News – Winncare

Fall Management

July 18th 2024

CCGs lead the way in reducing avoidable hospital admissions

Strategies to reduce avoidable hospital admissions are not new. For many years winter pressures have sparked conversations around home care for the elderly because of fears concerning hospital acquired pneumonia and deconditioning. More than 80% of ambulance calls are to assist the elderly frail, many of whom have fallen,

Blog

July 18th 2024

Maintaining purposeful occupation, fatigue & MS

Just as the word “depression” is often over-used, describing any state of low mood, including temporary lows or natural melancholy, the word “fatigue” has also been over-used. However, unless you have experienced significant, enduring fatigue related to a medical condition, it is difficult to appreciate just how disabling fatigue is. Multiple Sclerosis related fatigue is one of the most debilitating symptoms of the condition, but often the least acknowledged or treated.

Fall Management

July 18th 2024

Falling Into Fear Of Falling

Fear of falling is a common term used in healthcare(2), with patients asked “Do you have a fear of falling?” and a score often attributed to it(3). 50% of people who have fallen and 50% of people who haven’t fallen are affected(4). When you think about it though, it would be a bit unusual to find someone who didn’t have a ‘fear of falling’ – after all, who would be happy if they fell over? If someone told me I was going to fall over this week, it would definitely be on my mind. What we really want to know is whether someone has a fear of falling to the degree that it stops them from doing things, such as walking around the home or going outdoors.

Fall Management

July 18th 2024

Doctor Explains The Importance Of Post Falls Assessment Tool, ISTUMBLE

“The reason I became involved with the ISTUMBLE project is that it is so profoundly positive for residents of care homes and those who care for them. The benefits of lifting a resident off the floor are innumerable. By definition residents of care homes are frail – otherwise, they would not be cared for in a residential context. With frailty comes a lack of physiological reserve and strength.

Hygiene

July 18th 2024

Case Study: Happiness Is A Hot Relaxing Bath

We understand that we all need a little help sometimes and we take pride in producing easy to use and often life changing products that will help you remain safe and independent in your own home. Indeed it was over 30 years ago that Mangar created the first ever powered portable bath lift, designed to help lower and raise people in and out of the bath. We now offer two very different bath lifts, the Inflatable Bathing Cushion and the Archimedes Bath Lift: two solutions that avoid the disruption of installing walk-in baths or showers.

Fall Management

July 18th 2024

How To Reduce Post Falls Syndrome

Written by: Kate Sheehan, Occupational Therapist A fall is defined as a unintentional move from a higher to a lower level, typically rapidly and without control, approximately 28-35% of people aged of 65 and over fall each year increasing to 32-42% for those over 70 years of age[1] the evidence also confirms that frequency of falls increases with age and with neurological conditions.

Fall Management

July 18th 2024

Ekamove Patient Turning System Gives Patricia A Good Night’s Sleep

Patricia Constable lives in Hagley, Worcestershire with her partner, Bob. The past two and a half years have been a difficult time for them both, as Mrs Constable sadly suffered an internal haemorrhage in her back which caused irreversible damage to her spinal cord.

Fall Management

July 18th 2024

Why 4,438 daily falls in UK care homes deserve our attention

As news of increasing long ambulance wait times outside busy hospital A&E departments hit the headlines, an initiative to positively manage elderly falls and promote safe lifting is see early success. Combining Mangar lifting cushions with the ISTUMBLE health assessment app, enables carers to provide single handed care within their care home. Conditions such as dementia and elderly frailty increase the risk of falls and when combined with a long lie, while waiting for an ambulance, the impact can be critical.

Fall Management

July 18th 2024

Case Study: Natasha Poole, House Manager, Anheddau

Natasha cares for Jenny,* a lady with learning difficulties and hydrocephalus. Part of Jenny’s pattern of behaviour is to indiscriminately perform a controlled fall. Because of her limited mobility, she is unable to get back up unaided, even though she is uninjured.