1st October 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of International Day of Older Persons.
Over the next three decades, the number of older persons worldwide is projected to double, reaching more than 1.5 billion by 2050. This year, the International Day of Older Persons aims to raise awareness of the special health needs of older persons and of their contributions to their own health and to the functioning of the societies in which they live. Tarkett are dedicated to designing inclusive elderly care environments which is why we partnered with the creators of VR-EP, a virtual reality tool endorsed by the leading experts in dementia-friendly design. Designing for dementia: how inclusive design can transform lives Shaz Hawkins, Health & Aged Care Marketing Manager at Tarkett explains how empathy-led design can improve medical and social care environments for people with dementia. Dementia has been described as one of the most significant health crises of the 21st century. In the absence of a cure and with an ageing population, we need to design environments that take into account how people with dementia behave and see the world. Spaces to explore Those living with dementia often feel a strong urge to wander, which can cause problems if they become disorientated and forget where they are. Nurses list “wandering” in their top five challenges. However, it is possible to design spaces in a way that works with this urge rather than trying to subdue it. Designing a care home with a focal point that gives the wandering resident the sense that they’re going somewhere, an area with resources like books and a television, or a communal area that encourages socialising. The key point is that the space feels different from the space they’ve just left and offers some kind of stimulation. Signposting is a powerful tool for dealing with possible disorientation during wandering. Simple, well-lit and easy to read signs with recognisable objects will aid orientation. Being and feeling safe It’s obviously essential for any space used by vulnerable people to be safe, but to encourage people to stay mobile, you also need to think about their perception of safety. Someone designing the flooring for a care home would probably think about factors such as the evenness of surfaces, wheelchair access and avoiding trip hazards such as clutter or rugs. However, a person with dementia might still view a perfectly level, clear floor as a hazard and refuse to step onto it. Why? Tarkett’s extensive research into how people with dementia view their surroundings has found that colour contrasts are much more important than most of us realise. People with dementia tend to have trouble with three-dimensional vision, which means that they use changes in colour to fill in the spatial cues they’re missing. (Think about how artists use colour to create the illusion of depth or distance in a two-dimensional painting.) A contrast in colour on a floor could be perceived as a change in depth, making the floor seem uneven and unsafe to walk on. Likewise, if colour contrasts are missing from your design, the person with dementia will miss important information. For example, if a door is painted the same colour as surrounding walls, they may not notice the door at all and may not be able to leave the room unaided. It’s hard to understand how someone could miss a door that’s right in front of them, or feel anxiety over walking on a perfectly level floor. But if we are to design spaces that work for vulnerable and neurodiverse people, we need to try. That’s why Tarkett has adopted a virtual reality (VR) tool that allows professionals, including interior designers, to see the world through the eyes of a person living with dementia. This “virtual reality empathy platform” is the world’s first and only evidence-based dementia filter and through it you’ll see scary changes in depth that make a floor seem dangerous to walk on. Knowing what the users of your space actually see will allow you to design dementia friendly facilities. Visual cues The use of visual cues such as painting a door and its frame in contrasting colours will do a lot to help a person with dementia move around with ease. But as well as selecting appropriate levels of colour contrast, it is also important to choose the right colours and textures. A black or dark grey floor could be perceived by someone with dementia as an empty space like a black hole. Asking them to step onto it is like asking someone to walk off a cliff. Likewise, a very shiny floor could look like water. Visual cues can also be used to discourage unsafe behaviour; if there is a specific door that you don’t want accessed, painting it the exact same colour as the doorframe and surrounding walls will make it less noticeable. Maximising light Good lighting is one of the most important tools for making a space dementia-friendly. Maximising access to natural light will help to remove the shadows that might be perceived as a danger and it will also help people with dementia to regulate their body clock, which is an increasing problem as the condition progresses. Good natural light in the day combined with the use of blackout blinds at night helps to regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle as well as providing obvious visual cues about whether it’s night or day. If there isn’t as much daylight as you might wish, the light reflectance value (LRV) of surfaces becomes even more important. Most older people have some sight impairment but also difficulty with glare, so an LRV of between 10% and 40% is perfect for floors. Walls should have a significantly different LRV so that people with poor 3D perception can easily tell where the floor ends and the wall begins. This gives people the confidence to move through the space without fear. Hearing Of course, it’s not just about sight. A truly dementia-friendly environment is designed with consideration for all the senses. People with dementia get more easily overwhelmed by
New plan to help protect care homes from COVID over the winter
A new Adult Social Care Winter Plan will aim to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections in care settings throughout the winter months, the Health Secretary confirmed. As part of the plan, people receiving adult social care and care workers will receive free PPE, a new dashboard will monitor care home infections and help local government and providers respond quicker, and a Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care will be appointed to represent social care nurses and provide clinical leadership to the workforce. Local providers must restrict all but essential movement of staff between settings to reduce transmission, supported by an extra £546 million for the Infection Control Fund. This will help care providers pay staff full wages and enable staff to work in only one care home. This brings the total funding for infection control measures in care homes to over £1.1 billion and underlines the Government’s commitment to ensure adult social care has the resources it needs to keep residents and staff safe. The Government is prepared to strengthen monitoring and regulation by local authorities and the CQC, including asking them to take strong action where improvement is required or staff movement is not being restricted. This can include restricting a service’s operation, issuing warning notices or placing conditions on a provider’s registration. Further details of how the winter plan will be enforced will be set out shortly. Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “We are entering a critical phase in our fight against coronavirus with winter on the horizon. Our priority over the next 6 months is to make sure we protect those most vulnerable receiving care and our incredibly hard-working workforce by limiting the spread of the virus and preventing a second spike. “This Winter Plan gives providers the certainty they need when it comes to PPE and provides additional support to help care homes to limit the movement of staff, stop the spread of coronavirus and save lives. We will be monitoring the implementation of this carefully and will be swift in our actions to protect residents and colleagues across the country.” The new Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care role will provide clinical and professional leadership, while upholding and raising standards among the care workforce. Recruitment will begin in October to ensure the department and sector can benefit from the professional expertise the new role will bring. To improve understanding of where infections are taking place in care homes, a dashboard will be introduced as a single point of information for local, regional and national government to monitor outbreaks and measures being implemented to reduce it. Minister for Care, Helen Whately said: “Our brilliant care workers have been tirelessly looking after our loved ones throughout this pandemic, and Covid rates have come right down in social care through the summer. With cases beginning to rise now, we must take the strongest possible action to stop the virus and protect people. “The creation of the Chief Nurse for Social Care is also an important step and will provide leadership to social care nurses and the wider care workforce who often work unseen. The skills and compassion of our care workers must be fully recognised and supported ” The unveiling of the Winter Plan will be supported by the publishing of the Adult Social Care Covid-19 Support Taskforce report highlighting the effectiveness of the fund and the Care Home Support Package. Chair of the Adult Social Care Covid-19 Support Taskforce, David Pearson said: “A test of any country is the degree to which it supports and enables those who need care and support to stay safe and to lead the best lives they can. This report draws from expertise from across the social care sector and sets out the actions that should be taken to help keep people safe while maintaining their independence. “I would like to pay thanks to the huge involvement from the social care sector in the taskforce and in the development of this report and indeed in aligning closely with the Winter Plan. Close coordination between local and national bodies within the sector is critically important to the success of the sector and will play an important part in keeping people safe and healthy in the winter months ahead.” The report will also look at how we can learn from the first phase of the virus and sets out a number of recommendations to the government to prepare for winter the sector and the workforce for winter. Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Luke Hall MP said: “We’re doing everything we can to ensure councils are prepared to tackle coronavirus throughout the winter months. “These new measures including providing free PPE to care homes and new ways to track care home infections will make a huge difference in limiting the spread of the virus supporting those on the frontline with this important work.” Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive , Care England said:“We welcome the Government’s focus on care homes and will work with them to implement the Winter Plan to ensure the best outcome for residents of care homes and their families
Stay connected and start making a difference at the Care Virtual Summit
On the 8th October, the Care Virtual Summit is returning to our screens and promises a line-up of speakers comprising of the most influential, passionate people in the sector. Representing many areas of care, the summit will explore technology, leadership, dementia, well-being, funding, staffing and how to make a real positive impact in your care business and the sector as a whole. The Care Virtual Summit is not just a day well spent, it’s a day of real value. Attending the summit means you get an entire days content of CPD training, which you can choose to watch live or on-demand at a time that suits you! This includes informative and inspirational seminars such as a one stop guide to Dementia, led by Professor June Andrews from the Dementia Services Development Trust and how to build a high-performance culture in your care business, delivered by Simon Parker, Founder at SP&P. Join care manager Jonathan Cunningham in an inspirational and emotional journey, where he’ll demonstrate the importance of leadership (plus a whole lot of singing, musical instruments and laughter!). Throughout the day they’ll be a number of fascinating discussions with a range of incredible speakers. Firstly, you’ll hear from Yvonne Hignell, Chief Operating Officer at Cera Care and Tony Stein, CEO of Larchwood Care, who’ll be discussing the role of technology in home care and care homes. Next is the summits sought after panel discussion between Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive at Care England, Colin Angel, Policy and Campaigns Director at UKHCA, Avnish Goyal, Founder and Chairman at Hallmark Care Homes and Raina Summerson, CEO of Agincare Group. They will be addressing the highly requested topic of funding in care and asking the question, where does it go? Lastly, Sophie Chester-Glynn, Director at Coproduce Care and Arnie King, Equalities Lead at Manor Community, will be giving an extremely useful talk on how we as individuals can influence social care law and policy – so get your pen and paper ready. Not only do you get all of the above, every attendee will be entered into a raffle to win an Aeroguard Mini provided by Care Shop and be entitled to 50% off the Future of Care Conference! You’ll even have exclusive access to a live magic show from Britain’s Got Talent Magician, Alan Hudson! Book your ticket now so you can stay up to date and engaged with the sector you love and feel inspired to make positive change so you can start making a difference. Book here – https://care-virtual-summit-october.heysummit.com/
What to Expect at the Care Virtual Summit
Are you interested in finding out more about the Care Virtual Summit? Well look no further – you’re in the right place! The launch of the Care Virtual Summit gives us a chance to continue bringing the care sector together in a safe space online. We decided that this was crucial, especially while we’re unable to run our much-loved Care Roadshows. So what can you expect from the Summit?Date: Thursday 30th July 2020 For the first event, you’ll hear from the leading names in the field about a range of topic such as supporting residents with dementia in isolation, recruitment and the way forward for social care. You’ll hear from QCS on how to cope during Covid-19 and Issac Theophilos will be providing his invaluable advice on how to achieve Outstanding even through the pandemic. Join an interactive workshop with Oomph! on how to keep residents engaged and get the latest updates from CQC. If you’re already beginning to think about all the questions you’d love to have answered by our incredible speakers then don’t worry – as we’ll have a live Q&A on the day. Not only does this incredible event have seminars throughout the day, it will also be host to an exclusive live panel debate on the challenges and the way forward for the care sector – home care and social care included. When setting up the event, we were very aware that the sector is currently busy and under a lot of pressure. So we’re making sure that all content will be available on-demand after the event, so you can watch it whenever and wherever you like. You’ll even earn yourself a CPD certificate for attending, so you can further your learning in the most exciting way possible. The summit has been lucky enough to gain the amazing support from our Platinum Sponsor, City & Guilds and our resources sponsor, QCS. QCS will be providing every event attendee with a free Ultimate COVID Toolkit, including a wellbeing and PPE audit, Covid-19 resources and vital advice and information! Ready to book your ticket yet? Book here – https://care-virtual-summit.heysummit.com/
Care sector crisis: is it safe to put loved ones in a care home?
A staggering 76% of UK adults don’t think it’s safe to put a loved one in a care home at the moment, according to new research from dementia care specialist Vida Healthcare. The research highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population’s perception of social care. More than half (53%) of adults admit they would worry that their loved one’s health would deteriorate if they were to move into a care home, while 40 percent would be apprehensive about not being able to visit them. However, 64 percent of adults are more aware of what is happening in the care industry with almost three quarters (70%) learning more about the sector from coverage in the news, and 29 percent from social media during the pandemic. In fact, 70% of Brits now value social care staff and the work done in the industry as much as NHS workers, highlighting that concerns over placing a loved one in care is no reflection of the social care workforce. James Rycroft, Managing Director at Vida Healthcare, believes that it’s crucial the public are aware of the different types of care available across the country and the steps being taken to ensure the safety of staff and residents. “Although more people than ever are aware of social care thanks to coverage in the mainstream press and on social media platforms, for nearly two in five (37%) people this is more negative than before the pandemic and almost half don’t know what specialist dementia care is. There are many types of dementia and people’s symptoms change over time, but at specialist dementia care homes like Vida Healthcare all the residents and service users have a formal dementia diagnosis. People living with a range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies, are all supported. “We need to work together to ensure that people seeking high quality care for their loved ones have confidence in the sector. The health and wellbeing of residents and staff is the first priority of care workers and providers, and here at Vida Healthcare we’ve introduced new initiatives during the pandemic in order to adapt and react to the virus and lockdown measures. “Alongside weekly testing and adequate PPE, our homes use OZONE machines to sanitise each room in the building. This covers all surfaces with an OZONE mist and kills bacteria and viruses. Our laundry uses OZONE technology in all washes which assists with killing off any virus which has made its way onto clothing. “In preparation of admissions picking back up, we’ve created a 10 bed isolation suite which allows us to admit residents and make sure they are clear of COVID before they join the wider Vida community. We’ve also invested in hiring an Admissions Manager who is working exclusively with families throughout the enquiry and admissions process to answer any questions and concerns they might have.” The research found that connectivity in social care is also a significant area of concern for many, with just under half (45%) keen to see better technology rolled out across residential care to enable families to stay connected virtually. 46 percent of people are also worried about the pressure of visiting family members within care homes as we ease out of lockdown, and two in five (40%) are worried about feeling guilty for not visiting. James Rycroft added: “Alongside protecting staff and residents, one of the main priorities at Vida Healthcare is to continue creating a sense of community and keeping residents connected with their loved ones. We’ve developed our very own app, Family Team Talk, which is updated frequently and allows families to see a daily snapshot inside our care homes. The app is user friendly and gives families instant access to catch up on the health and wellbeing of their loved one. “The care sector is working together with vulnerable people, their families, the Clinical Commissioning Groups, Public Health England and GP surgeries to change public perceptions of social care, and ensure all aspects of care and comfort are met with dignity and meets the known preferences and wishes of everyone in social care and their loved ones.” For more information, please visit www.vidahealthcare.co.uk
Delivering Well Designed Wheelchair Accessible Bathrooms
In such challenging times in the care sector, anything that can make life easier is a welcome addition. Here, Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, explains how bringing good design to bear in wheelchair accessible bathrooms makes not only residents, but carers lives that bit easier. Good wheelchair accessible bathroom designThe following is best practice advice taken from the Building Regulation’s Doc Mi for wheelchair user dwellings and also from Kate Sheehan, Occupational Therapist of The OT Service for a well-designed wheelchair accessible bathroom: Promote movement around the space Manoeuvring into and inside the bathroom are key considerations, not only when thinking about the wheelchair user but care assistants. With this in mind: Finally, good design needn’t be expensive. In fact, the majority of the suggestions in AKW’s latest Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom Design guide are focused on using cost-effective adaptation equipment in ways that make sense to the space and to the wheelchair user. For more information, please contact AKW on 01905 823298, Email: sales@akw-ltd.co.uk or visit www.akw-ltd.co.uk
Microbiologically controlled water secured for new Louisa Jordan NHS Hospital in Glasgow
The rapid conversion of Glasgow’s SEC into a new NHS hospital was secured by an array of skilled Scottish tradespeople but few have been more critical than those from the Lanarkshire business which ensured the new facility was supplied with vital sterilising grade water. Wishaw-based DMA Canyon, an eight-year member of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation, (SNIPEF) were called upon to use the expertise it had already demonstrated in water management work at various Scottish hospitals. At NHS Louisa Jordan, the company, which employs 30 people and has a current turnover of £2m, were tasked with ensuring the former concert and exhibition centre’s water was delivered at high dependency care standard. David Watson, a director of DMA Canyon, said: “Over the years we have refined our expertise in detecting and controlling Legionella and other waterborne pathogens in water supplies. “Hospitals are, of course, a special case since their water needs to be microbiologically controlled water at the highest standard to minimise the presence and release of waterborne pathogens. To achieve this, we fitted Pall Medical Point-of-Use Water Filters throughout the Louisa Jordan site. These must be monitored closely and replaced every 31 or 62 days to ensure compliance with the required standards. “The entire project was a huge collaborative success with a completely new plumbing system installed in record time and our job was to add the vital finishing control measures, ensuring the water environment is fit for an intensive care facility. “At peak there were seven of us on site, some of us working seven days a week, continually installing, testing and reporting to get the job done. Even though there are currently no patients on site the process of continual monitoring must be undertaken. “I am very proud of the contribution we have made and I have pointed out to my younger colleagues, including John Fraser, 25, one of our adult apprentices, that they have participated in a project, the scale and importance of which they may never see again in their working lives. It really is something they can tell their grandchildren about.” Fiona Hodgson, chief executive of SNIPEF, said: “It is with great pride that we recognise the expertise and experience of our SNIPEF member, DMA Canyon, and their ability to deliver high-quality, reliable resources on behalf of the entire community. “I never cease to be amazed by the professionalism of our members and their determination, often under massive pressure, to get the job done to the highest standards, on time and on budget.” www.pall.com For similar articles visit our news section
Laundry measures for effective infection prevention and control
Having a comprehensive infection prevention control plan in place and ensuring that it’s being stuck to religiously throughout the care home is now more important than ever. Not only will stringent measures ensure hygienic standards, but also prevent the spread of infection and keep vulnerable residents and staff safe in the care environment. A vital part of this is the effective decontamination of linen and the proper and professional reprocessing of laundry. While every care establishment is different depending on its capacity and the type of care it provides and so naturally infection control policies will differ from care home to care home, there are some key factors and regulations that need to be taken into account when defining or revising your laundry procedures. Standard and enhanced processes From the moment linen is collected for laundering, it should be segregated appropriately depending on the type of risk that the resident poses; the standard process for ordinary soiled or fouled linen and the enhanced process for infectious linen. It’s important to ensure that your staff are fully briefed on both processes and when they should be used. Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as single-use aprons and gloves, should be used when handling any dirty or soiled linen, and once it has been removed from the resident’s bed it should be placed in the appropriate colour-coded container. This segregation should be carried out before the linen is transported to the laundry. Correct equipment and laundry design The correct equipment and process-led laundry design is a vital factor in ensuring effective infection prevention and control. Firstly, it’s important to calculate the machine capacity required to ensure you have the right equipment to cater for the volume of laundry produced. We normally work on the assumption that a standard residential care home will need to allow for 0.5kg of laundry per resident, per hour, while for a nursing home this increases from anything from 0.6kg to 0.75kg. The machines you’re using should be professionally installed and maintained commercial models that can provide the optimum wash cycle times and temperatures, and when paired with specialist detergent, the agitation of laundry required to kill infectious diseases. The Department of Health’s Health Technical Memorandum 01-04 defines that washing should be held at either 71 degrees for at least three minutes, or 65 degrees for at least 10 minutes, for effective thermal decontamination to take place. All machines also need to be compliant with the Water Regulatory Advisory Scheme (WRAS) category 5 to prevent the mains water supply becoming contaminated from potentially hazardous or infectious waste. Well-considered laundry design can also help to ensure maximum infection prevention and control. Having a clear ‘dirty to clean’ flow, from washers, to dryers, to ironers to storage, helps ensure that there is enough room to manage all the laundry required and minimises the risk of recontamination. Clean linen should always be kept entirely separate from dirty items throughout the laundry process and stored in a clean area off the floor. You should also take the use of PPE into consideration with laundry design. Carefully consider all the activities and instances where this may be necessary and ensure that the correct dispensing and disposal equipment is easily accessible in the right locations. The same goes for handwashing facilities; hand wash basins, liquid soap, disposable paper towels and pedal-operated waste receptacles should be located at convenient points to be easily accessed by staff. While it may sound like a very obvious consideration, clean hands are the single most important factor for preventing the spread of infection and can ensure that harmful germs and micro-organisms are not being transferred to other people, equipment or surfaces. Responsibilities While everyone involved in the laundry process is responsible and accountable, it can be incredibly beneficial to remind managers and staff of their responsibilities so you can ensure the entire team is correctly fulfilling their requirements. Managers have a responsibility to ensure that all staff have the necessary knowledge to protect both residents and themselves from the spread of infection. This should be standardised throughout the business and everyone’s knowledge should be refreshed at least once a year. Managers are also responsible for the provision of the correct laundry equipment, including the supply of single use PPC for all staff. Staff are responsible for the appropriate use of PPE and correct equipment usage. They should be knowledgeable about good hand washing technique and employ it regularly during the working day. They should also have good knowledge about the difference between soiled and infectious linen, and how each should be bagged, handled and processed. It’s more important now than ever to revise your infection control plan to ensure that it’s thorough and prescriptive enough, and that all staff are familiar with the special precautions and measures they need to be taking to ensure the health and safety of the team and the care home’s residents. The policy should be a part of your company culture and ethos; lived and breathed by all care home staff. Nicola Whittaker, national account manager at the professional division of Miele
Lockdown lifeline to keep relatives connected offered to all UK care homes
Care homes across the UK are being offered a vital line of communication that will enable families to stay updated about the care of elderly residents during coronavirus lockdown. Leading care technology provider Person Centred Software is opening up its Relatives Gateway platform to all UK care homes free of charge to help them maintain communication with families during these unprecedented times. Allowing secure social media style messages and photos to be shared between care home residents and their families, it will also give carers an efficient way to provide wellbeing updates to concerned loved ones. In the last month, 2,700 people have used the Relatives Gateway to keep in touch with family members living in care homes. The technology is currently used by 1,600 UK care homes who use Person Centred Software’s Mobile Care Monitoring system, but in response to the escalating COVID-19 situation in the UK, the company is rolling out a free version for any care home to implement. Jonathan Papworth, founder and director of Person Centred Software says this could be a vital lifeline: “Following calls from the government to stop non-urgent contact and protect those most vulnerable, the care sector is facing unprecedented social and operational challenges of lockdown conditions. “Putting people and personal interaction at the heart of care is vital and it’s important that care home residents who miss out on visits from loved ones stay connected – while families and friends remain updated about the day-to-day wellbeing of their loved ones.” Person Centred Software’s move has been commended by Care England with chief executive, Professor Martin Green OBE saying: “This will help Care Homes maintain isolation, but at the same time, enable people to keep in contact with relatives, friends and loved ones.” Jonathan continues: “Care homes face significant uplifts in phone calls from concerned family members over the coming months. Our technology provides a window to provision and enables carers to share pictures and messages from the outside world. It’s a way to help free up care time, but importantly can help boost morale during what could be a lengthy and lonely lockdown. “We’ve developed a free version of our Relatives Gateway that can be rapidly deployed to any care homes that wish to use it – our aim is to support the sector to help families stay connected throughout this challenging time.” The Relatives Gateway enables relatives to communicate with loved ones via a web application. For further information, please visit personcentredsoftware.com/covid19response or call 01483 357657.
