Solihull care home welcomes care team from Singapore in dementia information sharing initiative

Care staff at The Royal Star and Garter Home in Solihull recently received a visit from the elderly care team at Changi General Hospital in Singapore as part of a dementia information-sharing initiative.

The visiting team consisted of a physiotherapist, speech therapist, an occupational therapist and a senior staff nurse.

Pauline Shaw, director of care and service development at the charity, commented: "We were delighted to share our care model with our wonderful friends from Singapore. The visit served to emphasise the universal appeal of person-centred care."

During their time at the home, the team received a tour and had the opportunity to participate in a dementia care workshop and joint discussion on the benefits of speech therapy and physiotherapy in dementia care, then took part in a singalong with some of the home’s residents.

Deputy manager, Gill Dunn, said: "It was a very enjoyable visit and our guests were impressed by the dementia care facilities and the home in general.

"The biggest revelation for them in relation to our model of care was the fact that we do not use anti-psychotic medication at all. We discussed in detail our approach to people and how our actions can trigger expressive behaviours. We shared the idea proposed by Dementia Care Matters (DCM), a consultancy who assisted us in developing our model of care, that behind every motion there is an emotion and it is the only way people can tell us how they are feeling.

"We discussed the language of dementia and looking at the meanings behind words. In their respective care settings, they would find this a challenge as there as so many languages and dialects – communication is a challenge for them at the best of times. We spoke of using other methods such as body language, touch or simply a smile. They are making changes in their work settings and have introduced doll therapy on the geriatric care ward. They are also adding more colour to their environment.

"Our guests were very kind and compassionate and keen to make changes. They agreed that the culture of care needs to change to be truly person-centred."

The Royal Star and Garter Home is a charity providing care for severely injured service men and women and their families.