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Care Services Update – COVID 19

Our domiciliary care service in the community and within the Extra Care Housing Schemes has continued without any disruption. These are the only services that would normally operate on a Sunday.

Staff Absences

As you would expect we are monitoring the situation on a hourly basis, this includes staff absences.

Whilst the number of staff absent within EveryDay Care is increasing we are still running these services without any changes for customers. We have of course applied increased controls.

As we get to the end of this next week we will see those staff self-isolating returning to work which should counter those that may need to stay at home. It is an ever changing picture each day.

Stay Home, Stay Safe & Save Lives

Although yesterday was a Mother’s Day to remember spirits were lifted by a video we shared of local youngsters practising the Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives message.

Students from Denbigh Primary, 2nd Howdon Scouts and our own key workers’ children shared messages for their loved ones.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tylcwbdyR68

We all need to follow Government and NHS advice regarding social isolation. Please help us protect our key workers who are doing an amazing job in support of our customers.

They are going above and beyond, and doing EveryDay proud.

Wellbeing Centres

Due to Government advice received yesterday it is with great sadness that we have taken the necessary decision to temporarily close our three wellbeing centres from today March 21st 2020.

However we will continue to operate in support of our customers who do require an essential service.  This could include delivering a support service to them within their homes or keeping our buildings open as a safe place with additional control measures in place.

The continued good health and safety of our wonderful customers and amazing key worker staff is paramount to Age UK North Tyneside and EveryDay Care .

Our centre manager, Michelle Clement and our Head of Professional Care Services, Kerry Parker have already  contacted all of our customers and carers to appraise them of the situation and our continued offer of service.

Continued Support

We will ensure that our customers are supported throughout the COVID 19 situation.

Should anyone have any queries regarding the temporary situation with our centres or other EveryDay Care services they only need contact our Customer Service Team who are there to support everyone at this time.

Telephone 0191 2877028 option 2

In addition we want to assure all of our stakeholders that EveryDay will continue to do everything in it’s power to continue to support our customers, their carers, families and our care teams at this time and in the future.

Thank you for your understanding.

  #WereInThisTogether

COVID 19 & Your Mental Health

At the moment, we are all being bombarded with worrying news about coronavirus. Through this difficult time, we want to support you and your mental health – equipping you with the skills you need to take care of your own, and others’, emotional wellbeing.

Although it’s vitally important at this time to follow recent government advice regarding maintaing physical health we appreciate that additionally adding focus on our mental health should not be disregarded.

The Government is likely to make some changes in light of COVID 19 to the Mental Health Act (1983).

We would like to share with you some useful links which you may find beneficial in these extremely testing times.

The first link is from Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). They offer a free helpline from 5pm until midnight, 365 days a year and they will talk to you about whatever is getting you down.

thecalmzone.net/help/get-help

The second link is from MIND and is particularly related to coronavirus and your wellbeing and answers a lot about how this may be affecting your life.

mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing

The third link is from MyTutor and is a guide for parents about Teen Mental Health.

mytutor.co.uk/blog/teen-mental-health-a-guide-for-parents

 Coronavirus: 8 ways to help yourself and others and keep things in perspective for your own mental health

Follow our eight practical tips for looking after your mental health while dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

When something like a virus outbreak happens, it’s easy for us to feel like we don’t have control and this allows anxiety to flourish. Taking back control in any way we can help, and that includes taking care of your mental health and looking out for those who may be more vulnerable.

Here we look at some ways you can regain a sense of control, ease anxiety and support others.

1. Switch off notifications and tune into official information

As with many things that get picked up in the news, there is a lot of misinformation about coronavirus. It can be easy to get sucked into these articles, clicking on link after link until your head is swimming with panic-inducing headlines.

If you have news notifications set up and you’re finding they are triggering anxiety, switch them off. Try to limit yourself to only reading information from official sources such as the NHS and Public Health England. If you’re not UK based, take a look at World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for updates.

2. Spring clean your social

Sometimes it isn’t news outlets that trigger our anxiety, but the people in our social media feeds that have us worried. Perhaps you follow someone who is sharing unofficial news updates, or someone who is talking about it in a way that feels uncomfortable to you.  Whatever the reason, remember that there is no shame in unfollowing or even temporarily muting someone from your feed. Focus on following uplifting accounts that make you feel calm and in control.

3. Ask before analysing

With a subject as topical as coronavirus, many of us will find ourselves talking about it with our friends, family and co-workers. It’s hard, however, to know how they’re feeling about the situation and whether or not talking about it will trigger anxiety in them.

Before you start a conversation, check in with the person you’re talking to about it. Are they comfortable having a discussion or would they rather you talked about something else? Similarly, be sure to share your own boundaries around the subject if you’re finding it tough to listen to.

4. Try to understand opposing points of views

Panic buying and irritation about panic buying are two sides of the same coin – very normal, totally understandable human fear. Some of us panic to feel safe, some of us minimise to feel safe. Neither response needs to be mocked.   We all react to news like this differently, and rather than turning on each other, being kind and offering alternatives can be more productive. Remember, we’re all human and are doing the best we can with the tools we’ve got.

5. Shop mindfully, shop locally

According to Alastair George, Investment Strategist at Edison Investment Research, it’s fear rather than the coronavirus that may be the UK economy’s biggest enemy. You may have noticed a lot of shops are being emptied of their supplies and while it’s easy to understand how fear is driving this behaviour, try to only buy what you need and shop locally where you can. It’s small businesses that are most likely to be affected.

6. Be aware of who you can help

If you know of anyone who may be struggling to get what they need, whether that’s information, health supplies or someone to talk to, see if there’s any way you can help.

Consider older people who may not be online or those with pre-existing conditions who don’t want to risk a trip to the shops. Speak to them and see what would be helpful for them and see if you can support or signpost other support to them.

7. Consider where change to behaviour could be positive

It can be hard to see positives in a situation like this, but it may be helpful to consider how the changes we’re making to behaviour due to the outbreak could have positive implications. For example, China banned wildlife trade nationwide in January due to the coronavirus outbreak.

8. Seek professional help

Whether you already have a condition like health anxiety or OCD that’s being triggered by the news or you’re simply finding your mental health is being affected, don’t be afraid to reach out for support. If you’re keen to see a counsellor but are worried about travelling to see them, look for a counsellor who offers online or telephone sessions instead.

You may also want to look into support groups and helplines that can provide peer support. Know that you’re not alone in this and it’s not ‘silly’ to be worried. You are well within your right to get help.

 

We are here to signpost you should you require our support.

Give our Customer Service Team a call Tel :0191 2877028 Option 2

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and EveryDay Care

Here at Age UK North Tyneside and EveryDay Care we would like to reassure families, friends and supporters that we continue to monitor the situation and follow the latest published advice in relation to COVID-19.

Government Advice

Further to advice received from central government on the 16th March 2020, that everyone in the UK should avoid “non-essential” travel and contact with others we know that many older people and their families or carers will be concerned about the coronavirus and its impact as we all go about our daily lives.

Essential Measures

We have put a range of measures in place to protect our customers, staff and volunteers working with older people, with a primary focus on enabling us to continue to provide essential front line services and our teams are working exceptionally hard to do so.

Care Provision

Taking into account the wellbeing of our older residents within the wider community and the positive impact of social interaction, care and support within our Extra Care Housing Schemes and in the community continues uninterrupted.  We have reviewed our visiting and hygiene policies to ensure that any risk of transmission is minimised and are committed to ensuring that essential services are not compromised.

Our Wellbeing Centres in North Shields, Wallsend and Killingworth remain open. We have also made alternative arrangements to ensure customers who cannot attend continue to receive the assessed support needed to remain at home safely.

A hot meal and shopping delivery service will be introduced as an interim measure for those that have little or no support network and are following self-isolating guidelines.  We are also putting together some guidelines around staying safe at home and safeguarding each other from potential scams.

Age UK North Tyneside Chief Executive, Dawn McNally said: “We continue to urge people to follow national Government guidance to prevent further spread of the illness and limit the numbers affected. Alongside North Tyneside Council and our health partners, we are working to ensure the health and social care system is prepared to respond to all eventualities and that people receive the essential care and support services they need.”

We are also working with local business to highlight the needs of older people and their carers to understand the needs of older people living in the borough by encouraging them to introduce measures like limited shopping times to allow people to get much needed supplies before stocks become depleted.

Support Needed

Corporates and individuals wishing to financially support this free service in North Tyneside can make contact with our Customer Service Team. Donations at this time will be hugely important and will enable us to provide this service for the most vulnerable in our community.

The situation regarding COVID-19 is changing on a daily basis, therefore we will provide updates through our social media channels  and the news section on our website or for more information or advice please contact our customer service team on 0191 2808484 (option 1).

 

 

Reducing isolation and promoting coping for carers of people living with dementia during current restrictions on social activities (COVID-19/Coronavirus)

 

Newcastle University currently have two FREE online courses (MOOCs) available which may help you to feel supported and connected to others if you face restrictions on contact and self-isolation during the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

These courses may help you to:

You can sign up if you have access to a PC, tablet or smartphone.  If not, a relative, friend or professional may be able to help.

 

To sign up, please follow the links below:

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/comfort-care https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/dementia-care

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/dementia-care

For further information on  dementia , advice and support contact our own Dementia Connections team

Tel: 0191 2877014

For enquiries relating to care at home or respite services give us a call Tel :0191 2877028 Option 2

March 19th Chief Executive’s Update

Dear Customer, Team member or Volunteer,

Each day brings a different challenge and just as I announce changes there are more changes being planned. The Leadership Team here at Age UK North Tyneside and EveryDay Care continue to meet daily with me to keep planning, supporting and advising customers, staff, volunteers and partners on our priorities.

We are doing just fine, everyone is stepping up to the challenges we face and we are collectively showing how responsive we are as an organisation.

Today, we are largely as we were yesterday, the BIG news last night was that schools will close on Friday evening until further notice.

Key Workers

However, there are exceptions to this for those staff who are classed as “key” workers. These “key” workers are those that are needed to continue to work in what are “essential” services.

Staff working in social care are classed as “key workers” and therefore these workers can still send their children to school so they can continue to work.

Age UK North Tyneside and EveryDay Care staff can therefore continue to send children to school next week, and thereafter unless advised otherwise.

There is no change to services planned for today or tomorrow, but this may change so please keep our social media platforms and our websites.

It is great to see our supermarkets offering protected times for older people and their carers, if you need more information please see the details on our websites.

We have also been advised that restrictions on concessionary bus passes and Metro cards are to be lifted allowing customers to shop in that ‘golden hour’ so many stores are making available to them.

Whilst our physical health is important let’s not forget our mental health, it is a time when we all will feel anxious, scared or uncertain at some point.

To support us all to maintain  good mental health we have uploaded some guidance on our websites and staff portal.

Some people will be worried about their financial situation, if this is a worry that you do have please read the guidance we have uploaded to our websites and staff portal.

Our Information and Advice team is here to support you Tel :0191 2808484 Option 1

Stay safe , we are all in this together.

Dawn McNally

Chief Executive

 

 

 

 

Until tomorrow, stay safe and remember you are not on your own we are all in this together.

Regards

We regularly receive praise and thanks from our customers , their carers and families. We wanted to share this expression of gratitude.

“Dear Kerry

I feel, once again, the need to contact you and express my gratitude and thanks for all the hard work, dedication and commitment shown by Age UK North Tyneside and the Dementia Connections team.

14 years down the line looking after mum with dementia has certainly been a massive learning curve for me, second to only bringing up children!

I still thank God every night in my prayers for ever being put in touch with Age UK North Tyneside Dementia Connections services and of course Linskill Wellbeing Centre. More recently we were introduced to Lynsey from the office, and her phone calls to ‘check up’ on us occasionally are such a wonderful ‘pick me up’, thank you so much for this very meaningful part of the services.

Reiteratively, I feel I must affirm my gratitude for the wellbeing centre and its staff.  Please do not underestimate my words when I say I really do not know where mum and/or myself would be at this time without, firstly mum being able to attend the centre, and secondly, myself being able to depend on the expertise, professionalism and empathy of your staff.

I feel sometimes their roles are taken very much for granted insofar as a lot of people think ‘it is just a job’, but being lucky enough to volunteer and have a little bit of insight into their individual roles I can honestly say I have nothing but huge admiration for the way they carry out their duties.

They have all been paramount in this excruciatingly frustrating journey me and mum are on, and have given us so much joy and self worth along the way I can honestly say I feel like they are all part of our family. Twice over the last year I have thought I would be arranging a funeral, but with the help of the wellbeing team,  we literally brought mam back from the brink.

Mum certainly relates more to Janice, Emma, Susan, Tracy, and Kev,  than most of our relatives. Just a fact of life.  It seems like you have a really effective balance having a male carer on the team and they all work so well together the wonderful fun and happy atmosphere they create is truly infectious, on both the customers and their carers. To say they go above and beyond is certainly an understatement. Janice’s professionalism instils a huge confidence to all concerned and certainly puts our minds to rest leaving our loved ones in their care.

May I now address the EveryDay community carers. With the best will in the world I can understand how it is an almost impossible task to keep everyone happy at all times, working with such an ever changing work environment. Notwithstanding this the girls persist with a gracious and positive attitude.

They make such a huge difference to an otherwise draining existence. Mum really lights up when they come into her bedroom each morning. The half hour wash and dress call we get really makes all the difference to the start of our day.  Again, although they must all be congratulated for the wonderful job they do there is one carer in particular, Trish Bowan, who stands out.

It is obvious that this is more than just a job for Trish, it is a true vocation. She is the epitome of professionalism, whilst being kind, compassionate and so thorough. She is a true gem.

Of course, I realise these services only run as well as they do because of the huge team behind the scenes as well.

Thank you seems such an inadequate phrase, but if possible please portray my gratitude to as many of your staff as possible. You are all really making an immense difference, for the better, to so many peoples lives.

Yours sincerely

Sheila Hall (and mum Sheila)”

Coronavirus & Local Services- Update

Following the most recent government advice EveryDay Care would like to update our customers on local service provision. Many of our customers also access Age UK North Tyneside services so we feel it’s appropriate to keep you well informed about changes as they happen.

We will continue to follow government advice and would encourage anyone wanting further information or guidance to use the following government website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Daily Website Updates

The Age UK North Tyneside website will be updated daily and we ask that all calls for information be directed to 0191 2808484 option 1.

Priorities

The decision has been taken to stop all non-essential charity services, whilst we prioritise essential services for older people in North Tyneside.

  1. Services that will stop operating with immediate effect, and our supporting plans

Social and Physical Activity Groups

Customers have now received a letter informing them of the groups that will stop running until further notice

  1. Charity staff will contact those groups who would normally operate so they can inform them of the closures
  2. The letters included a post card asking if customers need Age UK North Tyneside continued help and support
  3. Charity staff will be redeployed to other essential and some new services.
  4. Charity staff will be liaising with partner organisations to inform them of these changes

Just some of the things we can help with are:

Shopping for essential items or urgent supplies

Dog walking

Friendly chat to reduce loneliness

Advice and guidance

Personal care and support

Infection control

Give our Customer Service Team a call Tel: 0191 2808484 Option 1

            Jarrett’s Community Café

  1. Jarrett’s Commuity Cafe is closed until further notice
  2. Age UK North Tyneside will redeploy their staff to essential service provision

 

            The following services will move to telephone support only

  1. Dementia Connections 0191 2877014
  2. Information & Advice 0191 2877028 Option 1
  3. Befriending 0191 2877013

 

            Service Provision Continues, following government guidance and additional control measures as necessary:

  1. Extra Care Housing
  2. We will endeavour to increase the activities within our housing schemes, depending on staff availability
  3. Kerry Parker, Head of Professional Care Services is liaising with the Landlords of each scheme to advise on visiting, we will communicate this when we know more but until then we will continue to follow government advice remembering our customers are in the higher risk category

 

  1. Care in the Community
  2. Nothing further to advise other than normal service provision continues and we will follow all advice for hand washing and use of PPE etc as well as our own guidelines

 

  1. Wellbeing Centres
  2. We are contacting customers before we make a final decision on whether we continue to remain open

1. EveryDay Living

  1. Nothing further to advise other than normal service provision does continue and again we’ll follow all advice for hand washing and use of PPE etc as well as our own internal policies

 

  1. Customer Services, including Head Office
  2. We are not closing the Bradbury Centre to older people or the general public
  3. We are howeve cancelling all non-essential meetings and reverting to telephone or virtual meetings

We plan to increase the staff supporting Customer Service telephone lines

Changes to Services

  1. Strength & Balance
  2. All courses have been cancelled with immediate effect
  3. Our Trainers will revert to maintaining contact with existing customers by sending out exercise sheets and developing short videos so customers can continue to exercise under their guidance
  4. Befriending
  5. We plan to increase capacity significantly by redeploying some of our staff to this service which will be a telephone service only
  6. We are also working with large companies who have offered their staff for telephone befriending.

  New Service Provision

  1. Shopping
  2. Our Customer Services Team will be taking “orders” from older people who need essential food shopping etc once we announce this service is available, which will be by the end of the week
  3. We are busy contacting supermarkets to make arrangements for a priority service for older people

 

Food

  1. Our Customer Services Team will be taking “orders” from older people who need essential “cooked” food delivered to them

If you are in any doubt please do give our team a call. We are here to support you at this difficult time.

Tel: 0191 2808484 Option 1

 

Random Acts of Kindness

Customers at a one of our North Tyneside wellbeing centres were treated to a surprise selection of goodies thanks to thoughtful young people with Special Educational Needs .

Benton Dene School

Children from Benton Dene Special School handed over shoeboxes filled with treats at Rowan Croft Wellbeing Centre, Killingworth.

It was organised by Age UK North Tyneside as part of Random Acts of Kindness Day, where young people were encouraged to perform a small act to benefit an older person in the community.

End Loneliness Campaign

It is part of Age UK North Tyneside wider ‘End Loneliness’ campaign to tackle loneliness and isolation across the borough.

And the shoeboxes, delivered in person by the Year 4 children, had the desired effect on customers at Rowan Croft.

Hilda Williamson, 88, said: “We had the children over singing carols at Christmas so to see them again is lovely.

“It is marvellous what they have done for us all, they are very thoughtful. We have all received some lovely gifts and it has brightened up everyone’s day.

“I love coming to Rowan Croft and things like this is one of the reasons why. I lost my husband and got lonely and a bit depressed, but coming here has helped so much.

“I get to see my friends, play games, listen to music and generally enjoy myself. It has been a godsend.”

Young People

As well as Benton Dene, children from Collingwood Primary School and Explorer Scouts in Tynemouth were also involved, packing the boxes themselves and handing them over to older people in the community.

The boxes contained gifts such as scented candles, teabags, and sweets and included a note from the giver.

According to Age UK statistics, around 1.4m million people across the country feel cut off from society, with loneliness as damaging to health as 15 cigarettes a day.

Age UK North Tyneside’s Head of Charity Services, Yvonne Probert, said: “Social isolation can happen anywhere, but it particularly affects older people.

“We want people to realise this happens all the time, not just at times like Christmas. Random Acts of Kindness can make a real difference to people who feel lonely.”

Age UK North Tyneside’s Community Engagement Officer Jo Linton, who organised the handover, added: “It has been so rewarding and lovely to see everybody’s faces.

“It just goes to show how much joy can be given to someone through just a small random act of kindness.”

Benton Dene staff member Alison Wile added: “The children have absolutely loved packing up the boxes and then handing them over today.

“Most of our children have autism and find social situations difficult but they have found today really easy, and fun. It is fantastic to see the children spreading joy and helping to make other people happy.”

Rowan Croft is one of three North Tyneside wellbeing centres, with customers also attending Cedar Grove, Wallsend, and the Linskill Centre in North Shields.

To learn more about these services why not give our Customer Service Team a call

Tel: 0191 2877028 option 2

CBD Product Legislation

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have initiated legislation to remove all unregistered CBD products from shop shelves by March 2021. CBD stands for cannabidiol which is an active chemical found in marijuana. Some health organisations suggest that use can improve certain aspects of health and act as treatment for some medical conditions.

Usage guidelines

Although the sales of CBD products have seen a rapid increase, few of these products have officially been approved for safety in the UK as of yet. Despite this, the FSA recommends that no more than 70mg a day should be consumed by the average adult. Although cannabidiol derives from the cannabis plant, it does not contain any psychoactive properties and has been claimed to help conditions such as:

Illegitimate products

The legislation has been put in place to prevent bogus goods from reaching misled consumers. Trials have found CBD products that contain potentially harmful ingredients, as well as some with illegal levels of psychoactive ingredients. Furthermore, some products were even found to have very little or none of the extract, despite their marketing claims.

With the benefits of CBD products in mind, they can also have downsides:

Taking a stand

The FSA had originally taken a laid-back approach, encouraging companies to voluntarily come forward with product information. However, a lack of documentation given by sellers triggered the regulator to demand appropriate information stating the full list of ingredients in their products.

It is also advised that CBD products are not used in conjunction with other medicines as the effects of this can be potentially harmful. Products can come in the form of:

Benefits for consumers

For consumers, the new legislation will allow for safer products, as well as clarity when purchasing them over the counter. As all documentation is required to be submitted to the FSA, any misleading or potentially dangerous products will be removed from the market to allow for the safety of consumers and punishment of illegitimate sellers.

 

If you require any information or advice, visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medical-cannabis/

To locate trusted local pharmacies, visit:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-pharmacy

 

 

 

 

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