Deaf friendly care village awarded Care Quality Mark

Peaker Place Care Village has been presented with a Care Quality Mark for Older Deaf People, in recognition of its commitment to creating a deaf friendly community for it residents.

The quality mark was granted to the Prime Life care home as part of a deafness awareness care programme running in partnership by deafness charity Sonus and the Royal Association for Deaf People.

Care home association Care England has endorsed the care programme, which recognised the adaptations and changes Peaker Place made to ensure the needs of its deaf residents were fully met.

James Wood, managing director of Prime Life, said: “We are passionate about providing a high-quality standard of living tailored to our clients’ needs, and this is a perfect example of our philosophy.”

The care home first took measures to improve its facilities when profoundly deaf residents Leslie and Betty Key moved into Peaker Place and found they could not appropriately communicate with staff members.

In response to the couple’s needs, staff were given basic sign language training and an induction loop assistive listening system was fitted into the care home’s communal lounge. Other changes such as adding subtitles to all television sets and moving away from sound related activities has allowed the home to further accommodate residents with hearing loss.

Mrs Key said: “I like it here, we feel being lucky here.”

Mr Key said: “We play bingo. I have got a gardening patch and I grow vegetables for this home. I have got a shed and also look after the hanging baskets. We have friends who live in a care home in Leicester and they struggle, but they really look after us here.”

The couple’s daughter Liz Jones, who is also the chief executive of Sonus, said: “On both a personal and professional level I am delighted to see that older deaf people’s care needs are for the first time being adequately addressed by residential care providers and the quality mark is a way of rewarding their efforts and showcasing to deaf people the most appropriate homes for them to choose to live in.”

Mr wood continued: “The team at Peaker Park has struck up an excellent relationship with Leslie and Betty, especially team leader Kinga Kalinowska, who always goes above and beyond to ensure they are happy and comfortable.”

The Care Quality Mark for Older Deaf has been awarded to the care home to coincide with National Deaf Awareness Week taking place from Monday 19 May to Friday 23 May.