working together to improve community engagement in care homes - joint hsc and mhl event 20.05.15

Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes

Working Together to Improve Community Engagement in Care Homes


AimsTo share our collective learning/ expertise about best practice in community engagement

To develop new ideas of how we might improve the lives of older people through community engagement To reflect together on how we might take this agenda forward, individually and collectively, for the benefit of older people in care homes


Community Engagement in care homes is…

… Anything that connects care homes with local people,

groups, businesses, clubs or any other neighbourhood

asset.


What do we think about care homes?

•Scandals?

•Poor quality?

•Money-grabbing?

•Undesirable?

•Less relevant?

•In decline?


Older people in care homes• 426,000 older people (residential and nursing)

• Average age 85 years

• 70% dementia or severe memory problems

• 40% depression

• 75% classified “severely disabled”

• Massive increase in dependency levels

• Generally unable to remain in the community


FundingPer week:

• local authority average funding for residential care (older people) = approximately £500 (or £2.97 per hour)

•Hospital bed = £2,000 (approx)

•Children’s home (LA care home) = £2,800 (approx)

•Saving the NHS £billions


Workforce• ½ million employed in care

homes

• Care-assistants £6.70 per hour

• Lack of funding for training

• Paid less than those looking after our rubbish

• 66% NVQ2

• 39% feel unappreciated by public (Skills for Care)


Unsupported, isolated, mistrusted•Constant regulatory and policy changes (local and national)

•“Feeding the system rather than feeding residents!”

•High levels of personal stress – fear-based culture

•Massive under-investment


Despite this…

•There is considerable evidence of great practice everywhere

•Care homes can be a very positive option for older people

•There is some great examples of community engagement.. Over to Grace!


Care homes in the heart of the community

• Care homes have historically been ‘islands of the old’ – isolated from their local communities

• However there is some great practice

• Requires support to prepare the community and support to prepare the care home


What works well in community engagement?

• What are you working on now?

• What works well and what are the challenges?

• Mapping our good work:


What could community engagement in care homes look like at its best?

Imagine today is 20th May 2018 and community engagement in care homes is alive and well!

• What does it look and feel like?• What would have changed?

Three fold strategy:

Create and build a social movement of people and organisations willing to take an active interest in the well being of care homes and the people who live in them

Build an active community of FaNs across Essex sharing and celebrating ideas, experiences, pleasures and achievements.

Make it as easy as possible for Care Homes to take advantage of resources as they become available


Stay in touch

Email: [email protected]

www.myhomelife.org.uk

working together to improve community engagement in care homes - joint hsc and mhl event 20.05.15

Government & Nonprofit