Namaste Toolkit
Supporting dementia care in care homes
For many years, St Christopher’s has partnered with local care homes to better understand the needs of people living into late old age; often with frailty and dementia, especially as they approach the end of their lives.
The Namaste Care Programme
In 2012 St Christopher’s funded a research study focused on the Namaste Care Programme, an innovative care model developed for people living with advanced dementia.
Namaste Care combines compassionate, person-centred care with sensory activities and meaningful interactions. It aims to foster a calm and nurturing environment, allowing residents to experience comfort, dignity, and a sense of connection, even in the advanced stages of dementia. Namaste Care focusses on quality of life to the end of life.
Implementation and Collaboration
Min Stacpoole and Dr Jo Hockley collaborated with Professor Joyce Simard, the founder of Namaste Care, and Dr Amanda Thompsell, of the South London and Maudsley Hospital Trust, in a research study introducing Namaste Care into local care homes. The study examined the impact of Namaste Care on residents, their families, and care staff.
Research Outcomes
The St Christopher’s study, along with subsequent research and further experience, has demonstrated that Namaste Care can significantly reduce agitation, elevate mood, and improve the overall well-being of individuals with advanced dementia. Families reported feeling more connected to their loved ones and felt reassured by the compassionate care being provided.
Following the study the team wrote a manual based on their learning from the experience of implementing Namaste Care – ‘The Toolkit for implementing the Namaste Care programme for people with advanced dementia living in care homes’.
Further Information and Resources
The Toolkit can be downloaded from the NEAR (Namaste Education and Resources) website where there is also access to information, resources and education courses.
Namaste Care Education and Resources (NEAR) is a new charity set up in Scotland by Amy Crichton, Min Stacpoole, Jo Hockley and Lesley Wiley to provide teaching, resources and on-going support for the implementation and sustainability of Namaste Care in care homes and other settings.
