My Home Life England, part of City St George’s University of London, conducted one of the UK’s largest qualitative studies examining the experiences of older people living in residential care.
The study revealed that, when conditions were right, care homes supported older people to thrive.
There are 6 dimensions of thriving –
- Thrive relationally – new friendships, improve family relationships.
- Thrive actively – encourage activity, community links, adopt interests, contribute to life in a home.
- Thrive inclusively – culturally inclusive activities, foods, languages and customs. Challenges community stigma. Inclusive engagement of gender / sexuality.
- Thrive securely – safe, supported at night, escape violence / vulnerability, or poor housing. Manages fire / gas risks.
- Thrive with dignity – personal care, manage / promote continence, help with bathing, support with chores.
- Thrive healthily – health transformations in care, appropriate medication care, proactive health care, integrated healthcare, nutrition and fluid intake, good food, and good end of life care
Care England is collaborating with My Home Life England to bring 6 articles outlining real, powerful stories of how older people are benefiting from living in care homes. My Home Life England: Thriving in Residential Care – The Voices of Older People, Families and Care Team – Care England
“Life in residential care has often been depicted as one of dependency, rigid routines, passivity, and
lacking opportunities for self-expression and growth. Care homes can also represent many of our fears
about growing older, about frailty, ill-health, and death, challenging us on an existential level. In response
to these strong emotional responses, and negative stereotypes, it has been hard for society to embrace
care homes for older people, to value them, and to feel proud of them…
We conclude that older adults can thrive in care homes when the social and environmental conditions are right; when they are supported to feel self-assured, confident, included and safe, and are enabled to enjoy the things that they value and that matter most to them. And, if, as a society, we want good care practice to happen more often, and across more care homes, then we must engage positively with care homes, cherish them and all those that live, visit and work in them.”
The full report can be found here Thriving-in-Residential-Care-Full-Report.pdf
