Activities Newsletter February 2023
Have a look at what we have been busy doing at Farthings for the past few months
FARTHINGS ACTIVITIES NEWSLETTER
Farthings Seaside Resort
What a fantastic day everyone had on Friday 15 July at the Farthings Seaside Resort!!
Our wonderful staff team organised for the seaside to come to Farthings! It was the perfect Staycation experience with the opportunity for the residents to have sand between their toes once again. Residents reminisced about their most memorable seaside family holidays whilst they played games, sampled various mocktails and ate fish and chips from trays. It has been arranged for an ice-cream man to visit the home, lots of ice-creams were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.
Lynne Fardell-Wain, Home Manager, concluded the day was a great success and it was fantastic to see the residents enjoying their very own Farthings Seaside Resort!
JUNE 2022 NEWS
VISITS
Lots of residents have made the most of the wonderful weather and had some wonderful visits and outings with their loved ones throughout June.
WALKS
We have been out and about in the village again during June, there was a lovely red poppy field close by which was a firm favourite!
DANCING
CARD BINGO
Card bingo is a firm favourite with our highly competitive residents!!
JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS
We had a small Jubilee party outside at Farthings with many loved ones joining us, thank you for your continued support and for adhering to the safety measures put in place. We were delighted Charlotte who works for us on a casual basis and owner and founder of DB Animal Therapy was able to bring in so many of her animals to allow the residents to learn about them, stroke and hold if they wished. It was a huge success with many past experiences and new experiences being shared.
Welcoming New Residents Through Safe Admissions
We continue to welcome new residents to our home using our robust covid-secure admission process, whilst protecting those who already live with us and offering safe visiting opportunities.
We specialise in providing care to older people and as a small care home with 22 en-suite bedrooms our team really get to know all residents, understand their needs, and encourage social friendships amongst residents living at Farthings.
We have a robust admission process in place to enable us to offer a safe and compassionate start to living within our care home.
The government guidelines were amended on 4 April 2022 and as such we too have amended our processes inline with differing scenarios as follows:
A Pre-Planned Admission from a Care Facility or the Community
Discussions: will take place prior to any admission with the home’s Registered Manager, this may be with yourself or a loved one. This is to gain an overview of your current care needs and requirements.
Assessment: if it is likely we would be able to meet your specific needs the Registered Manager will arrange a Pre-Admission Assessment. This is to meet you, discuss what your needs are and how you would like to be cared for. It will also enable us to give you and your loved ones more information about our home and the facilities we have available to you. Ordinarily, dependant on circumstance, this would take place face-to-face but rest assured all of our staff are vaccinated, tested twice a week and would be wearing all the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for your safety.
Time: after initial discussions and assessments our prospective residents are given time to consider their decision, possibly alongside their loved ones. Once a decision has been made please get in touch with the Registered Manager again who will work alongside you to arrange your admission at a time which is convenient to yourself, this could be the same day, in a couple of days or in a few weeks’ time, it is your choice.
Testing: we will provide a PCR coronavirus test which is to be completed within 72-hours before moving into the home (or a lateral flow test if have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 90 days). A lateral flow test will need to be taken on the day of admission (day 0).
Moving In: you are welcome to bring any personal effects to help you feel at home. All our rooms are en-suite, and are equipped with a bed, bedside table, chest of drawers, wardrobe, chair, and a television. You are welcome to bring a named visitor with you to help you settle in, they must follow the current visiting guidance which will be discussed prior to admission.
Settling In: a full Care Plan will be developed with you; this will include all the information the staff need to ensure they care for you how you would like to be. In addition, the Activities Co-ordinator will spend some time getting to know you and will arrange tailored activities for your interests. You are welcome to have visitors in line with the visitor guidance.
A discharge from hospital or another Care Home
Discussions: will take place prior to any admission with the home’s Registered Manager, this may be with yourself, a loved one or a healthcare professional. This is to gain an overview of your current care needs and requirements.
Assessment: if it is likely we would be able to meet your specific needs the Registered Manager will arrange a Pre-Admission Assessment. This is to meet you, discuss what your needs are and how you would like to be cared for. It will also enable us to give you and your loved ones more information about our home and the facilities we have available to you. Ordinarily, dependant on circumstance, this would take place face-to-face but rest assured all of our staff are vaccinated, tested twice a week and would be wearing all the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for your safety.
Time: after initial discussions and assessments our prospective residents are given time to consider their decision, possibly alongside their loved ones. Once a decision has been made, please get in touch with the Registered Manager again who will work alongside you to arrange your admission at a time which is convenient to yourself, this could be the same day, in a couple of days or in a few weeks’ time, it is your choice.
Testing: the NHS will do a PCR coronavirus test 48 hours prior to discharge (or a lateral flow test if the individual has tested positive for covid-19 in the last 90 days). The result of this test should be shared with the Registered Manager at Farthings prior to discharge.
Moving In: you are welcome to bring any personal effects to help you feel at home. All our rooms are en-suite, and are equipped with a bed, bedside table, chest of drawers, wardrobe, chair, and a television. You are welcome to bring a named visitor with you to help you settle in, they must follow the current visiting guidance which will be discussed prior to admission.
Settling In: a full Care Plan will be developed with you; this will include all the information the staff need to ensure they care for you how you would like to be. In addition, the Activities Co-ordinator will spend some time getting to know you and will arrange tailored activities for your interests. You are welcome to have visitors in line with the visitor guidance.
Every admission is different and above outlines some key stages throughout the admission process, however they are adaptable for everyone’s individual situations. A thorough risk assessment will be carried out prior to any admission and the requirements for admission will be fully explained beforehand.
If you are considering care for yourself or your loved one, please call our friendly team who will be more than willing to answer any questions you may have, 01777 838 219, alternatively you can email [email protected].
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.
