Ball Games
At Farthings we understand how important it is for older people to remain active, not only does it improve overall immune function, it produces endorphins (the “feel good” hormone) too. The maintenance of strong social ties is important to have a sense of purpose and avoid feeling lonely or depressed.
With this in mind we regularly encourage our residents to take part in gentle exercise through our group activities programme. This month we have been focussing on ball games and as you can see they were thoroughly enjoyed by all. The favourite was playing catch, there was lots of laughter whilst anticipating who the ball was going to be thrown to next!
May 2022 News
WALKS
We have been very lucky with the weather through May and have been able to facilitate lots of walks around our lovely quiet village. We have seen ducks playing and used a plant app to see what various plants around the village were called.
VISITS
We continue to welcome family and friends into Farthings to visit their loved ones and it has been lovely to see so many of you throughout May. We would like to thank everyone for continuing to adhere to our Company policies.
TELEPHONES
We have changed our telephone system, after many calls to the previous provider, we would like to thank you for your patience whilst we have been investigating alternative options to work within our home.
Our landline phone now rings to two mobile devices, which the care staff have on their person throughout the shift and a desktop phone which is in Lynne’s office. This approach enables the mobile devices to utilise our homes wi-fi to get coverage throughout the home.
We hope you have noticed a marked improvement with the new system in place, any feedback (good or bad) would be much appreciated, please send to [email protected].
HYDRATION
New hydration trays have been implemented throughout Farthings. Everyone who is required to have their fluid intake monitored will be given a 750ml jug of water with a red lid each morning. When the first jug of water has been drunk, it will be refilled with fresh water and the lid will be changed to yellow. When the second jug has been drunk, again it will be refilled, and the lid will be changed to green. At this point the resident will have drank 1500ml of water the risk of dehydration will have been reduced. If the red lid is still on the jug by the afternoon, the senior carer will take further action.
CARD BINGO
Card bingo is a firm favourite with our highly competitive residents!!
BALL GAMES
The residents have enjoyed playing a game of catch, there was lots of laughter trying to guess who the ball may be thrown to next!
JUBILEE
Decorations and crowns have been made to decorate the home in anticipation of celebrating the Jubilee. A special Jubilee bench has also bee purchased for the garden.
Scones!
Delicious sultana and citrus scones on the menu at Farthings today......fresh out of the oven......
Food Hygiene Rating
Our Environmental Health Officer visited yesterday (15 June 2022) from Bassetlaw District Council for our routine Food Hygiene Rating and we are delighted to have retained our 5* rating!
We have received the highest possible score, demonstrating a ‘high’ level of compliance in every area of the inspection, which were as follows:
- Compliance with food hygiene and safety procedure
- Compliance with structural requirements
- Confidence in management/control procedures
A huge thank you to our wonderful catering team at Farthings!
Project Hydration
Due to physiological changes as we age, older people are at a greater risk of dehydration. These risks are further heightened by changes to mental capacity and physical frailty. The elderly population are incredibly vulnerable to the consequences of not drinking enough fluids. Changes due to the ageing process may mean that the older person has a reduced sensitivity to being thirsty. If they are not reminded to drink water regularly, then they can easily become dehydrated. Older people who have had a stoke or who have Alzheimer’s disease have a reduced sensitivity and need careful monitoring. Other risk factors include declining renal function, cognitive impairment and the regular taking of laxatives and diuretics.
At Farthings we understand how important it is to ensure that our residents received adequate amounts of fluids to remain hydrated and our staff team know the key signs of dehydration. Common signs of dehydration in an older person could be a dry mouth, sunken eyes, skin that has lost elasticity, drowsiness, disorientation or confusion, low blood pressure and feeling dizzy; one or more of these signs may be seen, along with a reduced urine output.
Whilst the care team at Farthings offer drinks regularly throughout the day and night, we found these regular offerings were not always accurately reflected in the individual residents daily notes.
This got us thinking, so we considered the Bradley and Rees (2003) Red Tray Project, in which utilised red trays to identify people who were ‘at risk’ and who needed additional support whilst eating. There was another campaign by student nurses in south Wales which utilised yellow lids on jugs to identify individuals who were having their fluid balances monitored. Neither of these were quite what we needed at Farthings, as we were looking to easily identify quantities of fluids being consumed which would enable the team to ensure residents were drinking recommended quantities and aid with the reporting of intake too.
Liking the idea of utilising a coloured approach to make recognition easier, it was agreed that a traffic light system would be implemented at Farthings. All individuals who are required to have their fluid intake monitored will be given a 750ml jug of water with a red lid each morning. When the first jug of water has been drunk, it will be refilled with fresh water and the lid will be changed to yellow. When the second jug has been drunk, again it will be refilled, and the lid will be changed to green. At this point the resident will have drank 1500ml of water the risk of dehydration will have been reduced. If the red lid is still on the jug by the afternoon, the senior carer will take further action.
New smaller 750ml water jugs were purchased along with red, yellow and green lids. This will make the jugs easier for residents to pour and will also prevent the water becoming warm as it will be replenished frequently. In addition, new water trays and cups were purchased to keep the hydration set together.
