Ideal Care Homes runs activities Dementia Awareness Week

Residents at numerous Ideal Care Homes this week have been taking part in various activities in their homes in support of the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Awareness Week.

At Brackenfield Hall care home in Frecheville, Sheffield, a special ‘Remember When’ afternoon was staged where residents were ‘whisked away’ to a seaside destination back in the 1930s and 1940s.

Using a box of costumes and props from a subject of ‘at the seaside’, residents were able to interact with different items, some of which we rarely see today. Items included cloth sun hats, children’s sun suits, old fashioned buckets and spades with sandcastle flags; suitcases with brown paper luggage tags, windmills, post cards, and boxes of sand and shells.

In the midlands at East Park Court in Wolverhampton, a reminiscence singer performing songs from the 1940s gave residents an afternoon of sing-a-long fun, and the entire day had 1940s themed menus, including war time food of faggots and grey peas.

At The Cedars in Holden Bridge, Stoke-on-Trent, residents donned their dancing shoes for a 1940s tea dance. Donations to the Alzheimer’s Society were made by friends and family to attend, and further funds were raised as the home raffled off a hamper of prizes, including a family meal voucher for the local Harvester pub, ‘The Horn & Trumpet’.

The events at the former two homes mentioned were put on by Linda May, and the latter mentioned by Joanne Brunt. Both specialise in entertainment for dementia audiences helping to exercise memories and to encourage reminiscence in past experiences.

The awareness and fundraising continued at the Ideal Care Homes head office in Garforth, Leeds where a tea and cake morning was held for staff across all companies within the LNT Group. Through the sale of cakes from the canteen, they raised approximately £150 for the Alzheimer’s Society. Thanks to everyone for making the week a success.

Dilnot's Review: will it spark the introduction of a social care 'quality criteria' ?

I was recently interviewed by www.careindustrynews.co.uk about the ‘state of the care industry’ and it got me thinking just how few incentives there are for the poor stock that is dragging the industry into further dismay, to buck-up their ideas to provide better care.

If we’re talking ways to save millions of government money that the sector is so desperate for; a scheme whereby funds are awarded based on a ‘quality criteria’ is something I'd like to see introduced after Dilnot's Review.

Andrew Dilnot has my full support in his attempt to drive change for the sector. I urge that ministers don’t drag their feet and action change before even more people are scared witless, are drained of their finances and ultimately are given the care that they deserve.

Here’s an excerpt of my interview regarding the ‘quality criteria’ that I'd like brought in:

The subject of contributed costs towards care paid by local authorities is something that Ideal Care Homes has very strong opinions about. Their policy of no top-up fees requires them to work diligently with the money they do receive from councils, but on what Lawrence interprets as an unfair system. “Some local authorities are more forward thinking than others and will reward quality. I don’t mind getting £400 a week from a council to fund an elderly resident’s care, but what I disagree with is the care home down the road getting the same amount when their facilities are not as good, their staff are not NVQ level 2 trained, they don’t have lifts etc. Pay them £200 per week, put them out of business if you have to, but pay them a base fee that incentivises them to increase their quality.

“If you look at Southern Cross, what was their incentive to increase the quality in their homes? There was none, other than to get more private clients. As most of their clients are local authority funded, there’s no incentive to train the staff better, to better the facilities. Why would you want to do that when you’re struggling on the fees you get? We’ve taken the view that what should come out of this is the government should look at it and say ‘there’s a base fee of £400’ or whatever the number is. ‘You get additional money for en-suite rooms, additional for a NVQ level 2 qualified staff etc’. So the local authorities are promoting good quality care or at least incentivising people to improve the level of accommodation.”

He also believes that the austerity measures currently in place across the country will force councils to focus on how much they are paying for care in their own facilities. “Authorities can’t justify paying what is sometimes three or four times as much money for what is relatively sub-standard accommodation. In Leeds we provide residential care for round about £465 a week with no top up fees. We believe that the cost to look after a client in a local authority home is a minimum of £700. We need to have better quality private accommodation so that the local authorities can use it. The councils are not then funding homes that are half empty. Instead, that risk is passed to me, the operator, again incentivising me to offer the highest standards so that the home is always full.”

Providing quality care homes fills me with joy

It fills with me joy when within hours of opening an Ideal Care Home, its beds are full, and I know we've been able to offer not just a beautiful home, but quality care, to those who need it.

Only last Wednesday, carers at our newest care home in Wigan, Montrose Hall, showed off its specialist dementia facilities to members of the caring profession to mark its opening in the local community. It was a pleasure to have local care workers, district nurses, the Mayor of Wigan, Councillor Joy Birch and her Consort, Mr Albert Bradley, all in attendance.

Yesterday, we opened the home to members of the general public and within hours all beds were reserved. The staff are all smiles and it feels the home has been gratefully welcomed into the community, which is always as indication that we are doing this right.

It's a stunning care home by anybody’s standards and the team really did relish the opportunity to show off its facilities. Through both open days, the team were able to showcase just why our homes are a great place to live. We very much look forward to Montrose becoming an integral part of the local community.

Here's a snap of myself at the professional open day with the Mayor, Mr Albert Bradley and the home manager, Donna Norton.

You can read more about the home's arrival in Wigan on the Wigan Observer website

All Ideal Care Homes are part of the local community

This week, residents at our Greenacres care home in Meltham were blessed with a visit from Bishop Tony Robinson as part of his visits to community dwellings in his district.

Like all our homes, Greenacres has made excellent links with the local parish and Meltham Reverend Maureen Elizabeth Read who hosts regular services at the home.

Both Bishop Tony and Reverend Maureen spent the afternoon getting to know those who live and work at Greenacres and were met by Home Manager Trish Starr who had arranged a relaxed afternoon of tea and cakes in the home’s garden. Our Managing Director, Mark Greaves - former Director of Adult Social Services for Kirklees Council – also went along.

It fills me with warmth to know that our homes are accepted into their local areas and that they are seen to play a key role in offering local residents somewhere great to live. Bishop Tony said: “It’s a delight to see a residential home that is so much a part of the fabric of the community.”
Below is a picture of resident Wilfred Woodhead, carer Audrey Hunter, Bishop Tony Robinson, Home Manager Trish Starr, and resident Michael Morris from earlier this week.

Greenacres has provided first-rate residential and dementia facilities for Meltham since it opened in July 2010. The two-storey building situated on Huddersfield road offers a home for 64 people – 31 residential beds and 33 beds for those living with dementia.

Reverend Maureen commented how she sees Greenacres as ‘part of the community’ and that due to the popularity of her services in the home, she will now visit twice a month.

Its arrival was supported by Kirklees Council as part of our move to modernise services for older people in the area. Our construction company LNT Construction picked up the Partnership Award at the Local Authority Business Control awards last week for our outstanding relationship with the council.

Law Commission recommendations do not go far enough

After years of the current adult social care arrangements’ being left to result in variable experiences of ageing - in what equates to a post code lottery - the Law Commission’s review of adult social care law reads like a breath of fresh air and brings common sense to the world of residential care.

As a long-established operator of care homes across the North and Midlands, it has been an ongoing source of frustration of mine that the experience of being supported to access and experience residential care, is fundamentally affected by where you live.

My care home operating business, Ideal Care Homes, provides high quality personalised residential provision, which enables an equality of access in line with the underpinning ethos of the Law Commission’s review. This is a model I am keen to promote across the sector.

In some ways, I believe that the recommendations of the Law Commission actually do not go far enough to ensure a fair deal for everyone as they age. Not only should legislation “stipulate basic minimum entitlements to services”, but it should also stipulate a national fee rate for care services that reflects the quality of the offering, and reflects a fair price for care provision.

The national disgrace of the current system is not only the disparity between areas, but also that a number of Local Authorities rely on a combination of private fee payers (who pay a higher rate than the Local Authority funded clients) and third party top-ups (often from people who themselves may be existing on a pension alone) to subsidise their inadequate levels of funding.

This is not the case across all of the country as my own company receives Local Authority funding ranging from £370 to £520 per week for the same type of resident based on where they live. No one could argue that this is in any way equitable or enables providers to deliver the same quality of care.

I would like to see a system that enables Local Authorities and private fee payers to pay the same rate, and also one which has a clear system of quality premiums based on the services provided – too many authorities have their fees set at a single level which continues the “Blackpool boarding house” mentality of acceptability. This is not appropriate now and is certainly unacceptable for a future generation. Everyone should expect - as a minimum; en-suite accommodation, high quality living, communal space and exceptional levels of care.

Perhaps the most powerful message behind the legislation is the need for simplification and raised awareness of the processes involved. Local Authorities need to heed this as far too many people are living in sub-standard care settings when they don’t need to be. Care providers can “market” their offer, but the Local Authorities and care Quality Commission also need to step up to the plate to promote settings which can improve the quality of people’s lives – that is an aim we can all sign up to.

Lawrence Tomlinson

New Ideal Care Home given seal of approval by Mayor and Mayoress of Calderdale

Staff at Calderdale’s newest care home were delighted to showed off its specialist dementia facilities to members of the caring profession on Wednesday 27th April 2011, to mark its opening in the local community.

Savile Park of Mellor Street, which is operated by Ideal Care Homes, provides a home for 55 people living with dementia. The brand new, luxurious facility, which is managed by Paula Finn, was visited by over 50 sector workers as the care home opened its doors for the very first time.

Guests included local care workers, district nurses, Councillor Pauline Nash and the Mayor and Mayoress of Calderdale, Keith and Eileen Watson, who met with Ideal Care Homes’ Chairman, Lawrence Tomlinson. The Mayor and Mayoress were hugely impressed that Savile Park will provide a valued service for their community. They both commented how ‘lovely’ the home was, and the Mayor even went on to say: “If I was ever to live in a home, Savile Park is where I want to live.”

In a presentation by Ideal Care Homes Managing Director, Mark Greaves, guests were given an insight into Ideal Care Homes and its aim to change the face of dementia care in Calderdale. Tours of the three-storey home also took place before guests joined for a buffet lunch.

Mark Greaves commented: “Savile Park is a stunning care home by anybody’s standards and the team relished the opportunity to show off its first rate facilities to Calderdale. Paula and her team were able to showcase just why our homes are a great place to live and they very much look forward to Savile Park becoming an integral part of the local community.” 

Savile Park, which boasts fully landscaped sensory gardens, a courtyard, coffee bar and a hairdressing salon, is the nineteenth home to be opened by Ideal Care Homes.

It was built by Ideal Care Homes’ sister company LNT Construction, both part of the Leeds-based LNT Group which is owned by leading care expert Lawrence Tomlinson.  The Yorkshire born entrepreneur is responsible for a new era in care by abolishing third party top-up fees to ensure the highest quality of care for all, regardless of financial wealth and circumstances.
 
Savile Park is now accepting residents from both the community and also those who chose to move from existing residential settings. Visit www.idealcarehomes.co.uk for more info.

Topping out ceremony for Sutton-in-Ashfield’s newest care home

A topping out ceremony at Sutton-In-Ashfield’s latest care home, Ashcroft Court, took place on 5th April 2011 to mark the structural completion of what is set to be a leading residential and dementia facility in the area.  

The new three storey bespoke facility situated on Langford Road, will be operated by Ideal Care Homes and has been built by LNT Construction – both part of the LNT Group owned by Yorkshire-born entrepreneur Lawrence Tomlinson.

It was Lawrence Tomlinson (pictured below) - who has 25 years’ experience in designing, developing and operating purpose built residential homes; that placed the final ridge tile on the home to complete its build. Ashcroft Court will offer a home for 48 people - 18 beds for residential care and a further 30 for those living with dementia.

As well as providing 100% en-suite accommodation, fully landscaped courtyard gardens, a hairdressing salon and stunning floor to ceiling windows, the home will also serve to create fifty jobs for the local area.  Care home manager Shaun O’Grady is looking to recruit a range of staff from care assistants to kitchen staff and night managers, ready for the home’s opening in August 2011.

Lawrence Tomlinson, Chairman of the LNT Group said: "I’m thrilled to see the roof going on at Ashcroft Court and to know that local residents will benefit from having such a first rate facility on their doorstep and at prices that they can afford.”

Ideal Care Homes Managing Director Mark Greaves, who has over 25 years’ experience in the sector added: “With a growing elderly population, high quality care provision is absolutely essential and I’m very pleased that we’re able to offer this facility to Sutton-In-Ashfield and its surrounding areas. We’ll be hosting a number of open days in the coming months for local residents and professionals and I encourage as many people as possible to come along and see what we can offer in these fantastic new facilities.”