Not-for-profit care group Greensleeves Care has launched Keys To Open Minds – a campaign to debunk common myths about life in care homes.
As part of the campaign, large keys carrying myth-busting messages are being placed in public spaces in locations across England, encouraging people to reconsider their preconceptions of social care.
Teams and residents from Greensleeves Care’s homes are placing keys in landmarks and public areas and sharing them with businesses. The sustainably produced wooden keys carry tags with messages that spell out common myths around care homes and challenge them with facts. The keys are designed to encourage people of all ages to engage with the reality of care home life via the accompanying #KeysToOpenMinds social media hashtag.
The campaign, which launches in time for Care Home Open Week 2023 (26 June – 2 July), highlights the divide between public understanding and the reality of care home life. Greensleeves Care’s recent customer satisfaction survey across its 28 homes showed that 93 per cent of residents who responded are happy with their care and the vast majority feel empowered to make choices about their day-to-day lives.
Shona King, director of business development at Greensleeves Care, said: “The main aim of our Keys to Open Minds campaign is to prompt better conversations, reduce stigma around care homes, and encourage people to reconsider their preconceptions.
“Misconceptions around care homes abound – from the quality of the food to how residents are supported to live with dignity. As our own data shows, the reality is that for the vast majority of residents, care homes are a positive, much-valued chapter in people’s journey through later life.
“Long-standing myths are damaging not only for the sector, but for the thousands of families looking for specialist, 24-hour care for their loved ones. They want to feel confident and empowered in the choices they make. At Greensleeves Care, we believe that feeling empowered starts with having a myth-free, more accurate idea of what it is like to join a care home community.”
