Palmers Hospital

On an older persons in-patient ward, we took the opportunity to hold a Coffee & Cream Cake afternoon to raise awareness of Dignity in Action day. The afternoon was well attended by families, carers, friends and staff. Information was shared with the guests regarding Dignity in care including how to become a dignity champion. Staff offered to hold another open day if people wanted help with enrolling as a dignity champion. We handed out small questionnaires asking “What does dignity mean to me?” . This was totally anonymous and some of the responses were :-

•Respect other people

•Giving care , privacy and respect to all people who are in need of help with their needs

•Privacy and choice for myself and others.

•Treat people as you would want to be treat yourself

•Keeping our self esteem and self respect

•Being allowed privacy when needed

Everyone involved in the day had a very enjoyable time, lots of stories were shared. Each guest was given a 10 point dignity card to keep in their purse/wallet. This day improved staff and relative relationships. People feel now that they have the confidence to report any dignity concerns on the ward to staff.