Dignity and respect means being valued for who you are, what you are, what you believe in and how you chose to live your life.
Care is provided when the individual is at their most vulnerable. When an individual needs to have care in either a care home or in their own home they are in danger of losing their dignity and self- respect. One of the most important human needs is to be treated with dignity and respect, this does not change when an individual becomes in the need of care due to illness or age. This need for dignity and respect may even become more important as they will then be relying on others for their basic needs.
Care Workers need to work in a way which focuses on the values of the individual in front of them and everyone is different. Care Workers need to respect the choices and decisions of the individual and not assume how that individual wants to be treated. Care Workers need to work with care and compassion.
Examples of Care Workers showing dignity and respect to their client would be letting the individual choose their own clothing, involving them in decisions about their own care, speaking to the individual in a way that they wish, giving them choices in their meals and making those meals look appetising, respecting their personal space….this list can go on and on. Think about how you would like to be treated should you need the assistance from a care professional, would you want them to make decisions and speak on your behalf or would you like choices and be able to voice your opinion?
Having a sense of dignity is having a sense of pride in yourself. Having a pride in yourself is your sense of self-worth. This all helps to support mental and physical health as there is a purpose to the individuals’ life. The individual is still in control of their own future.
Not only is it a human need to be treated with dignity and respect but it is also a CQC regulation to treat all clients within the social care sector with dignity and respect. Care provider must show how they do this in order to be working within regulations. Always voice concerns if you feel that your care provider is not treating everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve.
