Developing partnerships at 67 Birch Avenue Nursing Home: The Support 67 Action Group

Abstract

This article describes a partnership project between staff, residents and relatives at a nursing home for older people with dementia, and researchers at the University of Sheffield. The aim of the partnership is to develop care within the home and to create a positive environment for living, working and learning. The main principle guiding our work is the need to ensure that all participants: residents, relatives and staff, feel that they are valued members of the community. The project is using an action research approach and a range of methods, including: observation; interviews; questionnaires; process recording of meetings; and focus groups, to gather evidence about the research process and impact of the project. The article includes a summary of achievements to date and suggestions for future activity.

Evaluating positive events in care homes: A case study using the CARE profiling tool

“…It commences with low frequency items from questions 1-30, which suggest that residents do not engage in stimulating activities in the home. Following this there is a summary of comments from the open-ended questions (items [32][33]. It is evident that the lack of activities for residents in the home is a particular concern for relatives.…”

“…Extensive work within care homes has shown that the Senses Framework provides an accessible means of providing feedback and enables stakeholders to recognize and to articulate the goals of care within a long-term care setting (33)(34)(35). However, the most appropriate methods for providing feedback, together with the impact of such feedback on care experiences, has yet to be systematically identified.…”

Transitions in care homes: towards relationship‐centred care using the ‘Senses Framework’

“…Since its original description the Senses Framework has undergone extensive further development in several major studies exploring the quality of care for older people in a range of care environments, including acute hospitals (Davies et al, 1999), community settings (Nolan et al, 2002), and care homes (Davies et al, 2003). These studies highlight the role that the senses play in helping to create an 'enriched' environment of care (Nolan et al, 2002(Nolan et al, , 2006Brown, 2006).…”

“…The use of the Senses Framework and relationship-centred care as a vehicle for practice development has been tested in care home settings. For example, Davies and colleagues have used the Framework within an 'action group' model that has engaged staff, relatives and residents in taking initiatives forward (see Davies et al, 2002Davies et al, , 2003Aveyard & Davies, 2006).…”