Personal hygiene: Dignity in care videos

What is the video about?

This film gives us an insight into people’s lives and the way they want to maintain their surroundings. Howard prefers a wet shave. It makes him feel good. Howard lives at the Wren Hall Care home and another resident there, Trudi, likes her hair curled and nails painted. Helping people look their best and take pride in their appearance, helps boost their confidence and makes them feel better about themselves. That doesn’t at first seem to have much to do with dignity, but the film makes a case that getting your hair done or being complimented on the way you look, among other things, can play a central role in providing dignity. Often it's about using creative ways of getting people to accept care and support.

• Video transcript Open

  Words on screen: title

  Dignity in care: personal hygiene

  VO/Words on screen

  Dignity can be promoted when supporting people with personal care such as having a bath.

  Care Worker, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  Do you want to do it, or do you want me to do it?

  VO/Words on screen

  Hair care

  Elsie

  You do it.

  Care Worker

  Me do it.

  Elsie

  Yeah, alright.

  VO/Words on screen

  Cleaning teeth

  Shaving

  Nail care

  How we look and feel is important.

  Anita Astle, Managing Director, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  Wren Hall is a 53 bedded nursing home specialising in care of people with Dementia. Staff don’t wear uniforms here it’s a fun place to be our emphasis is on promoting wellbeing, quality of life and enjoyment of life, it’s just home.

  SINGING

  Anita Astle

  So we act and dress accordingly. I think personal care and hygiene is so important because it’s the essential elements of care that all of us have and it makes us feel good about ourselves.

  June Cook, Hairdresser, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  Are you alright?

  Trudi, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  Yes, thank you

  Anita Astle

  It’s those things that we just try to go that little extra mile so that people feel they matter and that they are content with how things happen.

  VO/Words on screen

  Care should be offered in the way that the person wants.

  Sophie Martin, Care Worker, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  For some people it helps them to wind down perhaps before they go to bed for other people it’s more of a stimulation activity, so in George’s case it helps him to get ready for the day, it helps him to wake up and gives him a little bit of stimulation before he comes down ready for his breakfast.

  George, he likes his bath to be as full as possible he likes to smother himself with the soap bubbles or sometimes pop them onto his head onto the rest of his body or sometimes create like a beard or other things like that, he finds it quite a humorous activity.

  VO/words on screen

  Appreciate why small details are important to each person.

  Anita Astle

  A lot of it is about staff being self-aware, a lot is about staff understanding what’s important to them, so then I can respond to people when they are saying; ‘oh, just make sure that my tights aren’t pressing on my toes or my skirts the right length’, then you start to understand how important it is and then to meet that level of importance

  Care Worker, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  Do you want to put this shirt on today? This one?

  (George responds)

  Yeah, do you want to put it on and wear it?

  And you can have this one as well if you like

  (George responds)

  Yeah, cos it matches doesn’t it?

  (George responds)

  So shall we have that one on?

  (George responds)

  Right, what we need to do then sir, we’ll just need to pop that one on I think, won’t we first? This one

  (George responds)

  Yeah, have you changed your mind now?

  (George responds)

  Yeah

  (George responds)

  Yeah, well we can have that one then tomorrow if you want

  (George responds)

  Keep it nice

  (George responds)

  George and Care Worker

  Ha! Ha!

  VO/words on screen

  Supporting people to be the way they want to be.

  Anita Astle

  We spend quite a lot of time making sure that we support residents to look as good as they can do. Nail care, making sure that fingernails are cleaned well and it’s using the creative ways of getting people to accept that care and often the best way is a manicure.

  We might get people washing up pots just so that their hands are soaking in some hot soapy water.

  Foot care, getting rid of hard skin, dry skin, nails that are curling round toes that can be quite painful and then hinder people’s mobility. It’s really important that we maintain good foot care.

  Equally, making sure that people are shaved and that’s men and women. Men usually like to have a shave every day and some people prefer wet shaves rather than an electric shave and its meeting that preference.

  Howard, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  I used to have a dry shave but you don’t feel the same, well I don’t anyway, I’ve got a razor in there, but it’s not the same I don’t think, you feel a lot fresher with a wet shave. That’s better, lovely.

  Anita Astle

  And it’s paying that attention to detail so that people really feel that somebody has taken a pride in their appearance in the way that the person used to.

  June Cook, Hairdresser, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  Right Trudi, are we having it that way?

  Pam Darby, Trudi’s Daughter

  My mum’s always been a very, very smart lady, has always gone to the hairdresser and put the make-up and perfume on, likes to be very well dressed and well presented. So actually having her hair done makes her feel good about herself and probably helps maintain good feelings about herself and where she’s at.

  June Cook

  Right, I’ll put you under the hairdryer now shall we?

  Pam Darby

  It’s who she is and we don’t want to lose that.

  Anita Astle

  Older people tend to have very fragile, elastic, dry skin and it’s about spending time moisturising the skin because otherwise skin becomes very fragile, you get skin tears and that can be very painful and quite unsightly and it’s not uncommon for older people to say ‘oh look at my skin, it’s terrible’ and to be quite worried about it. So the more we can maintain the skin in a healthy state then the more we are promoting a sense of wellbeing for people.

  VO

  Tom lives at home and uses a personal budget to live independently.

  Alison Cowen, Tom’s Mum

  Tom is an amazingly outgoing young man who loves people and loves making friends.

  He’s very, very active and loves to be on the go and he does a whole range of things. From swimming and yoga, he’s got an allotment to volunteering in a café. He’s just a very, very busy person, so it’s incredibly important that Tom looks as good as he possibly can when he goes out of his front door.

  For Tom, who hates looking in a mirror and isn’t very aware of the image that he’s sending out to people, it’s really important that he has some guidance and support to look his best.

  Well I guess it’s a team approach, first of all, so the most important thing is about agreeing between family members, personal assistants and most importantly, Tom himself, how he likes to look good and what support he likes in order to look good.

  Then it’s about having routines, like a morning routine for getting ready for the day, having a bath, washing hair, shaving, stuff we all do, but Tom needs particular kinds of support to do that. Perhaps it’s about people reflecting back and saying; ‘Tom you look great, is that a new jumper you’ve got on today?’ and him feeling good about himself in that way.

  VO/words on screen

  Support to keep your house clean

  Tom Cowen

  Can you help me, Michael?

  Michael (PA)

  Yeah, I’ll help you

  Tom Cowen

  The door

  Michael (PA)

  Yeah

  Alison Cowen

  I think it’s about agreeing what jobs need to be done in the house in order to keep the place looking as Tom wants it and as Tom wants it may not be our idea of how we would choose to have our home.

  It’s about making sure that Tom is safe in the home in terms of cleanliness and food hygiene and all those sorts of things that are really bottom lines. It’s about Tom being supported in ways that have been negotiated. Tom will always do the washing up, he loves washing up and sweeping, not quite so keen on hoovering, so a promise of a computer game on the WI might encourage Tom to do a bit of hovering.

  Michael (Tom’s PA)

  All done?

  Tom Cowen

  Yeah!

  Alison Cowen

  So again it’s about negotiating and agreeing who’s going to do what.

  VO/words on screen

  Ensure good hygiene practice everywhere

  Anita Astle

  It’s vitally important in an environment like this that we maintain good hygiene standards, not only staff and people living here, but also the environment. None of us would like to be in an environment that’s malodorous and our ladies and gents living here are no different. They like fresh smelling environments, a nice clean bed and it’s all vitally important. So even people that are in their rooms because they are not well, it’s important that they know that their room is being cleaned.

  Cleaner, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  I’m just going to clean your bathroom and your bedroom, is that ok?

  Kathleen, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  Yes, I thought you said you were going to clean me! (Laughs)

  Cleaner

  You just stay there and I’ll just clean round you.

  Kathleen

  Not being able to see, I’m afraid I can’t do much conversing with people unless I’m introduced to them. I can’t just go up to anyone and start talking to them, but I find it’s very friendly and the workers here are very kind.

  Cleaner

  I’m working round you.

  Kathleen

  Yes

  Cleaner

  I’m just cleaning your surfaces

  Kathleen

  Yes, that’s right.

  You see, when you can’t see you can’t keep up with things, you can’t gather what’s going on.

  Is it raining?

  Cleaner

  Rain today, rain tomorrow

  Kathleen

  I’m not used to being a film star! You’re probably going to ask me how old I am.

  Filmmaker

  How old are you?

  How old?

  Mmm

  Kathleen

  (Laughs) 19 going on 20

  I was born in 1917

  Filmmaker

  Oh gosh, were you? Are you 97?

  Kathleen

  Yes, I must be, I can’t believe it myself so.

  Cleaner

  I’m just going to switch the hoover on so there will be bit of noise, ok?

  Yes

  OK

  Yes

  HOOVER NOISE

  Kathleen

  Cleanliness and order, I’d say it’s one of the most important things.

  HOOVER STOPS

  Cleaner

  There you are Kathy, all nice and tidy and clean.

  VO/OST

  Being around animals can have a therapeutic effect for many people.

  Anita Astle

  We have lots of animals at Wren Hall, animals like humans can carry bugs and it’s about making sure that the animals are well cared for so Roly, the guinea pigs, the chickens, all have care plans that say ‘This is how we’re going to care for you’ so that they are treated appropriately.

  Chef, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  How many Mike?

  Two

  Two! Lovely

  Care Worker, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  How many Mike?

  Mike, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  Three

  Care Worker

  Three!

  Keith Hill, Elsie’s Son

  You’d like to get up wouldn’t you?

  Elsie, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  Yes

  Keith Hill

  To have a dance and you nearly did last time.

  VO/words on screen

  Involve family

  Keith Hill

  You nearly did last time, you nearly got up for a dance last time.

  Anita Astle

  Oh, the family are the most important people around. They know the individual really well, so they can turn us into the best support possible for their loved one by actually sharing what they know. Involving them in any aspect of their loved ones day to day living is vitally important, it gives them a sense of worth, a sense of purpose and makes them feel that they are doing their bit.

  Keith Hill

  My mum, she was always very conscious of the way she looked.

  SINGING

  Keith Hill

  So she spent a lot of money on clothes and she brought a lot of it with her here now!

  SINGING

  Keith Hill

  Every week I go into her room, I make sure she’s ok and give her a sherry and chocolate so she knows that I’m here and then I go up to her room and then I just make sure the blouses and skirts and the jumpers. I think it just helps the carers in the morning that they’ve got more choice as opposed to just things being tucked underneath in the bottom of the wardrobe. It’s a pleasure to actually come in to see her, my mum looks really good and if I say she looks nice she says; ‘do I?’ and I suppose for those few seconds it just boosts her that little bit. But I know, she’s 92, she’s got to look right and she always does. She’s always clean, she’s fresh, she just looks content and I know when I leave here this afternoon, I won’t be crying I’ll be ‘ok mum you’re fine and I’ll see you tomorrow’.

  Elsie, Wren Hall Nursing Home

  See you tomorrow.

  Keith Hill

  Yup, okay dokey, cheery bye

  Title: Key Learning Points

  Good personal hygiene is an important part of maintaining dignity

  Personal care should be supported in the way a person wants it

  Having a clean home and environment can help people feel safe and comfortable

  Wellbeing and dignity is promoted through good, person-centred care

  END

Who will find this useful?

Care staff, managers, GPs, nurses, commissioners, people who use services and their family carers or friends who are carers.