WELLBURN MD SPENDS A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PENSIONER

Wellburn Care Homes Managing Director, Karl Beckett, spent a day as an elderly person at the company’s Heatherdale residential home in Broomhill, near Druridge Bay, Northumberland.
It was part of a new initiative introduced by Mr Beckett, 39, to ensure standards remain high throughout the 14 residential homes Wellburn operates in Northumberland and Yorkshire, as well as ensuring managers continue to understand the human side of its business.
These ‘day in the life of’ visits will require managers to take on the ‘role’ of an elderly person, meaning, for example, they may have to spend the entire day in a wheelchair, relying on others to help them.
They will be required to follow the same routine as the other residents in the home including talking part in the daily activities, having meals at the same time and, if necessary, even being escorted to the toilet and bed.
Mr Beckett spent his day using a Zimmer frame to get about and as it was very sunny, he was able to spend much of it outside, talking with other residents.
He said: “It was a phenomenal experience to get a feeling of spending a day in the shoes of one of our residents.
“My visit was only announced to staff 24 hours beforehand but at the end of the day it was clear there is real family feel among both residents and staff.
“This has been a very valuable exercise and I would encourage senior managers in any kind of business to spend a day like this on the ground, seeing how their business works.
“In my view this approach would certainly enhance a business.”