Issue 209 15.01.25
The weekly online newsletter for the care sector
Time To Thrive initiative now includes teeth WALFINCH home care’s Oxfordshire team is supporting local people’s oral health as part of the Wellness With Walfinch campaign, part of its Time to Thrive initiative. “We are promoting access to information about oral health, especially for older people, who may be at risk of neglecting oral care,” said Kam Gill, managing director of Walfinch home care’s Oxfordshire office. “Walfinch’s Time To Thrive initiative is about delivering active and proactive care to improve physical and mental health, not just for our clients, but for our whole community.” Kam recently arranged for an oral health specialist to make a presentation to people who attend the community physical exercise classes that Walfinch Oxford offers free in the village of Ducklington. The oral health presentation was given by Sophie Burton, the oral health improvement manager at Community Dental Services CIC, funded by the Oxfordshire County Council, which promotes oral health programmes and education services to communities. Kam added: “Oral health is not just about avoiding toothache – though that can make it harder to speak, eat and take medication, all of which can impact quality of life. “It’s also linked to conditions such as malnutrition and
aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection. “Being unable to chew food properly because of tooth problems can also affect your digestive system, which affects nutrition and general health.” Kam has in-depth understanding of the importance of oral health care because she was a dental technician before she entered the home care sector. She said: “It may be tempting for people to de-prioritise oral health as they get older, but looking after our oral health is especially important now. “Patients who are registered with an NHS dentist can find themselves de-listed if they fail to visit every six months, which means they have to pay more for private dentistry. “From both a health and finance point of view, it really makes sense to look after your teeth.” Kam is in the process of arranging training in preventative oral health for her care team, in line with the Royal College’s recommendation that social care providers should give their staff appropriate training about oral health and care. “It will enhance the skills of our care team and also provide them with a continuous professional development accreditation, while helping them enhance the wellness of our clients,” she added.
Paintings and sketches by a former soldier have been displayed at a care home in High Wycombe. More than 60 pieces of art by Michael Mossop were put on show in the reception area at Royal Star & Garter, where he now lives. They included works he had created before moving to the care home, as well as artwork the 94-year-old has painted while living there. Michael took up painting and sketching soon after retirement, around 40 years ago. Staff have encouraged him to continue with his hobby since he moved to Royal Star & Garter in February 2021. He also enjoys taking part in arts and crafts activities put on by the Home’s wellbeing team.
Residents volunteer to go hands-on
COMMUNITY-minded care home residents in Poole have gone hands-on to help families hit by food poverty in the Dorset town. A party of willing volunteers from Colten Care’s Canford Chase made a personal visit to Poole Food Bank’s hub at the St James’ Church Centre, known locally as Jimmy’s. Companionship team leader Vicky Day said: “After a cuppa we got to work helping to sort some of the many donations they receive from local suppliers and businesses. We helped to date donations and sort them into categories ready for meal preparation bags to be made. These bags contain everything needed to make a nutritious meal. “We aim to continue our support for the food bank through collections and visits.
“It’s always a humbling experience to visit and see what goes on. The team there put in so much hard work to help others in need.” Under the direction of project manager Ian Stoney and his team, they helped to sort and date donated food items ready for meal bags to be made up. They also worked alongside fellow volunteers to check and categorise toiletries and non-food donations. It was the third visit that residents at the Colten Care home have made to the food bank this year. One included the delivery of 30 packed lunches that residents Molly Thatcher, Barbara Rivett and Pamela Kateley prepared and brought on the home’s minibus.