Lynn’s Blog: Let’s stand up for dignity, not only on Dignity Action Day but every day of the year

Today is Dignity Action Day, and like many across the UK, myself and everyone at HRM Homecare Services will be wearing red to raise awareness of this special day.

Dignity Action Day shines a light on the need to uphold people’s rights to dignity. At HRM Homecare, we recognise just how vitally important that is, not just today – 1st February – but also every day of the year.

For HRM Homecare, the cornerstone of our work is based on respect for the individual. We provide more than 9,000 hours of home support a week to the most vulnerable people across west and central Scotland. We not only help them live well in their own homes, we support people with the same respect you would want for yourself, treat each person as an individual, listen and support people so they feel free to express their needs and wants, engage with family members, assist people to maintain confidence and positive self-esteem, and help tackle loneliness and isolation.

Take our wonderful services manager Claire. Claire helped people who through severe past trauma were struggling to receive the correct level of care to meet their life challenges. Her ability to provide empathetic support shone through and helped them overcome these issues.

Or our operations manager Susie, who spared time to go that extra mile and visit service users who like their nails polished, hair done or beards trimmed.

These past two years, COVID-19 has shone an ever brighter light on the vital nature of this work. The pandemic has been very hard on many, and none more so than those with severe life challenges, such as dementia, many of whom have had to shield away from their loved ones, family and friends.

That is where going that extra mile to make sure their right to dignity is met and supported is so important, in fact is vital, to their well-being. I have witnessed first-hand the hard work of my teams in doing just that. In fact it’s at the heart of everything they do.

So this 1st of February, join us in wearing red as we join together to uphold people’s right to dignity. Above all, let’s all go out and provide people with an extra special day, remind our fellow members of the public that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and join together as a community to be kind and supportive to others, not only on 1st February, but every day.

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