One in 10 care home staff has been forced to turn away an obese person due to their care home not having bariatric facilities, according to a new survey.

The research carried out by leading care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk, found that only 39 per cent of owners, managers and staff said their care home had bariatric facilities, with 13 per cent having to turn away obese people looking for a home.

The term ‘bariatric’ is used for people who weigh over 25 stone. One in four of the UK adult population is obese and this is expected to rise to one in three in the next 10 years.
The increase has led to a growing number of care homes in the UK building bariatric rooms, so they can care for severely overweight people. However the cost of providing these specialist rooms equipped with appropriate bathing and toilet facilities and of having extra care workers for moving and handling seems to be deterring many from going down this route.

Davina Ludlow, chair of carehome.co.uk, said: “The number of severely overweight older people is rising in the UK, and while some care homes have started building bariatric rooms to accommodate residents who are obese, over half are unprepared for this and have no specialist facilities.
“With obesity on the increase, it is vital that the care sector is able to cater to the needs of bariatric residents. Care home developers need to become more inclusive and start building specialist bariatric suites in new care home developments.”

She also called on the Government to acknowledge that care homes face higher costs if they care for bariatric residents due to installing specialist equipment and requiring more care workers for moving and handling. “It is much more expensive caring for morbidly obese people and care homes should receive more funding from the local authority for residents over a certain weight,” she said.
Severely obese people are more likely to suffer from complex conditions such as cardiac disease, hypertension, respiratory disease and diabetics. In addition, they often require specialist management of their skin as severely obese people have an increased risk of pressure ulcers, wounds and reduced prognosis for wound healing due to their immobility.
Zara Ross, head of care at St Monica Trust, which has a specialist bariatric suite in its Sherwood Nursing Home points out that it is not just about the physical care, as a person who is severely obese will often have emotional and psychological needs as people often feel very unhappy with their personal image.

She said: “They have to cope with the comments from people who are not obese and who can be quite intolerant and often do not understand why other people are overweight. They can also be viewed as a drain on resources such as the NHS.
“Obesity – whether associated with medical conditions, or for other reasons – is a major concern for health and social care providers currently, and over the next ten years.”
The figures were sourced from a survey completed by 1,154 care home owners, managers and staff as part of the carehome.co.uk Summer Survey.

SOURCE: carehome.co.uk, Sue Learner

Dementia sufferers get lost in care home where corridors all look the same, says health watchdog

Care Quality Commission says 'similar-looking corridors' can stop patients finding their way round

News

A Beverley care home has been told to become more "dementia friendly" following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Lindum House cares for around 46 patients, nearly half of whom have dementia and other degenerative brain conditions, at its premises in Deer Park Way in the town.

The home was handed a "good" rating on three out of five criteria following a visit in July, but has been told that "the environment did not meet peoples' specific needs in all cases and had not been adapted to support their disability".

In their report, inspectors said the home had not benefited from a programme run by its management designed to improve the lives of those with dementia, and their communication with health professionals.

The report said: "The environment had very little signage and colour contrast was not used as a means of supporting people to find their way around the building.

The home was given a 'good' rating on three of the five criteria, but was still handed a 'requires improvement' overall rating.

"We heard one person frequently asking where they should go. The corridors all looked very similar and the doors, apart from different numbers, were the same.

"There were small name plates on the doors but nothing else to help identify a person's room. The environment did not meet or support people's needs."

However, Lindum House was praised on multiple points. Staff described the culture as "transparent and honest" and patients described the home's manager as "approachable".

It was noted by inspectors that the home had made improvements since their last visit in May 2016, when it was told to give staff more support and make its management of medicines safer.

The report said: "The service was safe. Peoples' medicines were managed safely in line with the service policy and procedure and national guidelines.

"People felt that staff cared and we observed many positive interactions between people and staff. Relatives echoed this view."

A statement from Barchester Healthcare Homes, which runs the home, said: "We are pleased that the latest report from the care regulator, the Care Quality Commission, reflects the improvements in the home and the high quality care we give to our residents.

"We do recognise that improvements can still be made and we are working to embed these in our home."

SOURCE: Hull Daily Mail, David Spereal

Isnt it surprising how seemingly small changes can have such a large overall impact. 

'Where there is disability there is still ability': Blind man completes 500ft wing-walk for charity

Fearless Mark Baxter stood on the wings of a plane as it flew at 135mph, 500ft in the sky, for Deafblind Awareness Week.

The 35-year-old charity worker has so far raised over £1,100 for Sense, a national charity that supports people who are deafblind and who have sensory impairments or complex needs.
Although registered blind, Mr Baxter from Crayford, did not let that stop him when he completed the wing-walking challenge last weekend.

On his JustGiving page, Mr Baxter wrote: “From an early age, I was diagnosed with a deteriorating eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which will slowly lead to blindness.
“We often forget how valuable sight and sound is to our everyday lives and I want to support the fantastic work Sense does across the UK and internationally to keep deafblind individuals active and independent by taking part on my first Sense charity challenge.

“Once again I will be taking to the skies and this time I will not be leaping from a plane. I will be attached to the wing of one, which includes 10 minutes of climbs, dives, and low level flybys at speeds of up to 130mph....all in aid of DeafBlind Awareness Week.”

Mr Baxter, who has a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), has spent the last decade undertaking various challenges, including the London marathon, skydives and treks across the Sahara, UK’s Three Peaks and Iceland, determined to experience as much as he can, while he can.

His latest feat has helped him to raise over a thousand pounds for the disability charity Sense, who he began working for last year.

To be able to complete the challenge at Aerobatic Tactics, Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Upminster, Mr Baxter completed an extensive training programme to drop his weight within health and safety limits of 12st 2lbs (77kg).
Commenting on the experience, he added: “The wing-walk was an overwhelming experience and one I’ll never forget. I was so thankful to family, friends and colleagues who have shown their support.



“I really hope I can act as an inspiration for people who are going through a similar thing, and show them that where there is disability there is still ability.”

SOURCE: homecare.co.uk, Melissa McAlees

How wonderful and congratulations to Mr Baxter - not many would a have a go at this when registered blind.