News: Care Homes must not be Islands of the Old
25th October 2012
New JRF Report Launched Today!
by My Home Life
Care homes must not be “islands of the old” says new report
Open publication - Free publishing - More care homes
Care homes will play an ever-increasing role in supporting older people in the future yet are being held back by a culture of “negativity” and “stigma” felt by both care workers and older people. At the moment too many care homes lack engagement with their local community and lack support from health services and local authorities says the report.
The report “My Home Life: promoting quality of life in care homes” is released today by Joseph Rowntree Foundation at the National Children and Adults Services (NCAS) Conference.
It follows a three year study carried out by the My Home Life programme, funded by Age UK, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, City University and Dementia UK, to explore what makes good practice in care homes and offers key recommendations about how to improve the lives of older people living and dying in care homes.
My Home Life aims to identify what works well in creating a compassionate and caring environment within care homes so “needs, aspirations and quality of life” of residents, residents and staff are met.
Tom Owen, Co-Director of My Home Life said: “There is a culture within the UK of care homes being something to dread and avoid at all costs which we need to work hard to change. Care homes can provide compassionate care and companionship for many older people who are at a vulnerable stage in their lives.
“While we know there is lots of good practice out there, too many care homes experience mistrust from the community and statutory services which only serves to increase their feeling of isolation and reduce their capacity to deliver a positive experience for older people. Quality in care homes has to be the responsibility of the whole community, not just the staff. We want to place care homes at the heart of the local community, helping them to open their doors and encouraging people in to share in the life of the home.”
Click on the report to see it in full, or download it from our library.
Follow us on