Whats new at Kerry Cares
Below you will see interesting news and articles on Elderly care and other topics of interest
Our Family business would like to not only help with the care, but also inform people on the needs of the elderly in our communities so we can all make an effort.
Its Christmas time again....
Merry Christmas to all our staff and clients from Kerry Cares
This time of year is always a good time to reflect on the past year and review the good and the bad. As we at Kerry Cares go through this reflection, we like to apply lessons learnt. While we have had a good year on the whole, there have been many challenges. We look forward to learning from these and making the changes necessary to improve and develop in the year ahead. We have loved and lost a few this year, and it is always bitter sweet to remember with fondness the people we have served and the relationships we have built. We are encouraged every day by the people we look after who are so supportive and appreciative of what we at Kerry Cares are trying to accomplish.
We look forward to another year now which will have its own successes and failures to deal with, but we are hopeful we will endure whatever comes as we have done this past year.
We wish all of you a Merry Christmas spent with family and friends making the most of each and every moment.
Kerry Moran
December 2025
The things no one tells you about dementia...
As dementia becomes a more well known issue in our older generation there are still many aspects of this disease which are not often clearly expressed and explained to carers and family members. We all know the usual symptoms such as memory, confusion, judgement and understanding problems. However this has an effect on other aspects of the sufferer, issues such as incontinence, nutrition as well as skin irritation. We at Kerry Cares have seen many of these symptoms in clients, causing families and carers alike to be concerned and confused on how to manage these problems. Here are some of the most common issues....
Psychological
psychological problems can begin with personality shifts. This would include things like becomming withdrawn, irritable and suspicious of family, friends and carers. Other problems to look out for are depression, anxiety, apathy and mood swings. Much of these will depend on the day and are not ever present. Sleep disturbance is also generally high. Frequently waking in the night and sleeping more during the day are not uncommon.
Skin complaints
Dry and itchy skin in dementia is a very common occurrence. Skin aging naturally looses the natural oils and moisture, this is often aggravated in dementia sufferers. When awareness fades, it can lead to itching and picking which can cause skin infections. Another concern is skin ulcers and pressure ulcers, especially as daily movement reduces and the sufferer becomes less mobile. As aging skin bruises and tears more easily it is important to be aware of the potential for wounds to be worse with dementia sufferers.
Physical
As awareness and memory fades mobility will become a bigger issue. Stiffness and balance issues are not uncommon with falls becoming more likely with disease progression.
Eating and swallowing can become a bigger problem with disease progression with dysphagia not uncommon. These can lead to malnutrition as well as choking which can cause aspiration pneumonia. These are over an above the initial concern of forgetting to eat altogether.
Incontinence in bladder and bowel is more common in later stages of dementia, however they can begin earlier especially during the night.
A Vulnerable immune system is common, this can lead to increased infections especially UTI and chest infections.
How to help with psychological...
Some of our top tips with psychological changes are:
1. Always remain calm and patient - and yes we know this can be difficult. Tone of voice and body language are more important here. Try to be reassuring.
2. Avoid arguing or correcting the sufferer. Again providing as much reassurance as possible. Enter their reality and ask them simple questions about their feelings on the subject. Often feeling heard and validated can be reassurance enough.
3. Acknowledge and respond to emotions. Always listen to what is being said, acknowledge that you have heard and understood what is being said and respond with kindness and empathy.
4. Use clear understandable language. Try to keep communication clear and short.
5. Distraction and redirection. These are critical when you see the topic is causing distress. Very often to distract with another topic and redirect can ease the distress and calm the situation.
6. Maintain a consistent routine. The more routine there is for the sufferer the easier it is as the disease progresses. Changes are often not handled well. Try to stay to the same people at the same times.
7. Encourage physical activity. This can help with the boredom and frustration which often leads to the less desirable behaviours.
How to help the skin....
Our top tips for skin irritation:
1. Use gentle, fragrance free products for skin, maintaining an effective cleaning and moisturising regime can help.
2. Do not rub the skin with towels, always pat the skin dry to avoid irritation and damage.
3. Apply hypoallergenic fragrance free moisturiser to the affected area. It is advisable to do this while the skin is still damp to lock in moisture.
4. Ensure enough water is being drunk during the day. This helps keep the skin moisturised from within.
5. Ensure nails are kept short and clean to avoid causing infection. Soft cotton gloves can also help reduce damage caused by scratching and picking.
6. Wear loose fitting clothing made of natural fibres such as cotton to reduce irritation.
7. Keep an eye out for pressure ulcers, ensure incontinence pads are changed regularly with a barrier cream applied. Use pressure cushions to relieve pressure. Try to reposition every 2 hours in later stages to prevent the sores from beginning.
How to help with physical complaints...
Top tips for common physical complaints:
1. Integrate activity into the daily routine. Walking around the house and doing light housework are very good activities.
2. Ensure the environment is safe. Reduce tripping hazards, install grab rails and other mobility aids such as raised toilet seats and shower seats.
3. Use walking aids such as rollators and walkers.
4. Do not over assist. Try to encourage the sufferer to do as much for themselves as possible to maintain independence and muscle strength.
5. Ensure a calm environment while eating. Ensure the sufferer is sitting up right in a comfortable 90 degree chair while eating and for 30 minutes after eating.
6. For later stage dementia, offer small amounts of food and ensure the mouthful is completed before offering more.
7. Food texture can be adjusted should the need arise. Softer moist foods can make eating easier.
8. Offer a variety of finger foods for those who struggle with cutlery or who pace/wander.
9. Use herbs, spices and colour to make food appealing and palatable as dementia can affect taste and smell.
10. If coughing and choking during eating occur, it is always best to consult your GP. A speech therapist can assist and should this fail, food will need to be adjusted to through the IDDSI levels to find the consistency to maintain nutrition.
11. Ensure a ready supply of incontinence pants/pads is available. We recommend contacting the GP for a referral to the incontinence team of district nurses.
12. Maintain adequate hydration. Often lack of hydration can cause UTI and water infections which are dangerous in the elderly. Please speak to us about the Jelly drops if you feel these can help (click the link for more information).
13. Avoid bladder irritants such as tea, coffee and alcohol.
14. Ensure a high fibre diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. This helps reduce constipation which is a leading cause of bowel incontinence.
15. Encourage gentle exercise, this can help maintain healthy bowel movements.
16. By maintaining healthy nutrition, hydration and exercise, the immune system is in a better position to fight off infection, this is no different for dementia sufferers. Aided by hygiene in personal care, oral and environment infections can be reduced.
Please note : This is not medical advice and should your loved one be experiencing any of these it is always best to consult your GP first.
A special note from Kerry Cares...
We at Kerry Cares understand that dementia in any form is a frightening and confusing illness for any family to cope with. We have worked with a many people in this position. By sharing our knowledge and experience with you we hope to assist you in dealing with the terrible illness which is dementia. We have discovered that Dementia symptoms focused on by many are the cognitive decline with little being discussed around other issues which present themselves. Please do not hesitate to reach out should you be experiencing some of these issues and would like to discuss ways which we have found helpful in dealing with them.
We would also like to take this opportunity to invite anyone finding a family members dementia too much to cope with to reach out, sometimes giving yourself a few hours break a day can help maintain the well-being you need to cope. We have many packages and services which may help in this regard.
The link below will take you to the Alzheimer's society page which is always full of useful information for sufferers, family, friends and carers.
The most important thing to let you know is :
You are not alone. There are people who care and want to help. Please reach out and share your burden.
Best wishes
Kerry Moran
Owner
Feedback September 2025
Thank you for making your voice heard.
We are so pleased to report we have analysed all the feedback given over September from all our valued clients and the results are in. We are so happy to know that our clients feel:
Comfortable, happy, competent, helpful, calm, knowledgeable, supportive, trustworthy, consistent.
We look forward to our next feedback session in January 2026. Please know that if you have any questions, comments or complaints before than you are welcome to talk to me anytime. We take what you say seriously and endeavour to act upon it.
Meet Louisa
Meet Louisa, our new care assistant who has now completed her on boarding and training. Louisa enjoys shopping, eating out and golf as this gives her chance to relax and spend time with loved ones. Louisa has chosen to work in care because she has a strong passion for care. Louisa finds it truly rewarding to support others, helping them to feel comfortable. Louisa enjoys making a positive difference to the people she supports lives. Louisa has completed her first aid training and her moving and handling as well as induction and entry to care certificate. Louisa will be building on her skills and training in the weeks and months ahead.
Kerry cares welcomes her to the team and looks forward to her meaningful contributions going forward.
Kerry Moran
September 2025
WE DID IT!!
It is with great pride and appreciation that I officially announce our CQC registration. We have completed and complied with all their requirments. After months of hard work, continuous improvement and many many late nights we have received confirmation that we are registered. Our CQC registration number is : 1-21751287517 and our certificate will be displayed just as soon as it is received. We once again want to thank each and every one of our fabulous clients and their families who have been patient and understanding, working with us on all the changes which were needed as well as signing loads of documents to ensure we comply. We are now onto the hard task of finding like minded individuals who can contribute to our small business. We have worked very hard to attain the approval of all of our past clients as well as the wonderful people that we look after now and hope to keep that by hiring the best people for the job and training them up to be knowledgeable and experts in this field. We look forward to introducing all the new staff over the coming months as well as taking on any clients who need our help and we have had to turn down over the past few months. We want as many people as possible to experience the difference a Kerry cares team can bring.
With that said in the month of September we will be doing another feedback session with clients. This will entail conversations with clients as well as their family members to see how we have performed and what they feel we could do to be better. In this time we will also be looking for feedback on any new staff members in order to ensure our quality still remains as high as we have had it thus far. I personally look forward to those conversations and I take this opportunity to remind you all that if you have any concerns, complaints, suggestions or comments to feel free to email or telephone me, we can not fix what we do not know is a problem, communication is at the very heart of what we do.
I will be presenting each new staff member on the news updates to introduce them and let you know who they are in the months ahead, keep an eye on the news page to hear it first.
Thank you again, you are all valued members of the Kerry Cares family and we could not have done this without you all.
Kerry Moran
Owner
August 2025
Helping the elderly and vulnerable in the heat
Amber weather warnings and what we should do
As we once again experience a heat wave across the United Kingdom with an amber weather warning in place, it is always good to refresh our knowledge on keeping the elderly and vulnerable safe.
1. The most important thing is to remind them to drink often. Dehydration is a common issue that can lead to water infections. Keep a lookout for dizziness, confusion, muscle cramping, and nausea. These are tell-tale signs that they are struggling with either heat exhaustion or heat stroke, as well as early signs of water infections.
2. Use a fan or air conditioner if available to keep the air circulating. Often, the elderly do not like fans pointing straight at them; putting the fan in a position behind them or facing away from them could be helpful.
3. Close curtains and blinds to block out direct sunlight. Ensure your loved ones are not sitting directly in the heat, and keep them out of the sun by closing the curtains or blinds.
4. Open windows strategically in the early morning and evening when it is cooler to allow ventilation.
5. Wear light, loose clothing, which reflects heat and assists with ventilation.
6. Avoid strenuous activity. Advise your loved ones to avoid activity during the heat wave this will aid in keeping them cool.
7. Enjoy high water content foods. Foods such as watermelon, cucumber, and salads are good alternatives to heavy meals. This will help in keeping them hydrated and healthy.
8. Check on them regularly. In heat like this, the situation can change rapidly. Keep in contact and check on them regularly to ensure they are still ok.
July 2025
Meet the staff
I am Nicole Pienaar. I have worked in care since 2024. It all started with my Mum and the history that I had taking care of my best friend who suffered from illness from a young age and required assistance with mobility. I feel that I have skills to offer that can make a difference in the lives of the people I look after. I moved to the United Kingdom in early 2024 and was interested in the work my mum was doing as a care worker. After shadowing for 2 weeks, I realised I could contribute. I studied my level 2 in care and began working. I saw the difference my role was making to people I looked after, which encouraged me to study even further and follow my dream of being the change I want to see in the world. I believe you can make a difference in people's lives if you are passionate and truly caring.
I strive to show the people I care for compassion, while treating everyone with dignity and respect. I take my role in safeguarding very seriously and aim to keep my colleagues and all clients safe from harm and neglect. I have now attained my level 3 and level 4 in health and social care. My role at Kerry Cares is Senior Care Worker, and I hope to invoke the same passion and compassion in the colleagues I work with. I hope to mentor staff into the roles they hope to attain.
Nicole Pienaar
June 2025
You may have noticed...
In the last 2 months, you may have noticed some changes to the way we look. We have our uniforms and identification cards. This allows us to be easily identified when we come through the door as who we are and what we do.
So for those who do not know who are we and what do we do. I am Kerry-ann Moran, I have worked in care since 2020. It all started with my Aunt. After that I worked in a couple of domicilliary care companies in Coventry. I was disallusioned by the procedures followed by them, I felt that we needed to do more than rush in and rush out with very little actual care involved. In my humble opinion care involves a bit more than good hygiene and a meal. I then decided to "Go it alone". I became a self-employed care worker. I have thus far looked after 23 people and have trained my daughter to do the same.
We have a passion to change the way care is done, we believe in creating family members of the people we look after. We want our valued clients to feel special and valued, and to have their independence and dignity respected. We want to keep people safe and healthy. We also really want to get to know the people we serve, we learn so much from these amazing members of our community and hope to take these lessons into our lives. A small piece of the past moving into the future. Every one of the people we look after leave a special mark on our hearts. Nicole and I are now looking to spread our brand of care to other people in our community, by hiring, training and supporting others to do the same.
So that is all about me, how I ended up here and what I want to do going forward. Research suggest that mortality rates are 9.4 times higher for 64-74 year olds in care homes when compared with those receiving care in their own homes (Caremark, 2025). I want this to be an option for as many people as possible. (For more on the research please click the learn more button below)
If you are new to Kerry Cares, please reach out if you want to know more. We look forward to welcoming you to the Kerry Cares family.
Kerry Moran
March 2025
Performance review - January 2025
Peformance review update - Jan
I am pleased to share the results of Kerry cares performance review which was carried out with our current clients in January of this year. We had a 75% participation rate, which is actually not bad at all. The 25% had not returned the questionnaire and we did not push for a reason for this.
We are pleased to announce a 97% positivity score with 3% answering not applicable to various questions. This is usually because we do not provide the service linked with the question to that client.
Now as much as numbers are important, the parts I find most valuable are the key terms which are picked up on these questionnaires in the open section. We often find the same adjectives being repeated and we take those adjectives to find how people find our services. The most common key terms used were Professional, knowledgeable, experienced, reliable, empathetic, caring, supportive, efficient, punctual, understanding, responsive and adaptable.
The only recommendation we had from our questionnaires was to have quarterly meetings with family members and clients to get updates on whether more or less care is required. We will be looking at this in due course and are hoping to initiate the meetings from June this year.
I would like to take a moment to thank all those who participated in our performance review and extend the offer to those who did not participate to complete theirs and hand them over to the care worker for review. These are an important tool for us to ensure that the services we are providing are indeed what our very special clients want. The next review will be at the end of March, and we look forward to finding out if there is anywhere we can improve.
Check up again in March as we may have some exciting news coming up.
Kerry Moran
January 2025
Another year begins
What are Kerry cares up to?
As we begin a new year and January draws to a close, it is a good time to let everyone know what Kerry cares plans to accomplish in 2025.
We are working on applying for our Care Quality Commission registration. Why would we, you ask? As you all know the current arrangements are just Nicole and I helping as many people as we are able to in a week. With CQC registration we are allowed to hire staff. We are not looking to take on hundreds of clients and aim to keep our business small and catered to the needs of only the elderly in the community. At Kerry cares we believe that the elderly are like no other demographic and they deserve a company that caters for their individual needs as well as providing a safe and effective service. We will be slowly looking for like minded individuals to join our small team in this aim.
What does this mean for our current clients? Well, only that we are monitored by CQC for quality in service. Other then that we aim to disrupt the current offering as little as possible. For new clients there will be new teams to take on their needs. We aim to work the same way we always have. A dedicated team to a user. This means that our clients always have complete certainty on who is coming and when they will be arriving. This allows a friendship to build between service user and staff member. This also allows for staff members to ascertain when there are subtle changes which are difficult to communicate.
What will we be looking for in staff members? We will be looking for people who truely care. People who want to make a difference in the lives of the people we care for. People who are dedicated and committed to the elderly and see each and every one as valuable and special in their own right. This is the task which will be more complicated. We will need every service user to be honest with us when they find they are not being cared for in the way they had hoped. We are committed to taking every complaint seriously and ensuring that the staff we hire are qualified, skilled and dedicated in their passion. If for whatever you find this is not the case, please let us know immediately. Kerry cares cannot address issues if we do not know about them.
We aim to bring a little smile every day and that will not change. So to all our existing clients, know that your services will remain as they are and Nicole and I will still be the dedicated team for your family members, all we want to do is help more people with a better quality service and help carers find a way to work that is stable and not overwhelming. We can change the way care is done, one service user at a time.
Until next time.....
Kerry Moran
Christmas time...
Mistletoe and wine...
Children singing Christian rhyme.
Looking after the vulnerable elderly during the festive period can be quite tricky, especially when Dementia is a factor. We have some tried and tested tips to get through this.
Keep things the same.
When celebrating Christmas with dementia patients, it is always advisable to keep the routine generally as close to normal as possible. Waking up at the same time, going to bed at the same time, eating at around the same time. This may make the Christmas celebration a little difficult for extended family, but this helps keep the dementia patient as comfortable as possible.
Try not to let our special people get to exhausted by the younger family members.
While letting the little ones pop in to give a festive hug and a special gift, try to keep these visits calm and reasonably short. I know this sounds really silly, but our dementia patients do struggle with young excited kids running and jumping around. If you can let them burn off the energy before seeing the person, that can help. Having said this, it is important that younger family members do make at least a small appearance as this helps to spread the Christmas cheer and festive fun.
Keep the sugary treats to the normal amount
While giving chocolates and treats is an easy Christmas gift to give, if left with dementia patients they will be eaten to the excess and this will have the knock on effects of disorientation and confusion more than usual. It is always a good idea to give sugary treats in moderation and after a meal.
Do decorate
Putting up a few choice Christmas ornaments or a small tree can bring some cheer and excitement to the dementia patient. Please do make sure that the ornaments are stable and do not cause tripping hazards and perhaps no lights as this can be a risk for fires and electrical issues which if the dementia family member lives alone, would cause a huge problem.
Giving
One of the things we do with our dementia clients, who are less progressed in their disease, is we assist them to do Christmas shopping and Christmas cards. We will sit and assist in writing the list of who to buy for or who to send to, and then assist to take them shopping and sit to assist with writing the cards as well as posting. This just helps with a cheery festive feeling, and also feels almost normal. Obviously this is not always possible with disease progression, but we try to keep it alive for as long as possible. To book a companionship call for this service please contact us.
Outings
Another fantastic idea over the festive period is to take our lovely elderly patients to a Christmas theatre production. A pantomime, or ballet can be a welcome event to break the boredom. We are also able to assist with this if the family is finding time an issue, again please contact us should you wish for us to help with this.
Information to help with this can be found at taking care .
We take this moment to wish all our wonderful clients and their families a very merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy new year. We look forward to working with you all again next year.
With special love and hugs.....
The Kerry Cares team (December 2024)
Dementia Care
How to help your family with dementia
As we work with a few dementia clients, we have discovered that family members often times feel overwhelmed and struggle to understand how to help their family members. As we have worked with a few over the years, we have collected some helpful information on ways you can help.
1. Do not feel guilty. This is by no means your fault. You are doing all you can and you are doing your best with the resources you have. Please know no one can ask more than that of you.
2. Try to treat your loved one as you always have, they will forget your name or be unsure who you are, however in our experience if you act as you always have your loved one will feel comfortable that you know who they are and you are able to see to their needs.
3. Be aware that your loved one will become depressed and anxious as the disease progresses. This is normal and not your fault either. The best way to deal with this, in our experience is to keep your loved one as entertained as possible. We have structured community inclusion calls which allow clients to be taken out to events, or places of interest. We favour places such as museums, churches, zoos, interactive farm yards etc. however, even a short shopping trip, or a trip to the nail salon can be enough.
4. In our experience, generally people who struggle with dementia tend to suffer terrible sugar addiction, this sugar binging leads to decline in cognition and creates confusion. We would advise family members to watch their loved ones sugar intake. Try to allow for only 1 or 2 sugary treats a day and do not leave sugary foods where they can be easily spotted or accessed.
5. Do not think you are alone, there are many many people in your situation, feeling just as you feel now. Join a support group if you feel that will help and talk to people. Do not feel that you cannot communicate with your care team at Kerry cares. We are here for not just the special loved ones we visit, but we strive to offer support for the family too. You are welcome to call us and we will listen. We are here for all of you as we know how hard this can be.
And finally be kind to yourself and take care of yourself, you can only look after others if you look after yourself.
For more information visit: Alzheimer's society or call the Alzheimer's Society on 0333 150 3456 for support and guidance.
Winter fuel allowance and the Elderly
I hate to stray into politics but....
In our work with the elderly, we deal with people who are living alone on small pensions and have to pay for thier care from agencies and individuals such as us. The heart breaking truth is daily we are having conversations with our special elderly clients about the fears they face. We have in the worst experience found one of our lovely ladies sitting in her freezing cold home with blue lips to afraid to turn on her heating for fear of being unable to afford it. We have had to involve families to ensure that they are able to heat their homes and stay safe this winter.
It is incredibly disappointing to our special people that the government holds them so low on the needs list that they can take money from them to use in areas of public spending which make little to no sense. I have heard of people stealing from the rich to give to the poor, but stealing from the poor and vulnerable to feed the rich train drivers, doctors, net zero companies, illegal migrant hotel bosses etc. etc. makes us all afraid and angry.
What we can do?
We as Kerry Cares have committed to absolutely no inflation increase in the year 2024 - 2025 and while this is a small difference, we would encourage other care agencies and workers to commit to the same policy for the following financial year.
We will be donating cash to Patrick's fundraiser for Friends Of The Elderly at the following link : https://www.justgiving.com/page/saveourseniors?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fsaveourseniors&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share and I would encourage everyone to do the same if you are in a position where you can.
This winter, if you are a neighbour of an elderly person or you are a family member of an elderly person, please take the time to check on them regularly. It is going to take communities coming to together for us all to get through this. Please be part of the community.
For further information on protecting the elderly this winter please click on this link to head over and read up some to tips on keeping our special and valuable elderly people safe and warm. https://www.homecare.co.uk/advice/how-can-the-elderly-keep-warm-this-winter
Until our next news update, stay safe, stay warm, stay happy.
23 October 2024
The plight of the mobility scooter
While we all understand the parking difficulties usually experienced in the UK in general. One concern is becoming ever more apparent. The habit of drivers parking on sidewalks in a way which limits the use of the sidewalk for people who use mobility scooters and wheel chairs.
https://www.disabledmotoring.org/campaigns/pavement-parking
This link will take you to an article expressing the problems with dangerous parking on sidewalks which hinder pedestrians, specifically people with disabilities.
If we could all make an effort to ensure when parking, that there is space for the mobility scooter or wheel chair to pass safely by on the sidewalk without forcing them into the road itself we would all be doing our bit to make life in modern day Britain a little more bare able for others.
Just remember the most important part of living, treating others the way you would like to be treated if it were you. Would you like to be pushed in a wheel chair into the oncoming traffic, I doubt it, so do not force others to be in this situation by parking in a dangerous way.