NIGHTCLUB sensation Bongo’s Bingo has spread to a Tyneside care home.

The revamped version of the traditional game, which has become popular in clubs and venues around the UK, was played at Waverley Lodge Care Home, in Lemington, near Newcastle.

Students from the Newcastle United Foundation National Citizenship Service (NCS) organised a version of Bongo’s Bingo for the home’s elderly residents.

The game involves music, singing, dancing and unconventional prizes for those who complete a line, two lines or a full house.

NURSERY children have been entertaining elderly care home residents as part of the United Nations Universal Children’s Day.

Youngsters from Orchard Day Nursery, in Huyton, near Liverpool, put on a singing show at nearby Aaron Grange Care Home.

The home’s residents and staff enjoyed the performance and joined in with many of the songs.

Clare Richards, home manager at Aaron Grange Care Home, on Blacklow Brow, Huyton, said: “There were lots of sing-along songs and the residents thoroughly enjoyed it.

A new Dorset care home bed finding website is spreading Christmas cheer to those who are lonely this Christmas.

Care Home Bed Finder (CHBF), which is based in Bournemouth, has made a commitment to help lonely elderly people this December, following its November support for the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal.

It has teamed up with local care home providers, social services and domiciliary care providers throughout the county, and aims to accommodate as many guests as possible who would otherwise be spending Christmas alone, perhaps due to bereavement, poor health, increasing age or distant family.

Bluebird Care has assisted local training company, Kilpatrick Consultancy, with a project to help the homeless in the Reading area.

Rebecca Kilpatrick, a mental health training consultant, approached Bluebird Care to ask for donations and the national home care provider jumped straight into action to do what they could to help.

The project aims to gather and make 50 care packages that can be given to homeless people to make this time of year a little easier to cope with. Rebecca hopes these care packages will contain the following; mouthwash, a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, socks, gloves, sweets, bottles of water and a variety of food products. Other extras in the bags included dog treats (for those who have dogs), sleeping bags, items of clothing and coats.

THE BORO Foundation has been sending out memorabilia boxes to care homes to help residents with dementia reminisce.

The boxes containing old programmes, tickets and photos, among other items from past Middlesbrough FC games, have been the centre of activities run at the homes.

Mandale House Care Home, on Acklam Road, in Thornaby, was one of those benefitting from the scheme.

A group of local children recently visited Fairmile Grange care home to help residents and staff raise money for Children in Need.

The day involved a range of fundraising activities, including decorating cupcakes, guess the name of the bear and how many rainbow drops were in a jar. Stuart Davey, head chef of Fairmile Grange also prepared a variety of cakes for all to enjoy.

Kim Butters, wellbeing manager of Fairmile Grange, said: “Children in Need is such a wonderful cause, so it was fantastic to see our residents and the children from the local community get involved with our fundraising activities held at the home.

New starter at Hilton Nursing Partners, personal nursing assistant Lilly Schwarz, used her quick thinking to safeguard a 95 year old patient from a potentially life-threatening situation as an electrical fire took hold. 

Only 12 days in her new role, new starter Lilly’s responsibility to assess patients after their discharge from hospital quickly went from a routine task, to that of a life saving situation when she was met at the patient’s home with panic and plumes of toxic smoke.

Diabetes Professional Care 2018 (DPC2018) is set to become the biggest yetwith a record-breaking attendance expected, leading to the event being described as a “force for good”.

More than 6,500 delegates have pre-registered, with 4,000 predicted to attend – topping last year’s previous record of3,235 delegates and placing it firmly as the UK’s best-attended event for healthcare professionals working in diabetes.

DPC2018 is the UK’s only national, free-to-attend and CPD-accredited conference for those involved in the prevention, treatment and management of diabetes, and its related conditions.

Leading clinicians and policymakers participated in a “lively and engaging” debate about childhood obesity on the second day of a major DPC2018.

Dr Max Davie, Health Promotion Officer at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health was joined by Dr Fiona Campbell, Consultant Diabetes Paediatrician at Leeds Children’s Hospital on the debating panel at Diabetes Professional Care (DPC2018).

They were joined by Dr Mayank Patel, Consultant Diabetologist at University Hospital Southampton and the Rt Hon. Keith Vaz MP, Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group for Diabetes.

The results of the eagerly-anticipated DECLARE study into cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes was shared for the first time in the UK at Diabetes Professional Care (DPC2018).

The research involved 17,000 people and showed how the drug Forxiga (dapagliflozin) reduced hospitalisation for heart failure or cardiovascular (CV) death with no increase in major CV events versus placebo in a broad population with type 2 diabetes.

The session called Cardiovascular outcomes with SGLT2 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes – update from AHA conference took place on Wednesday, November 14, between 3.15pm and 3.45pm.

In the UK, it’s estimated that around 45 million people use or own a smartphone. With most smartphone owners aged between 14 and 60, a large proportion of the elderly population are left behind when it comes to smart technology. In this article, we’ll take a look at the different ways the over 65’s can embrace smart technology to help their health.

As people get older, it’s inevitable that they have to visit medical professionals more frequently. Due to mobility issues, many elderly people find it challenging to access doctors surgeries and clinics. However, using technology in the form of an app on a smartphone, tablet or device, a feasible solution can be used to significantly aid this habitual problem. 

A Stout and sandwich afternoon was enjoyed by Northumberland care home residents – after they asked for more foodie activities. Staff served up flavoured stouts and various cobs, bagels, loafs, wraps and cakes at The Oaks Care Home, on Durban Street, Blyth.

The feast was a hit with residents, who enjoyed a taste of the milk or chocolate flavoured beers with their spread of sandwiches.

It is no secret that there is a recruitment crisis within the social care sector and recent statistics suggest that one million new care workers are needed by 20251to cope with the ageing population.

Statistics show that currently, 800,000 young people are not employed or in education2, and evidence suggests that by attracting these young people to apply for a role within your care setting, it can bring new, fresh ideas and different perspectives on caring for others as well as helping to plug this gap. 

A pioneering new training program, Dementia Matters Academy, is helping people to secure work within the North East’s adult social care sector.

Dementia support charity and residential care provider, Dementia Matters (previously known as Dementia Care), has launched the new Dementia Matters Academy to help fulfil its recruitment needs while also encouraging more people, including school leavers, into roles in care.

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.