A new report from JRF outlines the findings from the My Home Life project. My Home Life is a collaborative initiative between Age UK, City University, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Dementia UK promoting quality of life in care homes.
This study found:
- positive relationships in care homes enable staff to listen to older people, gain insights into individual needs and facilitate greater voice, choice and control;
- relationship-centred care is at the heart of many examples of best practice;
- care home managers play a pivotal role in promoting relationships between older people, staff and relatives;
- care home providers and statutory agencies should consider how their attitudes, practices and policies can create pressure and unnecessary paperwork which ultimately reduce the capacity of care homes to respond to the needs of older people; and
- negative stereotypes of care homes have an impact on the confidence of staff and managers
