Butterfly Lodge again proves commitment to quality care to the end
For the fifth time running our dedicated colleagues at Butterfly Lodge have had their accreditation renewed in recognition of the excellence of their end-of-life (EOL) care in accordance with St Luke’s Hospice Six Steps + programme.
The Six Steps champions at Butterfly Lodge are service manager Clare Sinclair, nurse and clinical lead Ivorine Ramkishun, dementia lead Michelle Fletcher and care assistant Joanne Mason.
Clare Sinclair said: “St Luke’s programme is about training and empowering individuals and organisations to work together to provide excellent EOL care, and it demands real commitment from participants.
“Regular three-monthly checks are carried out by St Luke’s as an ongoing part of our accreditation, and organisations are assessed for re-verification every 18 months.
“It can be challenging to provide high quality care to the frail elderly and the cognitively impaired, but we want our residents’ passing to be dignified, pain-free and as ‘right’ as it can be for loved ones too.
“Camelot Care supports my colleagues and I to attend the Hospice’s workshops, and we take very seriously our responsibility to cascade our learnings throughout the home.
“The Six Steps + programme covers all aspects of end-of-life care and equips us with the knowledge and skills to initiate appropriate individualised care in the months that precede end-of-life, as well as making sure our residents’ wishes are respected right up to the end.
“Practical aspects of the programme include learning how to recognise deterioration in a person’s overall condition which may signal end-of-life, and how to act promptly to get the right support in place, which can help avoid unwanted hospital admissions.
“We are also encouraged to be open about facing up to the realities of dying, and the need for sensitive communication and appropriate vocabulary.
“One of the results of Butterfly Lodge’s involvement with Six Steps + has been the development and implementation of our ‘future wishes’ programme which ensures that residents’ wishes for their end-of-life are recorded and followed.”
Iain Mitchell, educator for clinical skills and end of life care at St Luke’s Hospice said: “This organisational verification evidences Butterfly Lodge’s commitment to providing high-quality end of life and last days of life care for their residents.
“It is awarded to care homes that demonstrate understanding of the nuances of caring for the dying individual, and evidence local practices that adhere to national and local best practice guidance.”
St Luke’s Hospice is an independent charity which provides specialist care and support to people in the Plymouth region who have progressive life-limiting illnesses.
Photo shows Butterfly Lodge’s Six Steps champions L-R Jo Mason, Michelle Fletcher, Clare Sinclair, Ivy Ramkishun
