Care Homes

This work focused on raising awareness of Healthwatch South Tees (HWST) among care homes, residents, and family members, while also exploring the different ways residential care homes support residents to live happy, fulfilling lives. It highlighted examples of good practice in promoting wellbeing, independence, and meaningful engagement, alongside identifying common challenges faced by homes in delivering a consistent and high‑quality quality‑of‑life offer.

Key Learning and Suggested Actions Going Forward

• Recognise quality of life as equally important as quality of care, with continued emphasis on emotional wellbeing, personal fulfilment, and social connection alongside clinical and personal care.
• Coproduce, clearly communicate, and embed person‑centred activity programmes within care planning to ensure consistency and relevance to individual residents’ interests and needs.
• Support staff through training and resources to enable them to deliver meaningful engagement and ensure all residents are able to participate fully.
• Empower residents to shape their daily experiences, including involvement in decision‑making, household tasks, and planning celebrations and social activities.
• Allocate budget specifically for activities, recognising this as a core component of care. This will help ensure consistency, equity, and sustainability across care homes, enabling all residents to benefit from a rich and engaging environment.

Read the full report below