February 2015

no.224 • £4.75

By Dominic Musgrave

TRAINING older people in the useof social media improves cognitivecapacity, increases a sense of self-competence and could have abeneficial impact on mental healthand well-being, according to a studycarried out in the UK.

A two-year project funded by theEuropean Union and led by theUniversity of Exeter in partnershipwith Somerset Care Ltd and Torbay& Southern Devon Health and CareNHS Trust gave a group ofvulnerable older adults a specially-designed computer, broadbandconnection and training in how touse them.

Those who received trainingbecame more positive aboutcomputers over time, with theparticipants particularly enjoyingconnecting with friends andrelatives via Skype and email.

It is expected that between 2010and 2060, the number of peopleaged 65 and over across Europe willgrow from 17.4 per cent to 29.5 percent of the total population.

The project, called Ages 2.0, aimedto assess the extent to which theinternet and social media offer atool for promoting active ageingand addressing the social isolationthat is too often a feature of olderage.

Dr Thomas Morton, of theUniversity of Exeter, who led theproject in the UK, said: “Humanbeings are social animals, and it’s nosurprise that we tend to do betterwhen we have the capacity toconnect with others. But what canbe surprising is just how importantsocial connections are to cognitiveand physical health.

“People who are socially isolatedor who experience loneliness aremore vulnerable to disease anddecline. For these reasons findingways to support people’s socialconnections is a really importantgoal.

“This study shows how technologycan be a useful tool for enablingsocial connections, and thatsupporting older people in ourcommunity to use technologyeffectively can have importantbenefits for their health and well-being.”

Participants in the study were allvulnerable older adults between theages of 60 and 95 years of age whowere receiving support fromSomerset Care Ltd.

The 76 volunteers were drawnboth from those receiving care inthe community and those living inany of the not-for-profitorganisation’s 26 residential carehomes.

A parallel study also took place inItaly.

Training elderlyin social mediafights isolation

The founder and chairman of Helen McArdle Care hasbeen honoured in the 2015 New Year Honours List witha CBE. Helen McArdle has been recognised by theQueen for her services to the care home business andthe community in the North East. Helen McArdle Carecurrently has 17 care homes in the North East ofEngland, with all four of her children working in thecompany.

Residentswork withstudentfor projectSARAH Sartori, a studentat the University ofGreenwich, photographedresidents at The Dynes inKemsing for adocumentary style project.

She visited the residentialhome for an afternoon ofphotographing residentsand chatting to themabout their lives as shewanted to find out moreabout the oldergeneration.

Sarah said: “People whohave lived long livesalways have interestingstories to tell. I’ve onlyrecently moved to Kentand I wanted to find outmore about the peoplehere while exploring theareas. I’m so glad I’ve beenable to come here to meetand photograph theresidents. It’s been reallyinteresting, I’ve lovedhearing about their livesand learning more aboutthem.”

Sarah’s finished projectwill comprise a set ofdocumentary photographsaccompanied by a snippetabout the resident’s life.She hopes to return to TheDynes to present theresidents with copies oftheir finished photographs.

incorporating

The Number One magazine for the care sector

01 22/1/15 10:06 Page 1

02 Vax 22/1/15 08:59 Page 1

3CARINGNEWS

AdvertisingSales and Marketing Director:Tony BarryTel: 01226 734605Email: tb@scriptmedia.co.ukHealthcare Product Manager:Bev GreenTel: 01226 734288Email: bg@scriptmedia.co.ukNational Field Sales Executive:Tracy StaceyTel: 01226 734480 Email: ts@scriptmedia.co.ukNational Sales Executive:Mandy EdwardsTel: 01226 734692 Email: mandye@caring-uk.co.uk

PublishersScript Media.47 Church Street, Barnsley, SouthYorkshire S70 2AS.Email: info@caring-uk.co.uk

EditorialGroup Editor:Judith HalkerstonTel: 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk

Group Production Editor:Dominic MusgraveTel: 01226 734407dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

Studio Manager:Stewart HoltTel: 01226 734414sth@scriptmedia.co.uk

Database enquiries to:01226 734695 E-mail: circulation@scriptmedia.co.ukWhilst every effort is made toensure the accuracy of all con-tent, the publishers do notaccept liability for error, printedor otherwise, that may occur.

www.caring-uk.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @caringuk

Gordon opens £7.7mscheme in StockportFORMER Krypton Factor and North WestTonight TV presenter Gordon Burns offi-cially opened Smithy Croft in HealdGreen, in Stockport, a new retirement liv-ing development owned and managed byYour Housing Group.

The £7.7million development, built witha grant of more than £800,000 from theHomes and Communities Agency, has 55one and two bedroom apartments, allavailable for rent, shared ownership oroutright sale.

The purpose-built site is home to 70residents aged 55 years and over, all ofwhom have a local connection. Thedevelopment includes a bistro servinghot and cold food, a hairdressers and acraft room which offers a range of weeklyactivities. These amenities are open tothe local community and non-residentsare encouraged to use the facilities.

Kathy Cowell, chair of Your HousingGroup, said: “Smithy Croft has alreadyproved very popular with our residents,who have created a real community here.

“They enjoy the social aspects of livingin a retirement village scheme yet theyknow they can close their front door andhave time on their own to rest and relaxwhen they want to.

“We can now offer the very best inretirement living for older people here inHeald Green, allowing individuals to lead

independent lives with the reassurancethat support is there if they need it.”

Funding for this development was pro-vided by HCA and Your Housing Group.

Marion Shaw, scheme manager forSmithy Croft, added: “Since opening inthe summer, we’ve already connectedwith the junior schools, doctor’s surgeryand local library, making residents feelvery much part of the wider community.

“The bistro, hairdressers and activityroom are all well used by the public,

which is great to see. We even have amother and baby group regularly visitingour bistro which the residents love.”

Each of the specially designed apart-ments has a wet room and well equippedkitchen with built in appliances includingintegrated oven, hob and extractor.

There is also a pamper bathroom, guestsuite and resident laundry facilities.

For residents who need a little morehelp, assisted bathrooms are also avail-able.

Gordon Burns with resident Hilda Davies Jones and Kathy Cowell, chair of Your Housing Group.

03 15/1/15 13:15 Page 1

CARINGNEWS4

Development helps residentstake walk down memory laneRESIDENTS at Field Lodge care homein St Ives have been taking a walkdown memory lane following theunveiling of a nostalgic ‘reminiscencestreet’.

The development features a fully-functioning and well stocked tuckshop, as well as traditionally-styledgreengrocer and post office shopfronts.

Part of an ongoing project at FieldLodge to provide a dementia-friendlyenvironment, the transformation ofthe ground floor of the care home hasbeen led by home manager MatthewCox, who gave up his office to createa fun, visually appealing andstimulating point of interest forresidents.

According to Matthew, theinstallation of the reminiscence streethas brought immediate benefits forresidents, with the addition of thetuck shop proving to be a big hit.

He said: “With its traditional lookand feel, the tuck shop is a wonderfulplace for residents to spend time andreminisce about days gone-by and it’sfast becoming a hub of activity hereat Field Lodge. From a practicalpoint of view, the tuck shop alsosupports and encouragesindependence, and residents reallyenjoy popping along and purchasinga drink or a bag of their favourite

childhood sweets.“The shop is run by resident Jean

Chandler, who thoroughly enjoysevery aspect of managing it – fromorganising and pricing stock toserving her customers.

“During the festive period Jean andthe other residents were busy makingChristmas cards to sell in the shop,and in this way this exciting newfacility continues to go from strength-

to-strength.“The greengrocer and post office

shop fronts also provide a fantastictalking point and, together with thetuck shop, they help to provide amulti-sensory experience forresidents which fits with Care UK’semphasis on activity based care, aswell as our continued drive to ensureField Lodge is a stimulating and funplace to live.”

Field Lodge manager Matthew Cox with resident Jean Chandler.

Staff saveday withtakeawayAN unexpected power cut at aTonbridge residential homeresulted in staff coming togetherto ensure residents remainedrelaxed, entertained and well fed.

With over 40 residents in thecare of staff, it could have been anightmare when there was asudden black-out at Woodgateresidential home, but staff actedswiftly and efficiently, evenmanaging to have a bit of fun asthey waited for the power tocome back on.

The team on duty did notpanic, despite having no ideahow long the power could be outfor. Instead they ordered in fishand and chips for the hungryresidents and gathered for areminiscence afternoon.

Home manager Jan Moultonsaid: “The power was out forsuch a long time that it couldhave been a disaster, but theteam at Woodgate reacted rapidlyand professionally to ensurenone of the residents felt stressedor concerned.

“Obviously there was nolighting and no TV or music forentertainment. Instead wegathered in the dining room andchatted over our fish and chips.”

04 15/1/15 13:51 Page 1

05 Intercall 15/1/15 13:28 Page 1

CARINGNEWS6

Chairman of Sahara Care, Terence Brown, and managing director Sharon Kaur meetOscar-nominated actress Imelda Staunton OBE and Downton Abbey star Jim Carter at acharity evening for Richard House hospice.

LONDON-based care providerSahara Care has shown its supportfor a specialist children’s hospice bymaking a donation.

Richard House was London’s firstchildren’s hospice and supportshundreds of families whose childrenand young adults are at risk of deathfrom a range of life-limitingconditions.

As part of its long-runninginvolvement with the charity, SaharaCare made a donation of £10,000 tothe hospice based in Beckton, EastLondon.

To show its appreciation Richard

House invited Sahara Care’schairman Terence Brown andmanaging director Sharon Kaur to acharity gala evening at Quo Vadis inLondon, which was attended by thecharity’s patrons, Oscar-nominatedactress Imelda Staunton OBE andDownton Abbey star Jim Carter.

During the evening they heardfrom Adam and Cheryl Towse, whoseson Theo spent time at RichardHouse.

They spoke about the positiveimpact the hospice had on their livesand the wonderful memories theyhad there with their son.

Group supports hospice

A BOX containing favourite musicand objects to trigger memories fordementia patients – developed by aUniversity of Brighton graduate – isgoing to market.

Chloe Meineck took two yearsresearching the positive effects ofmusic for those with dementia beforedeveloping the box.

The Music Memory Box is expectedto go on sale next year. Customerswill send in favourite items andmusic for customised boxes to bemade.

Chloe made her prototype for afamily member whilst she wasstudying 3D Design and Craft(BA(Hons) at the university’s GrandParade campus. She witnessed herrelative react positively each time amemory was triggered.

She has gone on to win a host ofawards and is now developing asimilar box for children to record andstore their memories and stories.

Chloe said: “This will be especiallyfor children in care or those who havebeen adopted, as something that cansupport them in times of change anduncertainty.

“When an object is put in the centreof the box an individual piece ofmusic or audio content plays. Itfeatures the same technology used inOyster cards used on Londontransport. The aim is to improve aperson’s emotional wellbeing and

communication skills.”Chloe credited the Design for the

Future competition, run by PhilippaAldrich while she was studying at theUniversity of Brighton. She said thecourse helped her decide on a careerfocusing on helping people.

After graduating, she exhibited atthe London Design Festival and lastyear (2013) she became Designer inResidence at the Design Museum inLondon.

Chloe, 24, has now launched aPrinces Trust supported company inBristol where she lives, and she is alsoworking as a design consultant andlecturer, and she runs workshops andevents across the UK. Chloe saidcreating a business and product wasvital for her to achieve her goal ofhelping as many people as possibleas well so she can afford rent.

But she believes university studentsshould not be pressured bycommercial needs.

She said: “Ideas should be exploredwith freedom and after university,graduates should look for fundingopportunities and residencies thatoffer the artist or designer a certainamount of time to be free fromworrying about money.”

Chloe, winner of the MostInnovative Product at last year’sBrighton Enterprise Awards, recentlywon the 2014 Blueprint design andart magazine’s Award for Design.

Chloe’s music memorybox goes to market

06 20/1/15 09:51 Page 1

full page template proper 20/1/15 09:03 Page 1

CARINGNEWS8

Residents go back in time withstimulating history workshop By Dominic Musgrave

A MIDDLESBROUGH care home haswelcomed a national self-helporganisation for a special historyworkshop aimed at leading residentsin discussion.

The Gables was joined by the experthistory group from the University ofThe Third Age, who provided astimulating session on earlytelevision, post war Britain and theCambridge spies: Burgess andMaclean.

Residents at the home activelyparticipated in the event and toldstories and reminisced about theirpast experiences during thediscussions.

The session, which was led byStephen Palczynski, was organised sothat residents could take part in anew experience and as part of TheGables’ continuous efforts tooutreach to groups and individualswithin the local community.

Naaila Rehman, activities co-ordinator at The Gables, said: “Wecontacted the U3A group as part ofour ongoing work to involve residentsin activities that are organisedoutside the home. This enables us todevelop strong links with thecommunity and provides ourresidents with a further sense ofbelonging.

“All of the residents at the homefound the session led by the historygroup incredibly interesting andenjoyed discussing their memories ofthe early television and their post-warexperiences.

“Events such as this allow ourresidents to actively discuss theirpast, keeping their memory activeand providing a platform fordiscussion and engagement.

“We were delighted with the session

and hope that U3A will visit the hometo host other activities in the future.”

The U3A is an organisation thatprovides opportunities to retired andsemi-retired people.

They learn skills and shareexperiences together for enjoyment,rather than to gain any qualifications.They run a number of events andactivities in and aroundMiddlesbrough, including the historygroup.

Residents with the U3A history group.

RESIDENTS at Bupa’s Arran ViewCare Home in Saltcoats havefound themselves becoming‘paid artists’ thanks to asuccessful art exhibition.

The exhibition of artworkcreated by residents raised nearly£150, which will be put towardsthe home’s activity fund.

The display attracted friendsand family who came along topurchase the designs – and alsoshow support to relatives wholive at the home.

Jenny Trott, activity coordinatorat Arran View, said: “We aredelighted at the success of the artexhibition and to have raised£147 from the sale of theresidents’ work is a greatachievement.

“Many of the residents at thehome are living with dementiaand getting them involved in artsand crafts is a great way tostimulate their motor skills.

“It was also great to see theresidents create their ownartwork – at first many of theresidents had doubts and didn’tthink they could do it.

“So the pleasure in becoming‘paid artists’ was a great addedbonus.”

Exhibitionsuccess atcare home

08 19/1/15 14:41 Page 1

09 Abyliss 15/1/15 13:29 Page 1

CARINGNEWS10

TWO members of staff at Ridley Parkcare home in Blyth have gained Level5 Diplomas in Leadership &Management for Health & SocialCare.

Marina Wilson began her career incare as a domestic assistant andworked her way up to senior carerbefore joining Hadrian HealthcareGroup. Jane Tworkowski has workedin the private care home sector formost of her career and is anexperienced deputy manager.

Both have been part of the RidleyPark team since the home openedthree years ago.

Ridley Park manager Morag Hornsaid: “I’d like to congratulate Jane andMarina on their qualifications. Theyworked so hard they were actuallyable to complete the course six weeksahead of schedule.

“Training is ongoing for all HadrianHealthcare staff because we know it’sthe best way to provide high qualityperson-centred care for our residents.It’s vital that we keep our skills andknowledge up to date and for staffwith management responsibility tohave formal guidance on how to leadtheir team effectively.

“We’re keen to raise the profile ofcareers in care. The opportunity togain nationally recognisedqualifications is really important forcareer development.”

The course ran over 18 months. Twofull days each month were spent withan assessor from Learning CurveGroup and in between they kept inregular contact online.

Jane and Marina also committed toaround 10 hours per week studyoutside work for research and essays.

Duo gain qualificationsJane Tworkowski and Marina Wilson.

Homecare companylaunches in CardiffA NEW company that will providehigh quality home care to people inthe Cardiff area has been launched.

Heritage Healthcare Cardiff hasreceived its registration from the Careand Social Services InspectorateWales, and is excited to beginsupporting people across the areawho require support to remain livingas independently as possible in theirown homes.

Owner and director of HeritageHealthcare Cardiff JameelaRangoonwala is currently studyingfor a Level 5 diploma in Leadershipfor Health and Social Care Services.

She said: “People want, and need, tostay in their own home whereeverything is familiar and family andfriends can pop in any time.

“Heritage Healthcare Cardiff isdedicated to providing the higheststandards of care to enable people tomaintain their independence, remainliving in their own home and enjoyan excellent quality of life.”

Heritage Healthcare Cardiff willwork with clients in the city andsurrounding towns and villages, andis particularly equipped to providemuch needed services within theethnic minority community.

Jameela will be supported byregistered care manager SusanWetherall.

Heritage Healthcare Cardiff will

arrange for carers to assist people intheir own homes with practical andpersonal tasks.

This may be for a short while, afteran accident or an illness, or it mightbe long term due to age, disability orother health problems.

Jameela Rangoonwala with HeritageHealthcare franchising directors Sally andGlenn Pickersgill and Michelle Fenwick.

10 15/1/15 13:16 Page 1

11 Qaulity compliance 15/1/15 13:30 Page 1

12 JTM 20/1/15 14:34 Page 1

13CARINGNEWS

Home named employerof the year by college CALSA Care has been named employ-er of the year by Wakefield College’scommercial training arm, Services toBusiness.

The Pontefract based company wasset up in 2006 when it boughtVicarage Court Care Home, a 30-beddementia facility in NorthFeatherstone.

Nine years later the home is tripleits original size and provides nursingcare, residential care, dementia careand day care.

The care home employs 73 staffincluding seven nurses. Once itachieves full occupancy, it willemploy more than 100 people.

Calsa Care director Jagjit Sigh said:

“It was a pleasure to work closelywith Wakefield College and JobCentre Plus.

“Far too many people do not seecare work as a professional career,however we have developed staff suc-cessfully to ensure the care deliveredis of a very high standard.

“We have staff who came to us onwork experience and within fouryears, we have developed them intomanagers. Other care staff are train-ing to become nurses. We supportstaff to maximise their potential.”

The annual awards ceremony recog-nises and celebrates the hard work,dedication and achievements oflearners.

Wakefield College principal Sam Wright presents Jagjit Singh, director of Calsa Care,with the employer of the year award.

13 20/1/15 09:59 Page 1

14 CARINGNEWS

Andrea celebrates firsttop ratings for adultsocial care in EnglandBy Dominic Musgrave

THE chief inspector of adult socialcare at the CQC, Andrea Sutcliffe, hascongratulated England’s first threeadult social care services which haveachieved the highest possible ratingin providing safe, high-quality andcompassionate care.

Prince of Wales House Care Home(Ipswich), along with two home carecompanies – Home Instead SeniorCare (West Lancashire and Chorley)and Domiciliary Care East Devon(Exeter) – have been judged to beOutstanding.

The top ratings follow on from thelaunch of the regulator’s new styleinspections and ratings system inOctober 2014 to be clear whether res-idents are receiving services that aresafe, caring, effective, responsive andwell-led.

Since then, 350 adult social care ser-vices nationally have so far beenawarded a CQC rating. Around 70 percent of these are rated as Good.

Andrea said: “I am tremendouslypleased to be able to congratulate ourvery first Outstanding adult socialcare services in England.

“Each one has demonstrated that

excellent care is being provided bydedicated and committed staff whoare passionate about making a differ-ence for the people they support.

“The launch of our new approach toinspecting and rating services lastOctober set out clear and importantcriteria on how providers can demon-strate they are delivering good or bet-ter care and effectively tackling anyproblems.

“Through performance ratings, wewill continue to celebrate the verybest services and shine a spotlight onthose providers that fail to do theright thing to help people when itcomes to choosing care.

“Everyone using adult social careservices deserves to experience reallygreat care. I am determined that weuse regulation to drive forward rapidimprovement and help make the‘Mum Test’ real.”

Care and Support Minister NormanLamb added: “I am delighted thesethree care services have been award-ed the first ever Outstanding ratingsfollowing an inspection – this is testa-ment to the hard work and determi-nation of staff in ensuring a safe andcaring environment, where peopleare treated with dignity and respect.”

FOUR Seasons’ care homes across theUK raised more than £10,100 forMacmillan Cancer Support throughtheir participation in last year’sWorld’s Biggest Coffee Morning initia-tive.

The group regularly takes part inMacmillan’s World’s Biggest CoffeeMorning initiative, with the homes’fundraising efforts reaching a total ofalmost £30,000 over the last threeyears.

Staff and residents in more than 70homes opened their doors to thecommunity and hosted coffee morn-ings where they served homemade

cakes. One facility in County Armaghalso gave guests the opportunity towrite a message, a prayer or a get wellnote on Macmillan balloons, whichwere released in the home’s court-yard.

Pauline Lawrance, regional manag-ing director for Four Seasons, said:“We are very proud to continuallysupport and contribute to such aworthwhile cause that means a greatdeal to so many of us. Hearing howmuch money we’ve raised in the lastthree years motivates us all to contin-ue to do as much as we can to sup-port Macmillan Cancer.”

Four Seasons raises over£10,000 for cancer charity

Staff and residents from Westfield Lodge care home with the cheque they gave toMacmillan Cancer.

14 15/1/15 13:17 Page 1

15 miele 22/1/15 14:17 Page 1

15CARINGNEWS

Care worker makes two-mile jump for charitiesA MACCLESFIELD care home workerhas gone, or rather fallen, the extramile for a good cause.

Andy Foote, who works at CLS-runIngersley Court in Bollington, raisedmore than £750 for Age UK CheshireEast and his home’s residents’ activi-ties fund by undertaking a sponsoredskydive.

Andy, aged 36, travelled to Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria to completehis jump. The landscape provided theperfect backdrop to his first ever skydive, which saw him falling from15,000ft, hitting a top speed of over100mph.

Andy said: “It’s something I’vealways wanted to do really, but I

never thought that I actually would.When I thought I could do it whileraising money for a good cause, I hadno excuse not to do it.”

Jennifer Jones, home manager,added: “We are all so proud of Andy;we do a great deal of fundraising hereat Ingersley, mostly organised by ourhard working activity coordinatorCheryl Brooks, and Andy has justgone above and beyond with his skydive.”

Staff at Ingersley Court have beeraising money for Age UK and theresidents activities fund for a numberof months. Over £,1300 has beenraised so far, with many more eventsplanned this year.

Andy Foote raised more than £750 with a sponsored skydive.

Pioneering arts trainingis a UK first for industryBy Dominic Musgrave

A CARE organisation has developed apioneering training course thanks toa musical collaboration with one ofthe world’s top orchestras.

All members of staff at Pendine Parkin Wrexham are being trained to usethe arts as a way of improving thequality of life for the residents of theirseven care homes.

The partnership with the Hallé wasfacilitated by Arts and BusinessCymru, who bring the worlds of artsand business together.

Pendine Park’s artist in residenceSarah Edwards is passionate aboutthe value of the work with the Halléand the new qualification which isthe first of its kind in the UK.

She said: “We were absolutely blownaway to have the opportunity to workwith the Hallé and we really wantedto build on that and embed musicand the arts into the lives of all thepatients and staff at Pendine Park.

“We have developed theEnrichment Programme in artsawareness in conjunction with ourin-house training arm, SmartcareTraining. It is made up of severalmodules, including music and thearts. We also work on visual art andcolour therapy, laughter therapy andcreative writing as well.

“Research has shown that the bene-fits of facilitating creativity and allow-

ing people to express themselves hasa very positive impact in terms ofleading fulfilled lives.

“Dementia patients in particularstill have resonance with certainpieces of music, and we want to tapinto that, and that’s going to be quitea significant phase in the project."

The arts will also play a big role atthe organisation's new £7 millioncentre of excellence for dementiacare that's being built on the site ofthe former Bryn Seiont communityhospital on the outskirts ofCaernarfon. The aim is to trial it as anin-house course for staff with a viewto developing it into a nationallyrecognised qualification that could berolled out across Wales.

Proprietor Mario Kreft said: “Thearts gives people a sense of purposeand our collaborations with the Halléand Welsh National Opera have cer-tainly helped residents to lead ful-filled lives.

“Very often, people have notrealised that they have an artistic tal-ent – so it gives them an enormoussense of achievement and pleasure.

“They look forward to the lessonsand the gallery visits and the exhibi-tions that we put on here.

“We have also been extremely luckyto be able to work with world classmusicians to support our projects toenrich people’s lives through themedium of music.”

15 15/1/15 13:17 Page 1

CARINGNEWS16

The Manor House Nursing Home at Chatburn in Lancashire celebrated the renewal of itsGold Standard Framework award and proprietors Janet and Chris Harrison owning thehome for 30 years. The managers travelled to London to be presented with the GoldStandards plaque and certificate. On their return the local Mayor, Mayoresses and towncrier joined a full house for a celebration.

STAFF at a Bupa care home inEdinburgh found themselves onto awinner after a race night raisedmore than £700 to fund futureevents and activities for residents.

Residents at Braid Hills joinedstaff, friends and family for theevent held at Liberton Rugby Club.

Funds from the event, organisedby activities coordinator BarbaraThomson and administratorPauline Ritchie, will go towards

organising innovative and inspiringevents and activities for theresidents.

Barbara said: “It was a brilliantnight, the atmosphere was greatand we are thrilled about theamount of money we raised.

“We know our activitiesprogramme is hugely popular withour residents so we are lookingforward to planning a whole host ofnew events and attractions.”

Home backs a winner with race night

VIP guest launcheshome’s completedrefurbishmentRESIDENTS at Park House care homein Newcastle welcomed a special VIPguest to officially mark a majorinvestment in the home.

There was a ribbon cutting byCouncillor Ian Graham, Sheriff andDeputy Lord Mayor of Newcastle, andresident, Michael Tittley, to launchthe Akari Care owned home’srefurbishment, which is part of a£15million investment programme inits facilities throughout the UK.

To celebrate the refurbishment, thehome threw open its doors formembers of the community to lookaround the fresh new premises, andthere was musical entertainment bylocal singer Sheridan Locke, and avisit from Animal Antics, whichbrought a wide variety of weird andwonderful animals for residents andguests to enjoy.

Manager Ann Mielnik said: “Theenvironment of a care home is soimportant to the well-being of theresidents and everything is gearedtowards achieving positive outcomesfor the people who live in ourhomes.”

As part of the refurbishment at thehome, all bedrooms and en-suiteshave been fitted with new carpets,vinyl flooring, furniture, curtains and

lighting to make the rooms morecomfortable and appealing forresidents.

All communal areas, including thelounges, dining rooms, corridors andreception areas have beenredecorated with new furniture,curtains and pictures.

Residents can also make a trip tothe hairdressers in the comfort of thehome, as a small shower room whichwas rarely used has been convertedto a hair dressing salon.

The exterior of the building has alsobeen given a fresh new look, withsome windows replaced, new doorsand the tarmac has been replaced tomake access to the building easier.

Resident Michael Tittley launches therefurbishment with manager Ann Mielnikand Sheriff Ian Graham.

16 19/1/15 14:59 Page 1

17 Blue rock 15/1/15 13:31 Page 1

CARINGNEWS18

Elderly forced to put their pet to sleepwhen moving into care, survey findsMORE than two million people inBritain say they know an elderlyperson who had to have their catand/or dog put to sleep because theywere moving into a residential carehome, according to research.

The survey by www.stayinmyhome.co.uk also found 20 per cent say theelderly people they know with petswould refuse to go into care withouttheir pets. Additionally, 18.5 per centsaid they knew an elderly person whohad to have their cat or dog rehomed.

In the same month that a nationalhelpline revealed the extent of theloneliness experienced by elderlypeople, this evidence provides agraphic insight into one of the mostdistressing decisions facing a growingnumber considering moving fromtheir home to residential care: whatto do with a much-loved pet that isnot permitted to join them.

Up to 71 per cent of residentialhomes and sheltered housingschemes currently refuse to allowresidents to have pets. Their refusal iscausing current and futuregenerations of elderly people realdistress. To ease their suffering, agroup of the UK’s leading live-inhomecare providers have partneredto launch an information resourcethat offers people valuable insightinto an alternative to residential care

that means they need not beseparated from their much-loved pet.

The website has been developed byThe Live-in Homecare InformationHub, a coalition of 13 live-inhomecare providers.

The site illustrates how, with theright professional support, elderlypeople can stay in their home, closeto family, in familiar surroundingswith the animal they love: rather thanface a future in residential carewithout them.

Dominique Kent from The Live-InHomecare Information Hub said: “Tosupport the launch ofwww.stayinmyhome.co.uk, wecommissioned fresh research in a bidto highlight the distressing choicesfacing elderly people destined to beseparated from their pets.

“The vast majority of older peoplein the UK don’t want to move intoresidential care, with what is often aninstitutional and regimented way oflife, away from familiar surroundings,friends, family and pets.

“In fact, 97 per cent of people feelmost comfortable in their own homewith 71 per cent wanting to be livingin their own home when they are over75+.”

The Live-in Homecare Informationsurvey also found that the prospect ofentering a care home and being

separated from their pet could causesome elderly people to considertaking steps that might actually causethem harm: To avoid going into ahome for much-needed care, 17.4 percent of elderly people would pretendthey were in good health. To avoidbeing separated from their pet, 8.8per cent would make themselvesmore ill rather than leave their pet.

Shockingly, when asked aboutelderly pet owners they know who

have moved – or about to move intoresidential care, 4.3 per cent ofrespondents said they would considertaking their own lives or talk abouttaking their own lives due to concernsabout their pets.

Over 18 per cent of respondentsbelieved that those elderly peoplethey knew would, if they were awareof live-in homecare, try to arrange tobe cared for at home in order toremain with their pet.

© ramonespelt – Fotolia.com

18 19/1/15 14:48 Page 1

19 Care conference 22/1/15 16:11 Page 1

20 care conference 20/1/15 16:40 Page 1

21CARINGNEWS

Training older people in the use of social media improves cognitive capacity, increases a sense ofself-competence and could have a beneficial overall impact on mental health and well-being, anew study has claimed. Caring UK found out more

Training elderly in social media ‘improveswell-being and combats isolation’, claimTHE two-year project funded by theEuropean Union and led by theUniversity of Exeter in partnershipwith Somerset Care Ltd and Torbayand Southern Devon Health and CareNHS Trust gave a group of vulnerableolder adults a specially-designedcomputer, broadband connectionand training in how to use them.

Those who received trainingbecame more positive about comput-ers over time, with participants par-ticularly enjoying connecting withfriends and relatives via Skype andemail. The project, called Ages 2.0,aimed to assess the extent to whichthe internet and social media offer atool for promoting active ageing andaddressing social isolation.

It found that those trained hadheightened feelings of self-compe-tence, engaged more in social activity,had a stronger sense of personalidentity and showed improved cogni-tive capacity. These factors indirectlyled to overall better mental healthand well-being.

Dr Thomas Morton of the Universityof Exeter, who led the project in the

UK, said: “Human beings are socialanimals, and it’s no surprise that wetend to do better when we have thecapacity to connect with others. Butwhat can be surprising is just howimportant social connections are tocognitive and physical health.

“People who are socially isolated orwho experience loneliness are morevulnerable to disease and decline. Forthese reasons finding ways to supportpeople’s social connections is a reallyimportant goal. “This study showshow technology can be a useful toolfor enabling social connections, andthat supporting older people in ourcommunity to use technology effec-tively can have important benefits fortheir health and well-being.”

Participants in the study were allvulnerable older adults between theages of 60 and 95 years of age whowere receiving support fromSomerset Care Ltd. The 76 volunteerswere drawn both from those receivingcare in the community and those liv-ing in any of the not-for-profit organ-isation’s 26 residential care homes.

Half of the participants were ran-

domly assigned to receive trainingand the other half to a control groupwho received care as usual. The train-ing involved the installation of an‘Easy PC package’ consisting of atouch screen computer and key-board, and a broadband internet con-nection. They were able to keep thecomputer for 12 months, including athree-month training period.

Emma Green, the care technologistfrom Somerset Care, who deliveredtraining to several of the elderly peo-ple, said: “As the training programmedeveloped with my participants theirconfidence grew and they were keento tell me how family members hademailed back, Skyped or ‘liked’ acomment or a picture on Facebook.Seeing the smiles on my participant’sfaces when they Skyped a familymember in the UK or abroad wassuch a special moment.

“One of the best Skype calls wasduring a visit to my caravan inCornwall when I Skyped a client whoused to enjoy camping. We werearound the camp fire and he was ableto be a part of our group from thelaptop, looking at the fire and joiningin. They all know that I am only anemail or Skype call away and it hasbeen fabulous being a part of theAges 2.0 project.”

Those behind the Ages 2.0 studyhope its findings will help informfuture policy on digital inclusion andthe delivery of tele-health and tele-care strategies.

Elderly residents who received trainingbecame more positive about computers.

Photo credit: ACP prod – Fotolia.com

21 16/1/15 09:08 Page 1

22 New Mayfair 22/1/15 16:04 Page 1

23CARINGNEWS

RESIDENTS living at MarlboroughCourt Care Home in Thamesmeadare taking part in yoga sessions.

Thanks to a bursary from theFoundation of Nursing Studies, theSouth London home has introducedan 18 month-long yoga programme,which will focus on teaching relaxingtechniques that are suitable for olderpeople and for those living withdementia.

These weekly classes will see peopleenjoy meditation, controlled breath-ing and other gentle yoga tech-niques.

The exercise’s health benefits arewell-known, and will help peoplesleep better and retain their fitness,while remaining as supple and

mobile as possible.Marlborough Court and yoga

instructor Tania Plahay applied forthe bursary based on the recommen-dation of Dr Theresa Shaw, CEO ofthe Foundation of NursingStandards, who was impressed by thehome’s pilot scheme which ran earli-er on in the year.

Home manager Maggie Candy said:“We are always trying to pioneer newactivities to help residents lead ahealthy and interactive lifestyle.

“We noticed a marked improve-ment in people’s health with the pilotscheme earlier this year so we aredelighted to receive this bursarywhich will allow us to continue offer-ing this innovative therapy.”

Residents say yes to yogaMarlborough Court Care Home residents Vera Daniels, Catherine Thompson and EileenCoates with yoga instructor Tania Plahay and activities co-ordinator Hayley Mercer.

Search for UK’s bestcare cook beginsTHE search for the next talented carecook to be crowned the ‘best in theUK’ has begun.

The National Association of CareCatering’s 15th annual Care Cook ofthe Year 2015 competition is officiallyopen for entries, with a deadline ofFebruary 6.

Building on the success of the 2014competition that attracted recordnumbers of entries and saw the grandfinal double in size, the NACC isexpecting the numbers to rise to evengreater proportions for 2015.

Care cooks working across the sec-tor – from residential homes to com-munity services such as meals onwheels, day centres and luncheonclubs – are invited to enter and show-case their skills and knowledge.

Entrants must create and substanti-ate a delicious and nutritionally-bal-anced two-course menu, main anddessert, suitable for service users in acare setting. The combined food costfor both courses is also to be no morethan £1.50 per head based on fourportions, reflecting the restrictedbudgets care cooks often have tomaximise.

All entries will be judged by a cen-tral judging panel for consistency andthose shortlisted will have the oppor-tunity to show off their culinary skillsand knowledge at one of the sixregional cook-offs.

There they will have 90 minutes toproduce their dishes with the judgeslooking for innovation, costing, suit-ability for the environment, adher-ence to nutrition guidelines, tasteand overall menu balance.

The two highest-scoring competi-tors from each regional heat go on tothe grand final on June 10 at Barking& Dagenham Technical SkillsAcademy to vie for the coveted titleCare Cook of the Year 2015.

NACC national chair Neel Radiasaid: “Catering within the care sectoris a highly skilled vocation andresponsibility. It is also a growingsector as the population continues toage apace.

“As well as the culinary ability andflair to create great-tasting and well-presented food, very specific knowl-edge and understanding is requiredby cooks and chefs when planningmenus for the elderly and vulnerableentrusted to their care.

“Important factors such as nutri-tion, budget restrictions, specificdietary needs and individualdemands, for example for those withdementia or dysphagia, must beunderstood and considered at alltimes. Care cooks must also keepabreast of developments in regula-tions and legislation, such as the newallergen regulations introduced thismonth.”

23 15/1/15 13:17 Page 1

CARINGNEWS24

Staff at Woodgate residential home in Tonbridge granted not one but four residents’wishes to enjoy fish and chips by the seaside. Residents Esme Caprile, Peggy Wiltshire,Madeleine White and Vicky Nott wrapped up warm and hopped aboard a minibus readyto have their wishes granted. The residents and their accompanying carers headed toHastings where they enjoyed a traditional fish and chip lunch, followed by a walk alongthe old town to the seafront, where they stopped to warm up with coffee anddoughnuts. Staff were able to grant the residents’ wishes as Woodgate staff andassociates have been working hard to raise money for their Wish Appeal fund since thescheme launched last April.

A CHELTENHAM based care charityhas launched a new, trademarkedservice to support those in thecommunity with memory issues.

Lilian Faithfull Homes’ MemoryAwareness Support Team (MAST™)resource is provided at sites acrossGloucestershire and is run by trainedin-house dementia link workers –and the free service is alreadyproving a vital local resource.

MAST ™ provides advice tofamilies and loved ones, giving themthe opportunity to listen to adementia talk and interact withother people in the same situation

and with the same worries asthemselves.

Lilian Faithfull is now extendingthe MAST™ resource into the widercommunity, providing support forthose who want to stay at home.

Suzanne Booker, manager ofFaithfull House, said: “LilianFaithfull Homes is ideally placed totalk to families about their concernsregarding memory awareness.

“Our teams can provide comfortand advice well before a residentmay need care and importantly thisadvice is open to all, whether or notresidential care might be needed.”

Care charity unveils newmemory issues resource

24 22/1/15 14:15 Page 1

25CARINGNEWS

JOE Colwell, a carpenter for morethan 35 years, has set up World ofBenches, a company that hasdesigned and developed a picnictable for the use of both wheelchairusers and able-bodied.

The idea behind it became apparenton a family day out when Joe noticeda wheelchair user positioned at theend of a table and not included in thegroup.

She also appeared to struggle to eatnormally from her plate as it was toofar away for comfort.

Joe said: “It is important that peoplein wheelchairs should not be made tofeel different or excluded in anyway.Wherever these tables have beensited they have proved to be verybeneficial to all users.”

This table includes everyone andallows all to sit in ease and closecompany, and a place where a personwith a wheelchair is made to feel partof the group, and could sit facingeveryone else if they wish, close tothe table for eating and not sittingsideways on or at the end of the table.

Joe added: “We had two designobjectives: one was to overcomeobstructions underneath the bench,allowing unrestricted access forwheelchair use, the other was to giveclear access for all.

“So we designed the ladder framesystem, which gives the table incredi-ble strength and ensures the unit isrigid. This entire design is unique tous and proved to be highly success-ful.”

Joe develops picnic tablethat includes everyone

Company expands butlooks for more staffA SHROPSHIRE care company haslaunched a recruitment drive for 50new members of staff – after alreadyexpanding by almost 30 per cent inthe past year.

Carewatch (Mid Shropshire), basedat Stafford Park, Telford, aimed todouble the number of employeesduring 2014 – but despite massivegrowth they are on the hunt for more.

The firm, which has grown aroundtwo per cent month on monththroughout the past 12 months, hasheld regular advice sessions forprospective employees at the JobCentre as they try to keep pace withdemand.

Managing director Steve Harris said:“I am pleased with the expansion wehave made this year, but it is still along way off what we need.

“The demand has far outstrippedhow many people we have been ableto recruit. I took part in a nationaldebate organised by the Guardiannewspaper which confirmed that thisis a serious problem nationwide.

“The general consensus was thatcentral government had a role to playin lifting the profile of support work-ers.”

The company, which works with theelderly and disabled acrossShropshire and Staffordshire,launched in 1999 and is run by Steveand his wife Sally.

They offer 24-hour care, adult care,

care for children, live-in carers, per-sonal care, risk assessments in thehome and corporate support services.

Steve said it is an industry that willsimply continue to create jobsbecause of the way the demographicsof society are changing.

He added: “We have introduced ini-tiatives in the past year such as a carrental scheme and also a credit unionscheme.

“We have also increased the amountof training we offer to staff and arealways looking for ways to improvethe workplace for our staff. We wantto attract good quality staff to join theexcellent team we already have.”

The 50 new roles will be for careand support staff across Shropshireand applicants do not need to haveany experience or a driving licence.

Steve Harris

25 19/1/15 16:55 Page 1

26 CARINGNEWS

Hartford Care has raised more than £30,000 for The Silver Line charity. The achievementcame about through the efforts of many of the group’s employees, residents and familycarers organising and taking part in a range of events including a Big Chat Challenge,washing cars, sky diving, cream teas, fetes and fairs, an auction night, car boot salesand much more. Sean and Jo Gavin, Hartford Care’s CEO and brand director, Leah-MarieMills, group HR manager, and Mike Smith, operations director, raised a significant pro-portion of the total raised by completing a four-day trek across the Sahara Desert.The trek team are pictured presenting the cheque for the total raised to Esther Rantzenand Sophie Andrews (The Silver Line’s CEO) at the charity’s first birthday celebration.

By Dominic Musgrave

A VOLUNTEER project where sixthformers make weekly visits to theirlocal care home to play croquet witholder people and people living withdementia, has won national acclaimat the Independent Schools Awards.

Oakham School picked up theaward for Outstanding CommunityInitiative in recognition of their pro-ject at Tixover House Care Home inRutland, which has been running forover 18 months.

The croquet classes take place everyFriday during term-time at TixoverHouse and have had a huge impacton the individuals who take part, withevident mental, social and physicalbenefits for both residents and thestudents involved.

Activities co-ordinator at the home,Elaine Elsey, has been working along-side school teacher, Jane Paddock,and care staff to organise the croquetsessions.

She said: “What the pupils are doingis astounding. We have all noticed adifference in the residents that takepart. It makes them smile and givesthem joy. It really is remarkable to

watch residents who do not usuallytake part, get up and have a go.”

Oakham School and Tixover Housewere supported to start this projectby American charity, Jiminy Wicket,and their ‘Through Hoops to Hope’programme. The programme aims tobreak down the stigma arounddementia and to bring people togeth-er through croquet.

The care home, which is run byBarchester Healthcare, is one of onlytwo in England involved in the initia-tive and the first of the group’s facili-ties to run it.

Jiminy Wicket provided training forthe school pupils, teaching themskills such as how to help somebodywho uses a walking frame to play aswell as the rules of croquet.

Elaine added: “Shirley, a woman liv-ing with advanced dementia neverforgets that if it’s Friday, it’s croquetday. Even those who do not playdelight in the atmosphere and enjoychatting with the school pupils.

“Oakham School thoroughlydeserves the OutstandingCommunity Initiative Award for thepositive impact they have had atTixover House.”

Home’s croquet projectwith school wins award

Oakham School picked up the award for Outstanding Community Initiative in recogni-tion of their project at Tixover House in Rutland.

26 19/1/15 10:17 Page 1

27 gomples 19/1/15 14:41 Page 1

28 Forbes 19/1/15 12:50 Page 1

29CARINGNEWS

COLCHESTER United’s manager TonyHumes, assistant manager RichardHall and press officer David Gregory,a former player himself, camestraight from a team training sessionto have afternoon tea at FoxburrowGrange.

They chatted to residents as part ofthe ‘Time to Talk’ initiative launchedearlier this year, where the home isencouraging people of all ages tospare their time and to talk to resi-dents on a regular basis.

This is stimulating and involving forresidents and helps them stay con-nected and, as important, it intro-duces people, especially youngsters,to an older generation, their stories

and past experiences. There were plenty of football fans

keen to meet Tony and his team, andthey were all treated to home-madecakes and tea while they chatted.There’s now going to be a returnmatch, when residents fromFoxburrow Grange are taken on atour of the U’s stadium.

Tony said: “This is a great opportu-nity to close the gap between youngerpeople and older people. Our cultureis so focused on youth that yousometimes forget the brilliant andinteresting lives older people haveled. We had a great time and we’relooking forward to seeing them up atthe stadium in the near future.”

Tony takes time to talkResident Peter Jaggard with Colchester United manager Tony Humes.

Life saving defibrillatorsinstalled in care homesA SHROPSHIRE care provider hastaken delivery of life saving machinesthat can restart a person’s heart fol-lowing a cardiac arrest.

Coverage Care is installing 13Automated External Defibrillators atits homes for older people in Telford,Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Wellington,Wem, Newport, Whitchurch,Bridgnorth, Bishops Castle andMarket Drayton.

The machines, donated by the WestMidlands Ambulance Service, will beable to be used within the homes, butthe AEDs will be available for use bymembers of the public in an emer-gency.

The ambulance service is also train-ing around 90 of the group’s staff inhow to use the AEDS, although any-one can use a machine in a life ordeath situation as they give step-by-step instructions.

Coverage Care operations directorBev Aldridge said: “We are indebtedto the West Midlands AmbulanceService for its generous donation of13 AEDs.

“A cardiac arrest can happen to any-one, at any time, so having the AEDsin place will make our homes, andthe community around them, a saferplace to be.”

There are an estimated 60,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UKeach year.

The chance of a person surviving a

cardiac arrest falls by 10 per cent forevery minute that passes without anAED being used.

Survival rates can be as high as 75per cent when patients are treatedwith the right care and a defibrillatorin time.

Daniel Evans, assistant manager at CotonHill House in Shrewsbury, and DawnBush, from West Midland AmbulanceService, with one of the life savingdefibrillators.

29 15/1/15 13:18 Page 1

30 Electrolux 19/1/15 12:53 Page 1

31CARINGNEWS

Two members of staff at Canterbury Care’s Riverside Care Centre have shaved theirheads for charity. Susan Jones, who has been a cook at the home for three-and-a-halfyears, and Ann Robinson, who has worked as an activities co-ordinator at the Clitheroefacility for 10 years, took the plunge as residents and members of staff looked on. Theirefforts raised £460, which will be split between Cancer Research, a charity that is closeto their hearts as a staff member was recently diagnosed with the disease, and ChildrenIn Need. Gail Ainsworth, Riverside Care Centre manager, said: “It was a really brave andselfless act they did for charity and they set a fantastic example to everyone. CancerResearch is a charity that is extra special for us and they raised a fantastic amount tosupport the cause.”Ann Robinson and Susan Jones are pictured after having their heads shaved for charity.

31 15/1/15 13:19 Page 1

CARINGNEWS32

Ellen Brown, divisional manager care homes at apetito, shares a fewinsights as to the reasons why homes turn for help with their cateringservices...

A helping hand for homesWITH mealtimes playing such amajor role in the day-to-day lives ofresidents – plus the importance ofgood nutrition in supporting theirhealth and wellbeing – servingappetising, nutritious food willalways be a key priority for care homemanagers and operators.

Yet when you take intoconsideration the individual tastes,appetite levels and any specialdietary or nutritional requirements ofindividual residents – coupled withthe need to ensure their menussatisfy all CQC requirements –creating menus that tick all theseboxes can prove a daunting task.

Support at every step of the wayThe ongoing support and peace ofmind we’re able to offer operatorsand managers is a major drivingfactor in their decision to partnerwith us.

All homes are allocated a dedicatedcatering consultant whose role ispurely to work with each home,designing menus, providingnutritional analysis, training kitchenand care staff around all aspects ofnutritional care and providing all thetools they need to ensure theirresidents receive a world-class dining

experience.We encourage all operators and

managers to hold tasting sessionsbefore choosing to work with us,which gives residents, their friendsand families the chance to sampleour meals for themselves.

Not only does this reassure thoseclosest to the residents that theirloved ones will be served meals thatare not only nutritious, wellpresented, appetising and delicious,it also gives residents the opportunityto find their favourites and helphomes identify particularly popularmenu options.

Every time we introduce new dishesto our range, we offer to supportfurther tasting sessions, so homeshave the opportunity to get feedbackfrom residents before including themin their selection.

Satisfying the inspectorsWhat also reassures operators isaccess to our menu planning system– Nutriplan – which helps manageresidents’ nutritional intake.

Plus, this means they havecomprehensive evidence of thenutritional content of meals that theycan show to CQC inspectors at amoment’s notice.

Understandably, homes are oftendaunted by the somewhat confusingarray of regulations governing thecare home market, includingguidelines relating to the food theyserve.

Our consultants help demystify this,working with them to ensure theymeet all regulations, as well aspreparing for any changes in theCQC’s approach.

Encouraging independenceAs should be expected, muchemphasis today is placed on givingresidents as much control as possibleover their day-to-day lives and theability to choose what they eat is avital part of fostering independenceand dignity.

The flexibility of our menus allowshomes to offer a broad selection toresidents on a daily basis.

Essentially, by removing the morechallenging aspects of their foodprovision, managers and operatorsare free to focus on all other – equallydemanding – aspects of care homelife.� For more information on apetito orto book in a free taster session pleasecall 01225 756 071 or visitwww.apetito.co.uk

ONE of the UK’s largest not-for-profit care home providers forolder people has completed itsexecutive team with theappointment of a new financedirector.

Janet Boulter brings with her25 years of experience and anin-depth knowledge ofaccountancy and finance.Having gained considerableknowledge and experienceaccrued throughout hersuccessful career,predominantly within thehospitality industry.

In her new position, Janet willplace day-to-day emphasis onmanaging an effective andefficient finance function thatwill strategically support themaintenance of OSJCT’s existingestate and its growth into thefuture.

Trust appointsnew director

Janet Boulter

32 20/1/15 09:54 Page 1

33 Badgemaster 15/1/15 13:34 Page 1

34 Claims uk 15/1/15 13:33 Page 1

35CARINGDEMENTIA

FORMER nurse Pam Legg was thestar of a show when a new top-of-the-range minibus took to the road ather Dorset care home.

The 75-year-old was the first resi-dent at Colten Care's The Aldbury inPoole to step aboard the £70,000Mercedes Sprinter Landliner.

The high specification minibus canseat up to nine passengers as well asthree wheelchairs.

It has been designed and specifiedwith dementia residents in mind,including distinctive red seats.

Denise Arthur-Briskham, The

Aldbury's home manager, said: “Ourweekly trips out are a big feature forour residents and a new minibus is,therefore, an event of great excite-ment.

“Our team work hard to help resi-dents enjoy themselves. A minibusallowing them to enjoy this beautifularea with picnics and trips out is animportant part of our activity pro-gramme.”

The vehicle will join a four-strongminibus fleet at Colten Care, whichhas 19 homes in Dorset, Hampshireand Wiltshire.

New minibus takes to the roadPam Legg, a resident at The Aldbury in Poole, hands the keys of the new minibus todriver Kevin Surgeon watched by home manager Denise Arthur-Briskham.

Care group uses latesttechnology to supportpeople with dementiaSHEFFCARE has been taking part inimportant new research into the useof 21st century technology as an aidto people living with dementia.

The majority of the not-for-profitorganisation’s 11 homes across thecity now have dementia units, createdspecifically for residents with thecondition.

And some of those residents tookpart in vital new research into howusing popular but simple games likeSolitaire and Bubble Xplode on aniPad can help provide stimulation aswell as entertainment.

The InTouch project was led by theCentre for Assistive Technology andConnected Healthcare (CATCH) atthe University of Sheffield.

The research found that 80 per centof participants attempted to play agame on the iPad independently onat least one occasion, and that morethan 90 per cent reported havingenjoyed playing their game in at leastone of their gameplay sessions.

And it concluded that touchscreentablets can offer meaningful andengaging activities for people withdementia to play independently, pro-viding that the selection of apps isappropriate for the individual.

“We are always looking at new waysto make life more enjoyable for ourresidents who live with dementia,”

said Sheffcare chief executive BelindaBlack. “We were delighted to be invit-ed to take part in this important pieceof research by CATCH and were par-ticularly pleased with the positiveoutcome.

“Our residents certainly enjoyedtaking part and it proves that 21stcentury technologies can be used andenjoyed by people of all ages and allabilities.

“Our staff know the importance ofmaintaining levels of activity andinterest for our dementia residentsand the use of iPads and tablet tech-nology is certainly something that wewill be looking to encourage in thefuture.”

Belinda Black

35 20/1/15 09:53 Page 1

36 QUALITY IN CARESPONSORED BYwww.requiredsystems.com

Helping you to comply with the regulatorIT IS not just CQC that require services in the caresector to be able to evidence compliance.

Your bank and local authorities placing serviceusers are becoming more demanding.

The two major failures in CQC inspections arepoor record keeping and drug administration.Required Systems Ltd has all the quality systemsyou need to be compliant, incorporating all theforthcoming changes from CQC.

To find out more call 01236 782477 or visit www.requiredsystems.com

A SUCCESSFUL care setting needsstaff who have sustainable skills; peo-ple who are motivated and passion-ate about delivering exceptional ser-vice quality.

Enhance the quality of service yourcare home offers with LifetimeTraining.

Recruit, retain and upskill staff andensure you maintain mandatorystandards with a range of govern-ment-funded training courses.

Government-funded apprentice-ships offer a proven route to skillsdevelopment within care settings.They deliver greater consistency,motivation and staff retention acrosssingle and multiple sites.

As one of the UK’s leading trainingproviders, Lifetime Training providesa fully managed recruitment andtraining solution and deliversbespoke programmes to meet busi-ness needs, large or small.

Specifically tailored to your careorganisation, this training will bedelivered on-site, at a convenienttime for you and your staff.

Lifetime Training also offers a freeapprentice recruitment service tohelp you get the right team in placeas efficiently as possible.

Lifetime Training will provide highlyqualified trainers to guide learnersthrough their training, professionalworkbooks and learning resources,and Lifetime Learner Services whosupport staff with their specific learn-ing needs and requirements.

Now available: the higher appren-ticeship in Care Leadership andManagement (Level 5).

Enhance your home’sservice with Lifetime

A CARER at Ivy Bank care home inBirmingham is celebrating afterreceiving a prestigious award inrecognition of her hard workundertaken to achieve an industryqualification.

Kim McGuinness, an experiencedcarer who works at the Akari Carehome, triumphed over 1,300 othercandidates to be named OmegaTraining’s ‘Learner of the Year 2014.’

The prestigious title was awardedto Kim as she finished her Diplomain Health and Social Care in justunder a year, when 18 months isthe average time it takes to com-plete the qualification.

The judges also concluded thatKim should receive the title due toher high standard of work.

Kim has worked at Ivy Bank forthe past two-and-a-half years, start-ing as a carer and progressing tothe role of senior carer within ayear.

She is now also the home’s admin-

istrator – a role which she has beendoing for the past 18 months.

Kim said: “It’s great to receiverecognition for the hard work andeffort that I put into completing myDiploma, and I would like to thankeveryone at Ivy Bank for their sup-port during that time.”

Kim McGuinness with her award.

BUPA has launched a ‘dementia dis-cussion map’ to help people whohave recently been diagnosed andtheir families to better understandlife with the condition.

The discussion map, which waslaunched at the UK DementiaCongress in Brighton, is a therapytool to help Bupa’s Admiral Nurses –specialist dementia nurses developedin partnership with Dementia UK –frame discussion and conversationwith people who are in the earlystages of dementia.

Bupa’s Admiral Nurses are special-ists in dementia care. They will usethe discussion map to help people incommunities and care homes acrossthe country to navigate their waythrough the upset and confusion thatfollows diagnosis, and address topics,issues and questions they might have.

Professor Graham Stokes, globaldirector for dementia care, said: “Adiagnosis of dementia can be a trau-matic experience for both the personand their family, and often leavespeople feeling scared and over-whelmed.

“We noticed that there is a real gapwhen it comes to guiding peoplethrough the first months after diag-nosis. This map is meant to helpthem to make sense of their life afterit has been turned upsidedown, andto provide reassurance and answersto some of the questions and worriesthey might have.”

Designed to be used with peoplewho have had an early diagnosis, themap depicts a seascape completewith a marina, boats, beaches androcky waters in order to articulatesome of the moments, emotions andexperiences that someone living with

dementia might encounter. It covers areas such as the diagnosis

itself, working through feelings, deal-ing with relationships, finding adviceand support, planning for the future,acknowledging here will be good andbad days as well as considering howto keep healthy and enjoy life.

The ‘dementia discussion map’ wasconceived and created through in-depth working sessions with Bupa’sdementia ambassadors – a group ofexpert practitioners across the organ-isation – and Bupa Admiral Nursesled by Graham, who has specialisedin this area for over 25 years and pio-neered the ‘person first’ approach tocare.

An activity log has been created toaccompany the discussion map toencourage conversation within thegroup sessions and share tips andexperiences.

Professor Stokes added: “The dis-cussion map is not a stand-a-lonetool – it requires training and exper-tise to use and we envisage BupaAdmiral Nurses will support peopleacross the community who are goingthrough the experience of coming toterms with their diagnosis of demen-tia.

“Ultimately, some of our dementiaambassadors and Bupa’s dementiachampions known as Person FirstCoaches will be trained to use thediscussion map but for the timebeing it, will be a specialist therapytool for our Bupa Admiral Nurses touse.”

Bupa is now working on a secondmap, which addresses the moreadvanced stages of dementia and istailored towards the family and carersof the person with dementia.

Operator launches newresource to help peopleunderstand dementia

The new dementia discussion map created by Bupa.

RICHARD Newcombe Court inCambridge has been awarded theCity Council’s top award for foodhygiene.

The extra care housing scheme hadits first unannounced food hygieneinspection by the environmentalhealth team and received five stars.

This means all of CHS’ residentialcare homes, extra care schemes andSunflower nurseries have been ratedas having five-star kitchens.

Denise Taylor, extra care manager atCHS, said: “People living in residen-tial care homes don’t have a choiceabout where to eat, so it’s vital thatwe maintain extremely high stan-dards and provide a good choice. Thefeedback says that we provide anexcellent service, which I believe isdown to great teamwork.

“I’m very proud of my catering teamas a whole – they go above andbeyond what’s required of them and

last year served over 30,000 freshlyprepared restaurant lunches to resi-dents, lunch clubs and to other olderpeople in the local community.”

The rating is part of the govern-ment’s ‘scores on the doors’ scheme,enabling consumers to makeinformed choices about where theyeat.

Scheme given five stars

Chef Daniel Olson with Neil Smith.

Kim scoops prestigious award

36 19/1/15 14:47 Page 1

37

Work begins on £8m care home WORK has begun on an £8millioncare home in Newton Mearns, pro-viding quality personalised care forthe elderly including those livingwith dementia.

The state-of-the-art facility is beingbuilt by Marshall Construction Ltdfor Meallmore, one of Scotland’sleading providers of nursing and resi-dential care.

The 68 en-suite bedroom home willbe built in a “U” shaped format andincludes a range of communal livingspaces alongside a range of adminis-tration, food preparation, laundryand storage rooms. It will have 25 carparking spaces.

Due to be completed in 2016, thetwo-storey building makes extensiveuse of glass in the construction tocreate bright airy spaces with gener-ous lounge, dining and activity areasfor residents. The landscaped garden,

part of which is located between twowings of the building, offers seamlessaccess to the outdoors for residents.

Externally the design will have adual pitched roof with gable ends,finished in a flat grey tile. The exter-nal walls will comprise render andstone with feature panels andcladding and there will be a featurewall at the entrance to the home,located off a new access road.

The building has been designed tobe dementia-friendly, with consider-ation given to wayfinding and max-imising the use of natural light.

It will form part of a wider privateresidential development beingundertaken by Mactaggart & Mickel.

Gerry Hennessey, managing direc-tor of Meallmore Ltd, said: “This newhome has been designed to offer thehighest quality facilities for our resi-dents, making the most of the out-

door space available. “Together with the apartments, it

has been carefully designed to fit inwith the surrounding residential areaand architecture in Newton Mearns.We look forward to welcoming resi-

dents in 2016.”Traffic management arrangements

will be put in place to avoid peaktraffic times during the school termsand to minimise noise disruption forneighbours.

An artist’s impression of the new care home in Newton Mearns.

37 19/1/15 10:25 Page 1

CARINGCOMMERCE38

SPECIALIST healthcare propertyconsultants HPC has completed thesale of Alexander Court NursingHome in Harrogate.

The 85-bed facility, one of thelargest properties on the town’sprestigious Duchy Estate, has beenacquired by Hadrian Healthcare, whointend to completely redevelop thesite.

Group chairman Ian Watson said:“We have been seeking a presence inHarrogate for some time now and we

are delighted to have secured such awonderful site for redevelopment.

“Our detailed plans will beannounced some time soon, butsuffice to say we are very excitedabout creating what we believe willbe the highest quality of elderlyaccommodation and care facilityanywhere in the UK. This service willalso very much complement ourexisting home in Wetherby and a newone in Knaresborough opening laterthis year.”

Home sold for developmentAlexander Court Nursing Home in Harrogate.

Funding supports carehome group’s growth3 AB CARE Limited has securedfunding from The Royal Bank ofScotland to help the growth of thebusiness and finance the expansionand renovation of one of its carehomes.

The group is owned and operatedby Arvind R Patel and his family, whoowns and operates five care andnursing homes throughout the UK,employing more than 225 people.

These include Brook HouseResidential Home in Leicestershire,The Heathers Nursing Home inChipping Sodbury, Westcroft NursingHome in Stoke on Trent, HarleyHouse Care Home in Leicester andSaintbridge House Nursing andResidential Home in Gloucester.

The funding from RBS is to be usedprimarily to help finance work atBrook House Residential Home. Plansfor the development include theconstruction of 12 new en-suitebedrooms as well as extensiverenovation work to the home'sexisting facilities. Development workhas already started, with completionestimated by the spring.

Arvind said: "We are thrilled RBShas agreed to support our plans forthe re-development of Brook House

Residential Home. Every expansionis an exciting project as it enables usto improve the standards and level ofcare we are able to provide for ourresidents.

“In recent months we have beenexperiencing increased demand forspaces in the home and by extendingand renovating the facility, the projectwill enable us to provide care to moreindividuals in need of support inaddition to much better facilitiesfrom which to do so.

“The support and service that wehave received from RBS throughoutthis process has been excellent and isinvaluable in enabling us to go aheadwith the re-development work. Beingable to deal with a specialisthealthcare team who understandfully the industry and the sector wework in has also been a realadvantage and is enabling us tocontinue to drive the businessforward.”

Funding from RBS has beenprovided under the Governmentbacked Funding for Lending Schemein the form of a fee-free loan. Thescheme has been specificallydesigned to offer support to SMEs bymaking borrowing more affordable.

Provider expands with acquisitionASHTONLEIGH Homes Limited is toexpand its portfolio with thepurchase of a 91-bed care home inHaywards Heath, following£6.5million in funding fromSantander Corporate & Commercial.

Established in 2005, AHL is run byhusband and wife team Gaj andKathy Ragunathan.

The group currently has three care

homes in the south east of England:the 38-bed Avalon Nursing Home inEastbourne, the 43-bed AshtonleighResidential Care Home and the 31-bed Ashton Grange in Horsham.

The acquisition of this latest 91-bedfacility, Ashton House in HaywardsHeath, fulfils a long held ambition byGaj and Kathy to acquire a care homeof this size.

An artist’s impression of the dementia care home being developed by Milestones Trust.

Charity gets the green lightA BRISTOL care home specialising indementia care has received thewelcome news that a planningapplication to re-develop the homehas been approved by the CityCouncil.

With the demand for excellentdementia care in purpose-builtsurroundings growing, Bristol basedMilestones Trust are looking to up-date and modernise their flagshipdementia care home, HumphryRepton House in Brentry.

Full planning consent has beengranted by the Council to develop a47-bed two storey care home, whichwould see a courtyard designprinciple used, of four wings eachwith either 11 or 12 bedroomsarranged around landscapedcourtyards.

Naina Mandleker, Milestones Trust’sdirector of business development,said: “This is a really positive step forus and cements our commitment tocontinuing to provide high-enddementia care in Bristol.

“The re-developed care home willtake the total bed count of HumphryRepton House from 45 to 60 toinclude the existing wing of 13 rooms,enabling us to provide even morespecialised care to those who need itmost.”

The custom-designedaccommodation will see each roomhave its own en-suite facilities, withthe overall design allowing forresidents to live in smaller family likecommunities, providing space to eatand relax in with access to eitherprivate courtyards or balconies.

38 15/1/15 15:36 Page 1

39CARINGCOMMERCEAdvertiser’s Announcement

FLUID Design Associates are pleased to announcethat their newly completed care home in Hedon,east of Hull for Yorkare Homes Limited, has beenchosen as a finalist in the Best Care Home categoryat the 2015 Pinders Healthcare Design Awards.

Fluid Design was appointed to carry out a fullarchitectural service from feasibility study throughto completion on site, which included site supervi-sion of the construction phase.

The 3.5 acre green field site sits on the edge of thetown of Hedon and Fluid Design achieved full plan-ning approval in October 2012 for the constructionof two high quality buildings on the site in the formof a 64 bed nursing care home (phase I) and a 30bed dementia care home (phase II).

The first phase was completed in September 2014and unique features within the home include a res-idents’ lounge bar, a shop, a café and a library.

In addition, the home also includes two luxuryassisted living apartments for more independentresidents.

The home also has the benefit of a rooftop con-servatory with access to a large terrace completewith a grass bowling green. The terrace offerspanoramic views across the open countryside.

Fluid Design is a progressive practice of enthusi-astic and talented designers who thrive on clientinteraction to give the best possible service.

We have, since the company’s inception in 2009,gained a reputation for high quality, original designproviding a professional and highly competitiveservice to all our clients who have direct contactwith partners Andrew Jenkins and MatthewCoulson throughout all aspects of the design andconstruction process.

Working nationally, we specialise in healthcare,residential, commercial, and leisure developmentsand have an excellent background in listed buildingrenovation and conversion work.

Care home shortlisted for prestigious design award

39 19/1/15 14:57 Page 1

40 Chis 15/1/15 13:35 Page 1

41CARINGNEWS

NORWICH-based Black SwanInternational Ltd has secured aseven-figure funding package fromNatWest as part of its continuedexpansion plans.

Founded in 1994, the group current-ly operates 13 private care homesacross Norfolk, Essex andCambridgeshire – with a headcountof over 400.

The funding arrangement and refi-nancing package has enabled thefirm to acquire The Beeches, EastHarling. Following the deal, BlackSwan has embarked on a 12-monthre-development programme at the44-bed care home, including physicalimprovement works.

Tom Lyons, operations manager for

Black Swan International, said: “Thefunding stream agreed with NatWestis instrumental in helping us achieveour long-term ambitions, allowing usto invest in our care homes and pre-pare for future growth.

“It’s an exciting time for the busi-ness as we add The Beeches to ourportfolio and upgrade the home forthe comfort and benefit of residents.”

Paul Barford, relationship directorand healthcare specialist for NatWest,added: “A passion for putting cus-tomers at the heart of their businessunderpins the Black Swan team’s suc-cess. We are proud to support themthrough an exciting period of growth,which will further cement the com-pany’s strong position in the sector.”

Provider to expand with multi-million pound finance package

Neil Garton (head of healthcare for NatWest and RBS), Paul Barford (NatWest’s relation-ship director), Tom Lyons (Black Swan’s operations manager) and Gina Mickle (BlackSwan care home manager).

£7.5m care centreopens its doorsin WarminsterTHE Orders of St John Care Trust hasofficially opened its newest care facil-ity – Ashwood Care Centre – inWarminster.

To celebrate the home’s opening,HM Lord-Lieutenant of WiltshireSarah Troughton attended the eventto tour the new centre, meet with res-idents and unveil a plaque.

Developed as a state-of-the-art carehome for older people, Ashwood pro-vides person-centred care, includinga combination of specialist nursingand dementia care, along with short-term respite care for those who mayonly require a short stay.

Equipped with 82 beds, the £7.5mil-lion facility is divided into six sepa-rate household units, each self-con-tained with its own communal diningand lounge areas, as well as specialistassisted bathing facilities.

With several themed ‘destinationzones’ situated around the home,including a shop and tearoom, a hairsalon and a cinema, Ashwood’sdesign creates a stimulating environ-ment for its residents and assiststhem with orientation when movingabout the building.

Outside, the facility’s landscapedgrounds include a large centralsouth-facing courtyard with raised

beds and seating. Additionally, thesmall themed lounges on each wingopen on to paved terraces, whileupstairs, the wings lead to secure bal-cony areas.

Don Wood, OSJCT’s chairman, said:“OSJCT is committed to creating newcare schemes and facilities to meetthe current and future requirementsfor the care of older people, and theopening of Ashwood Care Centre isthe latest achievement towards fur-thering that mission.

“Now that its doors are open, we'reconfident that Ashwood and the spe-cialist care it offers will be a greatasset to the Warminster area. We alsoencourage those within the localcommunity to get involved with thehome by becoming volunteers andspending time with our wonderfulresidents.”

Ashwood Care Centre forms part ofWiltshire Council’s Older PeopleAccommodation DevelopmentStrategy, and the development wasapproved by the council’s cabinetduring September 2012. The strategyseeks to modernise the way that olderpeople’s accommodation is provided,giving choice and control to individu-als and responding to needs in localcommunities.

41 20/1/15 10:00 Page 1

CARINGCOMMERCE42

DC Care to attend Care ShowAndy Sandel (left) with ARMSCARE’s Raj Sehgal at Terrington Lodge in Norfolk.

ANDY Sandel, DC Care’s SouthernRegion Business Appraiser, will bepresent at the upcoming CareShow, taking place at theBournemouth InternationalCentre.

2014 saw a healthy number ofcompleted sales for DC Care in avariety of locations throughout thecountry, and from care sectorsincluding nursing, residential andspecialist care.

One such good news story wasthe saving of The Meadows (nowcalled Highcroft Manor) inNorthamptonshire from closure.

Upon the instructions fromadministrators MoorfieldsCorporate Recovery, Andy

commenced a high profilemarketing campaign, resulting in asuccessful purchase of the homeby a local operator, securing thefuture for the home and its staff.

Two further recent transactionsoverseen by Andy, both of whichcompleted prior to Christmas andNew Year, were BrooklandsNursing Home in Liverpool andTerrington Lodge in Norfolk.

If you are a current care homeoperator and are consideringselling your home, or are lookingto expand your portfolio, look outfor Andy at the Care Show and hewould be delighted to have aninformal conversation, whetheryou are looking to sell or acquire.

YOUR Derwent & Solway, part of YourHousing Group, has opened a showhome at its Greta Gardens retirementliving development in Keswick.

The £9m four-storey developmentfor people 55 and over is due to behanded over early March and openearly May. It will incorporate on-siteamenities including a café andhairdressers and beauty salon whichwill be open to the public.

In total there are 69 one and twobedroom ‘extra care’ apartments,including 34 for affordable rent, 18for shared ownership and 17 foroutright sale ranging from 820 sq ftfor a two bedroom and 640 sq ft for aone bedroom.

The two bedroom show apartmentis located on the lower ground floorand has been designed to allowpeople to experience what apartmentretirement living at Greta Gardenscould be like.

Visitors will be able to see the highstandard of fixtures and fittings andinterior decoration and view themodern kitchen complete with over,hob and extractor, stylish wet roomand spacious living space, making it

easy for residents to keep theirexisting furniture when theydownsize.

Claire Henning, Group SalesManager said: “This is a bespokedevelopment of high quality homesfor local people aged 55 and over, in alovely location close to all theamenities Keswick has to offer.

“We’re offering a mix of propertiesfor affordable rent, shared ownershipand outright sale so there issomething to suit every pocket.Residents will enjoy the comfort,sense of community and a tailoredcare and support package as theirneeds change.

“This accommodation allowspeople to plan for the future, liveindependently for longer and have ahappy, safe and secure retirement.We look forward to welcoming peopleto view our stylish show home, sothey can see for themselves whatliving at Greta Gardens could be like.”

Funding for Greta Gardens includes£1,075,000 from the Homes &Communities Agency and forms partof Your Housing Group’s affordablehomes programme.

Show home setto open at £9mdevelopment

42 19/1/15 16:33 Page 1

43CARINGCOMMERCE

BROADCASTER, journalist, presenterand ambassador for the Alzheimer’sSociety, Angela Rippon OBE officiallyopened Green Tree Court care homein Exeter.

Developed, designed and built bydeveloper Castleoak, the care home isowned and run by LexiconHealthcare.

Green Tree Court offers 68 large andluxuriously furnished en-suite bed-rooms and facilities including a con-temporary café, hair and beautysalon, holistic therapy suite, gym, cin-ema room, library, communal bal-conies and greenhouse.

It also includes a living wall and animpressive feature wall fish tank inthe main corridor, which can be seenfrom multiple spaces.

The first floor dementia care wing is

currently working to attain the inter-nationally recognised Stirling GoldStandard for dementia friendlydesign, which it is believed will makeit a first in the West Country.

Lexicon Healthcare’s CEO StephenPattrick said: “We offer clinical excel-lence combined with an enrichingand fulfilling new lifestyle.

“This is why we believe Green TreeCourt sets an exceptional blueprintfor a new standard of care home inthe UK.”

Having acquired the site, Castleoaksecured planning consent for GreenTree Court and designed it to meetthe BREEAM Excellent standard insustainable building design, ensuringlow environmental impact and acomfortable environment for resi-dents.

Lexicon Healthcare CEO Stephen Pattrick, home director Pam Hardy, Angela Rippon OBEand Michelle Pattrick.

Angela cuts ribbon at home

By Dominic Musgrave

A NEW multi-million pound carehome has opened in Mistley, Essexwith one aim: to ensure the levels ofcare for its guests more than matchthe luxurious environment.

Mistley Manor is a 60-bed residen-tial home for the elderly and demen-tia sufferers.

There are also four supported-carebungalows next to the home, underthe name Mistley Grove.

Here guests can be totally self -suffi-cient, but can also take advantage ofall the facilities in Mistley Manor,should they so wish. The new devel-opment has created more than 100jobs.

Owner Mike Volf said: “We are allenormously proud of Mistley Manorand the high quality accommodationand services it provides.

“All families have difficult decisionsto make when it comes to the care oftheir elderly relatives. At MistleyManor, families can feel confidentthat their loved ones are not onlysafe, but are enjoying life to the full.”

The new home boasts a hotel stan-dard restaurant and licensed bar, hairand beauty salons, a cinema roomand a private library.

All facilities are reached via gener-

ously proportioned hallways, givingthe building a feeling of space andlight, quite unlike the care homes ofthe past.

The secure first floor is fitted withspecialist facilities such as a ‘livingjourney’ corridor designed to stimu-late the memories of residents suffer-ing from dementia.

Mike added that the new approachto care at Mistley Manor is about hav-ing the best team of carers, workingin a superb facility – but new technol-ogy also plays a big role.

“New digital fibre optic technologylinks residents with family andfriends across the world, throughhigh speed internet and Skype,” hesaid. “Our commitment to energysaving is also very important – all ourhot water is solar power generated,and, were every light in the place tobe turned on – and we have plenty –it would only use the same amount ofelectricity as boiling four electric ket-tles.

“Our trained carers also specialisein community care, which means wecan look after people in their ownhomes for as long as it is possible todo so. Whether we provide care atMistley Manor, or in one’s own home,our guiding principle is to maintainthe dignity of those in our care.”

Home offers a newapproach to care ofthe elderly in Essex

43 20/1/15 15:23 Page 1

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS44

RUNNING a fully operational andhighly efficient laundry room is vitalin controlling infection, maintainingcare standards and ensuring theongoing comfort of your residents.

Whether you are looking topurchase high-quality, low energylaundry equipment to replace youroutdated machines, or simply wantto make better use of the appliancesyou already have with acomprehensive maintenance service,JTM is here to help.

As one of the UK’s leading providersof commercial laundry equipmentsales, rental and maintenancesolutions to the care sector, thefamily run business is best placed todeliver on its promise of ‘servicewithout compromise’. Professionalpartner to Miele, Primus and Girbau, JTM’s expert team has a wealth ofexperience spanning a wide portfolioof commercial laundry equipmentfrom top name brands, making

selecting the right appliances for yourcare home a breeze.

Alongside this class-leading productportfolio, JTM delivers anuncompromised service offeringpacked with a comprehensive rangeof customer focused benefits whichhave been specifically developed tooptimise your laundry roomprocesses and keep things running,24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Boasting a 96.4 per cent first fix rateand we offer this round-the-clockservice for appliances of any age orbrand, regardless of whether theequipment was purchased from themor not.

In addition to expert maintenancesupport from Gas Safe registeredengineers, JTM also has a dedicatedteam of staff equipped to deliverspecial services that you probablyhaven’t even considered, like CP12gas safety inspections and tumbledryer duct cleaning.

JTM helps your laundryroom to run efficiently

ARE you paying too much for youreveryday essentials? Unless you’rebuying from Gompels HealthCare Ltdyou probably are.

Gompels has slashed the prices ofmany of the essential products thatyou use everyday. The launch of theirFebruary/ March catalogue has seenthe prices of key lines such as glovesand aprons slashed to ensure thatyou aren’t paying a penny more thanyou need to. A pack of 100 flat packaprons are now available for only£1.09, soluble strip sacks are nowdown to only £7.50 per 200 sacks, and200 black sacks are now available foras little as £5.85.

If that’s not enough, Gompels alsohas fantastic money saving offers onitems including Medical Grade

Powder Free Vinyl Glove for £1.29 per100 gloves when you buy 10 cases,and buy one get one half price weeklyoffers on wipes and pads that yousimply can not afford to miss.

Want to know how much you cansave by switching your supplier toGompels HealthCare Ltd? Well theyeven make that as easy as possibletoo, doing all the hard work for you.

Simply send them a core list ofproducts, or a previous invoice, andthey will complete a pricecomparison for you. Over the lastthree months they have done over100 price comparisons that haveshown an average saving of 17 percent.

Do you dare to compare? Send themyour core list today.

Everyday prices oneveryday essentials

Cut your fuels bills with aBiomass heating systemGREEN Switch Biomass are aleading UK renewable energyprovider.

Working with Savills Energy + andthe Christoph Group, we are able tooffer clients a bespoke biomassheating system tailored to itsbusiness heat requirements.

We are offering a fully managed

heat initiative inclusive of a freebiomass boiler, an ongoingmaintenance programme and aguaranteed fuel supply.

If you are a commercial businessand you currently spend over£20,000 a year on LPG, oil or gas andyou are looking to reduce your fuelbills, Biomass may be the solution.

GEOMETRIC Furniture is a leading UK commercialfurniture manufacturer.

Founded more than 40 years ago, the familyowned and run business prides itself on innovation,quality and excellence. It supplies many hospitalitycompanies, corporate clients and accepts bespokecommissions.

Geometric Furniture has vast knowledge andexperience of furniture requirements in theretirement village sector and has found that thedemand for functional furniture has long beenreplaced by a demand for stylish, aestheticallypleasing furnishings whilst retaining the comfortand durability.

With this in mind, Geometric’s range offer thelook, whether contemporary or classic to suit allneeds.

Whether you choose from current collections orcommission bespoke items, Geometric has themanufacturing capabilities to supply softfurnishings, joinery and case goods in standard or

made to measure options. So if you can’t find exactly what you are looking

for on the website or in the brochures, give them acall.

Enquiries: Call 0161 653 2233 or visitwww.geometric-furniture.co.uk

Geometric brings ‘flair to care’

THE 2014 season has come to a closefor us all at Safehands Holidays, butwe’re looking forward to what 2015will bring, especially with theopening of our new hotel, TheEsplanade, in Llandudno on February16.

Christmas and New Year were busyagain at the New Mayfair, with facesnew and old with us for the festiveperiod.

As we waved farewell to the last ofour 2014 guests, the hotel is now setfor its annual revamp and renovation,with a fresh coat of paint in thebedrooms and public areas and awell-earned rest for the staff.

Now we all wait with excitementand anticipation as the builders,painters and decorators, electriciansand plumbers pack up their bags asthe new Llandudno team, led byoperations manager TheresaCurbishly, take up residence in TheEsplanade.

It’s set to be a busy couple of weeksfor them, getting everything perfectbefore the first guests arrive for thegrand opening.

Over the past year the whole hotelhas been renovated to the higheststandards, while keeping its Victoriancharm.

The bedrooms now include modern

level access shower facilities andmany boast fabulous panoramicseaviews.

Many rooms also feature electricprofiling beds, ceiling track hoistsleading into the accessible showerrooms and shower chair commodes.

Twins, singles, adjoining suites andfamily rooms are available acrossthree floors – all accessible by twonew large lifts.

The ground floor of the hotel hasalso been fully modernised, whereyou can expect a warm Welshwelcome.

The accessible restaurant andcabaret bar is a fabulous place torelax and unwind for lunch,afternoon tea, evening meal andnightly entertainment, all whiletaking in the serene and tranquil seaviews this resort has to offer.

We have also invested over £10,000in a changing places room, situatedon the ground floor of the hotel,which has a changing table/showertrolley, power shower, accessibletoilet, shower chair commode and anX/Y ceiling track hoist system whichprovides full room

manoeuvrability.We are all looking forward to the

2015 season and hope you can join usin either Blackpool or Llandudno.K

Safehands’ grand opening ofThe Esplanade, Llandudno

CARE Check, one of the leadingproviders in DBS criminal recordchecks, has surpassed expectationsin delivering a fast and efficientservice for applicants and clientorganisations.

The company, established in 2002,boast an impressive process time ofas quickly as nine hours and have anaverage turnaround of precisely 70per cent of applications beingcompleted within five days.

Over half of these are completedwithin 24 hours making the entireprocedure as fast and as hassle-freeas viably possible for applicants and

clients waiting to start theiremployees in new job positions.

Care Check’s managing directorCharles Eason, said: “As a company,we aim to provide as efficient aservice as possible, and we prideourselves on the speed we canturnaround applications.”

The firm puts its success rate downto applications being countersignedimmediately and therefore have noadministration times, unlike fellowcompetitors in the market who siton applications for a day or sobefore countersigning anapplication.

Company beats its competitorswhen it comes to speedy service

44 22/1/15 14:18 Page 1

CARINGPRODUCT NEWS 45

Claim VAT back on your home evenif you are not VAT registered

IT is true, care providers can reclaimVAT worth about £3,000 per bed forany residents who stayed in yourhome between 1993 and 2002 paidfor by the local authority.

You don’t have to be VATregistered to make a claim. We canusually find the information requiredwith minimal disruption to yourbusiness.

How is this possible? Well in 2002a care provider called Kingscrestchallenged the view held by HMRCand won. There is no cost to youunless we are successful.

Typical claims: 50 beds –£240,000; 40 beds – £170,000; 287beds – £1.25m.

And the best part is that you getthe money in your bank accountbefore you pay us. Don’t forget thetax repayment is free of tax – it is extra profit.

Enquiries: Call 01233 640985 and ask for Howard to find out more.

SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs) based, RichardsResidential Supplies have concentrated uponsupplying simple solutions to common nursinghome problems.

The new WACMAT® adheres strongly to thistradition.

With its ultra absorbent cotton pile and 100 percent waterproof backing, the remarkableWACMAT® is an ideal accessory where spills mayoccur.

Used as a commode mat, in bedrooms orbathrooms, the WACMAT® ensures full carpetprotection. Then, after use, simply machine washand tumble dry! It’s that simple...

The WACMAT® will then be clean and odour-free, ready to perform time and time again.Alternatively the flat-laying WACMAT® can be usedas an entrance mat, saving you hundreds of poundsin rental costs alone.

Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.

Simple solutions

Beaucare launch new medical catalogueOUR most comprehensive catalogue to date ispacked full of all the everyday medical equipmentand consumables a care home requires.

We have broadened our product offeringswithin a number of ranges, including introducingnew nursing profiling beds, which were showcasedat the Birmingham Care Show last year, anddementia care products to mention a few.

We guarantee a one stop shop policy, withorders placed by 5pm being delivered next day atno extra cost.

Beaucare® Medical Ltd, established since 1992,is the UK’s premier supplier of hygiene, medicalsupplies and equipment to individual care homes,care home groups, hospitals and NHS Trusts.

Enquiries: To obtain your copy call 01423 878899, email sales@beaucare.com

or visit www.beaucare.com

DermaSavers are breathable wearable protectorsfor elderly and disabled people with fragile and thinskin.

DermaSaver Skin Protectors protect fragile skinfrom damage and skin breakdowns, suchlacerations, splits, tears and superficial bruisingcaused by friction, rubbing, abrasion, shear andexternal pressure.

DermaSaver Skin Protectors are made from soft3D medical textile that replaces foam, gel andfleece. Superior moisture wicking and breathabilityof DermaSavers keep the skin dry, cool and healthyand protected from painful damage.

DermaSaver Skin Protectors are comfortablegarment-like Class 1 Medical Devices for 24 hourwear – when sleeping, sitting or walking.

Fully machine washable, DermaSavers arehygienic and compatible with ointments andmedicated creams.

Easy to apply and non-constricting withconstant ventilation reaching the skin,DermaSavers are free from drawbacks and ongoingexpense of bandages and dressings.

Most popular DermaSaver shin protectors, heelprotectors, forearm protectors, elbow protectorsand hand mitts.

Enquiries: Call Win Health Ltd on 01835864866 or visit www.win-health.com

DermaSaver Skin Protectors forpeople with fragile skin

MILFORD Care chose Shackletons totransform a former hotel into a carehome for the group’s newest facility,Ashbourne Lodge in Derbyshire.

Shackletons was contracted to workon the refurbishment project todevelop a tired and unused hotel intoan elegant and homely environmentthat would celebrate the quality ofservice the group offers its clients.

In conjunction with Milford Care,Shackletons created spaces that offerthe ultimate comfort for the needs ofeach and every resident.

Whether reading newspapers in thelibrary, or enjoying refreshments withfamily and friends in the café, everyaspect was tailored to the residentsrequirements.

From its reception, cosy snug,residents’ bar and café; areminiscence lounge, cinema room,spacious lounge, and 54 en-suite

bedrooms, Shackletons designed andmanufactured furniture that fits everyneed and requirement.

Amanda Falleth, design manager atMilford Care, said: “Everything we dois tailored to individual needs. This iswhy we chose Shackletons to help ustranslate our tailored approachedinto our interior design and furniture.

“They completely understand theneeds of our residents and our needas a business to put our residentsfirst.”

Jason Bloom, national salesmanager at Shackletons, added:“With state-of-the-art facilities,spacious bedrooms and beautifulcommunal areas, Ashbourne Lodgeoffers elderly care in exceptionalsurroundings, and we wanted tomake sure our product and servicecomplemented that. We’re ecstaticwith the results.”

Group chooses Shackletonsto transform former hotel

IF you are looking to remove the hassle from yournew build or refurbishment project, while savingtime and money then we can help.

Good design ensures that your bedrooms areeasier to market, increases the value of your homewhilst improving the environment and comfort foryour residents or service users.

We work exclusively for the care sectorproviding interior design, project management andprocurement services including all aspects of yourinterior covering furniture, curtains/blinds, carpet,artwork, tableware, towels and bedding.

Our recommendations are tailored to yourprecise needs and client group.

There is no deposit to pay and no minimumorder and we work anywhere within the UK.

If you think we can help then please contact usfor further information or to request a freeconsultation without obligation.

Enquiries: For further information visitwww.a21careinteriors.co.uk

or call 020 8399 3091. Our new address is The Sanctuary, 23 Oakhill

Grove, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 6DU.

Take the hassle out of your new build

45 20/1/15 09:57 Page 1

46

AccountancySigns

Signs

New year, new lookfor Badgemaster aswebsite is launchedBADGEMASTER has begun the newyear with a new website andinnovation for the badge industry.

Following the company’sacquisition of one of its majorcompetitors, Akorn Badge CompanyLtd, in September, the firm headsinto 2015 with over 22 years ofcombined technology and expertise,fresh re-branding and boosted buyingpower, now collectively serving over27,000 accounts.

Cementing this new chapter is thelaunch of the website –www.badgemaster.co.uk – whichoffers a host of new innovativeservices to customers. It provides afully and comprehensive outline ofthe company’s products and serviceoptions from the varying styles ofbadges to lanyards, interior signs,door and desk plates and key fobs toname a few.

The clean, easy to navigate designallows users not only to research theproducts they need effectively, butalso puts the customer in the drivingseat when placing their next order.

The user friendly facility to designyour badge in its entirety fromconcept to finished PDF proof isavailable 24 hours a day, seven days aweek. Users create their vision onscreen from a wide range of shapes,colours, fonts finishes and fastenersto create a design that entirely meetsthe needs and requirements of yourbusiness.

The ability to upload logo designsand customer data entry fields givesyou the control to create exactly whatyou need – a hands on opportunity toget involved and ensure personallythe design meets your expectations.

For the time-short or less confidentin design, Badgemaster also suppliesa free design service through their onsite team of experts at theirNottingham base who can createdesigns following a brief to yourspecification.

InstaBadge® is unique toBadgemaster, placing in the hands ofthe customer the ability to createreusable name badges in an instant,directly on site.

The system supplies a smart,bespoke logoed badge with clearwindow, in which paper, card or tapecan be inserted with each wearer’sname and, if required, job title.

With all equipment such a printerand card supplied, Instabadge® isperfect for quick paced environmentswith high staff turnover. Staff can bekitted out on site with the right badgebranding in a matter of minutes.

All existing Badgemaster customersare also given an online login,enabling them to reorderreplacements and new badges via thebespoke online portal any time, dayor night.

Your personal login allowscontrolled fields for editing, so newnames, spellings, and job titles areentirely yours to control, reducing therisk of spelling inconsistencies.

The one thing that underpins allthese welcome additions and featuresto the Badgemaster offering is acustomer-centric focus – making lifeas convenient and easy as possible tokeep tabs on badge ordering.

Residents at Marlin Lodge Residential Home performed Aladdin at Luton’s High TownSports and Leisure Centre. They learned dance routines and songs assisted bymanagement and staff teams. Registered manager Netra Pandiyan said: “The staff atMarlin Lodge hold their residents in high esteem and their philosophy is to encouragethe development and independence of those in their care. The aim for all in the home isthat everyone should develop a sense of pride in their achievements and for eachperson to work to their identified strengths and capabilities. Each part in the pantomimewas written with certain individuals in mind, giving each resident the confidence towork on a role which has allowed them to perform to the best of their abilities.” A rafflewas held on the night and all proceeds generated were donated to the 21 Club.

46 classis 22/1/15 14:19 Page 1

47 Avanta 16/1/15 09:07 Page 1

48 Shackletons 21/1/15 10:24 Page 1