BELFAST CARE HOME SPREADS MESSAGES OF DIGNITY
Staff and residents from Priory Group’s Ben Madigan Care Home are searching for people across Belfast who may have had found ‘message balloons’ as part of a dignity in care campaign.
Scores of brightly coloured balloons were launched into the sky from the care home’s base in Newtownabbey, each adorned with a small card carrying messages about the importance of dignity and what it means to residents.
The poignant messages were launched as part of a national Department of Health Dignity Action Day, which aimed to ensure vulnerable people are given choice, control and a sense of purpose in their daily lives.
Residents who were involved in the launch hope that people across Belfast will have seen the balloons and taken time to understand the meaning of them.
With the wind blowing, the residents hope that the balloons have reached communities far and wide, and are calling for people to get in touch to say if they have found a balloon.
Some of the messages include; “Let me do things for myself, I think that is what dignity is all about. It’s not that I can’t do the thing, it’s just that it takes me a bit longer and I don’t mind that, it’s not like I’m in a rush, I’m at a time in my life when I want to take my time.”
Eileen McCrellis, Ben Madigan home manager, said: “This was a really fun campaign that involved staff, residents, and their families but it was a campaign with a serious underlying message.
“Dignity is extremely important in any care setting as it allows people to feel like they are treated as individuals and that they have a sense of purpose in life. By showing people dignity, you enhance their quality of life and help them to feel comfortable and in control of their surroundings.
“Our balloon launch helped to give residents a voice far and wide, and we would love to hear from people who found a balloon and read the dignity messages. Hearing from these people would really give our campaign wings, and show us how worthwhile it has been.”
Anyone wanting to contact Ben Madigan about their balloon find is asked to call 02890 860 787
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Dignity in Care Campaign
The Dignity in care Campaign, which launched in November 2006, aims to stimulate a national debate around dignity in care and create a care system where there is zero tolerance of abuse and disrespect of adults. It is led by Government in partnership with many organisations that provide and commission care and protect the interests of those using care services and their carers.
Sir Michael Parkinson joined the campaign as the National Dignity Ambassador in May 2008 to help raise the profile of the campaign by bringing it to the attention of the public.
The Priory Group is the UK’s leading independent provider of acute mental health services, secure and step-down services, specialist education, complex care and neuro-rehabilitation services, working in partnership with the public and independent sectors.
Priory's acute psychiatric hospitals offer a comprehensive range of successful, evidence-based inpatient, outpatient and day patient treatment programmes and therapy services for a wide variety of mental health issues, including depression, addictions, eating disorders and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Priory Secure Services is a specialist provider of secure mental health services working in partnership with the NHS.
Priory's complex care hospitals and neuro-rehabilitation centres treat people with enduring mental and physical illnesses, restricted mobility and challenging behaviours that are often the result of organic, degenerative or neurological problems and whose needs cannot be met in conventional environments. Priory's neuro-rehabilitation centres care for people with a wide range of acquired or progressive neurological disorders, including brain injuries and illness, spinal injuries, brain haemorrhages and stroke.
Priory Education Services is the UK's leading independent provider of specialist education and care for children and young people aged four to 35 with Asperger's Syndrome (AS), autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) and specific learning difficulties associated with dyslexia.
The Priory Group is developing a range of high quality care homes offering long-term, short-term and respite nursing care for older people who are physically frail or suffering with dementia related disorders.