British vision for the best quality of life in care homes
My Home Life, is an innovative program to promote and improve the quality of life of people living in care homes in the United Kingdom (UK). It aims to provide best practice examples from aged care services and supports, to assist in improving the care of older people living in care homes.
Research suggests older people living in care homes are probably one of the most disadvantaged populations in the UK. Two thirds of older people living in care homes experience some level of mental impairment.
It is also estimated that as many as 40% of care home residents experience depression. While there is evidence of good practice within many care homes, staff and managers often feel undervalued and overburdened by regulation.
My Home Life has been developed around research commissioned by the former charity, Help the Aged and the National Care Forum. The research aimed to identify positive practices that improve quality of life in care homes.
A group of 60 academics, the National Care Home Research and Development Forum, key players from the practice community and care home residents, took part in the research. It identified eight best-practice areas which offer a vision for best quality of life in care homes.
Relationship-centred care also revolves around the principle that everyone in care homes needs to have a sense of security, continuity, belonging, purpose, achievement and significance.
These are the so-called Six Senses Framework, as developed by Professor Mike Nolan and colleagues at the University of Sheffield.
A crucial factor in the early success of My Home Life has been the importance of allowing the care sector to own the program. For decades, the sector has had to react to the requirements of regulators, commissioners and politicians, rather than owning the agenda itself.
An important aspect of My Home Life is that it is based on an “appreciative inquiry” approach, which emphasises examples of what works rather than what doesn’t work.
As a result, My Home Life is profiling the positive examples of practice and the expertise that are already out there in care homes. It is about communicating back to the sector that this is their expertise and their programme.
