Holmewood Care Home staff become kidney injury champions

CHESTERFIELD care home staff are being trained to help reduce the number of hospital admissions from the elderly.

Holmewood Care Home, on Barnfield Close, has put three members of staff through acute kidney injury champion training.

The Derbyshire Community Health Service NHS Trust course ensures the staff are trained to spot the early signs of kidney failure – one of the main reasons elderly residents end up in hospital.

Deputy manager Cathy Shaw and senior carers Chloe Hale and Ben Parker all attended the training, conducted by the NHS Hardwick Clinical Commissioning Group.

Cathy is the infection control lead, Chloe is the incontinence lead, and Ben is the mental capacity assessment lead for Holmewood Care Home.

They provide additional benefits not usually found in residential homes – unlike nursing homes that have nursing staff to diagnose and treat medical problems.

Kathleen Richardson, home manager, said: “We and our colleagues at the Derbyshire Community Health Service know and understand the growing demands being placed on the NHS.

“The acute kidney injury champion training is a proactive approach that allows residential homes, such as Holmewood, to more effectively manage one of the main reasons why residents end up in hospital.

“Our staff can recognise the early signs of kidney failure and act quickly to treat cases and, therefore, reduce hospital admissions. This reduces costs for the NHS and GPs.”

Photo: Acute Kidney Injury Champions, senior carer Chloe Hale, deputy manager Cathy Shaw and senior carer Ben Parker, all from Holmewood Care Home, Chesterfield.