Young at heart

By Sam Beckett

I watched the recent BBC One series called Young at Heart was really inspiring. The concept of the documentary was looking at social interaction, stimulating memories, activity and independence to see the impact it will have on older members of our society and how to help prevent the onset of ageing.

They placed six elderly celebrities in a country home and pushed them to confront their older memories and experiences around their lives in the 1970′s. First step was to put each individual through a study of their physical and mental health before entering the house.

Each individual was especially negative at the outset, believing there would be no marked difference in such a short time frame, however it was wonderful to see them all progress throughout the programme. It definitely made me laugh out loud and brought a tear to my eye watching some of the team shaking years off both physically and mentally. My favorite quote was – “growing old is only a number, think young, believe in yourself and you’ll conquer the world”.

Depending on their lives they were asked to re-experience the things they loved and to find the enjoyment in them again. They took photographs, painted, walked the dog, danced and built BBQ’s. This provoked them to look back into their minds and revisit experiences which brought back wonderful memories and reminding them that they are not to old to do these things.

At the beginning the thought of re-visiting these times seemed to scare them but visiting it and facing that fear makes them feel invigorated…. it was truly wonderful to see them gain confidence in themselves. In many cases bringing belly aching laughter helping to keep them young in mind and spirit.

What struck me especially was the support they gave each other and the unity and togetherness they went through. They helped each other focus on goals and assisted in achieving these but in the persons own space and time. The key was to be there for guidance and support but not do it for them.

At the end they obviously repeated the study from the beginning and in all cases there were improvements some more than others but overall it was definitely a extremely positive experience.

The thing I have taken from this is that it is not just something we should be looking to follow when were older but whilst we are younger too. Finding satisfaction from the things you love keeps you smiling and young at heart….. after all life’s not a dress rehearsal!

Activities for people with dementia

By Sylvia Gaspar

When working with people with dementia, the starting point is to recognise the need to meet the person with dementia at the point where they are in their state of awareness and functioning.

Activity is about interaction between people or between a person and their environment. We are told that communication is only in the region of 10% words, therefore 90% is composed of non-verbal stimuli. We know that the person with dementia is losing their ability to use words; the brain function needed to access vocabulary and to form sentences is being lost, though not so the mechanics of speech making until much later. In these early stages, especially what is needed is space and time to do the best they can, accompanied by a patient, listening ear.

As the use of language deteriorates further, the importance of non-verbal communication increases. Body language, facial expression and touch take on greater significance and need to be consciously applied.

Dementia has been described as a return journey through the stages of human development, the independence and functional capacity of mature years diminishing over the course of the condition to early developmental levels. This provides a framework on which to base the choice of activities, although we should avoid therefore assuming a person has ‘returned to childhood,’ which might negate the person’s long adult life story.

As the learned social skills are lost, the person with dementia responds increasingly to more immediate and physically interactive occupations. The bean bag throw, the floor target, the skittles, the bowling, are all very visual, physical and stimulating. A limited concentration span is not over challenged and, if the session is carried out in the right spirit of encouragement and celebration of any success then there is fun to be enjoyed. It is part of the activity organiser’s task to create the ‘atmosphere’ which is stimulating and releasing.

Activities which involve touch, smells, sounds and sight are also important, such as the smells of foods, gardening, whether inside or out, providing opportunities for the feel and smell of damp earth, the texture of soil or the smells of flowers and leaves.

Creativity is also important. The easily prepared fruit salad is creative, as well as stimulating, the flower arrangement makes the room more pleasant for others, the bedding plants outside the window provide new and added colour. Other fail-safe crafts can be offered such as clay or salt dough, painting, stencilling or simple needle work.

Exercise for the body is always essential and going for a walk should feature on care plans more often. The walk to the shops for a few items for the kitchen perhaps, or fresh toiletries, or a walk around the garden is an activity with many benefits. Whilst physically beneficial, people with dementia will also benefit from the stimulation of the change of environment, colours, shapes and smells, the memory triggers of previous.

Everyday domestic tasks such as washing up, dusting, folding laundry, sorting socks and laying tables can also help as in a residential setting there will be some who respond and benefit from being included in the ‘running’ of the home.

The needs of the person with dementia reach beyond making allowances for the physical limitations. To provide an activity programme for people with dementia, the activity organiser must address the inner person; the psychological and the emotional elements of this vulnerable group.

The National Association for Providers of Activities for Older People (NAPA) has more information about activities for people with dementia, or older people in general. Further information on dementia is also available from Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s Society.

A gardening ethos

By Shirley Ward, Gardens Manager

Wellburn Care Homes was delighted recently to host two British Red Cross Open Gardens events.

Open Gardens offers people an opportunity to explore the secrets of hidden and private gardens not usually open to the public, and it helps the British Red Cross to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds each year to care for people in crisis both in the UK and overseas.

This year, Wellburn’s Eighton Lodge home in Low Fell, Gateshead, and Grimston Court, in York, both held Open Garden events

These events, which attracted over 70 people at each venue, raised £640 for the British Red Cross.

As a result of the success of these events, Wellburn is now considering holding its more charity open days to allow members of the public access to its award-winning gardens across the North East and Yorkshire.

The vast majority of our homes are either Grade 2 Listed or situated in a conservation area, and we also invest a great deal of time, and money, on landscaping the surrounding areas, such as the gardens, spending considerably more than other companies in the sector.

The quality of many of our gardens has been rubber-stamped by our success in various stages of the prestigious Britain-in-Bloom competition.

Our whole ethos when it comes to our gardens is to ensure there is all year round colour at our homes. When people come to us, our homes become their homes and we want to ensure they can enjoy their surroundings, and gardens play a big part in this. There are also major therapeutic benefits to having well-kept gardens and as a company we are planning to take this further by introducing sensory areas, which will be particularly designed to help people with dementia.

We are always planning ahead. There is no point someone arriving to live in one of our homes only to see a shrub blossom in five years. We plant shrubs and flowers that are big and bold and make an instant impact. This year, for example, we will be planting 28,500 bulbs this year in preparation for spring 2011 alone.

Autumn and winter is always a busy period for our gardeners, because if they are not constantly clearing leaves they are carrying out landscaping work to ensure our gardens continue to meet the very high standards we set for 365 days of the year

It is a real labour of love for everyone concerned, but if it brings pleasure and contentment to our residents, then it is more than worthwhile.

Volunteering for the greater good

Volunteering England, the national volunteering agency for England, defines volunteering as any activity that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the environment or someone, either an individual or a group of people.

In Britain we have a proud history of rolling up our sleeves and volunteering for the greater good. From the legion of Red Cross and Order of St John volunteers who served both home and overseas in various roles during World War 2, through to the way people respond with selfless acts following tragedies like the 7th July bombings.

In November last year heavy rain caused serious flooding in many parts of Cumbria, leaving thousands of peoples’ homes and business ruined. The volunteer army soon sprang into action, handing out food and refreshments to affected families or going into homes to rescue personal belongings.

The Red Cross was on hand for medical emergencies, Age UK was helping shaken elderly people and a new organisation, Street Angels, was set up to offer support when the water subsided and people attempted to return to their homes.

A local doctor, John Howarth saw this volunteer effort as a blueprint for a new kind of care network and a living example of what David Cameron now calls the Big Society.

Volunteering at Wellburn Care Homes

His view was echoed by Professor John McKnight, an American public health specialist who mentored President Barack Obama in his early days as a community organiser in Chicago. Prof McKnight’s philosophy is that instead of looking at the community as a negative with ‘needs’ for this and that, you should see it as a positive, full of skills, resources and assets.

At Wellburn Care Homes we also believe that the communities in which we operate can play a big part in helping others in a less fortunate position than themselves. We have a number of volunteer opportunities available in our homes in the North East and Yorkshire, and are committed to ensuring that every volunteer has a rich and fully rewarding experience.

So, whether you are a student looking to improve your CV, retired but looking for something else to occupy your time or employed but have some spare time to take on another role, then we would love to hear from you

Voluntary work can range from simply spending an hour talking to a resident or taking them out for a walk, through to helping with a day trip to a local attraction or event.

While many of our residents have a large support network in the shape of friends and families, there are others who unfortunately do not, so by spending some of your time with them, not only would you find it very rewarding, you would be making a real difference to the lives of the elderly people in our care.

The perfect place

When Ena Dixon contracted Parkinson’s Disease her family knew she would not be able to live independently indefinitely.

Despite living in her home for over seven years with the help of her family, after a number of falls at home, including an accident where she fractured her hip in three places, Ena’s daughter Lorraine and her husband Alan, realised that despite their best efforts to provide care for themselves, there was no other option but to look for a suitable residential care home.

Having lived in the Ryton area of Gateshead for the majority of her life, Lorraine and Alan were keen that the 88-year-old remained in the area so she could be close to her loving family.

They visited one care home in the area but although it was brand new they thought it was too “clinical” and “institutionalised”. It was at this stage they visited Wellburn’s Ryton Towers care home.

After looking around the home they quickly made up their minds that this was the perfect place for Ena. By coincidence Ena used to pay her bills at Ryton Towers when it was used as a local council office.

Lorraine and Alan opted for a double room for Ena as they were keen that she could take as much of her personal possessions as possible. Ena moved into Ryton Towers in July 2009 and Lorraine and Alan say they are delighted with the choice they made.

Alan says that what struck them immediately about Ryton Towers was how homely it was. The other home they visited was very impersonal, clinical and institutional but Ryton Towers was the exact opposite. They thought the home felt very homely and they could see there had been great attention to detail ensuring that people living there felt like it was a real home-from-home.

Ena settled into the home really quickly and Alan and Lorraine put this down to the fantastic support she has received from staff and other residents. They say they are now safe in the knowledge that if she does fall, there will be experienced people there to help her at all times.

Ena is a described as being a “bit of a loner” although she does get involved in the various activities in the home, and Alan and Lorraine say one of the nicest things is that whilst staff encourage her to take part, they also respect the fact that sometime she prefers to be by herself.

It is always nice when people tell us, in their own words, about their positive experiences with Wellburn Care Homes. Finding the right home to care for an elderly relative is one of the most difficult decisions you will ever make, so if we can leave you in the knowledge that the decision you made was absolutely the right one, then we know we are doing things the right way.

Seeing Stars

By Karl Beckett (Wellburn MD)

I was very disappointed earlier this summer when the organisation who regulates care homes, the Care Quality Commission, announced it was dispensing with its quality ratings system for registered adult social care services.

In its press release the CQC stated it would no longer be giving a star rating to homes from 1st October 2010 and that it would be working with the sector to devise a new system. However, this new system will not be in place by October when the CQC launches its new registration system and standards, and no timescale has been given.

For the care market generally this is a mistake that has been widely deplored, and it should have been improved further, not cancelled outright, and certainly not without consultation. Whilst no-one would say the star ratings is perfect, the system goes much further than either passing or failing a home – it helps families determine the right homes for their loved ones.

As the results of each home inspected are published on the CQC website it enables people to easily review whether the home is right for them, allowing them to make an informed decision. This is what people do all the time in society now, be it if you want to review how a school is doing, via Ofsted, or even when you are deciding whether you want to stay in a certain hotel, via a website such as TripAdvisor.

It has been suggested that individual local authorities should set their own standards for care homes in their areas and a number already have their own quality standards, but they are very different area to area and there is no way anybody can  benchmark care performance with any certainty.

Who is to say, for example, that a home rated good in Darlington would be exactly the same as a home rated good in neighbouring Richmond? The answer is one could not without any certainty.

Only by having universally recognised national quality standards can people really be in a position to make an informed choice about something which, let’s be honest, is one of the most important decisions they will need to make in their life.

The CQC need to think long and hard about what will replace the star ratings, but they must do it quickly and accept their responsibility as a national regulator means a home rating scheme that clients and professionals can rely on as a reliable guide, avoiding a mishmash of local schemes.

A day in the life

By Karl Beckett (Wellburn MD)

As Managing Director of Wellburn Care Homes, I think it is very important that people, whether that is staff or residents, see me regularly in our homes.

I have never been one to spend all day in the office and although my workload sometimes means I have no choice, whenever I can, I like to visit a home to see what is happening on the ground.

One of the ways in which I do this is by actually spending a full day living life as a resident in one of our homes.

On these occasions staff are only notified of my visit 24 hours before my arrival and when I turn up I tell them not to look on me as the MD of the company, but to treat me the same way as any other elderly person living in the home.

'Back to the floor' Karl gets firsthand experience of life in a care home

It is important to get into ‘character’, so on my first two day in the life of visits, to our Riverhead Hall home in Driffield, East Yorkshire, and our Heatherdale home in Broomhill, Northumberland, I spent my day in a wheelchair and using a Zimmer frame respectively.

I am required to follow the same routine as the other residents in the home, including talking part in the daily activities, having meals at the same time and, if necessary, even being escorted to the toilet and bed.

Both visits provided me with a phenomenal experience and gave me a valuable insight into how the homes are run. It is only by talking to the residents and staff that you learn exactly what works best and what areas need to be improved. For example at Riverhead Hall I realised the activity programme could be further enhanced if we could get more of the residents out of the home and into the community. We are now looking to buy a minibus for the Yorkshire region that would allow us to do this.

Whilst I plan to have more day in the life of experiences in the future, I am also encouraging other senior managers to do the same as I believe it is an excellent way of keeping standards high, as well as ensuring people continue to understand the human side of our business.

It is also something I would encourage senior managers in other businesses/sectors to consider doing. By getting down on the ‘shop floor’ and observing you get a real flavour of how your business is operating and this, in my view, can only enhance the way you work in the future.

Battling Betty

Beatrice otherwise known as Betty first came to Wellburn House in Ovingham on the 4th September 2008, initially coming in for short breaks and then deciding to make Wellburn her home.
In December 2009, Betty was travelling from Ponteland with her daughter Susan when a vehicle coming in the opposite direction lost control and collided into them.
Betty had to be cut from the wreckage and was admitted into Newcastle General Hospital where she was found to have a torn aorta, punctured lung and punctured oesophagus.  Betty was put onto a ventilator and was given a slim chance of recovery.
Several days later Susan was told by the doctor her return to Wellburn House would be very unlikely. Betty was still a very big part of our family. We visited her in the hospital and although she was unable to speak we could still converse with her using a communication board.
Several weeks later Betty was transferred to the High Dependency Unit at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.  Following the ventilator being removed she was now able to speak.  It was amazing that after all the trauma she had experienced she could still remember the name of every resident and member of staff at Wellburn House.
A few weeks later again Betty was transferred to the Freeman Hospital. It was at this time she was at her lowest point. Although she could now stand she couldn’t manage to walk, her goal to return to Wellburn was slipping away.
However, with patience and determination Betty slowly began to improve and again was transferred this time to Walkergate Hospital.
It was at Walkergate Hospital that Betty celebrated her 90th birthday, surrounded by her family and staff from Wellburn House.  It was a proud moment, a landmark Betty never dreamt she would reach.  This reinstated her goal – to get back home to Wellburn!
Betty was determined and pushed herself to the limit and slowly and gradually she began to walk again.  Eventually on Wednesday 23rd June 2010, Betty returned home to Wellburn House – six months after her accident.
On the morning of Betty’s expected arrival her room was decorated with ‘Welcome Home’ banners and balloons, as was the front of the home.  The ambulance arrived, all the staff rushed to welcome Betty with flowers and cards. The paramedics couldn’t believe the welcome she received, in fact another elderly lady in the ambulance said she had wished she was coming back home to Wellburn!
Everyone knew what this day meant to Betty – a day she had dreamt and fought for.  Everyone came together that afternoon to demonstrate to Betty how special she is to us all and to welcome one of our family back home.
Betty says: “I was always looking forward to coming back to Wellburn House.  For me there was no alternative – this was my home and no matter what, in my mind it always would be. Being back home at Wellburn now I know the rest of my days will be peaceful and happy, surrounded by the girls I call my family.”

A golden moment

We were recently delighted to discover that one of our residential care homes – Glenholme House, – in Sunderland had been awarded a Gold quality standard by the local authority.

The home, which is situated in the Roker area of the city, received the top quality rating following a visit from inspectors at Sunderland City Council.

Glenholme House is one of a handful of private homes in Sunderland to receive this rating, which was introduced by the council in 2009 to raise standards in care homes for older people in the city.

There are four ratings, standard, bronze, silver and gold and during an inspection a care home is rated on anything from the quality of its food to the number of different activities residents are offered.

To win the gold standard, a home has to be rated excellent in the following areas:

(Freedom from discrimination and harassment, improved health and wellbeing, improving choice and control and maintaining personal dignity and respect) and good in the following areas: (Improved quality of life, economic wellbeing and making a positive contribution).

Kelly and the Glenholme staff

Kelly Watt, Manager of Glenholme House, said everyone at the home was absolutely delighted to receive the gold standard and that it was testament to the hard-working staff that help to make Glenholme so homely and friendly.

Kelly says no-one in the home is excluded and even if only one resident wants to do something, then staff do everything in their power to make sure it happens.

Bowled over by a Wii

Just because you are old and live in a residential care home doesn’t mean you can’t stay active.
A varied activities programme should be the staple of any good care home, but this programme certainly doesn’t just need to conform to the stereotypes of what elderly people enjoy doing.
Whilst there is always a place for a game of bingo or dominoes, it is important to remember that elderly people also like to be stimulated by new and exciting experiences.

One of our homes, Heatherdale, has come up with a novel way of helping its elderly residents keep fit, by installing a Nintendo Wii.

The best-selling games console was bought after a special request by residents. A member of staff at the home had brought her Nintendo Wii in to show to the residents and they enjoyed playing it so much they asked if they could have one for themselves.

The Wii now takes pride of place in the communal lounge and the residents are able to play with it as and when they want. The most popular games at present are Wii Sports, particularly the virtual ten-pin bowling, and Wii Fit, with the hula hoop providing the biggest laughs.

Heatherdale Manager, Alison Moore, says the residents love playing the Nintendo Wii and as well as being a lot of fun, they are finding it also has fantastic health benefits as well.

Anyone who has played the games on the Wii will know it can be very energetic and whilst staff obviously need to ensure it is not too strenuous, the home is delighted with how popular it has become.

It clearly demonstrates that just because you are older, there is no reason why you can’t also enjoy playing video games – age should no barrier to having fun.

Fun with a karaoke singalong at Ryton Towers, a positive impact on everyone’s health and wellbeing.

At another one of our homes, the installation of a state-of-the-art karaoke machine has given sing-a-longs a whole other meaning.

Staff at Ryton Towers in Gateshead, bought the machine to provide entertainment and stimulation for the residents. It has proved a real smash hit with the residents who now regularly take up the microphone to belt out their favourite tunes. Top of the hit parade are golden oldies from the likes of Vera Lynn and Frankie Valli.

What has proved particularly pleasing is that even our residents who have dementia are having a go and we are noticing it is having a positive impact on everyone’s health and wellbeing.

So, whether it is getting bowled over by a Wii, or singing a Robbie Williams’ song, our message is remember elderly people like to have fun too.