Care homes are being held back by a culture of 'negativity' and 'stigma' felt by both care workers and older people according to a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
The report concluded many care homes lack engagement with their local community and lack support from health services and local authorities. It recommends prioritising nurturing positive relationships in homes, supporting leadership and challenging stereotypes.
My Home Life: promoting quality of life in care homes follows a three-year study by the My Home Life programme to explore what makes good practice in care homes. Funded by Age UK, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, City University and Dementia UK, it aims to identify what creates a compassionate and caring environment within care homes so that 'needs, aspirations and quality of life' of residents and staff are met.
Commenting on the report, Anna Dixon, director of policy at independent health charity The King's Fund, said: 'By putting the specific needs of people with dementia first in the way we design wards and care homes it is possible to make a very big difference to people living with dementia, their families and the staff who support them.'