Today, on Dignity Action Day, could you become a Dignity Champion?
Dignity Action Day gives everyone the opportunity to contribute to upholding people's rights to dignity and provide a truly memorable day for people receiving care. Dignity Action Day aims to ensure people who use care services are treated as individuals and are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives.
Last week we heard the distressing news about care workers allegedly taunting residents by torturing their therapy dolls. It is time that we stood up to such awful behaviour, and we can make a stand by becoming Dignity Champions. When you become a Dignity Champion you join a nationwide movement, working together, to ensure people have a good experience of care when they need it.
The challenge describes values and actions that high quality services that respect people's dignity should:
Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse
Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your family
Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service
Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and control
Listen and support people to express their needs and wants
Respect people's right to privacy
Ensure people feel able to complain without fear of retribution
Engage with family members and carers as care partners
Assist people to maintain confidence and positive self-esteem
Act to alleviate people's loneliness and isolation
I'm sure you believe in these values too, so please, take your first action today
Baroness Joan Bakewell
Dignity in Care Ambassador
"Dignity Action Day highlights a more respectful way of behaving towards vulnerable people. The very old and the very young clearly need our respect, but it wouldn't do any harm to spread the dignity message across the population - then we can all benefit."