The ninety year old abseiler A day in the life of a Samples

Who’s Who at SecuriCare
Loretta
Bramley-Brant
Customer Service
Manager.
Loretta has worked
for SecuriCare for
nearly two years. “My role is to
ensure that our
patients receive the
very best service all
of the time”.
Useful Telephone
Numbers
Careline
0800 585 125
0800 318 965
Macmillan Cancer Relief
Information Line
0808 808 2020
Randolph Layman
Delivery Driver –
British Colostomy
Association
A real old-timer at
14 years’ service
with the company! ‘I
really enjoy being
out and about. My
customers are
lovely people and I
have made many
good friends.’
0800 328 4257
Ileostomy & Internal Pouch
Support Group
0800 018 4724
Urostomy Association
Angela Nicol Careline Advisor.
“I’ve worked on the
Careline for 31/2 years
and enjoy listening
and talking to people
and trying to solve
their stoma problems.
It is very satisfying
when someone calls
back to say my advice
has helped them”.
© SecuriCare (Medical) Ltd
The environmental
impact of pouch
disposal
Home Delivery Service
0870 770 7931
National Advisory Services
for Parents of Children with
a Stoma
01560 322 024
RADAR
020 7250 3222
HH3/1205
SecuriCare (Medical) Ltd, Compass House, Knaves Beech Business Centre, Loudwater, High Wycombe, Bucks HP10 9QY
Tel: 01628 533383 Fax: 01628 523579 Email: [email protected] www.securicaremedical.co.uk
The ninety year
old abseiler
A day in the life
of a Samples
Administrator
Problems with
your stoma?
Contents
Page 3
Page 4
A day in the life of a
Samples Administrator
Environmental Impact
of Pouch Disposal
Editor’s Notes
Dear Reader,
Welcome to our third
edition of Hand in Hand. SecuriCare has
had a superb year which we could not
have achieved without your support. This
has allowed us to provide invaluable
resources to our patients, with Nurses in
hospitals and Stoma Care Advisors in
the community.
Page 6
SecuriCare’s Delivery
Drivers
Page 7
Ninety year old
abseiler
Page 9
Wordsearch – Two
M&S Vouchers to be
won!
Page 10
Problems with your
Stoma
As the year draws to a close I would like
to wish all the readers a very Happy
Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
Page 11
Christmas Opening
Hours
Page 12
Useful Numbers and
Who’s Who at
SecuriCare
I look forward to hearing your thoughts
and if you have any feedback please call
our Careline on 0800 585 125 or write
to: The Editor, Hand in Hand, SecuriCare
Medical Ltd, Compass House,
Knaves Beech Business Centre, Loudwater,
High Wycombe, Bucks, HP10 9QY.
Looking for good ideas
We are always on the look-out for ways in which we can improve our home
delivery service. If you have any good ideas on this subject, please let us
know- there’ll be a £50 prize for any suggestion that we adopt!
Please write into the usual address marking your letter with ‘Good Ideas’.
Christmas Opening Hours
In this edition you will read about the
environmental impact of disposing of
pouches and how we at SecuriCare are
helping to combat this with the FreeStyle
Flushable™ Pouch. In light of recent
‘global warming’ debates this issue is
rising in importance. You will also read
about a 90-year-old abseiling colostomist
– a good reflection of the ‘go get them’
attitude most ostomists have.
Diane Kerwood – Managing Director
2
Careline 0800 585 125
www.securicaremedical.co.uk
11
A day in the life of a Samples Administrator
Problems with your stoma
SORE SKIN
PANCAKING
Taking pride and joy in her work
This may be due to leakage of faeces or
urine commonly caused by an incorrect
aperture of the pouch or flange. The
stoma may have altered in size and/or
shape possibly due to weight gain or loss.
Your local stoma care nurse will reassess
the stoma and adjust the template or
advise changing to an alternative
appliance more suited to your current
needs. There may be sensitivity to the
adhesive and this will show as a red,
irritating rash so advice should be sought
from the stoma care nurse to try alternative
appliances. The stoma care nurse may
also suggest the use of a barrier wipe
such as LBF® no sting barrier film which
will protect the skin. All stomas should be
reviewed at least annually to ensure
problems are minimal.
This is a common problem especially for
colostomists. It is usually caused by the
filter removing excess flatus from the
pouch. The pouch then becomes flat
against the stoma and faeces cannot
drop down into the bottom of the pouch.
Ostomists may experience leakage of
faeces from the side of the flange. See
your stoma care nurse for a review of
your existing products. Newer, more up
to date appliances such as Welland
FreeStyle and FreeStyle FlushableTM have
more efficient filters which may cause
less of a problem. The stoma care nurse
may also suggest the use of a filter cover
(supplied in the boxes of pouches) and
application of a lubricating gel inside the
pouch may also help.
She’s fit, she’s slim, and she never sits
down – that’s Sharon, SecuriCare’s
Samples Administrator. Sharon is always on
the go because every working day she has
anywhere between 80 to 120 individual
orders for samples to personally organise
and despatch!
Thank you to stoma care nurses Jackie Albrighton and Sylvia Waller for this information.
Samples of stoma care items are an
excellent way of ostomists being able to try
out new or different products. Sample
orders come in to Sharon’s area in the
warehouse throughout the day – usually via
Careline staff where stoma patients have
rung in for advice, or in response to
advertisements, or from stoma care nurses
needing samples for patients.
The samples requested vary from pouches
such as the new FreeStyle Drainable,™ to a
wide range of stoma care accessories, e.g.
Appeel® no-sting adhesive remover, or LBF®
barrier wipes. Each order is different and
Sharon appreciates the training she
receives on products so that she knows
what they are for and how they are used.
After printing off the orders and checking
them out, she picks the products and
arranges any special ‘customising’ needed,
encloses relevant literature, packs up the
samples and gets them ready for the daily
pickup.
There’s organising of stock to carry out too
and Sharon has developed strategies to
ensure she never runs out and can meet all
orders promptly (she says she has ‘ways
and means’!) It is her very proud boast that
orders are fulfilled either the same day as
they are received, or if it is late in the day
after the post has gone then early the
10
Careline 0800 585 125
following day. She rarely has one ‘back
order’ and most patients receive their
samples within 24 hours. Sharon states
simply that ‘I just really like my job; I take
pride and joy in the job I do’.
Sharon has worked for the stoma division
for nearly 8 years, and was the first female
in the company to gain her fork lift truck
licence. She has a 2-year-old granddaughter plus another grandchild on the
way (Sharon’s daughter has just
announced she’s pregnant with her first
child).
Stop Press
We’ve just heard that Sharon has been
promoted to Sample Order Co-ordinator in
recognition of her total commitment to her
work and high standards of performance.
Congratulations, Sharon!
www.securicaremedical.co.uk
3
Environmental Impact of Pouch Disposal
There are over 361/2 million stoma
pouches thrown away in landfill sites each
year from 150,000 existing ostomates and
from 34,000 new stomas fashioned every
year (Black 2003). With some plastics
taking up to 450 years to biodegrade, this
has substantial consequences for the
environment and global warming.
Ostomates are taught to dispose of their
pouch in three ways:
1) Wrapping the pouch and its contents
in a bag (often plastic) and throwing
it away into a bin for collection (to
landfills)
2) Cutting the bottom off the pouch and
emptying out the contents down the
toilet, wrapping the empty pouch up
and again disposing of it in the bin
ready for collection to landfills
3) Wearing a drainable appliance (not
suitable for everyone)
Recent evidence from the British
Colostomy Association (Berry 2005) and
Swan (2001) found that sixty per cent of
nurses are recommending to their
patients that they should cut the stoma
pouch and squeeze out the contents
down the toilet. Many ostomates are over
the age of sixty, often with dexterity
problems or failing eyesight. This has
obvious health risk consequences, not to
mention the psychological implications
attached to this disposal technique.
The BCA Report (Berry 2005) showed
that many ostomates are finding pouch
£50 M&S vouchers to be won!
The Last Lucky Winners!
We were delighted with your response in the last issue;
we received nearly three hundred replies! Unfortunately
there can only be two winners; we are happy to
announce that Mrs G. E Izzard and Mrs Angela Dawson
won £50 each. Congratulations!
Here’s another chance to win one of two £50 M&S
vouchers. The words are hidden in the chart below,
backwards or forwards, horizontally, vertically and
diagonally. Good luck!
Angela is 53
years old and has
been working as
a Civil Servant
since 1969.
Mrs Izzard is 87
years old and a
proud mother of two
and grandmother to
four.
✄
✄
ABSEILING
A S
BALLOONING
Z B H A W C Q E
L M A K
DIET
U F
S
B A
L
S
DRIVER
R
O E P N H N W V
L
D
HERNIA
O H R E
J
PATIENT
S O E W E
SAMPLE
T
SORESKIN
O L
K W E M O N
P
I
T
TWOPIECE
M B
I
I
A S E
G L N
I
UROSTOMY
Y C N M A
S O R
K B G E
WELLAND
X R
F
L
T
U
S E O N
WINNER
D R
I
V
E R U R D
I
P
E R T
Y U H R M B
T O E N R
E X
I
Z U O
L
L
A
N D O P
S R C P
I
F
D A N A
A
I
V
I
R
I
I
E
T
Send your completed wordsearch, by 31st January 2006 to:
Hand in Hand, SecuriCare Ltd, Compass House, Knaves Beech Business Centre,
Loudwater, High Wycombe, Bucks HP10 9QY.
From:
Name ............................................................................................................................................
Address ........................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................................
............................................................................Postcode ..........................................................
4
Careline 0800 585 125
www.securicaremedical.co.uk
9
I can see a bright future when you will be able to remove
pouches and dressings without any pain, using a silicone
based medical adhesive remover in a clever aerosol
that will spray at any angle and moisturise your skin at
the same time. You will also have moist wipes to easily remove
the sticky residue that is usually difficult to get off. There will be
no need to wash your skin because it will dry rapidly, leaving it
clean and fresh, ready for a new pouch or dressing.
And all this will be available on NHS prescription.
disposal a real problem.
Some ostomates described
how they discarded their
pouches at night in dog bins
located in parks. So the
question that everyone is
probably asking themselves
is what can be done to help
resolve this situation?
Welland Medical is at the
forefront of innovation and
has introduced an award
winning pouch, ‘FreeStyle
Flushable,TM’ which is now
available for colostomists.
FreeStyle Flushable’sTM inner
pouch is designed to be
easily and safely flushed
down the lavatory pan – no
emptying it out, no wrapping
or disposing. It is biodegradable and environmentally
friendly and suitable for all
sewage systems, cess pits
etc. This not only has major benefits for
the environment, but also in terms of
improving the quality of life of ostomates.
As a part of the development process,
Welland Medical constructed a typical
WC system, with transparent pipework, to
enable careful testing of the Flushable
product. The pouch travels through a
simulated journey down the domestic soil
pipe into the sewer. The pouch must pass
the ten metre mark on a single flush!
Welcome to the future
No sting Medical Adhesive Remover
Call us free on 0800 585125 for a sample of Appeel®..
Nursing professionals please call free on 0800 585241.
CliniMed
Clinical testing revealed the following
response from Joyce Luxford, West
Sussex: “I used to cut the end off and
empty it. It’s so much better now I can
flush it down the toilet. No messing about,
job done!”
If you would like to improve your life and
help the environment then please test
how wonderful FreeStyle FlushableTM
actually is.
For your free sample please call our
Careline on 0800 585 125.
With special thanks to Jo Sica, Clinical
Market Research and Owen May (pictured
above), Development Engineer at Welland
Medical.
Black, PK (2000) Holistic Stoma Care Pg 88. Berry, J (2005)
Oral Presentation, ECET, Finland 2005. Buckland, SJ (2005)
Oral Presentation ECET, Finland 2005. Swann, E 2001
Nursing Times 04.10.01 Vol 97 (No 40) Pgs 51-52 Clinical
Trial Results held on file at Welland Medical, Crawley, UK.
www.environmentalwaste.co.uk Environmental Waste 2003
50ml aerosol – Order Code 3500
Pack of 30 wipes – Order Code 3505
®
Appeel® and CliniMed® are registered trademarks of CliniMed (Holdings) Ltd. CliniMed Ltd., Cavell House,
766/0105
Knaves Beech Way, Loudwater, High Wycombe, Bucks HP10 9QY Email: [email protected] www.clinimed.co.uk
www.securicaremedical.co.uk
5
SecuriCare’s Delivery Drivers
“My customers are lovely people”
The SecuriCare home delivery service
continues to grow as increasing numbers
of ostomists realise the benefits of having
their stoma goods delivered direct to the
door. Thousands of prescriptions are
organised by the company every month
and there’s great teamwork in operation
arranging and co-ordinating supplies.
At the front end of the service are our
delivery drivers, who, even if we say so
ourselves, provide an excellent service.
Randolph is one of them and he covers the
area around Head Office in Loudwater,
Bucks, out as far as Hertfordshire and over
to Newham in East London. Randolph
loves his job – he must do as he’s been
with the company for 14 years! Five days a
week, through all the seasons of the year,
Randolph is on the road, covering around
200 miles a day.
Randolph has two children – Jordan, 7 and
Renee, 3 years old. He has known great
tragedy, just 3 months after Renee’s birth,
his wife Dionne went into a coma and never
recovered, she died last year. Randolph
has been helped through this time by his
family (his mother-in-law does a great job
helping out with the children), his friends
and work colleagues and also the clients
on his round. The job has helped to keep
him going and keep cheerful. He smilingly
reports that “all my customers are lovely
people” and says that so many of them
have set him a good example by the way
they cope and get on with life. He has lots
of laughs with them.
Randolph enjoys the flexibility of his work
and being out and about. The only
downside of his job is the M25!
Delivery drivers needed!
SecuriCare is on the lookout for drivers in various areas to help us further
develop and extend our delivery service. We pride ourselves in the care we
offer to clients, and believe that ostomists will have a good understanding of
fellow ostomists’ needs. So if there are any readers out there who are
interested in regularly helping out with deliveries, do please contact us to
discuss possibilities. Please write to Human Resources, SecuriCare Medical
Limited, Compass House, Knaves Beech Business Centre, Loudwater, Bucks,
HP10 9QY.
6
Careline 0800 585 125
Abseiling 90 year old colostomist
I have been asked to
write this article by
SecuriCare. I have had
my Colostomy for 6
years. I had been
having a lot of pain
and trouble and when
the doctor examined
me he sent me
straight for a check up and I was
admitted within 6 weeks. I had my
operation at Crawley General Hospital on
April 1999 aged 85 and it was a life
changing experience. The surgeon and
the nurses were all very helpful and
treated me very well. I am a very strongwilled person and after about two months
I returned to good health.
I thought it’s now time for me to get
cracking with the time I have left, so I’m
off to college to try and learn about
computers. Did the course, even got a
certificate, had a lot of laughs! Took up
swimming lessons too. I also wanted to
prove that having a stoma need not
prevent you from doing anything, so last
year I abseiled to raise money for the ‘old
dears’ to take them on a day trip to
Worthing. Not only did I raise £300 but I
loved it and now fear I may be addicted!
Don’t get me wrong; I am not super
human or super fit but my strength of will
carries me through and I can’t ‘sit around
and do nothing’.
In fact the local newspapers have printed
articles about me and a journalist has
discovered I may be the oldest abseiler
on record. On 28th September 2005,
aged 90, the ‘daredevil’ pensioner struck
again. This time I scaled 30 metres down
the side of a building to raise money for
St Catherine’s Hospice, Southgate. I am
waiting to see if I make the Guinness
Book of Records but even if I don’t I am
glad I took the plunge!
Gertrude Painter
If you have done
anything out of the
ordinary that you would
like to share with us then
please write in to the
‘Editor’ at the usual
address.
www.securicaremedical.co.uk
7