Case study:

11 May 2010

Developing an organisational approach to end of life care in Anchor Homes

Key points

Anchor Homes instituted a three-day training programme for its care home staff during 2005 and 2006 which has helped remove the taboo surrounding death and encourage staff and residents to deal with the topic more openly.

The home manager from each Anchor home along with three colleagues attended three one-day sessions over an 18-month period aimed at giving them the skills and knowledge to deal with the topic sensitively and professionally.

In all 300 members of staff took part in the training, delivered in conjunction with the International Institute on Health and Aging, with each participant encouraged to complete personal portfolios on end of life care.

Most Anchor Homes residents stay in the homes until they die, explains national care specialist Louise Bulcock ‘We felt that although we provide a good service we could improve how we communicated about death to staff, residents and their families.Our aim was to provide the best end of life care in the residential care sector.’

Often it is staff or relatives who find it most difficult to discuss death, she says.‘But by making it difficult to discuss death, we are making it difficult for the person in question to express his or her wishes.’

To try and tackle this, part of the training asked staff to investigate funeral; costs at the local funeral directors.This then gave them an opening to discuss wider issues and options.

Staff who took part have shared their learning and helped to implement changes in the way they handle deaths in the home and the way they discuss dying with residents.

They have also changed how they announce residents’ deaths and try to involve fellow residents in celebrating the life of the person who has died.

There have been some excellent examples of good practice as a result and some homes are now working towards the GSF with their PCTs.

Work is already under way to provide a toolkit in each home on handling end of life care and also to incorporate a section on death and dying in the Anchor Homes induction manual.