February 1st is Dignity Action Day, when we come together to think about what it means to act, and treat others, with dignity. The dictionary defines dignity as “the state or quality of being worthy of honour or respect,” and Dignity Action day gives us all a chance to think about how we can bring dignity to our work.
At Weston Hospicecare we strive to treat everyone- patients, families, friends and staff, with the same quality of care and respect that we ourselves would like to receive. Taking time to listen, being respectful of other’s thoughts and opinions, and making sure the needs of others are met, are important factors to the care and support we provide. Jill Nash, our In-Patient Unit Manager and Dignity Champion, explains what dignity means to her:
Dignity means many things to me but perhaps most importantly is to feel valued as a person in my own right and to have mutual respect for people.
The Dignity in Care website provides a wealth of information on the scheme, as well as the 10 Dignity Do’s; values and actions that high quality services that respect people’s dignity should follow:
- Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse
- Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your family
- Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service
- Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and control
- Listen and support people to express their needs and wants
- Respect people’s right to privacy
- Ensure people feel able to complain without fear of retribution
- Engage with family members and carers as care partners
- Assist people to maintain confidence and positive self-esteem
- Act to alleviate people’s loneliness and isolation
At Weston Hospicecare, we endeavour to adhere to the points above in our work, to ensure patients and their loved ones are treated with dignity at all times.