Dignity in Care - People with mental health issues: Ideas you could use
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Build partnerships for better careOpen
Make links with local services to enhance the way people access care services and to provide care that is more culturally appropriate.
This idea can be used in different settings – so seeing how someone else has done it can be useful to you, even if they work in a different area of care.
For example, this idea has been put into practice by Sheffield Health and Social Care
Foundation Trust, which has built a partnership between their Crisis Assessment and Home Treatment teams and the Pakistani Muslim Centre.
A community development worker was employed to work with the Pakistani Muslim Centre and visited people at home with the Crisis Assessment and Home Treatment team members. This constitutes a shared care operational policy, with the development worker actively identifying Pakistani people who use services. The Pakistani Muslim Centre also developed support services of its own for people with mental health problems.
The outcome was a managed care pathway designed for Pakistani people who use services, who reported greater satisfaction with services. Inpatient length of stay was reduced for 12.5 per cent of Pakistani patients, and those experiencing relapses sought help earlier.
For further information contact the Transcultural Team, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust. Telephone 0114 226 2299
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Improve the mealtime experienceOpen
Improving the mealtime experience could include:
- improving standards of catering
- introducing routine nutritional screening
- assessment of residents’ eating capabilities by speech and language therapists
- supporting people’s right to privacy during mealtimes
- introducing pleasant background music
- putting fresh flowers on the dining table.
This idea can be used in different settings – so seeing how someone else has done it can be useful to you, even if they work in a different area of care.
For example, this idea has been put into practice by Methodist Homes for the Aged (MHA), which has introduced a range of initiatives across its care homes and housing schemes to improve the experience of mealtimes.
For further information contact George Sampson, Head of Hospitality. Tel 07734 151988. Email George.Sampson@mha.org.uk
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Learn people's life stories to improve careOpen
Work with people and their relatives to create a ‘Life Story’ book that includes some of the person’s life history, as well as personal information, care needs, likes and dislikes, etc. The books can be used to help staff understand who people really are, to understand and respect their individual wishes, and provide more person-centred care.
This idea can be used in different settings – so seeing how someone else has done it can be useful to you, even if they work in a different area of care.
For example, this idea has been put into practice by Evergreen Unit at St Pancras Hospital, London, where it developed ‘Life Story’ books to support and inform the care it gives to its patients.
Where its patients are able to contribute they do, but many have cognitive impairment and difficulty with verbal communication, so relatives are key in providing the information and are actively encouraged to be involved in completion of the books.
The Life Story books help staff to engage with patients who have complex needs and are used to inform many aspects of care planning, from personalising bedrooms to meeting personal needs in a way that respects the person’s wishes and promotes their dignity. The books, which were developed by the staff on the unit including nursing staff, occupational therapists and the psychologist, are also a guide to providing meaningful occupation. All new staff are taught how to use the books during their induction process.
The books are given to the relatives/next of kin when the person dies and these have been welcomed as a 'nice reminder’ of the person.
For further information contact Colin Owen, Email colin.owen@camdenpct.nhs.uk or Judith Greening, Email Judith.greening@camdenpct.nhs.uk
Related documents
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Give people who use services the chance to workOpen
Enable people who use services to get work experience in a supportive environment – for example, on a voluntary basis. This can build confidence and even enable people to consider applying for paid employment.
This idea can be used in different settings – so seeing how someone else has done it can be useful to you, even if they work in a different area of care.
For example, this idea has been put into practice at the Local Care Centre, a new development in Plymouth that provides a range of health services for the local community.
The building’s foyer houses a cafe, run by local people who use mental health services and coordinated by a local carer.
The initiative is a joint venture between Plymouth PCT, people who user services, carers and the voluntary sector, set up to enable people with long-term mental health problems to gain access to paid employment. Within the first nine months of the scheme, two people found substantive employment.
Reports from people who use services suggest that the opportunity to work voluntarily in a supported – yet real – work environment has improved their confidence and enabled them to consider work as a real option.
For further information contact David Macauley, Plymouth PCT/Mental Health Partnership.
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Provide a specialist service for end of life careOpen
Operate a 24 hour service, with a single point of access. Aim to provide a high level of flexibility, to allow people to die at home, if that is their wish. Maximise choice for patients at the end of their lives and offer support to carers. Monitor demand - be ready and able to re-allocate hours between service elements if possible. Set up a specialist training programme before the service starts. Training should include topics that cross the health and social care divide, such as clinical communication skills, medicine management, spiritual and cultural diversity awareness, occupational and physiotherapy support, nutritional care and after-death support for carers. Support staff through intensive line management support, team meetings and supervision, offering external counselling where necessary.
Establish a cross-agency steering group to enable good links to develop with the PCT continuing care nursing team, community specialist palliative care team, district nursing service and local carers’ centre.
This idea can be used in different settings – so seeing how someone else has done it can be useful to you, even if they work in a different area of care.
For example, this idea has been put into practice by Macmillan Cancer Support and Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust. There are three elements to the service: daytime service, overnight sitting service and pop-in service (providing 15-minute checks through the night). The small, dedicated team of support workers from Greenwich Council are specially trained in health-related care and support for terminally ill patients, such as catheter and stoma care, pressure sore management, minor dressings, medication prompting, blood glucose monitoring, urine tests, mouth care and peg feed care. They get to know the patient and carer very quickly and work at least 30 hours a week, to provide continuity of care. A rota of four days on three days off allows workers to recharge their batteries.
For further information contact Kim Jarvis, Operations Manager Email kim.jarvis@greenwich.gov.uk
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Use the single assessment process to deliver person-centred careOpen
Using the single assessment process, talk to people on admission about what they want to achieve and how they would like their care to be delivered. Gather personal details such as how the person likes to be addressed, how they wish their privacy to be respected and issues of consent for information sharing with other organisations and partnerships.
This idea can be used in different settings – so seeing how someone else has done it can be useful to you, even if they work in a different area of care.
For example, this idea has been put into practice by Leasowes Intermediate Care Centre in Smethwick. Leasowes is a bespoke 20-bed unit where people (predominantly older people) can be assessed and rehabilitated. Often, people come in with complex needs and multiple medical conditions that may have culminated in a fall and they may have had difficulty managing at home. By building strong relationships with colleagues in the community staff help to ensure that good quality, person-centred services continue after the person has been discharged.
For further information contact Marian Long, Email marian.long@nhs.net
