Thank you for the music…
Des Kelly OBE reflects on the 3rd Care Home Open Day held on Friday 19 June 2015 and offers his thanks to 1000s of care homes and care workers who took part this year as well as those that supported the initiative.
I count myself very lucky to have regular live music in my life. On Sunday I was at the University of Warwick Summer Gala Concert It was a spectacular event featuring The Wind Orchestra, Brass Society and the Symphony Orchestra with the massed singers of the University choir – an uplifting experience with lots of talent on show and some wonderful tunes. I promise I’m not showing off! The reason I mention this is that it was coincidental that the event followed the Care Home Open Day, which took place on Friday 19 June, where music seemed to be such a prominent part of the art activity on show. The power of live music and the positive emotional effects it can have are well documented. At its best music can enhance our mood and quality of life, reduce stress, aid well-being and healing, motivate … and just generally make you feel good.
There were two themes for CHOD this year: the use of the arts and valuing care workers. We don’t yet have the data on the number of care homes that took part this year – last year it was more than 4,000 care homes across the UK as well as the other side of the world! On Friday morning Care Home Open Day, or #CHOD2015 to give the Twitter handle, was ‘trending’ as it reached the third most referred to event on this social media. That is quite some achievement and it was great to see the support the initiative attracted from care homes, relatives, local authorities and the public along with care home representative bodies, the regulators and the national improvement bodies (including Social Care Institute for Excellence and Skills for Care). In England, thanks to the continuing support and leadership shown by CQC’s Chief Inspector Andrea Sutcliffe, some 150 inspectors or staff from CQC visited around 180 care homes on the day. Given the important role that the regulator has in promoting continuous improvement, CHOD is an excellent opportunity to showcase care home services and facilities. The support of the regulators demonstrated that the contribution of care workers is important and valued.
Looking at the wide range of imaginative activities that took place in the homes I felt proud to be associated with the day. There was a lot of live music including a variety of different bands, musicians and singers … including Elvis! I was at the charity BEN the automotive industry charity’s Town Thorns care centre where the live music was provided by a local jazz band who regularly perform at the home.
Watching and listening to the orchestra (and the band) made me reflect on the metaphor - I know that management guru Peter Drucker has done it already - about how the orchestra is a visible demonstration of people, instruments, music and conductor working in harmony. The music doesn’t work, and isn’t right, unless all of these elements are working together. It’s about a vision, team-working, creativity and leadership – all are vital to a positive outcome. Okay it’s not an original idea but the same is always true for effective, even outstanding, care and support services such as those offered in care homes. A positive culture of compassionate care needs to be orchestrated.
Care Home Open Day has a simple premise and a single aim which is that the best care homes are well connected to the community they serve. They are likely therefore to be ‘open’ and welcoming every day of the year. But by having a single day in which all care home are opened to the public offers an opportunity for people to get to know better what happens in care homes day-in-and-day-out. By challenging the misconceptions and perceptions that are so often associated with care homes a more positive understanding of care home services can hopefully be portrayed. Oh and did I mention there was plenty of cake consumed as well!
Des Kelly OBE
Executive Director
National Care Forum
http://www.nationalcareforum.org.uk/viewNews.asp?news_ID=2787§or_id=14