The CARE (Combined Assessment Of Residential Environments) profiles: a new approach to improving quality in care homes

Abstract

This paper briefly describes the rationale for and the development of the CARE (Combined Assessment of Residential Environments) profiles. The CARE profiles represent a new approach to quality improvement in care homes for older people that seeks to gain the views of residents, relatives and staff, and to use these as a basis for celebrating what works well in a home and identifying areas that need attention. The paper begins with a consideration of the limitations of existing quality initiatives and argues for a model that is more inclusive. Subsequently, the theoretical underpinnings of the CARE profiles, positive events, the Senses Framework, and a relationship‐centred approach to care are outlined. The process by which the CARE profiles were developed is then described and a case study highlighting how they might be used is presented.