Random Acts of Kindness Week at Primary Healthcare Darlington

This week, Primary Healthcare Darlington is celebrating random acts of kindness ahead of the national day on Friday (17th February).

We gave all the staff some treats and encouraged them to do their own act of random kindness.

EHICH Team Meets Darlington Mayor

The EHiCH team meeting the Mayor at The Lawns Care Home Blue Light Card event. Bacon sandwiches enjoyed all round.

Paper Chain Decorating at Willow Green

Willow Green residents decorated the care home with paper chains. Becky had great fun with the residents.

Bingo at Willow Green Care Home

It was eyes down, as Care Coordinator Becky hosted bingo games at Willow Green Care Home, and it was a great afternoon with some lovely prizes.

Christmas Fun at Springfield Care Home

Helen, Care Coordinator with the EHiCH Team in Darlington having some Christmas fun with Patricia at Springfield Care.

Thelma celebrates 100th birthday at The Gardens Care Home

Becky, Care Home Care Coordinator helped The Gardens Care Home celebrate the lovely Thelma’s 100^th birthday by sourcing and collecting some free balloons from Ken’s Bargains, Middlesbrough. Thanks to Ken for helping make a special day for Thelma.

Afternoon Tea at Springfield Care Home

Staff and residents at Springfield Care Home were joined by Care Coordinator, Helen, and PHD Operations Manager, Sandra, for a bit of cake and a natter

Cockerton Knit and Natter donated blankets to the Care Home Team

Cockerton Knit and Natter have been busy! They have very kindly donated some blankets for the Care Home Team to distribute to our homes to keep the residents warm and toasty

Audrey, at Springfield Care Home has been snuggling up in her new bright and colourful blanket. Thank you Cockerton Knit and Natter

Cameron the Cockrell visits Springfield Care Home

Cameron the Cockrell paid a visit to Ruth and Ron at Springfield Care Home. Ruth used to keep hens and really appreciated her visit from Cameron who was a very well behaved cockrell

Helen, Care Home Care Coordinator with the Darlington Care Home Team organised the visit as part of Ruth’s personal goals which were identified in creating her Personal Care and Support Plan

Care Coordinator Mike went swimming with Don from Moorlands Care Home

Care Coordinator Mike went swimming with Don from Moorlands Care Home

Care Home Manager Greg joined them in the water

Mike spent a lot of time researching swimming shorts and aids on behalf of the care home that would meet Don’s needs and enable him to go safely in the water

Huge thanks to the Dolphin Centre in Darlington for talking Mike through the facilities and equipment at the pool which he used for assisting the home to put risk assessments in place

As you can see, 95 year old Don loved his swimming session and the care home are looking to book another session soon!

The Lawns residents enjoy music with Mike

The residents at The Lawns enjoyed some music with Mike, Care Home Care Coordinator from the Darlington Care Home Team

Easter Bonnet Competition

Care Home Care Coordinator Helen had a lovely morning at Springfield Care Home for their Easter celebrations. She presented Gloria with her prize for the Easter Bonnet Competition.

Primary Healthcare Care Home Team runners-up in awards

The Care Home Team at Primary Healthcare were runners up in the Northern Echo Health and Care Awards 2022 in the category of Health Team of the Year. Congratulations to the team for making the final 3

Mike helps Gloria knit a jumper

Care Home Care Coordinator Mike has been helping Gloria at North Park Care home knit a jumper. Not sure how much help he was!

‘Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation’ campaign launches

The DNACPR (Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) campaign has been launched today (Thursday 24th February 2022).

Inclusion North have been working with Learning Disability England, Difference North East and British Institute of Human Rights to ask the Ministerial Oversight Group on Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation to involve people with lived experience in their work.

The Ministerial Oversight Group was set up after the Care Quality Commission wrote a report called ‘Protect, Respect, Connect – decisions about living and dying well during COVID-19’.

This report showed that during COVID, decisions about Do Not Resuscitate were made that were not in line with people’s wishes or human rights. Some people were affected more than others by this.

People with a learning disability, older people and people with dementia were particularly affected. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people were less likely to know that a Do Not Resuscitate decision had existed for them.

Over 80 organisations have signed the letter Inclusion North made for the Ministerial Oversight Group, to show them this is an issue that lots of us have concerns about, and to encourage the group to listen and act.

Next Steps – DNACPR Campaign

The DNACPR Campaign starts today (Thursday 24th February) for two weeks.

As part of the campaign, people are being encouraged to sign the letter to the Ministerial Oversight Group to show your support on this link.

‘Primary Care Aspects of Heart Failure’ podcast

The ‘Primary Care Aspects of Heart Failure’ podcast is now live.

In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell discusses the diagnosis and management of heart failure with Ahmet Fuat, honorary professor of primary care cardiology at Durham University, and Sarah Worsnop who shares her experiences of being diagnosed with heart failure at an early age.

They cover the importance of the use of NT-proBNP test in patients with symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath, and of keeping an open mind if a patient presents at a younger age than would usually be associated with heart failure.

The podcast goes on to cover the basics of heart failure management and the issues that are important to patients, including different consultation styles and open access to heart failure nurses when needed.

The ‘Primary Care Aspects of Heart Failure’ podcast is available to listen to on the RCGP eLearning website, or through AudioBoom

This podcast was funded by Roche Diagnostics Limited. Final editorial and content decisions were made by the RCGP. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the podcast participants and do not necessarily represent the views of Roche Diagnostics Limited.

NHS Launches Lifesaving Campaign To Tackle Heart Attack Myths

The NHS is today launching a new lifesaving campaign to encourage people to dial 999 when they are having early signs of a heart attack.

Backed by celebrities including One Foot in the Grave actor Richard Wilson and Sky Sports presenter ‘Tubes’ – the campaign will tackle a number of common heart attack myths, after research identified that three in four people thought a heart attack was the same as a cardiac arrest.

The new polling also showed that fewer than half of people said they would dial 999 if they or a loved one experienced lesser known symptoms of heart attacks.

From Monday, a new NHS advert will show a person experiencing some of the common early symptoms of a heart attack – sweating, uneasiness and chest tightness – and reminds viewers to dial 999 if they experience the symptoms of a heart attack.

The campaign, which will run from 14 February to 31 March 2022, is the first of the NHS ‘Help Us Help You’ campaigns specific to heart attacks.

Speaking of the launch, England’s top doctor said thousands of deaths could be prevented with earlier treatment if people recognise these vital signs.

NHS medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, said: “Sadly, cardiovascular disease causes a quarter of all deaths across the country and we have identified this as the single biggest area where we can save lives over the next decade.

“This new NHS campaign will be a vital tool in that lifesaving mission – helping people to recognise when they or someone around them is experiencing a heart attack and when to seek early medical help cannot be underestimated.

“It can be easy to dismiss early symptoms as they don’t always feel severe, but it is never too early to dial 999 in this circumstance – and the faster you act, the better the chance of a full recovery.”

There are more than 80,000 hospital heart attack admissions in England every year. The overall survival rate for people experiencing a heart attack is seven in 10 and this increases to nine in 10 for those who come forward for early hospital treatment.

New NHS research also shows that whilst 70% of those surveyed understood that pain in the chest is a symptom of a heart attack, just 41% knew sweating was a symptom and only 27% understood feeling weak, lightheaded or a feeling of general unease were also symptoms.

Richard Wilson, actor and director, said: “I’ve battled with my heart health for a while, and since experiencing a heart attack I’ve really opened my eyes to the impact it’s had on my life.

“I got more tired, I’m able to walk around less and my memory has suffered as well. The scariest part is that at the time I did not know enough about heart attacks or heart health.

“I’d advise everyone, especially those aged 50+ to look up the symptoms of a heart attack and if you suspect you have any of these to call 999 immediately.”

Peter Dale (Tubes), presenter on Sky Sports’ Soccer AM who experienced a heart attack at 36, explains how his symptoms didn’t seem serious to him at first:

“I had no idea that I was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack at the time. On the morning of the attack, I went home after playing football thinking I had indigestion – I just didn’t feel quite right and both of my arms started to feel numb.

“I managed to text my mum who called an ambulance and only when the paramedics arrived did I realise this was a heart attack.

“People need to be aware of the symptoms – it’s not a case of clutching your chest and falling to the ground – early signs aren’t always severe but if you experience any symptoms, call 999. Acting quickly saved my life.”

The new NHS campaign will also highlight to the public the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest.

A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart becomes blocked, which can starve it of oxygen potentially causing serious muscle damage. Whilst the early signs of a heart attack can vary, the most common include squeezing across the chest, sweating and a sense that something just isn’t right. The person will be conscious and breathing.

A cardiac arrest is different – it usually occurs suddenly and without warning with the person quickly losing consciousness. Their heart stops, they will have no pulse and sadly people experiencing a cardiac arrest will usually die within minutes if they do not receive treatment. A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest.

Professor Nick Linker, consultant cardiologist and NHS national clinical director for heart disease, said: “These survey findings present what is a familiar picture to NHS cardiology colleagues.

“Often people don’t realise they’re having a heart attack, either because they don’t recognise the early signs, or because they don’t consider them severe enough to trouble the NHS.

“But make no mistake, a heart attack is a medical emergency, and it’s never too early to call 999 and describe your symptoms.”

Shushila Naran Hirani, a 63-year-old retired shopkeeper from East London who has had a heart attack describes her experience: “I had some chest pain in the night but I ignored it and went to sleep. The next morning I had the same pain in my left arm.

“I did not realise I was having a heart attack, I thought the pain was linked to some heavy lifting I had been doing earlier that day.

“My advice to others with symptoms of a heart attack would be to call 999 straight away.”

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “Every minute counts when you’re having a heart attack – it’s a medical emergency, and immediate treatment could be the difference between life and death.

“It can be easy to dismiss early symptoms of a suspected heart attack, but don’t think twice about dialling 999. The NHS and our emergency services are there for everyone, and one quick call could save your life.”

Mental Health Awareness Week

This week (from 10th May) we are focusing on Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme is nature and 5 pillars of Wellbeing.

Wellbeing Pillar: Take Notice. Here at Primary Health Darlington we are trying to be mindful of when our own stress levels begin to rise. When the signs appear we will be using the 60 Second Tranquiliser breathing technique from the International Stress Management Association to bring rapid relief and stop those overwhelming anxious, tense and worried feelings. See the links below:

60 second Tranquiliser:

https://isma.org.uk/sites/default/files/clients/413/The-60-Second-Tranquilliser-050620.pdf

NHS mindfulness:
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/mindfulness/