A care home provider has featured a former James Bond actress in a training video designed to help staff make better informed assessments about residents’ mental capacity.
Madeline Smith, who acted opposite 007 Roger Moore in the 1973 film Live and Let Die, plays a newly arrived resident called Betty Samson whose declining cognitive abilities have led to a diagnosis of vascular dementia.
The video, commissioned by Colten Care’s Learning & Development team, focuses on aspects of safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act, highlighting what care staff and colleagues should know when giving support to someone in Betty’s situation.
Filming of the video took place last winter at Colten Care’s Braemar Lodge care home in Salisbury and included non-speaking ‘bit parts’ in a dining room scene for real-life residents Mary Wilson, Catherine Brighty and Sheila Nell.
Following production, Madeline accepted an invite to be the special guest at a black-tie ‘premiere’ of the video back at Braemar Lodge.
As well as watching the video and a compilation of clips from Madeline’s career, guests had the chance to walk on the red carpet and enjoy canapés and bubbly followed by a buffet supper.
Sheila, who like Madeline, Mary and Catherine, was presented with flowers as a thank-you for taking part in the filming, said of the premiere: “It was just lovely, a grand event.”
Sheila’s thoughts were echoed by Braemar Lodge Home Manager Jackie Cash who said: “Residents really enjoyed the opportunity to experience the excitement of a red-carpet premiere. It was wonderful to see everyone come together to celebrate and socialise.”
The video was devised and commissioned by Lydia Shanley, Colten Care’s Learning & Development Business Partner, and Jessica Salway, Clinical Assurance Manager.
Both worked on the script and learning content and were involved in supervising the filming, working alongside external director Pete Doherty.
Lydia, who also helped organise the premiere, said: “We wanted to make a film in-house and in line with our safeguarding training and policies that would help staff understand the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act and how and when to intervene without impeding on the rights of the resident. The main aim was to use drama to create an accessible and relatable film that all staff at Colten Care would view. Working with Madeline and the rest of the cast was a dream. Madeline treated the project with utter respect as she herself has friends living in care and so understands the importance of this topic. She was very approachable and open to suggestions of how to portray Betty. We had residents join in for the dining room scene, all of whom did well not to look directly at the camera. They were great.”
Madeline, 77, was the first ‘Bond girl’ of the Roger Moore era and played Italian agent Miss Caruso in the opening sequence of Live and Let Die.
A former model, she was recommended for the part by Moore himself after they worked together on the television series The Persuaders.
She went on to appear in many television series and stage productions, as well as big-screen comedy and horror films, mainly in the 1970s and 80s.
The video featuring Madeline, other actors and the Braemar Lodge residents is now part of Colten Care’s wider suite of learning and development modules aimed at new starters and those progressing their careers at the provider.
