ELDERLY care home residents have taken to the polling booths to cast their votes in the European election.

Staff at Ingleby Care Home, in Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees, wanted to ensure residents could exercise their right to vote despite their mobility issues.

Those keen to cast their vote were taken to their nearest polling station in wheelchairs by their carers.

Resident Sheila Colburn was among them. She said: “I couldn’t thank the staff enough for taking me to vote.

“I’ve always voted and didn’t know what would happen after moving to Ingleby Care Home, with my family working. I really appreciated the staff taking me.”

Fastroi are gearing up to deliver our Real-Time Care (RTC) product to Leeds County Council this Autumn, as we do this, we wanted to share some thoughts from our latest White Paper. In it we try to understand the reasons why so many care companies have struggled to improve or even maintain their CQC ratings in the 2018 State of Care report. We believe that many companies are still using pen and paper with no form of care management software. However, we don’t think it is that straightforward either. Care Management Software is a tool that if used properly can help to improve the levels of care quality, but underneath the bonnet of any organisation are the quality processes and continuous improvement strategies that really affect a company’s ability to deliver that quality care. These are completely separate from the job of looking after our service users. In the White Paper we look at some of the ideas surrounding lean health and highlight the different forms of waste that can hamper quality if they are allowed to flourish. We also examine some practical examples of how these ideas could be implemented in the care industry. 

Residents at a care home in Kemnay have been horsing around this week thanks to an in-house visit from some new equine friends.

Meallmore Ltd’s Grove Care Home welcomed two Shetland ponies into the home to give residents the chance to meet and interact with the animals. They were encouraged to get to know the ponies who have been highly trained to handle any situation.

Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to be very beneficial in elderly care, as physical contact with the animals encourages communication, can reduce stress and anxiety and even improve motor skills and self-esteem.

Karen Paul, Care Home Manager at Grove Care Home, said: “It’s not every day you get ponies wandering through the home, so it was lovely for the residents to have the opportunity to enjoy their company.

The background and the benefits

Increasingly, assistive technology is being adopted to support those living with various debilitating conditions to improve their quality of life.

An impressive variety of aids can be used to help with those living with dementia, ranging from everyday technologies that you can find in your smartphone, to specific medical aids. 

For example, those living with dementia can utilise aspects of popular technology to improve their daily lives. Phone calendars can be set with daily reminders to take medication or attend appointments, and location finder apps are a clever way to track a person’s whereabouts. 

There’s also a selection of new technologies created specifically for those with conditions such as dementia. These are being adopted by care providers, both in care homes and for domiciliary care. Technologies include movement sensors that play a message to remind people to perform an activity such as turn the oven off, water isolation devices that turn taps off if they’re left running, and fall mats which are placed near the bed to alert staff if a service user is out of bed. 

VINTAGE cars from the 1920s to 1950s paraded around a Bakewell care home as part of National Care Home Open Day.

The classic vehicles were on display at Burton Closes Hall Care Home, on Haddon Road, with an open invitation to visitors.

The show involved almost 20 cars, all belonging to members of The Old Motor Club, including a 1929 Rolls Royce and a 1933Austin Light 12-4 Harley. 

They also brought along an Austin 7, Ford Consul, Ford Prefect, Wolseley, Austin 10 and more.

The care home’s maintenance man Keith Thomas also displayed his awarding winning 1953 Morris Z Van.

How confident are your workforce in understanding diabetic footcare or spotting and treating a hypoglycaemic event?

“Access to good quality diabetes education and training for care home staff” is one of the elements of “good diabetes care” as laid out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Diabetes affects around 25% of residents in care homes (residential and nursing) and 15% or more in mental health care facilities.

Last year a review was published in ‘Diabetic Medicine’ where the authors had reviewed multiple studies carried out over 25 years involving care home residents with diabetes.  It resulted in leading experts concluding that diabetes care in care homes still remains “fragmented” and that steps need to be taken to ensure the “health and dignity” of older people.  They also commented that care homes “often do not meet national standards” of diabetes care and staff training is “patchy”.

A CUPCAKE sale at University Hospital of North Tees has generated £120 to support those with cancer. 

Staff at Bannatyne Lodge Care Home, in Peterlee, organised the sale to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Alongside selling the homemade cupcakes, they also handed out literature to raise awareness of cancer, diabetes and dementia.

Home manager Lynn Chapman, senior carer Haley Grant and activities coordinators Abby Gormley and Dawn Minto all helped run the stall.

The home’s cook, Carol Gingell, baked the cupcakes.

Lynn said: “I would like to thank our cook Carol for the lovely cakes she baked. I would also like to thank Haley, Dawn and Abby for a great day.

“This is one of the first fundraisers we are doing for our chosen charity and we have a few more surprises later in the year.”

Critically designed to support and maintain the integral passive fire protection within a care home - Exidor­­’s Guardian door closer is the only electromagnetic closer in the market specifically designed to meet the needs of residential care facilities.

Exidor are a proud UK manufacturer based in Cannock, Staffordshire, specialising in the care home market.  Already UK market leaders in emergency escape hardware and electromagnetic closers, Exidor are experts in their field of fire door closers as well as escape systems.

Exidor’s Guardian electromagnetic door closer is an innovative advancement from traditional swing free closers and has been designed to take into consideration the specific needs of the Care Home environment.  It has two unique features aimed to improve both the physical safety of residents and staff as well as the passive fire safety of the care facility itself.

by Care & Nursing Essentials editor Victoria Galligan

Healthcare professionals must be protected against a range of legal challenges – from slander and libel to workplace injury claims. Here, we take a look at some of the different types of insurance on offer and the companies which can help you gain peace of mind:

Understanding of the impact of light on human behaviour has advanced rapidly at the same time as lighting technology has undergone a major evolution with the advent of LED lighting. It is now possible to use the principles of human-centric lighting easily and cost-effectively in sensitive and care environments. 

At amBX we are working on cost-effective true circadian lighting for care environments. We call this bio-dynamic lighting as it combines LED lighting with sophisticated intelligent control that manages the lighting for the maximum comfort and well-being of patients, residents and staff.

Care homes that look after elderly, disabled or other vulnerable people play a vital role in the UK, helping to ensure their residents are safe, secure and well cared for. But it probably won’t come as much of a surprise to learn that care homes also face a wide range of insurance risks that many other private businesses don’t have to deal with, specifically because of what they do and who they care for. That’s why it’s critical that you know exactly what to look for when you’re taking out Care Home Insurance.

A social care provider has introduced a poetry project to encourage staff and customers to discover and share life experiences through poetry. 

The project was launched on World Poetry Day (21 March) across Optalis’ Older Peoples’ Services in Windsor and Wokingham and poems will be submitted until mid-August

Log my Care, the care home software provider, has announced the launch of a new premium module. Log my Care - Pro is the first optional premium module for its free care planning software, designed to help care homes streamline their record keeping.

Through Log my Care, carers can record care notes as they go on any smartphone. Care managers can see an overview of all care work and access all records on a laptop or desktop computer.

Combatting Loneliness with Home Care Companionship Services
10 Top Tips for Engaging with Clients At Home
by Gillian Hesketh, MD Happy Days Dementia Workshop & Nostalgic Design.

Gillian Hesketh is MD of Happy Days Dementia Workshop & Nostalgic Design. Besides designing bespoke engagement prompts and nostalgic environments, she has spent much time in care homes and hospitals, with nurses and carers, sharing ways to help care teams enrich social care for well-being.

Loneliness can affect anyone in our communities. We’re recognising more than ever, that some elderly people may be experiencing too many lonely days.

Selling a care business is a complex process, requiring assistance from various care industry professionals along the way. For due diligence, it would be prudent to appoint a solicitor specialising solely in healthcare as they can ensure the smooth progression of a sale.

Due diligence involves potential purchasers looking at your business in detail, examining everything from accounts to rotas and leases. To simplify the process ensure your accounts are up to date and in order, beforeinstructing an agent.

Any preparation through addressing the following key areas will reap benefits.