Under Embargo: Banish
stereotypes to give those in care the dignity they deserve, says Sir
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael
Parkinson calls for out of date stereotypes of older people to be
banished and for dignity to be at the heart of care in a personal
account of his year as the nation’s Dignity Ambassador published today.
In his report, Sir Michael praises the people who inspired him;
highlights small steps that cost nothing but make a real
difference to people’s lives; and opens up about his own
experience of the care of his mother, who had dementia.
A new Dignity Action Day and a £50,000 Bright Ideas Grant (BIG)
for innovative projects that encourage dignity in care, were
announced alongside the report by Health Secretary Andy Burnham.
BIG is about finding bright ideas about care and helping people
put their ideas into practice to prove they work. Public and
frontline staff can apply for the funding or ask for a helping
hand to make their dignity projects a reality on the new BIG
website.
The dignity day of action will take place on 25 th February.
Sir Michael Parkinson, National Dignity Ambassador, said:
“I gained first-hand experience of the NHS and care services
during my mother’s illness with dementia. It struck me that whilst
there are some excellent examples of care, where people are given
the dignity and respect they need and deserve, much more needs to
be done.
“Dignity doesn’t need to cost anything – small considerations
like taking time to have a chat when you take people to the loo,
or using their name rather than a generic term of endearment, can
help people retain independence and self respect. We need to
banish outdated attitudes and assumptions that can be a barrier to
good quality care.
“Becoming National Dignity Ambassador has strengthened my belief
that dignity in care needs to be everybody’s business. It’s not
just about the government, or nurses or carers. We can all make a
difference and I hope that my work will highlight this and inspire
many more people to get involved and make this a reality.”
Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Health said,
”Sir Michael’s report is an invaluable insight into the
experiences of people who rely on support and those who dedicate
their lives to helping others.
“Dignity must be at the heart of care. To achieve this we are
transforming the care and support system to make it fairer,
simpler and more affordable for everyone. We will soon be setting
out our plans for a new National Care Service and are introducing
free personal care for those living at home with the highest needs.
“Our dignity day of action will be chance for everyone to get
involved in promoting dignity for all in care and our new Bright
Ideas Grant will help new projects to promote dignity.”
Barbara Pointon, Alzheimer's Society Ambassador, said:
"Preserving dignity and respecting privacy are at the
root of providing enlightened care. Where caregivers take this to
heart, standards rise and people with dementia enjoy a better
quality of life.
"Understanding a person's preferences helps to
preserve their self-worth. Little things matter a lot. When
Malcolm was in a care home, I would often tune his radio to Radio
3, only to find on my next visit that the care staff had reset it
to Radio 1. Imagine how you would feel if you were subjected to
music not of your taste and couldn't change it.
"I fully support the Dignity in Care campaign because it
will help us all to focus on the individual, not the illness."
To find out more visit www.dignityincare.org.uk.
Notes to Editors
Dignity campaign
Sir Michael was appointed in May 2008 to promote dignity in care,
as part of the Department of Health’s Dignity Campaign.
Sir Michael embarked on a 9-month nationwide tour to inspire and
equip people to drive up care standards and encourage people to
become Dignity Champions. There are now 12,000 dignity champions
across the country, spreading best practice and giving advice to
other health and social care workers.
For further information on the Dignity in Care Campaign see www.dignityincare.org.uk
BIG – Bright Ideas Grant
The BIG website will be at www.dh.gov.uk/big . For a
preview, see www.big.iscene.org.
The BIG ideas website aims to help generate and fund ideas to
promote dignity in care. People can post their ideas online and
bid for up to £10K of the total £50K fund. The online competition
for the fund will close at 12 noon on 18 March 2010.
Visitors to the BIG website will be able to rate ideas, with the
top rated ideas appearing in a leader board on the home page.
A helping hand function helps people who do not work in care
services but have a bright idea find a care organisation to take
their idea forward on their behalf.
The top rated ideas on that date to a total value of £50K will be
awarded their share of the Bright Ideas Grant.
The day of action
The day of action will take place on 25 th February. It will
focus on celebrating good work around dignity in care and
encouraging the public to play their part in making a difference.
Health and social care staff and the public will be able to
pledge their time; post details of an event or activity they will
be taking part in; and seek local volunteers to take part in
activities planned for the day at www.dignityincare.org.uk.
Resource packs with ideas and information will be available from
the website.
Dignity in practice
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
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk