ADVERTISING FEATURE Putting period equity on the agenda at Care Show Birmingham
One of the standout successes at Care Show Birmingham was the overwhelming reaction to Pads on a Roll, an innovative new way for care providers to champion period equity. In this article, CareHomeLife explains why. Women make up 78% of England’s adult social care
workforce. Despite this, period equity is still, in many ways, an afterthought. Care is a 24-hour profession. For someone working a long or overnight shift, leaving a care home to buy a period product might not be practical – and during the night, there may be nowhere nearby even if they could. So, what are the alternatives and how can care providers turn period equity into an opportunity to support not only their care teams, but also their visitors?
What is period equity and why does it matter? In the face of a lengthy cost-of-living crisis, a 2023 ActionAid poll found that more than 20% of women and people who menstruate in the UK were struggling to afford basic period products. To put a finer point on it, that’s around 2.8 million people nationwide, many of whom have had to prioritise food, gas or electricity above their own basic needs. Needless to say, going without period products can have serious long-term consequences, and not just for the individual. In addition to the many health and wellbeing issues associated, ActionAid found that 14% of people surveyed avoided or missed work during their period. In care settings, these absences – which are often avoidable – can negatively impact employee retention and quality of care. That’s unacceptable. So, what can be done?
Tackling period equity one pad at a time Already, the wider care community is beginning to go further to embrace period equity. There’s broader recognition that people who menstruate may need emergency access to period products to preserve their own health, dignity and wellbeing. That’s why CareHomeLife has partnered with Egal Pads on a
Roll for a brand-new initiative. These individually wrapped pads, which can be installed directly inside toilet cubicles, are a simple
way for care providers to make free period products readily and discreetly available to visitors and care workers in their time of need. So far, feedback has been universally positive, with one user describing the pads as a ‘godsend’. It’s a perfect example of the practical steps providers can take to democratise pads, ensuring care workers have access throughout a lengthy shift. What’s clear, however, is that period equity should never be an
afterthought. It absolutely deserves to be on the agenda, and by adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach, care providers and suppliers can ensure their staff and visitors have access to quality pads, should the sudden need arise.
To find out about CareHomeLife’s Pads on a Roll initiative, request a meeting at
carehomelife.co.uk/contact/ or scan the QR code for more information.
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
