Our Services

What is PEARL?

• Positively
• Enriching
• And enhancing
• Residents
• Lives

"The precious string of pearls, of memories, that is our life, is breaking, the pearls are being lost. But by finding new pearls, those created in the struggle with dementia, we can put together a new necklace of life, of hope in our future." (Bryden, 2005)

The PEARL programme was developed in January 2008 to help our homes work towards a number of set criteria to ensure that they are providing the most up to date training, communication and interventions for people with dementia. The criteria follows the VIPS framework (Brooker, 2007) and addresses four main themes of person centred care:

• Valuing - A value base that asserts the absolute value of all human lives regardless of age or cognitive ability
• Individual - an individualized approach, recognising uniqueness
• Perspective - understanding the world from the perspective of the service user
• Supportive psychology providing a social environment that supports psychological needs
• PCC (person centred care) = V+I+P+S (Brooker, 2005)

Further reading on Dementia Care

Four Seasons Health Care has launched the first ever report of its kind about dementia care in our care homes.

The PEARL specialised dementia care programme has achieved both significant reductions in the requirement for anti-psychotic medication and improved patient well-being. The report shares what has been learned so far and hopefully contributes something worthwhile to others involved in the provision of dementia care.

The report highlights of the journey from concept to programme implementation. It covers the thinking behind the approach, staff selection and training, the criteria and the inspection process for a home to achieve PEARL accreditation and both statistical and anecdotal evidence of the positive outcomes of the programme. It also includes insights from staff members specialising in dementia care and feedback from families. The Four Seasons Health Care Dementia Care Report is available by clicking here.

Four Seasons Health Care has also signed up to the Dementia Action Alliance along with forty four organisations from the charity, public and private sectors that came together to form the largest ever united front against dementia.

The Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) has been set up to bring about radical changes in the way society responds to dementia and to transform quality of life for people living with the condition.

A full copy of the National Dementia Declaration for England can be found by clicking here and the National Dementia Action Plan for Four Seasons Health Care can be downloaded by clicking here.

How is the PEARL programme undertaken?

Initially a Dementia Care Project Manager will visit the home and carry out a ‘baseline assessment' to evaluate the home's current performance against the PEARL criteria. For example, one of the questions asked is "how many of your staff are trained in Person Centred Care?"

A full copy of the PEARL criteria is available from the Home Manager on request.

Throughout the project, the home is then visited by the Project Manager and also the Dementia Care Advisor who provides training in all aspects of Dementia Care.

How long does the PEARL programme take?

This varies from home to home as some homes have already started working towards the PEARL concept. A small number of homes have completed in less than six months but most homes prefer to work on the project over a 12 month period.

As a relative, or friend, is there anything I can do to help?

There are aspects of the PEARL criteria which promote person centred approaches to care and emphasise the importance of maintaining relationships both within the home (i.e. the staff) and with visitors to the home.

It would be really helpful if you could help us by providing as much information as you are able about the person we are caring for including past hobbies, interests and work (although the person may not immediately be able to bring these to mind, it can help the staff to communicate with the Resident when they know about the person’s life story.)

If staff have not already requested life story information, these forms are available within the home for you to complete. We would ask you to bring in a picture that the Resident will easily identify with to help them find their own room (this may be a picture of themselves a few years ago, a favourite pet or a picture of the person and their partner). The staff will be happy to advise you on this if you are unsure.

Staff may also discuss with you on an individual basis any other items that may enhance the Resident's life within the home.

What if there are aspects of PEARL I am unsure of?

Some of the PEARL criteria address issues such as the environment and sensory stimulation. You may therefore see approaches which are new, the benefits of which you may be initially unsure of, for example, doll therapy which has proved particularly successful.

If you have any questions or concerns about any aspect of the PEARL criteria then please speak to the Home Manager who will be happy to explain the benefits of the process to you.

When is PEARL accreditation awarded?

When the home feels that they are ready to be accredited they will contact their Project Manager. Members of the Dementia Services Team will then carry out unannounced visits and will ensure the PEARL criteria are being met via observations, interviews and review of documentation before a decision is made to allocate the PEARL award. Every home that has achieved the PEARL award is subject to continued review and revalidation.

The Dementia Care Services Team

The team consists of 8 highly specialised people working across the United Kingdom. The team have won a number of awards for their formulation and delivery of the PEARL project. There are also several publications within the nursing press that we can make available to you if you would like to read more - please contact your Home Manager.

Dementia Care Mapping

The following video by the Bradford Dementia Group explains Dementia Care Mapping.