“Nothing can replace a hug” – new guidance on meaningful connection
For many people living in care homes, moments of connection with loved ones are the most important part of their day. Whether it’s a chat, a walk in the garden, a favourite song shared, or simply the chance to hold a loved one close, these small moments have a big impact on wellbeing. As one person told us, "Phone calls and video chats are fine, but nothing can replace a hug."
We have published Supporting meaningful connection: good practice guidance for care homes to support care homes in ensuring those moments of closeness are built into everyday life.
The guidance is built on what people have told us matters most, alongside research and examples of good practice. It centres on creating a culture for connection, which is person- and relationship-focused, centres people’s social and emotional needs, and helps everyone to get the best out of life in the ways that are right for them.
As one person explained: "Just being together and seeing her face, that’s what I look forward to every day."
The guidance also reflects the principles of Anne’s Law, strengthening the rights of people in care homes to maintain contact with loved ones, even in exceptional circumstances such as infectious outbreaks.
Meaningful connection is central to wellbeing. Whether it’s sharing a meal, joining in community activities, or welcoming family and friends, the guidance highlights how care services can ensure connection with families and friends, peers, staff, and the wider community, is a valued, enriching part of daily life.
The full guidance is available to read here. To accompany it, we have also produced a pocket guide and a poster series.
Landmark week for Anne’s Law
It’s been a landmark week for Anne’s Law, as the Scottish Parliament voted unanimously, on 10 June 2025, to pass the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill (previously known as the National Care Service Bill).
Section 40 of the Bill, titled “Visits to or by care home residents”, formally enshrines Anne’s Law in statute, introducing the role of the Essential Care Supporter and establishing the right to visits. It’s an acknowledgement of the essential role families and friends play in providing care, connection and companionship to their loved ones, and a major milestone in the journey to strengthen the rights of care home residents.
However, this is far from the end of the story. The practical details of how Anne’s Law will operate on the ground will be set out in the Regulations and Code of Practice, which will be developed and consulted upon following Royal Assent of the Bill (in about 8 weeks).
You can read the full Care Reform (Scotland) Bill here.
Supporting meaningful connection when people are living with dementia
It's estimated that around 90,000 people in Scotland are living with dementia, with or without a formal diagnosis, and they make up approximately 65% of people who live in care homes for older people. Meaningful connection is essential for everyone, but as we know, people who are living with dementia can experience particular challenges in communicating and in forming and maintaining relationships. This leads to an increased risk of isolation and loneliness, resulting in powerful negative impacts on health and wellbeing.
We have just published a factsheet which covers some of the issues, challenges and possible strategies around supporting meaningful connection. We hope this will be helpful for family carers, care staff, and anyone who cares for someone who is living with dementia.
Consultation with family carers
When a loved one moves into a care home, the roles of their families and friends often change, but they are no less important. For many, they continue to play numerous vital roles in supporting the emotional, mental, social and physical wellbeing of their family member or friend. Their involvement goes far beyond “just being a visitor”.
We wanted to find out what matters to family carers, and particularly what factors support or undermine true inclusion and partnership. We know from research, as well as from direct experience and observation, how powerfully positive family involvement contributes to people’s wellbeing, and often to the wellbeing of the home as a whole.
As a result of our consultation, we have published a report which reflects what people told us about what matters to them, focusing particularly on which factors help to support or undermine genuine inclusion. You can read the report here.
Factsheet about visiting in adult and older people's care homes
We have published a factsheet about visiting in adult and older people’s care homes.
This covers expectations for visiting in both normal and exceptional circumstances, and we hope it will be useful for care home providers, managers and staff, people experiencing care, their families and friends, and other relevant people. Any queries, please contact us at
“Lizzie on the Fence” at the Scottish Parliament
Blog by Sheri Kerr, Meaningful Connection, Visiting and Anne’s Law Project
“Palisade security fencing is a popular choice for high security buildings like prisons. And care homes.”
Campaigning group Care Home Relatives Scotland recently teamed up with Human Story Theatre, who specialise in plays with a health and social care issue at heart, to bring a staged reading of the play “Lizzie on the Fence” to the Scottish Parliament. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend the performance and panel discussion afterwards, representing the Care Inspectorate’s Meaningful Connection, Visiting and Anne’s Law Project.
The play is described as “a dark comedy about locked down love”, and it’s certainly very funny – there were many laugh-out-loud moments for the audience and some very spot-on observations - but also almost unbearably poignant at times, and clearly resonated powerfully with the audience, bringing back all too painful memories for many.
Standing vigil outside the fence of her husband of forty years, Bill’s care home, the articulate and angry Lizzie (Renata Allen) tells the story of what’s brought her there and the people she has interacted with along the way – battles with care home manager Mark (a very funny performance from Edward Rowett), the concerns of her beleaguered NHS-working daughter Flick (Michelle Frew), and an unexpected meeting with Arthur (Kieran Hodgson), a student with his own rather controversial take on the events of the pandemic. Themes of love, separation and determination shine through.
The play was inspired by writer Amanda Mackenzie Stuart’s own experiences during the pandemic – lurking, like Lizzie, in the shrubbery outside the fence of her husband’s care home – and by the stories of many others, some of which are referenced in the script.
“We weren’t able to get into his room and hold his hand. Visits were only ever possible at a distance through the care home fence,” Amanda recalled. “We never knew if he understood why we had apparently abandoned him.”
A panel discussion after the performance featured playwright Amanda Mackenzie Stuart, Iona Colvin, Chief Social Work Adviser to the Scottish Government, and Natasha Hamilton and Alison Leitch from Care Home Relatives Scotland. Unfortunately the discussion was cut short due to the illness of an audience member, but there was plenty of opportunity for conversations around the room.
