We are a professional dementia care home based in Worcestershire. Therefore, we are committed to raising the standard of the nursing care we provide, on all levels. One way we can do that is to ensure our Registered Nurses and other members of the team, whose first language is not English have the best mastery of our cultural nuances.
Like many other care homes in Worcestershire, at Stanfield Nursing Home we employ many nationalities. Our staff recruitment process is rigorous and robust. It’s our policy to only employ staff for our nursing home whose existing command of English is already very good.
You can read more about our nursing home staff and our continuous professional development policy.
Delivering Excellent Care
Communication and understanding is a key component of delivering excellent care. Yet it’s something that can be taken for granted with care services.
We actively encourage the delivery of a culturally diverse team at our care home Worcester, via the recruitment of registered nurses and other staff from many countries.
It helps to bring a diversity of experience to the residents and the home as a whole.
We employ staff who vary in age for the same reasons.
Delivering The Best At Our Dementia Care Home In Worcestershire
As Director, I need to be certain any potential barriers to the understanding of our residence are overcome. This is to ensure we are delivering outstanding elderly care to our dementia care residents
Cultural Understanding
Having a command of the English language is one thing, grasping cultural distinctions can be something quite different.
Subtle cultural differences can affect the way language is interpreted. So, it’s my job to ensure that the communication is as clear as possible. This would be between both our residents and care home staff and amongst the care home staff members themselves.
This is why at Stanfield Nursing Home, we work with Lucy Davidson [BA Hons QT, Teacher of English as a Second Language] to enhance the cultural understanding and use of the English language to all of our employees whose first language is not English.
Lucy has worked in Germany, developing German national’s English skills and specialises in English as a second language.
Building An Enjoyable Environment
The basis of working with Lucy is the empowerment for our residents and staff. She creates an environment which is friendly and enjoyable and where participants feel able to engage happily.
As well as refining language skills, her job at Stanfield is to improve the comprehension and understanding of cultural differences. Clearing up any issues that are is actually being communicated.
Doing so ensures that choice leading to consent together with the values of privacy and dignity of our residents is always upheld. Additionally, expedites the resolution of anything that is required.
The happiness, safety and health and of all of our residents at our Worcester care home is at the heart of everything we do.
Working with Lucy is just another way of us delivering that ethos at Stanfield Nursing Home.
What’s Lucy Been Up To With The Team At Our Care Home Worcester?
The English lessons we have had to date have built on the students’ prior knowledge and experience of living and working in England and their home countries.
As well as working towards improving students’ spoken fluency (including pronunciation), reading and comprehension, listening skills, written abilities and vocabulary, Lucy has also been addressing cultural similarities and differences.
Lucy comments:
“We are achieving this and an increase in students’ confidence by using authentic situations and materials. For example, we have already: examined documents such as the CQC Regulatory requirements; discussed Mental Capacity Act and DOLS. We have also explored the differing cultural approaches to End of life care. At a practical level we practised functions related to telephoning such as beginning and ending calls, answering the phone, asking for clarification and, currently, taking messages; expanded our body part vocabulary and finally, discussed appropriate topics for small talk to be possibly used with residents’ visitors.”
Fundamentally, the greatest benefits of Lucy’s work at our dementia care home Worcestershire are felt in some of what appear to be the simplest things. Like making a phone call and having to share potentially distressing information with our residents’ families.
There are cultural differences and so, really, it’s about giving our staff whose first language isn’t English, the confidence to provide, at all stages of the care process, the high standards of care and support which they are passionate about delivering to our residents’ and their families.
Lucy’s work is a great addition to the training on offer at our dementia care home Worcestershire. Its benefits are already felt and both myself and the team are delighted with it.
If you would like to learn more about the care we provide at Stanfield Nursing Home, please call 01905 420 459 or drop in and visit us.
You may also like to read our previous blog and watch the accompanying video on our Worcester care home ethos.