Flu vaccination – Apple House Care Homes

Flu Vaccine: Protecting Frontline Workers

Applehouse — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 17:39:34 +0000

The flu virus spreads from person-to-person, even amongst those not showing any symptoms. Unvaccinated, asymptomatic (but nevertheless infected) staff may unknowingly pass on the virus to vulnerable patients, friends, family and colleagues. Flu can cause severe complications and flu-related staff sickness also affects service delivery, impacting on patients and on other staff. Recently published evidence suggests a 10% increase in vaccination may be associated with as much as a 10% fall in sickness absence in the NHS.

Flu outbreaks also have a serious effect on the social care sector. Every year there are flu outbreaks in care homes despite high flu vaccination rates for residents. This is partly because as people age, they do not produce as good an immune response to vaccination. Vaccination against flu protects the people we care for and protects staff, their family and friends, helping to keep services running safely during winter. Flu can cause severe complications, but this FREE vaccination is the best protection.

Whilst the threat may be invisible, the protection against it is clear.

Key messages

● This is anything but a typical year and we all want to protect ourselves and those close to us. Flu can be deadly and is easily spread.

● If you’re a frontline worker in the NHS or social care, you’re more likely to be exposed to flu.

● You can have no symptoms but unknowingly spread it to your friends, family and patients / those you care for.

● Being healthy doesn’t reduce your risk of getting flu or passing it on.

● All frontline health and social care workers have FREE access to the best protection available, the flu jab.

● To keep you, your family and patients / those you care for protected, get your free annual flu jab as soon as you can.

● Flu immunisation can reduce the rates of illness, reducing staff absence and pressures on the NHS and social care services.

Flu Vaccination: Don’t delay, get yours today!

Applehouse — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 10:13:31 +0000

On behalf of the NHS, Misfits Theatre Company tackles the misinformation surrounding the flu vaccination head on and urges people with learning disabilities and their carers (family member or support worker) to not delay, and get their free flu vaccine today.

Our Ops Director Gets Her Flu Jab…

Applehouse — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 15:25:46 +0000

Once again everyone at Apple House Ltd are getting their flu vaccinations to prepare for the winter ahead. Today I went to our local pharmacy and had this year’s flu vaccination.
Throughout our services we are promoting the uptake of the vaccine in order to be protected against the flu which can have an enormous effect on people’s health, not only for themselves but for those close to them.
You can see our previous blog post here whereby we pledge our support to Public Health England’s campaign to promote the vaccination.
My pharmacist said that ‘the sooner the better’ for getting your vaccination and the more people that have it then the more effective it is; it’s called the ‘herd’ effect.
Frontline support carers will receive the vaccination for free. It’s easy to do and doesn’t hurt a bit.
The vaccination is inactive and does not give you the flu.

Romaine is now protected against flu!

“Help protect yourself, your family and the people you support. Get your free flu jab”. — Romaine Lawson, Director of Operations, Apple House care group.

Time To Get Your Flu Jab!

Applehouse — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 17:13:35 +0000

Here at Apple House care homes, our flu vaccination campaign for this year is in full swing. Protecting the people we support, our families and people we come into contact with each day in our varied lives is so important.

For the coming 2019/20 flu season we at Apple House are part of the Public Health England and NHS England & NHS Improvement campaign which focusses on the protective benefit of the flu vaccination using a “Shield” motif.

If you work with people in health or social care, you’re more likely to be exposed to flu – and to pass it on. That’s why the flu vaccination is free to all frontline health and social care workers and we promote this as the preferred route for all of our teams.

Being healthy won’t stop you getting flu or passing it on. The flu virus can infect anybody, and even someone with no visible symptoms is still at risk of passing the virus on. Flu virus strains change, so it’s important to have a flu jab every year ahead of the flu season. And remember, having a flu jab can’t give you the flu.

Help protect yourself, your family and the people you support. Get your free flu jab.

–Romaine Lawson, Director of Operations, Apple House care group.

Influenza Vaccinations free for social care workers. Have you had yours?

Applehouse — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 09:00:08 +0000

It’s the time of year for our influenza vaccinations and, as Director of Operations, I am right there in line to get mine done and know that I will have the vaccination to protect me from flu this year. Once again I booked my appointment at Boots and it was great to have the same person giving me my vaccination as last year.

Romaine Lawson, Director of Operations.

We went through the health check first and then I signed the consent form. The flu vaccination is a great way to have peace of mind that I will be as protected as possible from the strain which can be so debilitating to myself but would also have such a big impact on those around me.

The vaccination is quick and easy and I didn’t feel a thing.

As part of our ongoing Health, Safety and Welfare monitoring for Apple House Ltd we remind and recommend that all of our employees take up the opportunity to have the influenza vaccination.

Every year we, as a company take on board the latest guidance to be issued from NHS England and encourage all people working for Apple House Ltd to be vaccinated. We have historically always paid for this for our teams as we know how important it is to remain healthy for ourselves, colleagues and for the people we support.

This year NHS England have confirmed that free flu vaccinations are available in 2018/19 for social care workers who offer direct care to people using services.

This is open to all health and social care staff, employed by a registered residential care/nursing home or registered domiciliary care provider, who are directly involved in the care of vulnerable patients/clients who are at increased risk from exposure to influenza. Vulnerable means those patients/clients in a clinical risk group for flu or who are aged 65 years and over.

NHS England have confirmed that this includes staff directly involved in the care of vulnerable people who are at increased risk from exposure to influenza who are working for registered:

residential care homes;
residential nursing homes;
domiciliary care services;
Shared Lives schemes;
extra care housing services;
supported living services.

Let’s all stay well this year and banish those bugs.

You can get more information from the NHS website HERE

— Romaine Lawson, Director of Operations, Apple House care homes.

Winter Flu Jabs ~ keeping those bugs away!

Applehouse — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 18:47:49 +0000

Championing the winter flu jabs!

Today I went to get my winter flu jab. We think that it is so important to have the immunisation on offer and to provide all of the information available in order to assist in keeping our teams and people we support as healthy as possible.

The immunisation is available across the country in pharmacies and GP surgeries.

I went to my local Boots today and had a consultation with the pharmacist, Vera, who was really helpful. Pharmacist are experts in medications and are brilliant at explaining exactly what you can expect from the immunisation. The area is private and you have time to ask questions. Vera explained about this year’s vaccine, asked me about any medication I am currently taking and went through all the relevant information to ensure that the service was suitable for me.

Director of Operations, Romaine Lawson, feeling brave!

As it happens! It didn’t hurt a bit. I then waited in the pharmacy for a few minutes so that the pharmacist could ensure that there weren’t any adverse reactions. Then I was on my way. It is very quick and easy. I’d recommend everyone to at least consider the option. I’ve now got piece of mind that I’ve gone some way to protect myself from illness.

You can click on the link below to see this years national flu plan.

The annual flu letter describes the national flu immunisation programme for 2017 to 2018, and outlines which groups are eligible for flu vaccination.

It is supported by the flu plan which sets out a coordinated and evidence-based approach to planning for, and responding to, the demands of flu across England.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-flu-immunisation-programme-plan

As a company we produce winter action plans and work towards a healthy winter!

— Romaine Lawson, Director of Operations.