Dignity Champions: Nothing about us, without us!
Amount:
£2,750 About the idea:
'Dignity Champions' are people who are ‘committed to taking action..to create a care system that has compassion and respect for those using its services.’ (DH) Who best to fulfill this role than service users themselves? Local people have identified 'dignity' as a priority area for improving health and social care services. As a user-led organisation, we will train local people - older, younger, mental health, disability, cancer & 'easy to ignore' service users as champions to ensure dignity underpins the services they receive. The role involves raising awareness and conducting research on the implementation of dignity in care.
Do you need a helping hand?:
We already have over twenty local people, including older people, people with experience of mental health difficulties, disabled people and cancer survivors signed up to become 'dignity champions.' We will work with the community, local services and local voluntary and representative organisations to identify further interested individuals. We have availed of documentary support from the very valuable DH 'dignity champions' campaign. Our Council, in recognising the merits of this project have agreed to help us with training local people in the specialised areas so local people are completely comfortable with their role e.g. 'safeguarding' (protection from all forms of abuse) of adults.
We will be basing our assessments on Care Quality Commission guidance, we would however benefit from further help in the design of the assessment tool to be used by the local 'dignity champions.'
Food for All – The Vegetarian Society’s Hospital Caterers training course
Amount:
£7,800 About the idea:
The Vegetarian Society wants to improve vegetarian catering in hospitals across the UK, as research shows that many vegetarians from all walks of life do not receive suitable or satisfactory food in hospital. To do this, we want to run a course to train hospital caterers, and the idea is to trial the course among a proportion of hospital caterers within the northwest before rolling the course out to the rest of the UK. This project aims to enhance understanding of the impact of food on wider patient well-being, by developing the understanding of and respect for people’s food choices.
Your Time to Read
Amount:
£4,000 About the idea:
To facilitate a group to read and enjoy poetry, short stories and novels. Involving reading aloud within a group and discussing related events, emotional responses and memories.
It will help elderly people in supported environments who may find it difficult to access the written word. This may be because of time or physical constraints, sensory impairment or loss of interest.
The idea originally came from Mel and the difficulties her visually impaired father had when trying to access appropriate and interesting reading materials when in a residential home. When discussing it with Rachel, we realised that being able to access appropriate reading materials was a common problem in health and social care, which can easily be rectified.
Sewing for good mental health
Amount:
£500 About the idea:
We are volunteers running sewing and bag making classes for women with mental health issues. The classes promote social and cultural inclusion for women isolated by their condition and ethnicity. To continue the service we provide, we need help to buy equipment and materials, such as new sewing machines.
Do you need a helping hand?:
We already have premises provided by a not for profit organisation, but would like help to bid for funding in the future.
Improve the experience of bereaved families during the investigation of their child’s death, by training administrative staff relevant to the Child Death Review process to communicate with sensitivity and dignity.
Amount:
£4,741 About the idea:
New legislation means that when a child dies unexpectedly a joint investigation is conducted by medical and social care professionals and the police. Child Death Overview Panels then review all deaths in their area. During the review process, bereaved parents come into contact with a variety of these departments’ administrative staff. Often through lack of confidence on the part of the staff, this contact may lack the sensitivity needed to support the bereaved family’s sense of dignity and assurance at such a difficult and delicate time. We hope to provide training to these non- professional staff to help change this.
Do you need a helping hand?:
As the UK’s charity dedicated to preventing cot death and promoting safe infant care, FSID has the expert staff who could facilitate this training, however, as a new pilot project we would need funding to meet the costs to deliver it.
Camera Lights Action!
Amount:
£10,000 About the idea:
To support residents in a number of our care homes to produce and star in a DVD which explains what dignity really means to someone living in residential care.
The DVD will help:
• The residents involved as it will provide them with an opportunity of telling their story
• Current and future residents and relatives in care homes
• A resource for staff in delivering person centred care
• The community at large
The idea came from relatives as they told their many moving and inspiring stories about what dignity in care really means.
Do you need a helping hand?:
We would be pleased to hear from any volunteers in the Norfolk area
who would like to assist with the project
We would also like to hear from any script writers, make-up artists or film makers who would like to offer their advice and assistance
A local well known actor who would be willing to introduce the DVD would be great!
Dignity in care lay assessors "because we all count"
Amount:
£2,000 About the idea:
Dignity in Care Lay Assessors would like to undertake a project to visit 34 health and social care services across Buckinghamshire during 2010 and 2011 and a Bright Ideas Grant for £2000 would cover the volunteers training and travelling expenses.
The visits will assess how well services are meeting the challenges of Dignity in Care and where there are issues which are preventing improvement in services.
The aim is to promote good practice in the dignity framework to bring service providers and the statutory authorities together in ensuring people are given respect and dignity throughout old age.
Do you need a helping hand?:
Bucks 50 Plus Forum would look for volunteers from within their memberships. Carers Bucks have also agreed to ask their members if anyone would volunteer to visit one or a number of services to review the dignity in care agenda.
Bucks County Council have agreed to run a training session for all volunteers on lay assessment and to facilitate the volunteers in developing a standard assessment document. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone has an example of such a document which they would be prepared to share with us."
"The Red Jug and Beaker Scheme"
Amount:
£500 About the idea:
The aim of this scheme is to introduce a new lightweight water jug, this will include a new red lid and will be easier for older people to manage and pour their own drinks. The handles on the red beakers are designed to enable the patient to have a safer hold on the beaker. Therefore encouraging independence and maintaining their "Dignity."
By implementing this scheme it will support older people on an acute orthopaedic ward and highlight the fact that the individual requires assistance with consuming fluids.
Adequate hydration as well as good nutrition is essential to improve the patients well being, recovery and to reduce thier length of stay in hospital.
I recently visited the ward and whilst I was carrying out my matrons visit, I observed a patient struggling to hold her cup of tea, she was spilling more than she was drinking. I asked her, "would she like me to help you so you can drink your tea? she said, "yes please". It was evident that she was very thirsty. Afterwards she gave me a big smile and said "Thank you I really enjoy my cups of tea when I am able to drink them."
Do you need a helping hand?:
At the moment I am comparing prices for purchasing the jugs, lids and beakers so if any body has got any ideas or information on this it would be greatly appreciated.
When purchasing these items I will involve the ward Occupational Therapist for her advice.
I will liase with the hospital supplies co-ordinator for information and costings for these items.
Sensational living for adults with Learning Disabilities
Amount:
£2,000 About the idea:
Research has shown that a large percentage of adults with Learning Disabilities have difficulty processing sensory information which can lead to challenging behaviours, self harm and social isolation. This can prevent people from developing relationships, maintaining friendships and experiencing a good quality of life. Understanding a person’s sensory needs can help them to make sense of the world around them and therefore lead to a happier and more fulfilled life. We would like to develop our resources so that assessment and treatment can be offered. We hope to improve life opportunities by using the resources to help understand people’s sensory needs.
Have a Go Heroes
Amount:
£10,000 About the idea:
Have a go Heroes is about supporting both carers and those who are cared for by creating a web based project that helps people who need caring, perform certain tasks, such as shopping, taking trips to the doctor, reading activities and other forms of support. It would work through using a trusted network of friends, family, neighbours and others who would be able to agree to a 'mission' which could be helping with shoveling snow, or getting the weekly shopping for a person who needs help. The site would mainly be targeting younger people, and those who can use the internet to on behalf of the people they care for and the tasks that need completing. It will help people who work as carers and also people who are cared for, people who are isolated. There is an estimated 50,000 informal carers in the United Kingdom as of last year (a study in the British Medical Journal). These informal carers are usually family members or close friends of the person being cared for. According to Cass Business School, a community based approach to caring for people can save up to £100 million per year. If this area of care is developed and supported better, as my idea is attempting to do the savings in NHS expenditure could go towards improving other areas in care. Have a go heroes is all about creating community support.
Do you need a helping hand?:
Yes, mainly help selecting a pilot area and initial users of the service. It would be great to have some help making introductions and providing advice as well as spreading the word around once it goes live. I have thought a lot about this idea, and have some support from people willing to help but nothing has been built.
Caring, Creative Company
Amount:
£1,900 About the idea:
To create an activity area for the 150 Elderly patients in Beckett Wing at St.James Hospital. Table, chairs, computer,printer, games and products for massaging hands and manicures. A mulit-function area that will offer social interaction from volunteers, teaching people how to access the internet, order groceries on line... have complimentary therapies,crafts and company.
The aim is to provide stimulation and provide levity to a stressful environment, improving mood and motivation.
Do you need a helping hand?:
I have recruited the help of volunteers and trained massage therapists willing to provide their time free of charge.
A newspaper/snacks/drinks service is being organised by the volunteer service.
Memory and Sensory Garden
Amount:
£5,000 About the idea:
Provision of a memory and sensory garden suitable for use all year round to benefit the 53 service users at The Old Rectory made up of permanent residents and respite care placements as well as their families in their residential care home. Many of the service users have mental and physical disabilities so a safe enclosed garden is paramount, this project would promote their dignity allowing them to create friendships, maintain their identity and allow them to work alongside care staff and activity coordinators in the garden if they so wish as well as creating the opportunity to enable service users to reminisce and relax. The benefits of this would be substantial from a holistic viewpoint.
Do you need a helping hand?:
We would need a plan drawn up to show how best to use the space we have available and it would be nice to have some input as to the appropriate plants .