Posts belonging to Category Family Care

Working in Home Care in Hampshire we get to meet patients that have been discharged from the local NHS Hospital with mixed views on how they have been cared for.

Hospitals have been found by the CQC to be failing in delivering basic care in the areas of nutrition and dignity. It may only be 20 out of 100 that were not meeting standards, but 20% is a big failing when you are talking about basic needs. Worse still, is that 50% of hospitals gave cause for concern. On the plus side, 78% of hospitals accept the findings and this, we hope, will lead to improved care.

The report tells us that the inspections were just carried out on one day of the year and were only in two wards of a hospital. In addition the observations were made between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday. This concerns us because there was no observation of what happens in the night when supervision is likely to be less nor at weekends when staff shortages can be more acute. The report states that this is a cost issue, yet people working in care are expected to work unsocial hours for no extra pay, what exempts higher paid inspection staff from working the unsocial hours for the same pay? This is a poor excuse for not doing these unsocial hour checks.

Why is it that inspection routines still seem only able to work 9am to 4pm? Care happens 24 hours a day 365 days of the year any inspections should take this into account. It would have been helpful to ask some preliminary questions with patients on when the most problems were being encountered. Just concentrating on the day and just Lunch delivery has probably meant that some even bigger issues have been missed.

Another potential flaw in the inspections is that the question of dignity being observed was based mainly on asking patients, the elderly do not always complain especially when they think that by complaining they may be treated in a different way. We would have liked to have seen questions asked of the family and other visitors to see if they felt that dignity was being observed.

Subsequently the government have announced further visits to hospitals and care homes; we do hope that the times of visits are more varied this time.

While hospitals and care homes strive to give a good service they should be seen as the back stop. We believe that you are still better off remaining at home receiving home care and being more in control of your own privacy and dignity.

Working in Home Care, delivering services in Winchester and surrounding areas in Hampshire, we can see that the need for more gadgets is needed, particularly in the UK where there is an increase in the number of elderly people without there being on-going funding available. Relatives of the elderly can be time constrained but still need to be reassured that their loved ones are safe, turning to technology may be one way of keeping relatives informed about what is going on or being assured that the elderly are living comfortably.

There are now products from amplified telephones and listening systems for televisions to devices for fall detection and remote monitoring. The technology industry is said to be responding to a growing demand for products specifically designed for today’s aging population.

Innovative gadgets and modern technology are helping people to deal with daily living. There are, also, some low tech devices around to help make daily tasks easier, including soft-handled or large-grip cooking and eating utensils, swivel cushions that make getting in and out of a car easier, and various assistive devices that eliminate the need to bend over when putting on socks, stockings or any other garment that you need to pull up over your feet.

We are hearing from America that high-tech assistive technology for aging adults is “nearing science fiction territory”. Examples being reported include shoes that help you keep your balance, a scanner that “reads” text aloud, and a voice-activated wheelchair knows its way around your home.

Other products are wearable devices that can automatically detect falls and send alerts to loved ones over the internet, there are devices that monitor heart-rate and body-temperature changes with the information being sent real time to centres where clinicians are based to monitor the data. To detect falls there are motion and floor-vibration sensors, devices that detect abnormal walking and pressure pads to put in beds to detect whether someone has got out of bed.

In reality, as we know with technology, it is expensive to be an early adopter so we expect that the more “science fiction” the products are the harder they are to find and the more expensive they are.

The more down to earth products that can be found today, bearing in mind that we are not recommending or endorsing any of these products because there are others on the market, are:

• Amplicom ring flash 100 phone call amplifier, can be switched to ‘T’ mode for hearing aid wearers around £20.
• Glow flow temperature controlled basin light, fits most taps with an adapter, illuminates the water with blue for cool and red for hot (over 32 degrees C) around £15.
• Light switch illuminator for standard single gang light switches to enable to be found easier in the dark around £7.
• Doro big button cordless phone around £40.
• Powertel 49 plus home desk phone with large buttons around £40.
• Powertel V 100 vibration pillow to put under a pillow or cushion to alert you to calls around £20.
• Lutall big button mobile phone with SOS button, works on all networks except 3, around £35.
• Sen Cit fall monitor that detects when a person has stopped moving and sends a message to someone remote to take action £198.
• Geemarc wireless TV listening device, basically a wireless headset and a base station that plugs into the TV around £150.

Just some of the products available.

The Dillnot Commission reports on Monday 4th July 2011 with, hopefully, recommendations on the future funding of care including Home Care (Care in the Community). The previous Labour government did nothing because the ageing population problem was not imminent and, unfortunately, governments tend not to want to deal with difficult issues when it could affect their votes!

The population of people 75 and over was 4.8 million in 2008, this is forecast to increase to 7.0 million by 2023 and 8.7 million by 2033 an 81% increase over 25 years. For people over 85 the population was 1.3 million in 2008 and is forecast to increase to 2.2 million by 2023 and 3.3 million by 2033 an 154% increase over 25 years. It is the people over 85 that are most likely to require care so the increases in numbers is alarming in terms of the cost of care to the nation.

The other way of looking at the population is the number of people available to support the elderly, the ratio of people of working age to those of pensionable age was 3.23 in 2008 dropping to 2.78 by 2033. More pensioners less people able to support them and this includes the effects of increasing the pension age to make people work longer.

As can be seen from the population information, there is a big Social Care funding issue going to hit the country. Action needs to be taken now to put a Social Care funding system in that will deal with this issue.

It is unfortunate that dealing with Social Care funding comes at a time when the government is trying to cut spending. Any increase in Social Care funding is going to be tricky to fund we are either going to have to pay ourselves for care directly or indirectly through increased taxation for the government to be able to pay the extra cost.

Social Care funding has the same problem as many government pensions where we are trying to pay out of current government spending rather than building funds that can be used to pay for the costs in the future.

I fear that the government will back away from taking the bull by the horns and putting a proper funding system in, because,  what is needed to be done is likely to hit the pocket of the individual at a time when we are all feeling the pinch. What makes matters worse is that the government, being in coalition, is even less likely to do something bold.

As a Care provider we believe that substantially more needs to be put into care funding because the number of care staff needed in the future will be much higher and to attract good people in to the sector would need pay rates to go up. We believe that care staff are undervalued and their role in society needs to get greater recognition.

We implore the government to be bold and not just kick all the recommendations of the Dillnot commission into the long grass.

We aim to run an excellent Home Care service in Winchester and the surrounding areas in Hampshire and want to support the Local Authority and the NHS in delivering first rate care to the people of Hampshire.

With an ageing population, Long Term Care provision is becoming a more prevalent issue.  One in four people are likely to need Long Term Care in the future, and provision for this eventuality is very often dismissed until there is an immediate need.  Indeed, for those receiving care or wishing to increase that care, there is the constant worry of how they can continue to afford it. Government provision is limited and more and more people will be faced with ‘self-funding’ their nursing/homecare fees, potentially depleting their assets.

We have compiled a panel of experts to present in clear English all the options currently available. The topics to be covered will include:

• what is homecare and how will it be paid for?
• how can you protect your assets, what are the options and what of future provision?
• look at the use of wills and powers of attorney
• how Domiciliary Care Providers deliver their services
• how a relationship with a team of trusted advisers can protect the recipients of homecare

The seminar will be hosted by Everycare and with guest speakers Brian Fisher of Life, Simon Whipple of The Cares’ Legal Centre Solicitors and Sarah Quirk (SOLLA Accredited) from SarahQuirk Associates. The venue for this FREE 90 minute presentation is at British Red Cross Centre, Red Cross House, Winnall Close, Winnall Manor Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 0LB on Tuesday 5^th July 2011.

Timing of meeting:

• Lunch: 11:45 am for 12:00 noon commencing with buffet lunch

To book a space on the seminar call Mike on 01962 842548 or email  info@everycarehants.co.uk .

It is often said that exercise brings health benefits to people of all ages, I can personally attest to feeling good after taking exercise not only does it improve your health but it is a chance for your brain to concentrate on something else, a relief away from the normal routine or pressures of life.

Anyone that has been immobilised, for example, having a leg put in plaster knows what happens to your muscles when you are not using them. The recovery time to get your muscles fully functioning after coming out of plaster can be quite long. Why do we not take exercise and run the risk of our muscles becoming weak? It is a vicious circle as the muscles get weaker we seem less inclined to take exercise.

Our Home Care Agency will always encourage people to stay active and do as much as possible for themselves. Keeping fit, also, helps to avoid trips and falls which are a real problem for people as they get older.

Researchers at Duke University found that exercise serves as a natural antidepressant and other studies suggest it may improve brain function and even protect against dementia. During exercise, the body releases endorphins which are natural opiates and relieve pain. Activity in the brain’s frontal lobes and the hippocampus is also boosted. Levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine are increased and these neurotransmitters help to improve mood. Exercise also increases levels of brain-delivered neurotrophic factor or BDNF, which not only improves mood but also helps brain cells to last longer.

In fact, a recent study of people suffering from dementia showed daily exercise over a 12-month period improved mental ability by 30 percent. The subjects of the study also showed an improvement in their ability to feed, dress and bathe themselves. This is because activity keeps the body flexible and strong, and also improves balance and spatial control which has been proven to reduce the likelihood of falls. It’s also good for the heart and for blood pressure, both of which have been linked to dementia.

In another study, anxiety symptoms were reduced by 20 percent by adding daily exercise to subjects’ lifestyles. Even light exercise tires the body, which helps with achieving a full night’s sleep and maybe even developing a better sleep routine. One of the most important benefits of exercise is that it’s enjoyable and helps to pass time.

If you are in the position of being a carer yourself do not neglect your own health. Being a carer can be quite stressful and exercise can act as a natural stress reliever. It is even better if can exercise with the person you are caring for because you both improve your moods at the same time. It is important that you do not treat it as competition when you are getting someone to exercise who has not done it for a long time.

When beginning on an exercise regimen, start easy. Don’t push. The point isn’t to train for a marathon, it’s to gradually get the body moving more and increase mental health. What might seem like nothing to you, could be physically taxing for someone else.

There are many ways to include easy and fun exercise in your daily routine:

• Take walks around the garden, your neighbourhood or a shopping centre
• Perform light household chores.
• Participate in water exercises at your local leisure centre for resistance on every part of the body.
• Exercise using light weights, these can be purchased for a small amount or alternatively use objects from around the house.
• Choose a relaxing Tai Chi routine on DVD.
• Go cycling on a nice, easy path.
• Integrate Wii Fit’s several light exercise options into your routine, it is fun way of keeping fit and can be done with others as well.

Doing exercise should not be seen as a chore that has to be done every day. It should be fun and socially interactive.

Precautions Prior to Exercise when Older

If you have not exercised for sometime it is worth taking some precautions before doing any exercise that will exert you more than you are used to.

• Get a check up from the family doctor. Start training gradually and slowly increase physical exercise each day to build stamina and conditioning.
• Warm up. It is important to do plenty of stretching and to warm up properly. Failing to warm up could lead to injuries and be counter-productive.
• Consume liquids. Taking a bottle of water to the gym is important in terms of keeping the body hydrated and flushing toxins. Take regular sips of water during training.
• Focus on form and not the amount of weight lifted. Trying to lift too much can only serve to cause serious injury.

Mike Frizzell www.everycarehants.co.uk

Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK. Just because you are older and maybe having Home Care or are in a Care Home it is never too late to be checking for the signs of breast cancer.

Here are facts from Cancer Research UK:

• In 2007 in the UK almost 45,700 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, that is around 125 women a day.
• 277 men in the UK were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.
• Female breast cancer incidence rates have increased by around 50% over the last twenty-five years.
• In the last ten years, female breast cancer incidence rates in the UK have increased by 5%.
• Important to note for older people is that 8 in 10 breast cancers are diagnosed in women aged 50 and over.
• In the UK in 2007/2008 the NHS breast screening programme detected more than 16,000 cases of breast cancer.
• It is estimated that the NHS  breast screening programme saves over 1,000 lives each year.

As with all cancers early detection is paramount in ensuring the best chance of survival from breast cancer. More women are surviving breast cancer than ever before; in the 1970s around 5 out of 10 women survived the disease beyond five years this is now increased to 8 out of 10 and in fact now more than three-quarters of women survive at least 10 years or more.

Modern medicine has brought cancer treatment forward in leaps and bounds with better detection, therapy, research, drugs and symptom management. As an individual you are in the best place to manage the monitoring of your breast because early detection is the best way to be cured.

How do you I check my breasts?

There’s no right or wrong way to check your breasts and you should never feel embarrassed in anyway about looking after your own health. Try to get used to looking at and feeling your breasts regularly. You can do this in the bath or shower, when you use body lotion, or when you get dressed. There’s really no need to change your everyday routine. Just decide what you are comfortable with and what suits you best.

Remember to check all parts of your breast, your armpits and up to your collarbone.

The breast awareness 5-point code

1.      Know what is normal for you, you know your own body best.

2.      Know what changes to look and feel for (see list below).

3.      Look and feel on a regular basis.

4.      Report any changes to your GP without delay, better to be safe than sorry.

5.      Attend routine breast screening if you are aged 50 or over, obtain advice from your GP on the regularity of this. You should insist on more screening if you are at higher risk, see later on what causes breast cancer.

What changes to look and feel for

• A change in size or shape of the breast.
• A change in skin texture such as puckering or dimpling (like the skin of an orange).
• A lump or thickening that feels different to the rest of the tissue in your breast.
• Redness or a rash on the skin and/or around the nipple.
• If your nipple becomes inverted (pulled in) or changes its shape or position.
• A swelling in your armpit or around your collarbone.
• Discharge (liquid) from one or both of your nipples.
• Constant pain in your breast or armpit.

Sometimes your GP may ask you to come for a check outside of your menstrual cycle to rule out any hormonal changes.

Causes of Breast Cancer

• Women with a mother, sister or daughter diagnosed with breast cancer have almost double the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer themselves.
• Risk increases with the number of first-degree relatives diagnosed with breast cancer, but even so, eight of nine breast cancers occur in women without a family history of breast cancer.
• Obesity increases risk of postmenopausal breast cancer by up to 30%.
• Women currently using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have a 66% increased risk of breast cancer.
• The risk of breast cancer in current users of oral contraceptives is increased by around a quarter.
• Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer – as little as one alcoholic drink per day increases breast cancer risk by around 12%.
• A more active lifestyle reduces breast cancer risk.

In conclusion

As with all things to do with cancer living a healthy lifestyle will always reduce your risks and being aware of changes in your own body will give a greater chance of an early life saving diagnosis.

The Government had promised to protect Health Care Services but of course there was no direct mention of Social Care, which includes Home Care for the elderly and other people with social needs. There is always talk of protecting front line services but the definition of front line services is never made clear.

There are announcements being made already about cuts to service, this is a worrying trend which directly affects the vulnerable people in our society.

Bolton Council has announced that the eligibility criteria would be changing for people in the future. This means that it will not affect people currently receiving services for the time being.

The Bolton Council are very sad that they are having to take away services for people with moderate needs. This trend has been happening for several years with many councils now only supplying services for those with severe needs.

Gareth Evans, chief officer for Age Concern in Bolton said he was “very concerned” about the level of the cutbacks. “These cutbacks follow reductions made in recent years. They are not cutbacks in isolation”.  He added “Clearly a very serious attempt is being made to protect the most vulnerable which is obviously heartening”.

Bolton Council are cutting the budgets for Adult and Children’s services by a total of £9.5million.

A second announcement has been made by West Sussex Council who are cutting £2.5million from its £28million budget for home care by reviewing contracts with more than 100 organisations.

The service which operates 24 hours a day every day of the year, provides care for the elderly and disabled as well as those recovering from operations or suffering from dementia.

Councillor Graham Tyler said “I would like to reassure residents that the quality and level of service will not be affected by these changes”.

As these services are people driven, savings in costs usually mean a reduction in the number of people or a reduction in the wages being paid, either way, it is difficult to see how the service will not be affected in some way.

It can be expected that there will be more announcements of cuts for the year commencing April 2011. If this drives people out of the Home Care market, where there is already a struggle to find enough carers, then this will not be good for the stated aim to treat more people in their own homes.

Everycare (Central Hants) offer Care in your own Home and want to support people in living longer and healthier lives.

By Mike Frizzell  Everycare (Central Hants) Ltd www.everycarehants.co.uk

In many countries the end-of-life care is just not there. The Lien Foundation of Singapore commissioned a study to look at the end-of-life care services in 40 countries.

Being looked after in a Care setting

While “quality-of-life” is a common phrase, “quality-of-death” is considered far less. According to the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA) while more than 100 million people are in need of hospice services only fewer than 8% actually receive it.

For us in the UK we are ranked number one for end-of-life services this arises from a good network of hospices, statutory involvement, public awareness, training for NHS staff and access to painkillers for patients.

Ranking second was Australia then New Zealand, the USA was ninth and India was bottom of the rankings.

The charity Help the Hospices said the UK’s ranking was down to the hard work of individual hospices.

To improve end-of-life care the system needs to build around bringing the care to the patient – preferably in their own homes – by providing support for family caregivers, care teams that can go to homes with emergency coverage, and strong integration of hospice care expertise to maximize quality of life for both patient and family. This means fewer resources for hospitals and nursing homes, and more resources for home and community-based care services.

For the first time in humanity, people over 65 will soon outnumber children under the age of five. We need to continue to improve the end-of-life care, much hospice care can – and is – given at home and by increasing the proportion of community and homecare options, hospice care can reduce costs associated with hospital stays and emergency admissions.

In the UK, despite the ranking, too many people still faced the end-of-life without specialist care and support. The ageing population in the UK and the improvement in medical care means more people are facing end-of-life with more complex issues. The UK system needs proper funding to ensure people can be properly looked after at the end of their lives.

Mike Frizzell Everycare Central Hants www.everycarehants.co.uk supplying care at home and supporting people to live independently.

With the squeeze on Government spending there is concern that the quality of care given will reduce. As the care industry is very much a people driven industry if the amount being paid for care is falling then the amount of labour cost must fall to keep care businesses viable. In the Care Home setting this can result in lower numbers of carers and in the home care setting the use of cheaper labour or trying to do more i.e. rushing the care provided.

The fear is that a two tier system will emerge with private clients paying for the care that they require and state funded clients getting a poorer standard of care. With an increasing number of people getting older then there is real pressure on the system to be able to deliver the level of care required.

Our concern as a service provider is that we will not be able to tempt new carers into the market if we cannot afford to pay a high enough rate.

We can certainly vouch for the fact that there has been limited Government support for setting up our Care Agency and certainly no specific advice in the area of Care. The local authority has offered some support.

We agree with the main findings in the report that you will find a link to below. This report was commissioned by PriceWaterHouseCoopers.

Everycare are committed to delivering a high quality of home care and will not compromise on this at all.

Fair Care Crisis Report

By Mike Frizzell Everycare Central Hants www.everycarehants.co.uk

This was found in the house of a friend’s mother after she passed away. I expect she never complained about the home care she got and even goes on to thank them for the work they did. See what you think for yourself.

On being looked after by the social services and how to learn to love it

Twenty-one people a week tramp through my kitchen, all bent on doing me a good turn.

They all have different ways. Some funny, some deplorable.

Some will wash out and rinse an empty milk bottle, others will leave it until a more helpful person deals with it.

Some will put a milk bottle on the doorstep, others will be terrified to do so.

Some know that I have two fridges, one in the back room and another in the kitchen.

You have perpetually to tell them that the back milk is fed into the front and is replaced by the new a t the back.

There are some who are completely unable to grasp the concept.

One (who shall be nameless) after two abortive attempts at it, was walked by me through the procedure, and now ‘has it’.

One will fill a large bowl with metered water plus a generous helping of fairy liquid to wash one plate rather than leave it for others to deal with in the morning when there is more.

They love bubbles.

One helpfully threw out a bowl of grated cheese from the fridge when there was nothing wrong with it.

She probably thought it looked untidy.

One is so short sighted, I grab the drugs box before she can get to it, so I can do my own.

Some will greet with a cheerful remark, others will maintain a stony silence throughout.

Some will ask if there is anything more they can do for you before leaving, others wouldn’t dream of saying such a thing.

Some will leave the kitchen light on after lunch and you don’t find it till teatime.

Some will leave the gas stove on stand-by similarly, and you wonder why the place is so hot.

One filled my breakfast dish with rock hard uncooked prunes from a packet standing next to the bowl of newly cooked ones.

One took my wallet out of my handbag one Christmas night, pocketed the contents, and threw the empty wallet behind my fridge freezer, where another carer found it weeks later when looking for a missing oven glove. Let us be charitable and say she probably spent too much on Christmas presents.

They don’t like bending down and will ignore an object like a pair of scissors on the carpet until specifically asked to retrieve it.

You have to play hunt the object in the kitchen, as some of their ideas on correct places after washing up, are ingenious to say the least.

One took the last bit of cling film roll and put the empty box back on the shelf.

One, looking for the sugar, rooted about on a nearby shelf, and found an old grimy jam jar with a few grains in the bottom. These were carefully scraped up and spread on my weetabix and presented for breakfast.

Believe it or not, a second person did the same thing a few weeks later. The offending jam jar has been removed and the sugar is in a clearly marked jar on the kitchen top.

They are good at posting letters. Unlike some people, and you may be sure your letter will get there, which is comforting.

Honestly, though, they do a grand job, and I couldn’t do it. The inside of some people’s houses must be grim, and dressing and undressing old ladies must be even more so.

I give them home-made cakes from St. Peters as I am sure they never get time to make any, and they are delighted. It’s nice to give something back.

Comment: Everycare are determined to make sure that the client is served according to their wishes and would ask for regular feedback from clients on whether their care is being delivered to their absolute satisfaction. Are aim is keep the number of carers visiting a client to a minimum but some practical issues sometimes prevent this. We are not perfect but will endeavour to move heaven and earth to put something right when we make a mistake.

By Mike Frizzell Everycare Central Hants   www.everycarehants.co.uk