Care homes can be lonely and cruel places. But they can also be inspiring too | Society. My old man said follow the van, and don’t dilly-dally on the way.” We are seated in a circle, singing. The woman next to me is lusty, her voice clear and her hands tapping out the rhythm; the man opposite in his wheelchair looks slightly dazed but he mouths the words. People who might not be able to speak can often find language when it is set to music. Memory floods back. I am at a residential care home in Carterton, near Witney, Oxfordshire, run by the charity MHA, where two-thirds of the 68 people who live here have dementia.
I have been thinking a lot about the meaning of home in the past few weeks – not home as bricks and mortar, but home as a place you know your way around, where the faces are familiar, the routines settled, where the photos on the wall remind you of your past and of those you love; home as a place of safety and of belonging, where you do not feel scared, confused, adrift. About 300,000 people live in care homes in the UK and 500,000 more rely on home care. Care homes should allow pets – they are the difference between coping and crumbling | Michele Hanson | Life and style. Here is a nightmare of mine about the future: I’m in my late 80s, most of my friends have pegged out, I’m sick and weedy, can hardly walk, but still have my old dog, the only remaining love of my life.
I’m consigned to a care home – but no dogs allowed. Then what? If I insist on keeping my dog, I’ll be called “intentionally homeless”, the council will no longer be obliged to house me and I’ll end up a vagrant. You’ll find me on a pavement outside Sainsbury’s, in a mound of duvets and rags, with the beloved dog beside me, and a bowl for donations. Do you think I’m being overdramatic and it could never happen? Wrong. The first half of the story is already happening to Bob Harvey, 87, and his dog. You would think care homes would be accustomed to dealing with a bit of excrement, vomit and noise, but this one apparently can’t – if it’s not the human variety. Care home launches pureed fine dining experience for older people living with dysphagia.
A care home in West Byfleet is launching a truly innovative fine dining experience for those with swallowing difficulties, providing only high quality and visually appealing food. The food is all pureed and the experience is set to help older people and visitors who live with dysphagia - a condition that makes swallowing food difficult and often stressful. The fine dining experience is set to launch in February at the Anchor West Hall care home in Parvis Road.
The aim of the launch is to demonstrate that appetising and visually pleasing modified food can be made in all of Anchor's care homes across the country. Using traditional piping or quenelle, the charity presents textured meals in way to reflect the shape of the original produce. Anchor’s Service Delivery Consultant Andy Seal, who is leading the fine dining experience said: "Mealtimes are central to all of our lives, giving us the opportunity for social interaction over good food. Yoga projects help care home residents with dementia 'experience calm' Yoga is a popular care home activity, improving both physical and mental wellbeing in residents and reducing agitation and anxiety. This is particularly apparent in people living with dementia, as yoga instructor Tania Plahay discovered after taking part in an 18-month project with a Four Seasons care home. Dr Laura Phipps from Alzheimer’s Research UK explains that yoga can be a “positive way to maintain health and wellbeing.”
“We all know that keeping active is important as we age, and evidence increasingly suggests it could be beneficial for people with dementia,” she says. “While there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that physical activity is beneficial for cognition, it’s still unclear what type and intensity of activity could be most important.” Though just a small-scale project, Ms Plahay’s experience suggests that yoga has an abundance of benefits for people living in care homes, especially for those with dementia.
‘Simple and effective practices’ “Mum is fitter than I am. Au pairs for the elderly sought as live-in care booms. Are robots the key to solving social care crisis - LocalGov.co.uk - Your authority on UK local government. Laura Sharman 31 January 2017 Middlesex University and the University of Bedfordshire will collaborate on a €2.5m international three-year research project to help develop the world’s first robots able to respond to the needs and preferences of elderly clients. Irena Papadopoulos, professor of transcultural health and nursing at Middlesex University, said: ‘Assistive, intelligent robots for older people could relieve pressures in hospital and care homes as well as improving care delivery at home and promoting independent living for the elderly.
‘In order for robots to be more acceptable to older people it is essential that they can be programmed to adapt to diverse backgrounds and this is where my expertise in transcultural nursing comes in. Care robots that are culturally-aware are likely to meet with greater acceptance from both the older people and their carers.’ The project will expand on the capabilities of the Pepper robot, which was designed with the ability to read emotions.
Cheshire care home finds dementia dolls give residents 'comfort and a sense of calm' 26-Jan-17 Article By: Sue Learner, Editor A care home in Cheshire has revealed it is using doll therapy on its residents with dementia, an intervention which is still viewed by some as controversial despite it having visible benefits. Barchester Iddenshall Hall and Beeston View Dementia Unit in Tarporley have six empathy dolls and its senior activities coordinator, Lynne Loughlin, said: “We have found they work really well. We don’t give them directly to the residents. We wait for the residents to approach the dolls themselves.” The home has found it is the “same residents who tend to interact with the dolls and they are also popular with the men.
“They tend to think they are real and enjoy cuddling them and taking care of them. The image of an older person cuddling and singing to a child's doll can seem strange and incongruous and it can be very alarming for their relatives. “They have had no objections as they can see they work and the residents enjoy having them. 13,000 pensioners could be forced into care homes against their will ATTN: - We should help dementia patients the way the Dutch do.
How fake news caused this whole NHS mess | Blog. In this brave new world of fake news, it’s hard to know who to believe. This week, the British Red Cross labelled the situation in our A&Es a humanitarian crisis. Personally I think people who immediately resort to hyperbole are worse than Hitler, so when Jeremy Hunt pooh-poohed the claim, stating that there are only issues in 'one or two' hospitals, I for one was reassured; after all, who would know more about accessing emergency care than a man who spends so much of his time with his pants on fire? However, NHS middle management has more leaks than a night in with Donald Trump, and we quickly learnt that not only were the problems far more widespread than Mr Hunt had pretended, but that pressure to downplay the situation was coming right from the very top. A few smithereens of truth have floated in on the tsunami of spin emanating from the Department of Health, most notably the suggestion from Mr Hunt that many patients who present to A&E shouldn’t have gone there in the first place.
Can 'at-home' care be cheaper than a care home? Thousands sign petition over 'heartbroken' care home resident 'in tears' after being told pet dog must go. Over 118,000 people have signed a petition for Bob Harvey to keep his dog Darkie, after his care home told him his pet Schnauzer has to go. Bob Harvey and Darkie. Credit: Change.org Family friend, Tracey Streit, set up the petition as well as a crowdfunding campaign which has so far raised over £5,300. Mr Harvey, aged 87, moved into Burnfoot Coach House care home in Lockerbie, four years ago, with his wife and their dog Darkie. His wife was terminally ill and died two years later. Darkie has stayed at the care home with Mr Harvey all this time. 'Heartbroken, unable to eat or sleep' Mr Harvey has been left “heartbroken, unable to eat or sleep”, according to Ms Streit.
Mr Harvey, who has dialysis three times a week, looks after the dog himself. Her fear is that “Bob will be forced to find a new home if he cannot keep his companion with him. Bob was married to his wife Margaret for nearly 50 years and never had any children, so their dog became an integral part of their family unit. Care home aims to combat loneliness this Christmas. Comments (0) The Bluebird Care Centre got in the Christmas spirit with a real winter warmer. Carers and customers of the care centre gathered in Christ Church Hall, on Grimsby Road, for a day of fun, food and activities as the centre sought to advertise the importance of staying warm over the winter periods, and combating loneliness over the festive period.
The activity day was an ideal opportunity for the users of the care home and others to meet up and socialise, while enjoying some bingo and board games, along with a festive food selection of mince pies, soups and sandwiches. Read More: Fancy a real Christmas tree this year but don't know where to get one from? "We have developed some blankets for our customers to use, that have some guidelines stating the best ways for them to keep warm over the winter, and showing what the ideal temperatures are for them to keep their homes at. " Read More: Looking back 6 years to when heavy snow brought chaos to the Grimsby area. Positive Spin: Enabling people with dementia and their families to cycle. Positive Spin has a range of all-ability trikes as well as regular bikes, with the aim of Cycle Training UK's project to offer a fun and sociable activity that has the potential to enhance health and well-being in people living with dementia.
Following a successful pilot last year, the innovative London-based project is now being rolled out in both Lambeth and Hackney and supports individuals living at home as well as those living in care homes and sheltered housing. “The project aims to break down any barriers that exist to getting out on a bike,” said David Dansky of Cycle Training UK, who helps deliver the project. A range of benefits have been noted since the project started in July 2015, including: increasing people’s muscle strength, reducing stress and depression and increasing confidence. Challenging the fears of cycling Elaine, a participant of Positive Spin, said: “What a brilliant sense of freedom it was to ride around in the sunshine.
A sense of freedom Family-friendly activity. Virtual reality helps transport Chelsea Pensioner back to town he liberated in WWII. A Chelsea Pensioner has become the first World War Two veteran to use Virtual Reality to revisit a town that he helped liberate 72 years ago. Frank Mouqué with the virtual reality headset The virtual reality video was specially created for 91-year-old D-Day veteran Frank Mouqué who is a resident at Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the iconic Chelsea Pensioners. The video was shared ahead of this year's Remembrance Sunday 2016 and depicts Mr Mouqué using VR to revisit the French town of Armentières that he helped liberate during World War Two. Stuart Logan, founder and chief executive of Twine, which created the 360-degree film, said: “Virtual reality is a technology with almost limitless potential, but we wanted to look beyond thrills and entertainment and use it to achieve something truly profound.
“I am proud that we were able to mobilise so many members of the Twine community of creative freelancers, from across the world, to help make this special film for Frank.” Armentieres in 1944. Charity raises concerns care homes are feeding meat to vegetarians with dementia. A charity has raised concerns that when care home residents lose their mental capacity and ability to express themselves, some care homes are failing to respect their beliefs and are feeding them meat. There are currently over 6,500 vegetarians and vegans living in care homes in the UK.
Vegetarian for Life was set up back in 2007 by trustees shocked by the story of an elderly woman who had been an animal’s rights campaigner and was vegetarian. When she went into a care home after developing dementia, she was given food containing meat, with staff claiming they felt it was acceptable because she ‘would not know any different’. In a similar case, three years ago, the daughter of an elderly woman with dementia at a care home in Wales, took her complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, after finding she was regularly fed meat despite being vegetarian. 'Sadly this is a common approach' 'New award for vegetarian care catering' Vegan Rescue Pack Predicted rise in vegetarians and vegans. Food triggers fond grandparent memories - Age UK study | Latest news. To mark this year's Grandparents' Day on Sunday 2 October, Age UK has commissioned a study revealing the contribution that grandparents make to our lives and how some of our favourite food from childhood evokes fond memories of them.
With help from celebrity supporters, Age UK is asking Britain to celebrate Grandparents’ Day and raise vital funds for our services by sharing special recipes that most remind us of our grandparents. Which foods remind us of our grandparents? Over half of the population said they are reminded of their grandparents by retro refreshments and nostalgic nibbles. Of those who agreed: 16% cited home baking as the most likely to bring back good memories. Remembered treats included rock cakes, fruitcakes and home-made apple pie.Over a tenth are taken back to their childhoods by a traditional roast dinner, with even just the smell of roast potatoes triggering wonderful memories from the past.
The vital role our grandparents play Get involved with Grandparents' Day. Ten top tips to help care homes provide nutritious and hygienic food. It is vital that older people in care homes have a good, nutritious diet as this can be instrumental in protecting them against a whole range of age-related conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, bowel problems and osteoporosis. As well as a balanced diet, the British Nutrition Foundation recommends that older people eat two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily. Oily fish contains long chain omega-3 fatty acids which can help protect against heart disease and reduce some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
People who are older find it harder to absorb Vitamin D through sunlight through the skin, so it is important their diet is supplemented with foods rich in Vitamin D such as eggs, oily fish and fortified cereals. The Department of Health advises that people aged 65 and over should take a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement. NCASS has ten top tips for care homes to keep residents as healthy as possible 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Who's afraid of the big bad care wolf? Everybody it seems. Is Granny safe in her bed when social care’s about? Or must loved ones don red cloaks like Little Red Riding Hood and vigilantly keep watch over her? Is Granny safe from the social care wolf? The fairy tale gone wrong The inescapable fact is that the social care sector has a major ‘big, black wolf’ of an image problem with care staff and their bosses depicted as ready to prey on your innocent granny as she sits helpless and vulnerable in her bed.
This damning caricature is immortalised in red flag-waving headlines dominating the news. While no one can hide under the bed blankets when the facts of real-life horror stories exist, how can a fine balance be struck to make others see the pleasures of care and not just the pain? Here’s what people from the sector at a recent care conference had to say… Training, ... ‘Don’t let anyone make you stray’ “We should respect care workers hugely. “I couldn’t do it. Britain’s retired mums and dads look to the Care Quality Commission to be their woodcutter.
Keeping audio diaries can boost confidence of people with dementia. Technology which monitors behaviour patterns set to revolutionise dementia care at home. 6 Trends Shaping the Future of Senior Living Communities. Biozoon's 3D printed smooth foods target Europe's elderly. How do you treat dementia? ’Startling’ numbers have not had medication reviewed | Health. Devon care home boasts pub, ice-cream parlour and shops. If I woke up in a perfect care home – how would I know? | Opinion | Nursing Times. 9 Assisted Living Trends to Watch for in 2016. Activities. How singing may help people with dementia. How memory apps can help people with dementia tap into their past | Anna Bawden | Society. New Approaches for Dealing with Difficult Dementia Behaviors. Care home residents need tailored nutrition – here are some guidelines | Social Care Network. Care home provider installs music streaming service after noticing 'worrying trend of wall to wall Vera Lynn'