Now it has become apparent that care staff need support and emotional debriefing. The amount of very frail older people with health complexities need specialist care and the staff and relatives’ person centred outcomes also need to be addressed as part of the ‘Relationship Triangle’
Read moreThe hospice: ideas for care homes showing design for compassionate end of life care
I had the pleasure of being taken round Princess Alice Hospice last week by Jane Berg, the Head of Education. I was impressed by the quietly joyful yet peaceful and friendly culture. Everyone was engaging and thoughtfully aware of those around them. The design is a source of inspiration for care homes designing for quality and relationship activated compassionate care.
Read moreSwedish care home for people living with dementia - international connectivity:
On a recent visit to Sweden I was invited to participate in a community event with residents, staff and families to an international feast - a Valkommen!
Read moreRemember me- Michael Palin on care homes or your own home?
MP says older people should remain in their own homes. Surely people need more options than this when they don’t want to be lonely or be anxious about maintaining a property - We need a graduated pathway that does not necessarily fall in the ‘care home’ category.
Read moreChasing an elusive dream – in denial or outright hypocricy?
Let’s get real. Where are the volunteers, sons and daughters and neighbours when good will of neighbours and pop in visits become inadequate?
Read moreFrailty
There is definitely a ‘frailness syndrome’ which we ought not to delete from our language of understanding of what is going on for a person who has it. I can’t say I’ve ever associated it with the end stage of life i.e. dying per se.
Read moreEnd of Life and Dementia
My journey over 10 years with my mother who was living with dementia in a care home has been an experiential roller coaster of learning from ‘the other side of the fence’. Having spent over 20 years of my working life in care homes we found ourselves unexpectedly consumers of the care home sector, first with my father who had multi-infarct dementia and then my mother who had a combination of both vascular and the Alzheimer’s type of dementia.
Read moreInaugral Elizabeth Care Certificate
Birtley House had a very exciting evening on Friday 23rd January with Jeremy Hunt, MP for South West Surrey and Secretary of State for Health, and Anne Milton, MP for Guildford presenting the first Elizabeth Care certificates, following a course at the University of Surrey, to six successful candidates including Birtley House Lead Carer, Ola Szychulska.
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