Department of Health and Social Care
 Printable version
|
 E-mail this to a friend
|
Sir Michael Parkinson puts dignity in care under the spotlight at Leeds ‘question time’ event
People in Leeds will get the chance to question Care Services Minister Phil Hope as well as representatives from UNISON and Age Concern/Help the Aged about dignity in care at a Question Time style event hosted by Sir Michael Parkinson in Leeds today.
National Dignity Ambassador Sir Michael Parkinson and Phil Hope are in Leeds to promote the Dignity in Care campaign and give their support to Yorkshire and Humber and the North West region’s “Dignity - Who Cares?” event.
The Dignity in Care campaign aims to inspire and equip people to drive up care standards and encourage people to become Dignity Champions, spreading best practice and giving advice to other health and social care workers.
At the event they will meet frontline staff and local Dignity Champions, and hear about some of their innovative and often low or zero cost approaches to putting dignity at the heart of care.
As in the real BBC Question Time, Sir Michael Parkinson and the audience will be posing tough questions to Phil Hope and his fellow panellists to find out what is being done to make sure all older people are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
National Dignity Ambassador Sir Michael Parkinson said:
“I’m delighted that Yorkshire and Humber and the North West region are taking Dignity in Care so seriously.
“There needs to be a shift in society's attitude towards treating older people with dignity and respect. It’s not just up to Governments and nurses to treat people with dignity and respect, we should all be doing it.”
Care Services Minister Phil Hope said:
“I’m very pleased to be attending Leeds’ very own Dignity in Care Question Time event. I know many people here are passionate about dignity in care and I expect some tough questions on what we are doing to promote it.
“It is fantastic that we now have over 7,000 Dignity Champions committed to the cause and it’s good to see some of them here today.”
At the Leeds event, Sir Michael Parkinson and Phil Hope will also meet the Sheffield Care Home Olympics Planning Team who won the regional People’s Award for Dignity in Care. The Sheffield Care Home Olympics aimed to provide a fun activity for care home residents that would get them up and about, to maintain good physical health, mental wellbeing, a sense of identity and their personal dignity.
The Olympics event, which took place at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, involved 120 competitors from 20 Care Home teams. The average age of the resident competitors was 85 and the oldest competitor was 99. Games included bowls, skittles and mini-golf.
Notes to editors
- The “Dignity - Who Cares?” event is taking place at the Leeds Marriott Hotel, 4 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane, Leeds, LS1 6ET
- Sir Michael Parkinson will today also attend the Local Government Association Annual Conference in Harrogate to talk about Dignity in Care.
- The “Dignity – Who Cares?” event is jointly hosted by Yorkshire and Humber and the North West region, as part of their strategy for embedding dignity within the region. The event, devised by local dignity champions, seeks to inspire key local influencers (including Overview and Scrutiny Chairs, Trust CE’s, PCT Chairs, and Directors of Adult Services) to prioritise dignity in care.
- Key influencers, including local councillor and top NHS and social care managers, from across the region were personally invited by Phil Hope MP to find out how they and their organisations can make sure people using their services are always treated with dignity and respect. They will also get to meet some of the most inspirational Dignity Champions in their area.
- People attending the event will be able to share issues, ideas and solutions with their peers across the regions and with other key influencers in their locality.
- High quality care services that respect people’s dignity should:
· Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse
· Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your family
· Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service
· Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and control
· Listen and support people to express their needs and wants
· Respect people’s right to privacy
· Ensure people feel able to complain without fear of retribution
· Engage with family members and carers as care partners
· Assist people to maintain confidence and a positive self esteem
· Act to alleviate people’s loneliness and isolation
For further information on the Dignity in Care Campaign, or to sign up to become a Dignity Champion see www.dignityincare.org.uk
