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Friendship: Strachan House Care Home

Today, all day, during #carehomeweek17 we are celebrating #friendship. Scottish Care's Integration & Improvement Lead Rene Rigby describes how Strachan House Care Home helps to foster inter-generational friendships by linking up with pupils from the local primary school. 

"The care home itself is located between Craigcrook Castle and Blackhall Primary School in Edinburgh. It provides care and support for some eighty two residents.

 

"Pupils from Blackhall School are regular visitors to the home and their choir performs for the residents, who love to hear the young people singing.

 

"The school pupils also join with residents to participate in a ‘bridging the generation gap’ initiative, where the children write stories and then spend time with residents discussing their writings.

 

"This week, to celebrate the friendship between the community and those living and working at the care home, the residents and children were joined by relatives and staff and enjoyed an outdoor fair ground musical concert thanks to Dignity Charity. The music unlocked and evoked many memories. The sun was shining, the gardens were alive with the chatter of voices old and young, there was an enjoyable interlude when we all had an ice cream cone.

 

"The beauty of collaboration in this inter-generational event is that we combine strength with wisdom."

Rene Rigby

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Care Home Week 17: Guest blog from Margaret Mackie

Today's #carehomeweek17 theme is #friendship and Anderson's Care Home in Elgin benefits from enjoying numerous enduring friendships with organisations based in their community. Margaret Mackie's blog below provides more insight into the value of these relationships to residents at the care home. 

 

In Anderson's, we believe that people in residential care should be able to enjoy a quality of life equalling, even surpassing what can be available to older people in their own homes. Individuality is important and actively promoted. Each person brings his/her own personality and unique life experience. 

One of our residents who is well known in the community and especially to our local football club, continues to attend home matches so we invited the football players to join us for tea, fun and games. So lovely for our residents to meet the players, coaches and legends from Elgin City Football Club. We were also joined by VIP Childcare Moray with whom we have a wonderful intergenerational link. The youngsters visit us on a weekly basis and entertain us with singing, stories and cuddles. VIP Childcare have their own vegetable plot in our gardens and our residents love to watch them planting their vegetables and watching them grow. The horticultural students from Moray College UHI  visit each week and attend to our gardens.  This is something special for residents who were keen gardeners. They enjoy picking the fruit and vegetables at the end of summer. We have also welcomed their beauty therapy students who spend time pampering our residents who really enjoy the attention.

We were very fortunate to welcome “employee volunteering” Chivas volunteers to join us on a couple of occasions. The first visit, they painted our fences in the gardens with the residents providing the juice and sweeties during the day. Their second visit, the Chivas volunteers assisted carers to escort our residents to East end School, with whom we also enjoy fantastic intergenerational links to watch their nativity play.

We Love to celebrate special events in a big way, i.e. Easter, Halloween, Christmas, Queens birthday, Valentine’s Day, Robbie Burns Day etc. Our residents look forward to these special events and enjoy helping to make the decorations at the arts and crafts group each Friday.  Once a year, we host a “Wig Wednesday” fun day. This is in aid of Clic Sargent supporting children with cancer. Residents really loved making their own hats and wigs and we were delighted to raise £333 for the charity.

Each Christmas we receive a special invitation to attend a Christmas dinner at our RAF base in Lossiemouth.  Gordonstoun school also send out an invitation to us each Christmas to spend an afternoon with them and enjoy a lovely high tea and entertainment from the pupils. We are regularly attended by volunteers from the students and there has been a community link with the school for over 40 years.

One of the most revolutionary ways in which Anderson's communicates with our community is via our Facebook page which shows all the wonderful things our residents participate in and all the events which take place.  By engaging in the medium of social media we have opened up a whole new world of communication for both our residents and relatives alike as social media has helped to bridge the gap in generational participation.

This is particularly lovely for families who live a distance away, especially those living abroad, who are able to respond and leave their own comments.  Our Facebook page is very popular and we receive thousands of likes on some of our posts.

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Guest blog: ‘Come On In’ to care homes!

Whilst we highlighted the brilliant ‘Come On In’ resource yesterday, today is Friendship and Care Home Open Day as part of Care Home Week 2017.  On a day where we are encouraging people to build friendships with people living in care homes, there is no better time to highlight this resource again!

This blog from Heather Edwards, Dementia Consultant with the Care Inspectorate explains a bit more about the resource and how it is being used…

The pocket guide “Come on In” is a great example of how the views and thoughts of a motivated and interested group of folk can be brought together into something that can provide practical hints and tips for all families and friends. The beauty of this work is that it came from the heart of the care home, in this case Campbell Snowden in Bridge of Weir to meet a need that the staff and families had identified. Staff had noticed that some family members were finding visiting more difficult especially as the person they were visiting was changing, conversations were perhaps not as easy and at times emotions could be running high. The home had already taken steps to work with two daughters of residents and involve them in sessions to enhance their understanding of dementia, and that had improved their understanding of what their mothers were experiencing and resulted in a different way of being together.

“Come on In” is about maintaining relationships especially when a loved one has moved into a care home, keeping those connections to friends and the community is vital for wellbeing. “Come on In” didn’t happen overnight, there were many discussions, rewrites and sharing of the drafts with other care homes and inspection staff. Marjorie Bain the Inspector for Campbell Snowden was involved at each step of the resource’s creation. We were keen to develop something that would give some first-hand hints and tips that can make keeping connected a valuable and joyful experience rather than an obligation.

The working group who developed “Come on In” collaborated well and although the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Care were involved in this the driving force came from the home staff and the residents and families at Campbell Snowden. We were fortunate that the Life Changes Trust recognised the importance of the resource and agreed to fund the publication. The resource is available directly from the Care Inspectorate as well as from the Scottish Care Integration Leads who have been sharing it across the country.

The response to “Come On In” has been really encouraging and it have been shared far and wide, with representatives from Scotland taking the resource to Japan while attending Alzheimer International conference. Closer to home we received one from a care service in Shetland:

“Thank you so much for the “Come On In” resource. We have had it displayed in the care centre and I can safely say out of all the resources we make available this one has gone the quickest, I think it’s a real demonstration of its relevance to care centres and especially to families and carers.”

A selection of video clips can be found here:
http://hub.careinspectorate.com/improvement/spotlight-on-dementia/come-on-in/

Please contact the Care Inspectorate if you would like copies of “Come on In” sent out to you.

 

Heather Edwards

Dementia Consultant, Care Inspectorate

 

#carehomeweek17

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News Release: Care Home Open Day 2017

 

For the fifth year in a row, care homes across Scotland and the rest of the UK are encouraging their local communities to join them for a day of celebration.

Care Home Open Day takes place on Friday 16th June this year and is growing in popularity as more and more care homes realise the importance of developing lasting relationships with their local communities and dispelling myths by showcasing what good care homes look like.

The day reinforces the fantastic work being done in care homes across the UK and helps to highlight that care homes are doing great things 365 days a year!

Last year over 150 care homes took part across Scotland and this year is set to be even bigger. A significant number of politicians have already committed to visiting care homes in their constituencies.

Care Home Open Day is taking place during the first ever Care Home Week in Scotland, co-ordinated by Scottish Care. From 12-19 June 2017, Care Home Week is an opportunity to celebrate all aspects of life and work in a care home.

Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care who represent independent sector care homes, said:

“Creating more links between care homes and their local communities is so important. That's why Scottish Care, the Care Inspectorate and the other representative bodies from across the UK are supporting Care Home Open Day again this year. I'm sure it will be a great day."
“It is a great opportunity to celebrate the fantastic care carried out in local communities and the contribution that is made to the lives of so many people and their families, as well as to redress the negative perceptions people often have of care homes.
“We have encouraged all care homes to take part to showcase what they do day-in and day-out, and invite their local communities to visit. After all, there are more people living in care homes than in hospital any night of the year and therefore these services and their residents should be considered as central parts of their local communities.”

Karen Reid, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate said:

“Care homes play a vital role supporting people across Scotland and we are delighted to support Care Home Open Day. I hope it is a great success.
"We expect residents in care homes to be supported to be involved and active in their local community, where that is what they want, so this is a really important day.
“Everyone in Scotland has the right to safe, compassionate, high-quality care which meets their needs and respects their rights. The new health and social care standards published just a few days ago really help to reinforce this.
“Our regular inspections show that most care homes in Scotland perform well, but we do work closely to support improvement where that is needed. We recognise and share excellent practice across the sector whenever we find it. We will continue to champion good practice, working with residents, carers, staff and other people involved in care.”

 

To find out which care homes are taking part in your area, simply visit www.carehomeopenday.org.uk and search via postcode, town or care home name.

For more details on Care Home Week 17 please visit: www.scottishcare.org/care-home-week/

 

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Ordinary Living at Abbeyfield Kirkcaldy Society

It is Care Home Week 17 and today we have been focusing on Ordinary Living. 

The residents and volunteers at Abbeyfield Kirkcaldy Society have provided us a snapshot of their everyday lives and activities at the care home, providing wonderful insight into the friendships and joy fostered with care home living. 

Mary McKay

"I’m very happy and very comfortable here at Abbeyfield. In fact I’d be happy to spend the rest of my life here. I like the things we do, they are great fun and good. The food is good, there’s always something nice to eat. The staff always go out of their way to help."

Helen Key

"Life at Abbeyfield is very good. I find the staff exceptionally good. There’s always something interesting to do and I’m glad I came here to live. My husband came to visit but took unwell and he was allowed to move in here until he eventually went into hospital. I felt that was so very special and I’m grateful that it could be done. I have also been supported to achieve a life long ambition which was to go to see “Take That”. I was taken to their concert in Glasgow. I’ve got the tee shirt!"

Bill

"The family didn’t want me staying by myself due to my mental and physical state. And so the decision was made for me to move to Abbeyfield.

"Two of my biggest problems were anxiety and depression. Since coming here I’m feeling so much better, more confident and relaxed. Being here is helping me get back to a more normal lifestyle. There’s great support here from everyone. I’m allowed to help out in the kitchen set tables etc, things I once was able to do at home. I’ve established contacts at the local church where I’m going to begin volunteering and have been out with the walking group “bums off seats”. Having people around me has helped enormously, I’m much happier within myself and feel things are heading in the right direction."

Jeannie

"I’ve volunteered here for over eight years. I began shortly after my mum, who was a resident at Abbeyfield, had passed away. I feel me being here helps gives the care staff more time with the residents. I love all aspects of the work that I do. I have training when needed or wanted and the care staff are always supportive and great to work with. They have made me part of the team."

David

"My recent holiday to Pitlochry was first class in fact I would say it’s the best holiday I have ever had. The hotel was lovely, the food was terrific. I went in a Jacuzzi for the first time in my life. There were only a few others in the pool and the whole thing was marvellous. I loved the outing to the House of Bruar for a shopping trip, it was great fun – nice soup! It was so good I had two bowls of it. The visit to the new dam centre was really interesting, lots to do and see and the views were great. I liked the Heather Gems factory and shop and found gifts for my daughters. We went to the Black Watch museum but they took ages with the meals so we didn’t have much time to look around. The only two downfalls were the singer at the hotel who hadn’t a clue and the bank holiday traffic on the way up. It was a great crowd I was with and we had a great time. I’m happy living here at Abbeyfield, you couldn’t find a better place. This is my third holiday since I came here, last year was to the Trossachs, and every one has been special. Life here is great, good company, good food, great outings."

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Care Home Week 17: Guest blog from Jai Chohan

To complement our Ordinary Living theme today during Care Home Week 17, we are featuring a blog from Jai Chohan at Broxburn Care Home. Harry was a resident at the care home and this blog describes how the staff were able to meet Harry's needs during his time there. 

Harry first came to our attention last summer via social work. He was residing in a home in Edinburgh where they were struggling to manage his level of stress while maintaining his independence. As a result, Harry had become difficult to care for and refused all help.  He was also absconding from the home regularly and displaying distressed reactions towards staff and fellow service users. Harry had no awareness of his own wellbeing or safety and in his own words believed everyone was ‘out to get him’ he just wanted to go home to his flat in Edinburgh and to see his friends at his local pub.

Harry had a history of alcohol abuse and suffered from poor mental health as well as his dementia diagnosis. As a team at the home we reviewed his needs and visited him at the home in Edinburgh. From this we felt that if we planned his care prior to admission, included him in his care planning and let him set his own realistic goals we could meet Harry's needs and improve his quality of life.

When preparing for his admission we used the issues that arose in his current home to prepare a safe and comforting environment for him. We also made sure all staff members were aware of Harry, his needs and our plans to encourage self-help. All staff in all departments played a huge part in Harry's care and in the improvement of his mood, care and general quality of life.

To care for Harry we had to get to know Harry.  He was allocated a key worker and named nurse, however everyone helped to bring Harry out of his shell. We found out about his life, his jobs, what made him happy and eventually he opened up about what made him sad and we began to get to the route of his problems.

Kitchen staff worked hard to include him in his meal choices to promote a regular varied diet. We saw his weight increase and he began to come out of his room and socialise at meal times. Housekeepers included him in cleaning his room as he would often leave his room in a very poor state.  Over time he began to take pride in his room and environment. He became close with staff and as he saw it, we were now his friends. We assisted with all his care needs when he first arrived as he did not want to look after himself. After encouragement, prompting and TLC, Harry began to shave himself, then shower himself, he put clean clothes on himself and cleaned his teeth. Before Harry became unwell he was primarily self-caring.

Harry was a very happy, caring and empathetic man who had lost his way slightly. Harry's dementia, mental health and alcohol issues were being treated but Harry the person had been forgotten. Our main goal when caring for him was not only to ensure he was healthy and comfortable, but also to meet Harry's own goals and outcomes. He wanted a pint in the pub, a cigarette, a Mars bar and a glass of cola at night amongst other day-to-day basic items. With every positive step Harry made with us we would help him meet one of these goals. We discussed why there were limitations for him, helped him to understand and included him how we would work around these.

We understood what he missed from his life and tried to incorporate it into his new life. He looked at Broxburn Care Home as his home and staff as his family and friends. We endeavoured to meet his everyday relationship and home comforts that he clearly craved.

Harry sadly became unwell and passed away, however while he was at Broxburn we strived to give him a good quality of life and believed that we did. He had his good days and bad days as we all do but during his year here he went for pints with staff and his son, regularly walked with staff to the shops, had a visit to Edinburgh and attended church. He became self-aware, happy and valued that he had met a lot of his own goals and we all still miss his happy face and silly jokes.

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Care Home Week 17: Guest blog from Fiona Collie (Carers Scotland)

Carers, families and care homes

Moving into a care home can be a big decision that brings about many changes to people’s daily lives. Some of these changes will be welcomed by people and their families because they bring more safety and security, as well as the friendship and companionship that may be found from being around peers.

Carers often say that they have conflicting feelings about making a decision with or for a person that they have to move into residential care.  Carers have told us that they experience a mixture of sadness and guilt, whilst also feeling some relief that the person they are looking after will be given a level of practical care and assistance that is now too difficult to maintain at home.

 “I know the feeling of having a huge weight lifted off your shoulders.  It’s what I felt when I made the decision that my brother had to be in a care home, and simply could not live independently any longer.  I also know the guilt that comes with that decision.”

Anon: Carers UK Carers Forum user.

For some carers, the person moving into a care home will be their spouse or partner.  In the case of older people, very often, they will have been married and living together for 50 or even 60 years. For both, the idea of living apart may be unimaginable and heart-breaking.

 “After 42 years of marriage, I miss her beyond belief.  For even when she was ill, she was a presence in the home.”[1]

It’s important that staff in care homes recognise these difficult feelings and the fact that, for many carers, caring simply continues but in a different way.  Many carers say they visit every day, help at mealtimes and in activities and take their loved one out on trips.  Involving carers and families can be crucial to the wellbeing of the person living there.

It’s important to encourage and support family life.

Care homes do and should actively work to involve carers and families and they should be encouraged to be a key part of their loved ones lives. Carers can help in bringing in personal items to decorate the person’s room, with advice on the person’s likes and dislikes, and information about what the person does as part of their normal routine.

Families, especially couples, should have time and space for private, undisturbed time together.  Where possible they should also be encouraged to take the person out to visit local places such as cafés and shops and local events… or to help them maintain interests, hobbies or clubs.

Care homes can set up a carers and families group (if there isn’t one already), where all the carers who feel like it could get together to support each other and perhaps work together for the home – fundraising or organising outings are often popular. Also they can share their concerns, and come to staff together with any issues.[2]

Useful resources for carers, families and people working in care homes:

  • Video: Living in a care home: a positive outcome for a person with dementia

http://www.scie.org.uk/dementia/supporting-people-with-dementia/living-care-home-positive-outcome.asp

  •  The Relatives and Residents Association has a range of resources for families, carers and workers. http://www.relres.org/

 

NOTES:

 

[1] Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2537556/I-wife-care-home-I-bear-guilt.html#ixzz4jVqVitHk
[2] Taken from (amended) http://www.scie.org.uk/dementia/carers-of-people-with-dementia/supporting-carers/hospital-and-care-homes.asp

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‘Come On In’: resource for families

On Ordinary Living day of Care Home Week 17, it seems appropriate to highlight the 'Come On In' resource from the Care Inspectorate. 

The guide was launched to help family and friends of people living in care homes to make the most of the time spent together. This resource was developed by the staff, residents and their families of Campbell Snowden care home in Bridge of Weir with support from the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Care.

The guide is short and easy to use with practical tips, from preparing for your visit and giving your visit focus to looking after yourself and very importantly what residents themselves say makes a good visit.

Heather Edwards the Care Inspectorate’s dementia consultant said:

“We know that maintaining close relationships with loved ones is really important for the wellbeing of people living in care, particularly those living with dementia.

“But we also know from our experience, and the experience of the care providers we work with, that it can sometimes be difficult for people to adjust to visiting their loved ones in a new setting, particularly if that person’s behaviour or needs are changing.

“This guide contains some practical, simple advice about how to prepare for and enjoy visiting loved ones.

“For example sometimes people living with dementia don’t talk a great deal. It can be important not to worry about this , and understand that it’s ok to sit quietly together.

“Similarly, instead of asking questions like ‘what did you have for lunch’ which can cause distress if someone can’t remember, you could ask staff what was for lunch, or take a look at the menu, so you can then have a chat about lunch.”

 

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Care Home Week 17: Guest blog from Sue Northrop

Ordinary life is extraordinarily precious when someone we love is in a care home. It’s the little things that make life sweet for people in care homes, families and friends.

When Mum went into a lovely care home, we were both exhausted. I had stopped being a daughter and become a carer; ever on duty, an unpaid care-worker. The move was a relief. Mum is well cared for and happy and I was involved from the start in discussing her care and our family chose things for her room. It was wonderful to watch Mum make friends and build relationships with staff, she began to feel at home.

I’d got my Mum back, plus over the years I’ve acquired a host of other residents as honorary relatives. I was no longer Mum’s carer, I was her daughter and Mum was smiling and happy. When you love someone with dementia, that sense of getting the person back is very special.

My current caring role is less physical and more emotional and social. I do the family phone calls; birthday cards, photos and videos; I keep alive and share old and new family stories and songs. We’ve created a new way of being a family and new memories.

The care home staff have been critical. At the heart is an open and honest relationship. I can share (almost) any concerns and they will tell me almost immediately if Mum falls or gets ill. I can visit any time.

Little things help us retain and create a new sense of ordinary family life. I buy Mum’s clothes and arrange regular family chats and share photos. I visit at coffee time - my family does nothing without a cup of tea. When the family comes down, the manager gives us a big room and enough tea and biscuits to refresh an army. These are precious family times, when we are just ordinary people.

Caring is for life, it doesn’t start when we call ourselves a carer or end when someone we love goes into a care home or dies. Going into a care home can make it really hard to maintain a sense of connection to family and ordinary life. What makes it work? Care home staff involve me, we have an honest relationship, we talk. I trust them and Mum feels at home and is clearly happy because the staff show her they care.

The home enables us to keep doing the simple family things we have always done and show our love and mutual support in many small ways. At the biannual review we focus on our common cause - Mum’s health and happiness.

If everyone in a care home is to have a positive experience, we need a culture and practice which value relationships equally with physical care. We need to understand that relationships can be damaged by how care is delivered and transitions managed. Our relationships are precious and last beyond our lifetimes, we need to care for them.

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New briefing paper from Hospice UK as part of Care Home Week 2017

To mark Care Home Week in Scotland, Hospice UK has published a new briefing paper, which describes the work Scottish hospices do with care homes to widen access to quality end of life care and makes a number of recommendations for expanding these partnerships.

Partnerships between Scottish hospices and care homes improve people’s end of life experiences and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions but these partnerships face barriers which prevent them from reaching more people, according to new research by Hospice UK.

Around 20 per cent of Scots who need palliative care do not get it every year. The Scottish Government has said that by 2021, everyone who needs palliative care should have access to it and it has committed to doubling palliative care in the community. However, to achieve that, care homes must be properly supported to deliver palliative and end of life care the charity argues.

Over 37,000 Scots live in care homes and a fifth of people who die, die in care homes. In response to rising palliative care needs in care homes, national hospice care charity Hospice UK surveyed Scottish hospices and found that 85% provided some form of support to care homes, with many keen to do more.

However, there are a number of barriers facing hospice-care home partnerships including low awareness of their benefits, care home staffing challenges, insufficient data and short-term funding models.

Hospices engage with care homes to provide support and share their knowledge and skills through two main ways. Through individual patient referrals to hospice care for people living in care homes, led mainly by Community Nurse Specialists.

Also through a “whole-home” approach where a group of, or potentially all, care home residents can benefit directly through hospices providing education or training to support care home staff.

Hospice UK’s recommendations include:

  • Increasing awareness of the benefits of hospice-care home partnerships to reduce inequalities in access to expert end of life care in care homes. Especially with Health and Social Care Partnerships working more closely with hospices and care homes
  • Testing and evaluating interventions to build evidence on what works, improving practice and sharing experience
  • Sustaining hospice care knowledge in care homes through innovative approaches
  • Ensuring funding is sustainable and responsive to local need with people at the centre

Eilidh Macdonald, Policy and Advocacy Manager Scotland at Hospice UK, said:

“Too many people in Scotland don’t get the care they need at the end of life. Scotland’s hospices are helping change that by successfully sharing their expertise to support care in care homes.

“But more must be done to extend access to care to more people. We urge Scotland’s new Health and Social Care Partnerships to tackle the barriers that hospice-care home partnerships face to help ensure that many more people have better access to high quality care in the future.”

Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care added:

“Scottish Care is pleased to see the publication of this report. It highlights the importance of well resourced hospice care-home partnerships. Every individual deserves the opportunity to spend their last few days supported in a place they have chosen and by a people who value them as individuals, mould their caring to their character, and which puts them at the centre of attention. Experiencing a good death is a human right and doesn’t happen by accident but by adequately planning, resourcing, respecting and shaping that care. The challenges of this report need to be heard.”

  • Hospices in Scotland support around 20,000 people a year.
  • Hospice UK’s research highlights that low awareness of the contribution of Scotland’s hospices acts as a barrier to more joint working. While there are examples that hospice-led care in care homes makes a positive difference, evidence is lacking on the full impact on outcomes for patients and families.
  • Other barriers include: high staff turnover in care homes which means that hospice-led interventions in care homes that had led to improvements are not always sustained over time. In addition, funding for hospice-care home partnerships comes through a variety of channels but there is a need for better, more reliable sources of income for these partnerships to support their future growth.

The briefing paper can be accessed here.

  • Hospice UK is the national charity for hospice care and the only membership body for organisations providing hospice care.  They support and champion the work of more than 200 of these organisations across the UK.
  • Hospices, and other organisations which provide hospice care, offer vital care for people with terminal or life-limiting conditions and also support their families and carers.
  • For further information about hospice care visit hospiceuk.org or follow @hospiceukPA on Twitter
  • Get all the latest news from the hospice and palliative care sector, as well as patient stories, on ehospice UK at: ehospice.com/uk This service is managed by Hospice UK. You can also follow ehospice news on Twitter at @ehospicenews