About us

My Home Life is led by Help the Aged, in partnership with the National Care Forum and City University. It is a collaborative programme bringing together organisations which reflect the interests of care home providers, commissioners, regulators and older people themselves.

You can contact us using the details below. We would like to reply to each of you personally, but we may not be able to do so immediately - please be patient.

My Home Life programme
Help the Aged
207-221 Pentonville Road
London N1 9UZ

myhomelife@helptheaged.org.uk

Our sponsors

My Home Life is led by Help the Aged in partnership with National Care Forum and City University.

BUPA Giving, a charitable initiative set up by BUPA to celebrate its 60th Anniversary, have kindly provided an unrestricted grant for City University to develop some initial educational resources and a website to help launch My Home Life.

My Home Life Steering Group

• Sharon Blackburn - Heart of England Care
• Clive Bowman - BUPA
• Susan Corrigan - Commission for Social Care Inspection
• Janet Crampton - Department of Health
• Gillian Dalley - Relatives & Residents Association
• Pat Duff - Independent advisor
• Martin Green - English Community Care Association (ECCA)
• Marion Harrington - Westminster Council Head of Commissioning
• Amanda Hatton - Skills for Care
• Rosemary Hurtley - Independent Advisor
• Julienne Meyer - National Care Homes Research and Development Forum & City University
• Des Kelly - National Care Forum
• Sylvie Silver - National Association for Providers of Activities (NAPA)
• Annie Stevenson - Help the Aged

Gilly Crosby, Centre for Policy on Ageing, is also advisor to the work.

Best practice theme leads

My Home Life is being developed in conjunction with a number of academic researchers and consultants who are advising the project on the best practice themes:

Managing Transitions

Jan Reed, Northumbria University - jan.reed@unn.ac.uk
Glenda Cook, Northumbria University - Glenda.cook@unn.ac.uk

Maintaining Identity

Angela Cotter, Independent Consultant - acotter@btinternet.com
Denise Forte, Kingston University - dforte@hscs.sgul.ac.uk
Dawn Brooker, Bradford University - D.J.Brooker@Bradford.ac.uk

Creating Community/Shared decision-making

Sue Davies, Sheffield University - s.m.davies@shef.ac.uk
Christine Brown-Wilson, Manchester University - Christine.BrownWilson@manchester.ac.uk

Improving Health & Healthcare

Hazel Heath, Freelance Consultant - HH@hazelheath.co.uk
Deborah Sturdy, Department of Health
Jackie Morris, Independent Geriatrician
Claire Goodman, Hertfordshire University - c.goodman@herts.ac.uk

Supporting Good End of Life

Katherine Froggatt, Lancaster University - k.froggatt@lancaster.ac.uk

Promoting Positive Culture

Belinda Dewar - bdewar@changingpractice.com

Dementia

Jan Dewing, Dawn Brooker and Hazel Heath are all supporting My Home Life in relation to the theme of dementia.

What the sector thinks of My Home Life:

"The My Home Life programme provides a golden opportunity for care homes across the country to play a part in making a real difference to the quality of life of older people living in care homes. Staff will jump at the chance to get involved".
Dr Gillian Dalley
Chief Executive, Relatives and Residents Association

"Having been involved with the My Home Life (MHL) programme from the outset the National Care Forum is pleased to be associated with it and proud of what it has already achieved. It has given a new focus to quality of life in care homes for older people in positive ways underpinned by sound research evidence. It is our view that the MHL programme has the potential to contribute significantly to improving quality by assisting in transforming care and support services."
Des Kelly OBE
Executive Director, National Care Forum

"The My Home Life Programme is making a real contribution to improving care standards and the quality of life for older people. The really important thing about MHL is that it is based on the experience of the sector and is not imposed from above."
Martin Green
Chief Executive, English Community Care Association

"For care providers one of the most important parts of the work of My Home Life is the recognition of best practice and the encouragement of the sector to do better. National Care Association welcomes every opportunity to work with the My Home Life project because of the way it supports every provider to achieve the best possible outcome for people in receipt of care."
Sheila Scott OBE
Chief Executive, National Care Association

"I have often bemoaned the lack of genuine, unbiased research into the care provided by the independent sector in care homes and nursing homes. The My Home Life project promises to alter that balance by focusing on best practice in care homes, an approach which is not only welcomed by the providers, but will have a marked impact on those using our service."
Frank Ursell,
Chief Executive Officer, Registered Nursing Home Association.

"The raising of standards is the objective of Care Forum Wales and Rachel Mortimore, Manager of College Fields who was awarded the 'Spirit of Care Award' at the Wales Care Awards by Care Forum Wales has accepted an invitation from Help the Aged to assist with the appointment of a co-ordinator for Wales to promote the project in the Principality."
Mario Kreft,
Chief Executive, Care Forum Wales

"It's great for staff in care homes to have a recognised source of advice based on evidence and good practice, particularly when many are independent, operating in isolation from other larger providers."
Hugh Mills
Chief Executive/Director of Development, Independent Health and Care Providers

"My Home Life has proven a very effective means of first and foremost focusing attention on the experience of those living in care homes whilst at the same time valuing and encouraging the efforts of those working there. Staff have found My Home Life an aid to accessing and developing best practice."
Ranald Mair
Chief Executive, Scottish Care

"My Home Life importantly champions the commitment and service that typifies the experience of the majority of people who work and those who receive care in care homes. This is an important antidote to the disproportionate negative attitudes that undermine the crucial role care homes play."
Dr Clive Bowman, FRCP
Medical Director, BUPA Care Services

"The 'My Home Life' project epitomises the ideals that all responsible care home operators aspire to. I was so impressed by the project that my home donated £1,000 to Help the Aged to support the development in Wales."
Michael Kemp,
Director, College Fields Nursing Home, Barry

"My Home Life has facilitated a co-ordinated revolution in how care homes are perceived. Its data is reliable and puts residents at the heart of all that is promoted. It has crossed all established professional boundaries for the greater good of those who reside in a care home. My Home Life is here to stay and the material and networks that have been established will influence practice for years to come."
Sharon Blackburn
Managing Director, Heart of England Housing and Care Ltd

"The My Home Life project is instrumental in linking and co-ordinating threads of good practice both to inspire and motivate homes towards continuous improvement and confidence building within the sector. This will provide assurance for those living in, visiting and working in the sector and enable care homes to be a positive option for those who need one."
Rosemary Hurtley MSc (Social Gerontology) Dip COT
Consultant Occupational Therapist, Care Home Adviser

"My Home Life has provided a focus for all sectors of older people's care to promote skill sharing and working together in an unprecedented way. Research based on best practice is now being shared in a positive and accessible way that can only benefit residents, staff and relatives alike. NAPA is proud to have been involved from the outset and will continue to support the project wholeheartedly."
Sylvie Silver, Strategic Director, NAPA