A Partnership with Relatives and Care Teams
Our Springhill Care Homes share the commitment of developing partnerships with family, friends and others who have previously been caring for people we are now supporting in our services. At Springhill we have made a conscious decision to maintain links with significant others who have been an integral part of the individual’s life before we became involved in their support. We also recognise that offering support to relatives and carers can help all of us who are involved towards a better understanding of the progression of an illness or condition.
Our common purpose is to provide ‘Your Care, Your Way’ in which Springhill aims to encompass the value that people we support should maintain as much control as possible over their lives. Family, friends and people who have supported someone prior to Springhill becoming involved are an integral part of enabling the person to establish themselves into our service, and can provide invaluable information about the person we support, especially if they have a degree of memory loss. Areas such as the person’s preferences and choices and how the person likes to be supported, all help our staff teams to get to know individuals and personalise the service we provide. Our one page profiles, as part of our Care Plans, help us to record this vital information which can be shared appropriately with the support team. We also encourage families of people with dementia to bring in memorable photographs and items of significance that can be used in memory boxes which can help the person identify their own room – a great feature of the independence Springhill values.
We recognise that moving into a support service – be it a Care Home or a Supported Living facility is a major step for the individual as well as family and friends. At Springhill our managers and key staff are happy to spend time discussing the many complex areas which surround a modern care placement, including funding and the various types of care offered. For many relatives, admission to a service can happen in the midst of crisis, and relatives and people who they have been supporting may not have had contact with care services previously.
At Springhill we welcome visitors during the day and at other times by appointment, and are happy to discuss with relatives how they can continue to assist providing some elements of support as they wish. We operate an inclusive policy of encouraging families and friends in assisting their loved one with care and support, always in accordance with the individual’s needs and wishes.
Successful partnerships, which work collaboratively, can share their knowledge of the person’s condition and how this might progress. Our senior team members welcome discussion regarding plans of care and positively encourage this. As the number of people
with Dementia increases our managers are developing relative support groups which have links to community services such as the Alzheimer’s Society and other helpful resources. These support groups can be invaluable in supporting families and others to understand the complex progression of dementia.
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Clear values which the whole organisation signs up to
