Opinion
acquiring. Many of them grew up during or just after the Second World War when many aspects of life were harder and more challenging. Shouldn’t those people who have tried so hard and in many cases, experienced so much, be entitled to enjoy the life that they are living in comfort and contentment for as long as they live, to whatever degree they are able?
Standards of care
In terms of care home delivery, ‘good’ can mean many things, and they all have to come together, to a standard that is better than acceptable and entirely for the benefit of the residents, many of whom will be paying a high price. Being treated with respect and dignity by everyone should be a given. Living in a welcoming, homely, well maintained and decorated environment within attractive grounds is surely not a big ask. The provision of personal space where a resident can be surrounded by their treasured possessions and memories should go without saying as should facilities that emphasise dignity rather than any disability.
We all want to look our best – it makes us feel good – and there is no reason why that should not be the case for care home residents – even if there are no visitors that day. Residents should be able to choose how they want to look each day and care taken with their dressing is important to their ongoing self-esteem.
Eating is one of life’s pleasures for many of us and increasingly the dining experience generally and nutrition in particular are a focus in good care homes. Many employ professional chefs tasked with designing varied menus, sensitively prepared to tempt the most particular of eaters. To quote a care home owner, “Meal times should be a celebration”. Participating in activities that are of interest should be stimulating, relaxing
and/or fun – depending on what suits each person the best. Not everyone wants to be house bound; regular outside events keep people stimulated, curious, aware and in touch.
Nobody should ever have to question the quality of care, which should be given willingly and consistently. Above all perhaps, delivering care should involve being actively interested in these wonderful individuals, in what they have to say, the experiences they have had and the wisdom they have gained. It reassures people that they are valued, and that means having the time to spend with them, which all too often is something that carers do not have. Care home residents have lives to live; we need to remember that and find every way we can of keeping them in touch and engaged with the world they know, while realising every opportunity for care homes to become as good as they can be, financially sustainable, and an integral part of the local community.
Life goes on
If more and more of us will be living in care homes, which we will, couldn’t each and every one of those homes position
What about a supervised soft play area for local nursery groups to use?
itself as a lively, accessible part of the local community?
There are already great examples of homes opening their doors and giving a warm welcome to a broad mix of people on a daily basis. Every care home and its residents should be an integral part of life outside rather than separated from it, and the way to achieve that has to be to bring the outside in.
The Post Office and village shop provided valuable hubs where people met and passed the time of day, and their loss is keenly felt. The school gate is still a hot spot for parents, just as the bus stop and park are valuable meeting places, attracting a vibrant mix of people of different ages, backgrounds and points of view. So, what about coffee shops? How many are there on every high street and how few are ever empty of customers? Who are those customers? Everybody – they are part of everyday life now.
Why not establish a coffee shop within a care home that is open to the public?
So why not establish a coffee shop within a care home that is open to the public? How about designing every new care home with that intention? Free Wi-Fi and a plentiful supply of plug sockets
MAXIMIZE your investment. Minimize costly flooring failures.
Tel: 0115 941 1126
www.cfa.org.uk Email:
info@cfa.org.uk May 2017 •
www.thecarehomeenvironment .com
35
©Tyler Olson/Fotolia
©Olesia Bilkei/Fotolia
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44