Kindness Charter

The Edith Ellen Foundation Kindness Charter

Code of Good Practice in Holistic Caring

The Edith Ellen Foundation believes a sound commitment to kindness should be the objective of everyone involved in the provision of care. If that principle were to be enshrined within the culture of all care homes, then abuse and neglect could be prevented.

 
The Foundation seeks to bring consistency, clarity, true integration and improved holistic care across all the services, and with complete commitment to the people they look after.

Care that stands out is the overall standard of dedication and commitment by all the management and staff to the promotion of kindness in nursing and care to all of their residents, particularly those lost in the fog of dementia, or suffering from complex health conditions.

This means that all staff should be:

·         well-trained in all aspects of the administration of care for which they are responsible and should be allowed time for continuing professional development courses once they are trained.

All carers must be able:

·         to see the patient or resident as a whole individual;

·         must have an understanding of their background and culture;

·         their family relationships;

·         their likes and dislikes, and

·         should encourage and support independence and choice rather than rigid conformity which leads to isolation and fear.

Funeral Planning

Help your family during their time of grief!

Being a member of the S.K.I Club (spending the kids inheritance) I decided to look into what could be done when my last ski run has been and gone.

Your loved ones have already lost you, they are grieving and they need to say “Goodbye” as part of the grieving process.  You can help them with this – you can make this difficult time “easier”, you can reduce the stress and anxiety of your loved one, by pre-planning and or pre-paying for your funeral.

Pre-planning a funeral does not necessarily mean it’s pre-paid.  

There are arguments to be made both for and against pre-payment.

On the plus side, pre-paying guarantees the wishes of the deceased are honoured, as they themselves select what they want and pay for it.  It saves the family or legal representative the cost and anxiety of last-minute decision-making in the midst of grief.

Pre-payments offer built-in inflation protection, as providers assure the cost of the funeral will not increase, whether death occurs in three months or 30 years.

Pressure Sores (Article 5) - Types of Pressure

Types of pressure

There are three main types of pressure that can lead to the development of pressure ulcers.

These are:

• interface pressure – the pressure of the body pressing the skin down onto a firm surface

• shear – the pressure that occurs when layers of skin are forced to slide over one another or deeper layers of tissue; shear can occur when a person slides down or is pulled up out of a bed or wheelchair

• friction – pressure caused by something rubbing against the surface of the skin, such as a mattress or clothing

Pressure Sores (Article 4) - Pressure Ulcers Causes

Pressure Sores - Pressure Ulcers Causes

Causes of pressure ulcers 

Pressure ulcers are caused by sustained pressure being placed on a particular part of the body.

This pressure interrupts the blood supply to the affected area of skin. Blood contains oxygen and other nutrients that are needed to help keep tissue healthy. Without a constant blood supply, tissue is damaged and will eventually die.

The lack of blood supply also means that the skin no longer receives infection-fighting white blood cells. Once an ulcer has developed, it can become infected by bacteria.

People with normal mobility do not develop pressure ulcers, as their body automatically makes hundreds of regular movements that prevent pressure building up on any part of their body.

For example, you may think that you are lying still when asleep, but you may shift position up to 20 times a night.

The Edith Ellen Commitment

Top Tip - MAINTAINING A GREEN MIND

Keeping healthy involves aspects of your physical and emotional self

Having a green mind involves staying healthy by accessing green activities.  The following Top Tips are ideas to help you keep the balance of physical and emotional health.

• Gardening can provide a physical workout and also an emotional workout!  Gardening releases endorphins which the are the body's "feel good" hormone.  By being outside we are surrounded by the beauty of nature which has the ability to touch all our senses.

• Producing home grown produce can also help people feel a sense of achievement with also helping conserve the environment.

• If you have a creative flare, use the beauty of nature to develop crafts from natural materials such as wood, clay or grass.

• Taking part in a conservation project (eg a project that focuses on preserving woodlands or planting trees) can help you feel a sense of achievement and overall well-being.  Contact you local country park to see how you can get involved.

• Looking after farm animals (care farming) can also provide a sense of well-being.  For example looking after large wild stock or small animals.  Research shows that it can help improve mood and overall self esteem.

• Fishing can also help bring a sense of calm and help to relieve stress and tension.  Fishing helps the mind to calm down and bring about relaxation.  By doing this the mind can focus just on the act of fishing and not about all the deadlines in life that may need to be met.

We need to move beyond the idea of 'environment' and fall back in love with Mother Earth - Nhat Hanh

 

Pressure Sores (Article 3) - Symptoms of Pressure Ulcers

Pressure Sore - Symptoms of Pressure Ulcers

Symptoms of pressure ulcers 

The parts of the body most at risk of developing pressure ulcers are those that are not covered by a large amount of body fat and are in direct contact with a supporting surface, such as a bed or a wheelchair.

For example, if you are unable to get out of bed, you are at risk of developing pressure ulcers on your:

• shoulders or shoulder blades

• elbows

• back of your head

• rims of your ears

• knees, ankles, heels or toes

• spine

• tail bone (the small bone at the bottom of your spine)

If you are a wheelchair user, you are at risk of developing pressure ulcers on:

• your buttocks

• the back of your arms and legs

• the back of your hip bone

Severity of pressure ulcers

Woman, 91, who froze to death in care home was 'so cold thermometer didn't work'

In a report published this morning a 91-year old women froze to death in a care home.

The Incident occurred in November 2012, after the person in charge on the day of the death had told bosses he was not capable of running the home.

Annie Barritt, who had dementia, was eventually found to be 25.3 degrees centigrade, almost 10 degrees below the hypothermia threshold of 35 degrees

Oaklands Care Home, near York, where Annie Barritt, 91, suffered severe hypotermia in 2012

A Care Home allowed a 91-year-old woman to freeze to death, with her temperature so cold it wouldn't register on a standard thermometer, a court has been told.

Council Tax Rebate - important

I suspect there are lots of you who are missing out. It is not difficult - basically if you are living with a person with diagnosed dementia or if they are living alone they are entitled to a rebate of council tax which can be backdated to the date of diagnosis. You phone the council ask for a council tax waiver form and then when you fill it in you do so under 'severe mental impairment' which sounds a bit harsh but isn't - and then make sure the doctor puts in the date of diagnosis.

COUNCIL TAX REBATE

Tens of thousands of people who are living or lived with someone with a 'severe mental impairment' may be able to reclaim council tax, MoneySavingExpert.com can reveal, after three charities warned many overpay. One MoneySaver told us her mum was refunded £3,000 after overpaying for seven years – here's how to claim.

Someone who has been medically certified as suffering from a permanent condition that affects their intelligence and social functioning (eg, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's) is 'disregarded for council tax purposes' in England, Scotland and Wales – in a similar way that students are, for example.

Normally if there's only one person living in a home, you get a 25% council tax discount. But if you live with someone with a severe mental impairment and no other adults – or only adults who are disregarded for council tax purposes – you can also claim 25% off. You can reclaim retrospectively too.

Anyone with a severe mental impairment who's living alone shouldn't be paying any council tax at all.

Heating for People with Dementia

Top Tip - MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness 

is a mind-body approach to well-being that can help you change the way you think about experiences in your life.  

Perfect the following 5 steps:

Pressure Sores (Article 2) - Treating & Preventing Pressure Ulcers/Sores

Pressure Sores - Treating & Preventing Pressure Ulcers/Sores

Treating and preventing pressure ulcers

Treatment for pressure ulcers includes the use of dressings, creams and gels designed to speed up the healing process and relieve pressure. Surgery is sometimes recommended for the most serious cases.

For some people, pressure ulcers are an inconvenience that require minor nursing care. For others, they can be serious and lead to life-threatening complications, such as blood poisoning or gangrene. 

Pressure ulcers can be unpleasant, upsetting and challenging to treat. Therefore, a range of techniques is used to prevent them developing in the first place.

These include:

Pressure Sores (Article 1) - Introduction

Pressure Sores - Introduction

Avoidable pressure ulcers are a key indicator of the quality of nursing care. Preventing them happening will improve all care for vulnerable patients.

Introduction 

Pressure ulcers are an injury that breaks down the skin and underlying tissue. They are caused when an area of skin is placed under pressure.

Quick Reference Guides skin lesion

Quick Reference Guide to Skin Lesion

A quick downloadable reference guide to skin lesion which should be beneficial to all providing care to others.

'Murdered' by the pathway: How Margaret's doctors told her family she had terminal cancer, then put her on a death pathway

Sharing this article is intrinsic to finding answers to how we can ensure that people and their families have the right choices when our frail and vulnerable citizens are admitted to hospital with complex health issues, or in care. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3804947/Murdered-pathway-Margaret-s-doctors-told-family-terminal-cancer-death-pathway-scrapped.html

 

Margaret Hesketh died at Wigan Hospital in November 2014, having been diagnosed with cancer. A post-mortem examination revealed she died of pneumonia

Recently the Foundation has been talking about the different types of abuse on our Blog, and yesterday it lead to discussions amongst ourselves as to how we believed that person Centre Care needs to be the norm, not the lip service we see on so many different occasions. 

Tough Mudder Event - Kindness in Care Campaign

                  
The Edith Ellen Foundations' very own Lara attended the grooling Tough Mudder event on Sunday 25th September 2016 



to help raise funding for the Foundation; to enable us to apply for our Kindness in Care's entire Training Programme to be accredited.

By all accounts a good day was had by all, thank you again Lara

 

Tough Mudder is a 10-12-mile mud and obstacle course designed to drag you out of your comfort zone by testing your physical strength, stamina, and mental grit. 

With no podiums, winners, or clocks to race against, it’s not about how fast you can cross the finish line. Rather, it’s a challenge that emphasizes teamwork, camaraderie, and accomplishing something almost as tough as you are.

It is Probably the toughest event on the planet

We would be grateful if people are able to support her and the Foundation by going to our website through our Edith Ellen Website or Paypal link to donate, Thank You