halthwiltch

What'sitliketoliveinacarehome?

FindingsfromtheHealthwatchnetwork

HEALTHWATCH BRIEFING

Aboutus

Healthwatchistheindependentchampionforpeoplewhousehealthand social careservices.Weexisttoensurethatpeopleareattheheartofcare.

Weliste11towhatpeoplelikeaboutservices.a11dwl1atcouldbeimproved,alldwesl1aretl1eirviewswithtl1osewitl1tl1epowertomakecl1a1lgel1appell.Wealsol1elppeoplefilldtheinformationtl1ey needaboutservicesilltl1eirarea.

Wehavethepowertoensurethatpeople'svoicesareheardbythegovermnentandthoserunningservices.Aswellasseekingthepublic'sviewsourselves,wealsoencourageservicestoinvolvepeopleindecisionsthataffectthemOursole purposeistohelpmakecarebetterforpeople.

RoleoflocalHealthwatch

Tl1ereisalocalHealthwatcl1ineveryareaofEngla11d.Tl1eyprovideinformatio11andadviceaboutpublicly-fulldedhealtl1andcareservices.Tl1eyalsogooutandspeaktoocalpeopleaboutwl1attl1eytl1i11kof localcare.andsharewl1atpeoplelikeandwl1atcouldbe improvedwitl1thoserunningservicesTheysharefeedbackwithHealthwatchEnglandsothatwecanspotpatternsinwhatpeoplearesayingaboutcare.andensurethatpeople'svoicesareheardonanationallevel.

HealthwatchEnterandViewVisits

LocalHealthwatchhavealegalpowertocarryout'EnterandView'visitstohealthandsocialcareproviders.sothey canseetheseservicesinactionandadvisethoseinchargeabouthowtoimprove.

AllyvisitconductedbyalocalHealthwatchmustnotaffectthecare,privacyordignityof thepeopleforwhomtl1eservicecares.LocalHealthwatch011lyhavetl1erigl1ttovisitcommunalareasofaservice.Tl1e'EnteralldView·power doesllotapplytoplacesprovidingsocialcaretopeopleundertheageof18.

PeoplewhoundertaketherevisitsonbehalfofalocalHealthwatchhavespecialtrainingandareforn1allyknownas'AuthorisedRepresentatives'.Forsimplicitythroughout thisdocumentwe refertothemas'ourvisitors'or'Healthwatchvisitors'.

IWr1at's1tliketolive1riacarer1ome?IPage3of28

1 CQC

218 January 2016 to 11 April 2017

3HealthwatchLiverpoolEnterandViewReport, RockfieldHouse,02/02/2016

The importanceoffeedback

Next steps

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5

6

intheolderresidentcarehomepopulationbetween2001and2011/2014-08-01

7

8

9

10rt_-_published_002.pdf

11CRM recordfrom Healthwatch Rochdale, 06/09/2016

12Healthwatch Hertfordshire,Stanborough Lodge Care Home.Enter andViewReport,15/09/2016

13Healthwatch Wolverhampton,Eversleigh CareCentre-Enter andView,26/11/2016

14Healthwatch South Gloucestershire,Revisit to Little Croft,16/01/2017

15HealthwatchWolverhampton,Eversleigh CareCentre-Enter andView,26/11/2016

16HealthwatchRichmond,Enter andViewto Laurel Dene,17/08/2016

_october_2016_0.pdf

17Healthwatch EastRidingofYorkshire,LavenderHouse Enter andViewvisitreport,04/03/2016

18Healthwatch Cambridgeshire,Fitzwilliam House Enter andView,04/06/2016

19Healthwatch South Gloucestershire,Fairview Court Care Home.Enter and ViewReport,08/02/2017

20Healthwatch St Helens,Colliers CroftCareHome,15/02/2017

21HealthwatchSheffield, AlpineLodge EnterandViewReport,30/03/2017 (impactnoted inRobyn’s impactspreadsheet)

22Healthwatch Kirklees,Ashmeadows EnterandViewreport,26/01/2016

23HealthwatchNorth Yorkshire, BoroughbridgeManorandLodge. EnterandViewReport,21/02/2017

24HealthwatchSandwell,PoplarsNursingHome enter and view report, 16/04/2016

25HealthwatchRichmonduponThames,LaurelDeneCareHome,Enter andViewReport,13/10/2016

26HealthwatchCheshire West andChester, OakGrangeEnterandViewVisit,14/03/2017

27‘TheDeprivationofLibertySafeguardsis theprocedureprescribedinlawwhenitisnecessary to depriveoftheir liberty aresidentor patientwho lackscapacity to consent to their care andtreatmentin order tokeepthemsafefromharm.’

28HealthwatchBarnet,07/03/2017

29Healthwatch Torbay,AshbourneCarehomeenter and view,15/01/2017

30Healthwatch Telford Wrekin,StGeorge's Park NursingHome Enter andViewReport,12/10/2016

31NICE Guidance-Older peoplein care homes 18/02/2015-nice.org.uk/guidance/lgb25

32Healthwatch Warrington,Burton House.Enter andViewReport,15/02/2017

33HealthwatchStaffordshire, Hawksyard PrioryNursingHome,20/03/2017

34HealthwatchWirral, Enter andViewHilbreHouse,05/07/2016

35Healthwatch Buckinghamshire,WhitePlains CareHomeDignity inCare Enter andView,23/06/2016

36Healthwatch Sandwell,Alphonsus House.Enter andViewReport,25/01/2017

37HealthwatchCheshire West andChester, OakGrange,14/03/2017

38Healthwatch North EastLincolnshire,SussexHouseCare Home.Enter andViewReport,26/01/2017

39Healthwatch South Tyneside, Enter andView-TheMeadows Boldon Colliery,08/02/2017

40Healthwatch Cheshire West andChester, FlorenceGrogan House Enter andView,31/03/2016

41Healthwatch Lancashire, WillowbankRestHome Enter andViewReport,15/01/2016

42Healthwatch Wolverhampton,Enter andViewBentley CourtCareHome,05/12/2016

43Healthwatch Cheshire West andChester,HartfordHeyEnter andViewreport ,10/02/2016

44Healthwatch South Tyneside,Stapleton HouseCareHome-Jarrow.Enter andViewReport,11/01/2017

45Healthwatch Buckinghamshire,Dignity inCareEnter andViewvisitto Buckingham Road,25/01/2016

46Healthwatch Lancashire,TurfcoteCareHomewithNursingEnter andView,11/02/2016

47Healthwatch RichmonduponThames,Enter andViewVisit Report:Homemead,02/03/2017

48Healthwatch Suffolk, HighfieldCare Home Enter andViewReport,03/02/201749Healthwatch Cambridgeshire,Fitzwilliam House Enter andView,04/06/2016 50Healthwatch Warrington,Bestpractice EV Heath Lodge,08/12/2016

51Healthwatch Tower Hamlets,DonnyBrook -Enter andViewReport,16/08/2016

52Healthwatch Wiltshire,BassettHouseCareHome,07/07/2016

53Healthwatch Worcestershire,St Martin's CareHome EnterandView,08/01/2016

54Healthwatch Surrey,WeyValleyHouse EV,01/12/2016

Whathappensnext?

Lessonsforcarehomes

Wehaveidentifiedtwolessonsthatcarehomescanfocusontohelpimproveresidents'experiences.

WerecognisethatmanycarehomeswillalreadybedeliveringmuchofwhatisoutlinedbelowHowever,fromourvisitstocarehomes.thereisalwaysmorethatcouldbedonetoensureresidentsarereceivingthebestpossiblecare.

Treatresidentsasindividualsandensurealltheirneedsaremet

Focusing011seeminglysmallthings.suchasgivingresidentsacl1oiceofwhattowearorwhat timetol1avedinnerisavitalpartofl1elpingresidentsmai11tai11tl1eirindependence.Italsol1elpspreventminorconcernsfromescalatingintoformalcomplaints.

SomeoftheissuesraisedbyresicJentsmightnotseem i111portant.particularly inlightoftheotherpressures homesface,butstaff andmanagers stillneedto remember thatfor eachresident.this istl1eirl1ome.A11'it'lldo'attitudecan11everbe acceptable.

TheHealthwatchnetworkhasseenhoweffectiveitcanbewhencarehomestaffgetresidentsinvolvedwithaddressingtheirconcernsthemselves.Forexample.insteadofallowingdeadplantstolitter publicspacesbecausestaffdon'thavetime towaterthem,empowerresidentstolookafterthemOurvisitorsfoundthatresicJentsoftenlackasenseofpurpose.sothinkingmorecreativelyaboutinvolvingpeopleintherunninuof thehomecanbemutuallybeneficial.

Homesmustalsorememberthatnotallresidentsarethesame.Insomecasesresidentswillhave underlyingmedicalconditions.suchasdementia.whichmeantheyrequirespecialistcare.Asidefromtheircareneeds.peoplealsodifferintermsoftheirlikesanddislikes.Designinglifeinacarehomearoundboth individualneedsandindividualpreferencesisnoteasy,buttakincJthetimetofindoutabout peoplewhentheymoveinwilldefinitelyhelp.Wesawthisinthebestcarehomes,whereconsultationsarearranoedwithprospectiveresidentstoaskabouttheirpreferencesandstarttofamiliarisetl1em withtl1el1ome.

Individualisingcareiscentraltocreatingatrue"homefromhome"forresidents.Wehopethatthegoodpracticeexamplesinthisreviewwillgivecarehomemanagersideasabouthow theycanmakesurethishappens.

Seekfeedback,actonit,andbeopen

Wehavefoundgreatexamplesofhomesthatactivelyseekouttheviewsofresidents.tomaketheyknowwhat's workingandwhatcouldbebetter.Thisisencouragingbutwewanttoseethisineveryhome.

Simplelowcostmeasuresl1igl1ligl1tedearlierinthisreview.suchasintroducing'residents'days'.residents'forums.or evenjustprovidingaclearlylabelledcommentsboxwithpaper andpens.canhelppeopleprovidemoreregularfeedback.However.thisisonly halfthejob.

Oncefeedbackhasbeenreceivedandactedon,it'simportantthatcarel1omestellresidentsandtheirrelatives abouttl1ecl1angestl1ey'vemade.Tl1ishelps tobuildamorepositivecultureandencouragemorepeopletocomeforwardinthefuture.

Whenitcmnestomoreseriousissues.it'simportantthatpeopleknow howtheycanraisefonr1alcomplaintsandthatthey'redealtwithquicklyandopenly.Carehmr1emanagerslookingtoreviewexistingcomplaintsprocessescanseetheHea!thwatch Socia!CareCornofaintsToolkitforideasabouthowworkingwithlocalHealthwatchcanhelp.

Initiativessuchas/\!atfona!Carel-!orneOpenDayhavethepotentialtostrengthenbondsbetweenresidents.staff.theirfamiliesandthewiderpublic.Wethinkthatmoreofthisopennesswouldbenefitcare homesandtheirresidents.

Anyprovidersthathavenotyetresponded formallytoa localHealtl1watcl1'EnterandView'reportoftl1eirl1omesl1oulddoso,astheprocessisdesig11edtobel1elpful.Weappreciatethatwhenworkingunderpressureitcanfeelliketheresimplyisn'tenoughtimetolistentofeedback.ButbyworkingwithHealthwatch.homescanidentifyhowtogatherpeople'sviewsinthemostusefulway.anduseittodeliverabetterservice.Theremaybesomeuncomfortablechallengesattimes.butultimatelytakingthetimetoconsiderfeedbackcanonlyhelphomesimprove.

Understandingmoreaboutpeople'sexperiences

NHSDigitalandanumberofotherorganisationscollectaraftofusefulinformationabouthealU1careservicesroutinely.

However,comprehensiveinformationabout thesocialcaresectorisharder tocomeby.

Thereareanumberofareasthatwewouldliketoseeexploredfurther byU1oseresponsibleforcommissionir1gservicesandassessingqualityofcare:

Digital technology

WeknowthatcJicJitaltechnolouyhasureatpotentialtohelppeoplewithlong-termconditionsandthoseincaresettinCJS.

Weweretl1ereforepleasedtoseeexistingpracticewl1erecareprovidersareembraci11gtechnologytohelpresidentsstayintouchwithfriendsandfamily.andtolearnnewskills.

WealsorecocJnisethatthebodiesliketheNationalInformationBoardaredrivinuimprovementstothewaycarehmnesusetechnology.

Yetasmentionedearlier.ofthe14localHealthwatchwholookedspecificallyatuseoftechnology,halffoundresidentsdidn'thaveaccesstotheinternet.Giventheincreasinglyimportantroletechnologyhasto play,itisvitalthataccessistrackedmoreconsistentlyandthatthoselaggingbehindthetimesareencouragedtoinwrove.

Bothcommissionersandprovidersneedtothinkabouthowtheycangettl1e mostvalueoutoflimitedresourcesbymakingbetteruseoftecl111ology.Tl1issl1ouldincludethinkingaboutinvestmentintechnologicalsolutions.aswellastrainingforstaffonhowtohelpresidentsgetthemostoutofnewtechnology.

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