Dignity in care is fundamental to caring for someone. Dignity should be at the heart of everything carers and teams do. But what do we mean by dignity and how can this be encouraged and implemented effectively in a home care setting? Our guide will answer all your questions.
What is Dignity in Care?
Dignity in care, means putting dignity at the heart of everything you do as a carer, or Care Manager. This is important, because if someone does not feel listened to, able to make their own choices and not taken proper care of this leads to dehumanisation and humiliation.
Dignity means that a state or quality of being worthy of honour and respect. Everyone deserves to be treated as an individual, have their needs met, be cared for and treated well, have autonomy over their lives, have friends and social interactions, be able to see family, able to do activities they enjoy and be able to lead a happy, independent and contented life.
How do carers implement dignity into their home care visits?
Ensuring clients have a dignified life starts with small things that make the big differences:
- Giving people privacy
- Giving people space and time to do things at their own pace
- Giving people a choice over their care options and asking their preferences for care
- Giving people autonomy over their lives – from the choice of what to wear, to what to eat and what to do.
- Making sure someone is not in pain
- Checking they are ok and not lonely and giving them the ability to pursue social interests.
- Helping clients connect to friends and family
- Providing good quality, appetising and well-presented food
- Making sure clients have enough water and beverages
- Always being respectful when helping clients with personal hygiene tasks
- Having a chat and speaking to the person in the manner they would wish, so using their name or title if they refer.
- Communicate clearly and always involve the person in decisions about their care and day-to-day life.
- Empathise – image how you would feel within the situation
How does GoodOaks Homecare ensure dignity for all clients?
At GoodOaks we put dignity and care at the heart of everything we do. We develop care plans with you and your loved one in a truly collaborative way – we know that customers, their families, loved ones and healthcare professions are the experts in their care. We work with your circle of support to develop a care plan tailored to you. Dignity in care is also about giving people the right to choose the best care for them and their situation and helping them keep their independence as much as possible, reducing loneliness and isolation and helping them live a full and comfortable life in their own home.
We are committed to supporting people in social isolation – we understand that for many older people loneliness and isolation is a real issue – and especially during these challenging times when we physically may not be able to see each other due to Covid-19 restrictions.
At GoodOaks Homecare, we believe in the power of small acts of kindness and dignity – sometimes big changes are required, but often small acts of kindness are just as important. This could be spending extra time with a person who needs to talk, not rushing visiting care appointments, working around the routine of the person to ensure they have the best care at a time they really need it or providing a surprise card or cake just to let our clients know we are thinking of them.
Each of our visiting and live-in home carers are registered with the Dignity in Care campaign, making them Dignity Champions. They are committed to upholding dignity in care, speaking up when it’s needed and treating everyone with respect and kindness. Our PRIDE values at GoodOaks Homecare are Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Empathy, and we are committed to these at the core of all the work we do.
Want to make a difference? Join GoodOaks Homecare.
We believe that good care can change someone’s life, enabling them to live more independently and comfortably for longer. We are looking for Care Managers and carers who share our caring ethos and who are already thinking about all the points about when they deliver care. We believe in rewarding the caring people who work with us, and we are after people who share our values and ethos to join us and start their own home care franchise.
If you are interested in taking the next career step with GoodOaks, or you dream of having your own care business, that really cares, please get in touch, here: www.goodoakshomecare.co.uk/contact-us or feel free to give our head office team a call on 01202 786415. Or if you’d like to read more about what you need to start a home care franchise, please read our guide on how to start a home care business here.