This document discusses 8 themes for promoting quality of life in care homes: 1) Maintaining resident identity, 2) Sharing decision-making with residents, 3) Creating a sense of community, 4) Helping residents cope with transitions, 5) Improving health and access to healthcare, 6) Supporting residents and staff around end-of-life issues, 7) Ensuring staff receive proper training, and 8) Fostering a positive culture that encourages resident independence and relationships.

1. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
My Home Life: Themes
Professor Julienne Meyer

2. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
1) Maintaining identity
“It is important for people to
realise that what may seem a
small matter to the management
of the organisation is of great
importance to some people
living in a place. Everyone has
different standards and tastes,
but knowing the individual and
their ways is helpful”

3. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes

4. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
Maintaining identity
•How can we best
understand the person
beneath the dementia or
the individual inside
their frailty?

5. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
2) Sharing decision-making
“There is a lot of
experience among us
[residents] but the skills
we have developed in
our lives are completely
wasted … There are a
lot of things that
residents could share if
give an opportunity.”

6. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes

7. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
Sharing decision-making
•How can we prevent
the routines in a home
eroding a resident’s
sense of control and
purpose?

8. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
3) Creating communities
“When I was not well
one day, a lot of
residents came up to see
me as they missed me
and visited me. It has
helped. It is the other
residents and staff
together – everybody. I
have more friends
here.”

9. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes

10. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
Creating community
•How can we prevent
care homes from
becoming ‘islands of the
old’?

11. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
4) Managing transitions
“I have lived in this
residential home for two
years … I have now
rebuilt my life, thanks to
the proprietor and staff. I
now want to put the past
behind me and live in the
present and live as active
a life as possible.”

12. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes

13. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
Managing transitions
•How can we help
residents and relatives
cope with the upheaval
and loss associated with
moving into a home?

14. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
5) Improving health and healthcare
“It was useful to have
access to a
physiotherapist or
occupational therapist
when I needed it to help
me with my mobility to
enable me to be
independent and keep
my confidence"

15. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
Improving health & healthcare

16. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
Improving health and healthcare
•Thinking creatively,
what can we do to
improve the health of
our residents so that
they can enjoy life
more?

17. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
6) Supporting good end-of-life
“Death is such a taboo
subject. It’s a big
problem because all of us
are so near to death. By
90 you can’t get much
nearer without knowing
that it is around the
corner, and we need to be
able to express that
sometimes if we want"

18. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes

19. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
Supporting good end of life
•What impact might
experiencing repeated
death have on staff,
residents and relatives?

20. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
7) Keeping workforce fit for purpose
“The more training
we’ve given the girls,
the better it’s been. The
better the care’s been …
the place is starting to
get a better reputation”

21. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes

22. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
Keeping workforce fit for purpose
•How do we know that
we have had sufficient
training to look after our
residents the best we
can?

23. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
8) Promoting a positive culture
“You get everything done
for you here, but I think it
tends to make you lazy. I
would love to be working.
I would rather cook for
myself but you are not
allowed in the kitchen,
and you are not allowed
in the laundry either”

24. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes

25. Promoting Quality of Life in Care Homes
Promoting a positive culture
•How do we stop the
day-to-day tasks in the
home from getting in
the way of forming
positive relationships
with residents, relatives
and staff?