High quality care for people at the end of life was rewarded with a presentation of awards for care homes across the Stockport area.

The awards were presented to care home representatives by the trust’s Deputy Medical Director, Tushar Mahambrey and Divisional Director of Nursing and Therapies for Integrated Care, Liza McIlvenny, during a ceremony at Stepping Hill Hospital. 

Research consistently shows the majority of people would prefer to die in their usual place of residence rather than in hospital. Stockport’s local care homes have been working closely with the End-of-Life Care Quality Improvement Facilitators to develop skills in recognising decline and advance care planning to maximise the opportunities for residents to be safely cared for and die at home. 

The six care homes honoured at the event provide a total of 290 beds, caring for people living with frailty, dementia, life limiting conditions and those with complex nursing needs.

98% of the expected deaths that occurred in these homes were cared for by the care team, which means their final wishes were met. In addition to achieving the preferred place of care for so many of their residents, the care homes have reduced the number of avoidable admissions to hospital and presentations at the emergency department (A&E) in the last 90 days of life.

The care homes Lisburne Court, Mellor Nook and Plane Tree Court received awards for continuing excellence in end-of-life care, all achieving preferred place of care for their residents and reduction in hospital admissions over three successive years.  

Bamford Close and Hillbrook Grange have each completed the Stockport Excellence in End-of-Life Care training in 2023/24, and have embedded the principles into practice, immediately demonstrating improved outcomes for residents.

Berrycroft Manor invited the facilitators to help them improve end of life care in the home. Training and continued support from the facilitators has resulted in a steady improvement, this has resulted in an increase in the number of residents achieving their preferred place of care and a 50% reduction in the number of residents admitted to hospital in the last 90 days of life.

The End-of-Life Quality Improvement Facilitators focus on enabling, empowering and supporting care home staff to recognise the declining person, developing advance care plans and care for the dying person. This partnership working has changed practice for the better, ensuring high quality care for both the people at the end of  their life and those important to them.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust End of Life Quality Improvement Facilitator, Elaine Watson said “Care home staff understand and know their residents and are the very best placed people to navigate the end of life journey with them. It is wonderful to see their confidence grow as they build on their knowledge and use newly learned skills. It was a pleasure to see them presented with these awards, which are richly deserved for the excellent care they have provided.”