COVID-19

For NHS information, updates and advice about Coronavirus please visit the NHS website by clicking here.

For local Coronavirus service updates, advice, support and guidance please visit the North East Lincolnshire Council website by clicking here.

For our latest Accord bulletins please click on the links below. These updates have been sent to our Accord members throughout the Coronavirus pandemic:

10th April 2020

24th April 2020

4th May 2020

15th May 2020

22nd May 2020

5th June 2020

Accord member stories

We wanted to share some stories with you about what some of our Accord members have been up to during the Coronavirus pandemic. If you would like to send us your story please email us: nelccg.accord@nhs.net

Bringing Carers Together in North East Lincolnshire and beyond!

Community volunteer, local carer and hospital radio presenter at Grimsby hospital, Colin, has spent lockdown working on a very inspirational project.

Colin recognised that many carers are significantly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic; facing loneliness, isolation, change to routine and in some cases, increased caring responsibilities to protect the people they care for. He wanted to do something that would help to bring local carers and the people they cared for together and came up with the brilliant idea to hold a live radio request show every Thursday night after the ‘Clap for Carers’ at 8pm.

The show has been a huge success and requests for music from those tuned in have come in on mass. The show has even had listeners in Australia and America!

Colin said “it’s been great to host this show every Thursday night. Originally it was just a small idea but has really grown into something big that’s going really well. The Carer’s Support Service, Care Plus Group and the Carer’s Wellbeing Service have helped to get this off the ground. Giving people an opportunity to be united through radio and requesting a song they enjoy is bringing our whole community together at a time when it’s needed the most”.

If you would like to tune in and listen to the show run by Colin and supported by his team Stuart and Andy please click here to see their website.

You can request a song by emailing the radio team directly at: fortheloveofcarers1@gmail.com or by completing a song request message on the website.

 

Learning in Lockdown with Loved ones

Eveline our Accord member and community lead for Equality and Diversity has found a new and very inspirational way to stay busy during the Coronavirus pandemic:

“My first ‘lockdown’ thoughts were around how I could keep myself safe and not be a burden on anyone, including the NHS. Once I had this sorted, I put my thoughts to what I could do to help others. I signed up, and was accepted as an NHS Volunteer, and completed the ‘Friends Against Scams’ online training  (https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk). The latter was so I could help my contacts avoid being victims of Coronavirus Scams.

Hearing about the tremendous hard work of key workers made me feel there was more I could do. My lockdown destiny soon evolved. As a retired teacher with young family members I offered my services to help with ‘Virtual’ home schooling. Little did I know that it would become a full-time job! 

I now have daily sessions with 7 young family members aged 2-12 years. My day starts with planning and preparing for the day ahead. I keep the pre-school aged children occupied with a wide range of learning activities as well as story time. The school age youngsters are supported with the work which has been set by their school. During the course of the day I ‘visit’ Derby, Warrington, North London, York and Western Canada.

The parents of the children are key workers, or busy working from home. They are very appreciative of my input and my involvement has taken a good amount of pressure off them. The children are responding incredibly well. Their parents are available in the background for support if necessary, but  rarely has this been needed. Only once did my 2-year-old grandson in Canada say, ‘Finished now Grandma,’ and went to press the red button to switch me off! 

For myself, I feel that I am making a valuable contribution and using my teaching skills to good effect. I never could have imagined how well this form of teaching could have worked. It has certainly given me a new lease of life and Covid-19 is no longer the first thought to come to my mind in the morning”.

A Personal Thank You to Our Local Care Homes and Carers

Christine, Accord member and Community lead with the CCG for Community Care has kindly written heart-warming letters to all of the care homes and each of the four main domiciliary care providers in North East Lincolnshire.

Christine said “I was becoming more and more frustrated by the negativity and ignorance of some of the media regarding care homes and community care provision so I decided to highlight the wonderful work I have witnessed being done over many years in care homes and the community by very dedicated carers (often performing thankless tasks) . They have been and are very undervalued by society in general.

Everyone is aware of the seriousness of the COVID-19 virus and the devastating effect it is having on people but the work being done by the professionals and volunteers in North East Lincs particularly in the care sector is excellent and reassuring. ​

Not only the community but the whole population should feel proud and be thankful for what has been and still is being achieved not just in the present situation but every day by dedicated carers working so hard to make life easier for those in need.

George Elliot said "What are we here for if it is not to make life less difficult for others?".
That I feel should be the motto for everyone.”

From all of us at Accord Christine, we really appreciate your letters to care homes and care providers in North East Lincolnshire and we are sure that these letters were greatly received.

From all of us at Accord- keep up the great work. What a fantastic way to spend lockdown and give other people a boost when they need it most!

The Great Outdoors and the Virtual World

Accord Steering Group member and Care Plus Group Governor, Barry, has been keeping very busy during lockdown embracing the digital world, spending time outdoors and doing virtual karate classes.

“My wife and I are in isolation because we are both over 70 and my wife has mild asthma. Fortunately, the weather has been kind so we have spent a lot of time in the garden and often go to Weelsby woods for an hour’s walk to keep active. I also get involved in karate classes on each weekday for about 40 minutes per day to keep fit.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, my work with the Care Plus Group and the Accord Steering Group has taken me into the virtual world. Before lockdown, we had been starting to look at some important pieces of work which meant that we needed to find a new way of continuing with business as usual. The Council of Governors and the Accord Steering Group have had to adapt to using technology to enable us to continue to meet and have done so successfully.

Before the pandemic, I only used email from time to time and I was a bit concerned about video conferencing. I have been surprised at how easy it has become to use it; It works surprisingly well for someone who is no computer technologist!”

What a great way to spend lockdown, keeping fit and active and continuing to help the North East Lincolnshire community by volunteering with our local health and care system. Thank you!

Technology for Communication and Self-are

Community Representative Jean, who is our Community Lead for Long Term Conditions has found the use of apps and technology vital throughout lockdown for keeping in touch with loved ones and for helping to look after her health.

"I'm one of those unfortunates who were advised to shield until the end of June whilst we all together try to avoid the Coronavirus. All being well, I should be able to leave the house and meet people at the end of July.

Like many of you, I am missing my children, grandchildren and wider family and friends. We are having celebrations going uncelebrated, wedding and parties postponed and looking forward to the day life can begin, our new normal.

In the meantime, I'm using things like FaceTime, Zoom and Skype to help me through and keep me in touch with those I love and miss.

As well as those communication apps there are those which can help all of us with long term health conditions to keep on top of those conditions, so we emerge from this as healthy as we can be.

I have friends and relatives with Type2 Diabetes who are using the MyDesmond app and website.

While people are being advised to stay at home, group education sessions are not currently an option.  However, MyDesmond is a wonderful alternative as the online course gives people with diabetes the opportunity to attend structured education from the safety of their own homes.   

The webpage can be found here. For further information please contact the Community Diabetes Team on: 01472 256766 or email: cpg.communitydiabetesservice@nhs.net 

Another app I would recommend for those people with COPD is called my MyCOPD.

MyCOPD is the complete app for patients suffering from COPD. It has easy-to-follow inhaler videos and online pulmonary rehabilitation classes amongst other information and tips to help you learn how to manage your COPD from the comfort of your own home.

More information can be found here. Contact the practice nurse at your GP surgery who can issue the myCOPD app to you free of charge.

During the last few weeks I've used the NHS app to order my medication and check up on test results. It helps me have control of my everyday medication needs.

Using my GP's website, I've been able to request a consultation. I simply logged on, put in my symptoms and my GP rang me back, diagnosed my condition and ordered medication from my pharmacy. No sitting in surgery for me in future.

I am amazed at the number of NHS approved apps that are available to help people take care of their own health. Click here to view the NHS Apps library to see what's available.