Promoting Independence in a Care Home

In the realm of health and social care, promoting independence is a key cornerstone in providing quality and person-centred support. Of course, the job of care home workers is to assist residents living in the facility to ensure their health and safety. However, it is possible to provide too much assistance which can leave service users feeling they lack control and choice in their day-to-day lives.

Promoting independence in care is essential for helping elderly residents maintain their physical health, and it is vital for their mental health too. Encouraging independence can give service users a sense of control, boosting their self-esteem and ensuring they are treated with dignity and respect.

In this guide for care home managers and employees, CLH will help you learn more about independence in care by exploring the importance of promoting independence. We’ll give you practical strategies for carers looking to encourage independence to help their residents thrive.

• What is independence in health and social care?
• Why is independence important in health and social care?
• How to promote independence in a care home
  • Invest in independence-promoting aids
  • Organise social events and activities
  • Encourage residents to help with day-to-day tasks
  • Give residents choices
  • Help residents achieve their goals
• The times when independence in care isn't appropriate

What is independence in health and social care?

To put it simply, independence in health and social care involves empowering residents to maintain control over their lives to the greatest extent their health or mobility will allow. This encompasses a wider range of aspects, from making their own decisions and being permitted to perform daily activities, to engaging in social interactions as much or as little as they want. A key part of promoting independence in care is encouraging residents to go about their day-to-day lives without reliance on others unless necessary.

Of course, promoting independence does not simply mean leaving individuals entirely to their own devices. It instead involves striking the appropriate balance between providing necessary support and respecting the autonomy of residents. This balance can be tricky to determine, as each resident will have their own individual needs to take into account.

While each resident should be determined on a case-by-case basis, some common examples of promoting independence in a care setting include:

• Giving residents choice over their meals
• Allowing residents to decide whether they want to partake in an activity
• Giving them choices for where to go on an excursion
• Leaving them to do some daily tasks unaided (if possible), such as brushing their hair or applying makeup
• Giving them all the key information on their care plan to help them feel informed and in control of their time in the care home

Why is independence important in health and social care?

The importance of promoting independence in health and social care cannot be overstated, as it comes with numerous benefits for a resident’s overall wellbeing and quality of life. One of the main benefits residents can enjoy from fostering independence is a confidence boost. When residents are empowered to manage their daily lives, they experience a sense of accomplishment and agency, which in turn can give them a sense of self-esteem. This boost in self-esteem can lead to even more positive outcomes, such as having the confidence to socialise more and feeling empowered to become even more independent if possible.

One sometimes overlooked benefit of empowering and promoting independence is the impact it can have on a resident’s physical health. Of course, having a good mental state can also have a positive impact on physical health, so the sense of self-esteem and confidence that can come with independence can have a positive effect here. Encouraging service users to do as much for themselves as possible also means they are likely to be more active and get more movement in their day, whether this is walking to the communal area, getting themselves dressed in the morning, or something as simple as brushing their teeth. Plus, allowing residents to have control over the activities they do gives them more opportunities to do the physical activities they enjoy most, making them much more likely to take part and enjoy themselves.

For care home staff, promoting independence is crucial as it upholds the dignity of residents. This ensures that individuals are treated with respect, acknowledging their abilities rather than focusing solely on their limitations. In turn, residents feel respected and much more likely to harbour a positive relationship with the staff at your facility.

How to promote independence in a care home

Empowering and promoting independence in health and social care requires work and commitment from all those working in the care setting, but this doesn’t mean it has to be difficult to implement. Use the following strategies to ensure that you are able to promote independence for your care home residents whilst keeping them safe and supported.

Invest in independence-promoting aids

One common barrier care home residents face when it comes to becoming more independent is having the confidence to do so. Elderly residents might feel less steady on their feet, or have certain conditions which may make being independent feel much more difficult. A good way to give your service users self-assurance whilst keeping them safe is by investing in a range of top-quality independence-promoting aids. Not only can these be essential when it comes to helping residents get around physically, but they can make them feel much more secure when doing so, giving them the confidence to go further or do more than they usually would.

Some of the independence-promoting aids you may want to keep in resident’s bedrooms include:

• Profiling beds: These beds can make it easier for residents to adjust themselves in bed, or even help them get out of bed by themselves. You can find out more about the benefits of profiling beds for independence here.
• Bed rails: This tool can also provide support for getting in and out of bed, as well as making residents feel much more secure whilst in bed.
• Nurse call alarms: Alarms and alarm accessories can give residents peace of mind that they are safe in their rooms and will be swiftly cared for if they suffer a trip or fall. This in turn can give them confidence to do more in their rooms, whether it’s getting up to go to the toilet themselves or getting dressed on their own.
• Commodes and bedpans: These tools can give residents the independence of being able to go to the toilet if their mobility is impaired and they are unable to make it to the bathroom on their own.
• Other bedroom aids, such as bed grab bars and bed raisers.

There is also a selection of bathroom tools for helping those in your care home stay independent, such as:

• Toilet equipment, such as raised toilet seats and toilet surrounds to make it easier for residents to get up and down independently.
• Grab rails: These give residents the opportunity to get up and down from the toilet or bath on their own.
• Shower chairs: These allow residents to shower independently as they greatly decrease the risks of slips and falls, as well as help those living with fatigue shower by allowing them to take a seating break if needed.

In communal areas, the following pieces of equipment can be effective when it comes to promoting independence: 

• Specialist seating and rise and recline chairs: These are ideal for helping residents get in and out of chairs independently.
• Assistive dining aids: These allow residents to feed themselves without needing to rely on help from carers.
• Poly plastic dining wear: Regular plates, bowls, and glasses may be too heavy for some residents, so these poly plastic alternatives can make mealtimes much easier.

For getting around, either outdoors or to and from communal areas, walking frames can be a huge help, as can self-propelled wheelchairs for those who aren’t able to walk but want the independence of moving when and where they want.

Organise social events and activities

Encouraging service users to form bonds with other residents can be a great way to promote independence in a care home. Isolated residents are likely to rely on care workers for support more so than well-connected residents, which can leave them feeling less in control. Although it is vital that care workers provide service users with emotional support, it is also important that they have other support sources, and other residents can be great at providing this.

As well as promoting independence, social interaction is vital for reducing feelings of loneliness and promoting positive mental health, so it’s well worth dedicating time and resources to helping residents thrive in their social lives. You can find out more with our blog post on the psychological benefits of friendships for seniors.

Organised social events and activities can be a great way to allow residents to get to know one another whilst having a fun time. So, try to offer a range of activities for the people in your care home, catering to different interests and abilities to ensure that there’s something for every resident. There are a variety of types to try out, so you shouldn’t be short of activity ideas. Some creative and mentally stimulating activity ideas include:

• Art sessions
• Music therapy
• Board games
• Book club
• Quizzes
• Scrapbooking
• Puzzle games

Physical activities can also be beneficial for care home residents. Encouraging the elderly to stay as active as possible helps them maintain their independence, plus it is crucial for their overall physical wellbeing. There are various physical activities to plan for your residents, including options for a range of physical abilities. Some of the ones you can try include:

• Gardening
• Walks
• Dance classes
• Seated yoga
• Bowls
• Stretching sessions
• Tai Chi

Looking for even more activity ideas? Make sure to check out our guide on activities for dementia patients for a range of fun and wellbeing-boosting activities.

Encourage residents to help with day-to-day tasks

Moving from your own home into a care home can be a big adjustment, in part because day-to-day life can feel so different. Residents who may once have been in charge of all of their household chores, from taking the bins out to doing the washing and ironing, may feel a loss of control when these tasks are taken away from them, even if they struggle with completing the tasks. So, consider sharing these jobs out with residents to promote independence in your care home.

Involving residents in daily chores not only promotes independence by giving them a sense of purpose and responsibility, but it can also contribute to the smooth functioning of the care home, making it beneficial for your care staff too. Plus, assigning more physical chores and tasks when appropriate can encourage residents to stay active and help them keep their physical independence for as long as possible.

Simple tasks you may want to ask your residents to take control of include:

• Making their beds
• Setting tables
• Watering plants
• Folding laundry
• Vacuuming and dusting their own rooms
• Making shopping lists for personal items

You may occasionally look for ways for residents to get even more involved, such as by hosting group baking or cooking sessions. When delegating chores, ensure your care staff assign tasks based on individual capabilities so that residents feel up to the job and are not overdoing it, physically or mentally.

Give residents choices

Offering choices is a fundamental aspect of promoting independence in health and social care. No matter how large or small the choices on offer are, involving residents in decision-making processes instils a sense of control over their lives. The good news is that there are plenty of decisions available for service users to help them take control of their lives, including small decisions such as:

• Meal options
• Where and when they eat
• Clothing preferences
• Whether to join in with an activity or not
• When they go to bed and wake up

Although these decisions may seem small, they can have a significant impact on a resident’s day-to-day life, as it allows them to create a routine similar to the one they had before moving to a care home. There are larger decisions that care home residents should be able to have a say in too, such as how they decorate their room or making suggestions for day trips.

It is important for staff to ensure they do not have sway over a resident’s decision-making process to truly empower and promote independence for residents. This means care workers should have a neutral tone when discussing the choices available and avoid phrases which may lead residents more to one choice than another. Train your staff to ask “shall we do X or Y?”, rather than leading phrases, such as “most other residents are doing X, but you can do Y instead if you want”.

Help residents achieve their goals

Encouraging residents to set and work towards personal goals is a powerful way to promote independence. When moving to a care home, some elderly people feel like they lose a sense of purpose. Encouraging residents to set goals for themselves can not only rejuvenate this sense of purpose but also allows them to work towards something new that they may not have had the chance to do before.

When it comes to helping residents set goals, there is a diverse range to choose from. They could be anything from physical fitness objectives, such as managing a 30-minute walk every week, or creative pursuits, such as learning to paint or draw. Regular discussions with residents, along with their families, can be key when it comes to both helping the service users set goals and developing an action plan for achieving what they set out to. These goals should also be a part of their individual care plans to ensure that all staff are able to help them with their aspirations.

A supportive atmosphere within the care home can significantly impact the residents' ability to both pursue and achieve their goals, so this is an absolute must. Staff members can do this by keeping up to date with how the journey to achieving their goal is going, providing both physical assistance and emotional support along the way.

The times when independence in care isn’t appropriate

While promoting independence is a guiding principle in health and social care, there are instances when a more supportive and directive approach is necessary. This does not mean that residents should get no independence in their time living in your care home, but in some circumstances, some service users may need more guidance than others.

Cognitive impairment

In cases where residents experience severe cognitive impairment, such as advanced dementia, there may be times when their safety and wellbeing require a more hands-on and protective approach. Striking a balance between preserving autonomy and ensuring safety becomes paramount in such situations.

Health emergencies

During health emergencies or flare-ups of acute medical conditions, a swift and decisive response from caregivers may be necessary. In these instances, the priority is the immediate health and safety of the resident, and a temporary reduction in independence may be unavoidable. Residents should be able to regain their independence once the situation is resolved, but care staff should take control during the emergency.

Risk of harm

If a resident exhibits behaviours that pose a risk of harm to themselves or others, interventions may be needed to mitigate these risks. This could involve temporary restrictions on certain group activities or the introduction of safety measures to protect everyone involved. This is vital not just for the safety of the individual, but also for the rest of the residents, care workers, and visitors of the facility.

Transition periods

When a resident first enters a care home or experiences significant life changes, such as the loss of a loved one, a transitional period may require additional support and guidance. During these times, a more directive approach may be appropriate until the individual adjusts to their new environment.

Promoting independence in a care home is a holistic endeavour that requires a thoughtful and individualised approach. By recognising the unique needs and capabilities of each resident and implementing supportive strategies, care workers can create an environment that fosters autonomy, dignity, and overall wellbeing to enrich the lives of those living in care homes.

Here at CLH, we have a variety of care equipment to help you promote independence in your care home, as well as other healthcare setting essentials, including medical protection, patient care supplies, janitorial and laundry supplies, medical equipment, and more.

For more information and advice on running a healthcare facility, make sure to browse our full range of guides in our learning centre.