IN BRIEF
NEW GUIDANCE FOR ASSESSING DEMENTIA Guidance for professionals who assess people with dementia for NHS continuing healthcare – a free package of nursing and personal care – has been published by the Alzheimer’s Society. The charity says the package is a lifeline for many people with dementia and their families. Written by researchers at the University of Worcester’s Association for Dementia Studies, the guide offers advice on evaluating emotional and psychological needs. It includes questions and prompts to help assessors make decisions, highlighting that distress may be communicated as behavioural disturbance. Withdrawal, aggression and agitation are experienced by about 90% of people with dementia and can signal unmet emotional needs, the guide says. Association for Dementia Studies director Dawn Brooker said: ‘There are a lot of misunderstandings, even among experienced professionals, about how to assess the health and wellbeing of people with advanced dementia.’ ‘Our aim in writing this guidance is to ensure professionals feel confident in assessing needs thoroughly and providing evidence of their decision making.’ Go to tinyurl.com/oqgjcyc
Trusts set to trial hand-held scanner for pressure ulcers Twenty-nine UK trusts are in line to trial a hand-held scanner that spots early signs of tissue damage and could help reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers. The SEM Scanner can detect damage up to ten days before it is visible to the naked eye. Developed by Bruin Biometrics, it was trialled at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and is being tested at ten trusts. The scanner is placed where damage is most likely to occur, for example on the heels, buttocks, elbows or shoulders, and its sensors measure levels of inflammation. If any tissue damage beneath the skin is identified, nurses can put in place measures to prevent a pressure ulcer developing, such as more frequent turning or use of protective footwear. Bruin Biometrics clinical specialist and former tissue viability nurse Kay Smith said: ‘The scanner has given nurses confidence in their ability to assess pressure ulcers independently.’
Bowel Cancer UK is launching a booklet for younger people diagnosed with the disease. It gives an introduction to how bowel cancer can affect the body, emotions, relationships and everyday life. Written with the help of health professionals, and people diagnosed with bowel cancer under the age of 50, it contains sources of information and support. Go to tinyurl.com/q4qyalm or telephone 020 7940 1760. The RCN is surveying nurses and midwives on their involvement in public health and how their contribution is valued. The survey is aimed at those directly involved in commissioning or setting up services, and closes on May 31. tinyurl.com/pfpmew9 The Nursing and Midwifery Council has published two documents to support implementation of the updated code, launched in March. The guidance, on how to raise concerns and use of social media, outlines key principles for handling issues and ensuring public protection. www.nmc.org.uk/standards Cold weather kills 20 times more people than hot weather, according to a study published in the Lancet. The research, which analysed more than 74 million deaths in 384 locations across 13 countries, also found that fewer people died in extreme hot or cold spells, compared with moderately hot or cold weather. Extreme weather accounted for 1% of deaths, while suboptimal temperatures accounted for around 7%. Lead author Antonio Gasparrini from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said it is often assumed extreme weather causes more deaths. press.thelancet.com/temperature.pdf Updated guidance on spotting physical signs of child sexual abuse has been published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The revised guidance, known as The Purple Book, includes three new chapters: anogenital signs of accidental injuries in girls and boys, genital bleeding in prepubertal girls and healing in anogenital injuries. Consultant community paediatrician Amanda Thomas said: ‘Challenges still remain in establishing whether or not a child has been sexually abused. All healthcare professionals have a duty to protect children from sexual abuse and this updated guidance should give them evidence-based tools.’ www.rcpch.ac.uk Cases of the degenerative brain disorder Huntingdon’s disease have risen by 55% since 2012. Figures released by the Scottish Huntingdon’s Association (SHA) show there were 709 referrals in 2012, which rose to 1,103 in 2014. SHA chief executive John Eden said an action plan is needed to address the rise. Never events – preventable patient safety incidents – have dropped by 8% in England. According to NHS England, there were 311 incidents reported in 2014/2015, compared with 338 the previous year. The most common was wrong-site surgery, reported 126 times, followed by 102 reports of a retained foreign object post procedure, the most common being vaginal swabs.
NURSING mayNo 27other :: voluses 29 no 39 ::permission. 2015 11 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 19, 2015. For personal use only. without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
NEW GUIDANCE FOR ASSESSING DEMENTIA Guidance for professionals who assess people with dementia for NHS continuing healthcare – a free package of nursing and personal care – has been published by the Alzheimer’s Society. The charity says the package is a lifeline for many people with dementia and their families. Written by researchers at the University of Worcester’s Association for Dementia Studies, the guide offers advice on evaluating emotional and psychological needs. It includes questions and prompts to help assessors make decisions, highlighting that distress may be communicated as behavioural disturbance. Withdrawal, aggression and agitation are experienced by about 90% of people with dementia and can signal unmet emotional needs, the guide says. Association for Dementia Studies director Dawn Brooker said: ‘There are a lot of misunderstandings, even among experienced professionals, about how to assess the health and wellbeing of people with advanced dementia.’ ‘Our aim in writing this guidance is to ensure professionals feel confident in assessing needs thoroughly and providing evidence of their decision making.’ Go to tinyurl.com/oqgjcyc
Trusts set to trial hand-held scanner for pressure ulcers Twenty-nine UK trusts are in line to trial a hand-held scanner that spots early signs of tissue damage and could help reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers. The SEM Scanner can detect damage up to ten days before it is visible to the naked eye. Developed by Bruin Biometrics, it was trialled at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and is being tested at ten trusts. The scanner is placed where damage is most likely to occur, for example on the heels, buttocks, elbows or shoulders, and its sensors measure levels of inflammation. If any tissue damage beneath the skin is identified, nurses can put in place measures to prevent a pressure ulcer developing, such as more frequent turning or use of protective footwear. Bruin Biometrics clinical specialist and former tissue viability nurse Kay Smith said: ‘The scanner has given nurses confidence in their ability to assess pressure ulcers independently.’
Bowel Cancer UK is launching a booklet for younger people diagnosed with the disease. It gives an introduction to how bowel cancer can affect the body, emotions, relationships and everyday life. Written with the help of health professionals, and people diagnosed with bowel cancer under the age of 50, it contains sources of information and support. Go to tinyurl.com/q4qyalm or telephone 020 7940 1760. The RCN is surveying nurses and midwives on their involvement in public health and how their contribution is valued. The survey is aimed at those directly involved in commissioning or setting up services, and closes on May 31. tinyurl.com/pfpmew9 The Nursing and Midwifery Council has published two documents to support implementation of the updated code, launched in March. The guidance, on how to raise concerns and use of social media, outlines key principles for handling issues and ensuring public protection. www.nmc.org.uk/standards Cold weather kills 20 times more people than hot weather, according to a study published in the Lancet. The research, which analysed more than 74 million deaths in 384 locations across 13 countries, also found that fewer people died in extreme hot or cold spells, compared with moderately hot or cold weather. Extreme weather accounted for 1% of deaths, while suboptimal temperatures accounted for around 7%. Lead author Antonio Gasparrini from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said it is often assumed extreme weather causes more deaths. press.thelancet.com/temperature.pdf Updated guidance on spotting physical signs of child sexual abuse has been published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The revised guidance, known as The Purple Book, includes three new chapters: anogenital signs of accidental injuries in girls and boys, genital bleeding in prepubertal girls and healing in anogenital injuries. Consultant community paediatrician Amanda Thomas said: ‘Challenges still remain in establishing whether or not a child has been sexually abused. All healthcare professionals have a duty to protect children from sexual abuse and this updated guidance should give them evidence-based tools.’ www.rcpch.ac.uk Cases of the degenerative brain disorder Huntingdon’s disease have risen by 55% since 2012. Figures released by the Scottish Huntingdon’s Association (SHA) show there were 709 referrals in 2012, which rose to 1,103 in 2014. SHA chief executive John Eden said an action plan is needed to address the rise. Never events – preventable patient safety incidents – have dropped by 8% in England. According to NHS England, there were 311 incidents reported in 2014/2015, compared with 338 the previous year. The most common was wrong-site surgery, reported 126 times, followed by 102 reports of a retained foreign object post procedure, the most common being vaginal swabs.
NURSING mayNo 27other :: voluses 29 no 39 ::permission. 2015 11 DownloadedSTANDARD from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 19, 2015. For personal use only. without Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
