Published on 09th November 2026
Have you noticed empathy in action when visiting one of our homes? Caring with kindness, compassion and empathy is the ethos that all our staff follow, and we see that displayed in meaningful moments between our residents and staff every day in our homes.
November is Empathy Action Month in the UK, and we at Beritaz Care have been taking some time this month to consider how we put empathy into action within our homes and the important part it plays in our approach to care. This year’s campaign encourages everyone to take time to understand other people’s feelings and experiences, and use this understanding to work towards improving the lives of others, which is exactly what we aim to do within our homes.
Empathy is a key part of providing later-life care. It helps our staff to see each situation from our residents’ perspective, and adjust the way they behave to make every interaction feel compassionate, understanding and kind. By taking part in training and exercises that help staff to ‘walk in the shoes’ of our residents, we can better understand the frustrations and struggles that can impact their daily lives, that might otherwise be overlooked.
Our services are built on a philosophy of person-centred care, and our team develop care plans for each resident, tailored specifically to their needs. This approach to care takes into account each person’s beliefs, their background, their interests, and the little things that are important to them. Recognising the aspects of our residents’ personality that define them, like being an avid gardener, a talented painter, or an animal lover, also helps us to support each resident to live a fulfilled and happy life.
We work closely with residents’ family members to be sure we have a good understanding of who they are and what will make their life at the home more comfortable. All these factors come together to support our holistic approach to care, ensuring we are supporting our residents’ emotional needs as well as physical needs.
At its core, empathy is about understanding the feelings of others, and in our homes, this means recognising how our residents are feeling and how this may impact their comfort and happiness. When they first join our homes, we see residents experiencing anxiety, loneliness, frustration, and sometimes fear. But there is also a huge amount of joy, comfort, and security, a sense of warmth and belonging as they become a part of the home community. Through the trust and bonds that are built between residents and staff, and the friendships they form within our homes, residents soon learn they are surrounded by people there to offer support and understanding.
Within our homes, we have been celebrating the moments of empathy and everyday actions of our team that demonstrate empathy in action. At Robertson Nursing Home, residents, visitors and fellow team members are invited to leave their compliments for staff in their compliments box. This is a fantastic way to celebrate the small actions that make a big difference to our residents, and team members have regularly received compliments for their kindness and patience towards residents. At Springkell House Care Home, each week a team member is recognised for their commitment to care in the ‘Star of the Week’ awards. They have had some very worthy recipients over the past few months being recognised for their compassion, kindness, and delivering exemplary care.
Empathy is more than just a value at Beritaz Care, it's at the heart of the person-centred care service we provide in our homes. We believe in truly understanding our residents, offering a listening ear whenever it is needed, and creating a warm, friendly environment where every resident feels supported.
Join us in celebrating kindness and compassion this Empathy Action Month, because a small act of kindness can make a big difference to someone’s life.