Guysfield Activities Coordinator Carolyn decorated the conservatory beautifully with flowers, coconuts and tropical fruit and palm trees. Everyone had a traditional Hawaiian ‘lei’ to wear around their neck and tropical cocktails were served.

A number of staff and residents dressed up in grass skirts and attempted to dance the Hula including Ashton and Kerry (pictured.)

Guysfield Manager, Mary Woods said:

“The Hawaiian afternoon brightened everyone’s day. We run a wide variety of activities throughout the year to suit our residents’ interests, but this was just one of those that felt right to do with the rain coming down as it has been. Now we are all ready for the sun to shine and the summer to finally start!”

Guysfield Care Home is run by the family-owned Caring Homes Group, which was founded in 1994 by mother and son team, Helena and Paul Jeffery. Located in the beautiful conservation village of Willian, just a mile to the south of Letchworth Garden City, Guysfield provides residential care for up to 50 elderly people.

]]> http://www.careindustrynews.co.uk/2012/05/aloha-from-guysfield-care-home/feed/ 0 http://www.careindustrynews.co.uk/2012/05/launch-of-academy-of-care-practitioners-on-monday/ http://www.careindustrynews.co.uk/2012/05/launch-of-academy-of-care-practitioners-on-monday/#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 14:01:10 +0000 Editor http://www.careindustrynews.co.uk/?p=5385  

Lesley Griffiths,Minister for Health and Social Services Wales

A new organisation is being launched to look after the army of unsung heroes who provide social care for vulnerable adults and children across Wales.

The Academy of Care Practitioners is the first body of its kind to be established in the UK and is expected to inspire a network of similar organisations in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eire.

The launch will take place at the Senedd in Cardiff at 11.30, Monday, May 21, at a ceremony hosted by the Minister for Health and Social Services, Lesley Griffiths, and the Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services, Gwenda Thomas

The Academy is the brainchild of Care Forum Wales which represents more than 500 independent social care providers.

There are around 84,000 people living with dementia in Scotland.  This number is expected to double within a generation.  On average there are 238 people with dementia living in each council ward; plus the family, carers and friends of each person living with the illness.

Dementia is an illness which is not a normal part of growing old.  One in three people will die with dementia.  There is no cure and there are only four drugs available to treat this illness, none of which can stop its progression. Dementia is a terminal condition in which the majority of the interventions that help treat the disease and hold people’s lives together is delivered or commissioned by local authorities.  Dementia is much more than a social care need: it is a complex illness with a challenging disease process which requires the support of stakeholders from public, private and voluntary sector providers of social care, health and housing across every community inScotland.

Human intervention is the main way we can tackle and treat dementia.  This can only be provided by skilled staff who understand the complex nature of the illness and who can provide interventions that deal with symptoms and support people and their families to live well with dementia.

We ask local authorities to:

• protect dementia-specific carer support services
• protect dementia-specific home care and care at home
• protect small scale dementia-specific day services
• support investment in alternatives to residential care services
• support investment in high quality small scale residential care services
• ensure people with dementia have access to self-directed support and equitable individual budgets
• not retender any  support unless agreed by the person or their carer
• develop a local dementia investment strategy in order to prepare for the increased growth
• involve people with dementia and their carers in the development of local plans
• support the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy
• support the implementation of one year’s post-diagnostic support for every person diagnosed and their family.

Scotland is at the forefront of public policy in dementia.  In 2009, the Scottish Government made dementia a national priority, and we have an excellent National Dementia Strategy. But we are at a crossroads in dementia care.  If we take the wrong route it will have disastrous consequences for the growing number of people with dementia, for their families, and for Scotland.

Staff at Colten Care’s Woodpeckers home in Brockenhurst donned mid-19^th century nurses’ uniforms in honour of the woman often cited as the founder of modern nursing.

In one of the home’s lounges, they recreated a wounded soldiers’ ward from the Crimean War where the young nurse first saw the poor hygiene conditions she vowed to change.

Alongside, they acted out a scene from St Thomas’ Hospital in London where Nightingale introduced improved standards of care and cleanliness which have been followed and developed in hospitals ever since.

Staff and residents also went on a minibus trip to St Margaret’s Church at East Wellow, where Nightingale is buried.

The commemoration was part of the annual International Nurses Week, coinciding with the anniversary of Nightingale’s birth in 1820.

Home Manager Jacqueline Reddell, who shares Nightingale’s birthday of 12 May, said: “It was a lovely way to involve staff and residents in remembering how modern nursing began. We have a resident, Sidney Rosenbaum, who is an expert on Florence Nightingale and has had a paper about her published. He read from his paper and told the residents some of her story. Residents wore mop caps and shawls so they could take part and join in.”

Mrs Reddell added: “On the day, we had a visitor who had never been to Woodpeckers before who thought we always dressed that way and it was our normal uniform!”

Woodpeckers even did a mini-version of the annual Florence Nightingale Nursing Awards. A certificate was presented to staff which included comments from friends and relatives of residents praising the standards of care in the home.

Chef David Jaques rounded off the week by making a celebration cake for ‘Team Woodpeckers’.

Colten Care runs 19 homes across the South providing a range of services including quality residential, nursing and dementia care.

• www.coltencare.co.uk

Bill Bolitho locks the door for the last time

Residents at Care UK’s Halstead Lodge have just bid farewell to their old home and said hello to the new one they helped to design.

Care UK made it a special priority to ensure that residents and their relatives were not only consulted thoroughly and sensitively, but also took an active part in helping to design the new home – which has been named Colne View.

The new home, which is close to the centre of Halstead in Essex, has been specifically designed to ensure residents can enjoy the highest standards of comfort and facilities.  It boasts a retro-themed room, library, coffee shop, hair and beauty salon and cinema, all based around its own indoor ‘village centre ’ which evokes a typical Essex village. This innovative central area will help residents to catch up with family and friends, whatever the weather.

Bill in his new room

The residents, who also chose individual décor for their new rooms, were very excited about the move. Bill Bolitho, the resident who has lived for the longest period of time at Halstead Lodge, was given the honour of locking up the old home for the very last time before travelling to his new home at Colne View.

Bill said: “I was overwhelmed. Everything is better, including the food, and everything seems very favourable.”

Heather Choat, who manages the new home in Colchester Road, said: “Everyone was very excited about the move and it went without a hitch. We did it over a period of three days to ensure no one was stressed and residents were also reassured by the fact that the Halstead Lodge team members moved to Colne View with them.”

“My team members are very excited about the move as the home has been purpose-built to ensure they can help residents lead an active life, keeping up their hobbies and interests. We know from Halstead Lodge that many of our residents enjoy gardening, while others just enjoy spending time in the garden, so we have constructed special gardens. Residents will enjoy patios with raised flowerbeds, lawned areas and a vegetable/herb garden that we hope will also provide some produce for our kitchen.”

Colne View will offer specialist residential and nursing care for up to 70 people.

Penny Manning

A Burton-upon-Trent care home resident who recently wrote to the Queen had a surprise reply on Her Majesty’s behalf.

Penny Manning wrote the letter a number of weeks ago to congratulate the Queen on her 60 years service to her country, and on all the wonderful celebrations happening during 2012.

Mount Pleasant Manager, Anne-Marie Robinson said:

“All of our residents are looking forward to the celebrations this summer, and the response from Buckingham Palace will take pride of place during our upcoming Jubilee party.

Many residents here at Mount Pleasant remember when the Queen took to the throne, they have seen how much the world has changed in the last 60 years and understand what an achievement it is for the Queen to still be going strong 60 years on. Penny just wanted to congratulate the Queen, she didn’t for one minute expect a response. ”

However, staff and residents were shocked when a letter from Buckingham Palace dropped through their letterbox and landed on the doormat of the home in Winshill, Burton-upon-Trent, last Friday.

The letter expressed gratitude for Penny’s ‘words of loyalty and support’ along with a number of pictures of the Queen from the last 60 years.

Located on the edge of Burton-on-Trent, Mount Pleasant is a modern purpose-built care home providing residential and specialist dementia care for up to 50 elderly people. The home is run by the family-owned Caring homes Group, which was founded in 1994 by mother and son team, Helena and Paul Jeffery.

A nine-year-old schoolgirl brought tears to the eyes of Sanctuary Care home residents when she read them a poem penned in memory of her late grandmother.

Hatfield Nursing Home in Tamblin Way invited local school children to send in poems, artwork and write songs about ‘someone special’ in their lives and held an awards ceremony at the home to present them with their prizes.

Green Lanes Primary School pupil Sacha Coughlan brought tears to the eyes of the home’s residents and team when she read a poem she had written in memory of her late grandmother Ivy called ‘My Nanny is Someone Special’.

The poem explained how Ivy had always supported Sacha in the pursuit of her passion for ballet, but sadly died just before the youngster received a letter telling her she had been chosen to be a junior ballerina with the Royal Ballet School in London.

An extract from the poem read: “Nanny never got to see the letter, but I know she is watching over me, whenever I am on stage. I think my nanny Ivy is someone special.”

Speaking of her win Sacha said: “I was so excited when I found out and didn’t expect to win – I never dreamed I could win.”

The school’s head teacher Michele Johnson added: “Sacha was beaming when she found out she had won.”

Manager at Hatfield Nursing Home, Sally Kalaiarasu said: “We were all so touched by the stunning pieces of artwork and beautiful poems and songs written by the children.

“It was an incredibly hard competition to judge but Sacha’s entry was so touching – there wasn’t a dry eye in the home.”

James Walker, who teaches years five and six at the school, in Hatfield Garden Village, said he had been inundated with entries for the competition, with children across the school aged 5 to 11 sending in over 60 pieces of work.

He said: “I had a lot more entries than I expected which was lovely – I think it made a refreshing change from the traditional type of homework!

“The children really enjoyed taking part, you can see from the way they handed in their pieces of work and had a chat about each one.

“They have been very enthusiastic and some of the entries were absolutely fantastic – really beautiful.”

James said as well as poems and songs, the children had created everything from pastel, pencil and 3d pictures of loved ones – to the slightly more unusual pictures of Harry Potter and even Tottenham footballer Gareth Bale!

As well as children from Green Lanes Primary School, youngsters from Howe Dell School also took part in the competition and even sang for the residents at the ceremony on Thursday (10 May). The winners were presented with gift vouchers for WH Smiths.

Artists Impression

Pozzoni’s growing reputation gained in the North West extra care housing field with schemes such as the Brookside development in Ormskirk and Pickmere Court in Crewe, has secured planning for their latest development in Penkridge, Staffordshire for South Staffordshire Housing Association (Housing Plus).

The £13million extra care flagship scheme is set to help meet the growing demand for older people’s housing in South Staffordshire.

The development of the former Silverdene care home, at Tildesely Close, Penkridge, will be turned into an extra care scheme of 82 high-quality purpose-built apartments for people aged mainly over 55. Work on the development, including the demolition of a number of disused properties on the site, is due to be started in June, with anticipated completion by November 2013.

The project receives £1.14million investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), and £1.1million from South Staffordshire Council, as well as a donation of land.

Care Plus, (part of Housing Plus) will be managing the scheme. Care and support packages will be tailored around residents’ needs and wishes to ensure they retain their independence and have an enhanced quality of life.

The modern apartments will be in an attractive, light and airy building that also includes a café, restaurant, hairdressing salon and gym for use by residents and the local community.

The franchise company that specialises in caring for older people in their own homes currently employs 326 staff in its seven offices across the region. Owing to increasing demand for its services, the company is looking to expand rapidly in the year ahead.

Having just welcomed his one hundredth franchise office to the business, co-founder and managing director Trevor Brocklebank is thrilled at the rate in which his company is continuing to expand.

Trevor comments, “It is our stated aim to change the way care is delivered to the elderly in theUKand, in doing so, change the face of ageing. It is the unique and high-quality, personal service which we offer that has allowed us to grow so quickly and create these jobs across theWest Midlands. The rate at which our business is growing bears testament to the service our teams provide.”

He continues, “Our caregivers are very special people. They come from varying backgrounds but the attributes they all have in common are compassion, professionalism and a real desire to make a difference to the lives of others. We provide all the necessary training in-house, so whether you are 19 or 99, if you are a caring person who would like to find out more about working for Home Instead, then please get in touch with your local Home Instead office.”

Home Instead Senior Care’s offices in the West Midlands are located in: Cannock, Edgbaston, Solihull, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stourbridge, Sutton Coldfield andWolverhampton. These offices are part of a national network of 115 offices employing over three and a half thousand people.

DC Care Staff Celebrate 10 Years of Success

It has been celebrations all round at DC Care throughout May. To mark a couple of big birthdays and the company’s 10th year in business everyone met up for team photos, celebratory fizz and an evening at a local restaurant.

The specialist agency commenced trading in 2002 and is now one of the most active firms in the long term care sector. DC Care’s Director Anita Allen commented;

“We have seen a lot of changes over the last ten years and have adapted our services accordingly. Trading in the early years from 2002 to 2007 was buoyant and busy and we gained a good market share.

The economic climate during the last 3 years however has been hard for all businesses; we are proud to have maintained our position as one of the leading independent care specific agents and look forward to the next 10 years.

The DC Care team is professional and friendly, with all the staff dedicated to providing an excellent level of service to all vendors and purchasers.”

As well as raising a glass or two to celebrate the 10th anniversary the team also wished Anita Allen a happy 50th and Clare Jones a very happy 30th birthday.

‘Thrive’ is a small national charity, founded in 1978, that uses gardening to change the lives of disabled people. The activities are varied but focus on championing the benefits of gardening to individuals and organisations.

Following the completion of Thrive’s ‘Carry on Gardening’ course in Nettlebed, seven Huntercombe residents and three local volunteers have established a weekly gardening club at the care home.

The Victorian Manor House has a unique and varied history. The Hall had a significant role during the Second World War, playing host to Rudolph Hess and being visited by Winston Churchill on several occasions. As such, residents and staff feel it is important to give the gardens the attention they deserve.

Huntercombe Activities Coordinator, Debbie Bentinck said:

“The ‘Carry on Gardening’ course has enabled so many of our residents to get back into a hobby they once loved. The gardening club adds to the wide range of activities we run here at Huntercombe Hall.

It will now benefit the whole home as we are already planning our sensory garden for later this year.”

Huntercombe Hall is run by the family-owned Caring Homes Group, which was founded in 1994 by mother and son team, Helena and Paul Jeffery. The home provides residential care, nursing care and specialist dementia care for up to 42 elderly residents in the charming village of Nuffield, close to the market town of Wallingford.

Created to offer increased choice and variety, new meals include Mushroom Stroganoff, Lamb Grill Steaks in Mint Gravy, Pork in Cider Gravy, Vegetarian Cottage Pie, Beef Rogan Josh, Chicken Tikka Masala and Chinese Chicken, while apetito’s selection of teatime snacks has been boosted with the addition of Sultana, Chocolate Chip and Madeira Loaf Cakes. The batter supplied rises in the oven to create a comforting, home-cooked taste without the time and complexity involved in baking cakes from scratch.

All meals are from apetito’s multi-portioned range, which can be ordered in various tray sizes to allow caterers to match portions to suit the individual appetites of residents.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve our range and creating new meals ensures our selection remains fresh, diverse and appealing to residents,” said Phil Rimmer, Head Chef at apetito.

“Traditional meals such as Pork in Cider Gravy proved incredibly popular in taste tests, but it was interesting to see that those dishes with stronger flavours such as the Beef Rogan Josh and Chicken Tikka Masala were equally well received.”

apetito’s full ranges of meals for care homes has been created to meet the nutritional needs and taste preferences of residents, taking into consideration factors including special dietary requirements such as gluten free, low salt or low fat, medical conditions such diabetes and cultural diversity. All dishes meet NACC standards and are quick and convenient to prepare.

MAKING A MARK. Amberwood House resident Ellen Smith presents the handmade bookmarks to pupils at Parley First School.

THEIR primary schools featured chalk boards, inkwells and rows of wooden desks, but residents at a Colten Care nursing home proved they still have a thirst for knowledge more than 80 years on.

Five residents from Amberwood House in Ferndown journeyed to nearby Parley First School to talk with pupils about schools then and now.

The visitors, who all began their education in the 1920s or early 1930s, presented Year 4 pupils with a dozen laminated bookmarks they designed and decorated in their regular arts and crafts sessions at Amberwood.

In the school library, old and young discussed how the learning environment has been transformed through technology.

With guidance from teacher Liz Young, pupils asked questions they had prepared about the classrooms of yesteryear. They also showed the visitors their PE kit, laptops, maths books and homework projects.

Pupils at Parley First School meet visitors from Amberwood House to compare stories about school life. Seated from left: Beryl

Colten Care activity organiser Janey Lloyd said residents enjoyed making the bookmarks to help promote pupils’ reading while preparing for the visit had got them talking about their old school memories.

Miss Lloyd said: “Intergenerational activities such as this one are so valuable. Watching the interaction of those involved is a joyful experience. The usual dynamics of the group, or reactions of an individual, can really change and it seems to bring out the best in everyone. We’re really thankful to the school for the hard work the pupils put in and we’re going to maintain our links so we can make more visits in the future.”

Colten Care runs 19 homes across the South providing a range of services including quality residential, nursing and dementia care.

Located on Greenside Avenue, Mapplewell Manor will be a new residential care home and senior centre specialising in dementia care and is due to open its doors in February 2013. It will bring approximately 90 full and part time jobs to the area and unrivalled facilities including spacious rooms – all with en-suite, café, coffee lounge for residents and their families and landscaped gardens.

A funding package has been secured to support the construction of the new care home which consists of loan facilities arranged by Maxine Gay from The Royal Bank of Scotland’s Healthcare team, and £500K from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund – a £1billion fund launched by the Coalition Government to provide support for sustainable economic growth and private sector job creation.

Silk Healthcare is a family run business established by Angela Swift in 2009 after the opening of the firm’s first care home Reuben Manor. Her commitment and high standards were rewarded within months of the opening when Angela was voted the Most Outstanding New Entrant to the Over 50s Housing Awards. Silk Healthcare continues to provide affordable facilities within luxurious surroundings and specialises in high quality residential and dementia care for the elderly. Mapplewell Manor will be Silk Healthcare’s third care home in addition to Reuben Manor in Teesside and Heather Grange in Burnley. A fourth home is also planned for construction in Colne, Lancashire next year.

Angela Swift, Managing Director of Silk Healthcare explains:

“We are very excited about the construction of Mapplewell Manor and work is underway after the demolition of the previous Greenside Care Home. We are looking forward to expected completion in February 2013 and bringing not only superb facilities and care to elderly residents but new job creation to the Barnsley area. Mapplewell Manor will be a luxurious care home that will provide dementia care at an affordable price. It also offers a great addition to the local community with a high quality day centre for the elderly. I would also like to say thank you to Maxine Gay at the RBS Healthcare team whose support has been instrumental in providing bank funding to support this project.”

Scotland’s Dementia Awards will celebrate the work of both professionals and community groups who are committed helping people with dementia and their families. The awards will showcase the creativity, innovation and dedication that make a real difference to the daily lives of people with dementia and their families across Scotland when organisations, groups and teams work together.

There are six award categories for the inaugural event:

• Best acute care initiative

• Best innovation in continuing care

• Best community support initiative

• Best dementia friendly community initiative

• Best educational initiative

• Most innovative partnership

Henry Simmons, Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland said, “Every day, people with dementia and their families face the challenge of living well with dementia. Thousands of staff, across the health, social care and community sectors, go above and beyond their individual roles to make a real difference to the lives of people with this illness. Scotland’s Dementia Awards are a celebration of staff who have risen to the challenge of helping people to live well with dementia in our society.”

Malcolm Wright, Chief Executive of NHS Education for Scotland said, “We are delighted to be working with our partners in supporting these awards. They present an excellent opportunity to celebrate the pivotal role of education and training in developing the health and social care workforce to promote excellence in the support and care provided to people with dementia and their families”.

Born and bred in Almondbury, Huddersfield, Andrew began his working life as an insolvency assistant at Grant Thornton in Bradford, before joining his father’s firm of solicitors, Whitfields in Batley, now part of the Ramsdens Group, where he oversaw bad debt accountancy.

He first became involved in manufacturing when appointed credit control manager at the former Wilkinsons Furniture in Pontefract, moving on to the sales side of the business, notably dealing with the public sector.

Andrew then moved to Birmingham to take over as northern public sector sales manager with office furniture manufacturer Roc. From a standing start, he helped boost sales to £1.4m, before moving north to join Ness Furniture in Durham as national public sector sales manager, running teams selling into the NHS.

With the NHS and care homes sector central to James Spencer & Co’s remit since being established almost 65 years ago, Andrew says he will be looking to further build on the company’s pedigree and reputation.

He is initially focussing on sales of specialist furniture and equipment ranges, among them challenging environment and bariatric products, along with enhancing the firm’s tendering process, an area he has specialised in for the past eight years.

“I am also concentrating on improving lines of communication with current and potential customers, both face to face and through monthly newsletters and flyers detailing special offers,” explained Andrew.

He and his wife Carol live locally in Cottingley. They have two children, Mark, 21, who is studying for a Masters degree in Astrophysics at the University of Sussex, and 19-year-old Samantha, who works as PA to a managing director.

James Spencer’s chairman Richard Spencer: “Andrew’s wealth of previous experience in the financial, legal, furniture and healthcare sectors are qualities that make him a natural leader of the sales team, as we seek to strengthen our national footprint in both current and evolving markets.”

The residents of Pendine Park, in Wrexham, made colourful commemorative postcards to celebrate the momentous 60th anniversary of the Queen’s reign.

They were thrilled to receive an official letter of thanks from Lady in Waiting Annabel Whitehead saying Her Majesty had been “touched”.

Seven of the cards – one from each of Pendine Park’s homes – were sent to the Queen along with a selection of photographs of the residents making them.

Alan Hassall & Christine Jones with artist in residence Sarah Edwards & the letter they have received from Windsor Castle

Everything was showcased in a silver album with red white and blue ribbon tied around it. The gifts were accompanied by a personal letter written by Alan Hassall, 65, on behalf of fellow residents.

The warmly worded response came on headed notepaper from Windsor Castle, complete with the royal crest. Writing on behalf of the monarch, Mrs Whitehead said:

“The Queen wishes me to write and thank you all for the kind messages which you have sent on the occasion of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, and for the beautifully bound album containing seven of the postcards you have designed to mark this historic year.

“The Queen greatly appreciated the care you have taken with each of your designs, and was touched to see that you have incorporated all the flags of the Commonwealth as part of your theme.

“Her Majesty has been deeply moved by the loyalty and support she has received throughout her long reign from her subjects both at home and within the Commonwealth, and I am to thank you once again for your kind thought for the Queen in this special year.”

The arrival of the letter has put Alan Hassall and the rest of the residents on “Cloud Nine”.

Mr Hassall, a retired computer expert who suffers from a series of debilitating conditions, couldn’t believe his eyes when he read the letter. He said:

‘’I was absolutely amazed. I’ve literally never had anything like that and I couldn’t wait to tell my family.

“I’m a big fan of the Queen; I think she’s done a wonderful job.”

Equally thrilled was fellow resident and postcard maker Christine Jones, 68.

She said: “I loved this project and I love the royal family. The Queen is fantastic for her age and the Duke of Edinburgh is remarkable too.

“I made one postcard from me and I did three more for different residents who weren’t able to do their own.”

The Diamond Jubilee postcard project is being masterminded by Pendine Park’s Artist in Residence, Sarah Edwards.

On the day itself, there will be Diamond Jubilee parties in all of the award-winning care organisation’s homes.

Sarah Edwards explained: “We wanted a special Diamond Jubilee project that could involve every single resident across the seven homes.

“The residents made the cards themselves or the activities team helped them.

“They included collages, drawings or photographs on the theme of the jubilee, with a message to the Queen or memories associated with the Queen.

“The project has a Commonwealth flavour as it is such an important institution to the Queen and is central part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

“The postcards have been laminated and we’re going to tie them in the trees at each of the seven homes on the day, June 5.

“The Jubilee Message Tree will also be festooned with the flags of the Commonwealth which is close to the Queen’s heart and a big part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

“Everybody is just so very proud to have received such a lovely letter of thanks from Windsor Castle.

“We wanted to do something to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee and it was a brilliant surprise to receive something in return. It’s a good reflection upon the residents’ hard work and commitment to the project.”

Mario Kreft, the proprietor of Pendine Park, was awarded an MBE in 2010 as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours in recognition of his services to social care in Wales.

Mr Kreft said: “I am absolutely delighted that the residents’ have received this heartfelt thank you letter from the Queen’s Lady in Waiting.

“It is a proud moment for everybody involved in this lovely project.”

• When asked what the barriers to diagnosis were, 65 per cent of GPs said ‘many people with dementia do not present to General Practice’. 66 per cent said ‘the stigma attached to dementia’
• 88 per cent of GPs agreed there were benefits to an early diagnosis of dementia

• Giving you ‘time to plan for the future’ (84 per cent)
• ‘Access to treatments’ (78 per cent)
• ‘Helping to improve quality of life’ (74 per cent)
• ‘Access to care pathways’ (69 per cent)

William Westbrooke with a bottle of Champagne to mark his 20 year anniversary at The Wine Company

Champagne has been flowing to mark the outstanding achievements of an Essex Cares service user who has worked at the same wine merchants for 20 years.

William Westbrooke, who has Down’s Syndrome, has worked at The Wine Company in Colchester for the last two decades, supported in recent years by Essex Cares’ Linked Employment service.

Employment Adviser Jonathan Smith explained that the 47-year-old is the only Linked Employment service user to have worked in the same job for such a long time. He added: “William originally started at the company on a work experience programme for 15 hours a week, undertaking tasks like preparing boxes for distribution and replenishing stock on the shop floor.

“He was so successful and demonstrated such a commitment to the company that he was given the chance to become a paid Warehouse Assistant. This was a huge boost to his confidence and even came with extra responsibilities such as bagging ice, clearing the yard and ensuring cleanliness in the warehouse.

“His job helps him feel an equal part of society and reaching his 20 year anniversary is a huge achievement for him.”

James Bond aficionado and postcard collector William said he enjoys his job so much that he is likely to be a fixture at the warehouse for the next 20 years. “I like it here because I get out and about and work with lots of people,” he said. “I know a lot about wine now – my favourite is red wine from Italy or Spain. Luckily I’ve only broken one bottle in 20 years!”

Linked Employment is a service which places adults with disabilities into jobs, assisting them to get a role of their choice which is paid at the going rate. Employment opportunities are available within all business sectors, including part time and full time roles. Meanwhile, parent company Essex Cares also helps over 100,000 people in the county to live independent lives, providing innovative services and the latest technologies to its customers.

General Manager of The Wine Company Mark Cronshaw said that William is a vital part of life at the Gosbecks Road firm. “I’m so proud of him,” he said. “He is a very valuable employee – he’s full of enthusiasm and is as diligent, hardworking and honest as any member of my team. He is a character who we all love having around.”

For more information about Essex Cares and Linked Employment, visit www.essexcares.org or call 01245 434925.

Formed in 1987, with five care homes for the elderly based in and around Glasgow and employing a 350-strong workforce, Lambhill Court Ltd has experience of more than 20 years in the care of elderly people and is an equal opportunities employer.

Our monthly Tea Dances provide an opportunity for people in the community to come enjoy themselves and mix with the residents and their families. Guests joined our celebrations from Hamiltonhill and Mair Street Sheltered Housing Associations. Lunch was served at 12:30pm followed by a special cake cutting ceremony to mark the home’s sixteen years and a speech from Mr Poddar. Glasgow entertainer, Bob Graham provided the entertainment for our celebrations well into the afternoon.

Sunita Poddar, Managing Director said: “Our strength lies in the excellent service we provide with particular attention paid to the individual care and needs of our residents. We aim to provide the highest standards of care and service to all the people we look after and this has remained constant across all our homes and contributed to their success within the local communities. This is something we intend to continue for many years to come”.

Lambhill Court’s Activities Team, Tommy Donegan and Mary Fox added: “Everyone enjoyed our anniversary celebrations and a favourite with residents at the home, Bob Graham. The home was decorated in banners and balloons to mark the home’s sixteen years and it looked superb. Our next big celebration is the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on June 5 and plans are well underway for that”.

www.lambhillcourt.ltd.uk

The substantial freehold property provides high quality nursing care for 35 residents is located in an affluent and sought after location in Dorking and enjoys excellent occupancy levels.

DC Care acted on behalf of Dr B Mathews, Miss A Douglass, and Mrs P Mathews who commented;

“We are very satisfied with the service provided by DC Care and would recommend them to prospective sellers. We were impressed with their speed of identifying a purchaser and the follow up contact during the sale process.”

The business has been acquired by an established local operator after a discreet marketing campaign carried out by Sales Negotiator, Lisa Rushworth who managed the sale through to completion.

Commenting on the recent sale Andrew Sandel, Southern Regional Business Appraiser at DC Care commented

“Homes in these desirable Surrey locations will always attract significant interest when they do come to the market, and Downsvale was no exception. The home certainly ticked all of the boxes required by prospective purchasers; size, further potential, reputation, location and an excellent trading history; with all these factors in place I was confident that Dr Mathews would soon be playing more golf and enjoying his retirement.”

The sale price was undisclosed.

To speak to DC Care Click HERE

L-R The Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Barry Lipscomb; Ann-Marie Medd, Manager of St Catherines View; & Ian Hudson, Managing Director of Colten Care.

THE FIRST residents have moved into a specialist £8 million dementia care home in Hampshire.

Colten Care’s purpose-built St Catherines View home in Winchester offers leading-edge facilities to people with dementia living in five small house groups.

It was officially opened by the Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Barry Lipscomb, at a launch for more than 150 invited guests including health professionals, care workers and others involved in the planning, design and build of the home.

Also attending were representatives of charities supported by Colten Care including the Alzheimer’s Society.

Ian Hudson, Colten Care’s Managing Director, said: “Our new home will provide much needed specialist dementia care for Winchester and the surrounding area. Although the number of beds registered for dementia care has increased slightly over the past few years, this has largely been by existing beds being re-registered for dementia care. Sadly there have been very few purpose-built facilities such as St Catherines View.”

At full capacity, the home will employ around 80 staff including specialist nurses. All staff, irrespective of their job role, will undergo dementia care training endorsed by the School of Health and Social Care at Bournemouth University.

St Catherines View has been designed purposely with dementia care in mind. Interior features use contrasting colours and memory prompts to enable residents to find their way around easily.

The Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Barry Lipscomb, declares St Catherines View open with the unveiling of a ceremonial plaque. With him is Ian Hudson, Managing Director of Colten Care, and the Mayoress, Mrs Christine Lipscomb.

Reminiscence and nostalgia are promoted through several themed rooms and the landscaped grounds offer a safe, quiet and stimulating green space. Outdoor points of interest include a bat house, ornamental tractor, potting shed and vegetable patches.

Colten Care is holding a public open day at St Catherines View with the well known TV and radio broadcaster Dr Hilary Jones on 17 May 2012. A complimentary buffet lunch will be on offer to visitors from 11am to 2pm.

For more details, call 0845 388 6246 or email stcatherinesview@coltencare.co.uk.

Independent healthcare provider Care UK is ahead of the game when it comes to waiting times for certain planned NHS operations.

Figures released recently by the Patients Association showed that there had been a significant increase in waiting times for some operations in NHS hospitals in 2011 compared with the figures for the previous year.

However, figures for Care UK treatment centres showed that their waiting times have continued to remain lower than national averages. The figures covered a range of planned NHS operations including hip and knee replacements and cataracts:

For 2011

                                                            National average                Care UK average

(days)                                     (days)

Hip replacements                                         93.8                                        74.3

Knee replacements                                     99.2                                        73.5

Cataract operations                                     65.9                                        63.7

Dr Mark Hunt, Care UK’s managing director of healthcare which carries out the procedures at a number of NHS treatment centres in England said: “We are pleased to be bucking the trend and keeping waiting times down as much as possible.

We are able to achieve these lower times because we have a very efficient ‘one stop shop’ system where patients see the doctor and nurse and have any diagnostics done on the same day before the appointment for their operation or procedure is made.”

He continued: “We are also very fortunate in that we only deal with elective surgery so we do not have the problem of having to cancel operations because of emergencies.”

Dr Hunt added: “Care UKtreatment centres have never had a case of the hospital acquired superbug MRSA and our complication and re-admission rates are very low. This, plus the fact that people are actively choosing us after seeing the Dr Foster coverage last year, shows how the independent sector can work well with the NHS to deliver a great deal for patients.”

Patients have a right to choose where they want their NHS operations carried out – contrary to popular belief  they aren’t restricted to their local hospital. Anyone who wants to consider a Care UK treatment centre for a planned operation should discuss it with their GP. Further information about Care UK’s seven treatment centres can be found via www.careuk.com.

Care for our ageing population should be funded through taxation in a way that is inter-generationally fair with wealthier older people paying more, according to United for All Ages. A new paper, The Care Crunch, published today (14 May 2012) by the social enterprise proposes two ways this could be done.

With the government seemingly at an impasse on taking forward the Dilnot commission’s recommendations to reform care funding, United for All Ages says imminent publication of the care white paper must be decision time – urgent action is needed to prevent the care system collapsing.

United for All Ages argues that too many questions remain unanswered about the Dilnot proposals. As a result no ‘simple, fair and sustainable’ solution is on the table. United for All Ages therefore calls on government to look again at how a tax-funded care system could deliver better care.

The Care Crunch argues that tax funding would not only be fairer than a cap on care costs but it would also enable joint working between health and care and preventative work to keep older people out of hospital and better supported at home. Care costs should be tax-funded but not the hotel (accommodation, food etc) costs of residential care, thereby creating a level playing field for care homes and home care.

Rather than looking to income tax which is paid by the younger working population, the paper says that sufficient funds to cover increasing care costs could be found from wealthier older people by:

-          Means testing universal benefits for older people like winter fuel payments and bus passes that wealthier older people don’t need and redirecting the savings to pay for better care,

or

-          Introducing a care duty on estates above a certain value eg 5% on estates worth more than £25,000, and use the extra funding generated from larger estates to pay for better care (like the 1p on national insurance to pay for the NHS). A collection system is already in place and payment would be linked to wealth.

The Care Crunch paper argues that the Dilnot proposals would make the current confusing care system even more complex, would be regressive, would add substantial transaction costs, wouldn’t meet current unmet needs and future growth in demand for care, and would not support joined up care and health and promote prevention. A tax-funded care system using older people’s wealth would tackle these problems and could link payment from estates at death to what is in the main end of life care as well as keep pace with our ageing population.

Stephen Burke, director of United for All Ages and the Good Care Guide, said: “Everyone agrees that care for older people is in crisis but we seem no closer to resolving the fundamental questions about how we pay for a new system. Dilnot has not provided the magic solution. Better care will cost us all more. The issue is how to do so in a way that is fairer, simple and sustainable.

“We urge the government to look again at taxation as the basis for a fairer care system whereby older people’s contributions reflect their wealth and the risks and costs of care are collectively shared. Care is a public good – like health and education – and none of us know whether we will get dementia for example. So sharing the costs of care through taxation of older people’s wealth must be the best way forward. Will the government rise to the challenge in its white paper?”

Shackletons Ltd have been in the furniture industry for over 50 years and are famous for designing, manufacturing and creating comfortable, long lasting craftsman-made furniture for the nursing and care home industry have just announced they are to be the sole furniture provider for the Maria Mallaband Care Group.

They have been using Shackletons furniture since they began in 1996, and are happy to confirm they are delighted with the quality and design and also for its functionality, practicality and comfort.

MMCG, who recently took over 35 Southern Cross care homes and launched Countrywide Care Homes to manage the former homes, commented;

‘’ We felt that these homes also needed the special touch of Shackletons and we are now pleased to be able to announce this partnership’’.

Commenting on the deal, James Burgan, Commercial Director said:

“We have grown quickly in a short space of time and they have always been committed and shown dedication and compassion to our own changing needs. The Countrywide Care Homes will take our group into a new sector – this is a very exciting time for both organisations. We expect the same high standards, quality and comfort from the furniture and furnishings we use in all our care homes, and we are positive that Shackletons will not only meet, but exceed our expectations. It has been a pleasure working with Shackletons over the years and long may this continue.”

Jason Bloom, National Sales Manager, commented:

“Shackletons are very proud to be associated with a caring, progressive and superior quality care home group such as MMCG. Our corporate goals and that deserving of our furniture, is to align ourselves with the very best operators in the sector and MMCG and Countrywide Care Homes are certainly one of those. We look forward to extending our already successful relationship”.

Tony on exercise in Cyprus

Falklands veteran Tony Banks, owner and founder of Balhousie Care Group, has been appointed to the post of Honorary Colonel of the Territorial Army’s 71 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers).

The regiment is based across Scotland, with TA Centres in Elgin, Kirkwall, Paisley and Cumbernauld, with its headquarters at RAF Leuchars.

As the only Royal Engineer unit in Scotland, the regiment’s role is to provide military engineering support to both regular engineer units Army wide, including in Afghanistan, and the TA’s Scottish units. Like Tony, several members of the Regiment have seen active service.

Tony was chosen for the post because of his own military background, business experience and philanthropic work, which includes supporting Combat Stress, a charity which helps ex-servicemen and women affected by post-traumatic stress disorder.

His role as Honorary Colonel will see him acting as an ambassador for the TA, building links with businesses and the community and offering professional advice on issues such as recruitment.

As the modern British Army’s needs change, the support and demands on the business community and wider community will increase.

Tony sees an important part of his role as helping with this, and one of his first assignments saw him joining members of the regiment on a training camp in Cyprus recently.

The post of Honorary Colonel is usually held for six years and is accompanied by an official invitation from Her Majesty The Queen. Tony joins other prominent figures such as Lorraine Kelly, who is Honorary Colonel of the Black Watch battalion’s Army Cadet Force (ACF).

Captain James Bryce, Adjutant of 71 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers) said Tony was an obvious choice.

“We are delighted that Tony has accepted the post of Honorary Colonel.  As well as being a prominent business leader, he has a military background and saw active service during the Falklands War,” he said. “His high profile, business links and philanthropic work mean he is in an ideal position to act as a positive ambassador for us, as the only Royal Engineer unit in Scotland.

“We will be looking to draw on his experience in the Parachute Regiment and in business, and he will act as the bridge between the regiment and the wider civilian community.

“We have over 400 people in the Regiment; a mix of Regular and Reserve Army personnel, who come from all walks of life – bus drivers, chartered surveyors, civil servants – and each Sapper signs up to a minimum of 27 days training per year. Part of Tony’s role will be to provide continuity and the legacy knowledge required at a time of great change in the TA.

“Our main role is in Afghanistan, reinforcing the regular army and maintaining combat engineering capability, but other responsibilities this year include deployments to Cyprus, Kenya, the USA and supporting Op Olympics in London so this is a great year for Tony to have joined us as Honorary Colonel.”

Tony signed up for the Territorial Army Parachute Regiment and then joined 2 Para, which saw him being deployed to the Falklands 30 years ago.

“I was extremely honoured to be invited to accept the post of Honorary Colonel of the 71 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers) and am looking forward to what I am sure will be a mutually positive and beneficial experience,” he said. “We have just marked the 30^th anniversary of the start of the conflict in the Falklands and I can remember only too well the horrors of war.

“I loved every aspect of my involvement with TA and 2 Para, from the physical training to the camaraderie of my mates who were fellow recruits, and from all walks of life, as the TA still is today.

“It was a life-changing experience that shaped my commitment to care for my fellow human beings. It’s also where my drive to make the most of every opportunity that life presented to me stemmed from, so it is particularly fitting that this role came along at the same time as the anniversary of the Falklands War.”

Tony’s first book, Storming the Falklands, was released in March and details his personal journey as one of the first to fight on the Falklands Islands and how the trauma of war affected him.

As well as ongoing support for Combat Stress, Tony supports the Falklands Veterans Foundation and gives an annual donation towards the running costs of Liberty Lodge in the Falklands, a residential lodge available for use by veterans, their families and serving members of HM Forces.

He is also a major donor for a memorial which is being unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. This memorial was created as a tribute to all soldiers who have served in the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces since 1940.

His company Balhousie Care Group, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Perth, is now Scotland’s largest independent care home operator, with 24 homes across the country caring for up to 860 residents.

• For more information on the Territorial Army’s 71 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers), visit http://www.army.mod.uk/royalengineers/units/848.aspx

Formed in 1987, with five care homes for the elderly based in and around Glasgow and employing a 350-strong workforce, Lambhill Court Ltd has experience of more than 20 years in the care of elderly people and is an equal opportunities employer.

Mary is responsible for the day to day running of activities in the home and focusing on the individual needs of our residents with a tailored care plan for each person. Since joining the Lambhill Court team she has been encouraging our residents to remain independent and to maintain their interests and hobbies.

Mary said: “Providing people with the opportunity to continue with things that they have done before and build on what has been an important part of their lives in the past is crucial. To be able to support and enable people to engage in pastimes, activities and roles which bring them pleasure and meaning and enhance their quality of life makes my role so much more rewarding”.

Mary added: “I introduced a welcoming committee to work with and support each person and their families and it’s been deemed a success. Our welcoming committee has started out with three members which we’re hoping to expand on, myself, Francis and Tracy, both have a parent living in our home.

Our first meeting was to welcome a new resident into our home and meet his family. At our meetings, residents and their families decide what their needs and interests are, what they want to accomplish, and how they plan to accomplish it. We also discuss ideas for the home, assisting with fundraising events and we are always looking for new members”.

Sunita Poddar, Managing Director at Lambhill Court Ltd, said: “This is a fantastic example of partners working together to ensure the care home maintains its high level of service for all the residents”.

The Chantry, a listed period town house close to the centre of Crediton, Devon and its smaller connected property, The Coach House, which together operate as Chantry Care Services Limited (in administration), have been sold to a Devon based home owner, safeguarding 20 jobs and the care of up to 16 people who have learning and/or physical disabilities.

The company was placed into administration following a winding up petition from HMRC being presented, due to unpaid PAYE, National Insurance Contributions and Corporation Tax. Joint Administrators Chris Stevens and Ian Vickers, partners at specialist restructuring, recovery and insolvency firm, FRP Advisory LLP, have since worked with property agents DC Care to secure the sale of the home.

Commenting on the deal, Chris Stevens said:

“When the Company was placed into administration we made the decision to continue to trade whilst seeking a buyer for the business. The care of the residents was always paramount.

“A suitable buyer was identified and, as a result, we are pleased to announce that 20 jobs have been saved, and any potential impact upon residents has been diminished.”

Andrew Sandel appraised the business on behalf of DC Care and the sale was managed through to completion by Head office based Sales Negotiator Lisa Rushworth.

Andrew Sandel commented;

 ‘The huge interest generated in this opportunity shows without question that there is an appetite from purchasers to acquire specialist learning disability care homes in the South West. Following our instruction to market the home there was keen interest from predominantly regional care operators who recognized the potential for this particular care home. The number of enquiries we received regarding The Chantry leading up to the date for best & final offers was excellent’’

’’DC Care to put forward a number of competing bids to the Administrators. As always in these situations only one bidder could be successful and as such we are left with many prospective purchasers still keen to source other suitable care homes providing care for service users with Learning Disabilities in the South West.’

To speak to someone at DC Care click HERE

Jane Ashcroft CEO of Anchor responds to the Queens speech;

“Anchor research found one in four people are unaware that care is means-tested yet the current broken system means many people face an almost limitless drain on their savings.”
“A failure to reform the system now would be nothing less than a betrayal of the public. The older people of today and tomorrow deserve better than the current shambolic funding system and we call on Mr Cameron to act.”

Alzheimer’s Society comment:

‘The draft bill suggests real progress can be made. But we still have no definitive timeframe for when the millions of people being put at risk by the current crumbling system will get the fair deal they desperately need. Consultation is important but it can’t become a delay tactic. Action is needed now to support the most vulnerable in society.

Underfunding of social crisis must be at the heart of reform yet this still isn’t being addressed. Millions of people – including people with dementia – are being stripped of their savings. We are also in danger of bankrupting the NHS as more people reach crisis point. There is no time to wait.’

Jeremy Hughes

Chief Executive

Alzheimer’s Society

Haigh have recently announced a new 2 year warranty for the SOLO® single bedpan macerator. Previously supplied with a standard 12 month warranty, this extension is testament to the proven performance and low maintenance requirements of the unit. The SOLO has been widely adopted by both the private and public sector and disposes of commode pots, bedpans, urine bottles and other pulp items using only cold water and a small amount of electricity.

The single use system delivers measurable cost and energy savings for customers. Supported with the extended warranty, full technical reference literature and Haigh’s nationwide network of Service Engineers, the SOLO becomes an even more attractive proposition for the market.

Speaking of the warranty extension Nick Dale, Healthcare Division Manager said “We understand that any equipment investment for our clients is a major decision, and we are delighted to be able to increase our standard warranty terms to give additional support and peace of mind. Our SOLO units have been operational throughout the UK now for many years and we know that we can confidently extend the warranty at no extra cost for the customer due to the SOLO’s reliability and efficiency.”

www.haighprivatecare.com

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) today publishes a further 10 reports from a targeted programme of 150 unannounced inspections of hospitals and care homes that care for people with learning disabilities.

The programme is looking at whether people experience safe and appropriate care, treatment and support and whether they are protected from abuse. A national report into the findings of the programme will be published later this year.

Inspections were focused on two outcomes relating to the government’s essential standards of quality and safety: the care and welfare of people who use services, and safeguarding people who use services from abuse.

Inspectors found major concerns at three of the ten locations:

• Chaseways, run by Cambian Learning Disabilities Limited
• Melling Acres run by Parkcare Homes (No 2) Limited
• The New Barn run by Claremont Clare Limited.

Chaseways

People receiving treatment and support were not routinely involved in their care plans and health care did not show routine medical treatment accessible for people who use the service.

Staffing shortages sometimes restricted the number of activities available to people receiving treatment, and there was a lack of stimulation within everyday living for the people receiving treatment and support at Chaseways. The service did not provide the assessment and treatment and rehabilitation that was required

Although procedures were in place to prevent and identify abuse, they were not always followed.

• ·        We have received an action plan from the provider. Following a visit in March, a Mental Health Act Commissioner reported that they were impressed with the comprehensive care planning and risk assessment documentation which had been regularly updated and noted that wherever possible, patients had contributed to their plans.

Melling Acres

People’s care and support needs were assessed but most care plans were not up to date and some important information including that relating to their physical health needs was not in place.

There were some activities and experiences in place but these were limited. Whilst most staff were respectful to the people using the service there were examples when this had not been consistent.

The lack of advocacy limited the ways people had to express any concern.

• ·        We have received an action plan setting out how the provider is addressing our concerns.

The New Barn

People received a service from a provider who had taken steps to prevent abuse. Staff had the knowledge of how to protect people from abuse, or the risk of abuse but did not fully record any restraints used. The home had not involved the local safeguarding authority appropriately making the independent oversight of people’s care more difficult to carry out.

• ·        A safeguarding referral was made as a result of the inspection. These were made by the provider to the local authority and are being followed through. Staff are receiving further training about following the safeguarding policy.

All the services where concerns are identified have to tell the CQC how and when they will improve. Those failing to meet essential standards could face enforcement action by the regulator if improvements are not made.

Overall, one location is compliant with Outcome 4 (care and welfare of people who use services), two have minor concerns, five have moderate concerns and two have major concerns. On Outcome 7 (safeguarding people from abuse), four locations are compliant, one has a minor concern, three have moderate concerns and two have major concerns.

The batch contains one NHS, seven independent health care and two adult social care locations.

CQC inspectors were joined by ‘experts by experience’ – people who have first hand experience of care or as a family carer and who can provide the patient or carer perspective as well as professional experts in our learning disability inspections.

Where inspectors identified concerns, they raised these immediately with the providers and managers of services.

The national report will be based on the findings from all the 150 inspections and will make conclusions about the overall state of this type of service.

Star of BBC dramas Great Expectations, Married.Single.Other and Exile, actor Shaun Dooley will be running the Bupa London 10,000 on 27 May to raise funds for Alzheimer’s Society. Shaun, who also starred in the recent box office hit The Woman in Black, will be running through St James’ Park for the second year in a row, joined by his brother-in-law Sam Cameron and fellow actor Nigel Whitmey, star of Hustle, Murphy’s Law and Saving Private Ryan.

The Bupa London 10,000 was Shaun’s first experience of an organised run in May 2011. He chose to support Alzheimer’s Society after working on a dementia storyline for the BBC psychological thriller Exile, where the main character, played by Jim Broadbent had Alzheimer’s disease. Shaun said;

‘The storyline in Exile and the experiences of friends and colleagues are a reminder of the devastating impact dementia has, not only on those directly affected, but on their families and loved ones. More resources are desperately needed to support people with dementia today and find a cure for tomorrow. I am proud to run for Alzheimer’s Society again this year, and am excited about taking on the challenge.’

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society said: ‘We are delighted that Shaun is taking on the Bupa 10,000 again for us this year and recognise the time and energy he’s put into preparing for the run. As a charity, we rely on the generosity of individuals like him to help people live well with dementia today and fund research to find a cure for tomorrow. On behalf of the charity, I hope his training is going well and wish him the best of luck in the race.’

Lavender Lodge – Careport help organise finance towards new extension of highly thought of Derby care home

Construction of a 10 bed extension of Lavender Lodge in Derby has started following Careport assisting the owners of the care home to organise development and refinance loans from a major high street bank.

Working with a range of banks, Careport arranged a competitive package to assist fund the development of the extension and refinance the existing loans of the business to assist. The home owners were assisted by Careport’s specialist corporate finance and brokerage team tailored to the Healthcare Sector in negotiating and securing the funding.

“Careport were able to drive the best deal possible for the business and assist us put together a professional funding package in the best interests of the business and the banks”, commented Grig Karajannis, Director of Lavender Lodge Care Home in Derby.

The extension will provide the home with a further 10 en-suite bedrooms, additional lounges and communal space and an outdoor terrace along with some additional domestic services space. The home has an excellent local reputation for caring with a range of service users requiring care including individuals with complex needs.

“Lavender Lodge is a great home and provides high quality care in an excellent environment improving the quality of life for all of the home’s residents. It has become a true home to all that live in the property and the staff group at the business is second to none.” commented Christopher Briddon, Partner of Careport

“Working with such a good provider is a privilege and we are all delighted that the services the home offers the city of Derby will soon be further expanded”.

“Christopher Briddon of Careport provided us with a very professional service and I would recommend him and Careport to anyone who needs to organise finance for a care home business” added Grig Karajannis.

For further details please contact Christopher Briddon

T 07775 791 407

E christopher.briddon@landportgroup.co.uk

For more information regards Careport please visit The Landport Group

Although the report celebrates the fact people are living longer, and that many older citizens are “the heartbeat of volunteering and civic participation” in communities, it also exposes how too many face extreme challenges in terms of money, health, lifestyle, communities, housing and care.

As a result it says there is an unacceptably large group of older people that has been left behind, and is in danger of being forgotten, by the rest of society. The CSJ is also highly critical of the way that the ageing debate, particularly in terms of social care, has descended into “undignified political squabbling” by political parties. It cites the anger and disappointment voiced by many older people consulted for the review.

The penetrating report also laments the previous Government’s failure to help older people in deep poverty, despite its rhetoric, significant financial investment and a sustained period of record economic growth. In a rallying call to new ministers, the report also reveals the damage of a “planning apathy” within society that leads many younger people to fail to make financial and other preparations for later life.

The CSJ warns that the number of older people in the UK in need of care and support is expected to soar by 1.7 million over the next 20 years and that the number with dementia could double in 30 years.

It warns that this changing demographic pattern poses “significant social and economic challenges”. The report declares: “This constitutes the most serious social policy issue in decades.”

The report identifies two key threats to the well-being of the elderly that, unless tackled imaginatively and radically, will inflict poverty and suffering on even more pensioners.

The first is the looming crisis in social care where demand is set to rise sharply against the background of continuing public spending constraints, the absence of any clear policy remedy from government and a projected severe fall in the number of unpaid carers currently looking after millions of vulnerable old people.

Second, a ripple effect from high and rising levels of family breakdown is impacting the old as well as the young, meaning that in the future fewer old people will have adult children and spouses and partners to turn to when they need help with the simple essentials of everyday life, such as washing, dressing, travelling to the shops and cooking.

The Older Age Review’s Chairman, Sara McKee, says the reports aim is to champion the contribution of pensioners to the country and to generate a cultural shift in which Britain abandons its fixation with youth and comes to appreciate and celebrate their place in society.

“Debates about ageing in the UK tend to focus on the negative aspects of life in retirement. Our group determined from the reviews outset that older age is something to celebrate and enjoy.”

Gavin Poole, Executive Director of the CSJ, hopes the report will galvanise the new Government into action.

“Poverty and social exclusion in later life remain unacceptably high for a society as relatively prosperous as ours. One in five pensioners lives below the official poverty line. Although ministers are rightly working to deal with our economic deficit, this report reveals there is a social deficit which also needs tackling.”

“The ‘pathways to poverty’ we identified in Breakthrough Britain all extend into older age. The scars of a drug or alcohol addiction will be worn throughout older age in terms of finances and health; the breakdown of a family creates a fragmentation of a potential care and support system for its oldest members; a lifetime of economic dependency translates to a lack of stability and security.”

A glaring example of this devastating social breakdown is family breakdown – now impacting the old. High rates of divorce and the collapse of long-standing cohabiting relationships are weakening the bonds between pensioners and their children, meaning that fewer are able or willing to care for their ageing parents as they encounter the physical and emotional strains of their later years.

The immediate impact has been a spectacular rise in the burden on Britain’s 6 million-strong army of unpaid carers who are currently delivering an effective subsidy to the public purse of nearly £90 billion a year.

In less than a decade, the workload of the most active carers has doubled with more than a fifth providing 50 hours or more care a week.

The report says: “Though the effects of family breakdown are only just beginning to be understood, its impact on care for the older people is a reality (we) have not been able to ignore.

“Family breakdown has led to a significant cultural shift affecting the willingness of many family members to provide care.”

“Fewer family members available or willing to care means that the burden falls more heavily on the primary carer, be they spouse or adult child.”

In previous reports, the CSJ has identified family breakdown as one of the five key drivers of poverty and has called for tax breaks, welfare reform and legal changes to support marriage.

The new report is to be launched at an event at the St Martin’s Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields at 11 am on Tuesday November 23 by Gavin Poole, the CSJ director, Sara McKee, the Chairman of the CSJ Older Age Working Group and Chief Operating Officer of the Anchor Trust, Steve Webb, Minister of State for Pensions at the Department of Work and Pensions, and Mo Smith, chairman of the trustees at Regenerate Rise.

The final report from the CSJ Older Age Working Group, due next year, will set out detailed policy recommendations.

Key findings from the report include:

Life expectancy

• One in four boys and one in three girls born today will now live to 100.

Ageing society

• Between now and 2033 the median age in the UK will rise from 39.3 years to 42.2 years and the gap between the number of under 16 year olds and people of pensionable age widen rapidly.
• By the year 2024 one in five people will be of pensionable age: a 32 per cent increase.

Pensioner poverty and social breakdown

• One in five pensioners in the UK lives below the poverty line.
• The Basic State Pension (BSP), with minimum income guarantee or pension credit, is the sole means of support for a third of pensioners in the UK.

Loneliness and social exclusion

• Almost one in ten people aged 65 and over report regularly or always feeling lonely.
• Many also face social exclusion; in particular, those over 80 years old, those who have never been married or who have experienced family breakdown, and those who live on low incomes.

Health

• A recent study calculated the number of malnourished older people at three million. Furthermore, a recent survey found just under a third of care home residents were malnourished.
• Older people dominate the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions each year and people aged 65 and over are the most likely age group to drink every day.

Crime

• Approximately one person in ten between the age of 65 and 74 was a victim of crime on one or more occasions last year. For those 75 years old and over it was approximately eight per cent.

Housing

• Almost two-thirds of pensioners living below the income poverty line are outright home owners and a third rent.
• Three quarters of a million older people need specially adapted accommodation. Their quality of life would seriously deteriorate if they were to have a fall.

Care

• Approximately 2.5 million older people in the UK have a care need and almost half of those aged 75 and over have a disability.

Copies of the interim CSJ Forgotten Age report can be downloaded from the CSJ website.

Oliver Thomas, UK Director, Bupa Care Homes, said:

“The Andrew Dilnot cap model provides the answer for people who have assets but given the majority of people in care homes have no home to sell or savings on which to draw from to pay for their care in old age, the Government has a responsibility to ensure there is adequate money in the system to look after some of the most frail and elderly people in society. If there is not an additional £1.7 billion allocated alongside the White Paper next month – and ring-fenced for social care – thousands of elderly people could be left isolated in their own homes or fall into NHS hospital beds as crisis admissions.”

In 2010 Jewish Care commissioned Goldstone Perl and Bernice Hardie to conduct market research amongst Southend’s Jewish community.

The market research, which consisted of a number of focus groups as well as questionnaires, was aimed at any adults age 18+ connected to Southend and users of Jewish Care services in Southend including relatives and volunteers.

One of the main findings was that Raymond House no longer meets the needs or expectations of the local Southend community.

The questionnaire was designed to identify likely future demand of services and factors of importance when selecting residential care services. The questionnaire was distributed via Jewish Care services in Southend, synagogues, posters and press as well as by direct post and internet. 262 questionnaires were completed and returned (approx. 17% return rate).

The market research key findings were:

• Jewish Care services in Southend are appreciated and valued by the community
• Future demands for residential services will be limited by the ‘outdated’ facilities and uncompetitive fees and future focus on home based services.
• Those considering residential care attribute higher importance on “comfy accommodation”, “en-suite facilities” and “activities and atmosphere” than “Jewish celebrations” and  “kosher food”.

The research showed that while Jewish Care’s services in Southend are still appreciated by the community, the demand for residential care, as provided by Raymond House, will be very limited, given the outdated nature of the building, the lack of en-suite facilities.

This decision comes as a result of the continued and substantial losses we have sustained over a long period of time at the home, the low levels of occupancy and the worsening economic environment.

Simon Morris, chief executive of Jewish Care said, “The decision to close Raymond House is in no way related to the quality of the care provided. However, it has become clear over the last few years that the home is no longer in demand from the local community and does not meet either their needs or expectations going forward.”

Neil Taylor, director of care and community services said, “The wellbeing of our residents is our highest priority. We will be working very closely with residents, relatives, staff, volunteers and local authorities to support everyone during this difficult time. We will assist in resident’s relocation to alternative homes which will include other Jewish Care homes as well as Jewish style and other care homes in Southend.”

Steven Lewis, chairman of Jewish Care, said, “I can assure you that the decision to close Raymond House was an extremely hard one to make for all involved at Jewish Care, as everyone recognises the impact that this will have on our residents, their families and staff and volunteers at the home.”

Mr Lewis continued, “Jewish Care remains committed to the Jewish community in Southend. In light of the plans for Raymond House, we will be renewing our efforts to ensure that, going forward, the services we will provide in Southend will meet the changing needs of the community. We will be using the research and continuing conversations with the community to help guide us as we move forward.”

New Vehicles, New Staff, Increased Care Service

Over 200 new jobs are to be created by the Hica Group as it expands its Hica At Home homecare operations in the North West.

Hica At Home is recruiting 50 people now to service a recently-awarded Lancashire County Council tender to provide care services for residents at the newly-opened Brookside extra care housing scheme at Ormskirk.

A further 150 people will be recruited during the coming months, mainly in the Chorley, Leyland and Preston areas, in line with the continued expansion of Hica At Home’s services in the North West.

Hica At Home will manage the Brookside extra care contract from its North West offices at the Buckshaw Retirement Village near Chorley. The Brookside development provides accommodation for about 150 residents aged over 55 who may need help and support at home.

Hica At Home Managing Director Penni Brown said: “All our work at Brookside will be aimed at enabling residents to enjoy a better quality of life through supporting them to live more independently and remain in their own homes for as long as possible. As a not-for-profit organisation, we are driven by a different ethos to private agencies and the quality of Hica’s service is very much reflected by this.”

Hica currently has over 750 staff in its Hica At Home Division, which provides care to more than 1300 clients in the North West, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

The Brookside contract is the second to be awarded to Hica by Lancashire County Council. Hica is already helping people who have been in hospital to recover in a home setting at its Buckshaw Retirement Village near Chorley.

The contract is also the sixth care tender success to be achieved by Hica during the past year. The others are in the Tameside, Doncaster, Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire council areas.

Shereen Rogers with resident Howard Jones at Pendine Park.

A 22 year old woman has escaped the despair of the dole queue and landed her “dream job” with a care organisation.

Shereen Rogers’s success is down to a Welsh Government-funded employment scheme – and the advice of her much loved grandmother who sadly died last year.

‘The Steps To Employment’ initiative is operated by Smartcare Training, which is part of the Pendine Park care organisation.

All those who complete the 26-week scheme receive a City and Guilds qualification and are automatically offered a job.

Shereen, from Rhos, was thrilled when she was also offered a job at Pendine Park’s Highfield care home as a Student Care Practitioner.

Working in social care was not something Shereen had envisaged originally.

The former Ysgol y Grango pupil studied animal care for three years at Llysfasi College but couldn’t get a job after she left.

Shereen asked her late grandmother, Mrs Pamela Jones, for advice after hearing about the employment scheme during a visit to the Job Centre.

She said: “Nana was carer and then she became a nurse – when she was still with us she said I should just have a go and try it.

“I actually shocked myself because I didn’t think I’d get on so really well. I think I’ve grown really well working here – I haven’t looked back.

“I love working here; it’s like having extra family members with all the residents.

“What was a really negative situation has turned into something positive. This is my dream job.

“There are a lot of different opportunities and I’m studying for a Diploma.”

Anita Curley, Head of Workforce Development at Pendine Park, was delighted that Shereen had grasped her opportunity with such enthusiasm.

She explained: “The Job Centre refers people to us who are interested in a career in health and social care and we give them an interview.

“They start by completing all the necessary skills to allow them to work with us, for example, infection control, moving and handling, food hygeine and first aid.

“They are then given the opportunity of seeing the different homes we have, meeting the managers and working hands on as much as possible to give them a really thorough insight into a career in care with us.

They have a mentor on the scheme and we guarantee them an interview at the end of their time with us. Obviously we cannot guarantee a job but up to now, everyone who has finished the course to date have all been employed at the end of it.

“They still have all the skills and experience and all the mandatory training they need to go out and look for other jobs in the care home sector.

“As a company, we have long established links with the further education sector and we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work with Glyndwr University

“For anyone who is considering working in care, it can be a very useful way of kick starting your career.

“It is the first step on the employment ladder, providing stable employment and a career pathway that can lead to a well paid and responsible job in senior management with a salary in the range of ££30,000 to £40,000 a year.

“One of the girls who is on the current placement told me the other day how much she was enjoying it and how care was something she should have done years ago but wasn’t quite sure how to go about it.

“It works very well for us too because we are then able to take on people who we know well, who have been trained to our high standards and are trustworthy and reliable which in the care sector is very valuable.”

Alzheimer’s Society comment:

‘The ability to stop Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks would be hugely exciting. This research looked at prion proteins, where abnormal activity can lead to conditions such as mad cow disease.  It will be important to see whether similar mechanisms control abnormal folding of proteins in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and whether this could offer a novel approach to develop new treatments. One in three people will die with dementia. We need further research in this area to help us move forward in our understanding of what causes the condition.’

Professor Clive Ballard Director of Research Alzheimer’s Society

Research reference: Professor Giovanna Mallucci et al. ‘Sustained translational repression by eIF2a-P mediates prion neurodegeneration’ published in Nature 7 May 2012

Staying at the fully wheelchair accessible hotel “I Girasoli” near Luignano, the holiday includes accommodation, breakfast, dinner and excursions every day including trips to Florence, Sienna and local Tuscan towns.

There will also be time to relax and un-wind perhaps taking a dip in the hotel’s heated swimming pool.

Directors Debbie & Dave Jepson are in Tuscany at the moment and say it would be criminal to have empty spaces for such a fantastic tour.

Makin’ Tracks is a small family run business offering a carefully selected programme of overseas tours.

All the holidays are created with wheelchair users in mind and are designed to really explore and get the feel of destinations.  Groups are kept small as they believe this is the optimum balance to ensure suitable facilities, an enjoyable atmosphere, and exceptional personal service.

Dave and Debbie are convinced that you will witness more with them in a week than with any other tour, yet the pace will always be set to suit you.

For all the holidays Dave uses their own accessible mini bus to provide inspirational programmes of enlightening days out.

Accessibility issues are carefully researched and imaginatively tackled to enable maximum discovery with minimum frustration.

Both Debbie and Dave are passionate about exploring our world, delving into its history and culture and encouraging others to do the same.  Debbie has a degree in Travel and Tourism and, amongst other things, has spent 20 years escorting groups on holidays.  Dave was the Overseas Tour Manager for the Winged Fellowship Trust (now known as Vitalise) for more than 10 years and his incredibly detailed knowledge of European cities from a wheelchair user’s perspective is second to none.

You can forget about worries over accessibility, and just get on with discovering amazing sights, confident in the knowledge that you are in the hands of people who really know their way around

For more information about Makin’ Tracks visit their website, http://www.makintracks.org/, or telephone 01766 522457

Helen Sadler Director of Case Senior Ltd

Changes to Home Care Inspections

The Guardian recently ran an article where Philip King of the CQC explained the new programme of inspections due to be rolled out for home care across the UK.

He illustrated the practical difficulties of inspecting home care, including the fact that the carer may well be providing care of a higher standard than normal if they have an inspector watching their every move.

Equally, the presence of an inspector can be upsetting to the elderly or vulnerable.

In the new programme, the CQC will contact the elderly and their families through questionnaires, phone calls and interviews.

There will be 250 spot checks on the carers and their managers which will have been prearranged with the person receiving the care.

The CQC will look at care plans, training records etc and will consult with local care groups about care in the region, before publishing reports on the home care agency as well as a national summary of its findings across the UK.

The CQC certainly need to be seen to do something. Recent events both in home care and care homes have illustrated some real shortcomings and with the recent resignation of head of CQC Cynthia Bower, all eyes are on what the CQC intends to do to improve its performance.

Any improvements to inspections are positive, but the question remains, is it enough?

Linda Clements

The team at Care UK’s Darlington Court nursing home is this week starting a nationally accredited programme of training and evaluation to gain the country’s highest recognition of end of life care.

The Gold Standard Framework Care Home Accreditation (GSFCH), approved by the NHS, Department of Health,  Age UK and Macmillan Cancer Support, is designed to acknowledge the highest levels of end of life care and encourages choice and dignity for the patient as well as sensitive and effective support for relatives.

The GSFCH training programme is a three-stage quality assurance programme that includes training for all staff in the home and stringent monitoring, documentation and evaluation to ensure standards are kept at the very highest level. The home is then inspected to ensure all the techniques are fully embedded and that homes employees are consistently following the guidelines.

As well as training in pain management, palliative nursing, and counselling, the team will work with GPs at the Coppice surgery in Herne Lane, Rustington, St Barnabas Hospice and palliative care nurses to ensure medical provision is of the highest standard.

Home Manager Linda Clements said: “It is an incredibly sensitive time for people and we want to ensure that our residents have genuine choices and are in a relaxed and comfortable environment. We also want to ensure that the support we give to relatives, both before and after a death, is the best possible.”

Darlington Court, in the Leas, is home to 60 people. It offers nursing care for frail older people, including those with physical disabilities, and, in a separate unit, for older people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other related illnesses.

Colten Care’s £8 million St Catherines View nursing home offers the latest in specialist care facilities to support and enable people living with the condition.

The ethos of the 56-bed home is to retain practical life skills and independence for as long as possible through shared daily activities in dedicated house groups of up to 15 residents.

They will benefit from imaginative use of colour, texture and themed rooms offering a variety of activities to stimulate memory work and social interaction.

Easy access to secure, carefully landscaped grounds will enable residents to enjoy the health benefits of being outdoors. There is a wildlife garden, bat house, sensory gardens, a swing and a bright red tractor as a prominent focal point.

The home, in Stanmore Lane, will employ 80 members of staff, all of whom will complete Colten Care’s own accredited training programme endorsed by Bournemouth University.

Colten Care already has two specialist dementia care homes which have achieved the status of Practice Development Unit, a badge of professional excellence in clinical governance.

Fernhill and The Aldbury in Dorset are the first privately-run dementia care homes in the UK to have achieved the status.

The opening of St Catherines View comes as the Alzheimers Society estimates there are around 800,000 people in England living with dementia. The costs to society are estimated at £23 billion a year.

As we live longer, the numbers of people living with the condition are set to rise. It is predicted that one in three people over the age of 65 will develop some form of dementia*.

In March 2012, the government announced a major new drive to improve dementia care in the UK. Steps include a doubling of research funds, earlier diagnosis and greater awareness-raising.

The Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Barry Lipscomb, will officially open the home at 12 noon on Wednesday, 9^th May.

• www.coltencare.co.uk

* Alzheimer’s Society Dementia 2012 Report - http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/download_info.php?fileID=1389

The free event is dedicated to helping your care home and is to be held at Aintree Racecourse on Tuesday 19^th June.

The show’s informative seminar programme hosts sessions by a diverse range of experts from across the sector. From Care Quality Commission regulations, through to nutrition and social care, each session is packed with useful and up-to-date information to enhance your care home. A particular focus within the programme will be an invigorating workshop hosted by Tony Duke from ReVitalyz. This dynamic session will inspire and excite and is packed full of activities tips and advice.

Whilst at Care Roadshow Liverpool you will also have the opportunity to network with industry peers, experts and suppliers in a vibrant environment. It is a fantastic opportunity to peruse the best that the care sector has to offer and to discover new products from the likes of SHEilds Vocational Training, Access 21 Interiors, The Consortium Care and NHC Technology.

Commenting on a previous Care Roadshow Jo Smith, A1 Training Services stated “The Roadshow exceeded my expectations and the venue, seminar, exhibitors, food and information were very interesting and relevant. It was a great day!”

Care Roadshow Liverpool is to be held at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool on Tuesday 19^th June 2012. For more information or to register for your free ticket please visit http://www.careroadshows.co.uk/liverpool.htm or call Broadway Events on 01425 838393.

Ben Nevis, Gaelic for ‘mountain of heaven’, stands at 4,409 feet above sea level and in clear weather offers one of Scotland’s most breathtaking views. Philippa Moorse and Amanda Milburn, who both live in Harrogate, will be seeking to conquer the peak later this month and have so far raised £1,000 for the charity. This brings the total raised by all those taking part in the challenge to a fantastic £28,000.

Philippa Moorse, who is the Home Care Manager at Carefound, said:

“We decided to take part in this event because in helping elderly people remain in the comfort for their own homes we see the impact of dementia every day. It is a condition that can present huge challenges to individuals and their families, particularly when appropriate support is not available. Raising awareness and improving understanding will be a key part of helping people with dementia live longer and happier lives in their own homes in the future and it is great to be able to support Alzheimer’s Society in this way.”

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Society, said:

“We are delighted that Philippa and Amanda are giving their time to support Alzheimer’s Society. One in three people over 65 will die with dementia. It is more than just memory loss; it robs people of their lives and has a devastating impact on families and loved ones. As a charity, we rely on the generosity of individuals like Philippa and Amanda to help us continue our vital work. Please back their fundraising efforts so that Alzheimer’s Society can continue leading the fight against dementia.”

The Ben Nevis challenge will coincide with Dementia Awareness Week 2012 – Remember the Person, which is Alzheimer’s Society flagship awareness-raising campaign taking place from 20-26 May.

To learn more about the Ben Nevis Challenge or dementia do not hesitate to contact the Carefound offices on 01423 774070 or visit their website at www.carefound.co.uk.

Prince’s Trust initiative launched at care homes

Twelve young people are being given an insight into a career in care as part of a new initiative by The Prince’s Trust and leading care provider Balhousie Care Group.

The group of 18 to 25-year-olds have signed up to Get Into Care, a six-week course that includes an introduction into all aspects of care with accredited learning, as well as work placements at several of Balhousie’s 24 care homes across Scotland.

As well as learning about the Care Standards, looking after residents and their personal needs, the students will also be taught how to write an effective CV, present themselves at an interview and other life skills.

Balhousie Care Group has financially supported the scheme and also guaranteed each of the 12 students – who are from Dundee, Blairgowrie and Perth – an interview for a care assistant’s position when the course finishes in June.

The project is the latest in the Get Into… courses run by The Prince’s Trust, which offers practical and financial support to needy young people and helps them to develop key skills, confidence and motivation that enable them to move into work, education or training.

Other similar courses have included Get Into Retail, Cooking and Cars.

Tricia Stewart, Director of HR at Balhousie Care Group, said: “We are delighted to have launched Get Into Care with The Prince’s Trust, which will offer the 12 young people a real insight into care as a career as well as giving them the opportunity to experience work as a carer in some of our homes.

“We strongly believe working in the care sector is a vocation rather than simply a job and we want to offer local young people the opportunity to see if care is for them.

“Most of the students came to The Prince’s Trust through the Job Centre. As well as attending two taster sessions to determine their suitability before the course started, they also had the chance to meet some of our residents to chat to them about care from the resident’s perspective.

“We have guaranteed each of them an interview for a permanent post at the end of the six weeks and we hope those who decide care is for them and who meet the standards required of our employees will go on to become fully fledged members of our team.”

The Prince’s Trust students will be based at Balhousie Care Group’s headquarters in Perth before being deployed to homes including Luncarty, North Inch/North Grove in Perth, Antiquary and Monkbarns in Arbroath, Moyness in Broughty Ferry and Auchterarder.

The partnership stemmed from a meeting between Balhousie Care Group’s chairman, entrepreneur Tony Banks, and The Prince’s Trust.

The students are due to graduate on June 1.

Heather Gray, Director of The Prince’s Trust Scotland added: “Get into Care is set to be another successful programme, providing young people with a real taster of a career within the industry.

“To be working with the Balhousie Care Group makes this a very exciting time for The Prince’s Trust.  I know that by working in partnership and combining our expertise we will be providing Perth and Tayside’s young people with an incredible training and development opportunity, leading to sustainable employment for the future.”

Funding from The Wood Family Trust has enabled The Prince’s Trust to establish this programme in Perth, helping to reach some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged young people.

Balhousie Care Group now cares for more than 860 residents in 24 homes across Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee and Perthshire. New homes have opened in Coupar Angus and Dundee, with major extensions built at Auchterarder and Rumbling Bridge and a replacement for Monkbarns in Arbroath. A further two homes are currently being built at Huntly and St Ronan’s, Dundee, taking the total capacity to around 1,100 residents.

Brookside caters for all levels of physical ability from the fully able to the very frail and provides specialist health, care and support services for older people with dementia. It offers a home, for as long as a resident’s social care and health needs can be supported in that environment, by providing facilities which transcend disability backed up with flexible services which can be adapted to meet individual need.

Designed by Pozzoni Architects who specialise in designing for older people, along dementia principles, Brookside includes a fitness suite, beauty salon, day care centre, library/IT room, multi-purpose/cinema room, treatment rooms, music room and offices for NHS Central Lancashire.

The landscaping and gardens are also designed along dementia principles and reinforce the essential link between building and landscape and the therapeutic effects of well considered dementia design.

An open day, held on 20^th April, saw a stream of potential residents viewing the scheme.  For further information please visit www.brooksideliving.co.uk

www.pozzoni.co.uk

www.brooksideliving.co.uk

Recycle your laptops

If you want to reduce your residents feeling of isolation and cut the costs of computing by thousands of pounds, the answer could well lay in the simplicity HOMEKEY.

Launched yesterday, the HOMEKEY is a memory stick which transforms PC’s for less than £70, making them so easy to use that the system can justifiably claim to be revolutionary.

The HOMEKEY is aimed at people of all ages in the UK who have never used a computer or have given up trying. They find conventional software too complicated and computers too expensive. The HOMEKEY overcomes both of these obstacles.

Simplicity computers have loaded a USB key with their own easy to use software, the simplicity ENVELOPE, and built-in video tutorials presented by Valerie Singleton. http://www.simplicitycomputers.co.uk

What makes the development of the HOMEKEY so unusual is that it has been designed specifically to be used in just about any existing PC. If you have computers that you’re thinking of throwing out – don’t. The HOMEKEY can give them a second life.

Residents can benefit in a number of ways. They can each have their own key, which they can plug into a communal computer giving them in effect their own computer. This will help reduce feelings of isolation as they can easily get in contact with relatives and friends by email or skype. The HOMEKEY allows their private data to be stored on their own key and data stored on the HOMEKEY is not vulnerable to attack from virus or spyware.

For care homes the benefits of the HOMEKEY are potentially massive. The software is so easy to use that the amount of time support staff will have to spend with residents will be small. Care homes can also recycle the machines they would otherwise throw away which both can benefit the resident and the care homes coffers.

Retailing at £69.95 the simple to use software combined with recycled machines can cut the price of a computer dramatically.

Homes where the simplicity software is already being used are amazed at how quickly their residents are signing up to use the communal computers. They are already reporting that the residents love the software and the ease with which they can use the internet. As one resident says, ‘being able to use the computer has given us all a new interest and something to talk about’.

For more information call simplicity computers on 0800 028 0417.