Introduction The Conversation Tree YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN A NATIONAL The Big Care Home Conversation, led Care homes across the UK are being by My Home Life, offers you a unique invited to open up a dialogue with CONVERSATION ON WHAT opportunity to be part of a bold and residents, relatives and the public. inspiring project. Launching in mid-May, A “Conversation Tree” in each WE WANT FROM CARE and lasting for a month, The Conversation participating care home will provide the HOMES AND HOW WE will engage the public in a UK-wide backdrop for people’s engagement and debate about care homes for older conversation. CAN SUPPORT THEM people, about what works now and what we want from them in the future.
Aims and Objectives
The conversation will: • Increase public understanding of the realities of and potential for care homes • Inspire greater connection between care homes and the wider community • Dispel some of the myths that surround care homes • Celebrate six years of My Home Life and broaden awareness of our work
“ The Big
Care homes may choose to use a real tree outside, bring twigs inside or design and make their own tree. To begin the conversation, we will ask a question. People will then be able to respond by hanging their answers as “leaves” on the tree. Alternatively, they may choose to visit the interactive landing page on the My Home Life website where they can add their leaves to the tree. All the trees will thus become objects of ideas, wishes and comments on best practice in care homes.
Care homes have often been described as ‘islands of the old’. This is a unique opportunity to help the public to understand better the vital role that they play, the challenges they face and the kind of support that will help them deliver quality to our frailest citizens. Tom Owen, My Home Life Director
Care Home Conversation
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The Question
The question we will be asking is:
“What makes life good in care homes now, what could make them better – and how might we get there?”
The Outcomes • • • •
Stronger links between care homes and their local communities. A resource of comments and ideas generated from the leaves for analysis Delivery of key messages to the seats of government around the UK Development of a “legacy book” for the public on care homes
Get Involved!
The Big Care Home Conversation needs your support. If you are a care home, or community organisation and would like to host events in May and June, then let us know and we can support you by providing packs of information to stimulate the dialogue. Contact us at: Email mhl@city.ac.uk Follow our progress: www.myhomelife.org.uk Twitter: @MyHomeLife1