Thank you, as always, to Julia and all at John’s Campaign.

John’s Campaign was founded by Julia Jones, daughter of June who lived with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, and Nicci Gerrard, daughter of Alzheimer’s sufferer Doctor John Gerrard who sadly passed in 2014 after a prolonged hospital admission. Doctor Gerrard’s health deteriorated during a five week hospital stay during which time he was detached from the care and support of family members by a system that did not historically facilitate such external input into daily hospital routines.

From this experience Nicci and Julia founded John’s Campaign, with the hope that family and carer support could and should be accepted and welcomed in the hospital setting. The Campaign has taken off exponentially, with TV coverage, MP support, and over a thousand wards, hospitals and other environments pledging their support.

‘We need to embrace a new era of of family-centred care in which family carers are treated as equals in the delivery of care.’ — The Benefits and Drawbacks of Open Visiting, Nursing Times, November 2018.

On seeing John’s Campaign on social media, Apple House care homes reached out to Julia and were delighted to pledge our support. It was clear to us that family involvement was key to underpinning the wellbeing of individuals we support.

The archaic practice of restricted visiting has never been an ethos we have condoned or participated in. Family members and loved ones are an extension of us just as we are an extension of them. Together with the individual we collectively form a team, a family, a group co-working towards a common goal: support and care underpinned by a sound knowledge base garnered not from one source or from paperwork, but via a deep and thorough understanding of an individual’s network of family and friends and, most importantly, what matters to them in their life. What makes them ‘them.’ What their hopes and aspirations are, their fears, their interests and so many other threads of their life which simply cannot be gathered together in isolation.

‘There are good reasons to support the notion that friends and family play a huge role in the person’s emotional wellbeing.’ –From Families as ‘Visitors’ to Families as Partners, Dokken DL et al, 2015.

To this end, Romaine spoke at the steering group and you can listen to what she said by clicking the YouTube link in this post.

— Jane Montrose, Managing Director, Apple House Ltd.

Joined by CQC and leading representatives of the sector, presentations and discussion will centre on what is already being achieved and what work can be done to take John’s Campaign’s ethos even further forward.

John’s Campaign was founded in 2014. Since then, overwhelming support has been shown from across the UK. Over 1000 wards, hospitals and other institutions have pledged their support. 58 MPs from across political parties signed an Early Day Motion in December 2014. Following this, the then PM, David Cameron, voiced support on the Andrew Marr show. A year later, NHS England officially endorsed the campaign, including it in their 2016/17 Commissioning for Quality and Innovation payment framework.

Apple House proudly adopted the core principles of John’s Campaign in 2017 and were commended for this by CQC as part of their inspection which led to a rating of our Hampshire care home, Summerwood, as ‘Outstanding,’ achieved by only 1% of care and nursing homes in the UK.

On Thursday we will be discussing how we greatly value the excellent inclusive relationships we work hard to establish and maintain with family and friends of people we support.  

Our team extends beyond ourselves in reaching out to the people outside our organization for their ideas, input and involvement.  We do this by whatever means are appropriate to the individual and can include social media, Skype, our Open-Door policy and regular face-to-face meetings.

— Jane Montrose, Managing Director, Apple House Care Homes.

I was thinking about what to talk about on our company blog. I could have written something funny or about an interest that I have.  But instead I thought I would share something.

I have a brother who is four years older than me who has a learning disability.  Since I was a little girl I have always been very protective towards him.

I have worked in care for over 30 years now, and so I have seen almost all there is to see from the care provider’s perspective.

Recently I have found myself having to stand up for my brother once again.  It has helped that I have the knowledge of how things are done from a care provider’s side.

This has made me stop and think!

We provide care for residents to the best of our ability and I think we all do an excellent job.  But, there is something very special about the support of family, especially a parent.

Sometimes we [carers] need to remember even more how precious those we support are to their families.

Sit back and reflect on how difficult it is to hand over the care of that person to complete strangers.

Families often find it difficult and feel guilty that they are unable to provide the care themselves. So, when you have contact with a family member that seems overly anxious or seems to be asking for the impossible, bear in mind:

How would you cope with handing over the life of a family member to people you don’t know?

How do we help promote confidence in us and what we do as a provider?

— Pam, Support Worker, Summerwood care home, Hants.

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Huge thanks to Pam for sharing such a heartfelt and insightful post with thoughts which are deeply personal to her and so valid. In fact, what Pam eludes to is that we, as a provider of care, are in a hugely privileged and responsible position of trust.  Trust between the family, the individual and us. We consider that trust to be a circle which must never be broken.

Trust underpins the essence of care.

Families are our partners, and we theirs.  We joined John’s Campaign (click HERE to read a Guardian newspaper article on their success) to deepen our commitment to the loved ones of those we support, and were delighted to be featured in their blog.  Please take a moment with a cuppa to read our post: Family Friendly, What Does it Mean? where we share ways in which we encourage and nurture close partnerships with families.

‘No-one knows an individual as well as those closest to them.’

— Jane Montrose, Managing Director, Apple House care homes.

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Historically, care homes and nursing homes followed the hospital model of rigid visiting times.  This in turn meant that families may not have been considered to be intrinsic in the planning of care pathways or, in fact, in the individual’s life inside a care environment.  Today, things are changing for the better but there is always more work to be done.

Apple House care homes embrace an ethos of inclusion.  Families and loved ones have a hugely crucial role to play and, as such, are our partners and never an inconvenience.

These are just some of the ways in which we include families of the individuals entrusted to our care:

• Decision making: From the moment that we receive a referral for a placement at our homes we establish communication with the individual’s family unless they do not wish to be involved in the assessment process.  This means that we invite the family and the individual to the home for an initial look at the facilities offered and to meet our team.  An open line of dialogue is created so that families feel empowered to ask any questions and to express concerns or wishes.  Often close family members advocate on behalf of their loved one or have worries about how the individual will adapt to their new home environment.  After all, change is scary for all of us and we understand that.  Only by being fully informed can families and their loved one make a decision that is right for them.
• Partnerships: We believe that families and friends are an invaluable source of information.  No-one knows an individual as well as those closest to them.  Insights and preferences, life history, hobbies and matters that are important to the individual can sometimes be shared with us more fully by family members, especially if their loved one finds verbal communication to be a challenge or if their memory is poor.  Memories are precious and we would like to learn about the memorable moments that are important to the person – all of this makes the individual who they are today. Working in partnership with families as well as the individual in care planning produces a more holistic and comprehensive pathway.
• Approachable: Communication is key.  Three words that summarise the entire partnership between ourselves and the loved ones of the individuals we support.  It is essential that strong communication is in place to form a bridge between families and staff teams.  That bridge helps to avoid rocky roads where anxiety and disharmony could take hold.  After all, it can be stressful and emotional entrusting the care and support of someone you love into the hands of others.  By us being approachable–letting families know that we are there to support them, that they can talk to us at any time–we hope to alleviate concerns, discuss expectations and to be friendly and flexible.
• Flexible: The people who live at Apple House homes are not living in our workplace.  We are working in their home.  They are free to invite their families and friends into their home for a cuppa or to enjoy their gardens with them.  We minimise rules about visiting to, for example,  the need to sign in which is a legal requirement, and to the consideration of others living alongside the individual.  There will always be a warm, genuine welcome from staff.  We have an ‘open door’ approach to visiting, just as we all expect within our own homes outside of care.
• Homely:  We work hard to ensure that Apple House homes are exactly that – homely!  To achieve this, we choose furnishings for our public areas such as lounges that are not clinical or generic in style.  We encourage the displaying of items and pictures that have meaning to the individuals who live there.  Our gardens are created and maintained with the help of those individuals who are able and wish to, for example our chickens are cared for by residents who collect the eggs and bake with them.  There are sensory areas and places to simply sit and be.  Where we are required to display certificates of registration, fire, health and safety etc, we endeavour to do so discretely.  Individuals are encouraged and empowered to decide how they wish their bedroom to look (and we’ve certainly painted some wild and varied colours!).
• Communication: We understand that it is not always possible to visit and so we ensure that alternative means of communication are accessible.  These include Skype video calls, email and telephone calls between individuals and their loved ones.
• Participation: Invitations are extended to families to events within the homes that are varied and regular.  These include invitations to birthday celebrations, BBQs, seasonal parties, special activities such as visiting owls and birds of prey and charity fund-raiser coffee mornings.

This list is not exhaustive – there are so many diverse ways of ensuring that we are family friendly.

–– Jane Montrose, Managing Director.

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Apple House care homes are proud to have joined John’s Campaign as part of our ethos of inclusion, of recognising the important role of family and friends to care residents’ wellbeing and personal identity.

“I quite like the title ‘Honoured Guests.  It reminds people, whether we are family or friends, that we are there as guests of the resident. This title also reinforces that staff and relatives should have one purpose, which is to support the person who is resident in the care home, and that their contribution is well-regarded.” — Professor Martin Green.

Within the publication, ‘Honoured Guests,’ Apple House care homes are referenced:

Care England is a registered charity and the leading representative body for independent care services in England.

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“Staff [in care homes] should do all within their power to make access easy for family carers and utilise their expert knowledge and their love.” —John’s Campaign

We posted an article right here on our blog back in March 2017, about John’s Campaign, about our reasons for signing up to it, the importance of really welcoming families and friends of residents in residential care.  Not doing so as visitors, but as an intrinsic part of the wider team that encompasses the individual themselves, care staff, and the circle of family and friends who often know the individual in a far deeper and meaningful way than even the most diligent carers can.

Next month we’ll be featuring another post on this very topic because it’s so dear to our hearts (and we’ve plenty more to say!).  In the meantime, can I please ask that you make a cuppa and take a moment to read Julia Jones’s fascinating article on the John’s Campaign blog? Please click HERE to read about The “Third Force” in Residential Care.

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What is ‘John’s Campaign?’

“John’s Campaign is named after Dr John Gerrard, who died in November 2014 after a catastrophic stay in hospital.

Shocked at how much damage disconnection can wreak on people with dementia, his daughter Nicci Gerrard and her friend Julia Jones co-founded the campaign with a single, simple principle: We should not enforce disconnection between carers and those who need care. When someone with dementia is hospitalized, the medical staff should do all within their power to make access easy for family carers and utilise their expert knowledge and their love. The principles of John’s Campaign are applicable everywhere when a person with dementia cannot live in their own home. Whether someone with dementia is living in a mental health unit, a nursing home, a rehabilitation unit, supported housing or a care home, their families must be welcome to support them as often as they are able. Families are more than “visitors” to a person with dementia; they are an integral part of that persons life and identity and often their last, best means of connection with the world.

In the two or so years since it was founded, overwhelming support has been shown from across the UK.  Nearly 400 wards, hospitals and other institutions have pledged their support.  Nearly 58 MPs from across political parties signed an Early Day Motion tabled by Valerie Vaz MP in December 2014.  In January 2015, the then PM David Cameron voiced support on the Andrew Marr show.  A year later, NHS England officially endorsed the campaign, including it in their 2016/17 Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) payment framework.” — John’s Campaign Website.

Today the campaign continues to grow, with care homes such as Apple House now pledging their support via a family friendly ethos that underpins each home, and with recognition that connecting with families benefits not only those with dementia.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive for Care England, says, “There is really good evidence that people who maintain their relationships have much greater well-being, and better quality-of-life. It is for these reasons that John’s Campaign, is fighting to ensure that there are no restrictions on when people can engage with their loved ones.”

The Division of Clinical Psychology states, “Carer involvement and support is essential to providing best care, for example, by obtaining a person’s life history.”

With support from The Guardian newspaper and The Observer newspaper too, awareness of the vital connection between those receiving care and their families and friends can only increase further.

Here’s our certificate:

Read our blog post about being ‘family friendly, HERE

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