Care & services
A charity which provides residential and community care for children with neurological injuries and disabilities has secured the support of a celebrity who himself has overcome brain trauma in appealing for vital funds to sustain its work.
From its base in Tadworth, Surrey, The Children’s Trust has worked with 3,000 children and their families in the past two years, delivering specialist rehabilitation and tailored support as they rebuild their lives following injury or illness.
In support of its fundraising efforts, TV and music star Martin Kemp has committed his support, fronting a BBC Lifeline documentary to highlight the work of the charity.
A first-of-its-kind course for nurses to enhance their capability in supporting patients recovering from brain injuries and strokes has been developed.
The online course, which is open to applications from around the world, enables registered nurses to study part-time while continuing their clinical roles, and will enable them to develop integrated brain, body and mind specialist skills, which are urgently needed in neurological rehabilitation.
A project has been launched to introduce smart assistant devices into residential facilities for brain injury patients to enhance their wellbeing and increase their communication with the outside world both during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
The Disabilities Trust is pioneering the ConnectAbility project, which makes use of technologies and digital means to help increase independence and widen opportunities for social interaction among patients.
Through raising money to buy smart assistant devices, such as the Amazon Alexa, the Trust believes this could help people to live independently and bridge the ‘digital literacy’ gap which have previously prevented many people, particularly those with cognitive impairments, from benefitting from technology.
Rehabilitation services for stroke and other neurological diseases have seen a slower recovery in outpatient clinics than those in inpatient settings as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report has found.
Outpatient services were largely stopped or significantly scaled back when the pandemic hit, the study said, and continue to take longer to recover post-lockdown, which could have long-term implications for patients into the future.
Decreases of around 36 per cent compared to 2019 were seen in the ability of outpatient units to interact with patients, with many appointments being delayed for between 3 and 6 months.
In an inpatient setting, the decrease was around 27 per cent at the peak COVID-19 period, although the recovery in rates of seeing patients came much quicker.
While trying to adapt to the many challenges of lockdown and ensure its support for people continued, Neuro Drop In was dealt the blow of having to move out of its premises. Founder Sharon Jackson explains how, despite the ongoing social restrictions, the Lancaster-based group have pulled even more tightly together to get through its unprecedented situation.
“Next year will mark the 21st anniversary of me being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It was a massive shock as I had a career and a family, I wasn’t ready to be disabled. I’m 62 now and have learnt to deal with it while still being able to live my life, but I know what a devastating thing it is to be given this diagnosis and the impact it can have on you and your loved ones.
A carer with a specialist brain injury rehabilitation provider has become the youngest care manager in the country aged only 23.
Chloe Gregory, a service manager who was inspired to go into specialist care aged 16 when she became the personal assistant to her cousin who has learning difficulties, has now secured accreditation from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) only seven years later. She recently passed the Fit Person Interview, an assessment by the CQC which confirms knowledge of compliance and legislation in a care environment, and is now believed to be the youngest accredited care manager anywhere in England. “For me, working in social care is so heart-warming. You’re able to give someone’s life so much more meaning and a much better quality of life and knowing there are so many things you can help them improve on,” says Chloe, who works at the Burton Road Care Home in Derby, owned by Voyage Care. The centre is a specialist facility for men with challenging behaviour.
Robotics are being used to enhance patient rehabilitation goals in a residential neuro-rehab setting for the first time, with one UK provider revealing its significant investment is already paying dividends.
Askham Village Community introduced robotic devices in June, creating Askham Rehab, a specialist rehabilitation service which incorporates cutting-edge devices and sensor-assisted technology to extend rehab provision to patients. Having been introduced during lockdown, as well as the innovative new rehab practices adopted at the centre in Doddington, Cambridgeshire, Askham also reports the morale boost it delivered to staff and patients alike, during a difficult time for many.
The Coronavirus Act 2020 intends to help services cope with a limited number of staff available to help people with care and support needs. It gives local authorities the option to suspend some of their duties under the Care Act if they think it’s reasonable to do so. This could be because there aren’t enough staff to cope with an increased demand over the next few months. Local authorities must follow a specific decision-making process to decide if they need to suspend these duties. Local authorities should also let carers and people using their service know if they’re going to suspend these duties. The suspended duties are called the ‘Care Act easements’.
The specialist provider of rehabilitation and residential care for adults with acquired brain injury or learning disabilities in Northampton will now be known as Richardson Care. Laura Richardson-Cheater, managing partner, says: “We believe that social inclusion, community participation, dignity and respect, combined with tailored therapeutic input are key to enabling service users to fulfil their potential.” She continues: “After celebrating our 30th anniversary last year, we felt the time was right to update our identity. “We realised that over the years, ‘Richardson’ has become the name of our extended family and includes all of the service users and staff within the organisation.
Robot pets
We have robot pet dogs and cats, and even a monkey and a horse. They respond to touch/voice commands, carry out movements and vocalise. They are primarily used to promote engagement by the patient, encourage pleasant feelings which helps set them in a good mood to participate in therapy, promote positive bonds with staff, and as a source of distraction should the patient start engaging in disruptive behaviours. For selected patients who have favourite smells, we can spray specific odours on the pets, so that all of the sensory modalities are engaged for a pleasant experience.
