Core values to improve quality of life

The six core values:

o   I decide for myself

o   I live a life with content

o   I am as self-reliant as possible

o   I can communicate

o   I feel safe

o   I have significant relations

Key points from the work of creating the six core values

• We have collected and analyzed data about what constitutes quality of life for some of the most vulnerable people in Denmark. Data is collected through interviews, observations, workshops etc.
• We have established a database that enables us to draw data based on for example target group, gender, age group or type of respondent.
• The ambition is that all employees on all levels in the organization contribute to increasing the users’ experience of quality of life. The core values and the rich data thus help guide actions on both individual, local, strategic and political level.

Local data driven improvements to increase autonomy, inclusion and quality of life

Target group specific data has made it possible for our institutions to establish a baseline assessment. The baseline assessment is a prioritization tool to decide which core values each institution need to focus on at first to improve quality of life for the people in the care.

Cases

Together with the people in their care, the institutions have defined several different activities that increase quality of life.

• At an institution for adults with deaf blindness, they discovered room for improvement regarding the core value “I have significant relations”. They decided to work out an individual plan for strengthening the resident’s relations with relatives, co-residents and employees. 
• At an institution for adults with severe mental and functional impairments, they decided to create a Saturday lunch bringing the residents closer together and allowing the residents to choose their own food from a buffet rather than predefined plates.
• Data showed that “feeling safe” was not always the case at an institution for people with late brain injuries. They decided to engage in systematic individual talks with the residents about what makes them feel safe and how the feeling of safety could be increased.

Video from the process of defining the core values

An example of how we involved stakeholders during the process of defining the six core values. The video also contains short interviews about why it is important to work with improvement of quality of life.