Countdown To National Care Home Open Day – 20 June 2014

With 10 days to go until National Care Home Open Day on Friday 20 June there are over 2,700 homes registered on the website (and we know there are many more care homes in other parts of the world including our partners in Australia). Twitter followers are up to 735 and there has been an increase in homes tweeting about what they are planning. You can also follow NCHOD on Twitter: #NCHOD2014

Gloria Hunniford, National Care Home Open Day Ambassador, said:

“The National Care Home Open Day is a great opportunity for people to see for themselves the quality of the care services in their neighbourhoods. Care homes and their residents are an important but sometimes overlooked part of our society. The Open Day will help strengthen the relationships between care home residents, staff and their next door neighbours. It may even encourage a few people to think about volunteering to do something during the rest of the year to support and befriend residents in local care homes.

“Last year’s National Care Home Open Day was a great success, and this year we are taking it to a whole new level with older people and care homes from across the world getting involved and showing their support for the care sector.”

If you haven’t yet registered on the NCHOD website please do! A document explaining how to load videos and photos has now been uploaded to the website under the Resources for Care Homes tab.

CQC inspectors will be involved: over 100 inspectors and staff from the Care Quality Commission are already signed up to join in the celebration. The Open Day offers an ideal opportunity for members of the public to find out more about their local care home and see for themselves what good care can look like. From cream teas and musical entertainment to summer BBQs and sporting pursuits, many care homes are offering a wide range of diverse activities to ensure everyone has a fun-filled day: The NCHOD map shows which care homes CQC inspectors and staff will be attending.

CQC’s Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, Andrea Sutcliffe, said:

“Whether members of the public are looking at care options for a family member or just want to make a connection with the community – the open day is a great opportunity to visit your local care home. People can see what goes on, get involved and gain a better understanding of these really important services. From 30 minutes, to a couple of hours – or even a whole afternoon – I really would like to encourage everyone to take some time out and join in the celebrations. I am delighted that so many inspectors and staff at CQC have already signed up to take part. Adult social care is the biggest service we regulate and it’s great we can be a part of celebrating the good care we see so often. I hope National Care Home Open Day will help to break down barriers between care homes and the community and forge lasting links for the future which will benefit everyone.”