Dignity Champions, who include frontline staff, MPs and, most famously, Michael Parkinson, are volunteers who commit to make a difference to the way older people are cared for.
Minister of State for Care Services, Phil Hope said: "People want, and have a right to expect, services with dignity and respect at their heart, so I am delighted that we now have over 3,000 Dignity Champions dedicated to ensuring that dignity and respect are central to the care people receive."
Dennis Parkin-Bowes, from Warrington, Cheshire is a Dignity Champion. His wife Maureen is Dennis's carer.
The Dignity in Care Campaign, launched by Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis last year, aims to inspire and equip people to drive up care standards and encourage people to become Dignity Champions, spreading best practice and giving advice to other health and social care workers. Dennis Parkin-Bowes, from Warrington in Cheshire, has signed up as Dignity Champion.
Dennis was diagnosed with early-onset vascular dementia at age 58; he is now 73. His wife Maureen has been acting as his principle carer since the onset of his dementia. In order to give her a break he attends a care home during the day. At the care home he became passionate about ensuring dignity is at the heart of care and he signed up as a Dignity Champion.
As part of his illness, Dennis' natural perfectionism became more marked and if everything wasn't exactly as he thought it should be he found himself becoming angry and upset.
Maureen and the respite care home manager saw this as an opportunity to turn his perfectionism and obsessional behaviour into something more positive by encouraging Dennis to act as a Champion for the other people in the care home. He thought this was an excellent idea and has eagerly developed the role.
His wife Maureen said:
"He "goes to work" every Wednesday at the home, where he goes through everything with a fine-tooth comb, speaking to the other people in the home and raising any issues or suggestions with the manager, who values Dennis's contribution. It has given him a new purpose in life and he really enjoys his new work."
The manager has remarked that the home staff had thought they were pretty perfect, but the points that Dennis raised on behalf of himself and the other people at the home have shown them that there are always improvements they can make. Each week, the manager briefs Dennis on particular areas she would like him to observe, which could include hygiene at the home, quality of the food and the quality of care being received by clients.
Already, Dennis has had a significant impact. He discovered that some clients who suffered from short-term memory loss and word recognition problems had difficulty understanding the care home's lunch menu. At his suggestion, the home photographed each meal option, so clients can now flick through a photographic menu and see for themselves what is on offer each day.
As a consequence of having this new role Dennis has become much happier and his behaviour has improved. He enjoys the role and it is a great way for him to channel his energies in a positive way.
Maureen says, "I cannot thank the home enough. Through their understanding, kindness and respect for us, Dennis and I are both much happier. This has been dealt with very sensitively and Dignity has been at the heart of their approach right from the start."
