A Budleigh Salterton care home is taking part in an exciting new NHS trial to improve wellbeing of residents.

This trial, taking place at The Firs, in West Hill, will incorporate the new Framework for Enhanced Health in Care Homes and is part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

The NHS will be using the framework as a starting point to re-think how care homes can help care home residents to stay healthy, to nurture their well-being, to be engaged with their communities, to be active and fulfilled, and to be able to access specialist healthcare when it is needed in a way that fits with their life choices and their individual needs.

The Firs manager Nikki Shayler said: “this is an unbelievable opportunity for us to be part of a groundbreaking trial which will be of tremendous benefit to our staff and residents and ultimately the social care sector as a whole.

“The emphasis of this trial will be taking an holistic approach to residential care incorporating the many strands of health and social care all working together within the same framework for the very first time.

“As such we will be front and centre in this exciting and progressive project.”

The process has already begun with online meetings between multi-disciplinary teams across the sector and discussing where improvements are required in care.

New ideas will be brought together to trial at The Firs and the other care homes involved and then reviewed to see if they have made a difference in improving the wellbeing of residents.

Any successful ideas will then be rolled out into other care settings to also improve their services.

You can read the framework here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/enhanced-health-in-care-homes-framework/