CAPA is everyone’s business
By making sure that CAPA is everyone’s business and involving all their staff in
the improvement programme, Falls of Dochart Care Home, Killin has seen some
tremendous improvements in health, mobility and wellbeing for the people that
they care for.
Mandy Hay, Care Home Manager explained: “We realised early on that it was really important for all our staff to get involved in the CAPA Programme. We brought a lot of information and ideas back from the learning events and I’m pleased to say that everyone has become really interested in promoting movement and activity. Five of our team have attended strength and balance training. Another is also doing the OTAGO Exercise Programme (a strength and balance training course for health and social care professional to reduce falls in frailer older people). Now, everyone is much more aware of how to incorporate movement into our residents’ care plans and into daily life.”
Ninety-four year old Hope Smith has dementia and moved into the care home last April. She is originally from
Devon but moved to Killin to be near her daughter.
Stephanie Cunningham, Activity Coordinator said: “Hope was very unsettled and anxious at first. She didn’t really understand why she was now living in a new place.
“We sat down with Hope and her daughter to put a plan in place. We wanted to find out more about what she
liked to do so that we could alleviate her anxiety and help her to settle in to the home.”
Hope was referred to physiotherapy and began a series of strength and balance exercises including Grip strength, Sit/Reach, Sit/Stand and Berg Balance. She had a stairs assessment and began to do strength and balance exercises. All of these have substantially improved Hope’s mobility.
Stephanie continued: “We also encouraged Hope to take on small household tasks such as making her own bed and folding her washing. She also gets involved in vegetable prep for the resident’s lunches and this is
something that Hope really enjoys, feeling part of the running of the home.”
Through getting to know Hope better, staff found out that she used to enjoy gardening. They worked with her to support her to plant potatoes in the garden for everyone to eat.
Mandy went on: “Hope’s daughter is extremely supportive and goes for walks with her Mum. Her long term goal is to climb up the hill across the road from the care home and she is well on her way to achieving this. Hope has settled into the care home really well now and feels her life has more meaning.