10.60.06
The 10-60-6 programme was developed by Caroline Baker, our Director of Dementia Care, and the Dementia Care Support Team. It builds on the principles that underlie Barchester Healthcare’s ‘Memory Lane Community’ approach. It is a training and accreditation programme designed to enhance both the dementia care environment in participating homes and to improve interactions between staff, people living with dementia, relatives and health professionals. It focuses on reducing distress, increasing well-being and improving quality of life.
What does 10-60-6 stand for?
The numbers represent the components of the training and accreditation programme, including:
10 key things that we must see across the home, including all staff having completed a course on understanding dementia care, person-centred care approaches and the use of life story work to help us provide better care for our residents.
60 key components delivered under the 10 main development themes for staff specifically working with people living with dementia. These interventions that require, specialised knowledge which staff train to acquire, including:
- Identifying, understanding and reducing distress
- Reducing unnecessary and potentially harmful medicines through person-centred reviews
- Creating better environments for people living with dementia
- Programmes of activities designed for people living with dementia
6 other interventions chosen from a menu of options that have proven beneficial effects for people living with dementia, including music therapy, exercise programmes and using digital technology.
Training packages built up from these elements are tailored to individual home’s needs.
What impact has 10-60-6 had?
A number of our care homes have taken part in the 10-60-6 pilot with evaluations demonstrating significant changes.
These significant changes include:
- Residents’ overall well-being increased
- Residents ate and drank more
- The use of potentially harmful medication was reduced
- Falls were reduced
- Pain was better identified, managed and reduced
- Residents were much less likely to become distressed
How can I help the person I’m visiting?
A main theme of the programme is to encourage family and friends’ involvement in care – you know the resident much better than we do, particularly when they have just moved in with us.
We are not asking you to provide hands-on care (unless you wish to do so). However, we would like to work with you to discuss individual’s choices, preferences and approaches to life, which the resident may be unable to share with us. We can then make sure our care and support matches their needs and wants.
People living with dementia often find their short term memory is badly affected but that memories of the past can remain fresh – and so vivid they may even be re-lived. For staff offering care and support, knowledge of people’s history is really helpful. It means strong dislikes can be avoided. More importantly it means we can respect the individuals we support for their strengths, design appropriate activities and share discussions and memories with them.
We will talk to you about our life-story based ‘Getting to Know Me’ booklets and the ‘memory boxes’ that we would like to develop with your help.