Improving person-centred care with The Daily Sparkle



To help improve the person-centred care at Care South’s residential homes, we have teamed up with The Daily Sparkle.

The Daily Sparkle is a newspaper and app that aids staff in getting to know and understand the people they care for, ensuring the engaging activities are tailored to their unique interests and happy memories.

The daily newspaper features old news stories from the past 80 years, as well as a quiz, and well-known songs. Topics might include anything from childhood toys and much-loved TV shows to favourite marmalade recipes and vintage steam trains.

Using these resources has opened up conversations for our residents. They reveal the smaller details of their lives, which gives activity staff a much clearer idea of the person.

Conversation starters

In addition, the extra resources, session plans, crafts and topics provided by The Daily Sparkle have freed up our activity co-ordinators to spend more quality time with residents. The newspaper also provides easy conversation starters for family and friends, and other care staff, meaning our residents are having meaningful conversations with the people around them throughout the day, about topics that are close to their heart.

The shift from home to care home can be challenging for many people. For those living with dementia, the sense of alienation can be even more acute. This is where the power of activities can really be seen, and where reminiscence especially can help.

Recalling past events or past memories, big or small, are ways to reinforce a feeling of familiarity and safety. They can often be reminders of that person’s identity – a connection to a time when that person felt stronger, more important, more powerful – rather than this more dependant person. Being reminded of who they were before is incredibly important from a self-esteem point of view.

You can find out more about how The Daily Sparkle helps with person-centred care on their website.