The developing practice of modern residential care

The longevity of the UK’s care sector under the weight of an elderly population boom is a likely to be a media obsession for at least the course of this Parliament, but it is important for care providers to continue to recognise what makes for a positive care environment prior to becoming involved with respect, dignity and independent living campaigns that the current trend seems to be working towards.

It goes without saying, of course, that residential care and nursing facilities should be healthy, have efficient staff and medication procedures and look after their residents’ dietary needs but, further to the core of the service, successful care homes would continue to do well to consider alternative ways in which to ensure a fulfilling lifestyle and sense of purpose amongst service users, to help our elderly avoid the cliché of becoming ‘clock watchers’. Here are a selection of ways in which carers around the country have expanded the care lifestyle.

Activities programmes: most care homes now employ an activities co-ordinator, making part of their itinerary the striving for an enjoyable and interesting day-to-day environment. In-house entertainments, such as visiting arts and crafts or music classes, and exercise classes are popular choices that have obvious physical health benefits, while adding to the morale and spirit of residential facilities in a way that friends and relatives enjoy seeing upon arrival.

Fundraising and community initiatives: the funding of care services is a national issue at the moment but this does not mean that services users cannot, in some way, themselves contribute. Many care homes are hosting open days or garden parties that involve the local community, raising money through raffles, refreshments and games, sometimes in collaboration with local schools or other care services and charities.

Outings: often financed through said fundraising initiatives, such as care home fetes and garden parties, there is no reason why the majority of elderly people in care cannot still enjoy getting outdoors. Parks, coastlines and places of historic interest do not have to cost huge amounts to visit, and outings are an example of how relatives can join in with helping care services, while enjoying being with their loved ones at the same time.

Gardening: there’s something about retirement and gardens that seems both deserving and desiring to us UK citizens, and a pleasant and secure garden offers many of the therapeutic qualities that care services aspire to achieve. However, it can’t be said that all care home residents are directly involved in the appearance and maintenance of their gardens, which seems to suggest a missed opportunity of a very obvious and convenient hobby many elderly people would love the chance to enjoy. Some homes have also gone to the extent of encouraging residents to grow their own vegetables and contribute to the service’s food provision.

Pets at Home: campaigners will say that ‘Pets at Home’ is the most dismissed subject throughout the organisation of residential homes, but leading healthcare professionals have long been adamant that interaction with animals has noticeably positive results in relation to long-term mental health, especially to those who live less-active lifestyles. Tragically though, the keeping of pets is more often looked upon as a burden individuals have to discard when moving into care, with many pets put to sleep despite being young and healthy, a result campaigners claim makes the system seem insensitive. Two popular animals that make regular visits to care homes and sometimes make an appearance in our news pages are Molly the Donkey and Barn Owl Bill, bringing a smile to residents’ faces while enabling care workers to see the positive benefits from allowing elderly residents to interact with animals, though clearly more needs to be done to encourage care home owners to have at least some flexible policies when it comes to pets.

Independent lifestyles: recent developments suggest that local councils are quickly getting on board with care sector initiatives to favour new developments that produce environments in which individuals do not become completely self-sufficient on carers. Extra care accommodation, care villages and assisted living centres are now among the more favoured planning applications, but traditional residential care homes are likely to still have their place and would do their future reputations a favour by incorporating the changing face of care into their own policies.

Care provision will continue to develop over the next few years, perhaps it is those care homes that already champion many of the above policies that will lead the way in pioneering, not just new standards and technologies, but the general lifestyle of residents who spend their retirement in them.