwich also has an on-site care home for up to 41 residents, which is separately rated as Good by the CQC. Richmond Villages is part of Bupa and currently has seven villages across the UK, with three more under construction, including Richmond Wood Norton which will open in spring 2019. The full CQC report for Richmond Nantwich is available here. For more details about Richmond Villages visit richmond-villages.com.
Inexpensive Staff E-Learning for Nurses and Care Professionals
Quality patient care is the objective of every service provider. To achieve this requires considerable planning, long-term commitment and careful management within a tight budget. More importantly, it requires highly skilled and well-trained staff with a dedication to a career that can be extremely stressful. A study by the Communities and Local Government Committee found that 48% of care staff leave within a year of starting. A lack of career development and quality training are common complaints when leaving. Investing in LowCost E-Learning can make the difference. Low costs Face-to-face training is outdated. It lacks flexibility in a sector where many employees have different schedules making it difficult to arrange one time that suits all. With online training, employees can access their courses from anywhere, cutting costs dramatically. Furthermore, enrolling many employees can often attract large discounts due to fewer required overheads. Flexible Online training is available 24/7. Training can be arranged at any location and around work schedules at short notice. All through the internet. Self-Paced Study Individuals learn at different speeds. With online learning, employees can work at a pace that suits them. Interactive online courses provide staff with active learning, helping to increase their retention of all course material. Accurate Information Online courses are designed to provide accurate information in an engaging format. Unlike traditional media, online materials are constantly revised ensuring that each user accesses only relevant information. E-learning allows immediate access to current legislation and modern healthcare practices. Bespoke Training Not every employee will require the exact training at the same time. Our platform allows training to be tailored tothe specialities of the individual. As an employer,you are investing in areas of their development making them feel valued while increasing the efficiency of your core business. Certification Upon completion of each course, your employees will receive immediate results and informative feedback. Candidates can track their progress revisiting areas of concern before submitting their final assessment. Additionally, we provide each successful candidate with a certificate of completion. The certificates act as evidence of compliance for their professional development with many courses also contributing towards CPD hours. LowCost E-Learning offers specialised care related training courses online, with high volume discounts at a fraction of the cost of traditional teaching. For more information (and to claim a 25% discount) visit www.lcel.co.uk/getstarted or call 0370 218 7890 today.
Alexandra white entertainer captivating nostalgic in care – homes
Alexandra white singer and entertainer captivating nostalgic in care – homes west midlands and surrounding areas. Alexandra preforms a huge repertoire of songs and will dance and preform through narrative, triggering happy memories and wonderful feelings, She preforms songs from across the years including war – time sing along, rock and roll classics and a touch of Country and weston. There’s truly something for everyone – your request is her delight! A wireless mic is used, allowing full interaction with every audience member. All presented via a quality sound system that is adaptable to audience size. For more information please contact alexandraactivities@hotmail.com / 07793035432. References and video footage supplied on request. Alexandra white is DBS checked and has a full public liability insurance.
Rugby veteran George inspires young players
Rugby veteran George Williams has been inspiring Widnes Vikings under 19s players with stories from his playing days in the 1940s. The 85-year-old founding player for West Park St Helens RFC recalled his time on the field both during and after the Second World War. George’s team was formerly established in 1947, but previous matches had been played under the title “Catholic Grammar School Old Boys”. Having played Rugby since the age of 6 at St Theresa’s Primary School, in St Helens, he then joined his high school team at West Park Grammar School from 1944 to 1949, which became West Park St Helens RFC. He said: “I don’t remember what position I played but I do remember being second row in the scrum and having a go at all positions. I even scored a few tries.” He was speaking to the young Vikings players at the club’s Chemics Café, which is held at the Select Security Stadium, in Widnes, once a month. It was established by the Vikings and Community Integrated Care specifically to help those living with dementia get out and socialise. Now living at Aaron Grange Care Home, in Huyton, Knowsley, George regularly visits the café with fellow residents and staff. George was joined on his visit to the Chemics Café by fellow resident Robert Lewis, 80. They also met children from the Holy Family Catholic Primary School, in Cronton, who played sports-related games with the elderly residents. The pair were then treated to a pub lunch and a pint by the care home staff before returning to Huyton. Clare Richards, home manager at Aaron Grange Care Home, said: “The Chemics Café has been brilliant for our residents to go out and talk to people of all generations about their shared interests. “George was a keen rugby player during his school days and he lit up when he talked to the Widnes Vikings under 19s about his time on the field. “Both he and Robert had a lovely day out, finished with a trip to the pub, before returning to the home and telling their friends all about it. “We’d like to thank the Vikings for hosting the café and I’m sure we’ll be along to another very soon.” www.hillcare.net
Care Staff Complete Memory Walk
Borough Care staff Executive Team at Borough recently took part in an Alzheimer’s Memory Walk, which took place at more people taking part Heaton Park in Manchester. The group of 12, along with one of the team’s dog, walked a total of 7km around the park. So far, the group has raised over £500 for Alzheimer’s Society. Alzheimer’s Society is a charity for anyone affected by dementia. Borough Care is the largest not for profit provider of care for older people in Stockport. The company has over 20 years of experience supporting people with dementia. Nine of Borough Care’s 11 homes are specialist dementia care homes. The company offers dementia support through a range of services, including residential care, active recovery and day care provision. Dementia prevalence rates are higher in Stockport than the national average, with over 4,000 people in the borough estimated to be affected. www.boroughcare.org.uk
World Diabetes Day – 14 November 2018
World Diabetes Day is a global campaign which was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation and takes place on the 14th November every year (the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922). The theme for this year and 2019 is ‘The Family and Diabetes’. One in every two people with diabetes is undiagnosed. Early diagnosis and treatment is key to helping prevent or delay life-threatening complications. Find out more, including ideas of how to participate, at https://www.worlddiabetesday.org/ A group of organisations in Norfolk are marking this day by holding a free event providing advice and support about living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. ‘You, Me & Diabetes’ is taking place at The King’s Centre in Great Yarmouth. One of the sessions is being run by the Education and Training Lead from DUET diabetes Ltd. More information can be found via the news page on the DUET diabetes website. T: 01799 584178 E: info@duetdiabetes.co.uk W: www.duetdiabetes.co.uk F: facebook.com/duetdiabetes DUET diabetes Ltd has learning provider endorsement from Norfolk & Suffolk Care Support Ltd.
