dysphagia | Secure Healthcare Solutions

There is over 40 million people that have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the UK. Approximately 27 million people have received both doses to provide maximum protection and here at Secure Healthcare Solutions we highly encourage individuals to come forward to be vaccinated to help protect against the threat of the new variants.

Public Health England outlines that 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are highly effective against the (Delta) variant, identified in India. This reduces the risk of hospitalisation and death, which prevents the NHS hospitals being overwhelmed and to prevent another lockdown occurring in the UK.

PHE research carried out shows that individuals that received a single dose of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have an 80% lower risk of death, and the second dose provides 85 to 90% protection against COVID-19. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provides 80% protection after one dose and 97% after 2 doses.

The UK is one of the leading nations to have vaccinated the population. Over 60% of the population has been vaccinated.
Click here to find out more about the COVID 19 vaccine.

Secure Healthcare Solutions is in the healthcare industry and is a healthcare staffing agency providing quality care and support to service users within care homes, hospitals and for homecare. Our staff members get priority to receive the COVID 19 vaccine and our patients that we care and provide support for have had the priority to receive the COVID 19 vaccine. As the people that we provide care for in the vulnerable category, we highly encourage individuals to take the vaccine.

We provide our service users PPE, including gloves, face masks and sanitiser. Our staff are also provided this too and appropriate PPE clothing to ensure our service users feel comfortable and safe. As a healthcare agency, safety is imperative for us when it comes to COVID 19 and we ensure that we follow all the government guidelines.

Our healthcare staff and patients are regularly tested for COVID 19 through rapid lateral flow home tests kits.

Here at Secure Healthcare Solutions, we understand that there is a lot of negative rumours about the vaccine, whether it is safe and the long-term side effects of the vaccine.

Who should not receive not receive the vaccine?
– Pregnant women
– Children under 16 (Moderna)
– Children under 18 (Astrazeneca/Oxford vaccine & Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine)
– History of allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to ingredients in the vaccine, if you unsure about this, before being vaccinated, ask members of staff.

Side effects of having the COVID-19 vaccine
There are many side effects of taking the COVID 19 vaccine, that are generally mild and should not last longer than a week.
These include:
– A sore arm, where the needle has been put in
– Fatigue
– Headaches
– Body aches
– Feeling or being sick

If you have any of the symptoms above, it is recommended to take paracetamols

If you want to find out more about how we support our service users and also how we support our staff with COVID 19 to ensure safety and individuals feeling comfortable, then please feel free to call us on 0121 285 9449. We highly encourage all our staff and service users to take the COVID 19 vaccine.

Working in the summer as a healthcare worker for a healthcare agency can be difficult because of the warm weather conditions. It is important that you stay cool and cool yourself down to prevent exhaustion.
Warm weather can cause health risks. It is vital that you identify the signs if someone is struggling in the warm weather and what you should do to protect yourself and service users from the heat.
There are various symptoms that individuals can experience in heat. These include:
* Heat stroke, which is life threatening illness in which the body temperature may be above (41 °C) within a short a short period of time.
* Heat cramps, muscle pains or spasms that occur during heavy exercise. Generally, you get these in your abdomen, arms and legs.
* Difficulty breathing and increased heart rate
* Dehydration, nausea or vomiting
* Difficulty sleeping, drowsiness, faintness and changes in behaviour
* Heat can affect the heart and respiratory system

Secure Healthcare’s tips to keep your body temperature down
Take regular showers and baths
We highly encourage you to take regular cool showers or baths. If you are providing home care for an individual, it may require you to assist an individual with a shower or bath. Even though it can be difficult during a warm period, it is important that patients regularly have a bath.

Drink regularly
While providing personal home care to an individual during the warm weather, one the most important things is to stay hydrated, particularly by drinking water and juice regularly. On average you are supposed to drink 2 litres of water a day, however during the warm weather we encourage you increase this intake. If you are providing care for an individual, you should monitor their daily fluid intake to ensure service users are hydrated.

Wear comfortable clothing
For our live-in carers, it is advised to wear clothing that is appropriate for warm weather conditions. This could be by wearing loose clothing which helps individuals feel comfortable. Here at Secure Healthcare Solutions, we provide our employees short sleeve tops and clothing appropriate for warm weather conditions. When providing care to patients it is important that they are dressed appropriately and feel comfortable, particularly during the warm weather.

Eat cold foods
During the warm weather, we encourage you to eat cold food, as opposed to hot food, eating food with high water content will also keep you hydrated, eating healthy foods such as fruits and salads contributes to a large amount of water to your diet.

Stay in the shade
When it is really hot, stay in the shade as much as possible to avoid heat stroke and heat exhaustion, it is recommended to stay in the shade as much as you can. Although sun is the best way to receive vitamin D, it is important to wear sunglasses and sun cream when outdoors to protect you from the sun.

Ventilated room
The room should be ventilated to ensure there is fresh air coming into the house. This is generally done by opening windows within the property. You could also use fans and air conditioning to ensure yourself or somebody you provide care for feel comfortable.

As a healthcare company, it is important that our staff and service users feel comfortable during the warm weather. Our staff have been professionally trained to deal with individuals in the warm weather.

Contact us on 0121 285 9449 or email us on homecare@securehealthcaresolutions to see how we can support you as staff or provide home care for your loved ones during the warm weather.

As you get older it could be that you lose your appetite. There are many reasons for this, whether it is due to medical issues such as dysphagia, stomach and digestion issues, or mental health conditions that make them not hungry. This can be a struggle for a carer or family member who looks after them as they need to eat to get vital nutrients and minerals in their body to ensure they keep their strength up. If you are looking for ways to combat lack of appetite in the elderly, here are some ways that you can help. Whether you are a home carer or looking for a home carer to assist with your personal care at home services, then we are here to help.

Think about food texture

It is important to consider the texture of food when giving it to someone. If they are suffering from difficulty swallowing, sore gums or a dry mouth then you don’t want foods that are going to exacerbate that. It is a good idea to try foods such as soups, stews and smoothies which can help provide them with nutrients without being painful or difficult to eat. You can also liaise with their doctor to see if there is anything they can advise.

Enjoy meals with them

Meals can be much more enjoyable if they are eaten with someone. As a home carer, you might not be able to eat at the same time as your client, but you could stay and keep them company. Sometimes just having a bit of extra company while you eat can be a real encouragement. Alternatively you

Find flavoured foods

As you get older your taste buds can weaken and this can make food seem much more unappealing. If this is the reason for loss of appetite then it is a good idea to focus on food that stimulates flavour. This includes things such as garlic, chilli and other herbs and spices. Plain food such as rice or pasta can seem extremely flavourless if they are served on their own.

Encourage meals that are smaller but more often

If your loved one or the one you provide personal care for has a lack of appetite then it could be that they benefit more from meals that are little or often. A big meal can seem overwhelming so instead, try to help them to eat a few times a day, with less on their plates. As long as they are getting the right nutrients and vitamins throughout the day it doesn’t matter how many meals this is spread over.

Look into a meal delivery service

It can be a struggle for elderly people to cook food and if they have something such as dementia they might forget to prepare something or not remember how to use the oven. It might also be dangerous for them to do so. If this is the case, it can be a good idea to use a meal delivery service. There are many companies out there where you select meals for the next week the week before, and then they get delivered at mealtimes. These are healthy and nutritious and can cater for dietary needs.

If an elderly relative or someone you care for is suffering from a lack of appetite then these top tips can help to get them back on track. For care at home service that can assist with personal care then please get in touch today.

Looking for a job in personal care or as a home carer? We have a number of vacancies here. Find out how you can help and find your ideal new role today.