Dignity Action Day – 1 February 2013

Dignity Action Day is an opportunity for health and social care workers and members of the public to promote dignity in care.

The aim of the day is to:

• raise awareness of the importance of Dignity in Care
• provide someone with an extra special day
• demonstrate that everybody in the community has a role to play in upholding dignity in care
• remind the public that staff have a right to be treated with dignity and respect too.

Hospices, other organisations and individuals can get involved. For example, St Christopher’s Hospice will be represented at the Croydon Dignity in Care Network Event which is held with the Croydon Older People Network, care home providers and the Croydon home support team. They aim to:

• promote the training availabile for dignity care and adult safeguarding
• outline Dignity in Care events held over the last year
• catch up on St Christopher’s Hospice’s work within Croydon care and nursing homes to ensure that end of life care is made more dignified.

Other events can be found on the Dignity In Care website, which features a map of all events organised. 

More information about the Dignity Action Day can be found on the website.

Dignity Champions

National Dignity Council have organised the Dignity Action Day, and they are also responsible for the the Dignity Champions initiative. More than 40,000 people, who are committed to be good role models, to challenge poor care and to educate and inform those around them about dignity in care, have signed up to be dignity champions.

Sir Michael Parkinson, dignity champion, said:
“It might well be that the difference people make individually is a mere ripple on the surface of our care system, but each of those ripples added together create a wave, a social movement, and if this makes life better for some – then it has to be worthwhile.”

Stories of dignity in care

If you know of a great example of dignity in care being shown in a hospice or by someone involved in palliative care, we at ehospice would love to hear from you with a view to publishing an article about the story. Please contact our UK editor Bree Rayfield with any ideas, examples or questions.