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 commissioned us to visit care homes across the county. We reported what we saw and heard, looking at how dignity was provided.

During our visits, we looked at how people were treated and whether they could remain as independent as possible. Choice and privacy were also important as is their overall quality of life. We rated these with stars:

– Excellent

– Good

– Average

– Poor

– Very Poor

Ultimately, we review every service from a lay person’s point of view. This is because we feel it is important that all services 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 gave each care home a report with our recommendations. We then followed these up to ensure positive change occured.

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