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

Abstract

Long‐term care in general, and care homes in particular, have never enjoyed high status as a place to live and work. This remains the case. In large part this marginalised position is due to the continued failure to value the contribution that care homes make to supporting frail and vulnerable older people. In order to promote a more positive vision of what can be achieved in care homes, this paper argues for the adoption of a relationship‐centred approach to care. The need for such a model is described, and how it might be applied using the ‘Senses Framework’ is considered. It is argued that adopting such a philosophy will provide a clearer sense of therapeutic direction for staff working in care homes, as well as more explicitly recognising the contribution that residents and relatives can make to creating an ‘enriched environment’ of care.

“I Want to See the Queen”: Experiences of Service Use by Ageing People with an Intellectual Disability

“…The final ''sense'' is that of continuity, which is defined by Nolan, Davies, and Brown (2006) as ''recognition of biography, using the past to make sense of the present, and help to plan the future; working within a consistent team using an agreed philosophy of care'' (p. 9). Many of the characteristics identified in the lives of these older people contributed to a fractured sense of continuity; the division of their lives between parallel unconnected worlds fragmented their biographies and the support they received, and meant no one had the role of boundary crossing or challenging the piecemeal present-focused decisions, or took responsibility for supporting them to refine and implement their plans.…”

Jo Campling Memorial Prize Essay (Undergraduate)

“…Valuing the relationship above all else should mean that nurses get to know those in their care, responding to this situation based on their knowledge of the individual and significant others, the strength of the therapeutic relationship, and open communication with the rest of the multi-disciplinary team. This could be achieved by integrating the 'Senses Framework' (Nolan et al 2006) into the dementia care environment. The framework would ensure that an appropriate balance between the needs of all involved in the relationship is achieved.…”

Measuring person-centred care in a sub-acute health care setting

“…Recent appraisals suggest that the original vision of person-centred care has been lost in common usage of the term. 3 In the United Kingdom, where person-centredness has been the basis of health care policy for some time, critics have gone so far as to say that it is nothing more than a political slogan to identify a user-oriented approach to care. 4 Calls to refocus on a "relationship-centred approach" to care are signalling the need to bring back the essence of Kitwood' s original perspective and clarify person-centredness for practical application.…”