If you need medical help and are unsure what to do, call NHS 111 for help and advice. They are available 24 hours a day.
Care home resources
Coronavirus contingency: Safe administration of medicines from original packs - advice for care homes
There is increasing pressure on community pharmacies as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is, therefore, becoming increasingly likely that care homes who have still been receiving their residents’ medication in Monitored Dose Systems (MDS) will, in the very near future, receive medication in original packs (fully labelled for the individual residents). The links below can be used to help care homes who are new to this way of giving medicines (one refers to domiciliary care, but the relevant principles are the same).
- (DOM) coronavirus contingency - safe administration of medicines from original packs
- Good practice guide for care homes - switching from MDS to original packs.
If you have any concerns, please contact the Care Home Pharmacy Team via email bwccg.medicines@nhs.net or on the following mobile numbers: 07766 423 587 or 07798 696 042 for advice.
A wide range of resources are available to support the safe quality care given by your teams to residents.
- 100 calorie boosters - food first approach
- Keeping antibiotics working
- Care-Home-Hospital-transfer-documentation
- Continence care - symptom profile
- Community Dietitians – Nursing Home referral form
- DOLs form 1 - standard and urgent authorisations
- DOLs form 2 - further notification request - for renewals where an application is still in force (if it has expired then the form 1 must be used)
- DOLS form 12 - notification to coroner
- DNA/CPR form
- Finger foods
- Fluid intake and output frequency volume chart
- Fortified lemon cream recipe
- www.frailtyfocus.nhs.uk
- Good practice admission to care homes
- Importance of protein in diet
- Importance of what you eat
- Infection prevention advice in care homes
- Information about staying hydrated
- Making the most of what you eat
- Malnutrition information and useful resources
- MUST Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool for community nursing
- MUST Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool for care homes
- Nourishing drinks - information for patients
- Nourishing drinks leaflet
- Nutritional considerations nearing EOL
- Nutrition tips as conditions progress
- Improving oral health for adults in care homes: A quick guide for care home managers
- React to Red cards - preventing pressure ulcers
- This is me leaflet
- Urinary Catheter Care Bundle and Care Plan
- FORM U1 Management of UTIs For elderly patients residing in care homes
- Good Practice Guidance for CARE STAFF: Management of UTIs for elderly patients residing in care homes
- Good Practice Guidance for GPs/Non-Medical Prescribers: Management of UTIs for elderly patients residing in care homes
- A quick guide to help with health costs including charges and optical voucher values
- Claim for help with NHS health costs
- Vegetarian for Life - UK charity who support care homes when it comes to their vegetarian or vegan residents
- Berkshire Community Dental Service:
Care of your new or relined dentures
Information for carers on dental care
Mouth care for older people
Supporting dental visits to the Community Dental Service
Useful videos:
These are all available on the BHFT website here, or individually via these links:
- Understanding weight changes
- Understanding MUST score
- Making the most of what you eat
- Homemade fortified milkshake
- Eating well in dementia
- Eating and drinking as conditions progress
- Nutritional considerations for residents nearing the end of life
- Appropriate prescribing and use of Oral Nutritional Supplements
Importance of Hydration - a series of 6 short (2 minute) videos on YouTube for care staff to watch to improve their knowledge around the importance of good hydration and how making small changes can reduce Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), hospital admissions and improve quality of care for residents in care homes.