A Better Home Life - A code of good practice for residential and nursing home care - Centre for Policy on Ageing.

How to use the code

1.1 What the code covers

The code applies to the range of continuing care provided to older people by the NHS, local authorities and the independent sector. This means in particular:

and also, where appropriate, aspects of other settings such as:

It acknowledges the breadth and variety of living and care circumstances encompassed within these settings. Therefore some of the detail of the code applies more directly to some settings than to others.

The spirit and the principles of the code, however, are relevant across the board.

1.2 How it applies

The code sets out a model of good practice and describes the principles which underlie the provision of good quality care. Readers should take note of the following points:

1.3 Content and context

The experience of coming into care, of living in a home, of the pattern of daily life, of receiving treatment and care and ultimately of dying is encompassed in the code. Some parts of the code may be more applicable to residential homes, for example, than to nursing homes or hospital wards. Other parts may be more applicable to sheltered housing. Users of the code will need to consider the applicability of some of its aspects to their own situation. The intention is not to have unrealistic expectations of residents' capacities and inclinations but to ensure that, in whatever setting, the interests of the older people living in care are served.

1.4 Who should read the code

The code will be read by all those with an interest in continuing care and older people. In particular, it will be of value to:

The model of good practice which the code sets out provides a benchmark against which existing provision can be judged. It shows prospective residents what they might reasonably expect in a good home. It offers owners and managers of homes a model of excellence to which they should aspire and actively work towards and, in certain areas, sets out standards below which they should not fall. For staff, it provides a wealth of information about how their own practice can improve. Like its predecessor, the code will also be able to be used by inspectors as a guide during their regular inspection of homes. Above all, A Better Home Life can be used as a basis for quality assurance for anyone working in continuing care. It sets out principles of high quality care and shows how they can be put into practice.

1.5 The legal framework

The code does not go into the detail of the legislation and regulations which underpin residential and nursing home care (establishments which are required to be registered) and others (sheltered housing and hospitals). Reference to these is made in the appendices and covers:

1.6 Glossary

Many terms and words have specific meaning within the residential and nursing home context. Some relate to the law and regulations, others may be used by professionals or health and social services agencies in ways which may not always be clear to the general public. In some instances, the code has made decisions about usage for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

The following glossary of terms sets out the most commonly used:

Differences in terminology between Scotland and Northern Ireland and England and Wales are pointed out in the text.

1.7 Status of terms