Emma Kiss, Wellbeing Co-ordinator, Outlook Care
https://www.outlookcare.org.uk/
I am passionate about my role, making our residents feel involved and valued every day. At Foxburrow Grange, we follow the Montessori approach, which focuses on re-discovering and supporting the person behind dementia.
People first
The approach can be applied effectively to help reconnect the pathways in the brain with experiences to which they are losing access. These adults need individualised, sensorial experiences in order to thrive. Therefore, it is important to get to know everybody’s individual needs, desires and abilities, focusing on the person, not their dementia.
At Foxburrow Grange, we believe that to enhance resident interactions, it’s important to apply all Montessori principles, starting with the simple use of name badges for residents, visitors and staff, and signage to allow residents to navigate their way to their bedrooms or other areas.
Changing attitudes
People with dementia are often confronted with what they can no longer do, or with the mistakes they make. Montessori principles are designed to focus on what they can still do. This is a person-centred approach focusing on individual capabilities, capturing interest and showing respect. It’s important to focus on building on individual strengths.
By following these principles, supported by the teams at Foxburrow Grange, I encourage my residents to do a little more every day. The more you do, the better you get – from ‘cannot do’ to ‘can do’. These are my mottos at the heart of the Montessori approach and I apply these every day, but it’s also the ethos of Foxburrow Grange.
Seeking inspiration
Since I started, I noticed that music, singing and dancing were having a huge beneficial impact. I had the privilege of seeing a dementia choir perform in Winchester at an awards ceremony. I was very impressed and I thought immediately that this is something we should have at Foxburrow Grange.
On my way back home, I decided that I would set up my own dementia choir. I discussed this with my manager, who supported my idea, and we soon got to work, using contacts from the local community. We have choir practice twice a month, branded t-shirts with the name of the choir and our logo. Using the Montessori approach, we practised hard and performed for the first time to an audience in December.
Community strength
I started to involve relatives, who are always more than happy to come and sing with us. We have residents’ meetings where we discuss what we have done well and what needs to improve. The feedback from everyone is very positive – our residents are happy; they feel valued and it’s a boost to their self-esteem.
We have witnessed several positive outcomes. One of our residents told me the choir practice is her reason to leave her room. She has made friends and loves to listen as well as sing. This for me shows how important music, inclusion and following our values benefits the lives of people in our care. Through the choir, our residents can continue to reconnect with a world they are losing access to. We can see and feel the power of music, and the benefits of singing and friendship.
The End of Life Partnership
The End of Life Partnership (EOLP) won the End of Life Care Award at the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards 2023. CMM caught up with this innovative charity to learn more about its work.
EOLP is a North West-based charity, with regional and national reach, providing award-winning training and education for palliative and end of life care professionals, both face to face and virtually, from its specialist End of Life Care Education Hub in Cheshire.
Many of the charity’s services are bespoke, in response to the needs of a particular care setting. However, it also delivers award-winning training, some developed with a leading business and coaching psychologist, that aims to grow future leaders in the palliative and end of life care sector.
Confidence to care
Alison Clifford is the charity’s Chief Executive Officer. She says, ‘We believe everyone should experience compassionate and personalised end of life care and should spend their final days in a place where they are comfortable, confidently cared for and feel at home. Our aim is to give everyone the confidence to deliver this care, whether it is family and friends, care home workers, volunteers or health care professionals.’
In the five years that EOLP has run this programme, the team has educated more than 100 leaders from care homes, hospices, community and hospital settings around the UK. Lauren McKenny, Sister at St Mary’s Hospice, says, ‘I have learnt so much from this course; it has been so inspiring learning and developing with others from different hospices and sharing experiences with them.
I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to develop their leadership skills to attend this course. You are given so many different techniques and ways of working that there is always something that suits your style.’
Responsive services
Another innovation from EOLP is its Care Home Support Service (CHSS). The service is available to any of the 183 residential, nursing and learning disability care homes of Cheshire East and West. Funded by the NHS, the CHSS provides responsive, dedicated advice, training and education to support carers in meeting the needs of residents, including enabling residents to live well and plan for end of life.
Each care home has a named EOLP facilitator working with it to identify areas where support may be required. This ranges from consultancy support around the care of an individual, to staff development through education and training and staff wellbeing, to leadership team development.
EOLP has also created Care Home Support Forums and an Activity and Wellbeing Co-ordinators Group, educating and networking groups of local care homes together so they can share best practice and support one another.
Specialist support
Recognising the unparalleled demands of caring for individuals in the advanced stages of dementia, EOLP has developed the pioneering Advanced Dementia Support Team (ADST). Comprising a skilled cohort of seasoned specialists, including two Admiral Nurses, the team has extensive experience in supporting families and professionals caring for someone with advanced dementia. The team provides tailored advice, support and, with a Dementia Consultancy, addresses the diverse challenges caregivers encounter, offering a dedicated hub for guidance and assistance.
A sense of pride
Alison, who has a nursing background, adds, ‘Everything we do is aimed at bringing compassion, respect and dignity to individuals and their families, to ensure their comfort and peace during a difficult time. Winning the Markel End of Life Care Award was recognition of the huge impact our relatively small team has made. It was wonderful to have that acknowledged at a national level and gave us a real boost to carry on educating, innovating and collaborating to achieve the best possible outcomes for end of life care.’