Category: Uncategorised

Looking After Each Other – a Message From Our CEO

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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

Maintaining Health and Wellbeing: Why Care at Home May Be the Best Option

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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.

Living on Your Own

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:

  • Have a good support network of family, friends and care professionals.
  • Keep up with social activities and pastimes.
  • Make a point of calling people regularly and consider using a video calling service such as Skype.
  • Investigate local befriending groups.
  • Consider online forums and support groups if you don’t have friends or family you can talk to regularly.

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.

Caring for a Loved One: How to Lift & Handle Safely and Properly

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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.

Moving and Handling

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.

Free Training Course

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.

Top Tips

If you can’t make the training here are a few moving and handling tips that will help:

  • Take account of the weight of the person. If you don’t think you’re strong enough don’t attempt it on your own.
  • Always get somebody to help if you can.
  • Make sure there are no obstacles or ‘slip and trip’ hazards.
  • Never lift above shoulder height
  • Space your feet to give you a firm and stable base.
  • Have a firm hold and keep any weight close to your body
  • Lift from the knees keeping your back straight
  • Lift as smoothly as possible

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

Getting Into The Yoga Flow at Steepleton Manor

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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.

Bea and Peter enjoying a Yoga class with Leah at Steepleton Manor

Do you want to find out about the likely costs for living in a care home? Try our care calculator here.

Care Calculator

Apetito – Food and Drink for People With Dementia

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Apetito has been established since 1928; they employ their own in-house dietitian and registered nutritionist to create and ensure that all meals are not only delicious but that they also meet the nutritional standards required by the British Dietetic Association (BDA), the National Association of Care Catering and the Hospital Food Standards Panel. In 2016, Apetito won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation for the second time for our texture-modified meals for people who have difficulty swallowing or chewing.

Altogether Care recognises that good nutrition and providing an enjoyable dining experience are central to promoting good health and well-being among our residents, values we hold dear at Sherborne House.

In September, Sherborne House held a food tasting afternoon delivered by Apetito. The afternoon was a resounding success with residents, family members and staff enjoying an array of mouth-watering dishes; with cleared plates all round.

Following on from this successful afternoon with everyone having the opportunity to fire questions fielded by a team of staff from Apetito; the question was asked whether Sherborne House should adopt Apetito? The decision by all was a resounding yes.

So, what does this mean for our residents?

We can now offer our residents a choice of over 200 delicious meals and desserts, so there’s something for everyone, with a wide range of meals tailored to every taste, dietary and cultural requirement.

For residents who have dementia, we acknowledge that the enjoyment of their meal starts with the eyes, with every mealtime a highly sensory experience, the visual aspect is essential.

We wanted to make a difference for all of our residents but  faced our biggest challenge was the presentation and taste of our texture modified meals for residents with swallowing difficulties. Typically, these meals were shapeless, somewhat tasteless, not to mention visually unpalatable. We are now delighted that the meals we now provide are visually appealing; with clean plates all around proving the success of the new recognisable shaped foods.

Most importantly, using Apetito means that all of our meals meet Care Quality Commission (CQC) and National Association of Care Catering (NACC) standards and are in line with the British Dietetic Association (BDA) guidelines. The meals carry the optimal nutritional value, all while catering for dietary requirements and conditions such as dysphagia.

What do CQC Inspection Reports Really Tell You?

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First of all, Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections are a good thing. It is important that there is accountability so that people placing their trust in care services can have confidence that the system is properly regulated.

Accountability also helps providers with common performance benchmarks and guidance on where we can improve.

To make best use of CQC inspection reports when choosing a care home or home care provider, it can help to understand a bit of background and context. Inspectors report on whether services are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. There are four possible ratings: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate. There is no category for ‘satisfactory.’

Some of the inspection rating is based on documentation such as procedures and record keeping and some of it is essentially a snapshot of what inspectors saw and who they spoke to. So, there could be some subjectivity in the findings- there’s also potentially some randomness based on exactly when the inspection happened.

There’s no doubt too, that some providers are better at the process of preparing for inspections than others. Although you could argue that this is what you’d expect from a well-managed organisation.

What do Ratings Mean?

Don’t dismiss homes simply if they are not Outstanding or Good. Care providers, and more importantly, care users are highly individual and other factors should also be considered.

For example, a home with a lower rating may be a better choice for an individual if the location makes it easier for relatives to visit and for the resident to maintain links with the community they come from. It may be that the facilities and activities on offer are more in line with what a particular person wants.

Similarly, you shouldn’t necessarily be put off a care home because its CQC rating at its last inspection was ‘Requires Improvement.’ There may not be that much practical difference between a provider that just got over the threshold to be rated ‘Good’ and one that didn’t quite make it.

If a home or provider is said to require improvement, it’s important to understand what this means. It could be that they provide essentially safe and effective care but need to tighten up some of their management processes. Even a provider with an ‘Inadequate’ rating shouldn’t be discounted out of hand if the management is taking urgent and purposeful action to correct the shortcomings found in the inspection.

The best way to identify the most suitable care home is to arrange a visit during a normal day to see for yourself whether residents look happy and well cared for. By all means, take along a copy of the most recent inspection report and talk through any concerns with the manager. More importantly, go with an open mind and ask: ‘is this a place where I or my loved one could live the life they want to live. To arrange a visit at any of our ‘Good’ care homes, contact us today on 01305 300 161.

Steepleton Manor Open Day 6th October

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On the 6th October 2018, between 12pm and 4pm we are opening our doors at Steepleton Manor care home to celebrate 30 years as a family business in care.

Steepleton Manor is our luxury care home, specialising in assisted living and residential care, set in the picturesque village of Winterbourne Steepleton near Dorchester. Surrounded by six acres of mature landscaped parkland, it features its own walled kitchen garden where residents can grow their own produce. At Steepleton Manor you will find a vibrant living environment with a range of social and exercise activities, a library, tailored nutritional food and therapies to support a healthy and high quality lifestyle.

We want to celebrate our commitment to providing quality care for 30 years and demonstrate what life at the Manor is really like by opening our doors for the day. The event will feature information on the events programme we run, a tethered hot air balloon, classic car display, nutrition information and catering, music sessions, and some freshly made cakes and cream teas to enjoy. Plus, there will be an opportunity to have a look around the manor and learn more about what we do to provide a family feel with our care environment.

For more information, please call us on 01305 300 161.

Steepleton Manor,
Winterbourne
Steepleton
DT2 9LG

A Concise Guide to Direct Payments for Social Care

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Direct Payments are based on the view that you are the best person to decide what care is right for you. We agree that you and your loved ones are the best people to decide what care is right for you. This principle has shaped our care services for nearly 30 years.

Under certain circumstances, instead of your local council choosing your care provider and paying for that care, you can receive money yourself to use with who you choose.

Direct Payments are optional. If you prefer for your council to arrange and pay for care on your behalf that is your choice.

Direct Payments are available to the following people:

  • Older people who need community care services.
  • Disabled people over the age of 16.
  • A parent of a disabled person.
  • A disabled person who needs help being a parent
  • A carer or somebody looking after a person who cannot take care of the money themselves.

Before claiming direct payments, you will need an assessment of needs by your local council. You can only buy equipment or help using your Direct Payments if the assessment says you need it. You must keep records of what you spend. Anything you spend on items not included in your assessment may have to be paid back.

What you can buy:

  • Equipment or help needed so that you or somebody you care for can carry on living at home or leave long-term residential care.
  • Short-term residential care (if your council agrees).
  • Employing a helper. This cannot be your husband, wife or a close relative who lives in the same home.

Direct payments cannot be used to buy care from your council or for long-term residential care.

To receive Direct Payments, you will need to prove that you are able to manage the money and spend it on the right things. The amount you get will be sufficient to cover only the care or equipment identified in your assessment of needs. If you would like additional support, you can buy this without it affecting your Direct Payment.

Direct Payments will not affect any benefits you receive such as child support or independent living fund payments. The amount you receive may depend on your income, but payments are not taxable.

We hope this guide will help you understand whether Direct Payments are the best option for you or somebody you care for. You can see an infographic of this guidance here or to find out more about how Altogether Care could help you contact us on 01305 300 161.

Employees of the Month – November

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We are delighted to reveal our Employees of the Month for November for each of our care homes. Each month, care home managers at Sherborne House, Steepleton Manor and Weymouth Care Home will hand pick team members who demonstrate a passion for their role and go above and beyond to provide excellent standard of care and support to residents.

Our Employees of the Month for November are:

Steepleton Manor

Iain Adshead

Iain is Steepleton Manor’s Employee of the Month. Iain works hard throughout the grounds of Steepleton Manor to ensure the gardens are bright and beautiful for the residents.

Sherborne House

Amy Navey

Amy is Sherborne House’s Employee of the Month. Amy is a true asset to the team who is always happy and covers shifts in any department when she can.  Nothing is a problem for Amy, who goes above and beyond to brighten up the resident’s days with her bubbly personality and smile.

Weymouth Care Home 

Elsa Peneyra

This month’s Employee of the Month for Weymouth Care Home is registered nurse Elsa. Elsa is always ready to go the extra mile for Weymouth Care Home. She has embraced all the new changes that are happening in the home with enthusiasm and a good sense of humour.

Many congratulations to all of our Employees of the Month!

Taking to the sky for charity

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We held an internal competition this year to see which of our colleagues could raise the highest amount for our chosen charity, Hangers Heroes. This charity raises money for local charities in Dorset through many different events and fundraising activities that are thrown throughout the year. Just some of their supported charities include Dorset Search and Rescue, Stella Hayward Rising for the Disabled, Steve Charles Help a Friend Fund and Weymouth Street Pastors.

We are delighted to announce that the winner of this competition is Jessica Thompson!

Jessica braved the skies and completed a tandem 15,000ft skydive raising over £500 for Hangers Heroes. We are extremely proud of her fundraising work; this money will help support Hangers Heroes vital work with local charities.

As the winner, she will receive £150 alongside the incredible memories and stories that she can now share about her brave and exhilarating experience.

Find out more about Hangers Heroes here and like them on Facebook.

Firework Art at Steepleton Manor

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Residents at Steepleton Manor enjoyed sketching a variety of fireworks to mark bonfire night this November.

Although sometimes tricky to capture in the form of a drawing, residents created accurate and life-like pictures.

Drawings pictured are by Margaret, Anne and David.

Fireworks at Sherborne House

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A colourful and fun firework display was enjoyed by residents, staff and their families at Sherborne House last weekend.

Hot dogs, marshmallows and hot chocolate was served whilst everyone watched a sparkling display in the sky.

A Poppy Wreath to mark Remembrance Day

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Residents at Steepleton Manor have created a special poppy wreath to mark Remembrance Day on Sunday 11th November.

Remembrance Day has been observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

The day is observed on 11 November in most countries to recall the end of hostilities of World War 1 on that date in 1918.

Drums please

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Residents at Steepleton Manor enjoyed a drumming session with local drummer ‘Magdalena’ this month. The popular musical activity has become a monthly event, with everyone making the most of the opportunity to create some rhythm and fun.

Fast flying bird at Sherborne House

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Residents at Sherborne House were treated to a special visit from a bird of prey back in September when Sharandys Birds of Prey visited with a friendly kestrel. Staff and residents enjoyed petting and stroking the bird.

Kestrels are able to fly at high speeds and change direction rapidly. They have exceptional powers of vision and have been recorded diving at speeds of 200 miles per hour.

This was a fantastic experience for the residents to get involved with and has provided them with fond memories.

Bird of Prey Sherborne House Visit

Art and Animals at Weymouth Care Home

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The benefits of art therapy are wide-ranging – it can help keep the mind active, promote dexterity, and is a great form of self expression.

Residents at Weymouth Care Home recently enjoyed a day of arts and crafts, creating different animals from clay and then painting and glazing them. A selection of animals including a pig and a crocodile were made.

The residents were really pleased with their animals, which will take pride of place in their rooms!

Picture: Val and her crocodile

Alpacas visit Steepleton Manor

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Two Alpacas dropped into Steepleton Manor on 3rd August and made friends with residents and staff.  Hurricane and Sirocco took advantage of being stroked and cuddled whilst having their own special guided tour of the care home.

Special thanks are given to Wendy Williams from Alpaca Adventures for bringing the friendly pair to visit.

Employees of the Month – July

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We are delighted to begin sharing with you our Employees of the Month for our care homes. Each month, care home managers at Sherborne House, Steepleton Manor and Weymouth Care Home will hand pick team members who demonstrate a passion for their role and go above and beyond to provide excellent standard of care to residents.

Our Employees of the Month for July are:

Weymouth Care Home

Natalie Fourier

Natalie has been nominated due to her dedication to the home and the rest of her team. Natalie goes above and beyond to assist her colleagues and residents, and has recently been covering cooking and cleaning duties on her days off.

Steepleton Manor

Nicola Stanzl

Nicola has been nominated for Steepleton Manor’s in July. Nicola joined as a HCA staff member in February, and since then has demonstrated a passion for her role through her hard work and perseverance, with excellent professional conduct throughout her time with us.

Sherborne House

Kelly Eason

Kelly has been dominated for Sherborne House, having worked with us for 6 months. She is described as an asset to the team, Kelly provides an excellent standard of care for all residents.

Happy Birthday Ella!

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Ella Fossey celebrated her 96th birthday on 1st July at Weymouth Care Home with family, friends and staff.  Ella had her very own party in the library and was presented with flowers, puzzles and her favourite word search books.

Ella, who adores doing puzzles and word search games, also enjoyed a buffet together with her family.

Latest Residents are Furry Friends

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Five guinea pigs have moved into Sherborne House Care Home and have become an instant hit with residents and staff.

The five fluffy pets have been named Rhianna, Blondie, Shakira, Doris and Ellie.

Residents and staff have been enjoying feeding, cuddling and playing with the new arrivals who have settled in nicely as the latest residents.

Caroline Sharp, Manager at Sherborne House Care Home said:  “Everybody loves our five new residents and they have received lots of love and attention which is great as they are very sociable creatures”.

Photo: Residents Mary and Kate with staff member, Martin, and the five guinea pigs.

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Some recent day to day activities

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