Residents at a Derbyshire care home proud to take part in Dignity Action Month
Residents at a Derbyshire care home took part in Dignity Action Month after the team arranged for residents to create a ‘dignity tree’, encouraging them to share their thoughts and reflect on what dignity means to them.
Barrowhill Hall is a 74-bedroom residential and nursing home in Rocester, on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border specialising in caring for those living with dementia and memory loss. The home also has a separate modern household, Churnet Lodge, for those living with Young Onset Dementia, which occurs before the age of 65.
Leading the initiative were residents Annette Yates, 87, Polly Hurley, 79 and Patricia Bradley, 81, who decorated the tree with messages shared by their fellow residents. These included words such as, ‘Self-respect’, ‘Values’, ‘Beliefs’, ‘Appreciated’, Self-worth’ and ‘Decorum’.
“It’s about treating others how you would like to be treated,” Polly explained. “And we do that really well here - the residents and the team. We always feel seen.”
“For me, it’s about always having respect for others,” Annette continued, while Patricia added, “You should love everyone.”
Activities lead, Kerry Butts, who has been caring for the home’s residents for 15 years said, “To be able to live each day with honour, respect and dignity is the greatest achievement of all. We want that for all our residents, and we work hard as a team to make sure everyone feels valued.”
Lucy Dale, a cleaner at the home who has been part of the Barrowhill Hall family for 18 years, added, “Everyone should be treated with respect, kindness and self-worth. We love looking after our residents and we treat them all with love and care.”
Dignity Action Month takes place every February and aims to give everyone the opportunity to contribute to upholding people’s rights to dignity, respect, kindness and compassion. It is run by the National Dignity Council in partnership with the Dignity in Care campaign and highlights the work organisations do to support people receiving care.
For the Barrowhill Hall team, ensuring residents are treated with dignity comes in many different forms. From giving residents choice over their daily activities and meals, to offering pampering sessions so they can get their hair and nails done and feel their best, dignity is woven into everyday life at the home. The team always knock before entering a resident’s room and they hold regular residents’ meetings so everyone has the opportunity to have their views heard.
They also support residents to continue with their hobbies and even to discover new ones and proudly display residents’ artwork and craft creations around the home. Often it’s the small thoughtful moments that matter most, spending quality time together and having a cup of tea and a chat.
The Dignity Tree now takes pride of place in the residents’ lounge, where visiting family members and friends can also see the messages displayed.
Care home manager, Dania Meadows said, “I’m really proud of our residents and the team for taking time to reflect on the important messages in Dignity Action Month and for living these values every day. Dignity is at the heart of everything we do, and the team go above and beyond to ensure every resident is treated with dignity, respect and compassion not just this month but every single day, all year round.”