Residents at Gloucester House, a Greensleeves Care Home in Sevenoaks, celebrated Dignity Action Day earlier this month with their annual Digni-Tea event.
Dignity Action Day is a national event to raise awareness of the importance of dignity in care for older people, and of the right to receive care in a dignified and respectful manner.
Local singer Chase Aitch provided the soundtrack to the day, which was a joyful celebration of independence, dignity, respect- and of course- cake.
Residents and colleagues discussed what dignity means to them, as well as the list of ‘Dignity Do’s’ which include: respecting people’s right to privacy, acting to alleviate isolation, enabling people to maintain independence and, and assisting to maintain positive self-esteem.
A not-for-profit Greensleeves Care home, Gloucester House prides itself on maintaining the charity’s values of openness, respect and responsibility. The organisation views moving into a care home as an empowering choice, whereby residents are encouraged to maintain their independence for as long as possible, and to contribute to their own care plans.
Bethany Powley, Home Manager, said:
“As a Greensleeves Care home, dignity is at the heart of everything we do at Gloucester House. The care we offer is person-centred, meaning we recognise and celebrate each resident’s individuality, and encourage them to make informed decisions on how they would like to be cared for.
Dignity Action Day is a great reminder for us each year as it encourages open conversations between our care teams and our residents, allowing us to continue to improve the care we offer.”
Joyce (pictured), a resident at Gloucester House said she had “a lovely day” celebrating with fellow residents and the team.
