Beacon Award puts Springhill in New Elite Band of UK Care Homes

Date of article: 22-Jun-10

Beacon Award puts Springhill in New Elite Band of UK Care Homes Dedicated staff at Accrington’s Springhill Care Home were jubilant this week after discovering their sensitive approach to end of life care had earned them coveted Beacon status from the NHS and Age UK backed Gold Standards Framework Centre.

The highly prestigious award is the first to be gained in East Lancs and places the Fairfield Street home in an elite band of only 29 homes in the UK to achieve the accolade.

Matron Cathy Dunn, who introduced the new quality initiative to the home's entire workforce 18 months ago, admitted that she was "walking on air" after receiving the announcement, which would go down as one of the highlights of her 25-year-old nursing career.

But she stressed: "It is not about winning plaques and never was. What is important to me as a professional nurse is ensuring that our residents have exactly what they want and need at the end of their lives to make sure the process of end of life is as comfortable and peaceful as possible. Not just for their sakes but for their families and friends who may be frightened and distressed as well."

Since being chosen by local Macmillan nurses to pilot the GSF scheme in East Lancs in November 2008, Springhill has reduced the number of residents admitted to hospital when terminally ill by a third.

Cathy added: "If anybody asked me where I'd like to end my days, I would always say at home. For our residents, this is their home and they feel exactly the same way. They want to end their days in a familiar environment surrounded by people they've grown to know and trust rather than strangers in hospital. To have enabled more of our residents to do this, fulfilling their final wishes, is the real achievement."

The home's entire 84 strong workforce has undergone GSF training including cleaners and cooks as well as nursing and care staff.

"Ensuring residents die well is not just about providing the right medical care. In those final days, domestic staff will be going in and out of their rooms as well as cooks who have to cope with dietary changes. Everybody plays a part in that peaceful goodbye process. "

“Fortunately we've got a brilliant team here. Right from the start everyone has pulled together and gained confidence in all aspects of dealing well with dying. We could never have achieved this otherwise," admitted Cathy.

However, she concedes it has not happened overnight or always been easy. It has involved staff gaining a new level of trust with doctors and other healthcare professionals and often standing firm to avoid hospital admissions. Terminally ill residents are asked where they want to die and relatives are given a booklet produced by Cathy offering practical advice on coping with the final hours and days. Staff sit down together as a team after every death to reflect on the experience in order to develop best practice.

The home was inspected by Macmillan nurses , who spent half a day chatting to staff, in April before recommending it for the beacon award. It will be presented to Springhill's management team at a ceremony in Birmingham at the end of June but plans are being made to celebrate the success with the workforce who received a team thank you card from Cathy.

Springhill's newly appointed General Manager Anne-Marie Potter said: “One of the things that attracted me to Springhill was its commitment to this end of life care initiative. I am immensely proud to be part of such a great team and am very much looking forward to helping to maintain beacon standards."

End of Life Care Lead for NHS East Lancs Community Health Services Erin Bolton said: "I am so proud to have worked with Springhill on achieving Beacon status. This is a first for East Lancs and recognition of the wonderful care staff give. Their enthusiasm has impressed me no end. Well done!"

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