Nursing & Care News | Blog | Secure Healthcare Solutions

If you have made the decision to seek a homecare provider for you or a loved one, it can be difficult to know which type of carer is right for you. With a range of services available, how do you choose what type of support you require?

There are various types of home care services, and it’s important that you source the type of carer who will not only meet your needs but will also fit in well with your lifestyle. Here we explore some of the ways in which a home carer could help you.

Live In Care

For many, as we get older, we require more support to enable us to do the things which we had previously done with ease, making our once easy to navigate homes more difficult to get around and maintain. However, for many people, the prospect of either downsizing to another home, or moving into a care home is not a favourable option.

A live-in carer can help you or your loved one to stay in your own home, with one to one support that will help to maintain independence. From being an extra pair of hands around the house, helping you to undertake tasks that may have got a little harder such as cooking and cleaning, to complex care of those suffering from conditions such as dementia or Parkinsons, a live-in carer will help you or your loved one to stay at home for longer.

Care At Home For Someone Suffering From Dementia

For those suffering from dementia, staying at home can be incredibly beneficial, allowing them to live in familiar surroundings with memory triggers close at home. In fact, a recent study suggests that 85% of those in early stages of dementia state a preference to stay at home for as long as possible.

Dementia is, of course, a complex condition, and level of care required is likely to change as the disease progresses. With options available such as a carer visiting a few times a day, to 24 around the clock care at home, there are options to help those with dementia to stay at home for as long as possible.

Respite Care

Caring for a loved one can be exhausting, and sometimes carers just need a break for a short period. Respite care can be a bit of a lifeline for those caring for a partner, child or parent. Respite care at home means that you do not have to put the person you are caring for into residential respite care and can instead have someone come to their home and care for them, just like you would. In fact, the flexibility of respite care at home means that you can get cover for any period of time, from a few hours to go out or relax, to a few weeks.

Secure Healthcare Solutions offers a range of care at home services, all completely tailored to you, and all provided by the highest quality healthcare assistants or nurses. We cover all areas of the West Midlands and are available 24/7 to assist you.

If you work in the healthcare profession, you may, at some point considered using a nursing agency. Whether you are a RGN, a healthcare assistant, or any other type of nurse practitioner, at Secure Healthcare Solutions, we have a range of excellent roles available on an agency basis.

But what are the benefits of working through a nursing agency, and should you consider it?

Pay For Agency Nursing

Generally speaking, the pay you will receive as an agency nurse or healthcare worker will be higher than if you worked directly for an employer. As an agency worker, you are able to work as many shifts as you like for a good hourly rate, so can take control of your earning potential. At Secure Healthcare Solutions, a nursing agency in Birmingham, covering all of the West Midlands, payment is made weekly meaning that you are never waiting on your wages!

Flexible Nursing Shifts

One of the biggest benefits for many staff looking to use a healthcare agency is the flexibility it allows. As an agency worker, you can choose your own shifts, work at times that suit you and fit around your home and family life, and avoid working shifts that are not suitable for you, such as nights. For many nurses and healthcare workers, the ability to choose your hours is one of the main reasons to choose nursing agency work.

Experience

As an agency nurse, you can attain a wider level of experience, as you can work in different environments. For many healthcare workers, they would have previously only worked in one area such as a specific hospital department. Agency nurses get to experience a range of facilities, such as care homes, prisons and also benefit from being able to work across departments within hospitals, giving them a greater breadth of experience with which they can boost their long-term career prospects.

Developing Skills as an Agency Nurse

When you work in the same setting for a long period of time, many of the skills you learnt in training can go unused for a period of time, making you less confident in those areas. As an agency nurse of healthcare assistant, you get to develop these skills as you are working in a range of environments.

Looking for Nursing Roles in the West Midlands?

As a leading healthcare agency based in the West Midlands, Secure Healthcare Solutions can help you to find your perfect healthcare role today. You can browse our selection of available nursing roles in the West Midlands

Or why not call us on 0121 285 9449 and speak to one of our friendly team who can advise you about the roles and opportunities on offer.

For those who require care to assist with living at home, it’s not likely that help is required just throughout daytime hours. If you or a loved one now need assistance to carry out tasks which may have previously been performed easily, you may require additional care at any time of the day to help with things such as your personal hygiene needs, taking medication, or general household duties.

Here at Secure Healthcare Solutions, we offer a range of services to help you to be looked at after at home around the clock.

24 Hour Live In Care – West Midlands

We are able to offer care assistance for a wide range of requirements. Our 24 hour live in care services will be matched to suit your needs and requirements, ensuring that we offer the right level of care for you or your loved one.

Our services are completely tailored to your personal requirements, and we match your carers to meet your needs, personality and interests so that you are completely comfortable with the carer who will be with you.

24 Hour Home Care West Midlands

Why Choose 24 Hour Homecare?

Many choose to have 24 hour home care to ensure that support is there when you need it. By having a member of our team with you at all times means that we can help to take care of every care requirement you may have all day, every day.

We can offer care for a wide range of requirements, including more complex care needs such as care of those with dementia or Parkinsons.

Dementia is now the first and second leading cause of death in females and males in the UK.
Over 850,000 people are living with dementia and this is set to rise to over 1 million by 2025.
With no known cure for dementia, caring for someone with dementia can be difficult and
present a whole host of unforeseen challenges as the disease can cause changes to a person’s
memory, cognitive ability and communication. Assistive technology can help with anxiety,
establish a routine and boost the quality of life for everyone involved. With new technology
being developed each day, more devices are becoming available to advance caring for people
with dementia.

Apps That Help With Dementia

Perhaps the most obvious new technology, but there are a whole range of apps specifically
developed for either people with dementia or their caregivers. Research has shown
that these apps can be hugely beneficial as they target various aspects that affect
people with dementia such as balance, medication reminders, memory training or
even just an app to connect to others to help with isolation. There are hundreds
available, such as MindMate, Nymbl and Elevate.

How Amazon Echo Help Dementia Sufferers

Amazon’s Echo has had a big impact on those with dementia as it offers the very
thing they’re losing – memory! Amazon’s Echo doubles as a personal assistant and a
companion who never gets bored or frustrated with being asked the same questions
repeatedly, making it perfect for people with dementia.
As well as this, “Alexa” offers people with dementia a source of entertainment as well
as company. With the ability to play music and audiobooks, it can offer caregivers a
welcome respite and can even be connected to smart devices to control lights,
switches and thermostats giving the person even more independence and control.

Xenoma Smart Clothing – Pyjamas That Measure Vital Signs

The Japanese smart fabric company Xenoma aims to develop smart pyjamas
specifically for people dementia within hospitals. The idea is rather than confining
them to their rooms or keeping them in for observation, the clothing monitors motion
and vital signs such as breathing, pressure and body temperature. The company claims
they won’t show wear for 100 washes and don’t require any liquid or gel to keep
conductivity with your skin. While the e-skin pyjamas aren’t available just yet,
Xenoma hopes the hardware is ready for release in 2020, by which point the cost per
garment will be less than $100 (£75).

Personal Alarms & GPS Tracking Devices

People with dementia can be known to wander. Coupled with memory loss, they can
often end up lost and confused as to where they are or how they arrived there. To
counter this, a personal alarm and GPS tracker which can be easily kept in your
pocket or attached to a lanyard around your neck or wrist can be incredibly beneficial.
These usually include two-way calling that allows the person with dementia to talk to
their emergency contacts just by pressing the SOS alarm button and vice versa. These
can be useful for emergencies or if their mobile runs out of battery. The good news is
there’s plenty of these available such as Unforgettable personal alarm and tracker,
Yepzon One GPS locator & tracker or Pebbell personal alarm and tracker. There’s so
many variations that you are bound to find one tailored to your needs.

A Robotic Pet Companion!

Definitely the most unusual device on our list, Robotic pet companions are a great
way to reduce stress and anxiety in dementia patients. These cuddly critters usually
have built-in senses and artificial intelligence which allows them to ‘learn’, even to
respond to their given name and best of all, they will always behave. There are many
different ones available such as PARO the Seal or Hasbro’s Joy for All companion
pets which offers the user a choice between a puppy or cat companion.

While technology can help to maintain independence for those suffering from dementia, it is also important that physical needs are attended to alongside offering human company. That’s why here at Secure Health Care solutions, we offer a range of care at home services to assist you or the person you care about to live well in their own home.

As our loved ones age, taking care of them becomes intertwined more and more with our everyday lives. When they develop diseases like dementia, it often brings a slew of unforeseen changes which we must adapt to quickly and this often includes making changes to their home environment. Dementia causes changes to the person’s judgement, behaviour, sense of time and place, physical ability and anticipating these changes will allow you to minimize the risk of potential injuries and accidents.

Adapting a person with dementia’s home can allow them to stay in a familiar and comforting environment without worry and reduces the stress for everyone involved. The list of adaptions is endless but there’s many things you can do to dementia proof their homes and allow them to continue living independently.

1.Reduce clutter and simplify walkways

It’s important to ensure that walkways are clear and not blocked. Remove rugs and carpets to prevent falls as the person with dementia could see this as an object and trip or fall. If you’re worried about falls, think about purchasing a personal alarm for them. Perform a walkthrough to identify the different things that could cause injury.

2. Put away dangerous appliances and toxic substances

Remove any electrical appliances from the bathroom and kitchen and lock scissors and knives away in a secure place. Secure lock cabinets that contain medications, chemicals and any other toxic substances that could be mistaken for food. You may want to consider getting stove knob covers or removing them altogether and switching to devices that use heat instead

3. Utilize child-proof locks and door knob covers

Being able to rationalize between safe and unsafe may not always be possible for a person with dementia so it’s vital to lock doors that lead to areas that contain tools, equipment or chemicals that may be dangerous. On the flip side, removing bedroom and bathroom locks may be necessary to prevent accidentally locking themselves in.

4. Lighting

The way a person with dementia’s home is lit can have an impact on their visibility. Changes in light levels can be disorienting so make sure their home is evenly and well-lit, particularly in the evenings. Night lights can be handy in hallways, bedrooms, bathrooms and stairs to prevent accidents. Reduce glare by covering polished surfaces, mirrors and glass tops.

5. Colour contrast

Contrast can be beneficial in helping people with dementia distinguish space and depth within their home, having contrasting colour furniture to the walls will make objects stand out more but avoid using dark colours as these can often look like a black blur and be disorienting.

6. Labels

Labels can help determine what’s inside a room, cupboard or drawers. For example, a sign with a picture of a toilet on the bathroom door. Remember as well to CHECK labels on food! People with dementia often develop issues with taste and smell and are unable to identify fresh food so routinely check to see all their food is still within date.

Of course, even with adaptations, sometimes your loved one will require a little help – and here at Secure Healthcare Solutions, we want to help you or your loved one to stay at home in your comfortable environement, which is why we offer a range of home care options, from respite care to give you a break, to holiday help to enable you to take your loved one away. Our fully trained and qualified staff are always here to help you. Find out how we can assist with care at home.

For many workers, undertaking a 9 – 5 role, while trying to balance childcare, tackle busy transport, and generally live life can be exhausting and, at times, untenable.

While employers are starting to look at flexible working patterns when their core hours of business are generally between 8am – 6pm it’s impossible for some employers to offer the flexible working hours required by some working parents, and those with other responsibilities.

Flexible Work in West Midlands

Secure Healthcare Solutions are pleased to offer flexible working patterns, combined with good rates of pay, and shift work to suit.

With healthcare roles across the West Midlands, we can offer an alternative for those looking to fit their hours around their lives. As we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, we are able to offer constant and regular work at times that fit you and your lifestyle.

This means that our applicants across the West Midlands, are able to specify their availability for work each week and be allocated hours to suit their lifestyle.

What Type of Flexible Work is Available?

Here at Secure Healthcare Solutions, we specialise in providing healthcare workers to employers such as nursing homes, care homes, NHS hospitals, and also domiciliary care at home. As our services are required 24 hours a day, there is always a shift that will suit you.

We offer great rates of pay, and full training. We take real pride in the care that we provide, so we work with you to ensure that you can provide the best care.

There are other benefits to working with us which include

Weekly Pay
24/7 support team
Bonus Schemes
Excellent pay rates
Free uniform

And much more!

Get in touch today, or browse our jobs to find out how we can help you discover hours to suit your life!

It’s that time of the year again. Today is said to be the most depressing day of the year. Christmas is a long forgotten memory, while payday still seems a long way ahead. It’s cold, you’re miserable, and those diet resolutions you made in good faith back on the 1^st are now making your stomach rumble.

Originally coined by a PR Firm 13 years ago, Blue Monday seems to have slipped into common vernacular, however mental health charities warn that Blue Monday trivialises depression, with Mind’s Head of Information commenting that ‘Depression is not just a one day event’.

However, it really is that case that the factors mentioned above can spiral into feeling down at this time of year. So what can those who do feel down at this time of year do to try and beat those winter blues.

Get Outside

As the temperatures drop, it can tempting to stay indoors wrapped up warm, however the lack of sunlight in the winter can contribute to feeling down. The NHS suggests trying to take a one hour walk in the middle of the day when it’s brightest outside.

Eat Well

While it’s easy to eat up salads and light meals during the summer, our natural inclination during the winter is to turn to stodgy comfort food. Eating healthy will help to boost mood and allow you more energy. Try to balance your diet by eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit.

Try Light Therapy

While getting out in the natural daylight is always the best option, many of those who suffer with seasonal depression have seen boosts from using lightboxes – electric devices that simulate natural daylight.

Keep Both Mind and Body Active

In the depths of winter, many people find themselves less active – just sitting in front of a TV or computer screen indoors. Try and keep as active as possible. Get out and see friends and family, or perhaps take up a new hobby. By keeping both your mind and body active, you can help to boost your mood.

Seek Help

Whether a support group, a phone line, or going to see your GP – depression is a serious illness that can have a heavy impact on your life. If your symptoms are interfering with your ability to live normally, speak to you GP, or contact MIND.

It’s a common phenomenon that the New Year can signal a want of career change for many – and 2018 is no different.

What causes so many workers to chose to look out for a new role at the start of the year is uncertain, whether it’s a case of ‘new year – new you’ or whether the onset of winter blues causes job dissatisfaction, it’s actually the case that for many, January is spent scouting for a new role.

A recent survey has shown that more than half of the UK’s workforce will be looking for a new job in 2018, so for certain roles, it is expected that the competition for roles could be fierce. However, it is always the case that many NHS and healthcare workers are in high demand from employers.

Nursing Jobs in 2018

With uncertainty over Brexit, and a lower than usual take-up of nursing degrees last year, qualified nurses are in high demand, and we have a large number of nursing roles available in the Midlands and surrounding areas. With some great job roles including paediatric nurses, RGN’s, Nurse practitioners, and lots more – Secure Healthcare Solutions can assist you into your new nursing role for a great new year.

Here are just some of our current vacancies

Band 5 RGN – North Staffordshire

Band 6 RGN – West Midlands

Theatre Nurse – West Midlands

Healthcare Assistant Jobs in 2018

Perhaps you are seeking a new role this year that fits in better with your lifestyle. Many of those seeking a new job for the new year are making a conscious decision to make more time for family or get a role that fits in better with their lifestyle. Secure Healthcare Solutions operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so we are able to offer regular work at a time that suits you. Specify your availability and we can offer shifts that fit in exactly with when and where you want to work. As a leading provider of care, we have a wide range of healthcare assistant roles available – here are just a few.

Agency Healthcare Assistant/Support Worker – Tamworth

Healthcare Assistant-Worcester

Complex Care, Healthcare Assistant/ Support Worker – Stafford

Whatever your career aspirations for 2018, Secure Healthcare Solutions can help. So get in touch with us today – call 0121 285 9449 or send an email to cv@securehealthcaresolutions.co.u

Secure health solutions

The number of students starting undergraduate nursing courses has dipped by 2.6% this year which has lead to warnings that the future supply of nurses ‘remains in peril’.

The Government promised in October to create an extra 5,000 nursing places, part of a wider drive to cope with soaring patient numbers, however, an end to bursaries in favour of student loans have been blamed for deterring people from the profession.

Combined with the drop in overseas applicants – which has partially been blamed on uncertainty over Brexit – the true risks to our NHS services are yet to be seen.

The latest data shows there was a 13 per cent decline in acceptances to nursing subjects from applicants aged 21 to 25 and a six per cent decline from those aged 26 or above, but that these decreases were offset by in increased acceptances of young applicants.

It suggests that, per applicant, it was easier to get onto a nursing degree this year than in the past.

The Royal College of Nursing said the figures showed the Government is not filling the promised extra places.

Speaking in the Telegraph, Lara Carmona, Associate Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the RCN, said: “These figures show the future supply of nurses remains in peril – we have not seen the increase we need across the UK, despite government promises.

“In practice, this will mean services already struggling to recruit staff will find it even harder.”

If you are interested in a career in nursing – please get in touch with us.

The Royal College of Nursing is using the results of its latest employment survey to pressurise the Government to increase pay for NHS workers. The poll found 6% of nurses have been forced to take out a high interest rate loan in the last year to meet their daily bills and day-to-day living expenses.

Meanwhile, one in four has borrowed money from friends, family or their bank, 23% have taken on an additional paid job and half did overtime to cover their bills and expenses, according to the survey of 7,720 nurses from across the UK.

Two in five of the nurses questioned said they have lost sleep over money worries.

Over the last year, 56% said they have been forced to cut back on food and travel costs, one in five struggled to pay gas and electricity bills, 11% had been late on rent or mortgage payments and 2.3% said they had used charities or food banks.

The RCN also found that 37% are currently seeking a new job, an increase from 24% 10 years ago.

Of these, more than half said they are looking for roles outside of the NHS, with 14% saying they were seeking jobs abroad.

Teresa Budrey, director of the RCN in the East of England, said: “There are nurses who have to use food banks to keep going, there are nurses that have second jobs, and many of them will do bank work so they will do extra hours for their employer under a nurse bank agreement.

“Equally there are some who do a second job away from nursing to enable them to have a break to recover their resilience to go back into the challenges of the nursing world.”

It was reported in this newspaper in July that there is a 10% shortfall in the number of nurses employed by the NHS in Suffolk, forcing health providers to rely on more expensive agency staff.

Meanwhile, Ipswich Hospital is taking trips to the Philippines in an attempt to recruit more nurses.

Sara Gorton, head of health at the union Unison said: “NHS employees as a whole are struggling to survive on just their basic pay. Cleaners, porters, paramedics, midwives, administrators and healthcare assistants have all gone without a proper pay rise for far too long.”

We are very proud to collaborate with Cavell Nurses Trust in a fundraising campaign to raise both money but most importantly urgency and awareness to tackling this national issue. Cavell Nurses’ Trust is a very active charity that provides help and financial support to UK nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants who are suffering hardship. Together with supporters like you, we can make a difference.