Dignity, alongside respect, person-centred care, choice, control and independence are all, in my view, part of the basics of care and support. We all want all of the above for ourselves, so why wouldn’t any person with care and support needs…
Tag: respect
Terms of endearment – The ‘darling’ debate
A couple of months ago the Care Quality Commission (CQC) released a report detailing an inspection of a care home in Harrogate where the language used by staff when communicating with residents came under the spotlight. Care home staff had…
Caught on camera
CQC’s launch of their document ‘A fresh start for the regulation and inspection of adult social care’ has created a barrage of debate. Amongst the raft of changes and proposals to overhaul the inspection and regulation of care services for…
Why, oh why, oh why?
Incensed. Appalled. Outraged. Indeed there are a plethora of words to describe how I felt on hearing reports of a rise in suspected cases of elder abuse in England, but I’m not sure any of them accurately do my feelings…
A good end-of-life
Given our aversion to talking about death and dying, the idea of a good end-of-life isn’t something that has been widely debated. Yet for people who are diagnosed with a terminal disease, like dementia, knowing what would represent a good end…
Advocacy and dementia – A vital partnership
Dementia poses many challenges for those living with it or those caring for someone with it, not least getting their voice heard. Our wishes, views, needs and preferences are fundamental to our lives, but dementia can begin to erode our…
We are all individuals
Of all the buzz words and phrases around in health and social care at the moment, ‘person-centred care’ is arguably one of the most important. It might sound like a cross between trendy language and clichéd ideas, but there is…
My dementia wish list
Welcome to 2013, the beginning of another new year and no doubt another set of targets for the tick box culture in health and social care. 2013 promises to be an important time for dementia, with the need to build…
Sense and simplicity
One of the many positive things to come out of the increase in dementia awareness is the focus on how we provide the best possible care for people living with dementia. The importance of training for everyone involved in dementia…
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Having dementia should never change the way someone is viewed or respected, yet sadly it often does. Many people are unable to see beyond the disease to the person within, and as a result, it is frequently considered acceptable to…
Loving our elders and betters
In the UK we are wonderfully good at valuing children and animals. Yes, there are isolated cases of cruelty and abandonment, but the vast majority show huge compassion towards the young, putting children at the centre of so much in…
Continuity is key
Last week a story hit the headlines about how Jeanette Maitland’s husband Ken, who was living with dementia, had been given 106 different carers during the last year of his life. Mr Maitland, from Aberdeen, had been allocated two carers…
