Ill-treatment of older people is unacceptable.

Yet, sadly, incidents of abuse in care homes have been dominating the news.

Respecting our elders, and treating them with dignity, is the subject of a dedicated ‘Dignity Action Day’ this month co-ordinated by Bradford Council and partners including the health service, the Alzheimer’s Society and other organisations.

The event will unite experts working with the elderly, such as those in health and social care, along with members of the public. Organisations will also be asked to commit to adopting the ‘Dignity Code,’ such as being respectful for individuals’ habits, values, culture and needs and supporting individuals in making up their own minds and expressing their wishes when they can no longer do this for themselves.

Following an address by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Khadim Hussain, on the purpose of National Dignity Day, there will be talks from some of the city and district’s experts, involved in older people’s issues.

Bradford’s older people’s champion, Jean Walker, chairman of Bradford Older People’s Partnership, will focus on treating older people with dignity, and Paul Smithson, from the Bradford branch of the Alzheimer’s Society, will talk about the rights of people with dementia to be treated with dignity.

Mark Nicholas, Bradford Council service manager for safeguarding and performance management, who is helping to organise the event, says it is the catalyst to a series of other events and activities going on during the National Dignity Action Day on Saturday, February 1, within Bradford district. For more information about those events, visit dignityincare.org.uk/Dignity_ Action_Day.

Mark says he hopes that by getting people to focus more on dignity and respect it will help to change attitudes. He gives an example of a conversation he once had with a young teenage care assistant who called a 90-year-old patient by her name instead of using her title and surname.

The care assistant naively assumed the women wouldn’t mind being called by her first name, but Mark says even though it was a minor thing she recognised it was important not to assume and that she should be led by the woman’s wishes.

“We want to highlight the importance of dignity in care and that can be in a variety of ways,” says Mark, referring to ‘Dignity Code’ being promoted through the event.

As well as the elderly, dignity and respect also extends to people with mental health problems and learning disabilities. “It is important the people who are caring for them think about the importance of dignity in that care and make sure that person is being cared for in a way that respects that,” says Mark.

Dignity Action Day will take place in the Council chamber at Keighley Town Hall, Bow Street, Keighley, on Friday, January 31, from 11am.