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Employees at VDC are encouraged to use technology in their working day, we invested in technology to decrease admin responsibilities and increase time caring for our clients. Our Care Line Live App is one example of this and has many features designed to benefit both employees and clients. 

All within this one app, support workers and clients are easily and quickly able to access live updates on medical matters, general health, personal care, contingency planning and wellbeing. The Care Line Live app is also monitored by VDC admin staff, to ensure that satisfactory advice is displayed to employees and clients where required. 

The app is extremely beneficial for our clients, they access via their own log in to view up-to-date data, arrival and departure times, medical information and much more.

All VDC employees inform our clients before they begin updating the app to ensure there’s no misunderstanding as to why the care support worker is on their smartphone.

Despite this exciting technology, we still update a quick paper form, which acts as a reliable handover.

At VDC, we have recently introduced a new ‘Car Safe Initiative’ scheme for all our employees. The idea is to offer convenient car upkeep and repair services for all of our employees, to help with their day-to-day duties at VDC.

We realise that for our employees providing domiciliary care across country towns and villages, the road conditions are often poor. This on-going problem has lead to cars often becoming victim to narrow roads with contact with verges commonplace, and of course potholes. The launch of our ‘Car Safe Initiative’ was induced to directly tackle this issue and to ensure the safety of our employees, whilst they’re travelling to their clients.  

This new idea is designed to be beneficial and convenient for our staff at VDC. Local independent mechanic Tony Pack will collect our staff members’ car from head office and leave them with a courtesy car to use. Tony will ensure that the vehicles are road safe, MOT’d and serviced. Also in this scheme, we have an agreement with Horndean Tyres, where staff can have their tyres inspected, repaired or replaced.

This scheme has been implemented immediately. 

At VDC we bear witness to a large number of hours spent by Community Nurses administering basic routine procedures, that could easily be performed by trained health care support workers.

Nurses do a tremendous job in very strenuous and pressured circumstances, often visiting patients in the countryside where they have to drive long distances, having to find houses in the dark when they have not necessarily been there before, this can all be very time consuming, especially when you think about the vast geographical areas they have to cover when they are covering out of hours.  Why put them through this unnecessarily wasting precious time and money? The procedures we are suggesting are time crucial, i.e first thing in the morning when the RGN’s are going out to their emergency calls and End of Life syringe driver medications which are crucially time dependent.

These basic routine procedures are such things as giving insulin via a pen, bladder wash out’s and catheter removal, basic dressings. These procedures are currently performed by highly qualified RGN’s. However, the training for these can be easily undertaken by Home Care Support staff, who have a closer degree of patient knowledge, are already trained for medical assistance and would be on site when required anyway. Cutting down on the extra manpower and often the Nurses are on site at the same time as the Carers making their daily care calls then the carer can run late for their next care call as they have to wait for the RGN to finish their tasks, doubling up on these resources is not effective use of staff. Also, from the patient’s point of view, not having to wait for Carer’s and Nurses which, let’s face it, would drive you mad just constantly waiting for the next person coming through your door on a daily basis to do something else!

At VDC our Home Support Workers are tremendously dedicated to our patients, but alongside that we see first-hand the time it takes to complete minor medical procedures. 

Would it not make sense to train Home Care Support workers to administer these basic routine procedures? Every patient has their own care plan, this is managed by the GP and RGN’s the Home Support Workers would have to follow these care plans and call the RGN’s for support if required.

The Argument for:

1. We’re on site (so no extra travel costs)
2. We have thorough patient knowledge (through caring for them already)
3. Patients are comfortable with our care / care workers
4. Decrease in strain on Community Nurses
5. Decrease in cost 
6. Better placement of resources
7. Continuation of care and Multi-disciplinary Agency care plan

For us this is a no-brainer. Let Home Support Carers provide these basic routine procedures under the appropriate regulations and training. Improvements for the short and long term.

Verina Daly Care is delighted to announce the results from our recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment and our rating of Good.

You can view the entire document here.

Verina comments, “The results of the report are extremely satisfying, they are a reflection of the hard work we have put in to improving areas of our care. The report is an inditement of the effort of the team and we couldn’t be happier.”

This month our staff spotlight is on Paddy, one of our fantastic carers here at Verina Daly Care! Read on to find out a little bit more about him…

Hi Paddy! How long have you worked at VDC?
“Hiya, I’ve been at VDC since 10th December.”

What do you do in your spare time?
“I play golf, watch sport – especially football, boxing, and my son plays ice hockey.”

What’s the most rewarding part of the job?
“Most rewarding aspect is being able to make a difference and make people smile. I get on with all of the clients we have and feel they are in a better frame of mind when I leave to when I arrived.”

What three things would you take on a desert island?
“I would take a photo of my kids, a football, and my dog.”

Thank you, Paddy, for your hard work and making a difference to your clients’ days! We’ll be back soon with another Staff Spotlight!

Verina Daly Care are delighted to be able to offer support to guests staying at Wallops Wood Cottages! Located in the picturesque Meon Valley within the South Downs National Park, each of Wallops Wood’s cottages is individually rated under the National Accessible Scheme. Wallops Wood were awarded Gold in the Access for All Tourism at the Beautiful South Awards in 2015!

The accessible, disabled friendly self-catering holiday cottages are the perfect base from which you and your loved ones can explore all that Hampshire has to offer!

During your stay, Verina Daly Care can offer flexible care, ranging from 30-minute pop ins to 24 hour care. We can assist with cooking for you or your loved one, companionship for a few hours or a whole day, and outings to the many fantastic attractions here in Hampshire!

To enquire about our services, or if you have any questions please get in touch with our team on 02392 632 383.

 

Welcome back for August’s Staff Spotlight! This month we met Laura, one of our Care Assistants here at Verina Daly Care! Here’s what we found out…

1. Your job role: 

Care Assistant

2. What is the best part of your job? 

The best part of my job is meeting a range of people that all have interesting stories from their younger days.
3. Tell me about your best day at work.

My best day at work is when everything runs smoothly and all my clients are happy, knowing I have made a difference to their day even if it just a cup of tea and a chat.
4. Favourite movie/tv show

My favourite movie is the classic Pretty Woman!
5. Favourite food

I really don’t know my favourite food, I like most things! But I suppose my mums home made lasagne
6. Do you have any pets?

I have a cavelier King Charles spaniel, her name is Bella she is so cute and cuddly
7. Tell us a joke

My sense of humour can be quite dry or sarcastic, I only know knock knock jokes which everyone has hear before

Thank you Laura for making a difference to your clients day! We will back next month for our first Autumn Staff Spotlight! 🍁

Welcome back for July’s Staff Spotlight! This month we are celebrating a great member of staff who turns up to work every shift and gives 100%, doing what she does best, caring! Here’s Pam, Community Carer at Verina Daly Care.

What led you to work in care? Was it always the plan or did it work around your home life? 

I have always been a caring person and wanted to help people. I started a caring job when I left school and although the location is different, the caring principles are the same. My current role fits around my family perfectly.

Tell me about your best day at work.

My best day at work is being able to make a difference to a persons life. If I can leave them knowing I put a smile on their face and that I supported them, if only for a little while, I’m happy!

Verina tells us that you always turn up and give 100% for your clients, what motivates you to work that way? As we know, not everyone does! 

I keep in mind that for some of our clients, I might be the only person they see that day, It’s important, to me and the client, that they have all my attention and energy while I’m with them. A client centred approach ensures they get exactly what they need and this is what motivates me to give 100%, plus it’s always a great feeling when they simply say ‘thank you’.

Thank you Pam, for taking part but more importantly for being such a great carer to your clients!

 

It’s finally feeling like summer! Most of the time anyway. The Verina Daly Care team works hard to support both short and long term care needs, priding ourselves on offering the best possible support for those in need of care, as well as transparency and accountability for families and loved ones. Get in touch today for support caring for your loved one.

As organising care for your loved one can be a difficult and stressful process, our Staff Spotlight will help you get to know our passionate and professional carers! Molly is our lovely participant for June so without any further delay…

Your name: Molly

Your job role: Care Assistant

Best part of your job: I knew a lot of my clients before starting with VDC, so it’s nice being able to help care for them as my job. Makes chatting seem more personal too.

Favourite movie/TV show: I’m a bit of an old fashioned 21 year old – my favourites are ‘The Darling Buds of May’, ‘All Creatures Great & Small’ + everyone loves a bit of ‘Dad’s Army’!

Favourite food: Definitely chocolate…..I keep trying to give it up, but it never works (..or I end up eating a whole pack of cherry bakewells instead!).

Do you have any pets: Yes lots! I’m a country girl… My own pony, Bo, 3 dogs, 1 cat, 2 ferrets, 2 goats, 2 geese, lots of chickens, 2 ducks & 2 other driving ponies. We have quite a lot going on! 

Tell us a joke: Why did the cow jump over the moon? The farmer had very cold hands!

What is a horse’s favourite sport? Stable tennis 🙂

Thank you Molly for sharing a little bit of yourself with us for this month’s spotlight 🙂