Our Winter 2020 Newsletter covers a wide range of articles and topics such as a review of 2020 from Altogether Care’s Chairman; how we helped tackle loneliness over Christmas 2019 with Wiltshire Farm Foods, why care is more than just a job, and what we have been up to on social media.
Read our newsletter by clicking the button below.
We know that many of you may be experiencing the impact of the Coronavirus already or will be worried about what it could mean over the coming weeks. As always, our priority is taking care to keep our residents, our clients and our colleagues safe and well.
Given the evolving situation, we wanted to let you know how we are responding and to reassure you that everything is being done alongside health authority guidelines to maintain the health and wellbeing of all our residents and clients remaining in their own homes.
In doing our bit to protect each other and our communities from the risk of spreading the Coronavirus, we have restricted all but essential emergency visiting to our Care Homes and then by appointment only. This policy is under constant review as the situation changes. Please don’t visit if you have any symptoms and need to stay at home, stay in contact by phone and skype. The Home Manager can assist you with the skype contact details for each individual home. If you have recently visited and have been advised to self-isolate in keeping with the Government guidelines, we would ask that you let us know on 01305 206140. We can then discuss what additional measures we may need to put in place.
We maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene in all our homes and on home visits. In the face of the current Coronavirus outbreak we are taking additional measures to ensure the protocols are even more rigorous and doing everything we can at this critical time to keep everyone safe and well. It is an extremely busy time, which has been made more difficult by supply chain difficulties.
Care services are at the front line of the fight against Coronavirus and this is the time we need you to help us win that fight. We have many opportunities for people wishing to consider a role in care, with flexible working and the chance to make a real difference, right now. Full training is provided and we have completely revamped our training to streamline the process for new people to care. To see all the different types of roles and locations we can offer, to get you earning and helping the fight back for our residents and clients during challenging times, visit our opportunities page here.
We are determined to ensure that in these uncertain times we continue to provide the highest standards of care and support for our residents, clients and colleagues, whilst responding to the evolving situation. We also plan to keep you updated as things progress and you can visit our website for more details at www.altogethercare.co.uk.
Lastly, I would like to personally send my on going thanks to all our staff, who are fully committed to the care and wellbeing of our residents and clients. You really are all amazing people, and we will face many challenges in the weeks and months ahead united together.
Stephen Knell
Chief Executive Officer
There is sometimes an assumption that having significant care needs automatically means residential care. But that needn’t be the case. There are plenty of options for receiving the care you need in your own home. For many people, care at home can even help them stay healthier for longer.
Good health and mental wellbeing are closely linked. And sometimes wellbeing comes from familiar surroundings and familiar routines. This can be particularly important for people with dementia. Being independent also helps people to feel more active and engaged, which also helps to keep them healthier for longer.
If you have a spouse, partner or family member living with you, staying in your home is easier. But even if you find yourself living alone it doesn’t mean that residential care is your only choice.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, people with dementia, ‘often feel happier if they can remain independent and in their own homes as long as possible.’ They list a few important factors for continuing to live contentedly in your own home:
The other important aspect of continuing to live a healthier and happier life in your own home is to find the right home care provider. Even if you need around the clock care to carry on living at home, it is possible to arrange this through a live-in care service. For many more people, it’s likely to be finding help with simpler tasks such as washing, dressing and housework.
Whatever the level of support you need, you should always be able to live at home if it’s where you feel happier and more independent. Talk to the team at Altogether Care and we’ll help you find the home care solution that works best for you. Contact 01305 206140 or email contact@altogethercare.co.uk for more information.
Being a caregiver is a demanding task. It is likely to be a role that you never asked for and maybe one that you never expected to have. It can be thankless, and it can sometimes feel like you are on your own.
Fortunately, there is help and support available from organisations such as Carers UK where you can find advice, guidance and online forums so you can share experiences and learn from other people in a similar situation.
As a family-run and socially responsible care business, Altogether Care also likes to support unpaid caregivers where we can with advice and occasional training courses.
One of the trickiest aspects of caregiving can be when you need to help somebody with restricted movement. Moving and handling comes with the risk of personal injury if you don’t do it correctly. You must also keep the dignity and self-respect of the person being moved in mind. Safe moving and handling are important aspects of the training that all our care staff go through.
To help, we are offering free training to caregivers on how to move people safely. You’ll be provided with a certificate upon completing the course. It will take on Wednesday 18th March at 2pm and Thursday 26th March at 2pm.
The courses will be held at 13 Carlton Road North, Weymouth, DT4 7PY.
Booking is essential to secure your place. Please email ellief@altogethercare.co.uk or call 07881 802196 to book.
We’ll also give you free tea, coffee and cake. As well as the training you’ll have the chance to meet and talk to other caregivers.
If you can’t make the training here are a few moving and handling tips that will help:
Obviously, it’s better to be shown how to do this than read about it. So, if you can, please come along to our free training session. We look forward to seeing you.
For more information, please contact us on 01305 206140 or email contact@altogothercare.co.uk
In our mission to aid health and wellbeing among residents in our care homes, we have introduced regular yoga classes , which offer a gentle by effective workout. The yoga sessions are designed for wheelchair users but anyone can join in on the fun!
Taught by Leah Miles, a Yoga Instructor based in Bridport, the classes are tailored to stimulate many of the muscles that are used in walking, to help build strength and support the immune system. The classes are also calming and relaxing, providing residents with a relaxing way to get exercise.
To find out more about Steepleton Manor care home, contact 01305 300161.
Do you want to find out about the likely costs for living in a care home? Try our care calculator here.
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