New des

Issue 1

Content PageEditorial TeamJoanne Strain Pg. 2Person-centred Cultures:Valuing All PersonsProfessor Brendan McCormack Pg. 3-4 Communica- Clinical tion Toolkits Focus: in Dementia Dysphagia Care Gary Mitchell, Gary Colin Sheeran Cousins & Joanne Strain Pg. 5-7 Pg. 8-11CPD Care Home Ambitions for Journal ScanReflective Palliative CareExercise:Dysphagia Dr Sarah Russell Pg. 13-17Pg. 12 Pg. 18

Editorial TeamI am very proud to introduce you to the first edition of Four Seasons Health Care’s newnursing journal – Care Home Nursing. As Head of Nursing at Four Seasons Health Care I amdelighted that we are able to showcase the wonderful and innovative work that our carehomes across the UK deliver so that we all may learn best practice from one another. Ourethos at Care Home Nursing is quite simply to improve the quality and experience of residentsin our care homes.In this inaugural issue we are delighted to share original articles from internationallyrenowned Professor Brendan McCormack, Head of Nursing at Queen Margaret UniversityEdinburgh & Sarah Russell, Head of Research and Clinical Innovation at Hospice UK. ProfessorMcCormack explores the importance of person-centred cultures while Sarah examines theimportance of palliative care for older people. I am also delighted to share an original articlefrom Colin Sheeran, Dementia Project Facilitator at Four Seasons Health Care, on theimportance of using communication toolkits for people living with dementia. Our editorialteam have also put together a useful guide to dysphagia which can be used for continuingprofessional development (CPD) as directed in the main text.Thank you to our contributors for our first issue. I hope you find these original articles usefulto your nursing practice. If you are interested in writing or being supported to write a piecefor our journal please feel free to get in contact with our editor-in-chief Gary Mitchell viaemail: [email protected]. As an editorial team we would be delighted to shareknowledge and examples of good practice so that others can learn and ultimately we canenhance our resident’s quality of life. Also, if there is a topic or article that you would like tosee covered please also let us know!Special additional content, that compliments the contents of this issue, is available via SOARin the Nursing Community section. Please login to SOAR, join our Nursing Community andshare your thoughts & feelings what on you liked, what you found helpful and what you wouldlike to see more of in future issues. Last, but most importantly, thank you all for the wonderfulwork you do in our care homes each and every day!Joanne Strain, Head of Nursing Consultant Editor: Editor in Chief: Clinical Editor: Gary Cousins,Joanne Strain, Head of Gary Mitchell, Resident Resident Experience Care Experience Care Specialist Specialist Nursing

Communication Toolkits inDementia CareMany people will know about memory boxes stimulate conversation and interaction withand how these can be used in dementia care. residents and relatives. While there areThey are useful tool for reminiscence and striking similarities between a ‘memory box’meaningful activity for people living with and this ‘communication toolkit’, one keydementia. difference is that memory boxes are often related to the past, while communicationAs part of the Four Seasons Dementia Care toolkits can also be more about the presentFramework this theory has been taken a stage day.further. Just like a memory box, acommunication toolkit it is a collection ofobjects and personal memorabilia to “I really look forward to coming here. It’s like being at home but with more company and lots to do. They always have my favourite music.”

What could a communicationtool kit include?A communication toolkit is personalised to While this paper focuses on dementia care,that individual and as a consequence each it should be highlighted that all care homeone will, and should be, different. Some nurses should seek to help all their residentsitems that form communication toolkits are develop communication toolkits – even iflisted below: they do not live with dementia. In order to illuminate the many benefits of utilising• Photos communication toolkits in practice the• Clothes- hats / ties / scarves following two case studies are presented.• Favourite snacks / sweets• Medals• Certificates• Cards• Music / playlist• Games- cards / dominoes• Letters and postcards• Jewellery / makeup• Favourite drinks• Mobile phone / keys / wallet / mirror /hairbrush• Virtual message- voice or video recording• Anything else that is meaningful to theindividual.