Personalised health kit for Liscombe House residents

By the end of 2020, every resident in Liscombe House will have a personalised health kit hanging behind their bedroom door thanks to the generosity of philanthropic trusts and donors.

Each kit will be made up of the essentials of daily nursing care, and includes a specialised thermometer, blood pressure cuff and stethoscope.

“For everyone to have their own kit makes a massive difference to the care we deliver and particularly in the age of COVID-19 where infection control and risk management is crucial,” Shaaron Robilliard, Director of Nursing, said.

“These acts of generosity mean that we are now a step ahead of hospitals and other aged care homes where these items are shared,” she added.

As part of OCAV’s approach to managing any outbreak of COVID-19, the organisation divided Liscombe House into a series of zones and restricted the movement of equipment between them.

“When we were in lockdown in July with Liscombe House in isolation, we had to share some equipment between results, heavily sanitising and disinfecting between each session. It was a crucial but time-consuming process,” Shaaron said.

OCAV has also received a generous grant from the Aged Persons Welfare Foundation which will go towards wheelchairs, sit-to-stand aids, air mattresses, and trolleys to transport palliative care residents.

This grant, in addition to the successful end of year tax appeal, means that OCAV has been able to update best practice medical equipment which is critical to providing the high standards of care older people deserve.

“With the extra wheelchairs, more of our wonderful residents can leave their rooms at the same time, go outside for fresh air and sunshine, or into common areas to socialise with their fellow residents,” Shaaron said.

“For our residents nearing the end of their lives, these new palliative care trolleys will mean that equipment like syringe pumps, which deliver a continuous flow of pain relief, can be easily moved from room to room. In this way trolleys will minimise the disruption that would otherwise result from setting up the equipment at the bedside each time it is needed.,” she added.

The sit-to-stand aids will enable residents with mobility issues can manoeuvre themselves from a sitting to standing position with minimal support from care staff.

“Maintaining independence is so important for older people to continue to feel they have choice and dignity,” Shaaron said.