August 2012 no.195 • £4.75 In association with By Dominic Musgrave A WOMAN who has a relative with dementia has set up a petition calling for compulsory CCTV in all care settings, to include areas such as bathrooms and bedrooms. Jenny Moore founded the Your Voice Matters Campaign to raise awareness of failing standards in care homes, and more recently started the petition. She told Caring UK the only way to prove abuse and bad practice is by visual evidence, which has been proven with recent high profile media exposures. Jenny added: “Prisoners, small children in nurseries, even the public are all protected by CCTV, so why are our elderly and vulnerable not? When abuse/neglect is reported by a care worker or family, it is one person’s word over another and frequently the innocent party becomes a victim of the care system, the complaint disregarded. “Care workers who whistle blow are often bullied or at worst lose their job. Families are victimised and even banned from visiting their loved one. I understand the concerns over cameras in private areas, but those are the places abuse is more likely to happen. What is worse being filmed having personal care or being hoisted naked over a bath and left suspended naked for 30 minutes while the staff have a tea break? The resident already has two pairs of strangers’ eyes upon them, what difference is another pair to ensure their safety?” Jenny says that over the past two years her relative has lived in four different care homes. She has unsuccessfully followed all free complaint routes available to families during this time, experiencing serious conflicts with care providers, which has resulted in her visitation rights being revoked – a practice she claims is widespread across the UK by care providers. “CCTV is vital to back up allegations,” added Jenny. “Concerned relatives would be reassured and good care workers would feel less fearful of whistle blowing. Families should be allowed to install their own camera in the bedroom of their loved one, linked to their computer at home which would be password protected. This is not expensive and they would be covering the cost and issues over monitoring and storage of tapes. “Some care homes already have CCTV. Surely if you have nothing to hide, there is nothing to be scared of?” Petition calls for CCTV in all care settings Football legend Denis Law CBE unveiled a plaque to officially open Meridian Healthcare’s new care home in Huddersfield. Denis was the special guest at multi- million pound purpose-built facility, The Oakes, which is part of the group’s Premiere collection. The home, which opened in the spring, was rated ‘excellent’ and awarded five stars by Kirklees council as part of its Scores on the Doors food safety scheme following an unannounced inspection. Dedicated Minister carried by majority MEMBERS of Parliament have voted in favour of a motion calling on the Government to consider appointing a minister for older people. The House of Commons debate followed intense pressure from Grey Pride campaigners who presented a 137,000- strong petition to Parliament last November calling for a minister dedicated to the needs of older people. The motion was carried by a majority agreement and Grey Pride co- ordinator Anchor is now putting pressure on the Prime Minister to respond. Chief executive Jane Ashcroft said: “It is now time for David Cameron to heed this call and make the appointment which older people and future generations so desperately need and deserve. This isn’t about pitting old against young; after all older people are just you and me with a few more miles on this clock.” incorporating The Number One magazine for the care sector
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August 2012
no.195 • £4.75
In association with
By Dominic Musgrave
A WOMAN who has a relative withdementia has set up a petitioncalling for compulsory CCTV in allcare settings, to include areas suchas bathrooms and bedrooms.
Jenny Moore founded the YourVoice Matters Campaign to raiseawareness of failing standards incare homes, and more recentlystarted the petition.
She told Caring UK the only way toprove abuse and bad practice is byvisual evidence, which has beenproven with recent high profilemedia exposures.
Jenny added: “Prisoners, smallchildren in nurseries, even thepublic are all protected by CCTV, sowhy are our elderly and vulnerablenot? When abuse/neglect isreported by a care worker or family,it is one person’s word over anotherand frequently the innocent partybecomes a victim of the caresystem, the complaint disregarded.
“Care workers who whistle bloware often bullied or at worst losetheir job. Families are victimisedand even banned from visiting theirloved one. I understand theconcerns over cameras in privateareas, but those are the placesabuse is more likely to happen.What is worse being filmed having
personal care or being hoistednaked over a bath and leftsuspended naked for 30 minuteswhile the staff have a tea break? Theresident already has two pairs ofstrangers’ eyes upon them, whatdifference is another pair to ensuretheir safety?”
Jenny says that over the past twoyears her relative has lived in fourdifferent care homes. She hasunsuccessfully followed all freecomplaint routes available tofamilies during this time,experiencing serious conflicts withcare providers, which has resultedin her visitation rights beingrevoked – a practice she claims iswidespread across the UK by careproviders.
“CCTV is vital to back upallegations,” added Jenny.“Concerned relatives would bereassured and good care workerswould feel less fearful of whistleblowing. Families should be allowedto install their own camera in thebedroom of their loved one, linkedto their computer at home whichwould be password protected. Thisis not expensive and they would becovering the cost and issues overmonitoring and storage of tapes.
“Some care homes already haveCCTV. Surely if you have nothing tohide, there is nothing to be scaredof?”
Petition callsfor CCTV in allcare settings
Football legend Denis Law CBE unveiled a plaque toofficially open Meridian Healthcare’s new care home inHuddersfield. Denis was the special guest at multi-million pound purpose-built facility, The Oakes, which ispart of the group’s Premiere collection. The home,which opened in the spring, was rated ‘excellent’ andawarded five stars by Kirklees council as part of itsScores on the Doors food safety scheme following anunannounced inspection.
DedicatedMinistercarried bymajorityMEMBERS of Parliamenthave voted in favour of amotion calling on theGovernment to considerappointing a minister forolder people.
The House ofCommons debatefollowed intensepressure from Grey Pridecampaigners whopresented a 137,000-strong petition toParliament lastNovember calling for aminister dedicated to theneeds of older people.
The motion was carriedby a majority agreementand Grey Pride co-ordinator Anchor is nowputting pressure on thePrime Minister torespond.
Chief executive JaneAshcroft said: “It is nowtime for David Cameronto heed this call andmake the appointmentwhich older people andfuture generations sodesperately need anddeserve. This isn’t aboutpitting old againstyoung; after all olderpeople are just you andme with a few moremiles on this clock.”
incorporating
The Number One magazine for the care sector
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3CARINGNEWS
AdvertisingSales and Marketing Director:Tony BarryTel: 01226 734605Email: [email protected] Sales Manager:Heather WelshTel: 01226 734480 Email: [email protected] Sales Executive:Mandy EdwardsTel: 01226 734692 Email:[email protected]: 01226 734477
PublishersScript Media.47 Church Street, Barnsley, SouthYorkshire S70 2AS.Email: [email protected]
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Database enquiries to:01226 734695 E-mail: [email protected] every effort is made toensure the accuracy of all con-tent, the publishers do notaccept liability for error, printedor otherwise, that may occur.
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White Paper cautiouslywelcomed by industryBy Dominic Musgrave
THE care industry has cautiously wel-comed elements of the Government’s TheCare and Support White Paper whichplans to overhaul the country’s socialcare system.
But they have criticised its decision notto fully commit to a cap on care costswhich the elderly and disabled must payin England, saying they need to explorecheaper options first.
A review last year led by Andrew Dilnotproposed capping lifetime costs at£35,000 – but ministers said the currentclimate meant it had to look at otheroptions. Other funding ideas include ahigher cap or a fee to opt in to the sys-tem.
Among those to criticise the announce-ment was Leon Steer, chief executive ofThe Abbeyfield Kent Society, whodescribed it as ‘a missed opportunity’.
He added: “Not enough has been doneto assess the crisis in funding long-termcare, and the current system is not sus-tainable. Care for older people wasprominent in the Conservative manifestobefore the last election, so it is frustratingthat action and decision on sources offunding could be deferred until the nextgovernment. Attempts to improve thequality of care are meaningless unlessproperly funded. There is a changing
demographic in the UK, which is causinga growing crisis in social care as moreand more people are living longer lives.”
NCF executive director Des Kellyagreed, saying the difficult decisions onlong term funding have been put in the‘too difficult to do’ pile.
He added: “After all the waiting it nowlooks as though all the effort represents awaste of time. It is hugely disappointing.
“The continued uncertainty will impacton investment prospects, delay innova-tion and development, and also meanthat vulnerable people will continue tobe served by a system widely perceived ascomplex, inequitable and unfair.”
And NCA chairman Nadra Ahmed saidan online quality rating will be useless
unless it is measuring what is importantto service users.
She promised that the association willwork with the Department of Health toensure that the evidence of a quality ser-vice is clear and understandable to thegeneral public.
“This feels like a lost opportunity,” sheadded. “We haven’t had the chance yet toread the small print of the White Paperbut there was nothing in the Secretary ofState’s statement to reassure service usersor the public that the Government is tak-ing these steps to ensure that there is asustainable solution to the funding ofquality long term care.
This view was echoed by Martin Green,chief executive of ECCA.
He said: “We have responded to thepublication of the White Paper on socialcare with a mixture of support and disap-pointment. There are many things in theWhite Paper that are commendable andwill improve social care, making it morefit for purpose in the 21st-century.
“However, we cannot hide our disap-pointment that the issue of funding hasnot been clearly resolved. Social care isgoing into crisis, with ever increasingneed and shrinking resources. What weneeded from the White Paper was a cleardirection on funding, which would givecare providers the confidence to plan anddevelop their services to meet currentneeds and future aspirations.”
Martin Green
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CARINGNEWS4
By Dominic Musgrave
A LANCASHIRE care home hasreceived a masterclass in ‘green’dementia care from a leading expert.
Staff, residents and family membersat Springhill Care Home inAccrington spent time with Dr GaruthChalfont, a leading practitioner in theart and science of ‘healing gardens’ –therapeutic spaces and gardenswhich incorporate the natural worldinto the healing process.
Dr Chalfont, whose pioneering workincorporates nature into the care ofpeople with dementia, visitedSpringhill as part of a hands-ontraining session which included apresentation, gardening, planting andthoughtful reflection on how we bothuse and enjoy our outdoor spaces.
Ken Nolan, chairman of SpringhillCare Group, said research hasdemonstrated that positive andnatural therapeutic interventions forpeople with dementia can assist withphysical and emotional well being, aswell as maintaining cognitivefunction for longer.
He added: “Garuth’s session wasstimulating, informative andenjoyable for all of us who attended.
“I'm sure the benefits will bepositive for our residents, relativesand staff for many years to come and
I am looking forward to putting intopractice everything we have learnedto further enhance the care ourresidents receive.”
Springhill recently unveiled itsSpecialist Care Centre, a developmentintended to offer high levels of care topeople with disabling conditionssuch as dementia. The centre featuresa significant amount of green spaceincluding landscaping and gardens.
Ken added: “Springhill has alwaysaimed to provide a therapeuticconnection to nature as a coreelement of our care for people withdementia, and thanks to the facilitiesavailable at our new Specialist CareCentre, we are looking to continue
this and set new standards for care inthe region.”
Dr Chalfont said: “Together we arelooking at a range of outdoor spacesand opportunities for residents to livelives full of meaning and purpose. Ittakes a combination of properlydesigned spaces and staff whounderstand the value of using them,which is why the recent trainingsession was invaluable. There wassuch a sense of willingness andoptimism and together I hope we canraise the curtain on a new level ofpossibility for people with dementia,in which involvement with natureand the outdoors is finally the normand not an afterthought.”
Home goes ‘green’ forgardening masterclass
Bill Procter with Garuth Chalfont and Hannah Whalley of the Home Lifestyle Team.
A MERSEYSIDE care homewelcomed the Olympic torchand an official bearer to greetseveral residents who wereformer athletes.
Mike Dooling, 83, who ran historch relay leg in Cheshire’sTatton Park, visited ShevingtonCourt in Prescot to showresidents the Olympic torch andto talk about their experiencesof the Olympics.
The home boasts severalformer athletes includingprofessional footballer JohnHatton, who played forStockport County, and ice-skating medal winner BarbaraBerry. Brigid Alexander, generalmanager of Shevington Court,said talking about theirmemories from past OlympicGames helped residents livingwith dementia in the form ofreminiscence therapy.
She added: “Having Mike visitour care home with the Olympictorch was a fantastic experiencefor residents and staff.
“It’s not something thathappens every day. It reallyhelped residents to think abouttheir past experiences of theOlympics.”
Olympictorch visitscare home
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Home is streets ahead withnew bygone town settingA SOCIAL area at an Arnold carehome has been transformed into astreet scene from the past to create awelcoming environment for residentsand their families.
Leivers Court now features a sittingarea for visitors with an old-fashionedparlour feel, a café based on an oldLyon’s Tea Shop, a pub, sweet shopand a cinema offering ice creamsduring the half-time interval.
Staff at the Nottinghamshire countycouncil run facility help to bring thesocial area to life by serving tea andcake in the café, acting as usherettesin the cinema and doing manicuresin the nail bar.
A wall in the centre has beendecorated to appear like Arnold’sMain Street during days gone bycomplete with real letterboxes, doorhandles and canopies above shopwindows.
Manager Julie Allsop said the areaholds various activities daily,including evenings.
She added: “We have worked hardto move away from a sterile leisurearea with chairs and a table to createan environment that our residentsidentify with and feel comfortable in.
“Many people with dementia getgreat comfort about reminiscingabout the past and making ouractivity areas clearly identifiable
using a street scene causes lessconfusion.”
Many of the residents came up withideas for the centre, including a ladywho used to work in an originalLyon’s Tea Shop in London whohelped to design the café’s décor andlayout.
Local people have made donationsto help make the room sets feelrealistic, including an antique cash
register, old sweet jars, photographsof 1950s film stars and an old signpost.
The centre hopes to open up to thewider community for other activitiesin the near future. � Have you done something similarat your care home? Let DominicMusgrave know by [email protected] or telephone01226 734407.
Violet Clarke (left) and Joan Clay with councillor Kevin Rostance, the county council'schairman of the adult social care and health committee.
A GLASGOW care homecelebrated Armed Forces Daywith an afternoon tea and a visitfrom some special guests.
Karen Swan, Sergeant Majorfrom 32nd (Scottish) SignalRegiment met with NithsdaleLodge veterans, while ConnerO’Neill and Andrew McIntyrefrom A-Troupe Royal Artilleryread out letters from wars acrossthe years.
Staff participated in a dress asyou please day to show theirsupport and at the same timeraise money for the Help theHeroes charity.
Nithsdale Lodge manager JoyCurrie said: “The majority of ourservice users have served in orhave had a family memberserving in the armed forces andto be able to acknowledge andcelebrate their contribution tothe country is a privilege.
“Everyone enjoyed the war timereminiscence box and looked atold newspaper cuttings andrecipes on what to make withoutusing ‘luxury items’ such assugar, butter or eggs.”
Afternoontea marksArmedForces Day
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A SUFFOLK care home threw open itsdoors to the public for its first‘Antiques Roadshow’ event.
A team of valuers from Old BreweryAntiques and Woodbridge AntiquesCentre valued a range of itemsincluding paintings, crockery, jew-ellery and vases at the 60-bedRendlesham Care Home – the newestfacility in the family owned CaringHomes Group.
Home residents, relatives and mem-bers of the local community queuedup clutching their prized possessionsin the hope of the valuers discovering
a ‘hidden gem’. The star item of the day was a hand-
made locomotive train in a large dis-play case, which was valued ataround £700.
Manager Bob Dawson said: “Theday was a real success and it wasgreat that so many people from thelocal community came along to sup-port us. Our residents and their rela-tives loved seeing the valuers inaction. Everyone who attended hadsuch a good day that we are alreadylooking into making it a regularevent.”
Valuer Maurice Finch of Old Brewery Antiques with Sue Glanz, regional manager forCaring Homes.
Home hosts antiques day
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CARINGNEWS8
By Dominic Musgrave
A LEICESTER charity has received agrant of more than £158,000 toprovide learning mentors to olderpeople who live in care settings in thecity.
Learning for the Fourth Age willtrain 150 volunteers to be mentors toaround 140 older people in carehomes and domiciliary care who willuse video to create a film about theirlife to date and share theirexperiences of living in a care setting.
‘Videospectacles’ will be used toenable the user to look at what theywant to film then flick a switch on thespecs to record events in their lives.Each person will be supported toexplore how to tell their story throughfilm plus use simple cinematictechniques.
Melissa March, executive director ofL4A, said research has shown thatinvolvement in learning for olderpeople helps maintain a sense ofidentity and of belonging in thecommunity.
She added: “We are really delighted
to have been given this Silver Dreamsaward from the Big Lottery Fund todeliver the innovative SPECS project.
“Using the latest in videotechnology and a new group ofvolunteers, we will teach older peoplein care homes how to make life storyfilms and reflect on their personalexperiences of social care to boosttheir well being and confidenceamongst them.”
The project will work with a widespectrum of older people includingthose who have been maderedundant or recently retired asvolunteers, as well as those who livein care settings.
The mentors and film making willsupport those who are experiencingissues such as losing independenceand learning to adapt to their new lifeor maybe coping with physical andmental illness.
All projects receiving funding willtest and develop their ideas over thenext 12 to 18 months. Up to fiveprojects will then be chosen toreceive up to £1m each to carry theirideas forward.
Grant to trainmentors forcare settings
DAREDEVIL staff at a Bromsgrovecare home came down to earth fortheir latest mission – and set off on ablistering 32-mile charity walk.
The care staff at Regents Court CareHome did a skydive from 13,000ft lastyear – but decided their challengethis time would be on land.
The “Regents Ramblers” set off fromRegents Court and strode to fiveother properties owned by the groupthey work for, Alpha Care Homes.
They stopped for welcomingrefreshments at Wayside care homein Bromsgrove, Tutnall Hall in Tutnall,Grosvenor House in Alvechurch,Alpha Care Homes’ head office inRedditch and Mockley Manor inUllenhall, near Henley-in-Arden.
“It was a very hot weekend and we
got blisters and sore feet – but it wasworth it,” said Claire Cardus,administrator at the home. “It was allfor good causes and we got a greatsense of achievement.”
Seven staff joined the trek – Claire,care home manager Becky Dallimore,deputy manager Debbie Deakin,senior care assistants Gemma Clarkeand Demi Harris, care assistantCharlotte Hopwood and senior careassistant Adam Guest.
Becky’s sister Paula Newman andCharlotte’s boyfriend Tom Horlerjoined in the sponsored walk.
They raised an estimated £900 tosplit between the Alzheimer’s Societyand Regents Court’s residents fund,which helps to pay for activities at thehome.
The “Regents Ramblers”.
Staff complete charity walk
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CARINGNEWS10
UP to a fifth of care homes inEngland are failing to meet theessential standard of management ofmedicines, it has been claimed
Inspectors from the CQC found a‘worrying number of examples’ wherethe risks associated with medicinesare not being properly managed –often due to a lack of informationgiven either to those taking themedicines, or those caring for them,claims a new report.
A fifth of nursing homes failed tomeet the CQC’s standards, and a sixthof residential care homes. The sameproportion of home care agenciesalso failed to do so.
The ‘snapshot’ of performance tothe end of March also found that 11per cent of all locations inspectedfailed to meet either one or both ofthe two standards related to staffing.
it says that these issues emerge as akey driving factor in many instancesof non-compliance, both in terms ofthe numbers of staff available and inthe support they are given to do theirjob. The non-availability oftemporary staff and organisationsleaving vacancies open for a number
of months – particularly for qualifiedstaff – can also lead to compromisesin the quality of care given to people,and staff training and supervision,claims the report.
Fifteen per cent of homes also failedto meet the record keeping standard,with issues ranging from records –which include crucial informationabout people’s care – beingincomplete or not up-to-date; notkept securely or confidentially; or notshowing that risks to people had beenidentified and were being managed.
Director of operations AmandaSherlock said the safety andsuitability of premises was also anissue of increasing concern.
She added: “Over the last year,inspectors have noticed deteriorationin the physical state of some of thecare homes they inspect.
“Often it’s just cosmetic, butoccasionally it’s things that actuallypresent a risk to people’s safety. Whiledifficult to evidence, it’s likely thatincreasing failure to address thesekind of problems is linked toincreasing economic pressure withinthe system.”
‘Worrying’ numberfailing on medicinemanagement
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CARINGNEWS12
By Dominic Musgrave
LOCAL schoolchildren have taken upthe challenge to show off their artisticskills and design Roman themedmosaics to decorate a new herbgarden at a Sheffield extra carescheme.
Sanctuary Care’s Roman Ridgefacility has invited pupils from nearbyHinde House Primary School to showtheir creativity by designing themosaics which will adorn a fountainforming a centrepiece for their newherb garden.
The project has come about thanksto £1,500 of funding secured fromFirth Park Community First, which islooking for community initiatives inthe area.
The new garden will not only beopen to residents of Roman Ridgeand their visitors, but will provideothers in the local community, youngor old, the opportunity to have a go atgrowing their own herbs.
Alan Taylor, manager of RomanRidge, said: “At Roman Ridge we arepart of the Shiregreen Dementia-Friendly Community Project so wehave been looking for ways to getyoung people involved with the
activities here to develop therelationship between generations.
“The herb garden project is anopportunity to bring local childreninto the scheme and the mosaics area great way for them to make a lastingcontribution.
“We delivered the materials to theschool recently and we’re all reallylooking forward to seeing what theyproduce.”
The project will be completed overthe course of the summer holidaysand will be officially unveiled at agrand opening in early Septemberwhere the children will be invited tocome along and see their artworkfitted to the fountain.
The Shiregreen Dementia FriendlyCommunity Project brings togetherSanctuary, The Alzheimer’s Society,SOAR regeneration, the NHS andother local support services andgroups.
The project is designed to makeShiregreen more accessible for thoseliving with dementia, through raisingawareness and understanding,improving facilities and developingintergenerational relationships in thearea.
Children designRoman mosaicsfor herb garden
RESIDENTS at a sheltered housingscheme for over 60s in Harrogatehave transformed a dilapidated areaof ground into a new garden afterreceiving £27,390 of lottery cash.
Work began at Montpellier Court inFebruary and has been completed intime for the residents to enjoy thefacilities during the summer months.
The project has been a jointinitiative between the residents,Guinness Care and Support,Guinness Northern Counties andGroundwork Wakefield with fundingfrom The Big Lottery Fund.
The 59 residents at the GuinnessCare and Support and GuinnessNorthern Counties run facility havebeen involved in all aspects of thework, including creating the plantingplan, overseeing all the constructionwork, digging the borders andplanting the flowers.
The garden which was funded byCommunity Spaces, Big Lottery Fund,includes a gazebo and pergola at theentrance, with seated areas allaround, a herb garden and a sensorygarden.
Residents Bruce Miller, Nancy Murray and Etta Tattersdill with Coun Jean Butterfield andGuinness Northern Counties’ housing manager Catherine Clough at the official openingof the Victoria garden.
Residents use grant for garden
Have you got a story for Caring UK?If so, email it to [email protected] or
telephone 01226 734407.
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CARINGNEWS14
By Dominic Musgrave
SOME of the country’s biggest careproviders have committed to publishnew data in a bid to transform thepublic’s ability to make informedchoices about the care they choose.
The agreement will see careproviders release data that will allowmembers of the public to comparethe quality of care provided bydifferent organisations, Martin Green,ECCA chief executive and chair of theCare Providers Alliance has revealed.
The organisations who have signedup to a Transparency and QualityCompact include: Anchor Trust,Barchester Healthcare, Four SeasonsHealthcare and WestminsterHomecare.
The data that will be published fromthe autumn will be slightly differentfor care homes and homecare, but islikely to include:� Staff turnover (both home care andcare homes).� Ratios of trained to untrained staff(both home care and care homes).� Compliments and complaints(both home care and care homes).� Percentage of residents developingnew pressure ulcers (care homes).� Percentage of residents who have afall (care homes).� Number of medication errors (carehomes).� Percentage of residents’
appointments not missed(homecare).� Appointments carried out at theagreed time (homecare).
Martin said he hoped the industry-led initiative will help people identifygood care and make an informedchoice about the providers they use.
He added: “Large social careproviders have been leading the wayin developing and improving thequality of data about social careservices. This data is being deliveredin an accessible way, so that peoplewho use services have enoughinformation to make informedchoices and can understand anddifferentiate the quality of care.
“The publication of thegovernment's Open Data White Paperhas been warmly welcomed by thesocial care sector, who believes thatthe use of data could be a powerfultool in improving consumerunderstanding of care services, whichwill lead to better consumer choiceand improved quality.
“The data White Paper will ensure aclear framework, within which datacan be used as a driver to improveservices and increase consumerchoice.”
He added that the expectation isthat more providers will sign up overtime, helping to build a morecomprehensive picture of the qualityof care provided across the country.
Providers committo publish data
A VISIT to a Sheffield fire stationprovided a trip down memory lanefor former fireman Walter Dawes.
Tthe 84-year-old visited his formerplace of work at Elm Lane Fire Station– a trip which was organised by SouthYorkshire Fire and Rescue and theteam at Sanctuary Care’s Park ViewCare Home in Shiregreen, where hehas lived since last November.
Walter, who has late stage dementia,was a sub officer at the station, wherehe worked until he retired in his 50s.
He spent the afternoon with crewmanager Chris Craft, touring thestation, meeting the crew from BlueWatch and seeing the fire engines.
Park View deputy manager HeatherWillis said: “The firemen opened upthe doors to one of the engines andWalter walked right over. He wastouching everything and looked likehe was doing an inspection, it wasjust brilliant.
“Every time I looked at him I smiledbecause I could see he was so happyto be there. I think he came homefeeling very content. He was saying‘good, good’ to all the residents.
“We look at our residents’ lifehistories and we organise activitiesand events that are focussed on whatthey are interested in, not what wethink they should be interested in.”
Walter Dawes with firefighters Dan Atha, Tyrone Beatson, Steve Circuit, crew managerChris Craft and Rob Taylor.
Nostalgia trip for Walter
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Oonagh Duffy with her award and Funeral Services NI general manager Beverley Brownand MLA minister Edwin Poots.
By Dominic Musgrave
A SOCIAL and leisure organiser at aCounty Antrim care home has won anational award for her enthusiasmand outstanding commitment.
Oonagh Duffy, who has worked atBen Madigan care home inNewtownabbey, part of the PrioryGroup of Companies, for the pasttwo-and-a-half-years won the acco-lade at the inaugural Houston andWilliamson Funeral Services CarersAwards.
She was presented with a certificateand gifts including a spa weekendand flowers by Edwin Poots, MLAminister, Department of Health,Social Services and Public Safety.
Oonagh is a trained occupationaltherapist who has ensured that resi-dents are visually and socially stimu-lated throughout the facility. She hasachieved this by creating differentthemed rooms at the 64-bed home,including a secret garden in one ofthe lounges, completing collages oflife histories of all residents and theirrelatives and introducing a wish box.
“I was overwhelmed to receive thisaward and would like to thank all mycolleagues for their support,” addedOonagh. “I really enjoy my job and itis very important that we have a var-ied range of activities for residents totake part in.
“We aim to maintain lifestyles assimilar as possible to those enjoyed athome and to keep residents as active,both physically and mentally as pos-sible.”
Ben Madigan administrator KarenFleming, who nominated Oonagh,said she is ‘one in a million’.
She added: “Every nursing homeshould have someone like Oonagh.She has such innovative ideas andhelps to create an enjoyable andpleasant place to live and adds to thequality of care offered. Ben Madiganis lucky to have her.
“Everyone is delighted that herqualities have been recognised withthis national award. It is inspiring tosee someone as dedicated to her jobas Oonagh, she always goes that extramile to make sure that the care givenis of the highest quality.”
Oonagh scoopsnational awardfor enthusiasm
A North Wales care organisation has won a prestigious award for the innovativeway they use the arts to improve the quality of life for residents.Pendine Park was recognised at the Arts and Business Cymru Awards at theMillennium Centre, in Cardiff for its ground-breaking collaborations with theworld-renowned orchestra, the Hallé, and Welsh National Opera. They are nowworking with the orchestra to develop an in-house course for staff with a view todeveloping it into a nationally recognised qualification that could be rolled outacross Wales.Proprietor Mario Kreft MBE and artist-in-residence Sarah Edwards are picturedwith the Arts, Business and Community Award.
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19CARINGNEWS
IN response to requests from carehomes the NHS Institute forInnovation and Improvement isworking with a range of care homesto develop and test practical, easy touse guidance and tools to supportcare homes to make improvementshappen.
Donna Pierpoint has worked in carehomes for 18 years, the last 10 as themanager of Millfield in Derbyshire,one of the facilities working on theprogramme.
She shares her views of the CareHomes Programme and the opportu-nities it provides:
Why have you chosen to work with theNHS on this programme? What does theNHS know about care homes?This isn’t the NHS saying it is a carehomes expert, they have offered anopportunity to work and learntogether.
They can bring things that haveworked within the NHS and they havethe connections to involve the widerNHS. For me, to have the NHS listenand work with me was great.
We have to remember that everycare home resident is still an NHSpatient, they are all registered withGPs, some spend time in hospital,others may need care from districtnurses. Actually we should see ourhomes as part of the wider healthcaresystem, with the resident at the cen-tre. We need to work together withthe NHS to provide continuity of carefor the sake of our residents.
How does the programme work?The programme aims to strengthenrelationships through two work-streams:
Care Homes Wellbeing – focuses onimproving resident and staff experi-ence by strengthening communica-tion within care homes.
Care Homes Connect – focuses onextending the learning from CareHomes Wellbeing to improve externalrelationships across the wider healthand social care community. The pro-gramme fits in with the everydayworking of the care home, it’s not ask-ing anyone to do anything extra, butthe manager has to be engaged.
The tools and guidance are simpleand visual, they’re not rocket science.Everybody who works in care homescares, that’s why they’re there, andthese tools give them the opportunityto make a difference and to be heard.
How does the programme improve safetyand efficiency?Very often safety can be missed; youcan walk past something withoutrealising it’s a hazard. The safetytools we’re testing increase aware-ness, therefore reducing risk and acci-dents, which improves care and savestime. The efficiency tools and guid-ance look closely at what things takeup time and how they can becomemore efficient and save time.
Does the programme empower staff?Totally. This is one of the first thingsthat happens. Care staff feel very
under-valued, they work long hoursand don’t get rewards. At first I didget a lot of negativity from my staff. Ihad comments like “but we've beendoing well without these tools for 16years, why do we need them now?”.Once the programme was underwaythis changed. All my staff have said ‘Inow feel I’m being listened to, nowfeel my job is worthwhile’. ”
Are there any challenges?Bringing the whole team together touse the tools not just for a week butall of the time needs ongoing com-mitment, but it also brings rewards.
When it is launched in September, homeswill need to pay for the Care HomesProgramme – would you recommend it?Care homes always have to pay fortraining, some of which doesn’t reallyadd value.
This is something you can purchase,yours for ever, which you can use asmuch as you like.
The programme has been far betterthan I could have imagined, it’samazing how much we’ve alreadyachieved in just eight weeks; changeshave been implemented, they areworking and we’re getting results.
NHS and care homes can work together
Donna Pierpoint with residents at Millfield care home.
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CARINGNURSECALL24
EASTLEIGH Care Homes is using anew product that integrates a patientrecord system and nurse call alarmsystem onto a tablet device.
It has been developed by GHMCommunications, nurse call expertsCourtney Thorne and the SamsungElectronics Research Institute.
Carers access patient records andinformation on a wireless tablet atthe point of care.
Nurse call alerts are also sent to thetablet with the relevant informationfor that patient such as medication,history and contact details.
Graham Vickrage of CourtneyThorne said: “This is the first timethere has been a true convergence ofall patient information to a single
device at the point of care. Thetechnology is years ahead of anythingalready on the market.”
Garry Wilson, MD of EastleighHomes, added: “The ability to offerour staff state of the art IT equipmentwith the portability and touch screentechnology of the tablets is fantastic.
“The hardware will allow us toincrease the quality of care we canprovide our residents by reducingtime spent at a static terminal.
“We anticipate productivity andcost savings with immediate entry ofcare notes and also enhancedpersonalisation of care notes; as theyare recorded at the time with theresident and not retrospectively.”
Care group usinglatest tablet device
Register nurse Carol Harewood and senior care assistant Sarah Hall.
Homes turn to new systemA BRISTOL charity care providerhas implemented a newmedication dispensation system inits four facilities.
Brunelcare reviewed thedispensation method of medicinesacross its homes in the bestinterest of its residents, withGlastonbury Care Homeundertaking an initial three-monthtrial to ascertain the benefits ofusing a new system.
The Proactive Care System usesbarcode technology and isdesigned to minimise drug errorsand help manage residents’medication.
Manager Joy White said: “As aresult of using this new system, the
old style ‘drugs round’ haseffectively been replaced withmore individuality, whereby theappropriate medicines are kept (inlocked cupboards) in the residents’own room, in so doing working theproactive care system and theindividual cupboards, side byside.”
The system’s unique technologymeans that reports can begenerated online providing trendsand results of practice in the home,and that of the staff during eachperiod. In addition to the fullanalysis of practice the report has 5key themes: Safety, stock control,efficiency, evidencing, andreliability.
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25
Caring UK Commercesection brings you all the latest property,business and trainingnews every month.
In this issue:
� Graeme to leadexpansion at NorthEast care village
Page 26
� Care providerplans expansioninto Highlands
Page 27
You can nowfollow us on
Twitter at@caringuk
By Dominic Musgrave
A POLITICIAN has stepped in to back acompany which claims mis-selling byBarclays is threatening their business,including two care homes in hisconstituency.
Guardian Care Homes, which runsDearne Valley Care Centre in Bolton-on-Dearne and The Grove Care Centre,Thurnscoe, says the bank wrongly soldit interest rate ‘swaps’ which, becauseinterest rates fell to 0.5 per cent, havecost the company £12m so far.
MP John Healey has met with thegroup’s chief executive and senioroperating director, and has written toBarclays chief executive Bob Diamondseeking reassurances that the bank willnot recall the money lent – £70m –
before Guardian has had chance topresent its case in the High Court.
John told Parliament that smallcompanies were often afraid tocomplain in case the banks pulled theirloans, putting them out of business.
He added: “Guardian Care Homesemploys 73 staff in the Dearne and has55 residents – mostly elderly andvulnerable. It is extremely concerningthat jobs and people’s homes may havebeen put at risk by mis-selling.
“A moratorium is needed followingcomplaints, and firms should be able tomake collective challenges for redress.”
Barclays were forced to apologise to aGuardian Care Homes subsidiarycompany for banning them fromspeaking to the Financial ServicesAuthority – who are now investigating
swap mis-selling – about the terms of aloan and interest rate swap.
Chief executive Gary Hartland said:“We are hugely grateful to John and hisparliamentary colleagues for theirsupport over recent weeks.
“Today is a wake-up call for the majorlending banks who for years mademillions of pounds by selling these toxicproducts at the expense of smallbusinesses. There is now cross partysupport for swift and decisive action tobe taken by the FSA which will ensurethat the banks compensate thesebusinesses, while guaranteeing thepractice can never happen again.
“To date SMEs have been unable ortoo afraid to complain but I hope nowthey will shout out and secure theredress they need and deserve.”
Politician backs group whichclaims mis-selling by Barclays
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CARINGCOMMERCE26
The owners of a North East retirement village have appointed their own construction managerto oversee the next stage of its development. Dominic Musgrave reports.
Graeme to lead expansionat North East care villageGRAEME Bell will lead the £8mexpansion scheme at MiddletonHall on the outskirts of MiddletonSt George between Yarm andDarlington.
It was granted planningpermission at the end of last year,and includes the creation of 35independent living, zero carbonbungalows, a new small group livingcare community, cafe, bar and shop.
Work is almost complete on themain entrance gatehouse, which isbeing built as a prototype zerocarbon home, as well asaccommodation for a member ofstaff who will have overallresponsibility for the grounds andbuildings.
Work begins shortly on phase oneof the main development whichconsists of the first six properties aswell as the infrastructure works forthe whole area, formation of awetland zone and ponds and themajority of the soft landscape areas.The first properties will be availableearly next summer.
Graeme, who will be overseeingthis and the rest of the five-year
plan, is no stranger to MiddletonHall, having previously worked onsite with Clarion Homes when theybuilt the complex’s originalindependent living apartments fiveyears ago.
He said: “One of the things thatexcited me most about this job was
the fact that I would be involvedwith a team that is going to designand build one of the first carbonneutral developments in the regionwith a high specification set inbeautiful surroundings.
“The biggest challenge is to makesure that it is built to the exacting
standards needed for such a groundbreaking development.”
Middleton Hall MD JeremyWalford said Graeme’s appointmentis essential to the success of thescheme as it is being conducted inan unconventional way. Instead ofappointing a main contractor,Jeremy was keen to use localsuppliers and small contractingfirms.
He added: “The development isthe backbone of our business planto establish Middleton Hall as thebest retirement village in the UK.
“The independent livingbungalows will provide the higheststandard of accommodation andservices in the UK for older people,while the dementia community willbe built and run in an entirelydifferent way from traditional carehomes, with residents living insmall households and participatingin normal domestic life.”
The new café, bar and farm shopwill sell produce grown atMiddleton Hall and local organicfarms.
Graeme Bell with the plans for the £8m expansion scheme at Middleton Hall.
MORE than 200 care home beds and57 extra care apartments have beencreated by the latest completionsfrom care sector development, designand build specialist Castleoak.
Care UK’s 70-bed care home, MillView, in East Grinstead, is designedaround a central, internal ‘village’,including a hairdressing salon, shop,cinema, and coffee shop. Thelandscaped grounds also include avillage green.
Castleoak has also handed overAnnabel Court in Weston-super-Mareto Advice Doctor Ltd. Besides its 66single, en-suite bedrooms, the homewill offer day care in the purpose-built day care suite which includes acinema room, kitchen, hair salon anddining room, as well as access to thelandscaped, secure gardens.
At Mollington in Cheshire, Oak
Grange is Barchester Healthcare’slatest care home.
The 70 en-suite bedrooms all havewi-fi connectivity, and facilitiesinclude landscaped sensory gardens,as well as a hair and beauty salon,coffee bistro and cinema.
The second and final phase ofLeggyfield Court in Horsham washanded over to Saxon Weald. This 57-apartment extra care developmentwas a reprovision of the previous,outdated building, and, as such, wasphased, with residents on sitethroughout.
Phase two added 36 apartments, acommercial kitchen, hairdressingsalon, guest suite, assisted bathroom,laundry area and care suite.
The apartments are a mix of oneand two bedrooms and are offered forboth sale and rent.
Leggyfield Court in Horsham.
Firm creates over 200 beds
Colliers search for a partnerTHE healthcare team at ColliersInternational has been instructed byCity & Country to secure a partner todevelop and operate a flagshipassisted living community within thegrounds of the King Edward VII Estateat Midhurst, West Sussex.
The development will include thecomplete restoration of the formerhospital designed by Charles Holdenand Percy Adams, which was openedby King Edward VII in 1903, the GradeII chapel plus the landscaped gardensdesigned by British horticulturistGertrude Jekyll.
Sensitive conversion works to thelisted buildings and new build homes
within the grounds will create 410new homes providing a mix ofapartment living, family houses andthe creation of the assisted livingcommunity; additional amenities willinclude a shop and café.
Jeremy Tasker, head of healthcare atColliers International, said: “We arediscussing the proposed site with anumber of key specialist caredevelopers.
“The design can be flexible to allowdevelopers and operators toincorporate their own specificrequirements and we are offering thesite for sale on a subject to planningbasis.
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27CARINGCOMMERCE
By Dominic Musgrave
ONE of the north’s largest indepen-dent care home providers is about toembark on the first phase of a majorexpansion in the Highlands andMoray.
Parklands Care Homes, based inBuckie, has launched a search for twosenior managers to oversee the run-ning of two existing care homes inTain and Muir of Ord, ahead of theirplanned replacement in autumn2013. The company is also looking fora full time manager for its existingGlen Isla home in Keith.
Earlier this year, Parklands wasnamed preferred bidder by TheHighland Council for a £5m project toreplace the ageing facilities at UrrayHouse in Muir of Ord and DuthacHouse in Tain with new state of theart facilities.
Each home will have 34 en-suitebedrooms, with scope to increase to40 in the future. Room sizes will be 40per cent larger than the minimumstandards, and bedrooms will featureflat screen TVs, internet connectionsand provision for direct dialing intoresidents’ rooms.
Staff, residents and their relatives
will be encouraged to contribute tothe smooth running of both homesthrough regular focus groups andevening and weekend surgeries.
Managing director Ron Taylor saidthe opening of the two new carehomes marked the start of an ambi-tious period of expansion for thecompany, including the opening of afacility in Elgin and the replacementof its existing Mount Barker home inGrantown.
He added: “We are determined toensure that the transfer of UrrayHouse and Duthac House toParklands is as seamless as possible,and our plans are progressing well.
“The appointment of two high cali-bre and experienced managers ateach facility will ensure that we effectthe transition in a manner consistentwith the high standard of care thatresidents expect and deserve.
“At the same time, we are progress-ing our plans for the new facilities atTain and Muir of Ord, which will pro-vide state of the art care for residents,and will set a new benchmark for careprovision in the north.”
The new homes will be built by theinfrastructure, support services andconstruction group Robertson.
Care providerplans expansioninto Highlands
DC Care has completed the sale of County Care Group Ltd, which includes two homes inTyne and Wear and a domiciliary care service. The homes provide care for service userswith learning disabilities and mental health conditions. Alistair Nurse established thebusiness almost 10 years ago having been involved in the care sector for a number ofyears prior to that. An undisclosed buyer has purchased the services.
Home reopens after major refurbA SHEFFIELD nursing home has offi-cially reopened following a majorrefurbishment.
Abbey Grange was bought out ofadministration in November 2010 byCountry Court Care, financed bySantander Corporate Bank andbacked by European InvestmentBank funding. It is a converted Grade2 listed building with purpose built
extension. The refurbished nursingwing includes 16 en-suite bedroomsand a new central communal areaacting as a ‘hub’ for the home. Thehome’s capacity is 70 following theconversion. Country Court Care oper-ates nine care homes and a domicil-iary care service with operationsacross Lincolnshire, NorthCambridgeshire and South Yorkshire.
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CARINGNEWS28
A triple showeringsolution from AKWAKW, the market leader inindependent living solutions, is astrong advocate of wet rooms in acare environment.
One trio of products that combinesophisticated style with all thepractical features that a careenvironment needs consists of thelatest Arka Care® shower, the sleeklydesigned Larenco® shower enclosureand the new TriForm wet-roomformer.
The basis of a wet room or levelaccess enclosure is the shower baseitself and with the TriForm linearformer, AKW has created a quick-fitsolution that can be situated
anywhere in the bathroom. The Arka Care® is exactly what it
says – a thermostatic mixer showerspecifically designed for an adaptedbathroom with TMV3 approval whichguarantees temperature safety whileshowering.
To complete the picture, AKW’sLarenco® range of shower enclosuresoffers a choice for every situation. Anideal solution where only some usersmay need assistance is the LarencoDuo, which has two full-height split-glass doors joined by a duolinxhandle which locks the doorstogether firmly and very easily.
Committed to care for 20 yearsBEAUCARE is celebrating its 20thanniversary of trading with founderJonathan Brown, managing director,at the helm.
They supply medical and hygienesupplies along with equipment toprivate care homes, groups, hospitals,NHS Trusts and individuals across theUK. The company’s philosophy ofsupplying good quality products atsensible prices is still their mainfocus. The company has recentlypromoted Jane Lock to commercialdirector and Jo Bailey to nationalsales manager, to strengthen themanagement team and provide
clearer lines of customercommunication. Beaucare hasachieved some major milestones overthe years, including creation of itsservice department, undertakingLOLER and PAT testing via CRBchecked service engineers on hoists,beds, slings and pressure reliefequipment. Most significantly, it hasmoved to larger premises onHornbeam Park, Harrogate inOctober 2011.
The move saw warehousingcapacity increase from 8,000 to25,000 sq ft, enabling the import ofmore competitively priced products.
Cook of the yearEllie to host demo NEWLY crowned NACC cook of theyear Ellie Cook will host a specialdemonstration at the association’sannual national training anddevelopment forum.
Ellie, of Anchor Trust’s KirkleyLodge residential care home inCoulby Newham, Middlesbrough,beat off a record number of entriesto claim the title following a closelyfought grand final.
Judges were impressed by herwinning two-course menu oflemon chicken and olive tagine,cous cous and roasted vegetable,followed by lemon cheesecake.
Entrants were required to create anutritionally-balanced two-coursemenu, main and dessert, that issuitable for customers in a careenvironment, meets the set budgetof £1.30 per person, and can beproduced in 90 minutes.
This year extra emphasis was puton the vital area of nutrition, andthe cooks were asked to explaintheir ingredient choices as part ofthe judging criteria.
As well as an invitation to cooklive at the Forum, which this yearis being held at the Hilton Hotel,Blackpool, from September 19-21,Ellie also received £500.
NACC national chair Karen Oliversaid: “The skills, knowledge and
dedication of chefs across carecatering are showcased throughthe Care Cook of the Yearcompetition. The high standardsproduced by all the entrants givesa true snapshot of the exceptionalwork and commit-ment to goodnutrition and hydration care in thissector.
“Initiatives and competitions,such as the care cook one, play avital role in safeguarding sociallyvulnerable people, ensuring theongoing health and well being ofour customers.”
The association celebrates 25years this year and, tocommemorate the milestone, all ofthe past national chairs will be atthe event along with fellowmembers and sectorrepresentatives.
Karen added: “Over the pastquarter of a century theassociation and its members haveworked tirelessly to continuallyimprove standards in care cateringand protect the vulnerable peopleentrusted to our care. Together wehave overcome huge obstacles,succeeded in highlightingfundamental issues, promotedexcellence, and become the leader,authority and benchmark for bestpractice across the sector.”
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31CARINGDEMENTIA
Stress, dementia andsensory roomsBy Hannah Taylor
RECENT studies have shown thatstress in middle age can be a con-tributing factor to the onset ofdementia.
Scottish scientists have been testingthe effects of hormones released dur-ing stressful periods, while a Swedishstudy showed that stress in middleage can increase the risk of develop-ing dementia in later life.
There is much research being con-ducted into the relationship betweenstress and dementia in the hopes offinding a way to manage the disease.
The Alzheimer’s society is also fund-ing new research to help shed somelight on the subject. The study willlook at 140 people aged 50 and over,with mild cognitive impairment foran 18 month period. It will measurestress levels and any progressionfrom mild impairment to dementia.
This group will be compared to acontrol group of 70, who have no cog-nitive impairment to verify the overalleffects of stress on memory andthinking. Hopefully we will know abit more about the role of stress inthe development of dementia and beable to develop better coping strate-gies.
If stress really does have an effect on
the onset of dementia, what are itseffects on care home residents whocurrently living with a form ofdementia? Do sensory rooms providepart of the answer to combating thisstress? Greenhill Manor care home inMerthyr Tydfil, part of Hallmark CareHomes, has recently introduced asensory space which includes 3Dwallpaper, ultra violet bubbles and aplethora of textures, colours andsounds.
Residents regularly visit the newfeature, and carers have already seena significant reduction in the fluctua-tion of resident’s behaviour.
The peaceful room is painted atranquil aqua, while colour-changingfish tanks are dotted around the area.
Calm music plays form the state-of-the-art sound system and soothingscent fill the air. New items are con-tinuously being added to keep resi-dents engaged.
The new addition has shown that byreducing stress there can be a differ-ence in the moods and attitudes ofresidents with dementia.
This provides more evidence thatstress may be, not only a factor in theonset of dementia, but a trigger fornegative behaviour and sensoryrooms, along with activities of dailyliving such as gardening and cooking,may be part of the answer to the issueof stress and dementia.
� Hannah Taylor is the marketingassistant at Hallmark Care Homes.
Greenhill Manor in Merthyr Tydfil.
Care homescreate self-portraitsTHE University of Stirling hashelped people living with demen-tia in East Dunbartonshire carehomes to create digital self-por-traits as part of a stimulating cre-ative arts project.
A short film displaying the por-traits will be shown in schoolswithin the local authority to helpraise awareness of dementia andpromote East Dunbartonshire asa dementia friendly community.
The film was released to coin-cide with the recent DementiaAwareness Week.
Professor June Andrews, directorof the Dementia ServicesDevelopment Centre at theUniversity, said: “It is wonderfulto see the development of the useof creative arts and technology astherapy for people with dementiaand this in turn reflects their cre-ative abilities. This is an empow-ering project which we aredelighted to be a part of.”
The Faces of Dementia projecthas been signed up to by all EastDunbartonshire care homes. Itembraces modern technology andencourages creativity and self-expression as participants designself-portraits on computer tablets.
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CARINGNEWS32
PHS Laundryserv is one of the UK’sleading providers of on-sitecommercial laundry equipment.
For over 40 years our customershave trusted us to provide excellentquality commercial laundryequipment from the world renownedlaundry brands of Primus and Miele.
With nationwide coverage and afast, friendly local service, our 24hours a day, seven days a weekanswering service ensures the bestpossible support service for yourlaundry and equipment.
From single washers and dryers tolarge multi machine sites, PHSLaundryserv specialise in supplying arange of laundry equipment to carehomes as well as many other sectors.
PHS Laundryserv has the knowledgeand expertise to provide the bestcommercial laundry equipmentpackage available, from offeringguidance on laundry equipmentthrough to installation,commissioning and ongoingcustomer support.
Trusted for more than 40 years
The Yachtsman care home in Fleetwood, Lancashire, has organised its own ‘memorywalk’ to raise funds for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Care home manager MarieDeer said the idea came about after the Alzheimer’s Society changed the local venue ofits own national Memory Walk event from Blackpool to Aintree Racecourse.She said: “For the last couple of years we have joined the society’s event but now theyhave moved it to Aintree. That would have meant 300 people having to travel over thereso, as a specialist dementia home supporting the cause, we decided to organise ourown local walk.” The Yachtsman care home’s walk takes place on September 23 atnoon.
HEATH and social care workers fromacross the UK have been honoured atShaw healthcare’s annual StarAwards.
The ceremony saw over 200 of thegroup’s staff gather at the HiltonHotel in Swindon to celebrate thevery best of its more than 4,000 careworkers. Among the winners wasTrina Williams, a 33-year-old supportworker at Wavereley House carehome in Leominster, Herefordshire,who was named carer.
She was recognised for her calmand relaxed approach, which putsresidents and staff at ease, and for her“awe-inspiring compassion”.
Trina was initially nominated by thewife of a resident suffering fromParkinson’s and Lewy BodiesDementia, not just for the excellentcare of her husband, but for involvingher in activities, making her still feel avaluable part of her husband’s life.
She said: “We’re so focused day-to-day on caring for people, you don’tthink about awards or accolades, soto get this came as a real shock – buta very good one.
“It’s fantastic to know that what youdo is so valued. Nothing beats gettinga thank you from those you care foror their families, but to receive anaward like this is the next best thing,so I’d like to thank everyone whomade this possible.”
Another winner was Angela Roberts
from Shaw’s domiciliary care servicein the Rhondda Cynon Taf, who wonthe deputy manager/team leaderaccolade.
She was particularly acknowledgedfor putting service users’ needsbefore her own. Last winter, Angelawalked for two hours in the snow toget to a service user whose regularcarer was unable to get there,knowing that they had no local familyor neighbours who could check ontheir welfare.
Other winners: Head office(sponsored by de Poel) - SaraEdwards, human resources officer;training champion (sponsored byKier) - Sarita Birdsall, team leader(Urmston House, Bristol); chef/cook(sponsored by 3663) - Jamie Branch,catering manager (The GranaryDementia Care Centre, Wraxall, NorthSomerset); care supporter (sponsoredby Countrywide Healthcare Supplies)- Rebecca Banks, administrator(Forest View, Burgess Hill, WestSussex); activity based care(sponsored by Larson Group) - SueBox, activity worker (Abbott House,Oundle, Northamptonshire); regionalrecognition (sponsored by PurchasingSupport Services) - Leyla Ari, humanresources co-ordinator (South East);home/branch manager (sponsoredby Pharmacy Plus) Mary Tasker,home manager (Hawthorns CareCentre, Evesham, Worcestershire).
Staff recognisedat awards event
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AT BEACON Healthcare we are dedi-cated to providing solutions that fitthe needs of everyone involved in thecare industry, by reducing purchasingcosts and adding value to your offer-ing.
Through Beacon we can save every-one in the care industry – from man-agers to nurses, valuable time, energyand resource through finding theright suppliers for you and your cus-tomers.
Our wide range of suppliers hasbeen selected for the key areas ofyour business because they haveproducts or services that have beendesigned with the care industry inmind.
Our buying power designs specificpurchasing packages for care groups,making sure our suppliers are provid-ing the products and services thatyour group requires.
From workwear to waste manage-ment or biscuits to bathrooms,through Beacon Healthcare, all of oursuppliers offer you added valuethrough price, service or support... allyou need to do is choose who andwhen.
35CARINGNEWS
Miele unveils detailsof new dishwashersMIELE Professional has unveileddetails of its new ProfiLine dishwash-ers, which will be available to themarket in August.
The range of freestanding, semi andfully integrated dishwashers are capa-ble of completing full wash cycles inas little as 18 minutes.
ProfiLine dishwashers allow pro-grammes to be run at the rate ofthree per hour, meaning your crock-ery will be ready for use again in nextto no time.
The range of dishwashers whichfeature in this product line-up are:
PG 8080 freestanding unit, PG 8080 Ubuilt-under unit, PG 8081 i integratedunit, PG 8082 SCi integrated versionwith XXL cabinet and the PG 8083SCVi fully integrated version with XXLcabinet.
Not only do some of the range havecategory A+ energy efficiency label,consumption has been reduced onaverage by 10 per cent comparedwith the previous series.
In the ‘Eco’ programme, selectedProfiLine dishwashers are 30 per centmore efficient in terms of water andelectricity than their predecessors.
Reducing purchasing costs
Selling or refinancing?ARE you thinking of selling or con-sidering refinancing or developingyour care home?
Specialist healthcare brokersGlobal Business Finance can offeryou both these services and what'smore you will be delighted by thefee.
If you wish Global to sell yourhome for you by introducing asuitable and financially vettedbuyer from their database, thenthey have market leading rates tosell, with no up-front charges.
If you are wanting to financethen there is no broker fee to pay.Global are paid by the bank andtherefore they do not charge you afee.
With loan schemes of up to 75per cent of value and interest ratesof base plus 2.25 per cent for fund-ing then using the specialist ser-vices of Global, who have beenestablished for over 23 years andhave organised over £1bn in loansfor care home owners, is such aneasy decision.
RENEWABLE energy is here to stayand where possible we shouldembrace it.
The new generation of renewabletechnologies have ensured that thereis a system suitable for most.
Ultimately however it must befinancially viable and the introduc-tion of the RHI for commercial prop-erties has made this one step closer.
The use of renewable energy topower buildings has to be a sensibledecision – less reliance on our rapidlydiminishing fossil fuels; less damageto the environment; and a greener
future for all. Through the RHI the government
will offer financial rewards for thoseadopting renewable energy sourceswith heat pumps, solar thermal andbiomass being the most common.
These technologies will be moni-tored by heat meters and the readingstaken will provide an income basedon the amount of heat generated,paid quarterly for up to 20 years.
Retherm Ltd based in Stoke on Trentdesign and supply all of these sys-tems. Our experts would be pleasedto discuss your individual project.
Retherm helps you embracerenewable technologies
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36
SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based,Richards Residential Supplieshave concentrated uponsupplying simple solutions tocommon nursing home problems.
The new WACMAT® adheresstrongly to this tradition.
With its ultra absorbent cottonpile and 100 per cent waterproofbacking, the remarkableWACMAT® is an ideal accessorywhere spills may occur.
Used as a commode mat, inbedrooms or bathrooms, theWACMAT® ensures full carpetprotection. Then, after use, simplymachine wash and tumble dry!It’s that simple...
The WACMAT® will then beclean and odour-free, ready toperform time and time again. Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat,saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costs alone.
Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749
Simple solutions
CFS Carpets offer a wide selection ofhealthcare carpets
AS well as the extensive range of contract carpets andcarpet tiles, CFS Carpets has a wide range of imperviousbacked broadloom carpets that are heavy contract – idealfor the healthcare industry.
Featuring plain and patterned designs and a widecolour bank, these ranges are competitively priced andhave excellent cleaning properties and a 10-yearguarantee.
Hanbury Care Design, featured in the picture, has amodern colour bank and a matching plain range availabletoo. Sample folders of all the healthcare ranges areavailable in carpet and flooring along with a selection ofother healthcare flooring solutions.
CFS Carpets are part of Carpet andFlooring, one of theUK ’s largest flooring distributors. Large stocks of allranges are held, along with a selection of other healthcareflooring solutions. Deliveries can be made within 24 hoursto mainland UK .
Enquiries: Call 01527 511860 for more informationor for samples log onto www.cfscarpets.co.uk
EMANUEL A Dribble, better known in the business transfer market as Eddie Dribble, has been in the carehome transfer agency business for around 40 years.
His extensive knowledge and expertise is second to none in negotiating a satisfactory conclusion formany long standing clients
In 1972 he founded and subsequently developed the care home division, of the then national transferagents Luxton and Lowe Limited. Since that time he has personally travelled the length and breadth of theBritish Isles inspecting and evaluating every type of care home.
No matter what size and what cost he has negotiated sales to a range of buyers, which include largecompanies and single private individuals.
He has established a reputation throughout the industry which provides a truly personal service, alwaysremaining fully confidential.
Luxton and Lowe Limited were taken over in 1991 by a large London property agent. At this time tokeep the personal service and confidentiality, which was also his strict code of practice, Eddie decided heneeded to form his own private transfer agency to continue to provide a high quality individualistic service.Since this time he has continued to serve the industry with his own brand of personal and confidentialnegotiations and keep his commission rates at a competitive level. To this day care homes of every size anddescription and in every location are continuously required for a list of carefully vetted applicants.
Enquiries: Telephone 020 8942 0852.
Eddie’s knowledge and expertise second to none
PKL, the world’s largest supplier oftemporary kitchens and cateringequipment for hire, has launched itsKitchenPods range into theresidential care sector.
Available to buy, or on a contractrental basis, KitchenPods come in arange of sizes and offer an idealsolution for any care home tomaximise its revenue by convertingan existing kitchen into additionalbed space.
Alternatively it can help homesthat need to improve or refurbishany existing kitchen facilities byproviding them with a complete,ready to order permanent kitchen building.
Once ordered, the KitchenPod modular kitchen building can be delivered within six weeks and, despitebeing a permanent building, can be relocated, removed or easily extended as the needs of the care homechange over time.
PKL maintain both the building and all catering equipment on an ongoing basis so that, in the unlikelyevent of a problem, there would be minimal disruption to the home while it was being fixed.
Enquiries: Visit www.pkl.co.uk or call 0845 8404242.
PKL KitchenPods for care home sectorPKL KitchenPods for care home sector
CARE home image experts GrahameGardner Ltd has undergone a makeover oftheir own – this time enhancing their onlinepresence with a new website.
www.grahamegardner.co.uk has longenabled customers to order online, but thenew website goes a step further, showingstock levels and allowing customer to tracktheir orders online.
The slick new design is intuitive tonavigate and gives users complete details ofall Grahame Gardner products and services.
This new site includes a sophisticatedsearch function so that customers cansearch using a number of criteria, readilyfinding the garment that matches theirspecific needs.
Grahame Gardner has invested significantly in their online capabilities over the years, this newadvancement makes their website the most comprehensive to date. The e-commerce element of the sitehas also been streamlined to include fewer steps but without compromising the site’s security.
Enquiries: Telephone 0116 255 6326 or visit www.grahamegardner.co.uk
Take a fresh look at Grahame Gardner’swebsite
Take a fresh look at Grahame Gardner’swebsite
ONE of the UK’s largest care home groups has chosen wirelessFreedor electrically powered free-swing door closers toimprove access, while protecting staff and residents at one oftheir care homes.
Barchester, whose care homes combine exceptionalhealthcare and nursing standards with warm and friendlyatmosphere in over 200 homes nationally, said they havefound the Freedors, installed at their Mulberry Court site, tobe an excellent product for convenience of use and firesafety, fitting perfectly with the requirements of a care homeenvironment.
Freedor is a unique wireless solution that allows users tohold open fire doors at any angle, automatically closing themwhen the fire alarm sounds to prevent the spread of fire andsmoke around the building. Installed at the top of the door,Freedor is neat, unobtrusive and easy to install in newbuildings and retrofit, with none of the expense anddisruption to occupants or the building associated with theinstallation of hard-wired door closers.
Enquiries: Telephone 0845 241 7474, [email protected] or visit www.firecoltd.com
ARMSTRONG Commercial Laundry Systems hasannounced the new Amazon HSF range of washer-extractors which use 20 per cent less energy and 15per cent less water than the previous range.
With no end in sight to the continuous increase inutility costs and with the care home’s laundryrepresenting a significant part of these costs, thenew machines’ savings deliver an important benefitto the owner. In many cases it will make earlyreplacement of existing equipment a sound decision.
The Amazon HSF is available in no fewer than sixsizes between 7kg and 24kg.
This means there is a washer or combination ofwashers that is right for every size and type of home.The range is specially made in Europe to Armstrong’sspecification and is fully backed by Armstrong’shighly regarded service and spares supportoperation.
Enquiries: Telephone 01635 263410 or visitwww.armstrong-laundry.co.uk
Freedor’s the caring solutionNew Amazon HSF washers cut laundry costs
Beaucare kitchen floor cleanerBEAUCARE® Medical Ltd isthe UK’s premier supplier ofhygiene, medical suppliesand equipment to individualcare homes, care homegroups, hospitals and NHSTrusts.
Our new kitchen floorcleaner is a concentratedmulti-purpose cleaner,developed to give highpowered performance witheconomical dilution benefits.It is fully biodegradable andnon flammable.
Highly effective atremoving ingrained grimeand oils from vinyl, wood,metal, plastic and other types of services. Specifically designed for the care home market, to tackle kitchenand utility facility floor surfaces.
We have an extensive hygiene and janitorial range providing a solution for all purposes, ensuring highlevels of cleanliness and infection control. Enquiries: Telephone 01423 878899, email [email protected] or visit www.beaucare.com
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37CARINGPRODUCT NEWS
Is your equipmentup to standard?WITH the CQC and government stan-dards continuing to focus on the wayin which care is provided within thecare home sector, it is vital that resi-dents have a safe and accessible envi-ronment in which to live.
Equipment can play a key role inproviding this, however, repairing orreplacing old or damaged equipmentcan be an expensive process, andfinding a trustworthy supplier can
make all the difference to the successof a care home or group in today’scompetitive marketplace.
Agecare Eastern is committed tosupporting its customers with allaspects of equipment provision andservicing.
With a team of experienced engi-neers, we provide Loler testing andcertification, as well as servicing andrepairs for existing equipment.
CARE Services Minister Paul Burstowwill be the keynote speaker at ECCA’sannual conference and exhibition.
The ‘White Paper. Right Paper?’event, which takes place at theBloomsbury Holiday Inn, London onNovember 7, will provide an idealopportunity for the Minister to reas-sure providers that the failure by suc-cessive governments to act effectivelyon the funding of social care is nowbeing addressed by the coalition.
Other heavyweight sector speakerswill follow Paul onto the podium andmake their contribution to the debateon modernising social care that theWhite Paper will trigger.
Chief executive Martin Green said:‘The requirement for serious reformof the current system is more press-ing than ever, so the content of theWhite Paper will be the subject ofclose scrutiny.
“Care providers are working hard tomaintain high service standards buttheir task is becoming ever more dif-ficult, so we look forward to hearingmore from Paul Burstow about theGovernment’s commitment to a sus-tainable funding system.”
Care ministerto speak atconference
BADGEMASTER is marking its 20thanniversary by offering a 20 per centdiscount off list prices for all ordersplaced by September 20.
Many changes have happened sinceBadgemaster started trading from aportable cabin in July 1992. Mostnotably, founders John and VickyBancroft have steadily grown theirworkforce to 88 full-time staff at thecompany’s state-of-the-art 12,500 sq.ft. facility in Newstead,Nottinghamshire.
The Bancrofts are delighted thattheir first employee still remains onthe team and this year collects his 20-year long service award. To receivethe 20 per cent anniversary discountoff list prices for name badges, cus-tomers need to quote 20YEARS ontheir order.
Badgemasteroffers discount Committed to service
SPORTSART Fitness’ common senseapproach to servicing fitness equip-ment has won contracts with not onlyhealth clubs and educational facilitiesbut also with rehabilitation and resi-dential care homes.
Apart from the inconvenience offailed equipment, safety is of para-mount importance and owners havea legal duty of care to ensure that allfitness equipment is safe and main-tained to high standards.
Although SportsArt offer a compre-hensive range of quality fitnessequipment, it offers servicing pack-ages to meet various levels of equip-ment use and budgets.
Its engineers are highly trained onall makes and models of equipmentand, following each scheduled visit, a
report informs of work required, pri-oritising items for attention and pro-vides an estimate for reinstatingequipment to an optimum condition.
A ‘Total Care’ service package notonly demonstrates that you haveaddressed duty of care issues, it canbe cost effective as preventativemaintenance can often protectequipment from becoming seriouslydamaged if remedial action is taken.
MD Mark Turner said: “Whenselecting a service provider don’t justlook at the cost, but check out theirclaims to call out response times andlook to verify this.
“Scheduled maintenance ensuresreliability of equipment operations,longevity in use and the best possiblereturn on your investment.”
FAMILY run Ellis Furniture has beendesigning and manufacturing attrac-tive, durable and cost effective furni-ture for more than 120 years, supply-ing to care homes across the UK.
This expertise has fed directly intothe design of our latest innovativerange of care home bedroom furni-ture called 3:SIXTY.
Beneath 3:SIXTY’s attractive exteriorand beautiful finishing, lies a range ofsafety and security features includ-ing: safety drawer stops, anti-trapdrawers, soft close doors and anti-lig-ature handles. Small details we know,but all have potentially significantsafety benefits as well as manage-ment time and cost savings.
For residents that require assistanceto maintain their independence,3:SIXTY incorporates many way find-ing and orientation design featuressuch as contrasting edging, visibilityscoops in drawers, vision panels inwardrobes and much more.
The range includes seating androom signage, which are all designedto work together to support dailyindependence and comfort.
Firm unveilsbedroomrange
ESSEX-based company DentureRepairs UK is offering a new fast andreliable service to care homes and thecaring community across the UK.
Jack Gutteridge, director and dentaltechnician, said: "Where residentsaren't able to get out for their den-ture repair needs, we can provideinterested care homes with pre-paidfreepost envelopes and prescriptionsby contacting us by email, telephoneor by visiting our website. Simply, allthe resident or carer will have to do isfill in the personal details, place inthe envelope with the broken dentureand payment. Then simply wait for afast same day turnaround on therepair.”
The family-run service, which has35 years' experience, operates a den-tal laboratory with GDC registereddental technicians.
New denturerepair service
GARDENING can present a variety of lim-itations for those with restricted mobilityand disabilities, who may struggle withsome of the strenuous tasks involved.
However, the new range of ‘mobilityrestriction garden furniture’, fromDunster House Ltd, offers an alternativesolution to maintaining a vegetable patchor flower bed without having to reach toground level.
Company owner Chris Murphy saidthese products had partly been designedfor therapeutic reasons. “These new prod-ucts are easy to maintain and provide alittle haven to encourage you to get outand into the garden.”
The furniture includes raised ‘PlantingTrugs’, ‘Picnic Benches’ with wheelchairaccess and the ‘Victoria Bower’ which fea-tures flower beds and an opportunity toharvest rain water.
These new products offer a practical solution for the limits imposed by gardening whilst adding anattractive focal feature for any outdoor space.
Enquiries: For more information call 01234 272445 or visit www.dunsterhouse.co.uk
Mobility restriction garden furniture 101 reasons to choose Shackletons Furniture
ALICE Grimshaw aged 101 is pic-tured receiving a very special birth-day present.
Alice received a new Bridgewaterhigh back chair along with cham-pagne and chocolates as part of thenational creating comfort campaignlaunched by Jason Bloom andMartyn Higgins from Shackleton'sLtd based in Dewsbury.
Alice was delighted with the pre-sent and is looking forward to relax-ing back in her chair and ensuringthe chocolates do not go to waste.
Helen Victor, manager ofMusgrove Court in Pudsey, whereshe is a resident, was delighted totake
delivery of the chair with Alice.Helen and her team had helped arrange for Alice's perm and make up to be ready for the photo shoot whichwill see her join the Shackleton's national marketing campaign. You will see Alice on the back page of thismonth’s Caring UK.
Enquiries: Telephone 01924 868470 or visit www.shackletonsltd.co.uk
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Recruitment Denture care
Signs
Care Home Software
Transport
Business
Mobility Healthcare
Kent-based Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) saluted the armed forces with a seriesof short films on YouTube. The charity, which provides care and accommodation forservice veterans released a short film each day for a week via YouTube to mark theoccasion and to highlight its own work. The fourth film in the series focussed onveterans’ healthcare and residents in RBLI homes – Gavin Astor House, Queen ElizabethCourt and Mountbatten Pavilion. Care staff also described what it was like to work withveterans. The armed forces connection throughout the village was marked with a party,and included a forces quiz and a magician – complete with rabbit.
STAFF from Somerset Care’sSedgemoor office celebrated as theircolleague Eileen Haysham turned 80.
Eileen is the company’s longestserving staff member, and wasawarded a 45 years’ service accoladeat a ceremony last year. The teamheld a party to celebrate Eileen’smilestone birthday, inviting fellow
colleagues, her daughter and greatgrandchildren.
Alison Godwin community servicesmanager, said: “I am so proud to saythat we have an 80-year-old care andsupport worker, she goes above andbeyond for her service users, cyclingacross Bridgwater in all weathers tomake her visits.”
Staff celebrate landmark birthday
If you would like to advertise in Caring UK please contact:
01226 734480
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