February 2010

no.165 • £4.75

In association with

By Dominic Musgrave

‘GOOD’ and ‘excellent’ care homeswill close in a Devon seaside resortunless the council increases its fees,it has been claimed.

And Clare Hunter, director and oneof the founders of the Torbay QualityCare Forum, says the town’s CareTrust spends £44-a-week per personbelow the average spent in otherparts of the South West.

She told Caring UK the residentialcare sector is one of the largestemployers in the region, with morethan 80 per cent of fee income spenton wages and other locally sourcedproducts and services.

Clare, who runs two homes inTorquay, added: “We are mostconcerned that this will impact onresident care as homes cannot affordto meet the standards demanded byCQC, the Trust’s own requirements,and indeed the reasonableexpectations of every counciltaxpayer in the area. A care home’soperating costs are closely linked toinflation, with around two thirdsbeing wages and these driven bygovernment determined minimumwage increases. Other costs,

including energy, water, food andrepairs are closely linked to inflation,if not above average inflation inmany cases.”

And she warned this could have anadverse affect on the quality of carebeing provided. Clare added: “It isvery difficult, if not impossible, toeconomise on items withoutcompromising on standards and thatcan only have one result – a declinein the quality of resident care. Thereis a serious risk of ‘good’ and ‘excell-ent’ rated homes closing. A loss ofsupply now will mean shortages andhigher prices in the future.”

Owners of a care home that washeavily criticised in a BBCdocumentary have met with officialsto discuss some of the findings.

Torbay Care Trust representativesmet with representatives from ADLCare owned Woodland House inTorquay to discuss some of the‘below acceptable standards’ in thedocumentary ‘Can Gerry RobinsonFix Dementia?

A trust spokesman said a memberof its staff had been allocated to thecare home after Gerry aired concernsabout the type of care provided forthe 30 dementia patients.

‘Excellent’homes putin jeopardy

Television celebrity Tommy Walsh officially opened a£2m extension at a Kent nursing home.The former Ground Force favourite cut the ribbon onthe new extension and refurbishment at CanfordHealthcare’s Barty House, which will provide anadditional 27 en suite bedrooms and potentiallycreate an additional 60 jobs.

Snow failsto keepchef fromher kitchenTHE wintry weatherproved no obstruction toa chef at a West Yorkshirecare home.

Louisa Pickles, whoworks in the kitchens atAbbeyfield ResidentialHome in Ilkley, ranthrough seven miles ofdeep snow to cook up atasty lunch for residents.

The 29-year-old usuallytakes a bus to work, butthe service ran intodifficulties followingheavy snowfall, and shewas forced to abandonher attempts to take thecar after getting intodifficulties on a steep hill.

But Louisa, a memberof a local running club,made the decision todash home and changeinto her running gearbefore setting off at asteady pace.

She said: “I needed toget to work because Iknew that they had nocover for that day. Myboss was away on holidayand the other cook hadthe day off so there wasnothing for it but to runto work.”For more about the wintryconditions turn to Page 12

incorporating

The Number One magazine for the care sector

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3CARINGNEWS

AdvertisingSales and Marketing Director:Tony BarrySales Manager:Jackie BrookTel: 01226 734479 Email: jb@whpl.net

National Sales Executives:Mandy EdwardsTel: 01226 734333 Email: mandye@caring-uk.co.ukFax: 01226 734477Rebecca Hazell Tel: 01226 734 685 Email: rh@whpl.net

PublishersWharncliffe Publishing Ltd.47 Church Street, Barnsley, SouthYorkshire S70 2AS.Email: info@caring-uk.co.uk

EditorialGroup Editor:Andrew Harrod Tel: 01226 734639 Fax: 01226 734478

Healthcare Editor:Dominic MusgraveTel: 01226 734407

Reporters:Christina EcclesMary FergusonLouise Cordell

Group Deputy Editor:Judith HalkerstonTel: 01226 734458

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

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Optimism in failing home’s futureBy Dominic Musgrave

THE management company put incharge of a failing Norfolk care home saythey are confident they can turn its for-tunes around.

Healthcare Management Solutionswere put in charge of Brunswick Housein North Walsham by receiver Tenonafter its owner Nightingale Healthcarewent into administration on October 30.

The county council has stopped mak-ing placements to the home, which isregistered for 75, after it was given a‘poor’ rating by the CQC in September.

Kevin Groombridge, director ofHealthcare Management Solutions, saidthe main problems at the home centredaround recruiting and retaining staff.

He added: “The home had significantproblems with staffing, mainly due to itsreputation in the local area, but sincetaking over we have completely reorgan-

ised it and have improved conditions toattract people. We are confident the resi-dents are safe and can move the homeforward, and informal reports that wehave had from the inspectorate andsocial services are positive

“We know there is some way to go, andthe next stage is to put a refurbishmentprogramme in place because the homeneeds some work doing to it. A newbuyer is being sought, but I cannot see ithappening in the next six months.

The inspector also found residents“bored to tears” due to the lack of activi-ties offered, there was no hot food avail-able for evening meals, and companieswhich maintained hoists and pressure-relieving mattresses had suspended ser-vices due to outstanding invoices.

In response Norfolk County Councilstopped placing residents at the homeon November 4. It had placed 29 peoplethere since January 1 2008, six of whom

were there for short-term respite care.James Bullion, assistant director of

community care at Norfolk CountyCouncil, said: “Although we have no cur-rent identified concerns about the safetyof the residents, we will not be makingany new placements with BrunswickHouse at this time as a precaution.

“This decision is in line with our policyof suspending new referrals to poor per-forming providers. We would lift the banon placements when the CQC found it tobe anything above poor.”

A spokesman for the CQC said theresults of an inspection carried out inDecember are due in the near future. Headded: “The home will receive a ratingfrom the latest inspection. 'At a meeting,which took place in December, CQCestablished the number of staff had beenincreased. CQC will continue to monitorthis home and take action should it befound that any action is at all required.”

Care homes group boss Tony Banks will returnto Liverpool for the next series of ChannelFour's Secret Millionaire.In the last series the former paratrooper, whois estimated to be worth £50m, was pulled outof the rundown Anfield estate where he was staying early when violence flared and he wastargeted by yobs.The entrepreneur, who runs the BalhousieGroup in Scotland, was the first SecretMillionaire forced to move for safety reasons,and described the ordeal as being ’like Beirut’.After spending a week undercover, theFalklands veteran donated £126,000 to thearea on his visit, to numerous charities andindividuals in one of the city's poorest areas.

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CARINGNEWS

By Louise Cordell

AN under-fire care home inScotland has been told that itsdoors can stay open for now.

A closure notice was beingsought for Whim Hall, nearPeebles after inspectors found noprogress to have been made onfaults identified by the CareCommission in June.

The home’s owners, GuardianCare, who operate five otherhomes in the Borders,immediately drafted in aspecialist management team tosteer through majorimprovements and a new actionplan to improve care for thehome’s 29 residents.

Cleethorpes Care and NursingLtd now oversee the day-to-dayrunning of the home and they'vebrought in five more healthcareassistants to boost staffing whileits managers will be in the homedaily to introduce new systemsand staff training.

And the Care Commission haswritten to Guardian saying it issatisfied that improvements areprogressing well enough for thehome to remain open, and that it

is no longer proceeding with amove to cancel the registration ofthe care service.

Managing director GaryHartland apologised to residentsand their families for the failingsat Whim Hall and promised torectify them quickly.

He said: “We are pleased that theCare Commission is satisfied withthe progress we are making and Iknow that residents, their relativesand our staff will be relieved thatWhim Hall will remain open.

“We know that there is still morethat we must do and we areworking closely with thecommission to make sure that allof the improvements needed aremade for the benefit of ourresidents.”

An improvement notice for thehome continues in place whilethe commission continues tomonitor progress there.

Guardian has pledged to makesure that Whim Hall is 100 percent committed to the changes itneeds to make, mainly inimproving staff training andmaking sure that paperwork is ofa high standard.

Whim Hall, near Peebles

Under-threathome to stayopen for now

Tory minister tells residentsabout new party policyA SENIOR Tory visited an Essex carehome to talk to residents about hisparty’s new policy.

Shadow health minister MikePenning listened to their experiencesat Godden Lodge in Benfleet.

The Conservatives want to reform the current law, which forcesanyone with assets of more than£23,000 to pay for their own carehome fees.

They want to create a voluntaryinsurance scheme which would allow

people to pay £8,000 at any point intheir lives and know their fees will betaken care of.

Rebecca Harris, the Conservative’sparliamentary candidate for CastlePoint, who accompanied the shadowminister on his visit, said: “Thisscheme would lift a major worryfrom older people and their families,especially in Castle Point, wheremore people own their own homesthan almost anywhere in thecountry.”

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5CARINGNEWS

A SENIOR carer who held her wed-ding reception at the home whereshe works has been honoured for herlong service.

Jan Paul was presented with a bou-quet of flowers by staff and residentsher for 20 years at Hampden Housein Harrogate, which can cater for 66residents.

She says she has seen a lot ofchanges at the Elizabeth Finn Carecharity owned home over the years,and met her husband there when heworked as a chef.

Jan added: “The residents were partof our special day back in April 1991.They are such a big part of our livesthat we decided to bring the recep-tion to them, and they got involvedin the meals and ate at the reception.

“When I first came here I certainlydidn’t expect to stay for this long as Ihadn’t been in any of my previousjobs for more than three-and-a-halfyears.

“Fingers crossed I will be here untilI retire in 15 or so years’ time becauseI love the atmosphere here and liketo help people. The company alwaysmakes sure we have up to dateequipment as well to ensure we cando our jobs properly, and we are justabout to start the second majorrefurbishment that I have beeninvolved with. ”

Her husband left several years agoto take up a manager’s post at anoth-

er home, with Jan taking charge ofthe night shift.

She added: “I mainly deal with themedications and seeing to the resi-dents throughout the night, as well asaccompanying them to hospital ifnecessary.

“I particularly enjoy working theseshifts because there is little going onso you have time to sit down withresidents and talk to them about anyworries they may have. Sorting themout when I can makes it all worth-while.

“They are long shifts, around 11-and-a-half-hours, and I do six in arow because the residents like theroutine and who is going to be on.”

Hampden House care home managerLynda Cooper and Jan Paul

Honour for Janwho spent bigday at home

STAFF and residents at a Leicestercare home rolled out the red carpetfor a VIP visit.

The high commissioner of IndiaNalin Surie and his wife Poonamdropped into Asra House, a residen-tial care home for people with anAsian lifestyle in Belgrave, to see firsthand the benefits of a home whichcaters specifically for the religious,social and cultural needs of older res-idents. He was joined by local coun-cillors as part of a tour of the city.

Nalin said: “The home is an excel-lent example of what can be achievedwhen an organisation is committedto developing homes and servicestailored to meeting the specific needsof a culturally diverse group of olderAsian people.”

The facility, which is run by AsraMidlands, a subsidiary of theSanctuary Group, is home to 38 peo-ple in self-contained flats who haveaccess to a range of culturally appro-priate services and activities.

Resident Ramkunver Bhogaita presents a garland to high commissioner of India NalinSurie and his wife Poonam.

VIP visitors at Belgrave home

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7CARINGNEWS

By Dominic Musgrave

THE manager of a Barnsley carehome says teamwork is the main rea-son why it went from a ‘poor’ ratingto a ‘good’ at its last inspection.

When Chris Nicholson took overWilloughby House at the end of July,the home had been banned fromnew admissions and morale was lowamong the 21 staff.

He told Caring UK the first thing hedid was to get them on his side andgo back to basics.

Chris added: “The managementand administration side of thingswere in a bad way, with care plansand rotas very dated. The poor ratingwasn’t the staff’s fault because theywere providing good care, so therewas no need for me to crack the whipbut instead work with them.

“After a couple of days I think theyrealised I knew what I was talkingabout. I outlined my plans and toldthem what I expected at a staff meet-ing, and they responded well becausethere had been no leadership here forso long.”

The Flagswan Two Ltd owned

home, which has 30 beds, can nowaccept new admissions, and has alsoreceived a five-star rating for foodhygiene from the local council’sScores on the Doors scheme.

Chris added: “I expected animprovement in the inspection, butto get the two-star rating felt verygood. We had a lot of requirementsfrom the previous inspection, andshe could tell we had an action planin place. Some of the staff had had notraining so we have bombarded themwith it, and they are now asking for it– everybody from the cleaner to thekitchen staff.

“The whole atmosphere of thehome has changed, and we have putan open door policy in place. Theresidents and their relatives are a lothappier and, judging by the laughingand talking, the staff are as well,which is nice to hear.”

Chris says the challenge now is toincrease occupancy and gain an‘excellent’ rating in the next inspec-tion. A refurbishment programme ofthe residents’ bedrooms is in thepipeline, with a further extensionplan also being considered.

Improvementsput down toteamwork

A former professional footballer hascelebrated his 106th birthday at aScottish care home. Residents, staffand family of Sam Latter, who isbelieved to be the country's oldestman, held a party at Strachan House,where he has lived for the past 10years.The son of a Glasgow tailor, Sam spenttime as an armourer in the RAF beforesigning for Third Lanark between 1929and 1931 for £25.

The home’s manager Fiona Moncursaid all the staff are very fond of him.She added: “Up until very recentlySam was very active, however he stillenjoys life and watching from his win-dow the golfers on the home's puttinggreen and debating the daily newswith the team of physiotherapists whokeep him going. Sam is a real sunworshipper and at every opportunitycan be found in the conservatory orpatio area soaking up the rays.”

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CARINGNEWS8

Call for morehomes toaccept petsBy Dominic Musgrave

ELDERLY residents in care homesshould be allowed to keep their pets,it has been claimed.

Eastbourne and Willingdon MPNigel Waterson has launched a Billaimed at increasing the number ofcare homes and sheltered housingwhich allow pets to live with theirowners.

He told Caring UK the transfer ofelderly people to care homes resultsin 38,000 pets being put down everyyear because there is no otheroption, with a further 100,000 havingto be given up and put in rescuecentres.

Nigel added: “This is totallyunacceptable in a civilised country.Many other countries, such as Franceor the USA have laws aimed atallowing people to keep their belovedpets.

“Enlightened councils in the UK,such as Wandsworth, have shownhow positive policies can easily bebrought in and have great benefits.”

“Moving to a care home orsheltered housing is a big upheavaland is stressful at the best of times. Itis only fair we try to stop a practicethat just adds needless trauma to theprocess.”

The shadow minister for olderpeople says he has long supportedmoves to encourage care homes andsheltered accommodation to be moreflexible with their pets’ policy.

He added: “A nationwide policy on

pets in homes would help lift aburden from many older peopleconsidering their future.”

“Additionally, pets are an importantsource of physical, emotional andsocial support. They have provenhealth benefits for older people andcan improve cardiovascular andmental health.

“They are also a great antidote toloneliness, which can afflict so manyolder people.”

His bill has had cross-party supportfrom MPs.� Do you allow residents at yourhome to keep pets? Let DominicMusgrave know by emailingdm@whpl.net or ring 01226 734407.

Nigel WatersonTelevision personality Stephen Fry delighted residents and staff at a south London carehome when he dropped in on their Chanukah celebrations.The QI presenter was invited by a friend of Nightingale, cartoonist and jazz musicanBarry Fantoni, whose late mother was a resident at the home.He entertained the residents and also also spoke about his recent appearance on thegenealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?, tracing his family tree to discover hisSlovak Jewish ancestry, many of whom perished in Auschwitz.Picture: Stephen Fry chats with resident Rosalie Naydorf

Young artists bringinghome’s corridors to lifeBy Louise Cordell

THE corridors of a Scarboroughnursing home are being brightenedup by talented young artists.

Activities organiser at Dunollie,Sally Jones, contacted the town'scollege and asked the students toshowcase their skills after theresidents complained that the wallswere boring.

A group visited along with theirteacher to get some ideas from theresidents of what they would like tosee, and have been attending thehome for a couple of hours eachweek to bring them to life.

Sally said: “At first the residents saidthey would like to do something onthe walls themselves, but that is notreally possible with the illnesses thata lot of them have, so we got in touchwith the college instead.

“Some of the ideas the residents

came up with were colourful imagesof people, a landscape scene and arealistic bookcase.

“The students have been able tochat to residents, which they have allreally enjoyed too.”

Sally says the mural is expected totake around two months tocomplete, and once finished they arethinking about doing something onanother of the home's corridors.

Plans are also in place to name thewings of the home to give them anidentity.

She added: “The residents are overthe moon with what the studentshave done so far, and if all goes wellwe will probably look at doingsomething else later in the year.

“Some of them might also likesomething to brighten up theirbedrooms, which is also apossibility.”

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CARINGNEWS10

Home reopensafter £50krefurbishmentBy Dominic Musgrave

A WEST Yorkshire care home hasreopened its doors after being closedfor a major refurbishment costingmore than £50,000.

The whole interior of Eldercare’sHolme Dene in Halifax has beendecorated, while a new sprinklersystem was also installed.

Manager Liz Smith said the homewas shut for two months, with the 15residents and 23 staff moving tovarious other sites the companyowns in the area.

She added: “The home was lookingpretty outdated and in need of a totalupgrade. Due to health and safety wecouldn’t leave it open so we took thedecision to move everybody out for afew weeks.

“Some of the residents wereunderstandably a bit unhappy abouthaving to move out because this istheir home, but I think they haveenjoyed it in some ways, particularlyseeing how other places work andmeeting new people.

“They had a member of staff withthem at their new surroundings, and

I think were glad to come back.”She said the change of scenery has

also been beneficial for the staff, whohave seen new ways of working.

Liz added: “It was interesting for thestaff to work in other homes, andlearn new ideas and techniques.

“I know I have come back with afew ideas in relation to how to runshifts and filling out care plans. Ithink we have previously spent toomuch time filling out documents,and with a few tweaks the staff arenow spending more time with theresidents.

“We are also looking to getting adesignated activities co-ordinator atthe home. The staff have always ledon this sort of the thing and havecome in in their spare time to takethe residents out on trips and to theshops. But the home where I workedhad one who worked 25 hours a weekand was brilliant, so we will look torecruiting for one here.”

� Are you undergoing anyrefurbishment at your care home? LetDominic Musgrave know by ringing01226 734407 or email dm@whpl.net

Bishop of Taunton Peter Maurice visited Calway House care home to meet residents andstaff from across the Somerset Care group.During his visit he joined in a residents’ activity session where a Nintendo Wii andSkype computer were in use, and had a tour of the home where he met residents. Hethen enjoyed a cream tea with directors, managers and staff.Picture: The bishop of Taunton uses a Skype computer with resident Audrey Collins

Healthy meals earn award for homeA LOCAL authority run residentialcare home has won an award for itscommitment to providing healthymeals.

Staff at Park View in Warwick weregiven a ‘Heartbeat Award’ by thedistrict council in recognition of itscommitment to meeting the dietaryneeds of older people and forproviding good standards of hygiene.

The facility has been taking part inthe county council’s Focus onMealtimes project which is all aboutmaking mealtimes for residents the

highlight of the day by improvingnutritional care, general wellbeingand people’s quality of life.

Manager Annis Tombs said: “Ourcatering team have worked very hardwith our residents and customers toachieve this excellent award.

“Our involvement in ‘Focus onMealtimes’ is about meetingresidents’ wishes and choices, whileat the same time considering thedietary and nutritional needs of olderpeople.”

Park View is the first county councilcare home to receive the award.

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CARINGNEWS12

THE Caring UK newsdesk has been inundatedwith stories of care home and domiciliary careworkers who have gone the extra mile tocontinue to provide a service.

Many have had to walk their daily roundsrather than driving to ensure people receive thevital care they need during the treacherousconditions.

Trish Hopwood, home care manager forAberdeenshire Council’s team of carers inSouth Aberdeenshire,said community spirit hasbeen alive and well in the region.

She added: “Carers have been trying their bestto get out to clients with many getting stuck intheir cars in the process but we’ve had RoyalMail postal staff as well as other council staffclearing the roads helping to dig out our homecarers.

“It’s great to see everyone working together asthe home carers are battling awful conditionsas they try to ensure the most vulnerablepeople in our communities get services andtheir determination is to be commended.”

And at Froxfield Care Home in Wiltshire,manager Hilary Harding said some staff optedto stay for the week rather than attempting toget home.

She added: “We had around six inches ofsnow here, and because most of our staff live inthe surrounding villages many of them hadproblems getting into work.

“Some stayed over, including myself, withseveral others having to leave their cars athome and walk a few miles to get here.

“All of the staff here have been brilliant, andthanks to really good teamwork and a lot ofmulti-tasking we have got through it despitenot having the numbers we usually have.”

May Barker, a resident at a Harrogate carehome also told staff she would love to gooutside and throw a snowball, but due to hersevere disabilities this request requiredthoughtful planning.

Hampden House social events coordinatorDaphne Johnson said: “May threw a snowball,and was taken round the garden laughing withdelight. On her return indoors May said that ithad brought back so many happy memories ofher childhood.

“Following May’s adventure, other residentsrequested trips out into the snow. Our residentsare very much young at heart.”� How have you coped with the wintryweather? Let Dominic Musgrave know byringing 01226 734407 or email dm@whpl.net

Determined care staff have had to battle their way through the heavy snow and ice tocontinue to look after the elderly. Dominic Musgrave reports.

Froxfield manager Hilary Harding and her grandsonDrew with the snowman they built in the grounds

May Barker

Carers battle throughtreacherous weather

RESIDENTS had to be moved froma Cheshire care home after burstpipes caused part of the ceiling tocollapse and affected the heating.

The 39 residents at HoughtonHall in Orford were moved bypatient transport ambulances to award at Halton General Hospital inRuncorn after freezingtemperatures caused a main waterpipe to burst in the ceiling.

The facility is managed byWarrington and Halton HospitalsNHS Foundation Trust and

provides care for patients whohave been treated in hospital andwho are receiving some finalsupport before going home.

Simon Wright, director ofoperations at Warrington Hospital,said: “We managed to quicklyarrange for the ward at Halton tofully open and take the majority ofthe residents from Houghton Hallso we could get them movedquickly from the unit.

“We’re already looking atalternative accommodation closer

to Warrington for the longer termif the unit is going to be out ofaction for a while.”

“The staff at Houghton Hallhandled the incident incrediblyprofessionally and smoothly, andwe were able to move everyonequickly to the main dining areaand out of any potential danger.”

Although the damage to theceiling was not extensive, theheating system was affected so allresidents were moved given thelow temperatures.

The fire service worked with staffto assess the damage and NorthWest Ambulance Service wasresponsible for moving thepatients.

Houghton Hall is a formernursing home that was convertedand reopened in December 2008.

It is managed and run by thehospital trust in partnership withthe Community Services Unit ofNHS Warrington and Warringtonborough council.

Residents moved after main water pipe bursts

Residents’ panto proves a hitRESIDENTS at an Essex care homeput on their own pantomime forrelatives.

Treetops Care Home put on their own version of Little Red Riding Hood adapted byactivities co-ordinators VictoriaRobertson and Christine Ball, whichsaw members of the home dressingup in colourful costumes for theperformance.

The event continued with further

performances from the Epping Forest Brass Band, the Theydon Bois Singers and the musical duo TooHot.

Deputy manager Linda Lawrencesaid: “The production involved a lotof hard work but the response fromfamilies and friends made it all worthwhile.”

The home has also recently jumpedfrom a ‘poor’ rating to ‘good’ at itsmost recent CQC inspection.

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13 Courtney Thorne 19/1/10 12:36 Page 1

CARINGLAUNDRY14

LAUNDRY is a key issue for more than 60 percent of care homes and residents, as theirclothes are the most important personalbelongings they bring.

The process of tracking, identifying andreturning individual items to the right residentpresents a major problem to the vast majorityof facilities as conventional nametags are oftenlost or obliterated over short time periods dueto the laundry process and detergents.

Retriever is a revolutionary and easy to usesolution which immediately identifiesgarments. Smart buttons are attached to eachgarment (and laundry bags, for smaller items)and scanned by a hand held reader to provide

instant details of who the garment belongs toand their room number.

It also provides detailed report functionality,allowing to search by resident, room and date,and produces inventories of residents’possessions.

The data is available immediately. Retriever promotes good standards of

hygiene, eliminates lost laundry and givescomplete control over the laundry process. Useof water and electricity is also more efficient.

It is cost effective, time efficient and easy touse, and ultimately frees up more time for staffto provide care, ensuring that dignity returns tothe resident.

Make on-sitelaundry assimple aspossiblePHS LAUNDRYSERV has launched a unique, all-inclusiveservice designed to making running an on-site laundry assimple as possible.

Complete Care provides all the equipment, dosingsystems and detergents a laundry needs in one easy tobudget for, all-inclusive monthly price.

Traditionally, laundry managers have used one supplierfor their commercial laundry equipment and another tosupply their detergents and dosing system.

Managing director Lynne Vanes said the new service willchange traditions.

She added: “We believe Complete Care is a uniqueoffering, and by ensuring there are no hidden costs orsurprise bills, and that all the equipment and detergentcosts are included in a single monthly cost, we can makelaundry budgeting simple.”

Complete Care offers complete flexibility, allowing it tobe tailored to any laundry requirement and any washersize. It can include Miele or Primus washers, dryers orironers in any quantity and any combination.

It also includes the installation of a reliable and accuratedetergent dosing system, as well as all maintenance andany repairs for the lifetime of all the equipment. With allthe detergents, destainers and softeners included,Laundryserv has also removed the hassle of having tocontinually place repeat orders by delivering thequantities of each your laundry needs automatically eachmonth.

Retriever solves laundry issues

FOLLOWING the success of its Huebsch Twinstar, ArmstrongCommercial Laundry Systems has launched the new SuperTwinstar.

The machine provides to dryers in the footprint of one,which means you have two 421 litre dryers in less than 12square feet.

The Super Twinstar is also small enough to go through astandard 36 inch door.

The new machine has all the features of the existingHuebsch Loadstar and Twinstar models, including a fastdrying performance based on axial airflow and sealedcylinder rims to improve drying efficiency and save energy.

Enquiries: Telephone 01635 263410 or emailenquiries@armstrong-laundry.co.uk

Double solution withSuper Twinstar

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15CARINGLAUNDRY

Simple and reusablelabelling methodATTACH-a-Tag is a simple, cost-effec-tive method for labelling clothingand soft objects.

Replicating a button, it attaches inseconds to the garment seam orlaundry label, making it discreet andcomfortable to the wearer.

Attach-a-Tag’s patented design iseasy to attach but difficult to remove,and cannot be taken off by accidentor come off during the laundry

process.

Each tag has the owner’s nameclearly etched, and is guaranteed notto come off in the wash. This com-bined with the unique fixing methodmeans the owner is identified everytime.

Suitable for industrial laundry andiron proof, Attach-a-tag is reusable,making it even more cost effective foryour care home.

Miele has opened a new state-of-the-art, experiential showroom in centralLondon which gives visitors theopportunity to 'try before you buy'.The option is available on a range ofdomestic cooking, cleaning and laundry appliances, to help ensure thechoice suits their lifestyle and aidsthe smooth running of multi-taskinghouseholds.The Miele Gallery London offers ahands-on experience, with a range offully live machines to enable visitorsto try them out as they would be usedat home. Visitors can test a washingmachine programme on a favouritegarment, and even put an award-winning vacuum cleanerthrough its paces to test the agilityand performance power.The centre is hosted by a team ofproduct advisors and home economists.

MIELE Professional has added an 8kg load capacitymachine to its compact commercial laundry appliances.

The Octoplus range offers a larger load capacity whilecontinuing to deliver the excellence in care, stain removal,convenience, energy and cost efficiency for which Miele isknown.

The Octoplus washer-extractor (PW6080) and tumbledryer (PT7186) offer more than 70 washing and 40 dryingchoices. These can be packaged into bespoke programmesupon installation to suit the specific needs of business’laundry care requirements.

Options not activated immediately can be added lateras business demands evolve, and likewise, programmes canbe deactivated if they are no longer needed.

The intelligent machines also offer ‘Flexplus’ - a seriesof five customised wash and drying programmes whichcan be put together from pre-defined options to suit indi-vidual needs.

To ensure ease of use within the business, setting con-trols can be geared to the skill levels of staff.

Enquiries: To find out more visit www.miele-professional.co.uk

New Octoplus from Miele Professional

15 19/1/10 12:38 Page 1

CARINGCARE SHOW16

Exhibitors adddiversity toCare ShowA NUMBER of new exhibitorsare adding to the diversity of the Care ShowBournemouth with a major showcase of products and services forcare homes.

The broad range of newand existing products andservices that will be on showrange from Danfloor UK’santimicrobial flooring toMedi-Technique’s digitalobservation system forremote care observation anddiagnostics.

Events director JonnySullens said: “The recentamount of media attentiongiven to the care of olderpeople has given increasedsignificance to the CareShows.

“If you own or manage acare home, this is a uniqueopportunity for you to getright up to date with what’s

newly available and on themarket.

“It has become a fastmoving sector and visitors to the Care Showssee plenty of innovation and improvements instandards.”

Visitors will also have theopportunity to seedemonstrations fromAidcall’s nursecallcommunication systems,meet representatives from Vision Call, the largest provider ofdomiciliary eye care in theUK, and see an extensiverange of laundry equipmentfrom Girbau.

Furniture, catering,pharmacy services andmobility are just a few of thecare-related productcategories at this year’sevent.

Frank Ursell

CARE sector experts will take to thepodium at the Care Show Bournemouthto give free guidance and advice for carehome operators in a special two-dayprogramme.

Open to all show visitors, the event willtake place in the dedicated SeminarTheatre and will consist of a series of 45-minute sessions which take a look atvarious aspects of managing a facility.

These include ‘The compliance criteriafor care home registration’ with speakerFrank Ursell, CEO of the RegisteredNursing Home Association, and apresentation from Philip Austen fromPartnership, a provider of financialsolutions for people with health

conditions, on ‘Funding long term care’. Paul Marriott of Hays Social Care will

take a fresh look at ‘New recruitmentopportunities in the care sector’, andadvice on catering is at hand with DerekJohnson, national chair of the NationalAssociation of Care Catering, who willdiscuss ‘Managing nutritional care andmeal times’.

Tim Lynch, of sensory garden designspecialists Tim Lynch Associates, will alsoraise the question ‘Is your gardenprofitable?’

The Care Show Bournemouth, which isfor owners and managers of care homes,runs from March 30-31 at the BIC. Entryis free, but registration is required.

Experts support show

16 19/1/10 12:38 Page 1

17CARINGCARE SHOW

AID Call’s new Touchsafe R CP5000and ATX5000 are set to revolutioniseefficiency and safety in the nurse callmarket.

Most nurse call systems displayalarm calls from patients on a centraldisplay panel, possibly some distancefrom the patient’s rooms. Responsetimes can be slow as nurses attend tothe call and then return to the centralscreen to pick up details of their nextalarm call.

Mindful of this, the company hasdeveloped a radical new wirelessnurse call system. The Touchsafe R

range of products address the keysafety and functional issues of cur-rent systems on the market.

The centrally placed CP5000 displaypanel shows location, patient’s nameand attending nurse’s identificationon its high visibility display, whilepermanently logging all information.And the new ATX5000 call points fea-ture an LCD screen which displays a‘next call waiting’ message, enablingstaff to access their next call from thecurrent patient’s room without hav-ing to revisit the central displaypanel.

New systems ‘set to revolutionise’

YTM Furniture will once again be launching a new range at the Care Show inBournemouth at the end of March. Last year proved to be a successful one for the com-pany and, despite the difficult economic climate, YTM have continued to grow.Following on from successful launches of the express range last spring and dementiarange in the autumn, the company will unveil YTM Innovations – a collection of newproducts designed to suit all manner of tastes; from classic, more traditional stylesthrough to the fresh and fashionable designs of today at the event.

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CARINGNEWS18

RESIDENTS of three care homes inGloucestershire are now able to take atrip down memory lane thanks to anew initiative.

The Blanchworth owned care homes,Astley House in Cheltenham, ChurchCourt in Stroud and Breadstone Housenear Berkeley have each redecoratedand furnished a sitting room in thestyle of the 1940s with help fromGloucester Antiques Centre toencourage residents to rekindlememories of when they were younger.

The idea was the brainchild of LindaMcNee, director of nursing at thenationwide care home group, as a wayto enhance the daily lives of residents.

Astley House manager Tony Foxwellsaid most items are authentic, but newdrapes and sofas have had to beordered to comply with modernregulations.

He added: “We are as authentic ashealth and safety legislation will allow,and the room is helping to bring backsometimes long-forgotten but happymemories. In each of the rooms thereare tables, chairs and many items froman era now almost unimaginable for

many people under 60. “There are no televisions, computers

and few of the modern amenities thatmany people regard as standard today.The staff at the antiques centre are nostrangers to researching projects likethis, having previously sourced periodpieces for dramas including the BBC’sCranford.”

General manager Stephen Zacarolisaid they held a private viewingevening for the staff.

He added: “It was a wonderful projectto work on. We were asked to source arange of items from 1940 through to1952, covering most of the SecondWorld War period and beyond, to justbefore the coronation of QueenElizabeth II.

“This was a time of austerity whenevery item in the home would havehad a practical use – and we were ableto provide practically everything.”

“This was an opportunity to bring anera back to life for those who livedthrough it – so we had an excellentreference point to ensure that all of thepieces were in line with theappropriate period.”

Residents takea trip downmemory lane

A Fife care group has presented longservice awards to more than 100members of staff who have been withthe company more than five years.Abbotsford, which has more than 250beds in the region in seven care homes,held a special lunch for it staff, some ofwhom have been with the companysince its inception in 1987.Senior managers Margaret Bridgeford

and Elspeth Steele have been with thecompany all 23 years, while SuzanneDocherty joined while she was still atschool, left to do her nurse training andreturned as a staff nurse in 1993,working to her present position asservice support manager

Pictured: Elspeth Steele, SuzanneDocherty and Margaret Bridgeford.

18 19/1/10 12:39 Page 1

19

Caring UK Commercesection brings you all the latest property,business and trainingnews every month.

In this issue:

� Contractorappointed for multi-million poundscheme

page 20

� Operator aimingfor ten new carehomes in 2010

page 20

� Job losses‘inevitable’ says latest analysis

page 22

Operators urged to actquickly over star ratingsBy Dominic Musgrave

CARE home operators must act quickly ifthey are given a poor star rating and feelthat it is unfair, or risk losing their rightto appeal the decision of the inspec-torate.

Matthew Morton, a solicitor who spe-cialises in star ratings review work withLeeds-based Lee and Priestley, saysmany care home operators are missingthe opportunity to voice their disagree-ment at a rating due to a lack of aware-ness over the short window of appealopen to them.

This leaves many facing a bar to anyreview of the star rating provided, which

could have a potentially disastrous affecton occupancy levels. He said: “The pro-cedure for review is a potential minefieldfor anyone unaware of the time limits,review criteria, and of course the formsthat need to be completed.

“If a complaint is not notified within 28days of the draft inspection report beingissued, the report will be published andcare home operators will be time barredfrom having the star rating reviewed.

“With reviews currently scheduled on abi-annual basis, the consequences forfailing to use the review process properlycan be disastrous.”

Although the system has been general-ly welcomed, many believe the true pic-

ture of a how a home operates and theservices which are offered may not bereflected by the rating provided.

Matthew added: “Consumers are nowincreasingly aware of the published rat-ings, and those homes falling below thetwo-star rating are often ruled out as anoption. But the fact that the outcome ofa report can be made on the basis ofwhat is found on a particular day, andthe inflexible nature of CQC’s rating cri-teria means the system is not withoutflaws. With so much resting on the starrating procedure it’s clearly critical thatthose running care homes get the rightadvice from the outset so that they avoidthe pitfalls.”

Former cricket umpire Harold ‘Dickie’Bird MBE cut the ribbon to officiallydeclare a new Barnsley care home open.

Ideal Homes’ state-of-the-art OakwoodGrange will provide a home for 60 people- 31 for those living with dementia and 29for residential clients with 100 per centen suite accommodation. Facilitiesinclude a sensory gardens and a hairdressing salon.

‘Dickie’ went on to sign autographs for

staff and residents before being present-ed with a cheque from company chair-man, Lawrence Tomlinson which willmake a charitable donation to the DickieBird Foundation.

Oakwood Grange is the fifth home to beopened by the company. It was built bysister company LNT Construction, bothpart of the Leeds-based LNT Group.

Picture: Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird unveils aplaque with Lawrence Tomlinson

19 19/1/10 12:40 Page 1

CARINGCOMMERCE20

Families urged tosecure control ofrelatives’ affairsFAMILIES are being urged to protectelderly parents and relatives afterconcerns about a rising numbers ofdementia cases.

Edinburgh-based family law firmGibson Kerr is recommending peopleto secure control over ageingrelatives’ affairs to ensure they canhelp them if they become ill in theirfinal years.

The company is also advising thosewith ageing family members to seekPower of Attorney over their affairs.

Partner Fiona Rasmusen said theprocess can be ‘complicated andexpensive’ if it is left too late, and thatit could end up with going to court tosecure guardianship or anintervention order.

She added: “Dementia is a big worryfor clients, but in reality there arenumerous ways that someone couldbe left unable to make their owndecisions.

“If someone has been grantedPower of Attorney, they will be able todeal with anything from paying theperson’s bills to dealing with theirwelfare issues like arranging medicaltreatment or helping them move intoa care home if they need to.

“If this has not been pre-arranged,families are not able to step in to helpin the same way. If a person becomesincapacitated families will not haveaccess to their loved one’sconfidential information or anydecision-making clout.”

Fiona added that if financial Powerof Attorney has not been grantedthere may be difficulties managingjointly owned property or moneyheld in joint accounts.

“Several clients have told us thathaving the welfare Power of Attorneyin place has been extremely helpfulto them when dealing with socialservices or doctors on behalf of theirparent,” she said. “They have foundthat having the official powers putthem on a much stronger footing tosay what would be best for theirparent in terms of where they shouldlive and what medical treatment theyshould get.

“Anyone could get hit by a bustomorrow and be left unable to makedecisions about their own welfare orfinancial affairs.”

Fiona Rasmusen

Midland Heart director of new business and development Carl Larter looks at the planswith Frank Haslam Milan managing director Fraser Mercer

COMMUNITY regeneration specialistFrank Haslam Milan has beenappointed contractor for a multi-million pound extra-care housingscheme in Dudley.

The Midland Heart independent-living apartment complex in Coseleywill consist of 72 units, offering a mixof one and two bedroom propertiesfor rent and shared ownership.

The scheme is one of fivedevelopments planned for the BlackCountry and forms part of Dudleycouncil’s extra care housing strategywhich highlights the need for highquality, safe accommodation.

Carl Larter, director of new business

and development at Midland Heart,said: “The extra care scheme is agreat way of making sure that peoplestay independent and receive qualitycare. Giving people the chance tostay in their own home, keep controlof their own lives and become part ofa thriving community, is a way of lifewe feel totally passionate about.”

Customers will have full access toon-site communal leisure areas,which include a restaurant, bar, shop,fitness centre, well-being facility,craft and activity suite, library and agreenhouse.

Work is due to be completed insummer 2011.

Contractors appointed formulti-million pound scheme

A NATIONWIDE operator has setsitself a challenging New Year’sresolution of 10 new care homes for2010.

Barchester Healthcare has threeprojects currently underway: a 64bed care home near Derby, a 70-bedfacility near Basingstoke and a 60-bed one near Oxford.

Further plans are also in thepipeline to build new homes at sitesin Great Yarmouth, Jersey, Cheshire,Bath, Basingstoke and East Sussex.

And the company is alsoinvestigating future developmentopportunities in Oxford,Birmingham, Ashchurch,Canterbury, Cobham and Five AshDowns.

Operator aims for ten newcare homes for 2010

20 19/1/10 12:41 Page 1

21 DC Care 19/1/10 12:41 Page 1

CARINGCOMMERCE22

Job losses‘inevitable’– analysisBy Dominic Musgrave

JOB losses are inevitable in the carehomes sector if companies are toreturn to profit and remaincompetitive, it has been claimed.

David Pattison, senior analyst andauthor of the 2010 Plimsoll Analysis,made the prediction despite claimsearly signs suggest 2010 could bemuch brighter for many groups thanlast year.

He said: “Our latest analysisprojects that a further 1,000 jobs willhave to be shed if companies are toget back to profit and remaincompetitive in 2010. Whetherthrough natural wastage orcompulsory lay offs, job losses arenecessary.

“£814m worth of profit has beenwiped from the market in the lastyear, and employers have no choicebut to cut their cloth accordingly andget more from their resources.

“Even as the market improves thereare a lot of companies, large andsmall, that survived by the skin oftheir teeth, and they have to rebuildtheir profit margins and efficiencies.”

And David said that it will continueto be a buyers’ market, with manycompanies still recovering from therecession.

He added: “In all we named 108companies in our latest analysis thatare ripe for takeover or merger with alarger parent.

“There are some great examples ofcompanies that are currentlyundervalued because of the recessionthat would be very attractive toprospective owners.

“For many struggling companies, abuy out may be the quickest route toget the company back on an evenkeel – even if it means relinquishingtheir independence.

“Inevitably, this will further increasejob losses as new owners wouldquickly look for efficiency gains andto synergise their new acquisitionwith existing operations.”

The new Plimsoll Industry Analysis– Care Homes gives a performancerating of the top 500 companies inthe market. Each has been rated as‘Strong’, ‘Good’, ‘Mediocre’, ‘Caution’or ‘Danger’ according to their latestperformance.

David added: “We rated 106companies as ‘Strong’ in our latestreport.

“As expected this number is downcompared to previous years, butthese companies will lead the marketout of the downturn. They havemanaged to be commerciallysuccessful without jeopardising theirfinancial stability.”

David Pattison

PLANS have been unveiled for a“world class” dementia centre,which will create 100 jobs inGwynedd.

Wrexham-based careorganisation Pendine Park isabout to lodge a planningapplication to build the £4mcentre on the site of a formercommunity hospital, Ysbyty BrynSeiont, in Caernarfon.

The Canolfan Gofal ParcPendine (Pendine Park CareCentre) project for Caernarfon isthe brainchild of Mario Kreft, theproprietor of Pendine Park, andhis wife, Gill.

The couple run six care homes,a domiciliary care company anda teaching care centre, in NorthEast Wales, employing 500people. They are also building apioneering dementia unit at theirmain site.

Mario said: “Our vision is toprovide a world class communitybased resource for older peoplewith a range of needs primarilyfor people who are suffering from

various forms of dementia.“We aim to create a centre of

excellence in Caernarfon toprovide 24/7 services and theywill include respite and dayservices.

“But they will also be closelylinked with a domiciliary careorganisation that will supportpeople in their own homes and ateaching care centre which isgoing to ensure that our staffhave the highest possiblestandard of training and personaldevelopment.”

The site will also includespecialised ‘extra care’accommodation, which willenable the spouse or partner toremain as the main carer. Thesale by Welsh Health Estates washandled by chartered surveyorsLegat Owen.

The Krefts celebrate the 25thanniversary of Pendine Park laterthis year, having entered the caresector when they were unable tofind suitable residential care fortheir grandparents.

Mario and Gill Kreft at the Bryn Seiont site.

‘World class’ dementia centreplan would create 100 jobs

A LEEDS-based conglomerate hassold its business valuations companyto its management team in the firstof a two-stage divestment process.

LNT Group chairman LawrenceTomlinson decided there was apotential conflict of interest withinthe group, since its re-entry into carehome operation with Ideal CareHomes.

The new operator is experiencing

rapid growth due to a £67m fundingpackage which will see it have over650 beds in operation by June.

Lawrence said: “I am delighted thatthe Taylors Business Surveyors andValuers Ltd management team willcontinue to run the business as anindependent valuations practice, andI have no doubt the company willretain its excellent reputation withinthe sector.”

Management team buy-out

Ageing society minister to speak at conferenceANGELA Eagle has been confirmedas one of the speakers at aconference in London at the end ofFebruary.

The minister for pensions and theageing society will address delegatesat the Ageing Population Conferenceon the next steps for

implementation of key documents,ranging from the Building a Society for all Ages strategy through to the Shaping the Future of Social Care Together greenpaper.

The afternoon keynote speech willbe provided by Sally Warren, the

incoming head of social carestrategy at the Department of Healthon the relationship between health,housing and social care services, andthe role local authorities play inproviding innovative and high-quality care.

The conference, which takes place

at the QEII conference centre onFebruary 25, will focus on a range of issues including olderpeople's health, a review of the default retirement age,fuel poverty strategies and sheltered and extra care housingschemes.

22 19/1/10 12:42 Page 1

23 DC Care 2 19/1/10 12:43 Page 1

CARINGNEWS24

By Dominic Musgrave

A MIDLANDS based housingassociation is appealing for people torummage around in their lofts tohelp older people take a trip downmemory lane.

Accord is looking for a range ofitems such as newspapers, cookingutensils, books and records datingfrom the 1930s to the 1960s to createspecial reminiscence boxes.

These will be used at the group’scare and support schemes –including those in Birmingham, theBlack Country and Shropshire - totrigger conversations and evokememories among residents.

Health and wellbeing managerAngela Causton said reminiscenceactivities can have a positive effecton the wellbeing of people withdementia.

She added : “Encouraging peoplewith dementia or Alzheimer’s diseaseto reminisce about the past can bevery beneficial to their health.

“Not only does it improve their

communication skills – as they sharetheir happy memories with friends,family and staff – but it also givesthem a real sense of importance andbelonging.

“We are appealing for people todonate items they may consider to beold junk but to us could help improvethe lives of those living with seriousmental heath conditions.”

The company also uses a ground-breaking approach to care called theEden Alternative, which uses the careof plants, animals and specificactivities to tackle the feelings ofloneliness and boredom.

Director of care and supportMaureen Bradley added: “There areapproximately 700,000 people acrossthe UK with dementia. As such, webelieve that it is vitally important touse interesting ways to support thosewith the condition, allowing them tolive full and fulfilled lives.”

If you have any items that you candonate for a reminiscence box, callAngela Causton on 0300 111 7000 oremail angelac@accordha.org.uk

Care andsupportexecutiveassistant EmmaRudge andhealth andwellbeingmanager AngelaCauston appealfor pieces of thepast.

Call for peopleto rummagein their attics

A care group has been described as a‘beacon of quality’ for its innovative caresolutions and commitment to person-centred care.Nick Bosanquet, professor of healthpolicy at Imperial College London, wasspeaking at Brendoncare’s annual eventat the Royal College of Nursing in Londontitled ‘The Changing Shape of Care’.In his keynote address he highlightedimportant changes affecting older peoplethat have occurred over the past five

years. Nick then presented awards to 39staff and volunteers in a variety ofcategories including innovation,excellence in care, improving learningand performance and outstandingachievement, as well as kitchen of theyear. Thirteen staff whose combinedservice amounts to over 300 years alsoreceived long service prizes.

Pictured: Professor Nick Bosanquetpresents awards to Brendoncare staff

24 19/1/10 12:43 Page 1

Fees freeze woulddamage socialcare – warningBy Dominic Musgrave

A FREEZE on increases in fees paid to North Yorkshireproviders would damage socialcare across the county, a lead-ing sector body has warned.

North Yorkshire county coun-cil, City of York council and thelocal primary care trust have allindicated there may be noincrease in the fees they pay toproviders to offer social care toolder and vulnerable adults inthe area.

They have also warned that, as government cuts on local authority spending contin-ue to bite, the prospects forimprovement in future yearslook bleak.

That has brought a firm reac-tion from the body representingmany providers in the area, theIndependent Care Group (Yorkand North Yorkshire), who havewarned that standards couldsuffer.

Chair Mike Padgham saidsocial care has never had its fairshare of available funding, evenwhen times were better.

He added: “A zero increasewould constitute a considerablereduction on last year’s terms.

Inflation is running at 1.9 percent and at the same timeproviders are facing many otherrising costs – increasing fueland utility costs and risingemployee costs to name just afew.

“The only outcome we canexpect from a reduction infunding would be a fall in stan-dards, which is the last thingany of us want to see.

“We sympathise with localauthorities and PCTs who arefacing tight government spend-ing restraints.

“The government recognisesthe importance of improvingstandards of care for older andvulnerable people, and yet theyare not matching this desirewith adequate funding for thelocal authorities and PCTs andhence the industry.

Mike said the group has writ-ten to the local authorities andPCT involved urging them torethink.

He added: “We cannot squareany potential zero increase witha desire to maintain andimprove standards of socialcare. We are urging the localauthorities and PCT to take a

fresh look.”

“Our calculations suggest a feeincrease of 4-4.5 per cent isneeded just to maintain ourcurrent position.

“We hope we can work withlocal authorities and the PCT toachieve a more satisfactory out-come on fee increases for thecoming financial year so thatwe can all continue our effortsto provide the best social carefor some of the most vulnerableresidents in the area in thecoming years.”

Mike Padgham

Social Care Institute for Excellence chief executive JulieJones has been made a CBE in the New Year's Honours List.Julie joined the independent charity in 2007, having previ-ously worked as the deputy chief executive and director ofchildren's services at Westminster city council.She said: "Obviously I am surprised and delighted. It is areal honour and I also take it as a recognition of the crucialwork carried out by the social care sector."In 2003 she was awarded an OBE for services to social carein London.

25 19/1/10 12:44 Page 1

CARINGHOMECARE26

WHEN Farina Tayub set upCaremark in Leeds almost twoyears ago it marked a major careerchange for the former accountant.

She moved to the city to be withher husband, who worked as ascientist at the University of Leeds,but has since joined the companyand plans to manage a franchise ofhis own in the near future.

Farina said she moved into thesector because she wanted to beher own boss and was fed up ofworking for other companies.

She added: “I took six months outto do some research, but had doneaccounts for a few care homeoperators so knew it was a growingand thriving industry.

“I knew I wanted to go intoservice rather than stock and spoketo many franchisors across thecountry before settling onCaremark.

“I originally bought Leeds West,but while I was training the LeedsEast franchise became available, soI bought that one as well. I havereally enjoyed it, and am kickingmyself that I didn’t do this sooner.”

The companies have grown fromproviding 60 hours per week with

three staff when she first took overto more than 2,000 with 125 stafftoday, which she puts down to alarge marketing campaign and timenetworking.

Farina, who won both the careemployer at the Northern CareAwards and was named qualityhome care provider of the year bythe Leeds Care Association, saysshe now plans to open a furtherfranchise in either Harrogate orSelby as well as moving to biggerpremises.

She added: “Both awards came asa complete shock to me, and it isalways nice to be rewarded for yourwork.

“It has been a tough but veryrewarding experience. In a way youare not your own boss because theclients are always right, and theirneeds and requirements come first.

“The hardest part for me has beenmanaging people because I havevery high standards, and theturnover can be massive. Howmuch work actually goes intorunning a franchise like this hasalso been surprising because thereis never an idle moment and wecannot stop for holidays.”

A Leeds homecare franchise operator has picked up two prestigious awards. DominicMusgrave found out more.

Franchises multiply forformer accountant

Farina Tayub with her awards

DIANA Abel received the bestbuddy/mentor prize at a gala dinnerheld at The Wellsprings Centre inTaunton.

The homecare assistant hasworked for Care South based in the Crewkerne office for the pastthree years, having previouslyworked at a local school andhospital.

She said she was thrilled to havebeen recognised for her work.

Diana added: “I didn’t realise I hadeven been nominated until I was

invited to go along to the ceremony,so it was a total shock when myname was read out.

“I really enjoy my job, and justwish I had started doing it sooner.When I worked at the hospital Ialways liked the idea of working inhomecare, but I didn’t know how togo about doing it.

“It was only when I spoke tosomeone who worked as a carer thatI found out how to do it.”

Diana now visits around 10 clientseach week, doing everyday tasks

including helping them out of bedand preparing their meals.

She added: “Working in thecommunity is a challenging butfulfilling job, and I really enjoymeeting people and helping them tostay in their own home for as long aspossible.

“I find it very rewarding caring formy clients who all have differentneeds, to make their lives easier andmore enjoyable.

“It can be tough when you visit a

client who is poorly or who has gonedownhill, but that is all part of thejob we do.”

The awards are the highlight of theyear for care providers in Somerset,with finalists for the 12 awardsselected from over 300 nominationsfrom all aspects of health and socialcare organisations.

The winners were presented with aglass trophy and floral bouquet,while all of the finalists received agoody bag which included anengraved paperweight.

A Somerset carer hasbeen recognised forher work with aprestigious award.Dominic Musgravefound out more.

Diana Abelreceives heraward fromBBC newsreader ChrisVacher andRob Davinfrom Hudsonand HughesTrainingLimited, whosponsoredthe awardcategory.

Diana thrilled by best buddy prize

26 19/1/10 12:45 Page 1

27 Care Free 19/1/10 12:45 Page 1

CARINGNEWS28

By Dominic Musgrave

A CARE home owner came to therescue of one of his residents whothought he was not going to be ableto see his family over the festiveperiod.

Jervis Nutt, director of CornfieldCare Centre in Limavady in NorthernIreland chartered a private plane totake Ted Maxwell to see his family inLondon after bad weather meant hisoriginal flight was cancelled.

The 82-year-old, whose wife diedshortly before Christmas, wasaccompanied on the trip by thehome's operations managerChristine Thompson.

She said: "Ted's family hadoriginally booked scheduled flightsfor him, but when he went to theairport the flight had been cancelled.

"His granddaughter tried to fly overand meet him, but her flight wasdiverted to Dublin. It was just anabsolute nightmare.

"He had completely given up on

being with his family at Christmasuntil Jervis phoned me and said 'Isthere no way we can get Ted toLondon tomorrow'?"

Staff at the home contacted flyingclubs and even the local radio stationto get an announcement put out forsomebody that had an aircraft theycould charter.

Christine said the gesture wastypical of Jervis, who finally trackeddown a plane that would take him inAntrim.

She added: "He's a very Christianman, and he always says Christianitydoesn't end on a Sunday.

"He just has a very big heart, and isso good to the residents, but this wasjust over and above what anybodywould do.

"'Magnificent', was what Ted said tome on the phone when I told him. Hesaid he couldn't believe we weredoing it for him, and actually got veryupset even talking about it as all hewanted was to be with his family atChristmas."

Ted and Christine at the airport ahead of their flight to London

Owner chartersplane to make Ted’sdream come true

A Cardiff care home enjoyed a touch of glitz and glamour as it celebrated its 10th birthday.Hallmark Healthcare’s Regency House in Ely Bridge marked 10 years of caring with ablack tie do complete with champagne and a jazz singer for staff and residents to enjoy.During the party, home manager Liz Stewart, care assistant Gethin Williams and seniorcare assistant Amanda Cousins were all rewarded for their 10 years of service with agift from managing director Avnish Goyal.Picture: Care assistant Gethin Williams, home manager Liz Stewart and senior careassistant Amanda Cousins at the celebration.

£5m care home plan is unveiledPLANS for a £5m state-of-the-artcare home for the elderly havebeen unveiled at St Ives.

The new centre will replace twofacilities, with staff and the 74residents relocated to the new 80-room, two-storey building.

The plans, expected to besubmitted for approval shortly,would also seek permission tobuild a small retirementcommunity which will include acare home and independentassisted living accommodation.

A similar project in Launceston

two years ago resulted in CedarGrange, Cornwall Care's flagship,purpose-built care home.

Chief executive Douglas Webbsaid: “We want to provide ourclients with an even better livingenvironment which exceeds theirexpectations. By building a newhome we will be able to design itwith our clients' needs at the veryheart of all aspects of the home.

“There are design ideas that willbe included, such as wider corrid-ors, relaxation areas and largerbedrooms with en suite facilities.”

28 19/1/10 16:32 Page 1

29CARINGNEWS

IN A climate where care home operators are still suffer-ing rising costs, reduced placements and great uncer-tainty about their future, the opportunity to recover upto nine years of VAT is greatly needed.

Cost reduction specialists Salmon Business Group canhelp operators reclaim retrospective VAT for nursing andresidential homes.

Despite the ruling taking place back in 2002, manyoperators have failed to avail themselves of the opportu-nity thinking that they could not make a claim.

You may not have all the records but this does notmatter, as we can work with minimal information tosecure a successful outcome.

We can assess your claim free of charge and advise asto what the next step should be, and take this through tocompletion and funds in your bank account. If we are notsuccessful there is no charge to you the customer - youhave nothing to lose.

Enquiries: Telephone 01246 293011 or visitwww.salmon-business.com

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Ideal solution for Hull care home Award winning Otto Bock E-Mag

Total Hygiene toilet is better for everyone

SINCE 1982, Colne (Lancs)based, Richards ResidentialSupplies have concentratedupon supplying simple solutionsto common nursing homeproblems.

The new WACMAT® adheresstrongly to this tradition.

With its ultra absorbentcotton pile and 100 per centwaterproof backing, theremarkable WACMAT® is anideal accessory where spills mayoccur.

Used as a commode mat, inbedrooms or bathrooms, theWACMAT® ensures full carpetprotection. Then, after use,simply machine wash and tumble dry! It’s that simple...

The WACMAT® will then be clean and odour-free, ready to perform time and time again. Alternativelythe flat-laying WACMAT® can be used as an entrance mat, saving you hundreds of pounds in rental costsalone.

Enquiries: Telephone 0800 074 3749.

HELPING someone go to the toilet takes up significant time,puts the carer at risk of infection or injury, and impinges onpeople’s feeling of independence and dignity.

Total Hygiene has an innovative solution to addressing theissues, which overcomes those considerations in all environ-ments and helps compliance with the new BS8300:2009 with-out any significant capital investment.

An Aerolet toilet lift, whether fixed in dedicated en suites,in the main communal WC or a mobile option, which can bemoved to wherever it is needed, releases carers from having tophysically support someone when going to the toilet.

It simultaneously helps meet elements of the code of prac-tice for new build multi-occupancy buildings. Conscious thatbudgets are always under pressure, Total Hygiene is pioneeringa rental system where a unit can be hired from as little as £95a month.

Enquiries: Telephone 0161 969 1199 or emailinfo@clos-o-mat.com

IDEAL Boilers came to the rescue of a Hullcare home when its 24 residents foundthemselves without any central heating inthe midst of freezing weather.

Pearson Park owner John Crosskey des-perately contacted every installer he couldfind after the home’s ageing boiler brokedown, but no-one could help.

He said: “I was so desperate that I walkedinto Ideal Boilers’ head office in Hull andasked them if they could help.

“Ideal’s response was excellent. Within15 minutes their representative had arrivedat the home to assess what was required. Hequickly found a merchant who had the typeof boiler we needed, and he arranged for itto be delivered the next day.”

The new Ideal Imax 80kW has replaced an Ideal Concord 70KW model, which was over 20 years old. It isexpected to reduce the care home’s running costs by up to 50 per cent.

Enquiries: Telephone 01482 492251 or email enquiries@idealboilers.com

Simple solutions

AQUACERT operates a postal service whichenables care homes to test for legionellabacteria in water systems easily and cheap-ly.

The company offers a simple three-stepsolution:

• Aquacert send out sterile bottles.• The bottles are filled by the care home

from hot water outlets.• Aquacert collect by courier for delivery

to their UKAS accredited laboratory. All for £44.50 + VAT per bottle (one bot-

tle is normally sufficient for a home of up to20 beds).

Aquacert can also offer advice on controlmeasures to minimise the risk of having legionella in your water systems free of charge.

Managing director Duncan Hollis said: “Aquacert now has over 4,000 customers in the care sector usingthis service. I don’t want to see any care home featured on the national news due to a legionnaires dis-ease outbreak, and neither do our customers.”

Enquiries: Telephone 0800 783 5226 or visit www.aquacert.co.uk

OTTO Bock’s E-Mag won the prosthetic or orthotic innovationprize at the Limbless Association’s annual awards dinner.

E-Mag is the first electromagnetically controlled knee-jointorthosis, which gives a far greater degree of safety and relia-bility to the user than conventional orthoses.

Two occasions when the user is most at risk of falling arewhen the joint is manually released or when the lock in theknee does not engage by standing.

As the E-Mag gives clear acoustic or vibration feedback theuser is informed of its status at all times, allowing a balancedposition when the joint is operated, thus assisting in overcom-ing all sense of insecurity during the stance and engage phas-es.

It can vastly improve the lifestyle for users with post-trau-matic conditions such as poliomyelitis, post polio syndromeand knee extensor failure or weakness.

Marketing manager Gaynor Norris collected the award atthe ceremony.

Enquiries: Telephone 01784 744900.

Make a claim with Salmon Business Group

Innovative free smokealarm reminder servicedeveloped by SafelincsFIRE safety retailer and wholesalerSafelincs has developed an innova-tive free service to remind house-holders to regularly test their smokealarms.

By simply going to the Safelincswebsite anybody with a smokealarm can register to receive a regular reminder to test theiralarm by email or SMS text message.

Safelincs is one of the partners ofthe government’s Fire Kills campaign, whose latest advertisingcampaign focuses on the dangers ofsmoke in a household fire.

The advert “Don’t drown in toxicsmoke” highlights that just two or three breaths of toxic smokeare enough to render you uncon-scious.

When householders log on to theSafelincs reminder page www.safelincs.co.uk/reminders theyare asked how frequently they wouldlike to be reminded to test theiralarms.

At the same time they can register to be prompted when it istime to change the battery – every 12 months for a standard one or five years for lithium long life.

New scheme bids to drawyounger workforce into adult social careA NEW scheme has beenlaunched aimed at attracting ayounger workforce into adultsocial care in England, Scotlandand Wales.

Through a £1,000 subsidy and afree training package, the CareFirst Careers scheme launched bythe Department of Health andthe Department for Work andPensions will encourage employ-ers to take on jobseekers between18 and 24 who have been receiv-ing Jobseekers allowance for sixmonths or more. There will be upto 50,000 jobs available under thescheme.

Glen Mason, director of social

care leadership and performanceat the Department of Health andco-chair of the Care First CareersProject board, said: “Through thisscheme we can nurture and trainnew talent. And most important-ly, we know from experience thatpeople who use services enjoyand thrive on the energy andenthusiasm that care workers ofall ages bring to an organisation.”

A series of 11 regional launchevents have been planned, whichwill involve adult social careemployers from each regionbeing invited to learn more aboutthe scheme and employing youngpeople in general.

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CARINGNEWS

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Gardiners Lane North, Crays Hill, Billericay, Essex CM11 2XETel: 01268 521033 • Mobile: 07860 894331 • Fax: 01268 284951 • sales@hwpickrell.co.uk

Visit our website for photos of current stock www.hwpickrell.co.uk

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• All buses fitted with seatbelts and comply to seatbeltlegislation.

Complete movementdetection system‘extremely flexible’THE Live-Link passive infra-red (PIR) range is a complete movement detection system that can aid the monitoring of residents leaving their beds who are prone tofalling.

Likewise, it can be set up so that if a residentattends their en suite and does not exit within apre-determined time, staff will be alertedthrough the nurse call system.

The device can also register if residents are

inactive in their living areas, over a time periodset by the management.

The unit can be ceiling or floor mounted witha wide detection area.

The Live-Link PIR range is extremely flexibleand can be adapted to link with other manu-facturers’ systems.

It can also be supplied as a stand-alone unitwith receiver panels if there is no existingnurse call system.

Farmyard visitors prove ahit with home residentsA TRIO of farmyard ani-mals paid a special visit tothe residents at a Swanseacare home.

Silky the chicken, Harleythe duck and Tallulah therabbit spent an afternoonwith the 29 pensioners liv-ing at the Glasfryn HouseNursing Home.

The animals, who hailfrom the SwanseaCommunity Farm inFforestfach, are all tame,and were passed betweenresidents and staff.

Senior carer AnnetteCarter said: “The animalscheered everyone up, andwe all enjoyed it. One ofthe staff didn’t want to let

the chicken go. “Some of the residents are

bed-bound but we took theanimals in to see them, soeveryone was involved.

"Many of the residentsprobably had contact withanimals when they wereyounger, so it’s good thera-py for them to remember.”

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