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Success story as Sir Michael celebrates a victory with dignity
Sometimes, having a celebrity backer can do more harm than good.
After famously declaring "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" in poster campaign for Peta, the animal charity's relations with Naomi Campbell turned icy when it emerged the supermodel was about to become the face of luxury furrier Dennis Basso.
Elsewhere, the likes of Kate Moss, Kerry Katona and Michael Phelps have all caused headaches for their corporate clients following tabloid revelations of their less holier than thou private lives.
However, the ever reliable Sir Michael Parkinson has no such skeletons in his cupboard and his appointment as Dignity Ambassador always seemed like a good move.
Since becoming the public face of the organisation set up to improve care and treatment of the elderly, Sir Michael has been a vocal spokesman for the need for change and has visited numerous projects around the country.
It now seems his support has paid off. Since linking up with the broadcaster in July last year, more than 10,000 people have signed up to become Dignity Champions and the growing army of volunteers are increasingly making their impact felt.
"I have had the great honour of meeting some of our nation's unsung heroes, hearing their stories and bringing attention to what they are doing to hopefully inspire many others to follow suit," said Sir Michael, following the announcement. "They are ordinary people doing everyday things. But in their own way they are having a tremendous."
An independent review of the campaign has also confirmed it is more than just a talking shop and those behind the organisation are now keen to highlight some of the early success stories.
They include a group of pensioners in West Yorkshire, who became minor celebrities in their home towns after starring in a poster campaign.
Photographed holding pictures of themselves in their youth and with slogans like "'I've been a son, dad and manager – now I need help to make decisions about my life" and "People used to understand me – now I need help to be heard", the posters were part of an ongoing campaign by Kirklees Council to tackle negative attitudes towards older people.
"We wanted to show how older people in our community have rich life experiences and should not just be seen as people of a certain age," said a council spokesman. "Using real people was key to getting that message out and from the feedback from many of those involved, it really does seem to have struck a chord.
"One of the pensioners who appeared on the posters told us how everyone had said how good she looked for her age and that it had made people stop and think."
Elsewhere in the county, the efforts of the Dignity Champions are also beginning to transform the lives of people whose needs have historically been overlooked.
Stroke patients, who are often left with speech and cognitive difficulties, often struggle to communicate with those responsible for deciding their long-term care needs. However, a pioneering scheme at Dewsbury Hospital, which uses specialist speech and language therapists, now ensures their voices are heard.
What all the success stories have in common is a recognition that older people have a right to be asked and be involved in the decisions which affect their future and often it's the simple schemes which have worked the best.
At the Highroyd Residential Home in Huddersfield, care manager Kim Hurst invited one of the home's residents to help interview applicants for new posts, a move she says ensures their views were taken into consideration. "This home is for our residents, so why shouldn't they have a say about who is going to look after them?"
One of the most high profile schemes to be launched in the region was the Sheffield Care Home Olympics. The first event of its kind in the UK, it took place at the Don Valley Stadium and involved 120 competitors, with an average age of 85, taking part with carers in a day of bowls, skittles and mini-golf.
"It's a fact that everyone needs to engage in meaningful activity every day if they are to maintain good physical health, mental well-being and a sense of identity," said a spokesman for the event. "We had 20 care homes taking part and it was a real celebration of what can be done with just a little bit of thought.
"One of the residents said afterwards, 'It made me feel like I'm still in the world' and at it's heart that is what Dignity in Care is all about."
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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