Jonathan Bruce, Managing Director at Prestige Nursing + Care, discusses the need for politicians to focus on the future of social care.

They say a week is a long time in politics, and the past few have seen the long-term future of British healthcare plunge deeper into uncertainty.

The latest episode of this healthcare crisis was aired in May, with the news that the Social Care Green Paper was not to be published for at least another five months. It had been originally slated for Autumn 2017.

Great Oaks invests in robotic technology to boost residents’ health and wellbeing

Residents from Great Oaks care home in Bournemouth have benefited from the addition of two new robotic animals as part of the home’s pet therapy sessions, Biscuit the robotic dog and Arthur the robotic cat. Great Oaks is already home to the residents’ pet budgie called Smuggler which often brings a smile to everyone’s face when he starts to sing.

From plumber to internet sensation overnight. Generous plumber James Anderson from Burnley fixed a 91 year old’s - who is terminally-ill - boiler for free and when the news got out he was a hit online.

In one of the first examples of its open API platform in practice, ABB has been working alongside the iHomeLab of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts to pioneer a personalized virtual assistant to improve quality of life for elderly residents through the use of smart technology.
With increasing life expectancy, the number of seniors in the population will continue to grow. Consequently, solutions for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) are becoming increasingly important to allow the elderly to live independently at home for longer. 

Numerous care homes in the UK have had their technology enhanced with the use of Amazon Alexa for their residents. Care homes such as Livability Brookside House stated that they believed it allows their residents to gain more independence, as with the help of Alexa, they are now able to control their television, play music and even control their lights. It is noted that some residents even use their gadgets to set reminders for them to take their medication, or have a drink of water.

Royal College of Nursing are urging health care staff to get their flu vaccination this winter. They have explained that it is a professional responsibility for all nursing staff to ensure that they are vaccinated in order to help protect vulnerable patients and clients that they will be working closely with.

It is estimated that one in four health care staff are thought to be infected and affected by Influenza (flu), and as a result, put their patients at risk of developing severe drawbacks to their health as a result of contracting the flu.

Orchard Care Homes, one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist residential, dementia, nursing and short-term respite care, has been confirmed as a finalist in this year’s LaingBuisson Awards, in the Residential Care (larger organisations) category.

The LaingBuisson Awards are the Oscars of Health and Social Care. Now in their 14th year of recognising excellence, they are judged independently and objectively and focus on the people providing care as well as advisors.

Maddy Haren, from Manchester, who lives in Timperley, is calling on others to join her and unite against dementia at the Cheshire Memory Walk, which will be held at Arley Hall and Gardens, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 6NA on Saturday 12 October 2019. 

Four Orchard Care Homes in Leeds have been awarded ‘Good’ ratings by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care.

Nesfield Lodge, Middleton Park Lodge, Paisley Lodge and Lofthouse Grange & Lodge were given the ratings following scheduled inspections. The homes were assessed across five categories – safety, effectiveness, care, responsiveness and leadership, achieving ‘Good’ ratings across all criteria.  

Harrogate-based Yorkshire Care Equipment has supplied Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) with over 50 Raizer emergency lifting chairs that are now being used by first responders, falls teams and care homes in the Sheffield area.

YAS and NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have started a project in the city that aims to get people who have fallen back on their feet as soon as possible.

The Raizer chairs are part of this joint project which provides staff with appropriate lifting equipment and focuses on residents having an improved experience.

Care Sourcer launches free health and wellbeing support for over 800,000 UK care workers
Care Sourcer, the UK’s first comparison and matching site for elderly care, has today announced that it is launching a free Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to all UK care provider employees. The free programme, provided through Health Assured and initially funded by Legal & General, is available to employees of both care homes and care-at-home providers.

Bluebird Care Mid Essex has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care services in England. Only 1% of home care providers receive this rating.

All of Borough Care Homes for older people are rated as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England. This follows inspections at Bamford Close, Bruce Lodge and Cawood House, which all recently received a ‘good’ rating. Borough Care is the largest not-for-profit provider of care for older people in Stockport and has eleven homes in the borough.

Borough Care recently welcomed young people taking part in a National Citizen Service - NCS - project to its Lisburne Court home in Offerton.  Borough Care, the largest not-for-profit provider of care for older people in Stockport, has linked up with The Challenge, one of the leading providers of the National Citizen Service. NCS is a government-backed programme open to young people between the ages of fifteen and seventeen.  The programme helps them develop skills for their working life and the transition into adulthood.  

The Beeches Residential Care Home has announced the addition of a new extension to its current home, enabling more people in the area to access care and support. 

Located in Ixworth near Bury St Edmunds, the home has extended their building with an additional ten en-suite bedrooms adding to the existing single, double and en-suite rooms. The new addition also features a landscaped courtyard where residents can enjoy outdoor space and socialise with friends and family.