Care homes and Social Services

An Introduction:

Care homes and social services are a lifeline for many families and vulnerable residents. The care system is facing its fair share of challenges and with an ageing population, this is unlikely to be resolved. The industry like any other has obstacles to overcome and the question I aim to seek the answers to are what these obstacles are and how do we overcome them.

The Challenges:

So first of all what are the challenges facing the care sector; finding staff to fill its vacancies, financial penalties, changes to regulation and increasing care needs.

Antonia’s Law:

What can be done to resolve some of these issues and where are the changes needed most we need to recognise the barriers creating by these challenges and think of workable solutions. On top of this, we do not just have to be made aware of the challenges facing the care system but its residents as well. It is crucial that we take the approach to but resident care and well being at the forefront of any improvements or changes made. It is at this point that I want to address the campaign by Tony Stowell “Antonia’s Law” his campaign has gained so much traction not only because of the abuse it is attempting to curtail. This campaign does not place an additional burden on the institutions with the cost it merely allows families to be able to place additional measures into care home facilities to offer protection for their family this can be nanny cams, additional CCTV provisions or the likes of smart home devices such as google home or Alexa units. This is the least we can do and the nature of the campaign has no consequences for staff unless they are committing abuse of residents as with other areas of the public sector where this could be applied should make the environment safer for staff and residents. It will allow the families to know the challenges befalling the staff looking after their relative which would then allow staff to highlight challenges for them. So why is it necessary we have seen a rise in care home abuse over the past number of years Tony’s own accounts ranged from neglect where residents leave the facility which put them at a greater risk of harm befalling them whether through lack of resources, staff or time. He has also highlighted deliberate abuse in care homes by staff which do not convey the hard work and effort put in by so many staff members they do their sector a disservice. So what signs can you look out for in your relative’s sudden changes or gains in weight, your relative may become reclusive or avoiding social interaction, and is unable to do activities that are related to what they enjoy. Some other clear signs may be a generally unhygienic environment, malnutrition or dehydration and recognisable lack of independent aids provided such as sensory needs, that do not relate to their needs. This is also reflective outside of the care sector in other areas such as education.

The Challenge:

So what factors have added to pressures for the sector now although councils have increased funding for the sector, the level of need for residents is continuing to increase and although the ambition is to allow residents to stay at home for as long as possible this is not always an option. We must ensure that all organisations public or private that are receiving contracts to care for residents or generally serving the community are providing the needed care. Now whilst social care is funded by a council precept the challenge here for residents of care homes and their families is that cost for care homes are also likely to increase as staffing costs grow. Now care homes should not use loopholes in current systems to avoid paying staff full wages for their complete shifts. In the news recently we have seen the employer gain in favour of staff for workers that work overnight shifts. Now in this particular example, it will lend to staff either arguably working a full shift for no pay or to cut the quality of care they provide. This could likely lead to staff leaving the sector to seek better pay conditions. Now the employers are then faced with the challenge to increase bills for relatives or increase the cost for the taxpayer. Now we can ensure that staff are deployed to the areas of greatest need and investing in keeping residents at home for as long as possible to provide them with the comfort of their household will ensure resources can be more sustainably spent. One particular area is technology wearable sensors, activity trackers with features that trigger an alert if activated this is something that is already being invested in and likely will support the sector. With this investment in technology, we can consolidate our resources to work to prevent the level of care needs being necessary at an early stage.

Conclusion:

The issues facing care home staff and residents are an area that we all must safeguard, support and scrutinise. To ensure staff have suitable resources and facilities as well residents get quality care and independence. A follow up piece will be issued with proposed solutions and opportunities for the sector.

https://www.caitlin-morgan.com/the-current-challenges-facing-nursing-homes/

https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/be-aware-of-the-signs-of-abuse-and-neglect-in-adult-care-homes-says-nice

https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/assets/council-and-democracy/our-aims-and-transformation-programmes/suffolk-county-council-business-plan-2021-2022.pdf

https://www.accessandmobilityprofessional.com/tech-to-revolutionise-new-normal-of-social-care/

http://www.iproscube.com/images/pdf/Tackling_the_Challenges_Facing_Care_Homes_Release.pdf

https://www.dlapiper.com/en/uk/insights/publications/2017/02/an-age-old-problem-the-collapse-of-care-homes/

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/08/care-sector-challenges-covid-19-oecd-report/

https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/141504509/NOP_Care_Home_Challenges_Context_Accepted_Manuscipt.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgNDNg-0iZg video following conversations with Tony Stowell.

Mind Your Head

Further to my earlier article about mental health today marks the start of the Mind Your Head campaign.

The Yellow Wellies group rightly has highlighted some key points about farmers mental health. Now some issues which they have isolated would be challenging to control or resolve. Now whilst there are specific agricultural loans to help with the business or equipment needs this, unfortunately, is often at a great interest rate as well as which when coupled with other stressors. Some of these stressors can be highly varied from the direct impacts such as the financial impacts on the business to the secondary elements such as one which livestock farmers face. Livestock farmers often face increased opposition to both the changing diets of the masses that has caused abuse and heated debates on both sides. However, whilst both sides of the debate have valid points and passionate views only one directly impacts their livelihoods. Now whilst this debate will likely be on going for a number of years as it one about ideology. Some positives have been drawn from it alternatives to different movements such as Reganuary which puts a focus on a more sustainable form of agriculture. Now rather then discuss this movement in this article the reason for highlighting it, is that this is a way for the industry to champion better practice by highlighting innovations as well as supporting the local businesses. This can also be seen with concerns between farmers and others who use the countryside or visit farmers lands. With an increased amount of walkers in the countryside farmers can be drawn into conflict when dogs are off lead distressing stock. If the stock animals are distressed or attacked by the dog the farmer has the right to shoot the dog but this can be deeply distressing either by seeing the damage a dog can do to the stock or through shooting the dog. Neither is an option that the farmer wants to pursue however it is something which does often happen with a lack of understanding of the environment.

Now when looking at stress in farmers it is important that all actions are taken to reduce stress. Finding people to talk with whether that be online or those in local support group by engaging in conversation and offloading some of the stress recognising they are not alone. Making sure that those that work on farms especially for those whose lives and work focus on the land need somewhere else to focus such as going off site, exploring a hobby or a trip. Making sure you also take the chance to regularly exercise and follow a suitable routine. 

Now campaigns such as Fit to Farm also highlight characteristics about the various roles which are often not explored. The working hours which farmers often do can be up to 65 hours per week this is comparable to the 56 hours per week doctors do. Now not all farmers have this type of working environment but for those who do it should be rightly recognised the pressures they face. Especially at busy periods like harvest where they are flat out for days and hours at end. Now because of working and living on site taking leave from your family farm can be a far flung fantasy for some it is not as simple as leaving your home for holiday for those who business needs require careful monitoring but are tied to a fixed location. Many entrepreneurs or professionals can take their work with them and therefore find some release this is arguably the same for large companies but a challenge for the small family farms. Now respondents to the survey by the Fit to Farm campaign have outlined areas they need help in would it not be the best time for the communities to rely around them and support their efforts. 

We also need to remember what great resources we have available to support us and those within our community. YANA specifically targets mental health in farming whilst the Yellow Wellies looks at farm safety follow the links below to find out more about their work and how to support them. Together we Can.

https://www.fwi.co.uk/farm-life/health-and-wellbeing/fit2farm-farmers-weekly-campaign-to-improve-farmers-health#tabs-1

https://www.yanahelp.org

http://yellowwellies.org/StressManagementBooklet_0319/StressManagementBooklet_0319/?page=23

Mental Health in Farming

With my articles over the last week, I have played close attention to Mental Health and specifically the impacts on isolation. Now, something which I want to focus on is isolated sectors in rural Suffolk. The isolated primary industry is that of farming. Agriculture is both an industry which has given me a great deal of opportunity and experiences.

Still, I would be remised if I said that you did not notice the effects of being disconnected from many outside of your farm. Now my experience was only brief, often seeing and visiting many farms which Faccenda Foods had ownership of or were contracting out their growing of broiler chickens. Now, although many of my experiences was visiting a variety of farms from large industrial sites with bungalows or living areas for the manager as well as maybe an assistant on-site, this was not often the case for smaller farms where the need for a second staff member on-site was not as justified fiscally. Now the farmers often had family members on the site where their kids and spouse often worked or studied offsite. The farmer primarily stayed on-site for the crop's duration, taking the odd day off throughout the six to seven-week cycle. When off relief staff would work on-site by travelling from other areas to cover the staff member temporarily, and when the site was being prepared for the next crop they would often take the opportunity to holiday away from the site. This chance to leave the area is usually not possible on the traditional farming business. When the land is not working or being prepared for work, it still needs management or other maintenance. Therefore this leaves the farmers working tirelessly for our communities year-round which is both a service and calling which many would not trade.

Now farming is quoted as having one of the worst safety records, which is exaggerated by the number of time farmers spend working in isolation. The larger farms will often see collaboration between owner and employee or generally between generations. Smaller sites are may be unable to justify offering work outside the family and if there is no one within the household to assist then the work can be more isolating. The long hours in the fields tied with the many hats they have to wear; mechanic, accountant, weatherman, and engineer. Now when your livelihood and to an extent your history is deeply rooted in your land, the looming financial uncertainty is a deep concern. With the risks around changes to income and direct payments changes looming post-Brexit, the stress can be too much for those with no one to talk again. This is why the work that charities such as YANA do is so valuable and the results of educators like myself to highlight these groups to the next generation is critical. The Mind Your Head campaign, which I will discuss later this week, needs to be shared and continually championed. After all, although we see shifts in our habits or dietary preferences and sometimes are attitudes, we need to remember the differences in our communities highlight them and ensure that we all continue to move forward together. 

Mental Health Week

Part and parcel of my role as a teacher are making sure that students mental health is front and centre of what colleagues and I strive to achieve. The step to finding a solution has to be normalising the problem. In my previous blog piece, I looked at some ways that I believe we can use to solve the problem.

In terms of highlighting the problem, I was pleased with the announcement that a public figure like Love Islands Dr Alex has been announced as a youth mental health ambassador. Now whilst he has tragically lost his brother to mental health he is focusing what would often make people shy away from the world and sharing his brother's memory and his own experience of dealing with this tragedy. Now whilst present circumstances has put some of our best steps to prevent adverse impacts on mental health. Being in good physical health whilst difficult without gyms and sports can still be done with communities or activities shared online. We need to promote positive images and content meal preparation, cooking, and fitness plans. Body positivity needs to be encouraged, as does physical fitness. Setting a regular routine for our young people can be removing stressors from the environment like that of some smartphones taking time away from social media. Family makes up many of the structure we all need and those increasingly isolated from this core social group or our self-made groups, friends, peers, and colleagues. Not having access to their workplace or schools can limit their routine and engagement in the broader social setting, so a goal rightly being sought is getting students back into school. As I spoke about earlier this week, volunteering opportunities are few and far between at present, but that does have to be the case opening our doors to new types of activity.

Many parents and young people feel that they miss the most enjoyable parts of the school and university, particularly the social elements. The learners can develop academically the opportunities to discover who they are and the experiences and skills available. Societies and events, even in its best format, struggle to transition electronically. This is why the events economy is still, in my view, the future for the high street but delayed by Covid. Now the anxiety that young people are likely to present because of this lack of experience can lead to mental health problems. The question should be why is there a stigma. Firstly many individuals associate mental health with violence, often because of a link poor mental health support has had with violent offences. This link can be taken from how this is stigmatised in the media and used in ways that often skew a story's narrative. There is also evidence that this same impact can compound a families' wealth and ability to succeed. This can be further affecting social mobility so again, what can we do to build back together. Once we tackle these initial stigmas, we can begin to focus on the harsh reality of the endemic problems in mental health.

We need to end these negative stereotypes to reduce our association of mental health with a sense of weakness and criminality. Because, although criminality links to mental health are concerning by instilling fear in the public, it is also necessary to avoid links to other sides of the debate such as pity and shame. However, to link mental health to different conditions to associate solutions to individual struggles such as suicide, imposter syndrome and body dysmorphia. We can start by avoiding simple phrases like "they must be bipolar" or "nut job" similar to what we do for race. This should help people define their symptoms, fears, anxieties, and goals over their garnered label to recognise they are more than the condition. This can be significantly supported by the positive experience of peers. Finally, we should be mindful that our differences have also strengthened us. Personally, I have a learning difficulty which has had a minor impact on my life. Dyspraxia has impacted my hand-eye coordination elements, which affected my speech, which was primarily rectified by therapies that I am thankful for in my childhood. Now I look at the strengths I have because of how I look at a problem to think outside the box. Transfering this skill to my learners empathising with their challenges or difficulties solutions, I developed my memory, processing and vocabulary. I would not be the same person I am without Dyspraxia regardless of the initial anxieties and stresses this caused me in my early years. I am stronger because of the support I received and have the opportunity to share my experience.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-mental-health-and-wellbeing-surveillance-report/7-children-and-young-people

https://ideas.ted.com/how-should-we-talk-about-mental-health/

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/c/children-and-young-people

https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/research-and-evaluation/mental-health-statistics/

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dr-alex-george-from-love-island-to-mental-health-campaigner-nd8xfl2n9