How Reading Well Books Are Supporting Dementia Care in Solihull Care Home
Royal Star & Garter recently made the Reading Well for dementia book collection available in their Solihull care home, using the resource to support residents, staff, and families living with and caring for people with dementia. The care home has around 57 residents and 115 staff and focuses on care and support for veterans and their families, living with disability or dementia.
We spoke with Shirley Hall, Director of Care & Wellbeing, and Katie McCauley, Home Manager, to learn more about their experience.
How have you shared the Reading Well for dementia collection?
The books have been introduced to colleagues, residents and family members. Staff created a display in the care home’s reception area, featuring Reading Well books, leaflets and bookmarks. It means they are visible, and people can choose whether they want to pick one up or not. Having the books on display provides a good talking point. One example the team shared was a gentleman who visits his wife, at the end of his visit he waits in reception for his son to pick him up and he reads, so Katie suggested a book from the Reading Well for dementia collection.
How have the books been used so far?
The Reading Well books have been used by a wide range of people in the home. At least eight have been borrowed so far, with others frequently browsed, including the books for children with family members affected by dementia. The range of formats and perspectives mean the collection has a broad appeal to residents, family members and staff, who have found them a useful tool to support residents. Katie gave the example of a woman living with dementia who never leaves her wing, the team managed to get her downstairs and knew she likes poetry so read The Practical Handbook of Living with Dementia with her as it includes poetry. As the team explain:
“She would normally get agitated and go upstairs. For her to be engaged in this because she enjoys poetry, I think that definitely contributed to her staying longer. She read out the whole thing. I remember because I got took a picture of them because it was so special.”
How have the books supported families of people with dementia?
The books act as a conversation starter about dementia.
Shirley and Katie recalled a moment during an open day at the care home, where the books played an important role in supporting a family considering long term care for a loved one living with dementia.
“… I said to her, ‘Come and have a look at these books on dementia because you seem to be really struggling with the diagnosis,’ and she was very tearful. She took one of the books and it was a good conversation starter with the family member about dementia… We want to encourage the conversation so that it was just a really good segue for a couple who had never seen the home before to get talking about mum living with dementia.”
How do the books support your strategic aims?
The Reading Well for dementia pilot aligns with the care home’s broader vision of supporting all those affected by dementia and offers value in the wider message that having the collection on display sends.
“We’re all about encouraging our staff, visitors, residents and relatives, to get involved. We’re setting up dementia working groups soon. We’re just trying to create that more open culture and support relatives. So for us, it was an easy no-brainer. […] It increases our community engagement, which is really important in terms of the local authority and CQC seeing that we’re involved with different organisations. Providing access to relevant information—especially for people living with dementia—is so important. We’re really grateful.”
What’s next for Royal Star & Garter’s Reading Well journey?
Looking ahead, the team hopes to create a small library area in reception, continue promotion of the books to staff, and look at more opportunities to use the books with residents and relatives. They also plan to look at how the books can support carers and families with the transition from diagnosis to moving into the care home. They’re also exploring how the books can support staff learning, particularly in preparation for dementia training at their Worthing home.
“I think it benefits the home in loads of different ways. The fact that books are just available to people, you don’t know what situation anyone’s in. They might not be able to have access to books. So just that they’re there is just really nice.”
