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In a pioneering move backed by the Government under its ‘Dignity in care campaign', Leeds City Council is recruiting older people to carry out inspections of residential care homes and nursing homes, recognising they are best placed to know most about their own care. The Government is determined to improve care homes for older people, and place dignity and respect back at the centre of caring for the rapidly-expanding ageing population. In 2006, health minister, Ivan Lewis, announced a funding boost of £67m for local authorities to improve the physical environment of care for older people, help older people living in care homes do so with dignity, and enable care homes to be more responsive to the needs of older residents. He also announced a 10-point ‘Dignity challenge', a new network of local champions of dignity and the Dignity in care practice guide. ‘Our society needs to once again, value older people as active, positive citizens who may require support but have so much to give to their families and wider community,' Mr Lewis said at the launch of the campaign. ‘The generation which built this country has a right to expect excellence in the support and care it receives. ‘Older people deserve a care system where there is zero tolerance of abuse and disrespect. By working with those on the frontline, I want to put dignity and respect at the heart of services for older people. ‘The Government is committing itself to providing leadership, but dignity and respect is a shared challenge and responsibility with those who provide and commission services.' But, while the intentions may have been good and the idea focused, all too often, ideas such as this can fall by the wayside. Determined not to let this happen, Leeds created the idea of ‘dignity watchdogs', ensuring the best men and women for the job can assess how well people are treated by giving them the role of door-knocking at care homes to interview residents and staff. They will essentially be assessing how the rights of people using care and residential homes are upheld as individuals, how their privacy is protected and how people are able to complain without fear of reprisal. These watchdogs will also be trained to observe and record incidences such as where staff patronise residents, use their first names without permission, or deliver personal care in a lounge rather than the privacy of a resident's own room. Age Concern Leeds, which has joined forces with the council's adult social care services and Leeds Primary Care Trust, said the move was important in tackling problems faced in the past. ‘Respecting dignity, choice and individuality, often in the smallest ways, can make all the difference to the quality of life of someone in residential care,' says Carol Wardman, chief executive of Age Concern Leeds. Cllr Peter Harrand, Leeds City Council's executive board member with responsibility for adult health and social care and older people's champion, says dignity and respect should ‘lie at the heart' of all services for older people. ‘An audit of this kind has never been done in care and nursing homes in Leeds before, and its findings will be carefully analysed so that, where changes in behaviour are needed, we will make them. ‘The people who will be carrying out this audit are all volunteers and who could do this job better than older people themselves? ‘They will be making an important contribution to making sure people who are in care in Leeds are valued and treated with all the politeness and good manners they deserve.'

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Dignity comes with age

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