Minutes count when a person collapses in sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)and AED machines have been described as the ‘single most important development in the treatment of SCA’ (Resuscitation Council UK). 

You may have seen the green boxes appearing in various public spaces, i.e. shopping centres, petrol stations and they are continuing to be rolled out because along with CPR, using an AED can dramatically increase the chance of survival. 

Due to the increase in awareness of defibrillation, we want to ensure that anyone who attends our first aid courses has the chance to practice using an AED. You don’t need any training to be able to use onebut we want to help improve confidence and reduce the hesitance towards using them in an emergency situation.

Fraser and Fraser have been working with the Public Sector for more than 40 years. We support Local Government department who need to identify and locate people, often next-of-kin of a deceased person and the reason for this can be vast and varied. 
Such departments would include:

TEESSIDE care home residents, Mandale House Care Home, were among those to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Thornaby War Memorial.

Residents and staff from Mandale House Care Home were joined by army, navy and police cadets, civic officials and pupils from schools across the town.

Among the care home residents were Second World War Merchant Navy veteran Leonard Harnden, alongside Billy James and Peter Wilson.

Peter said:

RIPON care home residents, Sycamore Hall Care Home, have been creating poppy displays to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War.

Residents at Sycamore Hall Care Home, on Kearsley Road, have also taken a trip to Ripon Cathedral to see The Remembrance Day exhibits.

The activities brought back memories for many of the residents, who had relatives and friends who fought and died in the war.

Doreen Ainsley and Ellen Knowles were among those painting poppies for displays in the care home.

Doreen said:

“It is a time to remember the people we have lost during the war.”

Specialist care home Willowbeck has partnered up with a unique music therapy organisation, Chroma to deliver music therapy workshops with care home residents. The partnership will see the organisations working with residents to support neurological development, physical rehabilitation and general well-being.

The nurse-led home will play host to the music therapy which is a form of neurological and psychological rehabilitation process which uses music, sound, instruments, and music technology to support people. It is a regulated healthcare profession and one of the Allied Health Professionals (AHPs).

Just like the family that runs it, AHM Installations is a business that won’t falter under pressure. Set up 18 years ago by Julie and Simon Symcox, the business began selling quality mobility scooters and stairlifts to those in need.

When enquires about mobility bathrooms began to flood in, they decided to implement these into their business, until the demand grew so much that it became their focal selling point. 

Specialising in bathroom adaptations for the elderly and disabled, AHM Installations can provide wet rooms, walk in showers, walk in baths, automatic toilets, high raised toilets, grab rails and shower stools. With everything you could possibly need, designing your perfectly usable and accessible bathroom just became easier.

The latest report on delivery of home adaptation provision maintains ‘the overarching aim’ is for it to be accessible and timely.

Service providers can take a simple step to achieving this by using Closomat. The company- Britain’s leading provider of accessible bathroom/ toilet solutions- offers a unique package that ensures professional execution of a bathroom adaptation, and its ongoing, long-term performance.

24 per cent of the UK’s local authorities have stopped offering a Meals on Wheels service since 2014. Just 42 per cent of local authorities now offer any kind of Meals on Wheels service to elderly and vulnerable people living in our communities. 

These are the findings of new research from the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) for Meals on Wheels Week 2018 (5-9 November).

The survey of the higher tier authorities in the UK shows a steady decline in the provision of Meals on Wheels services since the NACC first commissioned the research in 2014, when 66% of UK local authorities provided a service, and again in 2016, when the figure was 48%.

TAI CHI sessions are being piloted at a North Yorkshire care home, Hazelgrove Care Home, to help residents with their mobility and stress levels.

The ancient Chinese martial art is now being practiced at Hazelgrove Care Home, on Randolph Street, in Saltburn-by-the-Sea.

Specialist sessions are being run for the elderly residents by facilitator Allison O’Neill, the owner of Saltburn based Guiding Light School of Holistic Education and Healing.

Called Rainbow Tai Chi, the sessions are based on the international Capacitar Multicultural Wellness Education programme, which originated in the USA.

Allison is piloting the therapeutic sessions at the home, which involves gentle, flowing movements to exercise the muscles without causing strain on the joints.

According to The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), each year in the UK, there are 40,000 so-called ‘excess winter deaths' as a result of cold. 82.5% of these are among the elderly (aged 75 and over) enter the Cold Weather Priority Initiative. Based on ONS data, in England alone there were as many as 1,724 extra deaths during the 'Beast from the East' (22 February to 3 March 2018). Across the UK the number the number may even be as high as 2000.

Three exceptional people from Balhousie Care Group have been shortlisted for a National Care Award. Heather Smith, Yvonne Manson and Ross Balmer are finalists for the prestigious awards which recognises the very best of those working the care industry.

As the Operations Manager at Balhousie's Advanced Specialist Care Unit, Heather Smith has been shortlisted for the Learning Disability Services Manager award for the second year running.

Yvonne Manson, who is a Dementia Nurse Consultant with the leading care home provider, is a finalist in the Care Leadership category. This accolade follows Yvonne's success at the Royal College of Nursing's RCNi Awards last July where she picked up an award for leadership.

A FRIGHTFUL autumn fayre was held at a Teesside care home to mark Halloween.

Ghouls and ghosts walked the corridors of The Beeches Care Home, in Stockton-on-Tees, as staff dressed for the occasion.

Bats and pumpkin decorations hung from the walls and ceiling and a wide range of Halloween activities were available for residents and visitors.

Apple bobbing, a tombola, tin can alley, slime pit, raffle and a stall selling themed cakes all helped raise over £660.

The money will go into the residents’ fund to pay for Christmas activities and a pantomime for residents.

Reach Sled Dog Rescue recently visited Stocks Hall Care Home in Skelmersdale, Lancashire to meet all the ladies and gentlemen living at the Home.

REACH is a sled dog rescue founded in November 2015 focusing mainly on Huskies and Malamutes. Its five founders are all experienced sled dog owners with prior experience in animal rescue.

The rescue relies heavily on the dedication of its community members with help fostering unwanted dogs, assisting with events and fundraising, as well as spreading the word concerning these unique and often misunderstood breeds.

Great Oaks care home in Bournemouth has a designated catering team that promotes the philosophy of using fresh, locally sourced ingredients in its nutrition-rich meals. The wellbeing of residents is a priority and they often spend time in the landscaped garden picking home-grown vegetables, which are later used by the chefs in their favourite dishes. The home has recently introduced ‘A Breath of Fresh Care’ initiative which encourages residents to spend more time outdoors whenever possible. As part of this initiative, residents have the opportunity to tend to the home’s garden and plant their favourite flowers and vegetables.  Patrick Fensterseifer, head chef at Great Oaks, explained: “Good nutrition is vital for the health and wellbeing of people with dementia.

Having launched its own Lento Care Chair last year, Yorkshire Care Equipment is now announcing that it has redeveloped and launched a second Lento Hospital Spec Chair.

The company developed and designed the Lento from scratch, and it is now thought to be the most flexible care chair on the market. The team have now redeveloped a new model to be in line with infection control standards – a key priority in hospitals all over the United Kingdom.

Padraig Finn, a band 6 Physiotherapist at Yorkshire Care said:

“When we first launched the Lento, it was great because of how flexible it is. It can suit about 80% of the populations’ needs – but it needed some redevelopment to be better-suited to hospitals.