December 2011 no.187 • £4.75 In association with By Dominic Musgrave A LOCAL authority broke the law when it froze payments covering the cost of care for elderly people in care homes, a High Court judge has ruled. And the landmark decision against Sefton council could affect 140 local authorities which froze or reduced care payments to thousands of care home residents, the head of the local association has claimed. Dan Lingard says the ruling may double the potential shortfall in the budget for care of the elderly in England and Wales to £2b, but it could mean justice for older people who have been forced to raid their savings or assets to cover the cost of good quality and dignified care. He added: “This win gives us no great pleasure – but it does provide a tremendous sense of justice for the most vulnerable of people. “It is an action which should not have had to be taken out in the first place, but clearly has massive implications for care. It may well be the tipping point which re- prioritises the way care is funded and provided in this country. “We may well be living and operating in a very tough economic environment, but the judge has effectively ruled that the financial environment is not a good enough reason for a council to impose a freeze on payments to massively vulnerable people.” His Honour Judge Raynor QC ruled in the High Court that the typical middle-sized authority should not have frozen payment levels to 1,600 elderly people in care in the borough, and that it did not pay due regard to the actual cost of covering care in making its unilateral decision. A council spokesman said the judgment provided clarification around the difficulties of making such important decisions in such a short period of time. He added: “The judgment does not say that we have made the wrong decision. It is merely critical of some elements of the process we went through. The proposal not to increase fees for care homes has not been criticised. “This has been a very complicated legal process. It shows that the speed at which we needed to make cuts last year has meant we did not consult with care home providers early enough about the possible freeze in their fees. We accept that. “Given more time, we could have had further discussions with care providers - we have already learned lessons.” Council broke law over fees claims judge Actor Geoffrey Palmer has lent his support to a campaign that offers elderly people free overnight stays in a care group’s homes over the festive period. Abbeyfield’s ‘Companionship At Christmas’ campaign follows a successful pilot last year, and more than 100 homes nationwide will open their doors and offer their spare rooms and lunches to people who may be alone or lonely. Activities brochure launched TWO leading care associations have joined forces to develop a good practice guide. The National Care Forum, NAPA and The Baring Foundation have published ‘Creative Homes: how the arts can contribute to quality of life in residential care’, which includes case studies as well as resource information on arts organisations committed to working with older people. NCF executive director Des Kelly said: “Creative Homes has been produced to celebrate existing good practice in the use of the arts in residential care. We know that a great deal of activity is already taking place amongst the best providers. “This publication is also intended to demonstrate the value of art to improving the quality of life for people in care settings. “We hope the practical style of the guide will inspire managers and practitioners to develop and extend arts activity for the benefit of residents, their families and staff.” incorporating The Number One magazine for the care sector
Transcript
December 2011
no.187 • £4.75
In association with
By Dominic Musgrave
A LOCAL authority broke the lawwhen it froze payments covering thecost of care for elderly people incare homes, a High Court judge hasruled.
And the landmark decision againstSefton council could affect 140 localauthorities which froze or reducedcare payments to thousands of carehome residents, the head of thelocal association has claimed.
Dan Lingard says the ruling maydouble the potential shortfall in thebudget for care of the elderly inEngland and Wales to £2b, but itcould mean justice for older peoplewho have been forced to raid theirsavings or assets to cover the cost ofgood quality and dignified care.
He added: “This win gives us nogreat pleasure – but it does providea tremendous sense of justice forthe most vulnerable of people.
“It is an action which should nothave had to be taken out in the firstplace, but clearly has massiveimplications for care. It may well bethe tipping point which re-prioritises the way care is fundedand provided in this country.
“We may well be living andoperating in a very tough economicenvironment, but the judge haseffectively ruled that the financial
environment is not a good enoughreason for a council to impose afreeze on payments to massivelyvulnerable people.”
His Honour Judge Raynor QCruled in the High Court that thetypical middle-sized authorityshould not have frozen paymentlevels to 1,600 elderly people in carein the borough, and that it did notpay due regard to the actual cost ofcovering care in making itsunilateral decision.
A council spokesman said thejudgment provided clarificationaround the difficulties of makingsuch important decisions in such ashort period of time.
He added: “The judgment does notsay that we have made the wrongdecision. It is merely critical ofsome elements of the process wewent through. The proposal not toincrease fees for care homes has notbeen criticised.
“This has been a very complicatedlegal process. It shows that thespeed at which we needed to makecuts last year has meant we did notconsult with care home providersearly enough about the possiblefreeze in their fees. We accept that.
“Given more time, we could havehad further discussions with careproviders - we have already learnedlessons.”
Council brokelaw over feesclaims judge
Actor Geoffrey Palmer has lent his support to acampaign that offers elderly people free overnight staysin a care group’s homes over the festive period.Abbeyfield’s ‘Companionship At Christmas’ campaignfollows a successful pilot last year, and more than 100homes nationwide will open their doors and offer theirspare rooms and lunches to people who may be aloneor lonely.
ActivitiesbrochurelaunchedTWO leading careassociations have joinedforces to develop a goodpractice guide.
The National CareForum, NAPA and TheBaring Foundation havepublished ‘CreativeHomes: how the arts cancontribute to quality oflife in residential care’,which includes casestudies as well asresource information onarts organisationscommitted to workingwith older people.
NCF executive directorDes Kelly said: “CreativeHomes has beenproduced to celebrateexisting good practice inthe use of the arts inresidential care. We knowthat a great deal ofactivity is already takingplace amongst the bestproviders.
“This publication isalso intended todemonstrate the value ofart to improving thequality of life for peoplein care settings.
“We hope the practicalstyle of the guide willinspire managers andpractitioners to developand extend arts activityfor the benefit ofresidents, their familiesand staff.”
incorporating
The Number One magazine for the care sector
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3CARINGNEWS
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By Dominic Musgrave
THE care sector needs to do more toforce the Government to implement thefindings of a report which would reformthe system, according to its author.
Andrew Dilnot, chairman of theCommission on the Funding of Care andSupport, whose report was published inJuly, has urged care home operators towrite to their local MP in a bid to get the£2bn a year he says is necessary for thereport’s proposals.
The report calls for a ‘fair’ lifetime capof £35,000 on individuals’ contributionsto their care before the state would stepin, with those with assets worth less than£100,000 receiving full local authorityfunding of their care costs.
Speaking at the annual ECCA confer-ence in London, he said: “We have to beless polite and a little more cross, and asa sector say ‘come on this really needs tohappen’ and that we need to be takenseriously on this.
“The way we care for people with needsis a sign of the decent society we can be.
“All three political parties want to do itso lets show when at a time where thereare difficult things going on elsewherethat we can be bold and do somethingthat can be world leading.
“Had we published the report threeyears ago I am sure it would have beenimplemented without question. Surelythis is important enough to have the
courage to take the necessary steps anddo it now.”
He also called for a change in attitudeto elderly care in the UK.
“People living to an older age is seen asa burden, which I believe is utter non-sense.
“It is something that should be cele-brated and, as a competent sector, weneed to see it as a challenge that we willmake changes to cope with.
“Putting the tricky report together hasbeen fund and enjoyable to do becauserarely do you work with people who lookafter people at their most vulnerable. I’vebeen moved by people’s passion andcommitment.”
Andrew Dilnot
Sector must domore for its future
Bollywood came to a Staines care home whenit held a special themed day.The event at White Gates Care Centre includ-ed traditional dances from members from avisiting academy, while the residents weredecked in garlands and were treated to avariety of Asian dishes. Previous events at thehome have included French and Italianthemed days and entertainment from a ven-triloquist and pantomime.
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A LEADING provider has beenrecognised by the RSPCA for itsinnovative and open approach tobringing pets and animals into itscare homes.
Sanctuary Care, which owns morethan 40 facilities nationwide, wasawarded the runner-up spot in theInnovator in Animal Welfare Award atthe animal charity’s annualCommunity Animal WelfareFootprints Awards.
They recognise the hard work and
commitment of those who improveanimal welfare in their area of work.
Sanctuary’s director of care LenMerton, who often brings his petShitzu, Cassie, to his office at HatfieldNursing Home, said the group haslaunched a drive to actively promotethe inclusion of at least one pet inevery home.
He added: “At Sanctuary werecognise the importance of pets toour residents’ psychological andemotional wellbeing. They can
provide a settling influence, offeringsome continuity when residentsmove in, helping them to feel more athome in their new surroundings andenabling them to adjust to a newroutine more easily. On top of that,looking after animals has beenshown to have therapeutic effects forresidents, promoting good healthand helping to reduce both stressand blood pressure levels.”
Sanctuary Care’s homes boast alarge and varied selection of animals
including cats, dogs, guinea-pigs andfish, to name but a few, and with somany animals now being cared for atthe homes the welfare of the animalshad to be monitored .
This led to the creation of the ‘Petsin Care Homes’ policy which formal-ised the implementation of ‘PetAgreements’ and care plans for theanimals. These agreements ensurewelfare is monitored and maintainedand allow residents to play a full partin looking after the pets.
Elsie Lynchwith a bird ofprey
Provider praised for pet policy
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By Dominic Musgrave
A YEAR’S hard work came to an end at a SouthYorkshire care home when the local mayor cut aribbon to officially open a new EMI Dementia Unitand day care centre.
The work at Thornhill House in Darfield, on theoutskirts of Barnsley, has been carried out since it wastaken over by Harpreet Banwait last year.
The 40-bed home is the first the former economistbought under his newly created company Strong LifeCare, though his extended family have extensiveexperience in the care sector and own homes inLeicestershire.
The new dementia facility ‘The Rose Wing’ has 11bedrooms, while the day centre will initially be able toaccommodate approximately a dozen people. All ofthe other corridors around the home have beennamed after flowers and upgraded.
Harpreet said: “I set up the business to provide goodvalue care for people in Barnsley and South Yorkshire,and we will not discriminate on anything for anyservice user, be them privately funded or from thelocal authority.
“All pay the same fee and we provide the same careto all, and we won’t charge any extra if someone has alarger room than another resident.
“I believe in quality and care, and that if you getthose right and employ the best staff that are welltrained both in house and externally, everything elsewill fall into place.
“We have people working here who have been herealmost all of the home’s 27 years, and the averagetenure at the moment is five years, which is almostunheard of in this industry, so there must besomething keeping them at Thornhill.”
The new dementia unit features the latest intechnology, signage, reminiscence objects andmemory boxes, while Harpreet has also used advicefrom Stirling University during the upgrade of thehome on things such as colours, carpets and avoidingreflective surfaces.
He added: “The home has come a long way since wetook over and, with many local authority homesclosing, we are moving away from the traditional carehome model to offer all services apart from nursing,although we may look at adding an extension toaccommodate this later.
“We will be looking to employ several more peopleonce the home is fully up and running, and I’d like to
grow further on this site so we can increase in size upto around 70 beds.
“We’ll be working closely with the council because Idon’t want to have a good or excellent care home butwant to have the greatest in Barnsley that is used forpeople to come and see how we do things for bestpractice.
“After that I would like to think we could acquireother care homes if there is a good deal to be taken. I’dlike to stay in Yorkshire initially but the Scottish andIrish care markets do also appeal to me, but buildingup the reputation of Thornhill is of my immediateconcern.”
Latest technology fornew dementia unit
Mayor of Barnsley Karen Dyson cuts the ribbon withdirectors Harpreet and Gian Banwait.
Home stafftake partin creativeworkshop STAFF at a Somerset care home havecompleted an innovative ‘CreativeCare’ workshop.
Part of the programme atBrunelcare’s Glastonbury facilityincluded regular sessions of creative care and therapeuticactivities for the residents, includingsensory integration, movement and dance for body image and self esteem, creative communicationthrough puppets, art and clay expression, drama forinteraction.
Home manager Joy White said: “Weare committed to a person-centredapproach, rather than a task orsymptom-centred, where theindividual’s unique creativepotential can be developed withpatience and respect.
“As people we require stimulationand communication or we becomewithdrawn or apathetic.
“It is well recognised that positiverelationships are the very fabric ofsocial support and care.”
Creative Care was created by DrSue Jennings, who first developedthe approach in Romania in largeinstitutions before expansion intothe UK.
The methods aim to re-stimulatebrain cells and keep elderly peoplemore alert and interested in thosearound them, especially those whohave dementia.
Creative communication enable the building of meaningfulrelationships that maintain the integrity of the individual.
The group, which is run as a charity, recently celebrated its 70th anniversary with a partyattended by mayor of Bristol, GeoffGollop.
Have you got news for us?Call our healthcare editor Dominic Musgraveon 01226 734407
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Councillors gaininsight intocouncil servicesBy Christina Eccles
A NORTH West county council haslaunched a groundbreaking schemeto give councillors a taste of theservices they represent.
As part of the ‘Back to the Floor’campaign, Lancashire countycouncillor Renee Blow visited LadyElsie Finney House in Preston to gainan insight into the work of frontlinestaff and find out more about theservices provided there.
She said: “The centre was very cleanand the facilities were superb.
“There was even an outdoor gardenand green house facilities whereservice users were encouraged togrow their own vegetables and lookafter chickens.
“The whole place had a veryhomely feel and the staff and peoplewho used the centre were veryfriendly.
“A lot of the activities focused onencouraging people to reminisce,which is really important forencouraging people to retain as
much memory function as possible.
“I have found taking part in Back tothe Floor very helpful and feel I willnow be able to provide moreinformation about dementia care toresidents in the area I serve.”
Lady Elsie Finney House is aspecialised care home for 45 peoplewith dementia.
The centre offers residentialaccommodation for 45 service users.
The home, which was opened in2007, also includes day care facilitiesfor 25 elderly people.
Manager Alison Walker said she islooking for volunteers to provideactivities for service users.
She added: “Dementia affectspeople in very different ways, so wefocus on offering everyone here aspecific care package which meetstheir individual needs.
“We have three separate units here, each catering for 15 people. Weoffer a variety of activities that helpto reduce the effects of thecondition.”
Social life co-ordinator Geraldine Bunning with resident Dorothy Molland and avolunteer from the barge.
RESIDENTS from a Bridgnorthnursing home experienced life on theriverbank during a canal barge tripalong the West Midland’s waterways.
The group from Morris Care’sOldbury Grange facility, whichincluded residents’ families, begantheir journey near Wolverhampton,before spending the afternoon
journeying along the waters andlearning about the barge.
Geraldine Bunning, social life co-ordinator the home, said: “We thinkit is really important that family areable to share days out such as thesewith our residents, as they wouldhave done before they came to staywith us.”
Families join canal barge trip
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ELM Bank Care Home chef PaulBurch won the first heat of a caregroup’s own version of Masterchef‘Cook Off’ held at the The Red Lion inEast Haddon, Northampton.
The event was the first of severalthat Avery Healthcare are running atthe pub, which is owned by Michelinstar chef Adam Gray over the upcom-ing months.
Hayley Strowbridge, commissioningand hotel services manager for thegroup, said: “Our chefs are selectedfor being extremely talented individ-uals with a true passion for food.Meal times are an important time forresidents and our chefs are required
to create first class food for a range ofpalates – it’s no easy undertaking andwe value the work they do. As part oftheir training programme we haveplanned a series of short courses atAdam’s Cookery School where ourchefs will be required to prepare theirinterpretation of a set dish under hiscareful tutelage.”
The Masterchef ‘Cook Off’ will seechefs from Avery homes across thecountry participating in regionalheats culminating in the final, wherethe winner will secure a weekendaway for two at Stapleford ParkCountry House Hotel near MeltonMowbray.
The chefsat TheRed Lion
Paul cooks up a win
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MORE than 200 of a care group’s staff have beenrecognised for their work achievements atawards ceremonies.
The Orders of St John Care Trust, the UK’ssecond largest not-for-profit care homeprovider, held its annual Wiltshire Care Awardsat the Corn Exchange in Devizes, while theOxfordshire event took place at The KingsCentre in Osney Mead.
At the Wiltshire ceremony, the care and qualityaccreditation award was presented toWillowcroft in Salisbury after staff met Trustaccreditation for medication following a recentaudit.
The team award was presented to Su Bishopand her staff at Townsend Court in Malmesburyand to three handymen – Simon Sadd, SteveEllis and James Booth – who work across thegroup’s 19 homes in the county.
And Keith Telling was presented with an awardfor special recognition of voluntary service forhis efforts at Marden Court in Calne.
At the Oxfordshire ceremony, AnnetteHornsby, who is blind and regularly visitsLonglands care home in Blackbird Leys with herguide dog Ki to offer aromatherapy sessions toresidents, was named volunteer of the year.
The unsung hero award was presented toClaudio Catarino, care leader at St Edburgs inBicester and Stephen Dempsey, care leaderfrom Orchard Meadows in Banbury, while
Krzysztof Gilowski, carer at Townsend House inHeadington, took the learner prize.
Certificates were also awarded to staff at bothceremonies who achieved NVQs in Health andSocial Care, Housekeeping and Catering, as wellas City and Guilds, Moving and Handling andSupervisory Management qualifications.
Other winners (Wiltshire): Carer (under 25) –David Taylor (Ridgeway House, WoottonBassett); Carer (over 25) – Kerry Hunt(Willowcroft, Salisbury); Unsung hero – MurielRichards (Hungerford House, Corsham);Hospitality – Linda Jefferies (Hungerford House,Corsham); Manager – Anna Lovesey (FlorenceCourt, Trowbridge); 30 years’ service – JenniferRymell (Athelstan House, Malmesbury), JillMitchener (Wiltshire County Office), JaneRidgwell and Sally House (both Seymour House,Chippenham); Voluntary long service (25 years)– Ann Sillers (Athelstan House, Malmesbury).
Other winners (Oxfordshire): 25 years’ service– Vivienne Smith (Henry Cornish Care Centre,Chipping Norton), Delia Bowen (Isis House,Oxford), Diane Davidson (Marston Court,Marston), Jayne Trinder (Mayott House,Abingdon), Julie Allum and Sheila Digweed(both Westgate House, Wallingford); 30 years’service – Mary Shannon (Larkrise, Banbury),Patricia Pomroy (Marston Court, Marston); 35years’ service – Jean Snuggs (Stirlings).
Annette Hornsby receives her volunteer award fromtrustee Millie Wentworth-Stanley with her dog Ki.
Care group rewards stafffor work achievements
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USA exchange visits offerretirement living insightA LEADING retirement village specialist has com-pleted a social experiment to compare UK commu-nities with those in the USA.
Working with American retirement livingprovider, Senior Resource Group, Audley initiatedan exchange programme which saw residentsswapping lifestyles to gain further insight into howretirement communities are managed, dispelmyths and challenge stereotypes of ‘old folks’homes.
Nick Sanderson, Audley CEO, said: “For too longthere have been negative stereotypes attached toretirement living and we wanted to address thesewith the exchange programme.
“At Audley, we have pioneered a new UK concept,a village environment which offers a chance todownsize and maintain independence, but withthe security and peace of mind that when extrahelp is needed, it’s readily available without havingto move again.”
As part of the trial, Tony and Carol Gregory fromAudley St Elphin’s Park near Matlock in Derbyshiretravelled to California to live in two SRG communi-ties; Maravilla, Santa Barbara and Park Lane inMonterey for 10 days.
At the same time, Lou and Muriel Schloss, leftMaravilla to travel to England and spend time atAudley’s Clevedon village in Ilkley and St Elphin’sPark in Darley Dale.
The couples participated in a full schedule ofevents including entertainment evenings, trips tolocal attractions as well as chance to spend timewith the staff and residents.
Carol said: “Apart from the obvious difference in
weather, which allows the community to do a lotmore outdoors, one of the main contrasts is thescale.
“Maravilla has more than 350 residences, so thereis always something going on, which certainly keptus busy.
“We were interested to find out how the rentalmodel worked and were impressed by the servicesincluded, but the British seem to favour ownershipas opposed to renting so this could be difficult toreplicate.”
SRG provides a variety of living options withindependent and assisted living, as well as special
‘Memory Care’ which offers specialised support forthose with Alzheimer's or related conditions. Thecompany has 16 communities located in Oregon,California, Arizona and Florida.
Lou added: “Retirement communities are com-monplace in the US, but as a nation we share thesame UK concerns about moving to one. Peopleare afraid to do it and it’s the brave ones who makethe decision to downsize while they still have timeto enjoy their retirement.
“With that in mind, the social makeup of the vil-lages is very similar and we’ve met some greatfriends who we hope to stay in touch with.”
Tony and Carol Gregory with Lou and Muriel Schloss
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By Dominic Musgrave
A LOCAL authority has agreed tocarry out a fresh review of the way itsets its fee rates for care homes afterbeing threatened with a legalchallenge.
Staffordshire County Council madethe dramatic U-turn after facing adate at the High Court in a casebought by the Fairer Fee Forum, whowas representing more than 200providers in the area.
The agreement means a freshdecision on the fees the council payswill be undertaken, coupled with anindependent review to ensure it hascomplied with all its duties.
The Forum was represented byRaman Purewal and Kashif Majeed,directors of Aston Brooke Solicitors.
Welcoming the council’s decision,Raman said it was a more beneficialoutcome for the Forum than anycourt ruling.
He added: “We recognised that nolocal authority was taking account ofthe true cost of care and this practicehad gone on for too long.
“I welcome Staffordshire countycouncil’s decision not to proceed withlitigation and agree with the Forum tomake a fresh decision on fees for carehomes which has more importantly,ensured that our client was able tosecure a wider scope than just areview of care home fees.
“We were able to secure anindependent review of the council’sreview process for standard rate fees.We also avoided the unnecessaryfinancial costs of a judicial reviewand burden on the public purse.”
The council confirmed it wouldrelate the decision of its review to
setting 2012/13 fees and incorporatea fresh one for 2011/12.
County councillor Matthew Ellis,cabinet member for adults and wellbeing, said: “We live in challengingtimes and have been working closelywith the care home sector inStaffordshire to look at ways to assistthem in meeting some of thefinancial challenges.
“This agreement is a common sensesolution which has the potential toput the care home sector in thecounty on a firmer footing for thefuture.”
The Forum, which is chaired byECCA chief executive Martin Green,confirmed it is currently representingother care providers across Englandin their campaign to achieve the trustof care. He urged other care providerswho were faced with a freeze orreduction in care home fees to comeforward and make their case.
Authority backsdown after legalchallenge threat
Raman Purewal
RESIDENTS at a Shropshire nursinghome moved to the music during anaction packed afternoon of exerciseand activities.
Morris Care’s Stretton Hall in AllStretton held an ‘Extend’ seatedexercise session as a way of helpingresidents to stay active.
Using a parachute, hoops andpompoms as aids, residents followeda routine of exercises led by thegroup’s social life co-ordinator AlisonHearle.
She said: “It is very important thatour residents keep active and theExtend class gives them the chance totake some gentle exercise and havegreat fun at the same time. They allreally enjoyed the parachute andpompoms.”
The class is a routine eventarranged by the home, taking care tochoose movements that addressresidents’ specific needs, allowingthose who took part to indulge insome gentle mobility exercises.
Residents Richard Lea and Edna Allamby take part in the session.
Residents enjoy exercise class
A SCOTTISH care group whichowns 12 nursing and residentialhomes has gone intoadministration.
PKF has been appointed to takeover the running of the Argus CareGroup, which comprises of fivecompanies and employs morethan 700 people.
Administrators have appointedtwo experienced care homeoperators to assist them incontinuing to professionallyoperate the care homes.
Kerry Bailey, joint administratorand corporate recovery partnerwith PKF, said: “We will continueto operate the homes as normalwhile they are in administration.We will ensure that all residents,their relatives, and staff are keptfully informed of any
developments as well as notifyingthe relevant local and regulatoryauthorities.
“We appreciate that these are notlike any other businesses but arethe homes of the residents andensuring there is continuity ofcare is our priority.”
“Unfortunately the group haddebts and cash flow problemswhich were exacerbated bycreditor pressures which led to theadministration of the company.While trading we will be seekingbuyers for the business tradingfrom the homes and will marketthem as going concerns.”
She added that the homes haveall been visited and assessed as toquality and standards of care andto ensure that residents, staff andrelatives are fully informed.
Administrators take overrunning of care groupALL care homes in Scotland will be
subject to an annual unannouncedinspection.
Cabinet secretary for health NicolaSturgeon unveiled the plan, sayingthe additional level of scrutiny isintended to ensure that standardsand quality of care do not deterioratebetween inspections.
Inspectors will also be able toincrease the number of times theyvisit a care home over a year shouldthey be concerned aboutperformance.
Nicola said: “I believe that ingeneral care services in Scotland areof a good quality and respond well tothe needs of both older people andthe people who care for them.
“I also believe that thearrangements in place for theregulation and inspection of carehomes are fundamentally robust.However, I have also been clear thatthere are aspects of the care regime inScotland that are worth furtherconsideration.
“That is why I have announced astrengthening of the regulation andinspection regime and work toprovide protection against thechallenges presented bycircumstances such as the failure ofSouthern Cross.
“I recognise that until the transfer offormer Southern Cross homes to thenew operators is complete that therewill be anxiety and concern. But Iwant to reassure people that we willcontinue to work with both SouthernCross, the landlords and theinspectorate to ensure we get the bestresult for all Scottish residents.”
Two Scottish care homes run bySouthern Cross, Belhaven in Troonand Forth View in Leven, have yet tofind new operators. The homes caterfor about 100 residents betweenthem.
Nicola also announced that SocialCare and Social Work InspectionScotland would now be known as theCare Inspectorate.
Scottish homes to beinspected annually
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CARINGNEWS16
Green-fingered residents at a Shropshire nursing home aregetting closer to nature with a new gardening club. Over the lastcouple of months residents at Stretton Hall in All Stretton havebeen getting outdoors to spend time nurturing plants.Picture: Carers Debbie Allamby and Caroline Tarbuck withresidents Pamela Passant and Betty Butler at Stretton Hall.
RESIDENTS at a Devon carehome have taken part in atrial of a new product thataims to prevent the commonproblem of skin tears in theelderly.
Palm Court in Dawlish,South Devon, took part in theproject after beingapproached by Dermatuffowner Peter Thornton, whohas suffered with serious skintears and leg ulcers himselfcaused by ‘thin skin’. Duringthe six-week trial none of thefive residents taking partsuffered a skin tear, which canbe caused by long term use ofsteroid crams or tablets, sunexposure, skin disease or justageing.
Assistant manager JoBroderick, who led the trial
from the home’s side, said thestockings, which are now infull production, are causing alot of excitement in thecounty.
She added: “For us thesticking worked really well, sowell in fact that we have put inan order now that they are infull production.
“Peter kept in touch with usthroughout the trial, andevery day the staff recordedwhat time in the morning theyput the stockings on and whattime they took them off in theevening.
“They also had to record anyinjuries such as bruises but, asthere wasn’t anything, wedidn’t have a lot to give toPeter at the end.”
Jo said the residents thattook part in the trial were allhighly dependent who were at
risk of developing skin tears,and she has no hesitation torecommend them to otherhomes.
She added: “The stockingsare a bit like thick rugby socks,and none of the residentscomplained that they wereuncomfortable at all. Skintears are a regular and painfulproblem among the elderly.Some of our residents are sofrail that you barely have totouch them to break their skinor for them to bruise, sohaving an extra layer ofprotection can only be a goodthing.”
� If you taking part in a trialat your care home then whynot get in touch. Callhealthcare editor DominicMusgrave on 01226 734407 oremail [email protected]
CELEBRITY gardener and a star of ITV’s 71Degrees North Charlie Dimmock hosted theannual Barchester in Bloom gardening awards.
The event at Birmingham Botanical Gardenspromoted the imaginative planting of flowers,trees and shrubs in the gardens of all 200 of itscare homes across the UK.
Winners: Hanging Basket or container – SouthGrange (Dundee); floral or vegetable display –Newton House (Lincolnshire); sensory garden –Highview House (Inverness); residents’ project– Oulton Park (Suffolk); winter garden –Iddenshall Hall (Cheshire); best garden –Prestbury Beaumont (Cheshire).
Celebrity gardener Charlie hosts In Bloom awards
16 15/11/11 14:24 Page 1
17CARINGNEWS
Residents in a Sunderland care home are thrown in at the deep end when it comes totaking part in activities.As part of the varied programme at Glenholme House in Roker, residents are regularlytaken to the nearby aquatic centre. Manager Kelly Watt said there is never any shortageof volunteers wanting to go swimming. She added: “Aside from it being a lot of fun forthe residents, swimming is great for health and wellbeing, which is very importantwhen people get to this stage of their lives.”Picture: Glenholme residents Pat Heslop, Mary Eastern, and Jean Colling have a splash-ing time with activities co-ordinator Jo Hardwick.
New ‘five-star’ homeopens in NewmarketBy Dominic Musgrave
A NEW care home which promises‘five-star hotel facilities with five-starcare’ has opened its doors inNewmarket.
Kentford Manor is the flagship ofExecutive Care Group’s homes, andhas 97 rooms that can take up to 104people in a variety of differentaccommodation which includes luxu-ry apartments.
The home, which is managed byWendy Harvey, can cater for a varietyof people, and boasts its own demen-tia facility.
She said: “We aim to provide ahome where people move in to begina new life, and don’t think it marksthe end.
“Quite often it is felt that a carehome is somewhere a person goes tolive their last few days, but we aim tochange all that and are involving thewider community here as much aspossible by inviting the local women’sinstitute and parish council meetinghere.
“It’s about keeping a homely atmos-phere and thinking outside the box so
we will look at each person as anindividual, and believe that whenthey arrive here they should alreadybelieve they are at home.
“Many people that come to us willhave had a bad experience either atanother home or in their own home,so when they arrive here with theirrelatives we say to them give us achance to prove ourselves.”
Facilities at the home include abeauty and well-being suite, bar andcoffee shop area, a cinema with ajukebox, a post office and an oldroom filled with items from when theresidents were young which thehome’s owners purchased from anearby museum.
A butler is also on hand to fetch res-idents the newspaper or make them acup of tea in the morning. He is alsoavailable to take residents to andfrom town or the surrounding area inthe home’s classic car.
Wendy added: “We believe it is thelittle things that can make a huge dif-ference, which is why we have strivedto go that extra mile for our resi-dents.”
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CARINGNEWS18
Local authorities are‘looking over theirshoulders’ in WalesBy Dominic Musgrave
LOCAL authorities across Wales arelooking over their shoulders to try toavoid being taken to court over carehome fees, it has been claimed.
The care of vulnerable people hasbeen "chronically underfunded" foryears, according to Mario Kreft,chairman of Care Forum Wales,which represents more than 500independent care providers.
But he says the association isbeginning to see a change in attitudefrom some local authorities worriedabout the possibility of beingsubjected to judicial reviews in theHigh Court.
“The past few years have beendifficult economically for everyoneand it’s posed massive challenges forthe social care sector because we’veseen year on year chronicunderfunding,” added Mario. “At thesame time we are faced with highergeneral costs, higher regulatory costs,inflation and significant increases independency – so in a way it is like theperfect storm.
“Commissioners and regulators aretaking no account of the cost ofproviding quality. The driver is andhas been for many one of cost andnot quality.
“The sad fact is that the care homefees and domiciliary care fees are notand have never been a priority forlocal authorities – even though thecare of vulnerable people is astatutory responsibility.
“There is statutory guidance fromthe Welsh Government and all too
often this is ignored.”Mario’s comments follow the recent
decision by Conwy councillors toincrease payments to privateresidential and nursing homes from£346 to £448 per elderly resident perweek – an increase of 29.5 per cent.
Payments to homes for elderly andmentally ill residents (EMI) will beraised by 8.1 per cent from £442 to£478.
Nursing home costs will also go upfrom £561 to £598, and EMI nursinghome patients from £603 to £637.
Mario said there are two morejudicial reviews against council in theoffing at the High Court in Cardiff – asecond one against Pembrokeshireand a new one against Neath PortTalbot.
“I think it’s fair to say that theprovider in Pembrokeshire who hadthe guts to take on the might of thelocal authority has changed thelandscape. There is a differentnarrative now and we are starting tosee local authorities look over theirshoulders and do what they can toavoid a judicial review.”
Mario Kreft
Care homesgather forconferenceand awardsCARE homes from acrossEngland will gather for theannual Gold StandardsFramework Care Homesconference and awardsceremony in January.
The event is an opportunityfor commissioners, health andsocial care professionals, aswell as care home managers, toshare best practice and thesuccess of the latest homes toreceive GSF accreditation.
Ninety homes have appliedfor the coveted GSF in CareHomes Quality Hallmark,joining the 250 homes to havealready been accredited.
Speakers at the event includeBarbara Pointon MBE,Alzheimer’s campaigner, DrClive Bowman, medicaldirector, Bupa Care Services, DrNick Warner, consultantpsychiatrist and dementiaspecialist and RNHA nursingdirector Andrew Makin.
The event takes place onJanuary 25 in London.
A NEW footpath complete withseating areas and a water fountainhas been laid at a Crewe care home inmemory of a former resident.
Vicky Howard used to spend manyhours in the garden at DoddlespoolHall enjoying the sun and fresh airbut, because she walked using awheeled walking frame, was unableto visit the orchard area as there wasno path.
Following her death in May herfamily made a donation to the hometo create a path in her memory, and itwas recently opened on the day shewould have celebrated her 90thbirthday.
Manager Joanne Abbotts said:“Vicky often told her son Charles that
she was unable to admire the largelawned area of the home, andregularly asked us why there was nota footpath leading down there.
“We were delighted when the familymade the kind donation and thoughtit would be very fitting.
“Charles set up a website ‘Vicky’sWay’ so all could keep up to date withthe progress of the new footpath and,after many long and hard workinghours of work put in by the workmen, the footpath looks great.”
More than 30 members of Vicky’sfamily joined the home’s residentsand staff at the official opening of thenew walk way, which has a plaque setin stone in memory at the beginningof it.
Former resident Vicky Howard.
Path opens in Vicky’s honour
18 15/11/11 14:38 Page 1
19CARINGNEWS
A MIDLANDS care group celebrat-ed the dignity of its residents byholding a week of special activities.
Alpha, which owns 12 homes,arranged its own ‘Dignity in Care’event to show that in addition tospecialist tailored care, dignity is anintegral part of the service providedto residents at all of the group’ssites.
Spokeswoman Tracey York said:“Dignity is a fundamental part ofthe service we provide, so we decid-ed to arrange a week-long celebra-tion for all our homes to take partin.
“We tried to make it as fun andinteresting as possible for our resi-dents, to remind them that theirdignity is of the highest importanceto us, and to show them that wevalue them as individuals.
A purple day kicked off the week,with staff and residents encouragedto wear something purple and thehomes decked out with purple bal-loons and decorations.
The following day residents tookpart in a pamper day, and on theWednesday they were encouragedto make a wish to attach to a ‘wishtree’.
Staff were also encouraged tomake a wish for their residents toattach to the tree, and some willnow be chosen at random and staff
will do their best to make themcome true.
Thursday saw a purple coffeemorning take place with lots offood and drink on offer, includingblackcurrant juice, blackberrycheesecakes and purple iced cakes
for residents and their families andvisitors.
The week was rounded off with asimultaneous balloon release andtea party across all of the homes.
Staff at the group’s Redditch headoffice also joined in the fun.
Tracey York as Tinky Winky with Westley Court resident Jonathan Gray
Care group celebrationrecognises residents’ dignity
Home sets upvisit groupA CHESHIRE care home has set up ahomes from home group to encour-age residents to visit other facilitiesowned by the group.
The idea derived from CLS staff atNew Milton House in Alsager realis-ing residents often had interestingpast times, as well as fascinating sto-ries to tell, such as places visited andwartime tales.
Activity co-ordinator at the home,Chris Cull, believed a group shouldbe formed for residents to discusspast experiences as well as sharingcurrent hobbies and interests withothers from nearby homes.
He said: “The residents have beenreally enthusiastic about the groupand love the idea of visiting differenttowns, making new friends and shar-ing their interests with others.”
A BENFLEET care home raised £500for the Crossroads charity following aweekend of events.
First Choice’s Oakdale ResidentialHome held a Best of British day tocoincide with UK Older People’s Day,with staff, residents and familiesdressing up and enjoying classicBritish foods like cockles, mussels,pie and mash. The Mayor ofCastlepoint opened the celebrationswhich also included music, enter-tainment and a garden party.
£500 boost
19 15/11/11 14:39 Page 1
CARINGNEWS20
‘LIFE on the Home Front’ was thetheme for a reminiscence sessionheld at a Horncastle care home.
Residents at Tanglewood enjoyedrefreshments while chatting abouttheir memories of the ‘Dig forVictory’ and ‘Make Do and Mend’campaigns. They also recalled theirexperiences in the Land Army andtalked about evacuees and rationing.
Activities co-ordinator CherryWilkinson said the home hostsregular reminiscing sessions as part
of their activity programme, withfacilitator Christine Motley leadingresidents through their memoriesand experiences of various subjects.
She added: “Christine alwaysdresses appropriately for the chosensubject and brings in a variety ofobjects and photographs to jog ourmemories.
“It’s a great opportunity for ourresidents to chat together, have alaugh and share their thoughts andexperiences.”
Cherry Wilkinson and Christine Motley with residents Elsie Brown and Elaine Minchin
Life on the Home Front revisitedat Horncastle care home ... RESIDENTS of a Wrexham care home
were treated to a feast of opera.Members of Welsh National
Opera, soprano Meriel Andrew andtenor Simon Buttle, raised the roof at the Hillbury Care Home aftertaking to the stage in the chapel to an audience of more than 50people.
The visit was part of a three-yearWNO residency in the town. They arecreating Nine Stories High, a soapopera which is being performed andfilmed on the streets of Wrexham.
The concert was organised by thehome’s artist in residence SarahEdwards.
She said: “They were enraptured;everyone was caught in the moment.We have people here with complexconditions such as dementia, but music can have a connection.
“We feel the arts play a role inenhancing people’s lives. Cominginto a care home is not the end it’s anew start. We want the best quality oflife for our residents.”
Meriel Andrew and Simon Buttle from the WNO
Opera hits the right note
20 15/11/11 15:30 Page 1
21
Caring UK Commercesection brings you all the latest property,business and trainingnews every month.
In this issue:
� Firm more thandoubles in size withtakeovers
Page 22
� New Colerainecare home tocreate up to sixtyjobs
Page 23
� Royal visitoropens £9.5mdevelopment
Page 24
Backing for Dilnot proposalsPRIVATE care home operators havebacked the Dilnot Commission’s propos-als on insurance to help resolve thelong-term care funding crisis in the UK,a new report has revealed.
A survey of more than 100 privateoperators carried out by BarclaysCorporate and risk consultant Locktonfound that 61 per cent of operatorsbelieve insurance is the best solution forfunding care in the future.
The Dilnot Commission outlined aproposal for the insurance industry tostep in and support those paying forcare themselves up to a £35,000 cap oncare costs, with the State meeting thefinancial burden above this level.
Paul Birley, head of healthcare atBarclays Corporate said: “It is encourag-ing that the Dilnot Commission’s recom-mendations on reforms to care fundinghave found support with private opera-tors.
“Good quality care can produceincredible results in the improvement of
the quality of life of those that receive itbut it is vital that a viable solution isfound to ensure care is affordable andsustainable for the UK’s ageing popula-tion.
“Private operators have every reason tobe confident in their futures. They’veproven over time to be both flexible inapproach and able to adapt quickly to
changing conditions.”Nineteen per cent suggested the
Government should increase taxes,while a further 20 per cent said theybelieve residents should use their ownpersonal equity to pay for future care.
The survey also asked operators whatthey saw as the greatest challenges forthe sector. The results confirmed thatthe squeeze on margins remains thebiggest challenge, with the majority - 60per cent - citing cuts in fees and a fur-ther 46 per cent saying staff costs werethe two most significant challenges.
Despite the uncertainty around thecare funding system and the wider eco-nomic outlook, private operatorsremained optimistic about the prospectsfor their own organisations, with 57 percent of providers confident about thefuture.� What do you think? Let DominicMusgrave know by ringing 01226 734407or email [email protected]
Paul Birley
21 15/11/11 14:41 Page 1
CARINGCOMMERCE22
By Dominic Musgrave
A HERTFORDSHIRE based careoperator has more than doubled insize after taking over the running of23 care homes from Southern Cross.
Almost 1,300 of the 1,737 registeredbeds Life Style Care has acquired arein London, and new lease agreementshave been negotiated between thecompany and the Jersey basedRegency Care Investment Ltd, whopreviously leased them to thecollapsed operator to reflect marketconditions.
The other sites Life Style Care willrun are along the M4 corridor inSlough, Reading and Swindon,Nottingham in the Midlands andSheffield and Leeds in the North. An83-bed facility is due to open in Yorknext May.
Chief Executive Ramesh Sachdevsaid consolidation will be a majorfeature of the months ahead.
He added: “The new rent levelsagreed with the landlord’s fundershave been set at a level which allowsus to put in place a significantrefurbishment programme withineach of the homes.
“We anticipate this will cost in theregion of £2.1m in the first year and aminimum of £1m in subsequentyears.
“A large number of the homes wehave surveyed have shown theadverse effects of a lack of investmentin equipment, carpets, chairs, bedsand general decoration. In somecases the lack of repairs weresignificant, leaving roomsuninhabitable, or roofs leakingbadly.”
The group, which has beenoperating since 1987, hasstrengthened its management teamto cope with the acquisitions, which
has seen it go from 14 homes with1,112 beds to 37 currently with 2,849.Chief Executive Ramesh Sachdev sayswith the opening of the York home(83 beds) the total number of bedswithin the group will go to 2,932.
Ramesh added: “As many of 10 ofthe homes which transferred eitherhad no manager, or only an actingmanager. so a priority has been torecruit strong and experiencedmanagement for each of thesehomes.
“This process is well under way witha total of five permanentappointments already being made.
“In general we have been pleasedwith the quality of staff we haveinherited, and they in turn haveexpressed enthusiasm about joiningus because they can see the future ofthe homes they work for is secure,with clear direction from the centreto rebuild staff morale and a desirefor close co-operative working withresidents, relatives and purchasers.”
Firm more thandoubles in sizewith takeovers
Ramesh Sachdev
Taylor National has completed the sale of the 61-bed Philbeach Care Centre in Hythe,Kent.The purchasers, Tony Barnes and Phil Barker of the locally based Premium Healthcare,acquired the shares in the existing company, which increases their existingrepresentation in the town to three homes and a total of 134 beds.Tony said: “I was delighted with the manner in which June Willoughby handled thismatter on behalf of the selling agents and we were very pleased that the buyingprocess was so smooth in this case.”
HARPREET Virk and Ranjit Singh,trading as Virk Family Limited, havemade their first acquisition with thepurchase of Arden Lea nursing homein central Nottingham.
The established care home, which isregistered for 27 service users, hasbeen purchased for an undisclosedprice.
Harpreet said: “As the new owners,going forward Virk Family Limited iscommitted to working with residentsand staff to further improvestandards at Arden Lea.
“We will work together tostrengthen the quality and level ofcare provided to residents so that itbecomes the home of choice inNottingham.
“We will strive to make the stay ofall our residents as homely andcaring as possible.”
DC Care was instructed to marketthe home on behalf of Nimal Atheray,who is retiring after 30 years. Fundingfor the purchase was arranged byChandler and Co.
Arden Lea nursing home
Family makes first acquisition
CHRISTIE and Co has sold AbbeydaleNursing and Residential Home inLiverpool to an existing local operatorfor an undisclosed sum on behalf ofDoson Ltd.
This is the second care home deal
the company has completed withinthe region in recent months.
The home, which operated with afully qualified RGN manager, isregistered to provide care for 36service users in single bedrooms.
Existing operator buys home
SPECIALIST business transfer agentsTaylor National has completed thesale of Glan-Yr-Afon Nursing Home atBlackwood, Mid Glamorgan for anundisclosed consideration.
The home, which offers 39 all singlebedroom accommodation set in one-
and-a-half acres, has been acquiredby the Monmouthshire based Dr andMrs Bansal.
This brings the number of homesunder their ownership to eight andover 300 registered beds.
Couple add eighth home to portfolioGlan-Yr-Afon Nursing Home
Tax reclaims for care home owners...CAPITAL allowances are among the most valuable and leastexploited methods of reducing property owners’ income tax orcorporation tax liabilities.
Capital allowances arise from capital expenditure onpurchasing or constructing a new property along with extensionsand refurbishments.
We comprehensively survey the property which allows us toidentify any qualifying items that, for numerous reasons, havepreviously not been claimed.
Don’t delay as the government are considering closing thisopportunity for retrospective claims. Call now for your freeappraisal.
Have you made a Vat reclaim? If you were operating between1993 and 2002 call now to start making your claim.
We will quickly identify the validity of a claim withoutobligation. If it does not proceed there will be no fee.
Enquiries: Telephone 01246 293011 or visit www.salmon-business.com
22 17/11/11 16:32 Page 1
23CARINGCOMMERCE
NEWSREADER Gillian Porter official-ly opened a new care home inColeraine which will create up to 60jobs in the area.
The Priory owned Bohill, built onthe site of a former hotel with thesame name, is a purpose built nurs-ing home with beds for 80 residentsneeding nursing or dementia nursingcare. It will be managed by the expe-rienced Tracy Henry.
Care will be provided in single, en-suite accommodation, while there
will also be a choice of lounges anddining areas and a secure, enclosedlandscaped garden.
The dementia house will reflect thevery latest research in dementia care,focussing on a person’s abilities.Dementia-signposting will assist withorientation and a reminiscence roomis planned. All residents will haveaccess to carefully planned activitiesand a wide range of professionalsincluding a hairdresser, chiropodist,optician and GP.
Tracy Henry with UTV newsreader Gillian Porter.
New Coleraine care hometo create up to sixty jobs
By Tim Leeman
Saving tax at a rate of 52 per cent PLUS crystallising a Governmenttax give-away PLUS protecting your personalassets… all in a single transaction?
THIS may well sound like everybusinessperson’s dream, it is, how-ever, currently within the grasp of agreat many care home operatorswho are currently trading as a part-nership.
A few basic factsUnless you are trading as a LLP
(Limited liability partnership) youand your partners are in legalterms the business. If the businessincurs any debts that cannot bepaid out of the business assets thecreditors can sue you personally.
As a partner in a partnership(including an LLP) your share ofthe partnership profits is assessedon you personally and you pay per-sonal income tax on the profits. Inshort your share of the businessprofits are added to all of yourother personal income and thetotal is taxed on you personally.The rates of personal tax and class4 national insurance are as follows:Income above £42,475 and below£100,000 – 42 per cent.Income above £100,000 and below£114,950 – 63 per cent.Income over £114,950 and below£150,000 – 42 per cent.Income over £150,000 – 52 percent.
As can be seen, anyone operatinga care home business which is hit-ting the industry benchmarkingkey performance indicators (KPIs)will most likely be in the 52 percent tax bracket – not a nice placeto be?The Government and taxes
The recession is here for a whileand the country’s finances are in apoor state, there is too little tax rev-enue to balance the ever increasinggovernment expenditure. As aresult I cannot see any scope toreduce personal rates of tax (per-sonal taxes apply to partnershipincome).
However, the currentGovernment appears to be com-mitted to assisting businesses andencouraging entrepreneurship. Inthe last budget it announced that itwas committed to maintaining thehighly favorable tax regime avail-able for entrepreneurs disposing ofa business for the life of the currentgovernment.
Anyone disposing of a business(subject to certain criteria) willonly pay 10 per cent capital gainstax on any gain made on the saleup to a maximum of £10m. This iscalled Entrepreneurs Relief.The opportunity to avoid the 52 percent tax charge
In the right circumstances thereexists a perfectly legal opportunityfor partners within a care homepartnership to dispose of their
business to a limited company(which they in turn own). This willensure that the profit of the busi-ness will no longer be instantlysubject to personal tax (maximumof 52 per cent) – instead it will besubject to corporation tax at thefollowing rates:Profits below £300,000 – 20 percent.Profit over £300,000 and below£1.5m – 27.5 per cent.Profits over £1.5m – 26 per cent.
Many commentators haveexpressed surprise at the generosi-ty of the Government setting a rateof just 10 per cent and a limit of£10m on a business sale. What willhappen after the term of the cur-rent government is anyone’s guess,however there must be a stronglikelihood that the favorable taxregime that currently exists maywell change.
By transferring the partnershipbusiness to a limited company andtaking advice as to how this shouldbe undertaken, the partners will bedeemed to have sold the partner-ship business.
The newly-formed limited com-pany will have purchased the busi-ness and will have a debt in itsaccounts to the partners. This debtis able to be repaid to the partnersfree of any taxes. The partners willbe charged just 10 per cent on thesale.The opportunity to reduce personalexposure and thereby protect personalassets
There exists an opportunity forcurrent partners to sell their busi-ness to a limited company (ownedby themselves). A limited compa-ny is a separate legal entity.
An instant advantage here is thatany debts or claims on the compa-ny stay with the company and theowners are not personally liable asthey are as partners in a partner-ship.Practical aspects of the sale of thebusiness to a company
You no longer need to pay the 52per cent tax rate.
Business profits are only chargedat corporation tax rates.
You will have a large debt owed toyou by the company, you can with-draw this free of tax in place of anytaxable income from the business.
You will have secured thefavourable 10 per cent tax rate on abusiness sale.� Tim Leeman is a member of the specialist team at Mitchellsaccountants.
How care operatorscan take advantage ofgovernment assistance
Tim Leeman
23 15/11/11 14:43 Page 1
CARINGCOMMERCE24
A NEW £7m care home in North Dorset which hascreated 85 new jobs has been likened to a five-starhotel.
TV’s Doctor Hilary Jones was speaking during alaunch open day at Colten Care’s 59-bed NewstoneHouse in Sturminster Newton, which has been builton the site of a former creamery.
The broadcaster and author described the home’sstate-of-the-art facilities, including a cinema, suntherapy room and an indoor potting shed andworkshop, as ‘absolutely superb’.
He added: “This is like the Savoy for people whoneed extra care and attention.
“It’s a wonderfully warm and welcoming homeand I know people are going to be very happy here.”
Newstone House is the 18th home to be opened bythe firm, and 31 rooms will be used to care forpeople with dementia.
Doctor Hilary Jones with town crier Kevin Knapp, Newstone House manager Claire Brownless and Colten Caremanaging director Ian Hudson.
New home ‘likea five-star hotel’
Royal visitoropens £9.5mdevelopmentHRH Princess Alexandra officiallyopened Larkrise and OrchardMeadows, the new £9.5m state-of-the-art care development run by TheOrders of St John Care Trust inBanbury.
The Princess toured thedevelopment, which comprises theLarkrise Care Centre and OrchardMeadows extra care apartments,before unveiling a commemorativeplaque.
Larkrise provides nursing care, aspecialist dementia unit and respitecare for older people who may need ashort stay at the home. The 60-bedcare facility also includes a numberof features to promote reminiscenceas therapy, including a beach-themedreminiscence room which has a
seaside mural, ice cream machineand other sensory elements to evokethe smells and sounds of the sea.
A shop, hair salon and 1950sthemed lounges add to therecreational areas for residents touse.
The extensive gardens have alsobeen specially designed to evoke pastmemories, with an old fashionedwashing line, bus stop and chickenenclosure. An orchard and vegetablepatch have been created withinvolvement from the residents.
Nearly 100 guests attended theopening ceremony to celebrate thecompletion of the 18-month project,including residents, staff, localdignitaries and executives fromOSJCT, bpha, and the county council.
HRH Princess Alexandra is presented with flowers by 97-year-old Vesta Avery, a tenantof Orchard Meadows.
Poole care home makesbusiness award shortlistA POOLE care home has beenshortlisted for the annual DorsetBusiness Awards.
Colten Care’s Canford Chase inPoole is one of three companies,from all business sectors, to beselected for the NatwestExcellence in Customer ServiceAward.
Home manager Angie Stewartsaid: “We place great emphasis onproviding the best possible serviceto our residents and it iswonderful that our staff have beenrecognised for all their hard work.
“It is a fantastic achievement.”
The winners will be announcedon November 24.
24 15/11/11 14:44 Page 1
25 Taylor National 10/11/11 14:59 Page 1
CARINGDEMENTIA26
An independent evaluation has found singing does provide improvements to the health and well being ofthose affected by dementia and other age related mental health conditions. Dominic Musgrave reports.
Music charity hits right noteSING For Your Life has taken music to carehomes and the wider community for the last sixyears.
The charity, founded by Stuart Brown does thisby running Silver Song Clubs for people living intheir owns homes, and has now made the SilverSong Music Box machines available to make theactivity more cost affective as they can now beled by a trained member of staff instead ofbringing someone in.
Stuart told Caring UK the sessions have manybenefits.
He added: “The sessions not only providepeople with a more enjoyable experience, butalso helps care homes meet CQC targets forimproving activities and, most importantly forresidents, supports the Government’s initiative toreduce the ‘chemical cosh’ and the need to useanti-psychotic drugs.
“One of the advantages of having a system islike this is that it is very flexible rather than carehomes booking an entertainer to come come infor the residents to perform at a particular time.
“There are so many pressures put on carehomes that there is always a chance thatsomething might happen at the last minute suchas a member of staff calling in sick or a doctordeciding to do his visits at that time, meaning theentertainer has to be cancelled but still paid.”
The modified karaoke system uses differentsoftware and music that has been recorded by apianist on to a memory stick to create the old-fashioned ‘gathering around the piano’ feel.
The home just provides a plasma screen or TV
for the residents to read off. As well as thetraditional songs from the 1940s and 50s,Christmas carols and hymn sticks are alsoavailable.
Stuart said the study into the sessions, whichalso recently appeared on Channel Five’s‘Celebrity Wish List’, was the first of its kind.
He added: “We knew that singing can beparticularly helpful for reminiscence because
that part of the brain is one of the last to go.“The trial, which was funded and evaluated by
the NHS, looked at a group of singing residentsagainst a group that didn’t found.
“It found that there is a clinical improvement inthe health and well-being of the people whosang, not only in the time they were singing, buthad a lasting affect, which is really important.”
Elderly people taking part in a singing session.
RESIDENTS with dementia oftenexperience distress if they cannotfind the clothing that they arefamiliar with and, as with allresidents, it is important that anindividual’s garments are correctlyreturned to them after washing.
With new clothes being given forChristmas and more than 1,200garments going through the carehome laundry this is not an easy task,especially if the garment is notnamed adequately.
Attach-a-Tag is a simple, costeffective method of labelling clothingand soft objects and is an ideal way toquickly label short term and respiteresidents clothing as well as normallaundry.
Replicating a button, it attaches in
seconds to the garment seam orlaundry label, making it discreet andcomfortable to the wearer. Thepatented design is easy to attach butdifficult to remove, and cannot betaken off by accident or come offduring the laundry process.
Each tag has the owner’s nameetched onto it, which is guaranteednot to wear off in the wash.
This combined with the uniquefixing method of Attach-a-Tag meansthe owner is identified every time.
Special Christmas offer: FreeAttach-a-Tag cotton bags forresidents’ new clothes, when you buyfive packs of 50 tags. Offer appliesduring November and December butonly to multiples of five packs.
Simple way to label clothes
A cafe to help elderly people with dementia has been opened at a care home inRickmansworth.The ‘Best Friends Cafe’ was officially opened at the Quantum Care owned Meresworthfacility by district council chairman Chris Whately-Smith. It is designed for residentsand their families to enjoy a real cafe environment, and was developed as part of thegroup’s Intermediate Dementia Training Programme which encourages staff to findways of improving the well-being of people with dementia.
26 15/11/11 15:31 Page 1
27CARINGDEMENTIA
A NORTH East care company hasinstalled an interactive reminiscenceaid which has been designed toenable people to recall momentsfrom their past.
Dementia Life has been installed atSheraton Court in Hartlepool, thefirst Helen McArdle Care home toadopt the software, and it is alsobelieved to be the first care home inthe region to make it available to resi-dents.
The system provides digital reminis-cence therapy software, games andsing-along-packages to help provide
person-centered care. The touchscreen technology makes it easy forelderly people to use and staff tomanage.
Lynne Gray, head of strategic devel-opment at the group, said: “We haveinvested in this new technology toprovide residents who have somedegree of memory impairment with atool to enable them to relive certainaspects of their life.
“Many of our residents have hadfascinating lives and Dementia Lifewill be able to help them to triggermemories of their life experiences.”
“Not only is the system great for res-idents but it will also be a comfort torelatives and friends as they will beable to communicate more effectivelywith those they care about.
“The software will also boost staffmorale as they will see a big differ-ence in the work that they are doingwith residents.”
Sheraton Court is one of 12 homesthe group owns in the North East.Organised across three floors, the 80bed care home provides residential,dementia and respite care.
Home installs interactive aidSheraton Court activities co-ordinator Chris Ord, home manager Carole Thomson and resident Elsie Linton.
A SHEFFIELD care group has openeda new dementia service in the city.
Sheffcare, which owns 11 sites in thecity, has opened the 12 bed unit atKnowle Hill in Mosborough.
Manager Diane Harrison said: “Allour specialist team have received fulldementia care training and all theservices we will be providing are tai-
lored to individual needs.“We believe in providing a safe but
stimulating atmosphere in the unitand in our garden and we have a fullrange of activities and a speciallytrained activity worker who will beable to identify what each of the resi-dents needs to make their life morerewarding.”
Group opens new service in city
A SKIPTON care home hasbecome the first in Yorkshire toreceive Dementia Care Matters’prestigious ‘Butterfly Service’status for the outstanding andsustained dementia care it pro-vides.
The Barchester owned homesuccessfully demonstrated itsability to deliver high qualitydementia care through apply-ing a relationship focused feel-ings-based approach.
Val Gains, general manager ofthe home, told Caring UK per-son centred care is provided ina comfortable and speciallycreated environment called aMemory Lane Community.
She added: “We’ve been work-ing towards this award for sixyears and this is a very proudmoment for us. “The service weprovide here has no artificialboundaries; it’s all about pro-moting people’s independenceand having a meaningful quali-ty of life.
“Our staff demonstrate agreat depth of knowledgeabout the people living hereand encourage the develop-ment of friendships with gen-uine affection.”
County firstfor Skiptoncare home
A Farnham care company was named employer of the year at a local business awardsceremony.Woodlands and Hill Brow Ltd, which runs two residential care homes for the elderly anda new nursing and dementia home, scooped the accolade at the Inspire BusinessAwards in Basingstoke. The award recognised a business that could best prove a gen-uine dedication to the development and welfare of its workforce. This was judged onthe business culture, benefits, training and outstanding innovation in staff care and pro-gression. The company was also a runner up in the service excellence category.
Have you got news for the Dementia section? Call our healthcare editor Dominic Musgrave
WITH the concerns of an ageingpopulation, improved lifeexpectancy and an increase in peo-ple living with complex conditions,how do you find a solution thatmeets the care needs of the popu-lation and supports independentliving, whilst making the best useof available resources?
This is the situation we face inWalsall, where the local NHS hasapproximately 37,000 patients withlong-term conditions. Of thesepatients, an estimated 3,300 creat-ed 4,000 emergency admissionsalone in 2009/10, equating toapproximately 25,000 bed days andan annual commissioning cost of£12.9m.
Combined with improved lifeexpectancy and an increasingnumber of people living with long-term conditions, the pressures onlocal health resources will continueto grow at an unsustainable rate.
Walsall needed a solution thatwould meet these growing needs,and would support people in livingfulfilled lives whilst making thebest use of local resources.
We decided that in order to moreeffectively meet the needs of ourclients, we needed to introduce amodel of care that integrates bothhealth and social care services intoone manageable solution.
The Department of Health recent-ly identified four quadrants of anideal health and social care service,combining social capital, telecare,individual choice and prevention.
Our plans are to develop a servicethat integrates these key principlesby representing the latest thinkingin social care, using technology toenable change that allows us tocater for individuals in a way thathealth and social services havenever done before.
We want to be able to maximisethe potential for individuals to takecontrol of their own lives and allowall people, regardless of back-ground, to access mainstream ser-vices and provisions. By providingclients with telehealthcare as stan-dard, we hope to allow people tolive independently for as long as
possible, safe in the knowledge thathelp is at hand whenever neces-sary.
Telecare and telehealth solutions,such as those from TunstallHealthcare, support the prioritiesof a joint health and social care ser-vice, providing the essential backup that people need to supportthem at home, 24 hours a day, 365days of the year and ensuring a sys-tematic shift towards early inter-vention, prevention and a servicemodernisation in the context of ris-ing expectations.
The benefits of telehealthcare arefar-reaching, with positive resultsin reducing hospital admissions,supporting early discharge andreablement and enhancing com-munity safety. Too often, whensomeone becomes ill, the solutionis to automatically admit that per-son into hospital in order to reducethe burden on residential carehomes and transfer responsibilityto the health professionals.
Walsall Council and NHS Walsallhave made a joint £2.5m invest-ment over two years in telecare,telehealth and a new responsiveservice, believing that it will delivera much more efficient use ofresources and give better outcomesfor people.
We intend to further develop theintegration with health partner-ships and once embedded, willlook at further partners in the fieldsof housing and wardens, joining upall the partner agencies.
Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council plans to integrate health and social care services intheir new model of care. Paul Davies, executive director of adult social care and inclusion,discusses how telehealthcare is fundamental to this service redesign
Two become one: Integratinghealth and social care in Walsall
Paul Davies
Criticismas £1.3bnslashedfrom budgetTHE Government and local authori-ties have been criticised after it wasrevealed that £1.3bn has beenslashed from social care spending.
UKHCA chair Mike Padgham saidthousands of people were now beingdenied homecare because localauthorities are commissioning lesscare.
He added “At our recent conferencein Birmingham we warned thatspending was being cut and it wasdamaging care. We now have the evi-dence - £1.3bn cut from spending bylocal authorities on providing care forolder, vulnerable people.
“What do we have to do to get peo-ple to listen to the plight of socialcare in this country? Thousands ofpeople are being denied care becauselocal authorities are commissioningless and less care.
“We need to see action on fundingfor social care and we need to see itquickly. We have sympathy with thedifficult choices faced byGovernment and local authorities.However, we do need to see a realshift in resources towards socialcare.”
Mike said Government promises ofa White Paper reforming adult socialcare were too far away.
“That reform won’t even start to berevealed until next year and there isstill no hint of whether the necessaryfunding outlined in the Dilnot reportwill be implemented,” he added.“Our fear is that by the time action istaken many thousands more peoplemay have reduced care and manymore providers will perhaps have dis-appeared.”
Providers urged to show ‘robust resilience’HOMECARE providers are beingwarned to show “robust resilience”in facing the challenges of personalbudgets.
Steve Dunn, CEO of healthcare dis-tributor Williams Medical Supplies,believes fears about the Govern-ment’s plan to roll out personal bud-gets next October are unfounded.
Some critics claim the scheme willbe too expensive to implement,patient choice will be limited, andexisting services could be desta-bilised if enough patients choose tospend their money elsewhere.
Others fear it is more susceptible tofraud and that patients will put theirhealth at risk by choosing non-med-ical, or less medical, forms of care.
But Steve told Caring UK the chal-lenges ahead are outweighed by thepotential benefits to patients.
He added: “Homecare providersmust be robustly resilient in the faceof concerns – let’s not forget thisscheme aims to maintain personalindependence as an alternative toresidential, nursing home care orover long stays in hospital. One wayhome care providers can keep con-
trol over this is by streamlining pro-curement through a reliable, experi-enced supply partner. By reducingauditing complexity and benefitingfrom better terms, they can reassurethe government and stakeholdersthat the money is being well spent.”
Steve added that efficiency holdsthe key to success, and that a strate-gic supply partnership can reducewaste and save time and money –from online ordering and reducedinvoicing to the use of powerfulmanagement information.
Business soldA PRIVATE investor, represented bySavills, has sold Henley-basedPrimary Healthcare LLP to domicil-iary care provider Enara for an undis-closed sum.
The business was established in2003 to provide services throughoutBerkshire and Oxfordshire.
Established in 1996, Enara providesa range of critical services delivered at home or in the commu-nity in order to enhance people’slives.
Focusing on care for the elderly itoperates predominantly in the Southof England and South Wales.
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By Dominic Musgrave
A WOOLWICH care home is display-ing a tapestry representing the storyof a group of Asian residents’ livesand the journey from their homelandto the UK.
The tapestry will then be sent on ajet-setting European trip as it istoured in both Finland andBarcelona as part of a EuropeanReminiscence Network (ERN) pro-ject, before returning home inJanuary.
At the start of this year SanctuaryCare’s Ashgreen House, in conjunc-tion with the Memorial HospitalCommunity Mental Health Team andthe ERN, set up a reminiscencegroup specifically for Asian Elders.The intention was to run the groupfor six weeks with a possibility of anextension to 12 weeks.
The home sent letters to the rela-tives of their clients in their nativelanguage and employed the servicesof three interpreters to assist withtranslation from Punjabi, Guajarati,Bengali, Hindi and Urdu during thesessions.
Manager Philip Smith said thegroup proved very popular and in theend ran for five months.
He added: “We believe this is thefirst time a group like this has beenset up for Asian Elders and we wereall rather taken aback by just howpopular the group proved to be.
“Many of the members had shared
similar experiences throughout theirlives which helped to trigger memo-ries in others which might otherwisehave remained ‘locked away’ and weare really pleased that, thanks to thegroup, we have been able to record the life of one particular resident who is unable to speak dueto a stroke.
“Reminiscence therapy is some-
thing we are looking to continuallyintegrate into the care of our resi-dents, with previous reminiscenceprojects including the building of anold-fashioned sweet shop in thehome.”
At the sessions residents wereencouraged to discuss their journeysthroughout their lives which hadbrought them to the UK including
their childhood and school days,leaving their country of birth and set-tling, raising children and growingold in England, with many sharingsimilar experiences.
The group then came together withthe help of ERN artist MadhumitaBose to produce a handmade walltapestry which tells each member’slife story.
Tapestry created from memories
The shop front at Ashgreen House
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CARINGNEWS32
NOWTON Court on the outskirts ofBury St Edmunds is a 19th Centurymanor designed to give peopleluxury in their later life.
The 25 bedroom facility is ownedby Heritage Manor and, while itdoes not offer any nursing care,domiciliary care can be arranged,paid for by the resident.
The site, which is a former BoysPrep School and latterly aLanguage School for Japanesestudents learning English, is run byMargaret Friel.
She said: “What we have here is atotally new concept in care forpeople who no longer want theworry of staying in their ownhomes.
“We take care of all of theiractivities for daily living such aswashing and cleaning, and theycan come and go as they please.
“Should a resident wish to popinto town then the concierge willpick them up and drop them off,but if they are not available we willalways pay their taxi fare.”
The home can also be used bypeople over the age of 55 as a hotel,
with stays available from anythingfrom days to years.
Margaret, who has run the homefor 16 months, added: “One lady isstaying here for the winter becauseshe doesn’t fancy another coldwinter back home in Scotland,while others come here for a shortbreak or a bit of respite carefollowing an operation.
“Quite a few people that stay withus are in their 90s, but you wouldnever know it as they take part inthe activities our organiser puts on,as well as the exercise classes.
“The food the chef prepares is all
locally produced, and the residentsalso have access to treatments inthe Heritage Wellbeing Centre thathas been created in the formerwine cellar. This is also open to thegeneral public.”
Plans are now in place to create anursing home on the site to offer avariety of care including dementiaso that once people move in toNowton Court they do not need tomove elsewhere should their needschange. There will also be roomsavailable for residents’ families tostay.
Home gives residentsluxury in their later life
Provider in jobswap schemeCARERS and residents from one ofthe country’s leading care providershave been viewing life from the otherside of the desk as they took part injob swaps as part of NationalCustomer Service Week.
The events, across a number ofSanctuary Care’s homes, sawmanagement teams and activityleaders swapping jobs withreceptionists, chefs and domesticassistants.
At Hatfield Nursing Home, themanager Sally Kalaiarasu and hersenior team donned aprons andrubber gloves as they took over thecooking and cleaning duties for theday. She said: “It’s been a reallyenjoyable and educationalexperience to do the job swap andhas enabled me to see things frommy staff’s point of view. I hope it willmake me a better manager.”
Time Court Nursing Home inGreenwich got residents and theirfamilies involved, with some servingup dinner as others manned thereception desk.
They met and greeted visitors asthey arrived and handed outcupcakes which had been speciallymade by the home’s chef.
Events also took place at a numberof Sanctuary Carr-Gomm’s supportedhousing schemes including a pyjamaday and Guess Who from babypictures at the Southend Parent andChild Project.
A media room, 24-hour access to a concierge and health and well-being centre are a fewof the features available at a new concept in care in Suffolk. Dominic Musgrave reports.
Nowton Court
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33CARINGNEWS
Bosses samplelife as carersDIRECTORS and managers of aSouth East and East Anglia basedgroup of homes went back to thefloor for a few hours.
Carebase marketing manager MariaTreadaway and marketing executiveSuzannah Tolba spent the afternoonat Acacia Lodge in Henley as carers,helping with meal times and also tak-ing part in the various activities,including pampering some of theresidents in the beauty salon.
Operations director AndrewMangion and director Keith Hawleygot green fingered and helped theresidents in the garden and allotmentat Amber Wood in Cheltenham, whilemanaging director Nicola Coveneyspent the afternoon at Aspen Grangein Braintree as a cleaner.
She said: “It’s always a delight tovisit the homes and spend time withthe residents. We all had lots of funwith the staff at the homes who allmade the most out of having us therefor the afternoon.”
Elsewhere, Mike Hirsch, propertiesdirector, and Phillipa Morley, HRmanager, worked as waiters at AcornCourt in Redhill. Mike and Phillipagave residents a five star treatmentserving them a full lunch.
The ‘back to the floor’ campaignsaw the four homes win help fromthe central office directors and man-agers following a raffle draw.
The other prizes for the homesincluded iPads and a helicopter/plane lesson for the staff to enjoy.
A NORTH East retirement village iscelebrating after receiving a glitter-ing array of awards.
Accolades accrued by theMiddleton Hall Retirement Village,which is based between Darlingtonand Yarm, range from praise for itspeople management to a goldmedal for its grounds and gardens.
The achievements include theInvestors in People Gold Award –putting it in the top 200 IIP accred-ited companies in the UK – and agold award as well as the RonGrubb memorial trophy at its firsttime of entering the Northumbriain Bloom awards.
Middleton Hall provides for inde-
pendent living, assisted living, resi-dential and nursing care through49 apartments, 32 bedsitting roomsand 20 specialist rooms, with facili-ties including a swimming pool,spa, gym library, bowling green,croquet lawn, woodland walks areaand restaurant.
In September the owners weregranted planning permission for an£8m expansion of accommodationand facilities.
This will include a developmentof zero carbon rated independentliving bungalows, the creation of adementia community, a new cafe,bar and shop and the re-buildingof the main entrance gatehouse.
Middleton Hall director Lesley Henderson, estate manager David Richardson, MDJeremy Walford and head of care and quality Debby Lamont with the awards.
Awards glory for village
Senior appointments unveiledA NEW operating company that willtake on the running of a third ofSouthern Cross care homes hasunveiled several senior appoint-ments.
Anne Williams CBE, former nationaldirector for learning disabilities forEngland and the first ever presidentof ADASS, joins the HC-One execu-tive board as a non-executive direc-tor. The senior management team
will also be joined by formerSouthern Cross regional directorsPam Finnis and Michael MacIntosh,who will assume managing directorroles. And Liam Scanlon, formerregional regulation manager with theWelsh Government's Care and SocialServices Inspectorate, has beenappointed as the independent chairof the firm’s new safeguarding boardand its quality forum.
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SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based,Richards Residential Supplieshave concentrated uponsupplying simple solutions tocommon nursing home problems.
The new WACMAT® adheresstrongly to this tradition.
With its ultra absorbent cottonpile and 100 per cent waterproofbacking, the remarkableWACMAT® is an ideal accessorywhere spills may occur.
Used as a commode mat, inbedrooms or bathrooms, theWACMAT® ensures full carpetprotection. Then, after use, simplymachine wash and tumble dry!It’s that simple...
The WACMAT® will then beclean and odour-free, ready toperform time and time again. Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat,saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costs alone.
Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749
Simple solutions
SensorCare clinically proven to reduce fallsMOBILITY is an important part ofeveryone’s quality of life. However for thevulnerable, vacating a bed or chairunassisted can mean that unnecessaryrisks and dangers exist.
SensorCare Falls prevention sensorsprovide an early warning that alerts thecarer that mobilisation is being initiated,thus enabling appropriate attention to begiven with the aim of preventing a fall andthe subsequent injury that may occur.
The systems are generally easy to useand provide the carer temporary respiteand the confidence and freedom to carryon with their daily routines.
SensorCare falls prevention system canbe used as a stand-alone system; relayedto a pager giving the carer more freedom; or interfaced to an existing nurse call system.
The monitors consist of two components; a pressure sensing panel which is located beneath themattress or chair cushion and a control unit which is placed in a convenient position for the carer tooperate.
LaundryPods from PKLINTRODUCING LaundryPods, the latestinnovation from PKL the UK's leadingprovider of temporary kitchens andcommercial catering equipment.
LaundryPods enable existinglaundry areas to be converted intorevenue-generating space, such asadditional bedrooms, making themideal for the care sector.
Each LaundryPod is a permanentmodular laundry building which canbe delivered within six weeks from thedate of order. LaundryPods come fullyequipped with high-performance,energy-efficient commercial washersand dryers.
Available on a fully inclusive contract hire basis, LaundryPods can offer guaranteed fixed laundry costs,including all maintenance of the building and the equipment.
They are fully compliant with CQC requirements for care and nursing home laundries, and can berelocated, moved or extended as required.
They are available in a wide range of external finishes, including custom colours and brick or woodcladding, so they can compliment surrounding buildings
Enquiries: Visit www.pkl.co.uk or call 0845 8404242.
SimplyUnite unveils new features for GemSIMPLYUNITE is proud to announcethe release of version 2.0 of its Gemservice.
This launch combines new ideasand also feedback SimplyUnite hastaken on board from existingcustomers. The overall aim is to makethe Gem computer service even moreaccessible, engaging and user-friendly.
Among a host of otherimprovements to the service, there willbe a wider choice of games andreminiscence activities. This willbenefit residents who are keen to getinvolved in internet based activitiesproviding cognitive stimulation, whichhas been proven to slow degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
The new ‘SimplyUnite App’ will allow families to connect with Gem and send messages and photosthrough their mobile phone – great for relatives when on the move or unable to visit.
Through the website, the ‘SimplyUnite Volunteer’s Portal’ will link care homes to local volunteeringorganisations to help them find computer buddies to support residents using Gem.
Enquiries: To arrange a free demonstration call 0845 388 4453 or email us [email protected]
Urgent medication delivered in three hours
HAVE you ever been in a situation where thedoctor has had to come in on a Sunday or a BankHoliday to attend to a critically ill resident?
The doctor has issued a prescription and thepatient needs to start the medication as soon aspossible. But your chemist is not open and youmay have to wait until the next day or sometimeslonger.
We can delivery 365 days a year and on mostdays we aim to deliver urgent medication such asanti – biotics within three hours.
All of our care and nursing homes have accessto on call pharmacist who can help out of hourswith emergency dispensing.
Enquiries: Telephone 0845 5577008 or visitwwwyakubchemist.co.uk
New octenisan® wash mittsEfficient and reliable whole-body washingTime-saving, convenient and cost effective Reduced risk of cross-contamination as one pack is used for each resident
THE first antimicrobial wash mitts containing the active ingredient octenidine are now available fromschülke. octenisan® wash mitts are ideal for use with bed-bound residents who are unable to shower or bathe. Eachmitt is designed for single use and there are 10 in a pack – eight are usually sufficient for full bodydecolonisation.
The pack of wash mitts can be heated to body temperature in a microwave before use. octenisan® is effective against a broad range of micro-organisms but, unlike some antimicrobial washes,its skin friendly formulation is gentle on the skin. The efficacy of octenisan comes from the unique activeingredient octenidine, which has been shown to have a broad antimicrobial effect, including multi-resistant strains.The new octenisan wash mitts proved highly popular in evaluations at three different units. More than 80%of carers using the mitts rated them as good or excellent in terms of convenience of use. Comments about the antimicrobial wash mitts included: “time-saving”, “less clutter at the bedside”,“disposable, less messy, saves on towels and water” and “nice on skin, leaves skin soft”.
A bathroom for all situations: flexible designfrom Pressalit Care to save you money
HIGH quality bathrooms for residentialcare homes which actually save youmoney in the long run. It sounds too goodto be true.
Yet it’s not. At Pressalit Care we areconfident that care home managers,developers and architects will be rewardedfor their long term investment by a varietyof benefits.
The basis of our products’ return oninvestment comes from our unique design,offering the flexibility to meet thechanging needs of the people who usethem.
Pressalit Care’s bathroom productswork on a horizontal track system, as wellas being height adjustable in many cases,making it easy for both users and carers to adapt the layout according to their specific requirements.
Toilet support arms, shower chairs, handrails and wash basins – all can be adjusted to the specific needsof the user and to make life easy for the carer.
Enquiries: Visit www.pressalit.com, email [email protected] or telephone 0844 8806950.
New Prestige Cabinets extend KnightsbridgeCare collection
A NEW collection of bedroom cabinets for use in carehomes and residential facilities has been developed byKnightsbridge Furniture.
The company’s ‘Prestige’ range meets rising demandfor versatile cabinet furniture which combinesassurance of durability with classic design appeal.
The Prestige family includes double, single andcombination wardrobes, three, four or five drawerchests, a writing desk and neat bedside cabinets invarious configurations. Matching headboards for bothsingle and double beds are also available.
Key features include 18mm carcases with solid backsfor maximum rigidity, 25mm vinyl-wrapped tops andPVC edging to protect against impact damage and water ingress.
A timeless look is assured by the crisp, clean lines which characterise the entire Prestige collection.Classic chrome bow pull handles are fitted as standard: options include lockable doors and drawers. Prestigeis available in Natural Beech, Oak or Walnut with colour coordinated interiors and the collection teamseffectively with the Knightsbridge portfolio of upholstered seating, particularly with the company’srecently-introduced Jasmine chairs and settees.
Enquiries: Call 01274 731442, e-mail [email protected] or visitwww.knightsbridge-furniture.co.uk
Safe and shineCONSORT has added the TRF25C chromeheated towel rail to its ever expanding andpopular Low Surface Temperature productrange.
This 25 watt heater comes completewith three chrome wall mounting brackets,fitted cable and is a double insulated classII appliance, thereby eliminating the needfor supplementary bonding.
Its compact size H: 410 D: 86 W: 465makes it ideal for small bathrooms and itprovides the luxury of warm, dry towels –all day, every day – economically andsafely.
The Low Surface Temperature rangealso includes a variety of wall mounted fanheaters and the 30 watt TRF30 white finishtowel rail.
Consort’s Low Surface Temperature products are especially suitable for care environments, having amaximum surface temperature of 430C to comply with Department of Health guidelines and Europeansafety standards.
Enquiries: Contact Consort Equipment Products Ltd on 01646 692172, fax 01646 695195,email [email protected] or visit www.consortepl.com
Company helps you create your own uniform
THE Uniform and Leisurewear Companyare dedicated suppliers of qualitygarments for all personnel within the careindustry.
Specialising in providing a personalservice, customers are allocated to amember of our sales team, ensuringprompt service at all times.
Having our own in-house embroideryand printing facilities means we canreplicate any bespoke logo if required.
PICK AND MIX CREATE YOUR OWN LOOK
Three easy steps to a whole new look: Select the body and trim colour of yourchoice. Choose either a zip or a stud fastening.Sit back and relax - we can do the rest. *Terms and conditions apply.
Enquiries: For more information or to request a brochure, telephone 01524 388355, visitwww.ualonline.co.uk or email [email protected]
Active Minds launches latest activity productfor dementia
SPECIALIST dementia care supplier Active Mindscontinues to have a strong presence in the healthcaremarket.
New activity products designed specifically toencourage reminiscence and dialogue in people livingwith dementia have made Active Minds a popularbrand among both home and professional carers.
The company is also experiencing huge demandfor its latest painting product, Aquapaint.
Developed with Barchester Healthcare, theproduct provides an achievable and engaging activityfor people living with dementia. By painting wateronto the Aquapaint canvas it reveals the colourfulimage below.
And once complete the age appropriate images help to stimulate memories and encourageconversation.
In response to this demand, Active Minds has developed another three sets of Aqaupaint. These includePets and Animals, Marvelous Machines and Classic Sports.
Active Minds is giving Caring UK readers an exclusive Christmas discount of 15 per cent using promocode AMXMAS.
BEAUCARE® Medical Ltd is the UK leadingsupplier of hygiene, medical supplies andequipment to individual care homes, carehome groups, hospitals and NHS Trusts.
Beaucare have added the Clinell®Universal Sanitising Wipes to ourcomprehensive nursing disposables range.These wipes are NHS approved, developedby doctors and used by professionals. Theycan be used to clean and disinfect hands,surfaces and equipment.
The wipes are proven to kill at least99.999 per cent of germs according toEuropean Standard tests EN1276 and prEN12054, effective in 10 seconds.
They contain a mix of biocides withdifferent mechanisms of action preventingbacterial resistance and super bug formation.
Our extensive hygiene and janitorial range provides a solution for all situations, ensuring high levels ofcleanliness and infection control.
Enquiries: Telephone 01423 878899, email [email protected] or visit www.beaucare.com
Electric beds from HighgateTHE welcoming comfort of theMemory King excellent memoryfoam mattress is further enhancedby the fact it is an electric bed thattilts to five different heights, idealfor reading, watching television orsimply relaxing.
The adjustable motion has fivesettings which gently lift head,shoulders, back, calves and thighs.This is also ideal for people withmovement problems, gently easingyou into sitting position so you canget in and out of bed without anystress.
Supplied as part of theHealthopaedic® range the mattressfeatures a layer of luxuriousmemory foam.
Enquiries: Visit info @ highgatebeds.com or email 01924 454 678.
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Occupancy specialist
Computer Software
Alarm Systems
Fitness equipment
SignsConsultants
Care Home Software
Business SolutionsChairs
By Dominic Musgrave
A RESIDENT from a Lincolnshire carehome has been recognised for hisindividual achievements at an awardsceremony to celebrate staff achieve-ment.
Dennis Cotton, 78, who lives at ThePoplars in Market Rasen, received hisaccolade at the 2011 Chairman’sCommendation Awards organised byThe Orders of St John Care Trust.
Taking place at the Chapter Housein Lincoln Cathedral, the awards cel-ebrated the hard work and dedicationof staff across the Trust’s 72 carehomes. Dennis is the first resident toever receive an award aimed at staff.
Speaking of his nomination, homemanager Jacqui Luke said: “Dennisoften helps out around the home andin the garden and allotment.
“He also collects the morning’spapers and other shopping for resi-dents.”
“He is a very popular resident and ismore than happy to show new resi-dents around the home.”
(housekeeper, Fosse House) andGeorgette Kissane (cook, HartsholmeHouse) were also presented withawards for their dedication, enthusi-asm and commitment to the care ofelderly people.
Based at the Trust’s head office inWellingore, training manager MarkTurton, financial administrator TedLucas and Amanda Burrell, PA to thechief executive and the finance andIT director were also recognised atthe ceremony.
Gregory House in Grantham waspresented with the Earl ofGainsborough award for quality,which recognises excellence in allaspects of care delivery.
This award is given to homes thatachieve all three of the group’s carequality accreditations in care, medi-cines management and infection pre-vention and control, as well as gain-ing an overall excellent rating in itsinternal audit.
Resident Dennis instaff awards first
Residents from a Banstead care home visited Bognor Regis on holiday.The service users from Greenacres enjoyed ice-cream, walks on the seafront, a trip tothe shops and evening entertainment as part of the trip.
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MORE than a third of the final phaseof properties at an Oxfordshire retire-ment village were sold within hoursof the details being released
The final phase of 34 apartments atRichmond Villages’ Letcombe Regissite were unveiled at a launch event,with properties ranging in price from£310,000 for a large one bedroomapartment to £620,000 for the largest,two bedroom apartment measuring1,460 sq ft announced off plan.
The company’s managing directorPaddy Brice said in the current eco-nomic climate it was ‘amazing’.
He added: “It certainly bucks thetrend in the property market at the
moment, and underlines the impor-tance of having the right product atthe right price and at the right time.
“These properties are ideal for thosethinking about living independentlyyet like the idea of being in a safe andsociable community with care andassistance close at hand if required.
“We listened carefully to our resi-dents, who told us they particularlywant a large living space and up totwo bedrooms, especially importantif they are downsizing, and it looks asthough we’ve got it about right.”
Facilities at Letcombe Regis includea wellness spa with swimming pool,gym, health and beauty treatment
rooms and a hair salon. There’s also arestaurant offering excellent dining, avillage shop and a café, IT and craftrooms, a library, bowling green, beau-tiful nature reserve with lake, and akitchen garden and greenhouse forgreen-fingered residents.
The company offers its own domi-ciliary care team who are on-site 24hours a day to provide tailored care toindividuals, while a care home at theheart of the village provides 24 hournursing and dementia care.
A ‘try before you buy’ scheme is alsoavailable for prospective purchasers.
Richmond Villages’ Letcombe Regis facility.
A third of village’s propertiessold within hours of release
A PALLIATVE care team based inSomerset has won the dedicationto end of life care award in theannual Care Focus awards.
The accolade, which was present-ed to Care South at a gala event inTaunton, was sponsored by StMargaret’s Hospice, which providessupport to patients in the hospice
and also in their own homes inconjunction with GPs and otherhealth and care services.
The specialist team, which formspart of Care South’s homecare ser-vice, has received a variety of addi-tional training from the company’sin-house division, local hospices,and the Primary Care Trust to com-
prehensively prepare them to sup-port clients and families alike.
Also at the ceremony, MariaKneeshaw of Somerset and WestDorset Home Care was a finalist inthe Tim Catley-Day Award for out-standing individuals who demon-strate excellence in a care at homecapacity.
Palliative team wins annual awardHelen Bell, Bev Mansfield and Alison Hunt receive the award on behalf of the palliative care team.
Internationalrecognitionfor villageA BATH retirement village receivedinternational recognition after a dele-gation visited from Korea.
Hongmin Park and Joon Huh, fromSeoul’s first dedicated retirementresearch centre at the Samsung LifeInsurance Company, travelled to theUK on a fact finding mission and tobuild relationships with organisa-tions serving older people.
Having discovered Avonpark on theinternet, the pair set aside time intheir schedule to pay a visit, wherethey were welcomed by Jon Gooding,chief executive of Retirement VillagesLtd, the company which owns thesite.
He said: “Retirement communitiesare still in their infancy in SouthKorea. As the company which intro-duced such communities into the UKwe were perfectly placed to explainhow the concept has matured in the30 years since then.
“The type of communities we buildcan work anywhere in the world. Wewould love to see people in Koreaoffered the same lifestyle choices ourresidents enjoy.”
Homes revivegames fromyesteryear GAMES from yesteryear are beingbrought back into play by a leadingcare provider.
Aiming to keep traditions alive andrekindle memories, Bupa’s carehomes have invited families, friendsand members of local communitiesto join in a variety of games days,from shove ha’pennies and table-skittles through to cribbage andquoits.
Community affairs assistant LauraHardaker said: “Taking part in thesetraditional games will bring backmemories that matter and it’s a greatway for our residents to reminisce.
“We also have lots of volunteersfrom charities, such as Age UK, andschools and community groups whowill be joining staff and residents tohelp bring the games to life.”
In a bid to prove that the oldfavourites can rival any Xbox orNintendo Wii, some of the carehomes will be going head-to-headwith more modern games to decidewhether the old ones are the best.
A recent survey commissioned byBupa of more than 1,000 residentsrevealed dominoes is the most popu-lar game, followed closely by tradi-tional card games and Snakes andLadders.
Have you got news forus? Call our healthcare editor Dominic Musgraveon 01226 734407
37 15/11/11 16:57 Page 1
CARINGPRODUCT NEWS38
With the CQC reporting that one in seven care homes is failing to give the elderly enough foodand water, Lee Sheppard, divisional manager care homes for apetito, looks at how to ensureyour residents are sufficiently nourished.
Food can be the best medicineTHE CQC’s damning report is astark reminder that many ofBritain’s care homes are stillstruggling to get to grips with abasic, yet essential, element of care.
As well as being one of life’s simplepleasures, food really can be thebest medicine and the benefits of ahealthy intake of food – especiallyfor the elderly and vulnerable – arewell documented.
However, while it may soundobvious to say that care homesneed to make sure they are offeringresidents a balanced, nutritionaldiet that is tailored to anindividual’s needs and tastes, this isnot always as easy as it sounds.
Take into consideration specialdietary requirements such as glutenfree, low salt or low fat, medicalconditions such as dysphagia,
which makes swallowing difficult,and put that alongside culturaldiversity not to mention a widerange of personal likes and dislikes,while all the time needing to adhereto tightening budgets, and thecatering operation can, in fact,become very complex.
This is the reason apetito hasdeveloped a range of more than 200dishes generating menus that allmeet NACC standards and allowcare homes to provide aninteresting and varied menu for alldiets.
For example, our world-leadingsoft and puréed range for thosewith dysphagia has been created toretain both the taste andappearance of a normal meal sothat residents are sure to enjoy theirselection with both their taste buds
and their eyes, while taking in anutrient and calorie-dense meal.
The introduction of this range hasled to reports of weight gain by upto 20 per cent from to some of the120 care homes we work with.
While guaranteeing to save moneyon their catering provision, apetito’sspecialist team further eases theburden on care home operators byproviding them with their owndedicated consultant.
Offering advice on all aspects oftheir catering services, fromnutritional guidelines to cateringfor special diets and protectedmealtimes, our consultants arethere to help homes ensure thateach resident receives a truly world-class service. Lee Sheppard
AS Winter draws in it can be difficultto get residents to step outside, butfitness expert Lappset Playworld(LPUK) offers equipment thatencourages users to stay active,maintain co-ordination skills andbalance, and have fun.
The 65 Plus range, which can becustomised to suit the needs ofresidents, has been extended andnow includes new functions andcolours.
LifeTrail, suitable for users aged 50
plus, consists of 21 activity panelswith user-friendly instructions forbasic, intermediate and advancedlevels of exercise.
Managing director Chris Jones said:“Our ranges are designed to helpusers develop functional fitness andcope with everyday tasks such asopening a heavy door or a jar, orgetting up from a low seat.
“The benefits of fresh air andregular activity cannot be denied,even during the winter months.”
Equipment encouragesresidents to keep fit in Winter
THE Royal College of Nursing hassignificantly reduced its subscriptionrates to £4.06 per month forhealthcare assistants and assistantpractitioners.
As the largest union andprofessional body in the UKdedicated solely to the nursing andhealth care profession, the RCNoffers:
� Assistance inside and outside ofthe workplace, as well as expertsupport and counselling fromnursing professionals who can advise
on personal issues such as stress, illhealth or debt.
� Learning and developmentopportunities to ensure continuingprofessional development and thatpatients receive the best possiblecare.
� HCA and AP network to connectwith like-minded colleagues andshare best practice.
The services are provided to ensuremembers feel supported andmotivated to deliver the highestquality health care.
College reduces subscriptionsfor healthcare professionals
ONE of the UK’s leading assisted bathspecialists has taken a permanentexhibition space at London’scontemporary Building Centre, givingthe British firm a major marketingpresence in the capital.
Redditch-based GainsboroughSpecialist Bathing joins otherinnovative global manufacturers atthe prestigious venue, to showcase itsrange of powered and walk-in bathsto the professional specifieraudience.
Director Dennis Goodes said: “This
new permanent exhibition meansthat our core professional customers,industry policy-makers, as well asoverseas visitors, will be able to seefirsthand the state-of-the-artdevelopments in the increasinglyimportant area of assisted bathing.
“The move is an important one forour business and shows that we areproud and confident of our world-class products as well as providing aconvenient facility for professionalsin the South East.
Bath specialist acquires London baseDennis Goodes at the Building Centre in London.
FOR award winning, top quality roomand residents’ door signs be sure tolook at the Badgemaster range. It’salready the choice of thousands ofresidential and nursing homes.
There are gold or silver plates withsmart, replaceable engraved inserts –clear, durable and easily changed.
Choose from two sizes (25mm x200mm or 50mm x 200mm), nowwith handy end-stops that make forsecure, tamper-proof identification ofroom use or occupier.
Just let Badgemaster know your
requirements, e.g. name of room orname of room user. Your handsomedoorplates should be with you in fivedays or less.
If room use or details change, theservice for replacement inserts is justas quick and efficient.
A full range of recognisedinternational symbols, directionalarrows and Braille is available. Alsoslide-across room status facility e.g.Vacant/Engaged, Do Not Disturb etc.Corporate logos can be added for asmall extra cost.
