Leading live in care provider’s outstanding services recognised with two award nominations

Award winning and CQC rated ‘Outstanding’ live in care provider, The Good Care Group has been nominated for a series of awards recognising its expertise and excellence in live in care and supporting people living with dementia.

Its Admiral Nurse, Dr Jane Pritchard, has been shortlisted as a finalist in the category of ‘The Dementia Nurse Award’ in the 2024 Dementia Care Awards; while its Learning and Development team has been shortlisted as a finalist in the category of ‘Dementia Trainer and Workforce’.

The news comes as The Good Care Group launches its new model of dementia care, EVER. Standing for ‘Engagement, Validation, Enrichment and Relationships’, this focuses on providing a person-centred approach which is meaningful to the individual’s needs and helping carers better support family members to enhance their relationships with loved ones. The model has been developed by their Specialist care Service team, including Dr. Pritchard, and is designed to support people in living meaningful lives through cognitive stimulation, social engagement and promoting independence.

It also involves establishing what the client’s individual interests and hobbies are and prioritises working with family members and individuals to determine the activities that bring value to their lives. This approach can also be taken alongside iCST (Individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy), which provides one-to-one intervention offering mentally stimulating and enjoyable activities for people with dementia.

Misty Martyn, Professional Carer at The Good Care Group, said: 

“When people hear the word dementia, they think it’s the end – it’s not the end, we are here to give them life.” 

This enhanced level of care for those living with dementia also draws on the GEMS ® model, established from work done by Teepa Snow, a dementia care expert based in the US. This is an approach used with those living with dementia based on assigning the names of precious gems to the special qualities a person retains. This provides an alternative narrative focussing on the qualities that remain in an individual rather than what has been lost.

Jane Pritchard, consultant Admiral Nurse, said:

“It’s so important that the lives of those living with dementia are continually enriched as this is essential for wellbeing.

“It’s crucial to ensure that people are treated as individuals and have the space and time to express how they want to receive care. This can be achieved by carers working closely with clients and their families to focus on their interests and, enabling them to establish a baseline of independence.”