Tag: Health and wellbeing

Edinburgh to the fore in Scottish Care Awards

Eidyn Care has been recognised as one of the leading home care providers in Scotland. Members of the team will be invited to a prestigious evening awards ceremony celebrating the best of the independent care at home and housing support sector.  

The Edinburgh-based service has been nominated in the Provider of the Year category at the Scottish Care Awards 2019. This award celebrates an individual service that can demonstrate they are at the forefront of excellent care provision in Scotland.

The winner will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on 17 May at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow. The Awards will be hosted by Michelle McManus, with over 400 people attending.

The Eidyn Care team were delighted to have been recognised. Director Andrew McLennan said: “The organisation was founded in 2016 and in a short time has firmly established itself as one of the leading providers of quality palliative care at home.

“We recognise that to achieve our number one priority of caring for our clients in the best possible manner, we must invest in our staff. We spend a significant amount of time developing and supporting our team and this has a knock-on impact of more contented staff, as well as positive outcomes for our clients receiving care.”

Also nominated is Edinburgh’s Laura Rose (below), who has been recognised as one of the leading home care employees in Scotland.  

The Community Care Assistant at Carrick Home Services, has been nominated in the Carer of the Year category at the Scottish Care Awards 2019. This award celebrates the significant role of carers in consistently providing a high-quality standard for people living at home, enabling independence and delivering person-centred care and support.

Laura said: “I am very surprised but thrilled and honoured to be chosen as a finalist in these prestigious awards.”  

Andrea Ramsay, Carrick Home Services Director, who made the nomination, said: “Laura has worked as a community carer for over 12 years. She gives her all, every day, to every client she meets. She ensures everyone is treated with dignity, respect, care and compassion. Her passion for caring is a way of life, not just a job. 

“We have a client with Motor Neurone Disease whose speech has deteriorated to the extent that they can no longer communicate. Laura, who taught herself sign language, has now passed this skill on to the client, who is less socially isolated as a result. She is the only one who can understand the client, including MND nurses and other specialists. She is a motivated woman with passion, enthusiasm and dedication for every client.”

The awards have been hailed a huge success in recognising individuals, teams and companies, who are delivering care at an incredibly high standard in an era of challenging budgets and within an increasingly demanding work environment.

The care awards will follow a full day conference with speakers including the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Sport, Jeane Freeman.

 

Positive Transitions: art’s the way to do it

On Friday 5 April a group of ten students from primary and high schools across Edinburgh got together to celebrate the end of another successful Art Therapy programme with People Know How. Continue reading Positive Transitions: art’s the way to do it

Raising awareness of sepsis

New campaign focuses on spotting the early signs

The five early signs of sepsis are to be highlighted in a new campaign to help raise public awareness of this potentially fatal condition.

The campaign, which will run across social and traditional media, focuses on the often silent symptoms of sepsis, which is a serious complication of an infection.

This includes very high or low temperature, uncontrolled shivering, confusion, passing less urine than normal and blotchy or cold hands and feet.

The first sepsis awareness campaign launched in February 2018. The new campaign aims to build on this while increasing public knowledge of the early warning signs.  It complements the work carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland through the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, which since 2012 has supported clinicians and clinical practitioners to improve recognition of the signs of sepsis and better equip them to deal with it.

Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood said: “While deaths caused by sepsis have fallen by 21% since 2012, thanks in part to the work of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, it is still vital that people are aware of this potentially fatal condition.

“The key in treating sepsis is catching it quickly so that is why it’s important to know the signs. If someone has two or more of the symptoms and they are getting rapidly worse, it is important to seek urgent medical advice.

“Following our first campaign from 2018, we know that more than three out of four people are aware of the dangers of sepsis but we want to further increase public awareness to spot the signs and this campaign will help us do this. It will also help to focus on continuous improvement across Scotland ensuring there is safe and consistent care for all sepsis patients.”

Craig Stobo, who founded Sepsis Research after the death of his wife Fiona and unborn daughter Isla from the illness, said: “Sepsis Research is delighted to be supporting the Scottish Government’s Sepsis Awareness Campaign. This focused effort to encourage people to recognise the symptoms of this potentially fatal illness will save lives.

“Educating people so they know what to look out for and understand the urgent need to get medical assistance will help prevent potentially tragic consequences and we congratulate the Scottish Government on taking this initiative.”

Colin Graham, chief operating officer of Sepsis Research (FEAT): said: “This is a very important campaign by the Scottish Government and we urge everyone in the medical profession and the wider public to pick up on the life-saving messages it contains.”

Health and social care: An improving picture but more needs to be done, says EIJB Chair

The length of time people are waiting for care assessments in the Capital has fallen by almost 50% under the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board (EIJB), (writes its Chair, Councillor Ricky Henderson). Continue reading Health and social care: An improving picture but more needs to be done, says EIJB Chair

Rainbow Club’s sensory garden opened

The community turned out in force yesterday to celebrate the opening of the Rainbow Club’s Sensory Garden, with local councillors Hal Osler and Cammy Day joining community police officers, local adults and children to mark the event, at which Harry Macdonald’s memorial bench was also unveiled (writes Wilma Clelland).
Rainbow Club chairperson Eileen Brash cut the ribbon and then we had light refreshments, with an Easter bunny leading the egg hunt,for the local children!
We raised the money through the Living Through Landscapes Project, which supports people living with dementia by creating inspiring outdoor spaces, also Waitrose, Community Matters, the Scotmid Community Project and fundraising from ourselves at the Rainbow Club.
The bench was paid for from a legacy left by Harry Macdonald, who was a member of the church for over 60 years.
Wilma Clelland
Drylaw Rainbow Club Day Centre
Thanks for the words and pictures, Wilma

New plans unveiled as Thistle prepares to celebrate 75th anniversary

Leading health and wellbeing charity Thistle has submitted detailed plans to City of Edinburgh Council for the development of new ‘Garden Rooms’ adjacent to its existing Centre of Wellbeing in Craigmillar. Continue reading New plans unveiled as Thistle prepares to celebrate 75th anniversary

Hop to it! Look after the wee one’s teeth this Easter

 

As Easter approaches and the temptation to tuck into sugar-laden treats is strong, NHS 24 is encouraging people to take care of their children’s teeth and gums to reduce any long-term damage. Continue reading Hop to it! Look after the wee one’s teeth this Easter