We aim to ensure that older people are treated with the highest standards of dignity when using health and social care services in Leeds.
In recent talks, members of the Leeds Older People’s Forum put ‘being treated with respect and dignity’ as one of the issues that was most important to them in terms of the way health and social care services are delivered.
This kicked off in an in-depth review of how older people were treated when using services in Leeds. The review led to various recommendations for improvement. A lot of changes are already taking place, as a result. So far, these have included:
- creating more small lounges in care homes so that people can talk to visitors in private
- improving garden areas or creating better ones
- allocating small kitchens where residents can prepare their own meals when they want to
- better training for staff
- producing a range of posters and postcards to raise awareness of Dignity issues. These include quotations from older people about their expectations in terms of being treated with dignity and respect.
There are also plans to work with Age Concern to recruit older volunteers, or ‘Dignity Watchdogs’, who will visit care homes and talk to residents and staff to make residents’ dignity is being respected.
This work is part of the Leeds strand of a nation-wide campaign known as Dignity in Care. Leeds recently won an award for its work on the Dignity in Care campaign in the regional final of the annual NHS Health and Social Care Awards. Leeds has now been submitted for the national finals.
For further information contact Leeds Older People's Strategic Partnership Team at opdp.team@leeds.gov.uk.