A trainee from Bristol will become one of the country’s first Nursing Associates when she completes her apprenticeship qualification next month in April.

Michelle Alderson, 29, who works at Sirona care & health’s Charlton House Community Resource Centre in Keynsham, is one of the pioneers for the new nursing role having participated in one of the country’s first pilots for the qualification. Nursing Associates will work with healthcare support workers and registered nurses to deliver care. A Qualified Nursing Associate can also go on to train as a registered nurse which is Michelle’s long-term goal. 

Nutrition and Hydration Week has taken place every March since 2012.

Its purpose is to bring people together to create energy, focus and fun in order to highlight and educate people on the value of food and drink in maintaining health and well being in health and social care.

Organisations from around the world and from all areas of health and social care take part and new organisations are welcome to join in the fun.

Get involved with Nutrition and Hydration Week

A HERD of fluffy, four-legged friends were the latest visitors to a Middlesbrough care home.

Rabbits and guinea pigs hopped in to see residents at The Gables Care Home, on Highfield Road, for an animal therapy session.

Staff from Pets at Home, on Teesside Park, Stockton-on-Tees, brought the animals for residents to hold and stroke.

Having contact with the cute, cuddly creatures provides therapeutic benefits for those living with dementia, according to home manager Pam Rodgers.

She said: “Watching, stroking and holding guinea pigs, rabbits and other animals can have a calming and positive impact on everyone – but especially those living with dementia.

LOROS Hospice is one of five major health and social care employers behind the recently launched recruitment campaign Y/Our Future that is encouraging doctors, nurses and health and social care workers to relocate to live and work in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Latest figures from NHS Improvement show that 11.8% of nurse posts in England were not filled – a shortage of nearly 42,000[i]. Experts described the situation as at risk of becoming a "national emergency" given the rising demands on the NHS[ii].

An NHS report last year highlighted the negative impact this is having on specialist nurses, including cancer and palliative care nurses[iii]. Hospice UK has also reported that staff shortages and increased caseloads prevent effective pain management at home for dying people.

HOOVES clattered through the halls of an Ellesmere Port care home when residents were treated to an animal therapy session. 

Two miniature ponies, a goat and a rabbit were among the latest visitors to Aaron Court Care Home, on Princes Road.

The four-legged farm animals were brought to the home by pet therapy company Doolittles Animal Therapy.

The residents were given the opportunity to stroke, cuddle and talk to the animals during the session.

One resident, Mavis Shaw, was brought to tears upon seeing the goat and repeatedly said “thank you” to the company’s expert handlers.

“Make sure you know what you want to do, and be determined to do it” – older women share their wisdom. To celebrate International Women’s Day on Friday 8th March, 12 female care home residents across the UK have been sharing the advice they’d give to their younger selves.

The ladies, aged between 82 and 93, also shared what they think young women today should know.

The advice overwhelmingly focuses on being yourself and enjoying life to the full, with most women advising to trust yourself and strive for your dreams. Margaret Crowther, 91, said: “Make sure you know what you want to do, and be determined to do it”.

Care homes getting worse in one in three local councils – urgent action needed to end inadequate standards of care, says older people’s charity

The quality of care homes has worsened in the last year in more than a third of local authorities (37%) Independent Age has found.

With over 2.6 million over-65s living in areas where an increasing number of care homes are rated ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) many older people and their families have no choice but to choose a poorly-performing care home. 

Hand crafted walking frame bags have given care home residents more freedom to get about carrying their “essentials”.

A knitting group from Thornaby Methodist Church, near Middlesbrough, created the bags for residents at Mandale House Care Home.

One of those residents, Mavis Thomas, has been a member of the church and friends with the knitting group organiser, Shirley Whitfield, for over 50 years.

Shirley established Chat and Craft to help members work through their grief after their husbands passed away.

A FORMER care assistant has risen through the ranks at a Teesside care home,The Beeches Care Home, to be named home manager.

Jessica Brown joined The Beeches Care Home, on Green Lane, Newtown, in 2014 and was promoted to senior care assistant before becoming deputy manager in 2018.

She became home manager in February 2019 and has said she is aiming to lead the home to the highest rating from industry watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

She said: “I truly believe that everyone is unique and should be treated in a person-centred way, with activities and services tailored to each person’s individual preferences. "

Borough Care, the largest not-for-profit provider of care for older people in Stockport, has appointed Lee Omar to its Board of Directors.  In his new position as a Non-Executive Director, Lee Omar will support Borough Care’s Executive Team at a strategic level and also engage with residents, their families and staff, to provide invaluable feedback to the leadership team.  Lee’s role will include developing relationships with external stakeholders, to help Borough Care innovate and remain commercial focussed.    

Commenting on what attracted him to becoming a Board member at Borough Care, Lee Omar says: “Having been a Non-Executive Director for NHS Trusts, I was interested to work in social care as I believe one of the great challenges we face is how we meet the requirements of our ageing society.  We are living longer lives and I want to be part of the change that sees us offering aspirational products and services for this ageing population.”

NATIONAL Carrot Cake Day has been helping Derbyshire care home residents living with dementia.

Residents at Springbank House Care Home, on Ashgate Road, in Chesterfield, have been recalling their baking skills to mark the national day.

They helped make and decorate buns and cakes before they were served during afternoon tea.

Using their baking skills has proven beneficial for those with dementia, according to home manager Karen Busby.

FAMILIES, friends and VIPs turned out for an inaugural coffee morning at a Peterlee care home. 

The Town Mayor Councillor Scott Meikle, Deputy Mayor Councillor Terry Duffy and Councillor Gordon Carne were among the guests at the first Bannatyne Lodge Care Home community coffee morning.

They were joined by staff, residents and visitors for hot drinks, cakes and a chat.

There was also a tombola to raise money for the residents’ fund, which contributes towards activities and outings for those living at the home.

The youngsters, all aged two to four years, showed residents how to build sandcastles and make pizzas out of playdough, broccoli, asparagus and red lentils.

They also played with toys in the pond and painted on a clingfilm canvas using brushes and their hands.

Resident Shirley Naylor, 84, said: “I loved having little Heidi on my knee dancing away.”

Margaret Salmon, 93, said: “It was lovely. It really brightened my day.”

Bluebird Care Gosport, a home-care provider in the Hampshire area is embarking on an ambitious, and possibly life changing campaign, to try and bring about an end to loneliness. Unite Against Loneliness will be ongoing throughout 2019; the Bluebird Care Gosport team will be running a yearlong campaign to raise awareness of, and ultimately, try to eradicate loneliness within the local community and beyond.

The aim of the campaign is split into two objectives; the first is to raise awareness of the overwhelming issues of loneliness among the elderly and vulnerable. The second, is to show everyone how easy it is to support people who may be isolated and lonely, by encouraging them to be more socially inclusive and focused on community outreach. Small actions go a really long way.

Registered nurse Sara Muslin has joined the team at Great Oaks in Bournemouth as care home manager.

Sara has been a registered nurse for more than 30 years and has vast experience in the care sector, having managed care teams for over 20 years. Sara has spent the past six years as a registered manager for care homes which specialise in nursing, residential and dementia care.

In her new role, Sara is responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day running of the home, ensuring that the highest standards of care are maintained and that the Care Quality Commission standards and guidelines are adhered to at all times.