(United Kingdon) For too long activity has been seen as an add-on in care homes, despite being a minimum requirement in care home standards throughout the UK.
I've seen some excellent care homes that support residents to be involved in the life of the home, but many still struggle to balance the demands of daily tasks and patient-focused care.
Having worked as an occupational therapist for nearly 25 years, I believe moving into a care home means a person needs 24-hour support but that doesn't mean they want, or have to, give up doing the activities that are important to them. Occupational therapy's core belief is that activity is essential to our health and wellbeing and it's this expertise that can lead a change in culture. To offer a practical resource to the sector, I worked with my colleague Julia Roberts to develop the College of Occupational Therapists' Living well through activity in care homes toolkit.
Since the toolkit launched, we've been overwhelmed by the response with over 1,200 care home staff, commissioners, health and social care professionals signing up to support it. We are already seeing examples of its use – as a resource for commissioning a care village in Leeds and for training care staff in London.
The toolkit calls for activity as a shared responsibility between managers, staff, residents, family and friends. Its design has been carefully considered. Different sections for each group can be viewed online or printed off in bite-sized chunks. We asked: What can we produce that is accessible, influences culture and is flexible to meet the needs of different audiences?
Throughout the pilot phase of the project we shaped the material to reflect the reality of working in a care home. We know that staff are very busy and suggest how, by altering their approach, they can involve residents. Rather than thinking "What do I need to do next?" consider "How can I involve the residents in what I am about to do?"
Take a typical day for Daphne: she works alongside housekeeping staff using a carpet sweeper and helps deliver the laundry, she likes to water the plants and visits another resident in the afternoons to sit and hold hands.
The toolkit can be used in different ways – residents, family and friends can use the guide to start a conversation with care staff and managers. Sections for staff can act as training handouts or printed off to build up a resource file. Materials for gauging existing culture and to support change include templates for an audit tool and action plans.
Any social care professional working with a care home can signpost staff and families to the resource or incorporate the materials into their own practice. Many of the themes such as motivation and balancing risk and choice are applicable for a range of settings including hospital in-patient units and domiciliary care. Importantly, implementing the advice does not require specific financial investment but a change of attitude, structure and process.
Occupational therapists can provide support to care homes, training staff on independence in self care and other aspects of daily routine, advising on space and equipment, and strategies to prevent falls and manage risk. Based on this specialist knowledge, our hope is that the materials in the toolkit can be used to promote dignity, choice and independence for older people in all care homes in the UK.
To access the free toolkit visit the College of Occupational Therapists' website: http://www.cot.co.uk/living-well-care-homes
(Source: theguardian.com)
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