Dignity in Care

We will all need care at some point and being treated with dignity and respect should be an essential part of that care.

Buckinghamshire County Council has commissioned us to visit care homes across the county. We report what we see and hear, looking at how dignity is provided.

During our visits, we look at how people are treated and whether they can remain as independent as they can. Choice and privacy are also important as is their overall quality of life. We rate these with stars:

– Excellent

– Good

– Average

– Poor

– Very Poor

Ultimately, we review each home from a lay person’s point of view. This is because we feel it is important that all services in care homes pass the Mum Test. In other words, we ask ourselves, is this home good enough for my mum or any other member of my family?

Following each visit, we give each care home a report with our recommendations. We then follow these up to ensure positive change occurs.

Our Dignity in Care Reports

We have made over 120 visits to places in Buckinghamshire where care is provided. We have produced a report for each home visited.  You may find these reports useful when you are looking for care for yourself or loved ones.

See the full list of homes visited by Healthwatch Bucks

Each home is listed by location. Alternatively, if you know the name of the home you’d like to read about, just type it in the search box. Alongside our Dignity in Care reports, you will find a link to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report and you can also read the experiences of others. If you would like to tell us about your experience too, we’d love to hear from you.

You can also read a summary of our visits over the past 12 months up to March 2019.

Read more about Dignity in Care

Please note: These Enter & View visits are a brief snapshot of the home at a point in time, looking particularly at ‘dignity in care’. Anyone looking for care should carry out a visit, of their own, before making any decisions.

Good Practice Guides

Over the years we have seen many examples of how care home staff make a real difference to residents’ lives. We want to share this good practice and encourage others to do likewise. This is why we have produced the following guides:

• Deciding for yourself – using cues to help care home residents retain independence
• Meaningful activities to promote the health and well-being of care home residents