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There are simple, effective things we can all do to reduce our risk of catching coronavirus or transmitting the virus to other people.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Coronavirus is a virus that affects your lungs and airways. Find out about the symptoms of coronavirus and the steps to take to stop it spreading.

Click the link below to visit the Age UK national website for comprehensive, easy to understand information that we all need to know to protect our health.

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/conditions-illnesses/coronavirus/

Exercise Snacking

Physical activity is essential for improving health, especially for older people. Caroline Abrahams of Age UK commented on the importance of exercise, saying: “Even small amounts of physical activity can make a difference to a person’s health, lowering the risk of developing serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers”.

Readmissions

According to the NHS, around 1 in 3 adults aged over 65 who live at home will have at least one fall a year, and about half of these will have more frequent falls. From 2011 to 2017, there was a 19% increase in emergency readmissions within 30 days of an elderly patient leaving hospital. This evidently shows the need for preventative activities amongst older people.

Maintaining Mobility

In partnership with Sport Works, our EveryDay Care service provides ‘exercise snacking’ twice daily across our three Wellbeing Centres. These sessions include short periods of exercise and aim to improve and maintain the mobility and balance of our customers. This allows participants to maintain and improve their mobility to prevent accidents at home as well as improve general health.

Wellbeing Centres

Some examples of exercise at our Wellbeing Centres include;

Sport Works

John Newton, Project Coordinator at Sport Works, said: “It is important to remain mobile in order to live independently. Having regular mobility and exercise sessions will reduce the risk of falling and increase agility, balance and coordination. It will give you more confidence in trying new activities and make you feel better about yourself!”.

“Great success”

John continued: “The partnership between Sport Works and EveryDay Care services has been a great success. It has given many of their customers the opportunity to become more active and involved in chair based exercise classes on a weekly basis. We will continue to develop our relationship and work with more clients in 2020”.

National Lottery Funding

A joint funding application placed to the National Lottery in December was granted which will see a weekly seated exercise programme begin in April 2020. The partnership will enable us to work with customers across all Wellbeing Centres and Extra Care Housing Schemes to build stronger relationships within communities and to support customers to reach their potential. The programme will support customers at the earliest possible stage to maintain independence, mobility and increase their overall wellbeing through weekly gentle exercise.

Extra Care Housing Schemes

EveryDay have recently started exercise snacking in our Extra Care housing schemes on Tuesdays. The times and locations are as follows:

Contact

Our Active Age service at Age UK offers advice and support to people over the age of 55 who:

For more information on our Active Age programme, call Laurie Zebik, Active Age Co-ordinator:

Telephone: 0191 287 7027

If you or a loved one would like to experience one of our wellbeing centres, you can book a free taster session with EveryDay:

Telephone: 0191 287 7028   Option 2

Dementia Friendly Communities

In partnership with North Tyneside Council and of course Age UK North Tyneside we are working hard to create a dementia friendly community.

Would you like to learn more about helping to make North Tyneside more dementia friendly?

Dementia friendly communities help people with dementia and their carers feel safe, supported and able to remain involved in community life. North Tyneside is exploring how it can become a more dementia friendly community.

North Tyneside Council is hosting two information events on:

Thursday March 5 , 3pm to 5pm at the Linskill Centre, Linskill

Terrace, North Shields, NE30 2AY

and

Tuesday March 17 , 3pm to 5 pm at Whitley Bay Big Local,

158 Whitley Road, Whitley Bay, NE26 2LY

The events are open to all local groups, businesses and individuals , however there will be a particular focus on the North Shields and Whitley Bay areas.

You will be provided with information on how people living with dementia and their carers can be helped to play an active part in their community and there will be an opportunity for you to explore how you as an organisation or individual can contribute to this initiative.

By making even small changes you can make a big difference. The event will also provide an opportunity to register with the Alzheimer’s Society as a Dementia Friend.

Attendance is free however places are limited so please register your interest by emailing:

felicity.shoesmith@northtyneside.gov.uk

Ask Us About Our  Services

 

Hear My Voice North Tyneside

EveryDay Care works in close partnership with North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group and as a result has been asked to encourage our customers and team to influence local healthcare provision.

Hear my Voice North Tyneside is a new project being launched by North Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group which enables patients, residents, family members, carers and staff to describe their experience of receiving and delivering health care across North Tyneside.

Hear my Voice North Tyneside is one of the ways in which the Clinical Commissioning Group can strengthen a culture of partnership and collaborative working by integrating the feedback they receive into shaping and delivering services for the future. We all need to have an opportunity to have our say.

The CCG will be launching a range of surveys asking for your experiences across a range different healthcare settings. This first survey is asking specifically about your experience accessing and receiving care from your GP practice.

Let North Tyneside CCG Hear Your Voice

This link takes you to the site, please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire as your experiences are invaluable in service planning.

https://loncollector.sensemaker-suite.com/Collector/collector.gsp?projectID=HearMyVoiceNorthTyneside&language=en

#HearMyVoice #PartnershipWorking

Living With Dementia

Up to a third of people living with dementia have not received a formal diagnosis

NICE provided guidance and standards that have modernised care and progress has been made. EveryDay however feels that more needs to be done to improve care for people who are living with dementia.

Diagnosis

Dementia diagnosis has improved considerably, support has increased. Most people in hospital do receive a formal assessment and if the conclusion is that there is a diagnosis a referral is made to specialist services like our own.

On another positive note there has been a reduction in the prescription of inappropriate antipsychotics. This ensures that people are not receiving unnecessary treatment which could be hiding other causes of their distress such as pain. Knowledge in this area has improved.

Dementia Training

Specialist training for health and social care staff could be improved. Thanks to the efforts of Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Champions the numbers of Dementia Friends have increased. Formal dementia training is however required to understand, support and work with people living with dementia. Our own Personal Support Assistants benefit from Dementia, Delirium and Depression (3D) training and a ‘virtual dementia’ tour to enable them to identify issues which might affect our customers.

Delirium

More could be done to implement NICE guidance to improve the prevention, recognition and treatment of delirium. It can often be wrongly assumed that the changes in a person’s behaviour are due to dementia rather than a potentially treatable and reversible condition.

Guided Conversation

The prevention of dementia still lags behind other health issues. Public awareness needs to increase if dementia is to be delayed or prevented. When we meet to complete a service review with our EveryDay customers we ensure that we hold a holistic conversation discussing amongst other things health and wellbeing promotion. This relies on our own in house training to deliver a ‘guided conversation’.

Funding Reduction

Local services have experienced funding cuts over the last few years and as a consequence eligibility criteria has changed. The families of people living with dementia who would once have been eligible for support with care needs are no longer entitled. This then impacts upon hospital discharging and creates ‘bed blocking’ issues. To access a free benefic check to ensure that all eligible benefits are being utilised we would encourage customers to contact Age UK North Tyneside’s Information & Advice team  Tel: 0191 2808484 Option 1

Carer’s Needs

Carers tell us that their own needs are often forgotten  by health and social care staff which then increases the level of stress they experience impacting on their own quality of life. This can make the difference between continuing to care at home successfully and going into full time care. North Tyneside Carer’s Centre provides a valuable resource to carers.

Conclusion

In conclusion we feel that dementia needs to become a priority. More needs to be done to raise awareness, to educate all ages and to provide support to carers and those living with the condition.

Dementia Connections

For specialist advice we would encourage customers to talk to our own Dementia Connections team based at Age UK North Tyneside. The team is made up of specialist dementia co-ordinators and Admiral Nurses who are able to provide advice, guidance and support. The team can signpost to various local agencies who are equipped to provide services in support of those living with dementia.

Care and Wellbeing

If you would like to discuss care provision our team would be delighted to discuss our wellbeing centres which provide respite care and so much more. We can offer support at home with our dementia trained care team.

 

Telephone : 0191 2877028 Option 2

Trainee Care at Home Area Manager

We are looking for two enthusiastic, self-motivated individuals who have a natural passion for working in Health & Social Care, and who have the drive and determination to progress their career into Management.

Purpose:      

 As part of a 12 month training plan you will work closely with the Care at Home Area Manager and receive the necessary experience and training required to become a Care at Home Area Manager. You will receive operational hands on, on the job management experience and will be required to complete a Level 5 Leadership and Management qualification in Health & Social Care.

You will assist the Head of EveryDay Professional Care & Support Services in ensuring the effective and efficient provision of a quality Home Care Service, in order to meet the needs and aspirations of individuals, their families and friends and to meet contractual obligations, statutory requirements and pre-determined service delivery standards.

You will line manage teams comprising of Team Leader’s and Personal Support Assistants operating in this service area, providing supervision and support in line with objectives and standards.

You will lead and motivate the staff team in meeting the support needs of customers, in a way that promotes independence, respect and dignity for the individual.

 Management Responsibilities: 

 

Further information and an application pack can be obtained from HRTeam@ageuknorthtyneside.org.uk

Age UK North Tyneside is proud to carry the positive about disabled people symbol due to our commitments regarding recruitment, training, retention, consultation and disability awareness. We recruit the most suitable individuals for each vacancy regardless of sex, sexuality, race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender, marital status, social or economic background or caring responsibilities.

 

Closing Date: 4:30pm on Monday 17th February 2020

Only those candidates who have been shortlisted will be contacted

EveryDay Care Challenges University Students

EveryDay Care  has challenged interactive media design students at Northumbria University to come up with life enhancing ideas for older people.

Students aged in their 20’s studying Interactive Media Design and Animation will bring a younger person’s perspective to the positive aspects of ageing. They will deliver a project on the ways that artificial intelligence might support a 100 year life span ensuring a happy, meaningful and productive life.

EveryDay prides itself on it’s innovative, person centred care provision

Professor Mark Blythe leading on the project for Northumbria University said “We are excited to have input from EveryDay Care working closely with older people. EveryDay Care will provide an excellent sounding board for students who can interface with customers and staff to share potential life improving ideas for an ageing population.

Student Awards

The Student Design Awards, sponsored by Philips attracts a first prize of £2000, the judging panel may decide on more than one winner and will allocate the award accordingly.

Kerry Parker, Head of Professional Care Services at EveryDay Care said “EveryDay is all about supporting people to make more of life and by working with our excellent higher education establishments in the region this will become a reality.  We hope to cultivate a longer term relationship with Northumbria University to support their students to consider later life in a positive mind set”.

The students met this week with Customer Service and Marketing Manager Sonya Roe to explore ideas and embark on their research with input from both EveryDay and  Age UK North Tyneside. They were challenged to produce idea boards to sound out an audience made up of older volunteers and staff from Age UK North Tyneside in coming weeks.

Our Wellbeing Centres Use Life History Books To Personalise Our Care Offer

 

 

How Life History Books can help us personalise our care

Every EveryDay wellbeing centre customer has their own individual story. We know that our our own life experiences shape us as individuals, and knowing theirs helps our care team to understand who they are as a person then and now.

Communication Issues

We appreciate that people who are living with dementia can experience problems with their ability to communicate. Their memory loss means they sometimes need support to communicate important aspects of who they are, such as their background, previous interests, and who and what was important to them. A Life History Story Book acts as a record of their information and can be shared with our team to help us better understand and relate to them.

What does our Life History Book look like?

There are several ways that our Life History book can be completed. We can use a combination of formats. It always depends on what will work best for the person living with dementia.

These might include:

Paper Books

This format is portable and easily accessible to our carers and the customer’s family. We keep them simple with their photos and clear, easy-to-read text. We can use the digital therapy system RITA (Reminiscent Interactive Therapy & Activity) to create these in a consistent format.

Multiple colours and patterns can be confusing for people living with dementia, so we keep it simple with two contrasting colours. The final copy is laminated to protect it from damage.

Collages

Personal images work well to encourage reminiscing, and can be useful for our customers in the later stages of dementia.

Reminiscence or memory boxes

These can be particularly useful for our customers with sensory impairments, such as sight loss or for those people in the later stages of dementia, when touch or smell are relied on more to communicate.

Apps

There are a number of Apps to help save and share photos and memories of special places by marking them on a map, or playing video and audio. They are simple to use and suitable for people in earlier stages of dementia. Again the RITA system allows us to safely store information about each customer.

When we create their Life History Book

When we compile a Life History Book we always involve the customer and their family in the process. This makes their Life History Book more likely to reflect the person’s real preferences.

We try to ensure a sense of engagement by making our customer comfortable within the conversation. The conversation can take many turns and that’s alright. We don’t always start at the beginning of a person’s life we let them lead the conversation where possible.

Taking The Time

If they find it difficult to communicate their life story we involve their family who are able to provide key information. Often by using ‘prompts’ we can tease out information and include this.

This can sometimes be an upsetting process so our customer provides the detail at a pace that’s comfortable for them, maybe in more than one session.

A person’s Life History Book might include the following:

What Next?

We never bombard our customer with questions. We simply engage them and their family in a conversation centred around them.  Once their Life History Book is complete we share it with our team here at EveryDay to ensure they can better support their customer.

If you would like to talk to us about our unique Wellbeing Centre services which provide respite to carers and a safe, friendly and engaging atmosphere for our customers give our team a call. We’ll be delighted to tell you about our services and invite you and your loved one along for a free taster session at one of our three centres in North Tyneside

 

Telephone 0191 2877028 Option 2 to chat to us without obligation.

 

 

Dementia Dolls Therapy

Life-like dolls have become an increasingly popular method of therapy for people living with dementia. Often provoking feelings of happiness amongst customer, the dolls act as a source of tranquillity helping to relieve feelings of anxiousness and distress. Research shows that the dolls can trigger positive memories usually relating to their youth, from their own childhood, to that of their own children and grandchildren.

Feelings of Purpose

Those living with dementia find comfort in this as the sense of parenthood tends to elicit feelings of purpose and social existence, things that often deteriorate due to loneliness and isolation. As a result, family members of these individuals commonly see improved signs of communication and interaction with loved ones, something that can be reduced amongst people living with the condition.

Energy and Positivity

We have recently implemented this programme here at EveryDay. Elizabeth, 82, was immediately drawn to the doll. The care team saw levels of energy and positivity they don’t often see in her due to her having Alzheimer’s. This demonstrated first-hand the positive effects these dolls can instantly have on the attitude of people as it immediately changed Elizabeth’s demeanour. Other objects such as dog or cat companions have also proven to work in the same nature as the dolls.

Wellbeing Centre Provision

All of our centres will be using dementia dolls due to the positive effects our customers have experienced. Our three wellbeing centres in Wallsend, Killingworth and North Shields aim to help people improve and maintain customer independence.

Activities range from:

This type of therapy has also proven to aid care providers delivering care at home packages as customers living with dementia tend to co-operate more voluntarily due to the distraction of the doll.

If you’d like to experience our wellbeing service, you can book a free taster session

Telephone: 0191 287 7028  Option 2

For advice on welfare benefits, pensions and other financial matters contact Age UK North Tyneside

You can receive a free benefit check to ensure that you or your loved one are receiving any benefits that are entitled

Telephone: 0191 280 8484  Option 1

If you require any advice regarding dementia services or carers, you can contact Telephone 0191 280 8484  Option 0

Wellbeing & Social Activity Centres

Our three wellbeing and social activity centres located in Killingworth, North Shields and Wallsend provide a varied programme of weekly activities. They offer stimulation, light exercise, social activities and so much more. Our customers form new friendships and maintain vital skills in a relaxed, informal but safe environment.

Betty

Betty Crosier is 81 years of age and attends Rowan Croft Wellbeing and Social Activity Centre on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. Betty’s daughter Michelle wrote to EveryDay recently.

Thank You

“Firstly we would like to express how much we appreciate everything you do for our Mother. We have noticed a huge difference.

Mum took some encouragement to attend the centre after a change in management but we continued to encourage her to attend. We thought it would be good for her mental health to get away from her own four walls and interact with people her own age and in a similar situation to her own.

Instant Improvement

We’ve seen an instant improvement in Mum’s demeanour as she seems so much happier day to day, as well as shattered both physically and mentally at the end of each day.

You and your team have transformed her mental wellbeing which is why we increased the visits to twice each week. Mum now has structure to those days and looks forward to her visits (which was not the case previously).

Betty’s Busy Schedule

As you know Tuesdays are her bath days with lunch and an activity/games afterwards. Thursdays consist of activities/games and entertainment as well as  lunch. When Mum returns home (between yawns) she is full of what she has been up to and it is great to hear her laugh.

Varied Activities

The different activities that you and your team provide are exceptional.  I know what activities Mum has taken part in, or enjoyed watching others take part in, a range of activities-she has loved the singing and playing of instruments, the singers you get in to entertain them, baking cakes, knitting, crocheting, arts and crafts, films to name but a few.

Gratitude

Please keep up the great work and if we can assist with anything please do get in touch.

Yours Sincerely

Michelle Ahern (nee Crosier) on behalf of the Crosier family

EveryDay is different when we care

EveryDay provides a range of services within it’s wellbeing centre provision they include:

If you would like to take a look at any of our three wellbeing centres for you or a loved one we can offer a free taster session. Why not give our Customer Co-ordination team a call to book a taster visit with EveryDay Wellbeing Tel:0191 2877028 option 2

If you would like to consider our exceptional wellbeing experience and are concerned about cost we can provide a free benefit check to ensure that you are in receipt of all eligible benefits.    Give the team a call Tel:0191 2808484 Option 1

 

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