Prince George Duke of Kent Court staff experience first-hand what it feels like to be a resident

Photo above: Staff member Modupe Jinadu pushes staff member Kim Hurn, sitting in a wheelchair and wearing goggles to simulate impaired vision, at Prince George Duke of Kent Court, in Chislehurst.

Staff members at Prince George Duke of Kent Court, in Chislehurst, recently took part in an innovative training programme called Experiential Learning. Through this training, staff had the opportunity to experience first-hand what it might feel like to be a resident in a care home.

They were presented with different challenges, such as wearing a wet incontinence pad throughout the training session, doing a crossword while wearing goggles that simulate impaired vision, and wearing gloves to simulate arthritis. The aim was to help give them a better understanding of how residents should be cared for, and develop a greater sense of empathy in their roles.

Maisie Bourne, the Home’s Training Manager, said:

All staff at our Home, at every level, have to go through this training.

It’s important that we all understand the challenges faced by our residents, whether they have a mobility need, require support at mealtimes or need additional one to one support.

Staff member Diane Connor feeds staff member Kim Hurn during the training session.

As part of the training session, staff members also took part in a variety of scenarios, such as:

• Being pushed in a wheelchair with artificially impaired vision.
• Being supported to eat a meal by another trainee.
• Having their face and neck washed by another trainee.
• Being left on their own in an empty room whilst unable to move from their chair.

The programme was first launched in 2014 and has been refined and expanded with different scenarios in recent years. Louise Bateman, Group Human Resources Director at RMBI Care Co., says:

Learning through experience can be very powerful; this programme has become a vital tool in supporting new staff members to empathise with residents and to care with compassion.

We want to ensure that we recruit individuals not solely upon their technical skills or abilities, but on the basis of their values and attitudes to care.

Staff member Modupe Jinadu wears gloves to simulate arthritis while trying to button up a shirt.

Diane Connor, Activities Coordinator and one of the trainees, said:

This training emphasises the importance of being in someone else’s shoes and treating others the way you want them to treat you.

[Summary: Staff members at Prince George Duke of Kent Court, in Chislehurst, took part in an innovative training programme called Experiential Learning. Through this training, staff had the opportunity to experience first-hand what it might feel like to be a resident in a care home. The aim was to help give them a better understanding of how residents should be cared for, and develop a greater sense of empathy in their roles.]