The position of care manager within a residential care setting is a front-line leadership role. Responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day operations, including recruiting and managing staff teams, managing budgets and ensuring that the quality of the services provided meets national care standards is a rewarding, yet challenging role. The residential care market is facing significant challenges. You just need to look at the facts, and they don’t make for easy reading. Firstly, we have an ageing population. Care home demand is set to soar by 86% in less than two decades, according to a recent report in The Independent. The reality is we’re living longer, but accompanied by complex health needs. Secondly, funding. Local authority cuts have led to the underfunding of adult social care, with research suggesting that the market contracted by 1,400 care homes between 2012 and 2017. And then there’s the issue of recruiting and retaining skilled staff. The Care Inspectorate revealed more than a third of providers (35%) across the sector reported vacancies in 2016, and officials expressed concern that Brexit could pose further challenges, with many European workers currently in the sector.
But despite all these well-documented issues, the primary concern for all staff is the protection, health, well-being and safety of the residents. Whole-person integrated care, respect and nurturing of the workforce and support of families and carers will always be the priority above all else. And we can help with this. We can help you to provide a comfortable home and a reassuring environment for some of society’s most vulnerable people, leaving you to redirect your time towards residents’ care. Find out more about how phs can help provide the best care for your staff and residents.
phs can provide guidance and practical solutions to our most basic of everyday needs. For example, in the UK, 24% of older people are affected by urinary incontinence. Of those older people in institutional care, 30-60% are affected by urinary incontinence, and 25% by bowel incontinence. We provide facilities for the safe disposal and storage of incontinence waste, adhering to all legislation and according to best practice guidelines. And thanks to LifeCycle, we can convert healthcare waste, including nappy and incontinence waste into Refuse Derived Fuel, thereby diverting offensive waste away from landfill and ultimately transforming it into an alternative fuel source, used to power schools and homes. Click here to see how LifeCycle is making a positive impact on the environment.
Understanding and keeping up-to-date with legislation whilst remaining CQC compliant is incredibly important. Knowing how to store, segregate and dispose of the many different waste types can be challenging, especially for new and temporary employees. phs can advise on and manage your infectious, medical and hazardous waste requirements and supply you with a full audit trail, so your residents and their families can be confident all waste is handled correctly. We provide offensive waste bags, sharps bins and bulk waste bins, available in five capacities, ideal for the disposal of incontinence waste.
We know that delivering services in a care home must be done sensitively. We understand that we’ll need to work around the complex needs of your residents, visitors and staff. At phs, we can act as a single supplier, and do our best to carry out the work all in one go, making it easier for you to manage the whole process using one simple account. We can create the space and environment for you to provide quality care to the people who matter most. Learn about how phs can help support you here.
