News

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Our customer service manager celebrates her big 30 this week and we did not want it to go unnoticed despite lockdown!!

Lydia baked her a towering 3 tier chocolate orange cake washed down with a little bucks fizz, perfect!

There was no way we could select a single member of our team for Employee of the Month in March as we are so proud of how everyone has adapted to new working environments, practices and challenges presented by COVID-19.

So we decided to make everyone a winner..  Here are some snapshots of our ‘stay at home’ workers and our ‘cannot stay at home workers'.

Thank you to a very special team indeed!

... Congratulations to the winner of our Google Review Hamper Competition who won a Betty's Easter Hamper.. Many Thanks for the review.

Coronavirus Policy

Andway Healthcare are committed to protecting our staff, clients and community and are working closely with all
parties to minimise infection risks to provide help and advice on suitable products and practices.

At the time of writing, we have no concerns about an outbreak occurring at our offices, and we have had no confirmed
or suspected cases amongst any of our team. However, it is important that we are fully prepared in case the situation
in the UK worsens. As well as reinforcing good hygiene practices throughout the company, we have taken the
following measures: -

 We are working with our team to ensure business continuity should anyone need to self-isolate or becomes
unwell.
 Telephone, email order and advice services will remain open as usual throughout any isolation period.
 We have asked all our field-based staff to immediately report any flu-like symptoms, and where appropriate
we will send them home.
 There will be no business-related travel to hot-spot areas, and any staff returning from holidays will be
assessed before returning to work.

We are actively working with any suppliers based in hot-spot areas to ensure continuity of supply, which has so far
proved effective. We are also assured by the authorities that there is no health risk from imported goods originating in
hot spot areas due to the nature of transmission of the virus.

Andway Hygiene Policy

As an organisation we are committed to doing our utmost to help prevent the risk of infection and to reduce the spread
of infection as much as we can. We are following and will continue to follow the WHO and PHE guidelines.

 Andway staff hand sanitiser use: Andway Delivery Drivers, Service Engineers and Sales Representatives are
now provided with hand sanitiser for use between each client contact.

 We strongly advise our external based teams minimise contact with residents and your staff. We
recommend you allocate a single member of staff to accept and sign for the deliveries to minimise risks.

 Drop-off delivery only option: if you would prefer your goods to be left outside your premises to further
reduce the risk of infection please advise us at point of order.

 Sales visit option: please advise if you would prefer to meet virtually using Microsoft teams, skype or zoom.
Case notification

We undertake to advise you if any members of the Andway Team have encountered or have the virus or are selfisolating.
In return we ask you notify us immediately if you have any confirmed or reported cases of COVID-19 in your care home
or organisation.

Courier update

We are working closely with our couriers and other transport companies and will advise accordingly should they make
any procedural changes.

Thank You,
The Andway Healthcare Team

... is Lydia McEwen.

For a record breaking third time Lydia wins February employee of the month.  Many of the votes cast picked out her long working hours covering while Grace was on honeymoon training new teammate Victoria.  All the while in good spirits and looking after the needs of our clients.

Lydia is choosing a well deserved day off for her prize...

Coronavirus Help & Advice

1. It is vital you follow the contact time guidelines on each of these products to ensure its efficiency in combatting and killing virucidal and bacterial bodies.
2. Hand washing and disinfection is the key to preventing infection. You should frequently wash your hands well for at least 20 seconds and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. If it is not possible to wash your hands, or hands are visibly clean, WHO recommend using an alcohol hand gel containing at least 60% alcohol. All Andway’s gels, product codes ALCA50, ALCA500 and ALCA5L contain over the required 60% alcohol which meets this requirement and is formulated for frequent use.
3. Practice good respiratory hygiene by catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue (or your elbow), bin tissues and wash your hands well afterwards.
4. These types of viruses do not generally survive for very long outside the body, however there is some evidence to show that some coronaviruses can persist on surfaces for several hours or days depending on environmental conditions. As the COVID-19 virus is not available for commercial testing we recommend regular cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched objects and surfaces using one of our virucidal cleaners which has numerous test data against enveloped viruses or makes Norovirus claims.
5. Pre-clean the surface first followed by a disinfection step with a 5-minute contact time.
6. We advise the use of our virucidal cleaners for precleaning to minimise the risk that the cleaning cloths becoming a source of cross contamination.  

Recommended Products

T500 - Selgiene Extreme 5Ltr
C066 - Selgiene Ultra Virucidal Cleaner 5Ltr
T066 - Slgiene Ultra Virucidal Cleaner 750ml
T500 - Selgiene Extreme Highcare Cleaner 750ml
ULTRAAX - UltraAX Virucidal & Bactericidal Disinfectant

www.nutritionandhygeneweek.co.uk

Nutrition and Hydration Week

10 key characteristics of good care are:

1. Screen all residents to identify malnourishment or risk of malnourishment and ensure actions are progressed and monitored.
2. Together with each resident, create a personal care/support plan enabling them to have choice and control over their own nutritional care and fluid needs.
3. Care providers could include specific guidance on food and beverage services and other nutritional & hydration care.
4. People using care services get in the planning and monitoring arrangements for food and drinks provision.
5. Food and drinks should be provided alone or with assistance in an environment conducive to residents being able to consume their food (Protected Mealtimes).
6. All health care professionals and volunteers could receive regular training to ensure they have the skills, qualifications and competencies needed to meet the nutritional and fluid requirements of the residents.
7. Facilities and services providing nutrition and hydration are designed to be flexible and centred on the residents using them, 24 hours a day, every day.
8. All care providers to have a nutrition and hydration policy centred on the needs of users, and is performance managed in line with local governance, national standards and regulatory frameworks.
9. Food, drinks and other nutritional care are delivered safely.
10. Care providers should take a multi-disciplinary approach to nutrition and hydrational care, valuing the contribution of all staff, residents, and volunteers working in partnership.

Age Concern (2006) reported a lack of appropriate food and absence of support with eating and drinking as one of the most frequently raised issues by older people’s relatives following a hospital admission.

Nutrition Tips:

• Using high energy and high protein foods added to the diet without increasing the volume of foods    consumed (e.g. cheese, full fat milk, butter, cream)
• Small, frequent meals consisting of nutritionally dense foods
• High energy and high protein snacks between meals
• Nourishing fluids should be maximised (milky drinks, soups, powdered supplements)
• Aim to overcome barriers to oral intake (e.g. pain, poor dentition, need for a texture modified diet, environmental and social problems)
• Consideration should be given to micronutrients. A multivitamin maybe required.

Using the above techniques can improve nutritional intake whilst ensuring the appropriate nutrition. Further advice and guidelines are available at www.thenacc.co.uk and www.bda.uk.com

NHS Nutrition and Hydration guide:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/nut-hyd-guid.pdf

Hydration

Water is essential to health but is often overlooked. This can result in vulnerable individuals missing out on the support they need to help maintain a healthy level of hydration. The medical evidence for good hydration shows that it can assist in preventing or treating ailments such as:

• Pressure ulcers

• Constipation

• Urinary infections and incontinence

• Kidney stones

• Heart disease

• Low blood pressure

• Diabetes (management of)

• Cognitive impairment

• Dizziness and confusion leading to falls

• Poor oral health

• Skin conditions

In many care homes, older residents are often affected by dehydration.  As a result, some residents are put at risk of falls, urinary tract infections (UTIs), acute kidney injury (AKI) and sepsis. UTI is a common cause for emergency hospital admission.

Hydration and Dementia

Colour contrast is vital in dementia care settings, where cognitive and perception problems can lead to falls and increased anxiety. 

A wide range of drinking aids are available - https://andwayhealthcare.com/ColouredTableware 

March Is DVT Awareness Month!

March is Deep Vein Thrombosis awareness month - a public health awareness initiative which aims to raise awareness of the condition and it’s related complications. It’s aimed at raising awareness for both healthcare professionals and the general public.

What is Deep Vein Thrombosis
DVT is a blood clot which occurs in a deep vein. Deep veins are veins which are large and surrounded by muscle in a limb. These are most common in the leg and can result in pain and discoloration, among other symptoms.

According to Independent Living, DVT affects approximately one in every 1000 people. The risk is especially important to be aware of for care professionals as the risk of developing DVT increases with age. Additional risk factors, such as blood vessel damage and staying still for long periods also affect care home residents.

Sometimes it is hard to tell if a resident may have DVT, because it can develop with very few noticeable symptoms.

However, things to look out for include:

• Pain, swelling or tenderness in one of the legs, often in or around the calf muscle (see the NHS’s example of DVT)

• Feeling a heavy ache in the affected area

• Skin that is warm to the touch in the affected area

• Red skin

• Increased pain when you raising the foot towards the knee

• Shortness of breath or chest pain can mean the thrombosis (clot) may have developed in the lungs which is a pulmonary embolism. 

Did you know?

• 74% of care home residents have little or no awareness of DVT 

• DVT risk can increase following a stroke (Pharmacy Times)

Combatting Deep Vein Thrombosis

DVT can be a dangerous condition, though treatments are available. So what can we do to prevent our residents from contracting this?

The following steps can be taken to reduce the risk of developing DVT:

• Eating a healthy, balanced diet

• Taking regular exercise

• regular movement  even when chair bound 

Studies have suggested that wearing compression stockings can improve blood flow and lower the chances of the development of DVT. Research collated by the Cochrane Library comparing 15 trials found that wearing compression stockings could reduce the risk of DVT by as much as 63%.

Emergency treatment

If a resident with DVT experiences breathlessness and chest pain, seek emergency assistance.

According to the NHS, a pulmonary embolism can be life threatening and requires urgent treatment.

For more information on DVT, take a look at the NHS’ and NICE resources:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/deep-vein-thrombosis-dvt/

NICE risk assessment tool -  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng89/resources/department-of-health-vte-risk-assessment-tool-pdf-4787149213

NICE Recommendations for DVT - https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg651/chapter/1-Recommendations

Choosing the right pressure care mattress

There is a wide range of terminology used for pressure care mattresses including air/airflow mattress,  alternating mattress, redistributing pressure mattress, replacement systems and dynamic mattresses to name but a few.

We take calls every day from clients seeking help and advice on which mattress to choose, which grade (medium, high and very high risk), which will best suit a user. With nearly 20 years of experience in the care home environment we would suggest taking the following into account when selecting the best system.  

Skin Assessment

This will be carried out by a healthcare professional such as a nurse, usually following guidelines of risk assessment or scoring such as The Braden Scale which will calculate a level of risk and this will then be matched to the appropriate risk rated mattress system.

Pressure care mattress options: -

Static or Foam mattresses

Made from foam and usually feature a two way stretch, vapour permeable, waterproof cover which helps to reduce the shear and friction forces and help prevent tissue breakdown.  The internal air channels help to encourage skin integrity and reduce the build-up of moisture underneath the user.

These mattresses are predominantly used for those who may present with some minimal risks of pressure damage, classified as low or medium risk although high risk versions are available.

Alternating pressure mattresses

Alternating/air Mattress systems offer advanced pressure relief therapy for patients rated high and very high risk.  They normally consist of individual alternating air filled cells, usually working in small targeted groups to regularly and automatically alter distribution of pressure in sections, protecting the most vulnerable sections of the body such as the head, heels and sacrum areas and to maximum effect.

There is a choice of analogue or digital pump to activate these systems and controls provide pressure alerts and comfort settings 24/7.

Options can include evacuation kits, static pillows etc

Hybrid mattresses

Combination of air and foam, providing a comfortable foam interface which reduces pressure over vulnerable areas of the body and an alternating surface beneath weight bearing sections of the body. These are used for those rated high or very high risk.

Replacement or Overlay?

Alternating pressure mattresses are supplied as replacement or overlay, both provide the same level of pressure care: a replacement system is just as it sounds a full mattress system, an overlay fits on top of an existing standard mattress. We will of course offer help and advice on which is the best option for your service user. 

Service user mobility

Your service user is unique and will have their very own requirements and we encourage you to take the following into account when choosing a mattress:

• will the service user be getting in and out of bed independently and frequently and if so will require a mattress structure which will allow ease of movement, including overall mattress height?
• if your service user is limited mobility and requires patient lifting aids the mattress will of course need to be of a higher risk rating and comfort level, with alternating functionality built in.

Bed and bed accessories impact

• which bed will the mattress go on, can it be securely positioned and fastened, if not, an alternative bed may be required,
• check your bed accessories are compatible with the mattress. For example, do not use an alternating mattress with a separate profiling backrest as it may restrict the air-flow of the mattress.
• Check the height of the mattress vs required anti-entrapment bed rail requirements. From April 2013 government legislation stipulates the minimum gap between the top of the mattress and the bottom of the bed rail must be 120mm to avoid entrapment and your mattress may raise the mattress height and reduce this gap to below legal levels. Furthermore, the distance between the top of the bedrail and the mattress must be a minimum of 220mm.

Comfort

A good night’s sleep is vital for health and wellbeing so testing the mattress for comfort is key as an uncomfortable mattress which interrupts/prevents sleep will severely impact the users health vs pressure care considerations.

Andway offer a comprehensive range of pressure relieving airflow alternating mattresses, suitable for low, medium, high, very high and bariatric users.  At the forefront of technology our aim is to provide you with choice and expert advice.

Where ‘risk’ categories are given, these are to the Waterlow scale and are for guidance only and we strongly advise calling our expert mattress team to help in selecting the correct combination of comfort and pressure relief.

Shaun wins it again!

Our warehouse manager Shaun weighed in at number one again this month, commended by his colleagues for going above and beyond both in hours worked, care and attention paid to our clients and ensuring our distribution operations runs ontime.

Well done Shaun and using his winners cash to treat his wife to an extra pressie this Christmas.