Care in Retirement & the National Pensioners Convention Dignity Code

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Conference
2012 National Retired Members Conference
Date
19 June 2012
Decision
Carried

The National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has produced a Dignity Code to uphold the rights and maintain the personal dignity of older people, within the context of ensuring the health, safety and well being of those who are increasingly less able to care for themselves or to properly conduct their affairs. Copy attached below. Signatories to this document include Paul Burstow MP, Care Minister, Liz Kendall MP, Shadow Care Minister, Dame Jo Williams of the Care Quality Commission, Doctor Peter Carter of the Royal College of Nursing and Lord Stewart Sutherland, Chair of the Royal Commission on long-term care plus many more after its launch on 22 February 2012.

Therefore, this Unison National Retired Members Conference instructs the National Retired Members Committee and calls on the National Executive Council to promote the Dignity Code by:

a)publicising the Dignity Code in Interactive and all Unison publications to working members;

b. calling on Unison retired members to promote the Dignity Code in all Branches and Regions;

c. supporting the National Pensioners Convention initiatives on care to achieve a publicly funded care system by taxation;

d. urgently communicating all concerns about care to the Government in an organised document to be produced by the National Retired Members Committee and publicised in Interactive and all Unison publications.

Dignity Code

The purpose of this Dignity Code is to uphold the rights and maintain the personal dignity of older people, within the context of ensuring the health, safety and well being of those who are increasingly less able to care for themselves or to properly conduct their affairs.

This Code recognises that certain practices and actions are unacceptable to older people, such as:

• Being abusive or disrespectful in any way, ignoring people or assuming they cannot do things for themselves

• Treating older people as objects or speaking about them in their presence as if they were not there

• Not respecting the need for privacy

• Not informing older people of what is happening in a way that they can understand

• Changing the older person’s environment without their permission

• Intervening or performing care without consent

• Using unnecessary medication or restraints

• Failing to take care of an older person’s personal appearance

• Not allowing older people to speak for themselves, either directly or through the use of a friend, relative or advocate

• Refusing treatment on the grounds of age

This Code therefore calls for:

• Respect for individuals to make up their own minds, and for their personal wishes as expressed in ‘living wills’, for implementation when they can no longer express themselves clearly

• Respect for an individual’s habits, values, particular cultural background and any needs, linguistic or otherwise

• The use of formal spoken terms of address, unless invited to do otherwise

• Comfort, consideration, inclusion, participation, stimulation and a sense of purpose in all aspects of care

• Care to be adapted to the needs of the individual

• Support for the individual to maintain their hygiene and personal appearance

• Respect for people’s homes, living space and privacy

• Concerns to be dealt with thoroughly and the right to complain without fear of retribution

• The provision of advocacy services where appropriate

NPC

Walkden House, 10 Melton Street, London NW1 2EJ

www.npcuk.org