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EveryDay Service Update 11.09.2020

The big talking point this week sadly has been the increasing C-19 infection rates across the North East region. The increase in infection rates appears to be most pronounced in younger adults, particularly those aged 20-29, who may form part of our staff teams.

Impact on Support

An increase in infection in this age group may well have an impact on the people we support. It is therefore increasingly important that all infection prevention and control measures remain in place and our team complies fully with them.

Team Location

Whilst our customers are focused in North Tyneside and Newcastle our staff live all over the North East. Therefore, our C-19 Plans and Risk Assessments must always reflect local variations.

We will focus this week’s update on C-19 and outline the changes we are making across services from Monday 14 September 2020.

Changes to services

The changes reflect new Government guidance and aim to reduce the increasing rate of infection across the country. All C-19 Service Plans and Risk Assessments have been updated to reflect the changes and are available for circulation/discussion via your Head of Service.

Care at Home in the Community

This continues as normal with the additional controls implemented at the start of C-19. Kerry Parker, Head of Professional Care services is writing to all of customers to remind them that our service continues as normal and how we would appreciate their ongoing support to keep our staff safe by following government guidance, particularly the new “6 people rule”

Extra Care Housing

We are working with Landlords to reduce the number of visitors to our schemes. We are preparing to start to shop/collect for customers living in our schemes using staff working in the local community.

Kerry Parker will inform customers and team members of any further specific changes relevant to each scheme. We will be circulating a joint communication to customers with our Landlords.

EveryDay Living

This service continues as normal with the additional controls implemented at the start of C-19. We are writing to all customers to remind them that our service continues as normal and how we would appreciate their support to keep our staff safe by following government guidance, particularly the new “6 people rule”.

Wellbeing Centres

Our centres will not be closing unless North Tyneside Council insist that we do so.

We have not heard anything yet and will inform customers  when we know more.  Unfortunately we will not be taking on new customers until further notice, except to support people in crisis. This will allow us to maintain the current social bubbles we have created for each day at each Centre.

Customer Services

Our Bradbury Centre team are available from 8.45am until 16:30pm, Monday to Friday. Our doors are open to the public (on a one in, one out basis) from 10am until 2pm, Monday to Friday.

Information & Advice

This service is available for face to face appointments 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday at the Bradbury Centre. Customers should call to book an appointment in advance Tel: 0191 2808484

Induction Training

Induction training for new staff from Newcastle will be delivered in the relevant Scheme and not at our Training Suite in Whitley Bay. This wil reduce travelling for everyone and minimise any risk.

Training

We continue to limit the number of people in the Training Centre to 6 to minimise risk

Finance

We have Finance team members on site Monday – Friday and our doors are open between 10:00-14:00 to enable those of you who wish to make a payment. Tel: 0191 2877010

Human Resources

Our team is extremely busy with recruitment for existing and new developments across North Tyneside and Newcastle Tel: 0191 2877011 for role vacancies.

We will continue to update all of our stakeholders on a

weekly basis.

 

Wellbeing Centres

Our EveryDay Wellbeing Centres located across North Tyneside provide a variety of activities aimed at those aged over 50. They offer exercise, socialising activities and much more.

Jess

Jess is a regular visitor at our Linksill Wellbeing Centre, where we host a programme aimed specifically at those living with Dementia. Her daughter, Judith, recently wrote to EveryDay on their experiences.

Brilliant Susan

“I just wanted to thank you to EveryDay Care and Age UK North Tyneside for sending Susan to us over the last few months, to say she has been brilliant is putting it lightly. I seriously do not think mum would be back at Linskill Park now without her”.

Mum came back to us

“Susan McGarrity encouraged her, engaged her in different activities to stimulate her mind and got her walking again. She was so kind and thoughtful and day by day mum came back to us. I really am so grateful to her”.

Centres re-opening

With our Centres now open with additional measures in place, visits could include activities such as:

‘Exercise Snacking’

Our exercise ‘snacking’ sessions come as a result of a partnership with SportWorks. They include short periods of exercise which aim to maintain mobility and balance. Therefore, reducing the risk of falls at home and improving general fitness and confidence.

Care at Home

EveryDay also provides a Care at Home service which offers help with things as little as getting ready for the day, to supporting with medication and conditions such as Dementia.

Amazing Support

Joanne, the Community Wellbeing Officer at North Tyneside Council, also commented on our services.

“I have some very challenging clients with complex needs and she Michelle Clements (EveryDay Wellbeing Centre Manager) has been amazing supporting them during the lockdown.”

Appreciation

“I know clients have appreciated the support she has put in place help for some very vulnerable people who are under extreme stress every day without a pandemic”.

 

For more information on our Wellbeing Centres and Care at Home provision, call us on:
0191 287 7028

You can also contact Age UK North Tyneside’s Dementia Connections team for support and advice on living with Dementia:

0191 280 8484

Performanc Update

We have reviewed our statistics and performance data for the previous week. There is no change to staff absence or customers with C-19 symptoms. Most importantly everyone continues to be vigilant as we continue to deliver vital services to our customers.

Wellbeing Centres

We are pleased to announce that the Wellbeing Centres will join the rest of the organisation in Phase 3 of the Exit Plan. They will re-open on 10 August 2020. We will be following strict new guidelines which include limiting customer numbers to 10 each day Monday to Friday.

Customer Consultation Exercise

As we move through Phase 3 of the Exit Plan we are recording a high number of customers returning questionnaires or simply taking the valuable opportunity to have their say in how their service might change to make it safe for them to return.

We still have until the end of this month to capture more information before we start working through any changes we may need to make.  This feedback is like gold dust and will allow us to tailor services further to meet customer needs and aspirations.

Headquarters Update

We will be announcing changes to the Bradbury Centre HQ next week, once the Leadership Team have finalised all plans and communicated with those on annual leave.

We will not be making wholesale changes as we must remember the Bradbury Centre, when it opens will be to deliver essential services only.

Concerned Callers

We have received several calls from older people about what to do about their TV Licence. We signpost callers to our Customer Service Team and share this link for more information https://www.ageuk.org.uk/northtyneside/about-us/news/articles/2020/tv-licences-for-over-75s/​

Welcome Back

Finally, welcome back to all staff returning from shielding. We hope that they do feel safe returning to their positions.

A message from our Chief Executive, Dawn McNally

Let me start by reminding you all what a fantastic job you have all done during the pandemic. I say that based on an excellent track record of controlling the virus and protecting customers, staff, and volunteers.

Staff absence remains stable. We’ve had no recorded customer deaths from C19 on our watch. When customers have returned from the hospital with C19 (the only time C19 has featured) into our Extra Care Housing Schemes, our care staff have managed to control the virus and support the customer back to good health.

Everyone one of you should be proud to be part of a fantastic organisation that has gone above and beyond to keep us all safe, an effort supported by each and every one of you.

Bradbury Centre HQ

The Bradbury Centre remains closed apart from authorised visits which need to be logged and approved via the Calendar and Managers.

Wellbeing Centres

The Wellbeing Centres have been pushed back into Phase 2 until further notice. We may find out more next week from North Tyneside Council who have arranged a meeting with all Day Service Providers. I know that part of the call will be to demonstrate how to use PPE effectively.

Please be mindful that whilst we have been well versed in the use of PPE throughout the pandemic, other providers have yet to embrace this brave new world.

Phase 2 means the centres remain closed and the staff and volunteers support customers at home.

Extra Care Housing

The Extra Care Housing Schemes are now open for visitors with new controls in place. We have insisted on additional controls being implemented this week, which include the Social Landlords taking responsibility for additional cleaning in communal areas including gardens.

We have asked all visitors to record their visit to allow us to track and trace in the event of someone showing signs of C19. All Visitors must wear a face mask at all times.

I would encourage care staff within the Schemes to be confident and challenge if they see anyone not following the new guidance and if necessary report it to your Team Leaders or Manager.

Dementia Connections

Betty Lucas, our Lead Admiral Nurse recently wrote an article for Dementia UK .

Our Dementia Connections Team has been extremely busy during the pandemic and report some quite harrowing stories. Where you can let people know that we have this service to support families and carers who are living with dementia.

Customer Consultation

Our teams across EveryDay and Age UK North Tyneside are currently carrying our a customer consultation exercise. We want to better understand how our customers would like to have their services deliered in the future and if they’d like to see any changes to service provision. We will be co-ordinating a response in the next few weeks which will inform our decision making process.

EveryDay Homes

The prestigious new housing development’s website lanched this week .

Phase 2 Update

 

In our CE, Dawn McNally’s last briefing she said she would focus on the headlines from the changes we will make across the organisation from Monday 15 June 2020 which is when we will move to Phase 2 of our C19 Plan.

 

Infection Rate

The C19 infection rate is now decreasing each day in North Tyneside and the North East, and therefore we are ready to move to the next Phase..

 

Generally in Phase 2 all services will move to engaging and consulting with their customers to discuss changes to services, as well as carrying out a light touch ‘guided conversation’ to ensure we capture any changes where customers may require our help and support.

Key headlines and changes for Phase 2:

  1. Emergency Food Parcels-

    As we have moved from an immediate emergency response to ensure older people had enough food, to now having arrangements in place to ensure older people have their emergency shopping done etc this service is no longer required. We’d like to thank everyone who supported the delivery of 850 emergency food parcels which were gratefully received by older people.

 

  1. Prepared Food & Snacks-

    Our Catering Team based at Edith Moffat House will continue to cater for those customers who want meal. Keith Pott’s, Head Chef will process all orders.

 

  1. Essential Shopping-

    this service will continue but will be supported entirely by volunteers from 15 June 2020, all staff supporting this service will have moved back to their substantive role. The service will continue to be free to customers and will be co-ordinated now by Caitlin Calvert, referrals should be made via the Customer Service Team

 

  1. Telephone Befriending-

    this service will continue as it is currently with Beverley Swan. Customers who are being contacted by us for a wellbeing call can be referred into this service.

 

  1. Extra Care Housing Schemes– the schemes will remain locked down, but we will now encourage customers to meet with loved ones (in line with Government Guidance) outside of the scheme but not in the communal gardens. Families will be asked to meet customers at the front door of the housing scheme and care staff will be asked to carry out a dynamic risk assessment immediately before their customer is to meet with loved ones to make sure they have no C19 symptoms.

 

  1. Kerry Parker, Head of Professional Care Services will continue to communicate with customer families and Registered Social Landlords to remind family members etc not to go ahead with a visit if they are showing any symptoms of C19. Staff will remain extra vigilant to ensure we uphold all controls and report any concerns immediately to our Team Leader, Care Manager or Head of Service.

 

  1. Domiciliary Care in the Community there is no change and we continue as we are, we continue to uphold all controls and the use of PPE

 

  1. Wellbeing Centre- again there is no change and we continue as we are, we continue to uphold all controls and the use of PPE.

 

  1. Admiral Nursing- no change and we continue as we are, face to face visits will be held with customers in greatest need, otherwise we will continue to use telephone and video to support customers

 

  1. Dementia Connections- no change and again we continue as we are, we continue to use telephone and video to support customers

 

  1. EveryDay Living- no change and we’ll continue as we are, we continue to uphold all controls and the use of PPE

 

  1. Jarrett’s Coffee Shop- will remain closed during Phase 2

 

  1. Health & Social Activity Groups, including Active Age and Healthy Habits- no change and to continue as we are, we continue to use telephone and video to support customers

 

  1. Older Offenders- no change and to continue as we are, we continue to prepare and send Activity Resource Packs to local prisons.

 

  1. Information & Advice- no change and to continue as we are, we continue to use telephone and video to support customers

 

  1. Befriending- no change and to continue as we are, we continue to use telephone and video to support customers. See Telephone Befriending above.

 

  1. Care Plus– Team members have returned to their substantive service and are supporting existing customers for Care Plus.

 

  1. Strength & Balance– no change and continue as we are, our trainers continue to use telephone and video to support customers

 

  1. Customer Services – no change and to continue as we are, customers contact us, leave a message and our team returns their calls and triage where required

 

  1. Training- we are now increasing the number of training sessions we are delivering and also the number of staff who can attend.  A Risk Assessment has been prepared to ensure staff safety at all times and PPE is available for use while at the Training Suite.

 

 Bradbury Centre HQ Update

 

The Bradbury Centre will remain closed to the public and customers during Phase 2. Some staff will be able to work from the Bradbury Centre from 15 June 2020 but only as agreed with your Head of Service, to enable us to manage the numbers and keep everyone safe.  Staff who can work from home will remain working from home.  A Risk Assessment has been prepared for the Bradbury Centre, it includes the following controls:

Our Customer Service Team is available Telephone 0191 2877028.

Please leave a voicemail and we’ll call you straight back.

Service Update 1st June  2020

Customer Update

We have one customer, within our Dementia Connections service, with C19 symptoms and no customer deaths from the virus, where we provide the customer’s care.

This is incredible to be this far through the pandemic, it is not luck but down to everyone single one of our team who have upheld our infection controls.

Staff Update

We end the last week in May with a slight increase to staff absences. This is now at 6% having risen from 5%. This is still an enviable figure allowing us to continue to deliver services as normal. 

Phase 1

We remain in Phase 1, of our Exit Plans, until at least 14 June 2020, and we will continue as we are until further notice.

Our Chief Executive, Dawn McNally will prepare and circulate a summary of the year and present it very soon as we move through Phase 2 of the Exit Plan, and then our plans for this year in Phase 3.

In other News

We are delighted to announce that we have again maintained our CHAS status which ultimately means our health and safety systems and processes are fit for purpose, and are well managed. Thanks to Angela Dawson who leads on this process for steering us through this assessment despite the challenges of C19.

Recognition

We have received two very special messages this week, one from the Mrs Susan M Winfield OBE, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant, who wrote “to Dawn McNally and all at Age UK North Tyneside & EveryDay Care, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible support and service you have given throughout the Covid-19 crisis. My wholehearted thanks for all you have contributed and my best wishes”.

The second was a letter from Councillor, Carole Burdis a member of North Tyneside’s Cabinet. It is fantastic to have received this kind of recognition for our organisation.

Charity Performance

Our Charity performance for the year ended 31 March 2020 was reported into the Board of Trustees last week and we are pleased to confirm that we achieved 29 out of 33 strategic objectives, and ended the year with a surplus of £61k, a great result and another strong year’s performance.

We have again achieved an awful lot on behalf of older people in North Tyneside.

 

Volunteer Week

As a group we are fortunate to have the support of literally hundreds of volunteers who provide their own time to us and to our customers. Many have been able to continue to support us even during Covid-19 which is an incredible feat. We will be celebrating some of their fantastic stories this week during Volunteer Week. A huge thank you goes to them for everything they do which assists us in ultimately providing the service we can in North Tyneside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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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