Ageing Better in Camden is one of the fourteen Big Lottery Fund Ageing Better programmes across England working together to tackle social isolation and loneliness among older people. It uses an assets-based approach, drawing on existing skills and resources in the local community and supporting community groups to codesign and co-produce programmes with older members.
The Nursing Now campaign states: ‘It’s time to give nurses more recognition, investment and influence’ (Nursing Now, 2018). By strengthening the nursing profession through the campaign, global healthcare challenges of the 21st century can also be impacted. So, what is Nursing Now, and why should you know about it?
In 2019, the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) is working in a whole variety of ways to support nurses to improve care for their patients, and there are many ways in which you can get involved.
Infection prevention is particularly important within community settings, as many of the people cared for in these environments — specifically elderly or vulnerable patients — are more at risk from infection.
Over the years, there has been a plethora of evidence-based literature on effective and ineffective wound management practices; however, some healthcare professionals continue to manage wounds using outmoded or ritualistic practices. The key areas are: frequency of dressing changes; maintenance of a moist environment to aid healing; when wounds should be cleansed; and which cleaning solutions to use. This article presents the evidence base in these key four areas and aims to dispel some of the myths and misconceptions to ensure that healthcare professionals can be confident that they are delivering upto- date, evidence-based wound care in accordance with the Code of Conduct (Nursing and Midwifery Council [NMC], 2015).
Skin changes due to aging are important to distinguish from those that are due to solar/sun damage. Knowledge of the common changes in the skin as it ages will help clinicians diagnose and manage any skin abnormalities identified in elderly skin while assessing other conditions. Before exploring such skin changes, however, it is important to understand how the sun affects the skin, causing changes that are observed as solar damage. This article highlights skin changes due to aging and solar damage and what actions need to be taken, if any, to manage them appropriately.
On primary infection, the varicella zoster virus is responsible for the development of chickenpox, after which the virus becomes dormant. Upon reactivation of the latent virus, shingles results. The incidence and severity of shingles increases with age, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early intervention with antiviral medications is crucial to help resolve the rash and reduce any potential complications induced by the virus.
Smoking has a significant negative effect on patients’ health status. The Department of Health (DH) recently announced a Tobacco Control Plan, which sets out the government’s strategy for reducing smoking rates and increasing patients’ access to smoking cessation services. This article examines the main points of the Tobacco Control Plan, as well as detailing how community nurses can use the plan to improve their own interactions with patients who smoke, as well as designing effective smoking cessation services.
Malnutrition continues to be a problem, which is estimated to cost £13 billion per annum (British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition [BAPEN], 2010). The majority of those at risk of malnutrition are living in the community. When resources are limited, it is important to identify who is most at risk so that they can receive appropriate support. This article explains the malnutrition carousel, where malnutrition leads to poor health that then further increases the risk of malnutrition. It discusses the need for balanced diets to help maintain an adequate nutritional state, highlighting which disease states are likely to cause further problems — in particular, those with swallowing problems where texture-modified diets are required. Suggested solutions are also provided to help treat suspected poor nutritional intake.
