In the UK there are an estimated 850,000 people suffering with Dementia and these figures increase every year. Whilst Dementia can affect anyone at any age - it is most common in those ages 65 and over. As a homecare provider delivering care to anyone over the age of 18 we feel it is important for our staff to have knowledge and understanding of this condition and the impact it has on the individual using our service.
Britannia Homecare train our staff on the types of dementia, early stages, progressive stages, later stages, managing risk, setting goals, communication, medication, behavioural difficulties, continence, activities and advocacy.
End of Life Care is the support provided to people in the last months or years of their life. This can be a very emotional stage for the individual and those in their care circle.
Our staff are trained to ensure this process reflects the needs, wishes and desires of the individual whilst upholding their cultural and religious requirements. Britannia Homecare work alongside the individuals care circle and other health and social care professionals to ensure advance decisions are met and the individual remains as symptom free and comfortable as possible.
A number of our staff have City and Guilds Qualifications in End-of-Life Care.
At Britannia Homecare we recognise that some of the individuals using our service will require support with continence and catheter care. This needs to be managed effectively to reduce risks of infection and promote good hygiene. This also needs to be carried out in a dignified manner.
Our training sessions include the anatomy on physiology of the lower urinary tract, individuals at higher risk of being incontinent, assessing continence, strategies for managing continence. We train out staff on indwelling catheters, replacing catheter bags, complications of urinary catheterisation and caring for those with incontinence.
Pressure Ulcers can be serious and lead to life threatening complications. Simple steps can support prevention and cure pressure sores which is why Britannia Homecare have strict procedures and training to diagnose and treat areas at risk early.
We train our staff on recognising individuals at higher risk. Our staff have in house procedures to follow and an understanding of the stages of pressures sores and intervention measures to keep those in our care free from harm.
We collaborate with the district nurses to create a skin management plan and adapt the care provision to manage areas at risk or broken.
At Britannia Homecare we recognise that the biggest incident/accident the people we support experience is falls at home. This can have a massive impact on the individual which can cause them to lack confidence, sustain injury or lead to admission to hospital.
Our staff are trained on falls and why it is important to think and react to prevent falls. The content explains why people fall and what are the risks involved. We train our staff on what to do to react to falls and manage behaviour and environment to reduce falls.
Britannia Homecare understands that some individuals have behaviours that can be seen as challenging. The cause of this can be for a number of reasons, therefore, it is extremely important that our team understand the individual, their personal triggers and ways to de-escalate behaviours.
Britannia Homecare does not use restraint and focuses on understanding the individual, prevention measures, risk reduction, warning signs and de-escalation.
On the 1st July it was advised that all health and social care staff should receive mandatory training in Learning Disabilities and Autism Awareness as part of the social care reform.
Britannia Homecare's Management Team have Train the Trainer in Learning Disabilities and Autism Awareness and all staff have access to Oliver McGowan Training. The aim of this training is to provide safe, compassionate and informed care to autistic people and people with learning disabilities.
We feel overcoming barriers to communication is the best way of providing person centred care. Currently all of our Senior Staff Members are learning British Sign Language. This is with the intention to roll out to all of our staff to provide quality care to those with hearing impairment and/or learning disabilities.
