Choosing a care home is one of the most important decisions a family can make.
Researching facilities, location and costs can quickly become overwhelming, and that’s before you’ve even had time to consider what life in the home will be like and the quality of care provided.
One term you will likely come across when researching care homes is person-centred care. But what does it mean and why does it matter?
In this blog, we’ve shared a few examples of what this looks likes in our homes and the fantastic benefits person-centred care has on the wellbeing our residents.
What is person-centred care?
At its heart, person-centred care means putting each person at the very centre of the experiences they have and the care they receive.
In our care homes, each person’s unique needs, preferences, routines, interests and life experiences influence the approach we take in providing their care.
We spend quality time with our residents to build a detailed picture of their:
- Hobbies and interests
- Daily routines
- Likes and dislikes
- Personal history and achievements
- Family, friends and loved ones
- Cultural or religious beliefs
Our priority is to ensure everyone is recognised as an individual and their voice is valued.
Pictured: Archers Court Care Home in Sunderland taking a moment to have a lovely chat to resident Caroline in one of their ‘All About Me’ sessions.
What does person-centred care look like at Orchard?
The person-centred care approach can be seen happening in lots of places, especially the everyday details that make a big difference.
Here are some examples of person-centred care in our homes:
Making a house a home
We all like to nurture the environment we are in. It helps us to feel valued knowing we’ve contributed to making ourselves and others feel good. From decorating their own spaces with personal items to adding their creative touch to jazz up the communal spaces, it’s important for our residents to be involved in the look and feel of their home.
A big part of person-centred care is making sure the everyday ‘little things’ aren’t lost. Whether it’s making a cup of tea, watering the plants or doing a spot of hoovering, helping out at home is the way to feel at home!
Pictured: Green Lodge Care Home in Billingham busy choosing and preparing photos of their favourite moments to add to an art display in the home. The residents enjoyed the mindfulness of carefully cutting out the pictures, whilst the activity sparked great discussions about the fun times they have.
2) Celebrating milestones and birthdays
We do love a good birthday party at Orchard. Sometimes, it’s a lowkey affair with a cake and a cuppa, other times residents want to go all out and party in style! The key to person-centred care is acknowledging a milestone exactly the way the person wants it to be.
Pictured: One of our sweetest milestone celebrations this year was when Castleford Lodge Nursing Home in Wakefield discovered their new resident Clive was moving into the home on his 56th wedding anniversary. They took Clive and his wife Sandra to the church they were married in and serendipitously, they arrived there at the exact time they were married!
3) Helping hands: committees and jobs
Our jobs, family responsibilities, hobbies and experiences make up a significant part of who we are. We make sure that these identities our people have spent their lives building are not forgotten and instead build up their everyday activities and conversations.
Residents often help out with the day-to-day running of their homes, such as completing admin tasks with the support team, putting up posters for upcoming events in the local community and even raising funds for their home and charities.
Pictured: Maureen, resident and member of the fundraising committee at Lofthouse Grange and Lodge Care Home in Wakefield, spotted a poster for the home’s upcoming Veterans event in their local supermarket!
4) Encouraging a variety of hobbies and interests
We’ve got a mixed bag of interesting hobbies across our care homes, including artists, poets, gardeners, a gingernut biscuit fanatic and a Rock n Roll music lover who frequently goes viral online for his fabulous music taste and air guitar skills.
What’s important to us and an imperative part of the person-centred care approach is that everyone’s unique interests are given equal importance in the experiences and activities available to them in their home. Sharing our hobbies brings us a sense of pride – and we often pick up a new interest when seeing someone else enjoying it!
Pictured: Thornton Hall and Lodge Care Home in Crosby hosted a History group, bringing residents together to look at pictures and items from across their lives and finding out more about their life stories.
5) Personalised experiences
Love horses? We’re taking you back to the stables. Worked as an RAF Police Officer? Back in that police car for a ride, you go! Whatever floats your boat and makes you ‘you’, we want to embrace it with you.
That’s one of the most special parts of person-centred care, reminding us that what’s important to each of us will always matter. Experiencing new things keeps our minds and bodies active and shows us that we are deserving of participating in life!
Pictured: Nesfield Lodge Care Home in Leeds took a trip to their local fire station; the huge smiles speak for themselves! It’s wonderful to see our residents enjoying new experiences and being a part of the local community.
Questions to ask when visiting a care home
If person-centred care is an important part of your decision-making process when choosing a care home, consider asking each home:
- How do you get to know new residents?
- How are residents involved in decisions about their care?
- Can residents choose how they spend their day?
- How do you support individual hobbies and interests?
- How do families contribute to care planning?
Our team are always happy to share how we put person-centred care into practice and hear more about your loved one’s lives and their interests.
Discover person-centred care at Orchard Healthcare Group
Person centred care is about much more than meeting physical needs. By taking the time to understand what matters most to each person, we can create an environment where residents feel respected and truly at home.
To find out more about each of our care homes and see the homely facilities they offer, you can search through all our homes here. On each home’s page, you will find links to their social media for an insight into what life is like in the home, alongside a link to their carehome.co.uk profile with more information about the facilities available and real reviews from residents and their families.
