Social Work Circle
“Care is no longer about keeping someone alive, it’s about giving them quality of life” In today’s world, we are living longer than ever before. This is bringing new challenges to those working in adult services. We find out how a Staffordshire Care Home has taken an innovative approach towards their care services and discover why it’s so important for social workers and healthcare professions to pay attention to mental health. Vicky Smith, Principal Care Home Manager at Samuel Hobson House and its sister home Mayfield House, tells us what she thinks.
Sitting back on a comfortable armchair, listening to the soothing sounds of a musician playing a beautiful melody on the piano, the audience is rapt. The atmosphere is calm, peaceful and harmonious. Some are so relaxed they nod off; others listen intently; a few grab an instrument themselves and join in with the music. But this isn’t a piano bar in the West End, this is Samuel Hobson House care home in Newcastleunder-Lyme, Staffordshire. And this is one of just many activities that have been introduced to improve the mental health of our residents. Others include intergenerational activities with local children, exercise classes and virtual reality. Like the rest of the health and social care sector, residential care is changing – with more focus on
taking a holistic view on supporting service users. This marks a distinct shift in thinking from traditional practices which focused on physical and medical needs and has clear benefits for both the residents and the staff who work in care settings. I have worked in care for 15 years and have seen tremendous changes during that time. When I first started my career, the focus was on the practical side of care – primarily making sure residents were bathed, dressed and fed. If they seemed unwell, we would seek support for their physical ailments and there was little emphasis on their mental wellbeing. There’s been a huge shift in this way of thinking. The mental wellbeing of our residents is a top priority. We continuously monitor how they are feeling so that we can respond quickly if someone
Social Work News - 10
seems down or not quite themselves. It’s no longer about keeping someone alive; it’s about giving them quality of life. The care homes are a sister company to Acacia Training, which specialises in apprenticeships, short courses and government funded qualifications to the health care, social care and early years sectors. This has real benefits for the staff because it means that we have access to the latest training – from dementia care to mental health first aid. We have introduced a number of regular activities, all designed to improve the mental health of the 80 older people who reside across the two care homes. They include the musician who brings his piano in every week and encourages residents to pick up instruments and play along with him, and a local
