Hastings care home worker surprised by residents and staff after reaching 30-year milestone
An activities coordinator at a Hastings care home is celebrating 30 years at the residence she joined at as a volunteer, and was even born opposite – with staff and residents throwing her a surprise celebratory lunch. Shelagh Hazleton started working at Mountside Care Home, a branch of ACI Care that specialises in residential, respite and dementia care, in 1992 – where she joined to assist residents with their hair, before volunteering with afternoon activities. Staff and residents at the Laton Road home kept the celebrations a secret so Shelagh was overwhelmed when she walked into the lounge to be greeted by a room of smiling faces. Even some residents who would normally stay in their room opted to come out and share Shelagh’s special afternoon. She was given a card full of warming messages, a bottle of wine and a beautiful clock, and the home’s chef Steve had prepared a buffet. The rewarding job has seen Shelagh spend three decades at the care home, ensuring each resident is engaged, happy and their needs are met. Shelagh, who is now the home’s activities coordinator, joined after her husband’s grandmother became a resident at Mountside thirty years ago. By showing kindness, Shelagh received kindness in return. Mountside wanted to offer Shelagh a full-time position after seeing her patience and empathy with the residents during her voluntary work but she initially turned down the offer due to childcare struggles of her newborn daughter, Louise. However, not wanting to lose Shelagh and the great work she does, the home offered the solution for Shelagh to bring Louise to work with her so she could continue her duties whilst keeping an eye on her daughter. This delighted some of the residents, with one finding particular joy in cuddling and feeding Louise. Shelagh leads various activities throughout the week, trying to make each day different and engaging. Some of the most popular activities include board games, card games, magnetic darts and bingo on a Friday. She goes above and beyond to ensure all residents’ needs are met, and for those who don’t wish to leave their rooms, Shelagh sits with them one-to-one and encourages them to play cribbage and cards, or just engage in conversation. Speaking of her time at the care home, Shelagh Hazleton said: “It’s amazing. I love my job every single day. It’s hard work but very rewarding. In fact, the rewards you get from it far outweigh the hard work.” Talking of one of her fondest memories, she recalls: “We did have one lady who thought our Elvis performer was the real Elvis. Her heart would melt the minute he came in and her family always paid for him to come and sing for us all. Even when her dementia got quite bad she could always recognise Elvis, and it was lovely to see!” Not falling far from the tree, in what could be considered fate, Shelagh was born in the house opposite the care home where she now works. Reminiscing over its history, she recalls that the property was two separate buildings – one being a boys school, and the other a house that was sold to become a care home. The care home took over the house next door, combining the properties and adding an extension to make it what stands today, before ACI Care acquired it in 2020. Kimberley Mann, fellow activities coordinator at Mountside Care Home, said: “Shelagh is amazing with the residents and she really takes her time to ensure they are all happy and accounted for. Even those who don’t want to come out of their rooms and participate in activities, Shelagh is happy to go and just spend time with them one-on-one for a chat. “To reach a 30-year milestone working at a care home is amazing. There is always bad press about care homes being understaffed and experiencing high turnover, but amongst all the noise there is a Shelagh who wouldn’t want to be doing anything else, and in Mountside’s case, the residents wouldn’t want anyone else here either. It’s a pleasure to be able to work alongside her in creating a bit of magic for our residents’ lives every day.” For more information on Mountside and ACI Care, please visit https://aci.care/mountside/.
New Dementia Development Lead will drive care home group’s plans for sector leading care
Maria Mallaband Care Group (MMCG) has appointed a new Dementia Development Lead to drive forward their commitment to delivering the best possible care for people living with dementia, and the best training and support for their teams Laura Steward has devoted her entire career, spanning more than 25 years, to social care, specialising in dementia education from 2012. The appointment saw her take the reins of MMCG’s Dementia Strategy, a multi-pronged approach which includes upskilling staff and sharing best practice with the aim being to enable those living with dementia live as well and as independently as possible. Earlier this year, as part of this strategy, MMCG established the role of Dementia Ambassadors. These trained specialists work in homes and take the lead in educating colleagues, sharing knowledge, skills, and evidence-based strategies and tools. Laura Steward said: “We want every member of the team to have the right knowledge, strategies, skills and compassionate understanding to respond to and care for people living with dementia across our homes in the best possible way. “Having devoted a lot of my professional time to mentoring and coaching others I believe the most successful way to educate is harnessing that flow-down of learning. “Our specially trained Dementia Ambassadors will show, train, lead, mentor, guide and inspire their colleagues, so that every member of the team has the confidence and know-how to improve the daily lives and experiences of those living with dementia in their care.” Laura, who has completed vocational training throughout her career, gained a Post Graduate Certificate in Person-Centred Dementia Studies from the University of Worcester earlier this year. She also brings to the role a broad range of experience including developing and delivering dementia education programmes and designing and improving dementia care services, with a strong focus on person-centred care. She added: “Improving the quality of care for those living with dementia is my passion, and I have developed particular interest and skills in reducing levels of distressed behaviour and developing tailored, holistic approach to care practice for each individual. “Over the past ten years I have really enjoyed gathering a better understanding of the condition and how to make people’s lives better – and for me that doesn’t have to be more complicated than simply understanding people and meeting them where they are. “I’m also focussed on delivering the right training and support for team members. By making sure we pay close attention to care teams working experience we can ensure it’s less draining for them, allowing them to give their best to those in their care. “I am so excited to get stuck into this role. MMCG’s commitment to delivering the best dementia care is second to none, and that level of support will allow me to have a massive impact and bring positive improvements across our homes.” To find out more about the Maria Mallaband Care Group visit: www.mmcgcarehomes.co.uk
Care UK celebrates 40th anniversary by raising over £43,000.
From Edinburgh to Bournemouth, Care UK care homes across the country have been celebrating the organisation’s 40th anniversary by raising funds for good causes. To celebrate forty years since the provider opened its first home, Haven Lodge in September 1982, the Care UK family set a goal of raising £40,000 for charities across the UK, in a campaign called ‘40 Days of Giving Back’. Team members across the country organised daring challenges and fun events, from abseiling down the O2 Stadium, community cake sales, musical events and even a 400-mile cycle ride. In Epsom, Surrey, Appleby House welcomed the local community to its garden for an evening of live music from local performers, James Schouten, Barbara Christopher and Darren Watkins, who each sang decade spanning hits for all ages to enjoy. The event raised £877, which has been donated to Musical Memories, a local charity which holds weekly musical services for people living with memory and hearing impairments. Elizabeth Lodge in Enfield raised more than £1,800 for St Clare Hospice in Harlow, after team members grabbed the ropes to abseil down The O2 Stadium. Staying firmly on the ground, residents opted to grab a sponge and a bucket to take part in a community car wash. Keen to pull their shell suits and shoulder pads out of their wardrobes, residents and team members at Lonsdale Mews in Quorn, Leicestershire, and Lennox House in Islington, time travelled back to 1982 to throw eighties inspired parties, where the local community enjoyed a live music with pop classics from the decade. Residents and team members at Armstrong House, in Gateshead, decided to step up to the challenge by walking 40 miles in 40 days and raised £325 for Big Local Gateshead. Zimmer frames and wheelchairs were no obstacle for the residents, with some reaching as far as the historical landmark, the Dunston Staiths, and Newcastle’s St. James’ Park Stadium, discovering all the local hot spots along the way. Joining the homes in their fundraising efforts was Care UK’s head office team, including CEO Andrew Knight, who undertook a 400-mile bike ride with fellow directors, Tony Weedon and Jacqui White. The route took a total of five days and saw the team cycle from the Care UK’s oldest home, Haven Lodge, in Clacton-on-Sea, to the newest, Oxbow Manor, which will open in Shrewsbury in January. The team visited 17 other Care UK homes along the way, receiving warm welcomes from colleagues and residents alike. Inspired by the 400-mile cycle, residents, and team members at Silversprings walked a combined total of 40km, just short of a marathon, as well as holding a 40-day knit-a-thon, to raise £180 for Brightlingsea Museum and Brightlingsea Lido. To mark the occasion, the facilities team at Tippethill House Hospital in Armadale, Scotland, organised an amazing fun day for residents and relatives which included 60 raffle prizes, home baking and tombola stalls along with live Facebook auction. They raised a whopping £3,260 for local charity, The League of Friends. In the Midlands, residents at Sway Place, in Hampshire, were joined by families and members of the Sway community for a day spent traveling through time back to the 1940s. The home’s Memories Matter fundraising event featured 1940’s classic cars, a traditional sweet shop and live music from local singers, Soda Pops, who delighted guests with songs from throughout the decades. The event raised £1,648 for Alzheimer’s Research UK, the leading dementia research organisation in the UK. Commenting on the fundraising efforts, Andrew Knight, CEO of Care UK, said: “We’re incredibly proud of all we have achieved at Care UK in the last 40 years, all thanks to the caring, hard-working team members and the support of residents and their families. I’m delighted with the fantastic amount we’ve raised for good causes across the country and am grateful to everyone who embraced this initiative with such enthusiasm. We are all looking forward to seeing what the next 40 years will bring for Care UK. Care UK is one of the largest providers of residential care for older people. As a well-established organisation with 40 years of experience in caring for older people, the provider now runs more than 150 homes offering residential, dementia and nursing care and expects to open at least 13 more before the end of 2025.
How social care can attract more workers by overcoming language barriers
Widespread recent national news has highlighted that the UK’s social care sector desperately needs to attract more staff. According to a recent report from Skills for Care, job vacancies have increased by 55,000 (52%), the highest level since records began. There are around 165,000 vacancies across social care. When this number is added to the reported 132,000 vacancies in the NHS, it means the UK health and social sector needs to recruit a workforce bigger than the population of Wolverhampton. Additionally, the number of ‘filled’ roles has decreased by about 3%, equating to 50,000, between 2020/21 and 2021/22. Thus, it is now critical to address language barriers to help both fill vacancies and improve the level of care on the frontline in major cities. Accessing talent in large urban The latest census data for England and Wales shows that in large urban areas like London more than 40% of residents are non-UK born, meaning they’re extremely likely to have English as an additional language (EAL). By breaking down language barriers it could unlock a huge pool of workers to the care sector. Communicating within teams and with some care home residents can already be challenging depending on their health issues. When you add to this that some parties have EAL, communicating can become extremely difficult. Language barriers can lead to a delay in care, confusion in care delivery and also make it difficult to communicate with the patient’s loved ones. The growing number of current and potential workers, and patients with limited English proficiency is concentrated around large urban areas, which means the need for language support is already critical in large cities like London, Birmingham and Manchester. Wasted time overcoming communication challenges Research conducted by Pocketalk shows that more than a third of healthcare workers agreed that language barriers make it more difficult to assess a patient’s needs. The research also showed that healthcare workers are losing around half a working day every week – four and a half hours – overcoming communication challenges. There is an undeniable need for interpreters, but this comes with costs and is not always quick to implement. Although social care providers can use interpreters, they must rely on the availability of one when needed and ensure consistent quality of translation to build and maintain trust and understanding. How technology can help The right technology can help greatly, which is why the UK government announced an extra £5.9bn investment into healthcare in 2021, £2.1bn of which will go on improving IT and digital technology within the NHS. Currently there are a number of tech translation solutions available that can take away some of these pain points and every option comes with its pros and cons. Google Translate is a solution that can provide instant translation between patient and carer, but the effectiveness of the translations isn’t consistent across all languages. Alternatively, real-time language digital translation devices like GDPR compliant Pocketalk instantly translate a large number of languages in both audio and text – aiding real time communication between parties. There is now an opportunity for social care providers to use translation technology to attract more staff who speak EAL and overcome communication barriers. This will help to ease staff shortages while improving the clinical outcomes for patients.
Catch of the day: Lowestoft care home residents tackle old hobbies as part of ‘compassion campaign’ to encourage an active lifestyle
From catching sizable carps to unearthing dinosaur bones, tenants from a Lowestoft support facility are being encouraged to remain independent and active by adopting a hobby as part of a ‘compassion campaign’ to coincide with World Kindness Day. Wellbeing Care’s Dell View, which specialises in assisted living services, has been helping its tenants to find and pursue activities they enjoy to promote independence and support mental wellbeing as part of its new compassion initiative that launched on World Kindness Day (Sunday 13th November). Two residents who particularly like the sport of fishing were recently supported on a fishing trip, and even managed to catch a sizable 5lb carp. Whilst another tenant was given the opportunity to go horse riding, and now attends sessions regularly after falling in love with the activity. One gentleman has been uncovering historical remains through his metal detecting hobby, which he then sells on to museums. His findings include rare bottles, artefacts of historical importance and dinosaur bones. He also completed the Hadrian’s Wall challenge this summer, finishing three hours before anyone else. Research shows that people with hobbies are less likely to suffer from stress, low mood, and depression, as spending time on an activity you enjoy can improve mental health and wellbeing. Joy Henshaw, Regional Director for Wellbeing Care, said “Across all of our homes, we encourage our tenants and residents to maintain their hobbies and interests, as we see huge impacts on their confidence and happiness by doing so. Especially at Dell View where some tenants are reluctant to leave their residence, it’s great to see them out and active whilst gaining some social interaction, as we’re all about helping our residents to lead as normal life as possible. “We work hard to support all of our residents’ hobbies and interests, whatever they may be. From motorbike riding, art, fitness or fishing, we hope to ignite a passion within them all that gives them a sense of purpose and makes their days more interesting.” Wellbeing Care’s Dell View provides person-centred assisted living services that are all about treating each and every tenant as an individual. The apartments promote independent living but offer peace of mind that help is close by. With a team of highly qualified, trained and dedicated staff they aim to offer professional and dignified care to residents tailored to their individual needs. For more information on Wellbeing Care, please visit www.wellbeingcare.com.
“On the Admiral Nurse Helpline, we never judge – it’s open access for anyone living with dementia or supporting people with dementia.”
58-year-old Mark Challinor works as an Admiral Nurse at Dementia UK on the national Admiral Nurse Helpline. Dementia UK is the only charity that provides Admiral Nurses who are specialist dementia nurses. Mark completed his Registered Mental Health training in 1989 at Lincoln. Having worked for seven years in Scunthorpe in older people’s services in inpatient and community services, he moved back to Lincolnshire initially as a community psychiatric nurse. This created a platform for Mark to take up a variety of older people leadership/management roles over a 24-year period managing inpatient, community, and mental health liaison services across Lincolnshire. Throughout this time, Mark undertook several complementary roles that included CQC Specialist Advisor, University Practitioner/Lecturer, and an additional role as a Best Interest Assessor. At the age of 55, Mark left the NHS in 2019 with a yearning to return to front-line clinical services. “Whilst I had heard about Admiral Nursing when I was working in the NHS, I didn’t really understand or know the role they played in supporting families with dementia.” A new countywide Admiral Nurse community for Lincolnshire hosted by St Barnabas Hospice was piloted in June 2019 where he mainly visited families in their own homes. Whilst the local communities and the commissioners were supportive of the pilot, the service was redesigned in 2022 and Mark saw this as an opportunity to strengthen his skill set working for Dementia UK on the national Admiral Nurse Helpline. Mark started as the only substantive male member of staff on the helpline in February 2022 and can say without hesitation that “it’s the best job and organisation that I have worked for.” “Although home based you never get the sense that you are working alone. No two days are ever the same and whilst the helpline is extremely busy, you always work with supportive and passionate colleagues that share similar aspirations and skills. “This internal network creates a supportive culture so that you can draw on this wealth of experience and knowledge whenever you are faced with a particular challenge or question. When juxtaposed with a continual focus on personal development and personal well-being, it is easy to understand why this ‘recipe’ is successful and probably explains why retention rates remain high for Admiral Nurses. Although a cliché, ‘happy staff equates to happy customers.” For Mark, it’s also about positive connections. “Some people, especially older people just want to chat. I love making a difference, and giving people hope and inspiration. Having a skill set within dementia care allows me to provide ideas, coping strategies, and understand their needs to manage and embrace dementia on a day-to-day basis both during the day and at night. Whilst dementia is sometimes portrayed negatively by the media you never sense this when you are supporting families. “I’ve found the positive thoughts and comments received from individuals and families who I’ve supported to be overwhelming. “People who call us on the helpline can be very distressed, especially when memory problems are evident, after a diagnosis, or when they are trying to support the person with dementia. “Many callers disclose their frustrations about the current health care system, their feelings about injustice and funding, and continual issues with trying to navigate through health and social care systems. “For many calls you provide encouragement, validate their feelings, and acknowledge strategies, tweaking an approach or providing them with a script that they can use to enable further help. Many callers ring in to check with us that they are doing ‘the right thing’ and are ‘on the right track.’ “We often receive calls from younger people who are worried about problems with their memory or something they have seen in the news. “On the Admiral Nurse Helpline, we never judge – it’s open access for anyone living with dementia or supporting people with dementia. This can include those people with dementia, their families, or friends as well as professionals seeking additional help. “Although many of the callers are of a sensitive nature, many families also want to talk about amusing anecdotes or stories and particular strategies that they have adopted that we can always share with others. “We often lose sight of the fact that supporting somebody with dementia can create new experiences and opportunities, gathering insights that carers find amusing and want to share with us.” Mark often finds himself laughing with the callers as they find this a welcome release of emotion that can be cathartic. A typical day for Mark Mark works substantively three days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Generally, he logs on around 8.45am and the team are led daily by a shift coordinator. From Monday – Friday there are between 10-16 Admiral Nurses on a shift from 9am-5pm and from 6pm-9pm and on weekends, there are 3-5 nurses. The Admiral Nurses are assigned one of two specific roles; a triage team that works through previous requests and emails from callers or alternately a team dedicated to take live calls from callers as they ring in. These roles, including the shift coordinator, alternate so that they always have opportunities to change roles as demand dictates. He starts taking calls at 9am which can vary, depending on the clinical situation described on the call. Some calls may be short in relation to signposting and offering advice and others may be complex, averaging around 30-60 minutes. “In between calls, we’re also encouraged to take a break to reflect and where needed debrief. Every shift always has a senior lead nurse who can provide additional support in situations like safeguarding. “I document calls after speaking to a family. On a call, we can access an extensive database of information and we also have a map to help us access where the Admiral Nurse teams are across the UK. “I have 30 minutes for lunch and stop taking calls at 4.30pm. I then have 30 minutes to complete the final call and check out and then debrief again with colleagues.” Nursing is
South East care group champions ‘Wear it PINK!’ day to raise awareness for breast cancer
Residents and staff at a South East care group were left overjoyed following the success of its fundraising competitions and activities to raise awareness of breast cancer to mark ‘Wear it PINK!’ Day 2022 – one of many educational projects championed to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nellsar, a family-run group of 13 homes throughout Kent, Surrey and Essex, were among the millions of people across the country taking part in the awareness month to support life-changing research for breast cancer – providing literature on the importance of self-examination and championing early detection as a means to save lives. Throughout the awareness month, the ‘Know Your Breasts’ booklet, as well as other guidance leaflets, were distributed across the 13 homes reaching 900+ staff members, all residents, their families, friends and more, utilising this vast network to reach out and educate an incalculable number of people of all ages. On Friday 21st October, Nellsar also supported ‘Wear it PINK!’ day, which has been running for 20 years to raise money and awareness for ‘Breast Cancer Now’. Whether it was a dash of nail varnish or glamming up in hot pink from head-to-toe, the family-run care group encouraged staff, residents and families to come together and further promote the importance and benefits of self-examination and early diagnosis though engaging activities such as fundraising games, raffles, sponsored walks and auctions. Viv Stead, Recreation and Well-Being Manager at Nellsar, said: “Our motivation for such a big initiative was to impact as many lives as possible. We wanted to use the resources throughout the business and reach out to as many staff, residents, friends and family members as possible. “Breast cancer is a profound issue and one that we are determined to ensure doesn’t go unnoticed. It affects millions of people every year, which meant we felt morally obliged to get all of our staff and residents on board through a month-long campaign of education and fundraising activities. All our residents and staff fully embraced the insight, togetherness and enjoyment the month had to offer, coming together to raise awareness for such a wonderful initiative. All in all, the month was an overwhelming success and I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part and helped spread such an important message for an incredible charity that is so close to our hearts.” Built on strong foundations, the family-run Nellsar care group has worked hard to build the trusted reputation of its homes and prides itself on being approachable, accountable and empathic in its relationships with the families it supports. For more information on Nellsar and its homes, please visit www.nellsar.com. Alternatively, to read more about ‘Wear it PINK!’, visit https://www.wearitpink.org/.
Introducing Social Prescriptions: Can They Aid My Physical and Mental Health?
There is no hiding that chronic health conditions can have a huge impact on many areas of our lives. From physical issues (i.e. asthma, diabetes) to mental illnesses, including anxiety and depression, medical conditions may limit the extent to which you are able to carry out your daily tasks. Indeed, you may find it challenging to work, leave your house, or even spend time with your loved ones. Of course, specific medications are essential to help patients overcome a wide range of conditions. But on 22nd August 2022, the British government announced that it is gradually starting to trial an additional, alternative way to alleviate and improve patients’ mental and physical health. In 11 different areas across the country, GPs will be able to offer ‘social prescriptions’, which aim to take care of the whole person, as opposed to address set of symptoms. But what are they exactly? Here, we take a look at the introduction of new social prescriptions, while highlighting their impact and effectiveness on patients’ overall well-being. What is social prescribing? Social prescribing allows GPs, nurses, and other care professionals to refer people to an array of local, non-clinical services and support. This concept recognises that a patient’s health is dependent on a number of environmental, social, and economic factors, and therefore seeks to treat people’s needs in a more holistic fashion. For instance, social prescriptions encourage individuals to join and get involved in a variety of friendly, socialising activities. These can include all-ability cycling taster days, running and walking groups, healthy cooking lessons, and art therapy. It is a valuable opportunity for people to get active and connect with their community, which in turn can highly benefit both their physical and mental health. Not only that, but specific activities (i.e. dance classes, gardening) are becoming popular options for social prescribing as they help tackle sentiments of loneliness, thanks especially to their social focus and physical demand. In short, social prescriptions are non-medical referrals that aim to complement existing treatments to better one’s general well-being. The benefits and effectiveness of social prescriptions Social prescribing can work for a large portion of people, and at least 900,000 patients will receive this type of referral by 2023/24. It may be useful for those living with one or more long-term conditions, for those who feel isolated on a regular basis, and for those who are dealing with complex situations and therefore require some tangible, moral support. Tobias Alpsten, CEO and Founder of myGP comments, “Social prescribing takes a holistic approach to addressing a patient’s symptoms. It can be used when medication may not be required. This concept has shown evidence in improving emotional wellbeing and improved quality of life for a patient. For example, a patient who has an existing long-term condition could be prescribed socialising or exercising by their GP, to best support them.” Here are some of the most noticeable advantages of this innovative form of GP prescription: Are there any disadvantages? As with everything, there are some possible downsides to the introduction of social prescriptions. One of them, for example, is that some patients might fail to engage with their prescribed scheme for long enough to notice the incentives. As well as lowering the chance of effective treatment, this can also take space from a person who instead would have benefitted from the opportunity. It could also be argued that, in the case of people suffering from social anxiety, social prescribing might intimidate the patient, as they could feel challenged or forced to engage in community activities. This means that they may end up finding themselves in uncomfortable situations that could add to and heighten their sentiments of anxiety. Further research is definitely required to determine who is more likely to benefit from social prescribing. But overall, emerging evidence suggests that it can improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing. Ultimately, from aiding social connection to providing tools to manage chronic illnesses, social prescriptions are alternative, non-clinical referrals that are here to stay.
Sustainable & Cost-Effective Hot Water For Care
Care facilities typically exhibit significant, but varied, hot water and heating usage patterns, which contributes to the current 40% tally of UK greenhouse gas emissions generated by the built environment. To help achieve climate-neutral building stock by 2050 the industry is being challenged to reduce operational energy use over all other measures. By increasing the use of renewable energy supply and prioritising on-site renewable energy sources the hope it to reduce both carbon and bills. Sustainability comes with a cost. Whether in the form of new build projects or, and far more likely, the refurbishment of existing yet ageing facilities, understanding the necessary capital investment, operational savings and payback periods is going to be key. Addressing the efficiency of domestic hot water (DHW) systems – whether through the implementation of heat pumps, solar thermal, direct electric water heating or even simple modernisation of existing gas appliances – helps care facilities meet sustainability goals in a practical and cost-effective manner. It also delivers improved year-round conditions for staff and clients in care, providing access to spaces better suited to delivering medical care and assisted living. Far too often, healthcare hot water systems suffer from poor application design leaving them oversized and demanding more appliances, ancillaries, space and complex installation than necessary. Inefficient and less environmentally friendly, such systems will prove more costly to build and operate for their entire lifespan. Oversizing inherently comes from a lack of understanding of different types of hot water system. When faced with healthcare DHW systems that have too many variables and decisions on diversity, sizing programmes will oversize to prevent perceived hot water problems. Understanding the application demands – from intense peak/all storage to continuous demand/all power – is critical when sizing a dynamic hot water system. At Adveco, our dedicated application design team provide accurate, bespoke sizing, for both new build and refurbishment projects. Once correctly sized, we can recommend, supply, commission, and service the optimal appliances whether they be gas, electric or a mixed hybrid approach that incorporates low carbon and renewable technologies such as solar thermal and heat pumps. This is the best way of ensuring hot water demands are met in the most cost-effective and sustainable manner. The Path To Lower Carbon Hot Water The design of applications for commercial hot water systems has remained remarkably consistent and if a building is more than ten years old it is going to be built around either a condensing gas water heater or an indirect water heater and boiler. Gas-based hot water systems were specified because this was the most cost-effective and cleanest way of producing high-temperature hot water.In the past decade though we have seen a seismic shift in thinking driven by the wide acceptance of the harmful effects of global warming and a need to address its root causes. To decarbonise DHW applications there are currently two core technology options, air source heat pumps (ASHP) or solar thermal. Although both can provide low or zero-carbon heat, neither can fully replace an existing water heating system. Since commercial DHW systems must operate in excess of60°C to prevent the threat of legionella, ASHP efficiency, designed to work with lower temperatures, rapidly falls away limiting supply. Solar thermal on the other hand is limited by the sun’s availability across the year, and it is worth remembering will not provide space heating either. However, both can be used as a source of preheat to reduce energy use. Both will work equally well with after heat provided by gas or electric water heating. For buildings already on gas and that rely on large amounts of DHW – a large proportion of current UK healthcare properties – solar preheat is the preferable option. Depending on the site and energy consumption habits, solar thermal will typically provide around 30% of the hot water demand. For new build properties, the expectation is for specification to default to a mixture of heat pumps and direct electric afterheat. For new healthcare builds, consultants are specifying for greater electrical load to account for the additional power demands. This though is a costly addition for large legacy properties wanting to introduce electrification for hot water and heating. For smaller hot water demands in new builds, where the need for a gas supply has been avoided, that additional cost may be acceptable. But if electrical costs need to be offset then the numbers are now looking really favourable for adopting solar thermal for either electric only or existing gas-based strategies. A much more rapid return on investment is now achievable and the property gains undisputed carbon and cost savings. Shaping the future of care properties today A hybrid approach, which encompasses some or all these technologies, is unavoidable for commercial projects and is the most sensible, practical, and cost-effective option. Whether all-electric or using gas after heat, healthcare organisations can actively drive sustainability and retain control of operational expenditure for decades to come. While we must all recognise the importance of excluding fossil fuels from future commercial systems, consideration should be given to the expected adoption of greener hydrogen toward the end of this decade. The Government expects this will be a core component for meeting net zero at a national level, especially for buildings with higher energy demands. It is therefore worth confirming whether existing gas water heaters or replacement units will accommodate the proposed 20% hydrogen blend that would begin the decarbonisation of the gas grid. With hydrogen policy to be confirmed in 2026, retaining gas in existing commercial buildings keeps options open and future-proofs a building for other emerging heating technologies. The drive to adopt sustainable and renewable technology is encouraging, but there currently remains no single technology that supplies all the answers for commercial scale projects. Whether a new build or refurbishment project, the physical limitations of a site will always propel or preclude certain options. A practical, open minded approach to driving cleaner heat through a mix of replacement gas and renewables is what will really propel buildings towards 2050 net zero targets while also delivering considerable benefits to those using these buildings.
