#Lapisletstalk

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A Spring in our step!

Spring has finally arrived and with it some positive news about our current situation. With a year past since the first national lock down, many of us have suffered a confusing and lonely time. With the latest government road-map, we are able to see an end in sight and with it, a huge weight is lifting from our shoulders, filling us with positivity about the year ahead and even making tentative plans.

Those sunny days and lighter evenings are a perfect time for a fresh start and a new beginning. Having a de-clutter, spring clean and keeping those green fingers busy in the garden, is a great way to clear your mind and give you something to focus on.

Spring cleaning doesn’t just have to mean cleaning out those cupboards, it is an opportunity to re-start and re-boot. Make time for yourself once a day, go for a long walk, spend time in the garden, listen to your favourite music, read a book, enjoy some time just for yourself. This is especially important at present; allowing ourselves to unwind and concentrate on an interest helps us to keep happy and energized. This Spring is coming with a pinch of hope and we are hopeful that better days are approaching!

Here at Lapis Care we are also getting into the spirit of spring, continuing our ‘Lapis Care Cleaning’. This service is an addition to the ‘personal care’ we provide, but something we are just as passionate about. Ensuring peoples homes and clean and safe, taking away the pressure of chores and leaving you relaxed in your clean and fresh home. We also offer every 8th clean free with our loyalty card.

We are happy to announce our ‘Fish & Chips Fridays’ are back in full swing; we work with our local fish and chip shop to deliver your Friday lunchtime treat straight to your door!

Lapis Care are always looking to lend a hand: having registered nurses on board has helped us do our bit to get everyone back to ‘normal’. Our director Liz -RGN, (as an ex- practice nurse) has volunteered herself once a week to support one of the local vaccination programmes and administer the vaccines. We are so pleased to be able to help towards seeing that light at the end of the tunnel. Liz feels at home again in this environment and we are so pleased she has been able to help so many people.

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Social Isolation

Our older generation, they've seen a lot and lived through many experiences and changes.

Although now taking life a little slower, they still shouldn't have to spend it alone.

 Becoming lonely can be a very common problem at any age, however the possibility of loneliness is higher within the elderly, leading to social isolation.  

1 in 3 over 65's have experienced bereavement of a partner, resulting in living alone.

At Lapis Care, we encourage people to be independent for as long as they possible can, this also includes high encouragement to continue to persue hobbies and interests that people enjoy or ensuring quality time is spent with others.

We can share with experience that these things will and do increase people moral and happiness, which enriches their lives.

There are many circumstances that can impact social isolation and also barriers we need to overcome.

As part of Lapis Cares' Enrichment Initiative (and because its feel good Friday!) We have been meeting with clients, especially throughout this pandemic, that have not been able to get out recently and who are missing their usual social outings, including our 'Young at Heart' day service.

Our staff have been dedicating time with these clients to ensure they are still getting the social interaction they need. This has included, shopping trips, playing cards, doing crafts, gardening and even trips out.

This is a lovely photo taken last week, one of our clients enjoying a day out at the seaside!

Please reach out to friends, family and neighbours if you know they are living alone or not seeing many people, especially at this time. It is an opportunity to reach out and let them know they are not alone. Even a conversation can change someone's day.

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In a world where we can be anything- Be Kind

On average people spend around 20 hours a week caring for a vulnerable family member, spending time with elderly relatives that may need extra help doing everyday things or even socialising with family living alone.

During the Covid-19 lock-down restrictions, this has become increasingly difficult as we are no longer able to spend this quality time with each other. This can be a very difficult time for everyone.

The government has advised that if you are providing personal care for someone, these visits are still permitted, although should be kept to a minimum and to wear personal protective equipment. Any surfaces or household items that you come in contact with should also be disinfected.

Alternatively if you can avoid going into someone's home, then you should. Dropping off food or essentials to the door and conversations at a distance. If you are able to, you are also now allowed to meet in a open space or garden and socialise, keeping a safe (2m) distance between you. Why not take advantage of regular phone calls or even video chats!

Most importantly, before and after visiting anyone outside of your home, please wash your hands and/or use 70% alcohol based hand sanitiser.

Staying positive is our main focus. We are all in this together and we will all get through this together. Lapis Care are committed to providing physical and mental well-being, we are regularly checking up on clients, especially living alone and also visiting previous clients just to ensure they are safe, well and have everything they may need. In this uncertain time need to focus on what makes us happy and appreciate the little things.

We want to encourage everyone to look out for each other, here are a few ideas of how to show someone you are there!

Show your kindness:

Call your friends, especially if you haven't spoke for a while

Tell your family how much you appreciate them

Help each other around the house, cooking, chores or even just making a cup of tea

Arrange a video call with your friends/family

Send a motivational text to someone who is struggling

Send someone a joke or a cute animal picture to brighten their day

Contact your colleagues, there in the same boat as you

Spend quality time with your pets

Donate to a charity or food bank

Send someone a food package of treats

Check on your neighbours

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Feel Good Fridays

Check out our new handmade head band scarves given to all our wonderful Lapis Staff! 

Its been a scorcher out there!

Our carers, in full PPE, can often suffer in the heat. Our management have made these beautiful head scarves to help pull back their hair and they also helps face masks hold in place. 

We have had to make many changes throughout this Covid-19 outbreak, however we feel it has made us stronger as a team and we will always continue to work together to ensure our staff and clients are happy!

Cared for Staff= Cared for Clients 

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Know your Questions, Find Your Answers

Lapis Health and Events are holding their second Community Care Show on Friday 20th March at The Wickham Community Centre.

This free event will run from 10am until 3pm and will include a huge range of information regarding health care, future planning, community services and much more!

We believe in a stress-free future and this can be found in planning ahead and have the knowledge in what’s available to you.

Here at Lapis Health & Events we often come across the same frequently asked questions and our community care shows are here to help answer these.

Have you ever thought…?

Can you afford private care?

Are you entitled to public funding?

Do you know where to find your local support network?

Do you want to stay at home?

What is a lasting Power of Attorney? Why do I need one?

What is assistive technology?

What can I do to maintain my health and wellbeing?

Our Community Care show will help you in deciding what you want and the choices that our out there for you and your loved ones.

This event, supported by our Meon Valley MP Flick Drummond, is an event for the community to come together and support each other. Care can often be an uneasy topic and a worry for many, let’s make life easier for the future and get talking! 

Lapis Health and Events- Community Care Show; Friday 20th March, 10am- 3pm at The Wickham Community Centre. Refreshments available all day and free parking.

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Community Care Show

1.9 million people requested support from their council last year, an increase of 100,000 since 2015/16. This rate of increase has been driven by demographic trends. People are living longer with multiple or complex needs and therefore might require short or long-term social care.

Its time to take action and with knowledge comes power

We are pleased to announce the 2nd Lapis Health and Events Community Care Show. The aim of the show is to reduce the worry and pressure around seeking care for a family member or friend

The free event will offer information and short seminars around choosing the right type of care at what can be a frightening and demoralising time for families.

It will be hosted by domiciliary care experts Lapis Health and Events. The free Community Care Show runs from 10:00-15:00 at The Wickham Community Centre on Friday 20th March.

This year we are pleased and  to say that we are being supported by newly elected MP for Meon Valley, Flick Drummond, who says:

 “This is a great opportunity for members of the public to come and find out more about the care sector and the options available for existing care and future needs.   I would like to thank all those involved and Lapis Care for organising the event.  I am really looking forward to attending.” 

www.lapiscare.com

contact@lapiscare.com

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Tis the season

Sleigh bells ring are you listening?

Rockin' around the Christmas tree

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

I’m driving home for Christmas

To us, most of these are memorable songs, reminding us of special Christmas memories shared with friends and family.

Unfortunately for some people this isn’t the most wonderful time of the year. It is a time that reminds them of their loss and struggles.

Here at Lapis Care we want to do what we can to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy this time of year.

Last year we donated via our reverse advent calendar, collecting donations every day and then giving to our local food banks on Christmas eve.

This year we are creating Christmas boxes. These will be filled with festive goods to hopefully help brighten up Christmas for others less fortunate. Remember most food banks will also accept essential non-food items such and toiletries and hygiene products.

We will make up the boxes and donate to local food banks/shelters, they are so easy to make, spread the word and start making yours- Christmas is all about giving, it’s time to spread a little Christmas cheer!

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If at first, you don’t succeed…

...We are talking about social care, and, more specifically professional care givers.

With the introduction of the CARE badge we are taking a step back to look at the other measures that have been implemented in the past to raise the standard and image of the social care sector, and those who work in it.

Firstly, we had the introduction of the Care Certificate in 2013, 15 professional standards that all care providers should know and adhere to give the best possible outcome for the client.

Then there was the talk about rebranding all paid care workers to be called health care assistants, giving them a more professional title and standardising the industry. However, just a quick look on indeed will tell you that this did not work. Now we have the CARE badge.

Born from the fact that the Health and Social Care minister only wears an NHS pin completely alienating the entire social care side of his position.

The CARE badge is to symbolise pride in what you do, create a sense of teamwork, show your personal commitment to quality care and start conversations about social care, and while it is a fantastic vessel for all of these things, will it raise the profile of professional carers?

Probably not.

What the social care sector needs is more money, plain and simple. More money to deliver packages of care means more money to invest in training, recruitment and pay rises.

‘If you pay in peanuts you will get monkeys.’ 

@theCAREbadge

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One Small Step For Man, One Giant Leap For Mankind

With the anniversary of the lunar landing fresh in our minds we were thinking about the biggest breakthroughs for mankind but are small steps for man over the last 50 years.

· Dr Martin Luther King delivered his ‘I have a dream speech’ on 28th August 1963, - one small speech for a man one giant leap for racial equality.

· Barclay Bank set the first ATM in Enfield Town, London into use on 27th July 1967 – one small machine revolutionizing the way people could access their money.

· The first commercial flight on a Boeing 747 jumbo operated by Pan Am from New York to London flew 22nd January 1970. -This single flight was the first small step into what is now a $865 billion-dollar industry yearly.

·  Motorola engineer Martin Cooper made the first mobile call on 3rd April 1973.- this phone call has paved the way for 6 of the 7 billion people in the world having a mobile phone.

· Louise Joy Brown was the first test tube baby born in the world on 25th July 1978- the science behind this birth has helped thousands of people have babies

· Bob Geldof organised and hosted Live Aid 13th July 1985, this raised £30 million for the famine crisis in Africa – small donations equalling a huge amount for the many

· Sir Tim Berners-Lee launched the World Wide Web on Christmas Day 1990 – one man’s vision has revolutionized the world and how we operate as a society

·  On 27th April 1994 apartheid came to an end with the act of all races in Africa being able to vote – the small step of ticking a box has had a giant leap for racial equality

· Facebook went live on 4th February 2004- the simple act of connecting with people has changed the way we connect with the wider world

· NHS sign a deal with Amazon to use Alexa to give medical advice from the NHS official website- the aim is to reduce the burden on GPs and the NHS as a whole- we will wait to see if this seemingly small step has a giant implication or impact on the wider world for the better or perhaps the worse...

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The Cherry On Top!

Thursday 13th June was Alzheimer's Cupcake Day

Dementia affects 1 in 6 people over 65 and Alzheimer's is the most common form of all the dementias.  

Lapis Care understand that with continued support and vital research, people living with dementia can live well for longer. With this in mind we donned our aprons and whipped up a frenzy of cakes, cookies and sweets treats to sell at The Wickham Community Centre. Luckily the centre were hosting a blood drive so we were not short of hungry punters! This combined with some generous ‘in memoriam’ donations we raised whopping £222.35- We really did raise some dough!

To donate to Alzheimer's Society please visit: 

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/make-donation 

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Dementia Action Week 20-26th May 2019

Did you know? 

1 in 6 people over 65 have Dementia

850,000 People in the UK has a diagnosis 

40,000 under 65

1 Million by 2025

What we can do?

Dementia Friends Sessions- These sessions are held locally and regularly and you can organise your own. They are a short and interactive session which can really help you understand dementia. Check out more information about these at: www.dementiafriends.org.uk

Check up on People- Even a just a conversation each day will make a huge difference for them. 

Raise Awareness- Talk openly about your experiences with dementia. The more we can learn and understand about dementia, the easier it makes life for those affected and the people around them. 

Raise Money- The research is constantly ongoing, the money raised helps develop understanding and treatments to manage the symptoms. 

Get Involved- Everyone can get involved, you, your family, your workplace, your children, your schools. The more people we can get to help the bigger difference we can all make! 

Here’s a reminder of the five key messages:

Dementia is not a natural part of ageing

Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain

Dementia is not just about losing your memory- it can affect thinking, communicating and doing everyday tasks

It’s possible to live well with dementia

There’s more to a person than the dementia

Lapis Care are very proud to be a dementia specialist care service, with all staff becoming dementia friends and two dementia champions. As part of our day to day duties we ensure that people have the knowledge and understanding, and access to resources, so they can live well with dementia. 

We love this video made by Alzheimer's Society: https://youtu.be/YYnI_L3mH00

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Mental Health Awareness Week 13th - 19th May 2019

As this week is Mental Health Awareness Week (13th -19th May), we thought we would share some tips on how to deal with your own mental health.

Firstly, what contributes to the state of our mental health?

Discrimination

Relationships

Physical Health

Abuse/Trauma/Neglect

Bereavement 

Social Isolation

Social Situation

Work/Unemployment

Substance misuse

If we had a book of all the perfect answers we would share it with you in a heartbeat but as we don’t we will give you what we can. 

Be Kind- To loved ones, to others and most importantly yourself.

Smile- smiling is infectious, throw out a smile and people with throw them back.

Put it in an imaginary box- If something is going to cause you so much stress that you cant deal with it right now, put it in the box, fortify yourself and deal with it when you can. (If it never gets dealt with, it wasn’t worth stressing over in the first place). 

Talk- Talk, talk and talk some more. Not expressing your mental health state verbally will only cause the Mento in a Coke bottle effect. they don’t call it bottling up for no reason. 

Be Brave- Easier said than done but recognising you have a mental health issue is the bravest thing you will do. Now you’ve taken this one step, challenge yourself, get out there, meet people, do things, talk about it. You are in control, not your brain. 

Just remember there is always somebody out there who will listen.

If you need us: 

www.lapiscare.com

www.mentalhealth.org.uk

www.samaritans.org

www.nhs.uk

www.mind.org.uk

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Strictly Come Dancing

(And these are the reasons why)

Did you know there are many benefits to social dancing and not just because its amazing to move around the floor to a good tune.

We have picked our top 5 from all the studies we have looked at.

1. Minimizes the symptoms of depression- Australian studies show that participation in organised group dancing of all types had a significant impact on peoples mood, they said that there was less stress anxiety, depression and insomnia in all candidates that took part.

2. Improves strength and balance- A study published in the journal GERONTOLOGY said that group participation and dancing had improved 92% of partakers strength and balance, and the group in total significantly reduced their risk of falls in a result. 

3. Reduce joint pains and stiffness- St. Louis university conducted a study of a 12 week low impact dance program where the average age of participates was 80 years old. they concluded that at the end of the 12 weeks, all of the subjects managed to reduce their pain medication by an average of 39%. 

4. It protects your heart- the publication CIRCULATION found that light to moderate dancing, whether is ball room, organised line dancing or modern forms of tap, produce the same cardio health advantages as cycling or walking long distances. 

5. It defends against dementia- A 21 year study by the Albert Einstein college of medicine concluded that adults who danced regularly had a 76% reduced risk for developing dementia. 

So now you have the facts, what better way to put it into practice at our super tea dance!

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Putting yourself out there

Imagine if everybody had FOMO (Fear of missing out).

What a social society we would be, all groups, clubs, activities, sessions would be full, but alas this is not the case for most of society. 

So how do we overcome our barriers and put ourselves out there more, join in, join up or just reconnect. 

Barrier One: Going out when you don’t feel like it.

Solution: A Buddy- get somebody to go with you. Having accountability for someone else’ actions is a great motivator. 

Barrier Two: Fear of the unknown

Solution: Most things don’t require you to sign your life away, so if you turn up and don’t like it, you can just leave.

Barrier Three: I wont know anybody there.

Solution: People our nice, they have come to the same session as you so you already have something in common!

Barrier Four: I can’t go, i don’t know how to do it.

Solution: Just by turning up, you’ve committed to learning how to do it. Minimal is OK, set yourself small wins. 

Barrier Five: I Can’t get there. 

Solution: Invite a friend that can take you, see if the group offers transport options, contact them to see if anyone else going is local that you can hitch a ride with. 

Don’t let these barriers stop you from putting yourself out there.

The world is such a big place, why just spend it in front of the TV, when seeing and doing is so much more. 

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Teaching old dogs new tricks

If 80 is the new 50 and 50 is the new 30, is May day the new new year? 

If so, whats your new years resolution?

What about something simple, like trying something new?

And we don’t mean learning to type rope walking, we just mean learning a new craft, or having a new hobby or even making new friends. 

Studies show that learning new skills and regular socialising helps rebuild and regenerate the brain. 

Which leads us seamlessly into the launch of Lapis Health & Event’s Knit & Natter!

Not always knitting but definitely a lot of natter!

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Spring Clean You (Part 2)

Now we’ve got the basics, let’s dig deeper!

You don’t need to book an appointment and lay down on a couch on for this. Sometimes the best way to spring clean yourself is to start from the inside. Developing a good dose of PMA (Positive mental attitude) is the perfect place to start. 

Below are some simple steps to happiness: 

·‘Don’t sweat the small stuff’ -Some things simply are not worth fretting about.

·Play your favorite CD, singing is good for the soul.

·Move around as much as possible. Even a different room is a change of scenery.

·Develop a coping mechanism, this could be just breathing deeply or counting to ten. Once you exhale it, its gone. 

·Challenge yourself, set yourself a mini target. Everybody loves a small victory!

·Check for local events to attend and get excited about: These brighten our days

·Reconnect with family and friends.

And just remember yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift- that’s why they call it the present!