Wellbeing


Resident ambassadors and the benefits they bring


Lisa Rickman, senior director of HR at Sunrise Senior Living UK and Gracewell Healthcare, considers the role of resident ambassadors and the benefits they can bring to the home as well as the individual


When you consider the role of a care home, the first things that come to mind are likely to be what care home team members can do for residents and the dedication and compassion that they show. Providing a high quality service must undoubtedly be the central concern of care homes, but it is also interesting to consider the ways in which residents too can have an active role in the life of the home and ensure it is run successfully. As well as what care homes can do for residents, it is important to recognise what residents can do for care homes. Encouraging resident ambassadors can have profound benefits both for the care home itself and for the individual ambassador. Team members are given an insight into the lives of residents, while gaining a helpful source of feedback. People seeking to move to a care home can talk to ambassadors and learn more about their future home. Ambassadors can also gain a deep sense of fulfilment from their involvement and the help they provide to others.


The existence of resident ambassadors is therefore something that should be promoted for the widespread personal benefits that such a role brings as well as for the enhanced wellbeing that fellow residents and team members enjoy as a result. A resident who has thrived as a result of their role as ambassador is Beryl, a resident of Gracewell in Frome. Since moving into the home four and a half years ago, Beryl has taken on a wide range


of responsibilities as resident ambassador, which include attending resident and family meetings, offering advice to families whose loved ones have chosen to become residents of the home and holding monthly meetings with chefs to discuss menus and food options. Beryl’s active involvement provides the home’s leaders and team members with an insightful and well informed residents’ point of view and ensures that the essential needs of those living in the home are continually taken into account. Beryl’s perspective is also invaluable in guiding new residents and their families as they settle in and helping them to understand the different kinds of care and support they can receive and the vast array of activities they can participate in. As well as the great benefits that other people derive from Beryl’s participation, her ambassadorial work provides much personal fulfilment too. The role gives her a deep sense of value and inclusion and makes her feel part of something that is greater than herself. She gains great satisfaction from helping others and continuing to make the most of her abilities in the wide range of responsibilities that the ambassador role entails. She wears her resident ambassador badge with pride and always looks forward to making a contribution to the home’s success. Beryl is living proof that taking on responsibilities within a care home has personal benefits that extend well


Beryl is living proof that taking on responsibilities within a care home has personal benefits that extend well beyond the home itself


January 2018 • www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


Gracewell resident, Beryl


beyond the home itself. Beryl feels confident and able to participate actively in the surrounding community, having previously been a keen member of the Society of Disabled Art (SODA), which she attended at a local church hall. Beryl enjoys going to town independently on her electric wheelchair and takes particular pleasure in meandering alongside the river on the flat path. She also spends a lot of time at the allotment across the road from the care home where she can interact with other holders who she gets on well with.


Being an ambassador has allowed Beryl to maintain an active, sociable lifestyle, which in turn has helped foster an enthusiasm for the local community and enhanced her interest in developing hobbies and skills. In the case of a resident ambassador, what benefits the community as a whole also benefits the individual.


Leading the way


In inspiring their residents to become ambassadors, care homes can help to create a warm, welcoming environment.


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